I'm fascinated by the builders of the first railroads in America - especially the railroads west of the Mississippi. They had to survey the route and its alternatives, plot the most cost-effective/time-effective route, in some cases buy the land, and finally build the line. As a matter of practical economics, they had to build something inexpensively and quickly in order to get the trains rolling in order to generate income for more building. In many cases, this process was undertaken in trying conditions - rugged terrain, early snows, hostile Indians, robbers, and so forth. I wish more first-hand accounts were available. Those that are describe challenging times in vivid terms.
Strategy-based train sims give you some of the flavor of having to determine and build a route in practical terms. (One sim - Railroad Pioneer - even gives you the chance to send out surveying parties.) Failure here could lead to an early bankruptcy and end-of-game. In other words, these sims simulate the process of building a railroad. This a major distinction from other sims, which are operational sims or modeling sims. Planning a new metro, for example, requires all the elements found in Transport Tycoon or Locomotion. You have to examine the initial need, the possible routes and obstacles, and the necesary construction and cost. You also need to think in terms of building usable sections in order to get things running and producing income. Then you can implement your plan and see how it plays out.
If you haven't tried a strategy sim, you've missed part of what railroading is all about, especially from an historical perspective, but also a perspective that is as valid today as it ever was. In case you think strategy sims are all planning and calculating, rest assured that there is plenty of train watching as well. I can certainly recommend the free demo of Locomotion available at the Atari web site (http://www.atari.com/us/games/locomotion/pc).
Al
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