I guess ppl from many walks of life do end up relaxing/enjoying rail sims and railfanning in general... sooo, what do you do as a job IRL? Aaaand, how did you get to TSW? Has TSW/any other sims gotten you so interested in trains that you seriously consider doing this IRL? Feel free to say as much or as little as you feel comfortable with )) Pretty much the whole career life of mine I have spent in bookstores... love some part of it, hating the corporate side of it and sometimes ppl are just pain in my ey! holes Always kinda liked trains, but what really ignited the spark was the advent of Covid... with prospect of spending months without much to do at home, I had bought TSW2 in a sale, and soon got Munchen Augsburg and (then) freshly released LGV... after a time I decided to learn signalling and such stuff, cos without that it got kind of boring kinda fast ... and ended up becoming a huge railway fan, got tons of DLCs, enjoying timetable mode and livery designer (when Formation designer gets fixed will have a blast there as well)... now no train journey is being boring anymore - I try to sit in the front-most seat possible so I can watch for signals, switches... and watching speed, scenery etc TSW despite its faults has also been a major... help for me... my mental health can be a b.tch sometimes and TSW often comes to the rescue... also this community has so far been very helpful and friendly/amazing And I have kinda grown to love Austrian and German railways - German thanks to this game, and Austrian also based on my frequent travels to Vienna and surroundings, exploring the city, its transport systems, also Nahverkehr Ostregion I would kind of like to become a raildriver, but: 1) I dont really dig Slovak/Czech machines and dont like our signalling system (which is kind of based on old East Germany signalling), and the training takes place for months a distance away from where I am based O 2) to work for OBB/DB you need German, which is a big hurdle for me, too big atm 3) even considered UK, but Brexit has made so many things so complicated The end talk away folks
Currently not working. While tsw got me interested in trains, I could never see myself working as one because it is a stressful job. You have to memorize the track, speed limits, know how to use signaling and safety systems, be ready to work any time, constantly be on edge because you never know when someone might jump on the tracks or there is a vehicle on the tracks and much more. I got into tsw by accident. I got bored and found tsw2020 and it was fun and now I'm at tsw4. Crazy how it's been about 4 years since I started playing tsw4
like yeah, one foot in jail and the other in grave lol ... but I would still be down to try it - like sign into the training program, go through theoretical and later practical stuff to see if I got what it takes... passenger mostly I have always been kinda lucky cos I had trains near me since like... ages... when I was a kid I remember furniture factory having even its own little railway connected to the mainline... Galanta has always been a major railway junction for both freight and passenger, despite smaller in size... even today it has quite long platforms and even EuroCity trains stop there, sometimes and later when I started working in Bratislava, obviously it's the capital of Slovakia, with lots of train related stuff... and having Vienna and such near gives me access to plenty of rail-related stuff as well as for TSW, it is getting scary big in terms of size heh... mine is almost 180GB big at this point with all those DLCs... and now those 4 or 5 announced, most of those I want, so +20 more I guess or more... time to buy a new SSD
Struggling to find work in Norway, mostly focusing on school tho since I'm legally obligated to do so
Used to be an airline pilot, but health issues ended my career. I have over 10,400 hours with most of that experience in DeHavilland Dash 8's. I've always been interested in trains as I grew up in Altoona a few blocks from the Juniata shops and rail yard. Played first with them on MSTS. When I saw TSW out for PS4, I bought it and have all versions up to TSW 4 and most of the DLC available. TSW allows me to still enjoy a transportation 'job' since I can no longer fly.
