after seeing something on the enough is enough forum about people on the Autism. Spectrum and there may be a fairly large number of people young and old that play TSW TSC and other train sim games and a huge interest in trains. I thought may be good to start a post here .so that people on the spectum can chat abot TSW TSC and other train sim games and train s since it s a common theme trains are a major interest. With a lot of people on the autisim spectrum.. Please try to keep thing s to a decent manor on here and have understanding have respect twd others etc ..
I understand that it may defeat the purpose of the thread, but can people who aren't on the spectrum take part?
Of course While not officially diagnosed, i mean i tick almost every box for it as deep as im in train simulation and trains in general. Also other things like maps etc. This meme describes it best xD (nicked it off twitter)
I have taken the Baron Cohen test like 3-4 times over the years, and every time I either was at the very brink or like 1-2pts over into the spectrum... and... I tick a lot of boxes, tho I can function fairly well ... so... it might be Aspergers, but havent managed (or had the energy) to find a psychologist/psychiatrist to do the diagnostics... so I certainly am not ok, but dont have anything diagnosed officially so I dont know if my tendency to go very deep into things if I take interest in them is a result of OCD or Aspergers, might actually be both once I fell for trains I remembered Sheldon from Big Bang Theory lol over the years I had/have a couple friends on the spectrum, all very nice people as for trains, always liked them, but the plunge happened during Covid... bought TSW2 and to be able to play it with safety systems, I started researching and learning stuff, and never stopped since then ... sometimes if I feel sad and am in Vienna, I often head to some station or yard or other place where I can watch trains go by or other action, and it calms me down greatly... especially Kledering, on the southeastern edge of Vienna <3
I don't have ASD, nor have I had much experience with people with ASD in general (except for one old friend who is no longer responding to my messages). I like trains, though, and I like planes too! The only reason I got into trains was because planes were not as accessible during lockdown. Given that my only social media accounts are this and LinkedIn, I wonder if this would be a good place to learn about what living with ASD is like from people who actually have some experience with it (or have some knowledge from a friend they knew). I am wary, however, that this may not be the conversation that the OP was hoping for.
ASD = Autistic Spectrum Disorder. It's the new name and incorporates all elements of the Autistic Spectrum inc Aspergers.
I haven't been fully diagnosed with ASD yet but have done so many preliminary assessments and each time the results come out as very highly likely. One of these tests was done by a therapist who then recommended I be referred for full assessment. Unfortunately at the time my area did not have any facilities to assess and diagnose adults and cases were often referred out of area which proved too costly so I was refused. Everyone seems to associate being autistic as having a love of trains (especially for boys) but that's not always the case. I know several autistic people and only 1 other has the same interest in trains as I have. Every person who is autistic is different. No 2 persons are the same. As someone who only really started learning about ASD/autism 5 years ago, I have certainly found out a lot about myself and my rituals, behaviors and possible triggers (and yes, I still get meltdowns every now and then). My interests go further than trains though. As a young boy I was heavily into cars. I was still playing with cars and collecting them at age 15 so I was considered weird. Also growing up I had a keen interest in planes which was helped by the fact that a family member was in the RAF and based about 1hr away from us. I still watch radar apps and sometimes snap the odd photo of something flying over. I also had a keen interest in ships, particularly cross-channel ferries. This was due to the amount of time I spent on cross-channel ferries between Plymouth/Portsmouth/Southampton and Roscoff/Cherbourg/St Malo/Caen as a child going on holidays (sometimes 4 per year). Later in my adult life I started having an interest in trains, particularly old BR diesels (37s, 47s etc). Then I found TSW on PS4 in 2019 so I could drive virtual ones. This has progressed right up to TSW4 and also led to me buying a PC several years ago to play TSC so I could experience a wider variety of locos/trains and routes/locations. In 2023 I was fortunate enough to be able to afford a loco driving experience in a class 37. It was an awesome experience and I enjoyed it so much that I actually went back to the railway and volunteered 2 months later. I got to be around several old gen diesels and DMUs and also the much hated Pacers (142 and 143). I had many cab rides along the line in various units during my time there. Unfortunately, I am no longer a volunteer there. Lets just say that my ASD did cause some issues. Living with ASD has a lot of challenges. It is not easy for most people and some of the biggest issues faced are socialisation and external stimuli such as sounds, smells and sights.
It can be classed as a disorder. A person who has autism has their brain wired differently from a normal (neurotypical) person so therefore something is wrong. ASD is also classed as a developmental disorder and is from birth.
kinda like playing BR 101 Expert, getting Storung after Storung, looking into manual, with some of those being listed as stop driving if encountered, but you still have to drive on ... and some days the loco in your brain just refuses to budge
With my autism I tend to be interested in stuff like reading legislation which I like for some reason.. everyone has their different interests I suppose
so you also enjoy reading like commentary books on legislation? I always marvel at the fact that laws themselves are tiny books in itself, and then books EXPLAINING them are like 1500 pages thick lol I would enjoy reading manuals for German/Austrian locos if they werent in German
In relation to the railway industry I like reading about signals and guard buzzer signals particularly. Trying to remember them and their meaning etc.
I love reading anything..I find the world fascinating tbh. I am reading about LOLER and other HSE legislation at the minute. I think i just like learning in general..trying to set limits per day for gaming so I don't go overboard as get a bit brain dead I feel.
I would love even more expert stuff like 101 atm (still learning, of course, usually if a problem arises during driving the thing)... would love to learn more in-depth the shenanigans behind locos and trains, but unfortunately a lot of those materials are "locked" behind either confidentiality or such stuff, like you have to actually be a rail driver to have access to some learning materials... and sometimes I would like to read about certain stuff or procedure, how sth works IRL, but cant cos it is in those materials
one of the best things about TSW is that cos of German/UK/US content I had to check the national signalling stuff so I could drive with safety stuff on
Been trying to find the rssb rulebook for UK but can't really find one as its locked behind a pay wall
once I tried to find an actual Fahrplan for one of OBB services, but thats locked behind name/password on OBB work website, so you have to be an employee to have access and so you can print it out... I know one time I managed to find an actual manual on real Ebula, explaining various signs/abbreviations and like how approach speeds and such stuff works, but when I tried to find it again it looked like it has been taken down from that site :/ ... might try to find it again, as it was explaining lets say platform/track allocation for trains/services and such
also, there is a great edition on German trains, like one book about ICE trains, one about BR 101/120 etc., but it is all in German :'( ... like, I would like to read about modern German/Austrian traction, but usually I can only find general encyclopedia of trains/locos, not just those
https://www.networkrail.co.uk/indus...rs/national-electronic-sectional-appendix/#SA You may find this interesting (I do!) You may have already found it, though.