I once tried a flying sim and when I saw the number of buttons, switches and levers, I immediately turned it off lol )) I mean, I am surprised I managed to learn as much on how to drive a train in this sim if TSC had better UI and more friendly controls, I would try more advanced stuff there... or even ZUSI
All the switches and levers can look intimidating in a plane. I've had passengers come up to see the cockpit back when I was a pilot and ask if we knew what they were all used for. I would like to get back into flight sims, but I would need a new computer. The one I have is so old it's only used for retro gaming. It has a Pentium 4 processor with an 8x AGP nvidia 7800 video card just to show how old that is. The new MS flight Simulator looks great so time to save some money and get a new computer
This year will be my 14th year working at a tractor and light construction dealership, New Holland is our main brand, but we deal with several other hay, tillage, etc. brands as well. I started off in the parts department, got promoted to work as the warranty administrator and parts rep for the shop, and the past few years I've been doing both while being groomed for the parts manager position. MSTS was my first train simulator when it released in the early 00's and I spent much of my pre-teen years using it as a learning tool and a gateway to igniting a flame for a passion that was always in me but I never realized its full potential. I always loved trains... riding them, watching them, looking at pictures... but I couldn't tell you locomotive types, what trains ran in which country, etc. And then my parents brought home that big cardboard box with the pumpkin-orange Dash-9 bursting through the front, and "Microsoft Train Simulator" written on the header in big, bold, white lettering. Suddenly I was learning not just how to drive trains, but the history and technical information of trains from the US, the UK, Europe, and Asia. After discovering file libraries on Train-Sim and UKTrainsim my desire for furthering my knowledge only burned hotter. And then one day I saw a banner ad for Just Trains' new Severn Valley Railway add-on... beautiful steam locomotives in shades of deep glossy green, odd-shaped diesel locomotives with strange horns, and gorgeous countryside stations glowing in golden dawn sunlight. This route and these trains were nothing like the ones we had in the US, and I deeply wanted to learn more and see what trains in England and the rest of the UK were like. Christmases and birthdays saw Royal Mail packages filled with DVD cases with names like Making Tracks, Europeanbahn, and Just Trains scrawled upon them. I started learning about Southern Region EMUs, diesel and electric locomotives in a rainbow of colors, small steam engines in Wales, and an enormous amount of heritage railways sprawled across such a small nation. It was truly like nothing we had here in the States, and my journey into becoming a wealth of encyclopedic knowledge of railways and railroads across the planet was all thanks to that one computer game. Through my teens I learned more about sources for freeware and payware, modifying ENG files to provide default trains with better sounds and cab-views, and even got one of the fantastic Raildriver controllers. I also dabbled in Trainz for a long time, reskinning trains and route-building, but MSTS was always my sim of choice for a realistic driving experience. Unfortunately, when I turned 18, family circumstances saw me forced from my home and both of my parents. I was on my own, and scrambled to find a good job and a clean and safe place to live. Over the years I had rented rooms from friends and families of friends, most of my possessions in storage, including my PC and all of my MSTS content. Eventually by my mid-20's I had saved enough and started making enough to afford my own apartment and truly live on my own. However once I got a new PC and my Raildriver back up and running, DTG's Train Simulator had become the new player in the industry. I was quick to adopt it and to this day have accumulated a massive collection of content for both TSC and TSW. Now I'm in my early thirties, recently married, and trying to buy model trains I want now before we get that lovely thing called a mortgage lol.
I have only ever worked proper on the railways in my working life. Though compared to other responses that feels a bit lack lustre, so I will mention my time as a young teenager helping out on the old family farm chasing sheep and cows about, cutting bushes and other 'farmy' tasks, including muck! I also dabbled into football, and must admit were rather good, though I fell through the roof of an old barn, did my knee in and so just kept going with the railways.
I admire those that dabble in model railways, but I myself dont feel like starting one even though... I saw a gorgeous Gartenbahn gauge model of Taurus at a window display of one of Viennese model railway shops (somewhere near the Westbahn heading towards Westbahnhof) and man, if I had like 700 euros to spare, I would buy it just for display lol (Gartenbahn is the biggest model railway size I believe, meant for exterior model railways
Seeing as you asked: I clean trains, which can be a pain in the rear, especially on a Saturday night. Enjoyable really, and hilarious when you get asked stupid questions (the amount of people that ask where there train is without looking at the information boards is beyond believable). Been nearly a year but somehow feels like I've been doing it forever. I've liked trains my whole life, thanks to no other than Thomas the Tank Engine. Saw TSW2020 on the Xbox store around 5 years ago, now on TSW4 (although I sadly don't play much). Safe to say that especially since getting that train cleaner job, although probably influenced by my experience with TSW, I now have the goal of driving trains for real. Hoping to be there within the next five years.
I also used to get those stupid questions from passengers back when I was a pilot. A passenger in Philadelphia once stopped me to show me her ticket and asked what gate her flight was leaving from. I looked at the info board monitor that was directly behind her and read it to her...
I could write a book on the amount of stupidity I get from the general public. - Answer the phone... Me: "Hello, Parts Department", Customer: "Yes, is this Parts?" - Customer: "Hi, I need a part for my machine", Me: "Ok, what model is it?", Customer: "Oh, I don't know. You need that?" - Customer: "I bought this part back in 1987, why is it twice as much now?" - Customer calls Ford/New Holland dealership of almost 100 years... Customer: "Hi, I need a part for my John Deere tractor", Me: "I'm sorry, we're not a John Deere dealer", Customer: "Oh, what are you?", Me: "New Holland", Customer: "Oh... are you sure?"
I actually have, but havent found a publisher on it yet lol (written in Slovak tho)... and I can tell you, it is pretty thick and getting thicker by the day
I'll tell you one that people seem to be doing increasingly more on my routes is asking which platform they are on whilst having significantly large numbers telling them the platform either right in front of they eyes or at least within their field of vision. Passengers are certainly a different breed of people compared to when I were out on the platforms that's for sure! I had one recently at a station, where I had a few minutes, who came up to the door and knocked on it so I went over expecting him wanting to have a look but instead he just asked me where the closest McDonalds were as he were starving. I didn't have a clue so I told him to ask one of the station staff and wished him a nice day. Sorry I feel I waffled a bit there but I must admit I am rather tired and have had a long day.
At the station I work I've even been asked for a platform which doesn't even exist (it is being brought back though later this year) Passengers certainly are a different breed, who on earth thought they were a good creation?
I currently volenteer for the Bo'ness and Kinniel Railway and am about to start training as a gaurd as well as do a first aid training course and a mental health/suicide prevention course. Job wise I am currently trying to get a job with scotrail. But for now I am unemployed.
I was thinking of going the guard route first, but then decided I might as well go straight for the driver. I have already applied for a driver before, and even got to the psychometric tests which I passed some (although didn't get past the first stage ).
I've practiced some of the phycometric tests. They are very difficult. I recommend using some of the practice questions on howtobecome.com Gives you a bit of a heads up and I've found it to be helpful revision
I must admit I don't think I have had that one yet, though there is plenty of time! I know our lives would be ever so much easier without them, though on the other hand we wouldn't have jobs! Also mate, with the driving don't worry the psychometric tests are really bloody hard things to do but very much only the start of the journey. I think I saw someone mention this on a different thread to someone the other day and they are incredibly right, when I thought about it: doing the sudokus really does train your brain well, not only for these tests but generally in life as well. Good luck mate.
When I left school I went through college then onto uni, finished them both to the point I wanted to (3 years Bachelor degree graduate (one below masters)) I didn’t originally plan on uni tbh, I think I made the decision in last year of college) I took a year + 5 months officially off, now looking into joining work life stuff now (probably should have done sooner but didn’t and uni loans made me quite financially stable (ironically more so than many I know) to take that time off, anyways the “Bank of Atherian” is running low and it’s time for a income), I don’t exactly live in the greatest of areas for work other than retail tbh or some factory related stuff, just seeing what I can do right now what i don’t find terrible Currently looking into what government website apprenticeships offer right now they seem better options than indeed job searching stuff, I’m really not a fan of the job finding/obtaining system in this country, not one bit (one improvement I would certainly suggest is to do away with the privatisation of it and have all jobs advertised through 1 government website, that would make thinks a lot simpler for job seeking in my opinion, i mean everyone’s daily life depends on financial stability, the way they make it like a maze of a competition just to get a job is wrong to say the least) current objective is to achieve a relatively stable income for myself, I don’t have any other burden than that right now tbh, afterwards I may seek more on what my degree was about but I’m putting that second right now.
thx for replies until now, interesting stories to be sure anyway, if any of you happen to be visiting Vienna, let me know and I can show you the best railfanning/trainspotting spots edit: safe and legal spots, no trespassing or anything
Drive trains IRL for a living. Emus. Worked in the railways for almost 20 years now. 10 of which as a driver. Enjoy my job as well as train sim world so best of both worlds.
At the moment, I am a Checkout Operator for one of the UKs big grocery stores. I only work 3 6-hour shifts between Thursday & Saturday. For what it is, it pays very well however, this is a temporary job just so I have a monthly income. Since I was 2, my dream job was to be a Train Driver but until very recently, I've decided to no longer become a driver. I might still go into the rail industry but atm I want to go into the Educational field as a Primary School Teaching Assistant (TA) or as a Special Needs Mentor/Helper as I am good around the 'little ones' more then my own peers.
Those tests in the website you mention are nothing like the tests you do at an assessment centre. Like I said in another thread the best way to get your brain functioning is by doing the daily sudoku in the free metro papers etc. these help your brain focus and will help with “brain training”
Bear in mind you only get 2 chances in a lifetime to pass those tests so if you failed once already you will only have 1 more try at passing the tests. You can only ever do them twice in a lifetime and that goes across the whole board so if you failed with train company A and apply to train company B that is your two chances gone it’s not 2 chances per company.
I know. They told me when I went for the first one. I did pass some of those tests (even past the national standard on at least two). Bit more practice is all.
I'm currently a driver , been on over 15 years now. Driven a fair bit of different stock now at a few TOCs.
3 stock under my belt and have my instructor license as well which is rewarding when training someone.
Yeah I used to be a DI, no separate licence though so always a risk but like you say, rewarding when you see someone do well.
I retired in January, so my primary jobs are babysitting the grandkids and driving the missus to the supermarket these days. Worked as a train dispatcher at Birmingham New Street for Central Trains 2001-2006, then became an operations manager at Network Rail from 2007-2024. Took "early retirement" as the recent TRS layoffs meant that I had nobody left to manage, and therefore became surplus to requirements. Always loved railways since I was a kid, dragging my parents to the local station every weekend just to watch the trains go past, so TSW was always going to get my attention sooner or later.
https://tinyurl.com/5n85uk7z this... comes out in September, cant wait ... I am still writing one like that but thicker myself, so this topic is definitely relatable to me lol
