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Diesel Railcar Simulator on Steam

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Drive vintage diesel trains, shifting gears manually and trying to reach a perfect score. Create new routes, trains and timetables. Share your creations and download new content from the Workshop.

Diesel Railcar Simulator is a simulation, trains and driving game developed and published by Lapioware.
Released on March 05th 2018 is available only on Windows.

It has received 312 reviews of which 290 were positive and 22 were negative resulting in a rating of 8.5 out of 10. 😎

The game is currently priced at 19.50€ on Steam.


The Steam community has classified Diesel Railcar Simulator into these genres:


Here is the detailed breakdown of supported languages for Diesel Railcar Simulator:

UI Subtitle Audio
English

Media & Screenshots

Get an in-depth look at Diesel Railcar Simulator through various videos and screenshots.

System requirements

These are the minimum specifications needed to play the game. For the best experience, we recommend that you verify them.

Windows
  • Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
  • OS: Windows 10 or newer
  • Processor: Quad core
  • Memory: 8 GB RAM
  • Graphics: DirectX 11 compatible GPU
  • DirectX: Version 11
  • Storage: 3 GB available space
  • Additional Notes: 1280x720 @30FPS

Steam Price & Best Deals

User reviews & Ratings

Explore reviews from Steam users sharing their experiences and what they love about the game.

18 hours played
Sept. 2026
For those who are looking for a no nonsense simulator for train operation this is one of the best games out there that I have played so far. The price is reasonable for what it is and the details that the simulator models is very good. As a part of the tutorial, the game links actual old British Rail training videos to learn about train operations, signalling, etc. I am American and I knew basically nothing about UK railroading whatsoever before using this simulator. Now after seeing the primary sources linked by the game as well as doing some of the routes my knowledge of UK railroading has greatly increased. I also now have the song "Brainblast" from the BR signalling video stuck in my head (iykyk). If you are a fan of stopping passenger services, this game is for you. I was ignorant to the fact that UK trains used vacuum brakes well into the 20th century and to my knowledge this is the only sim that simulates vacuum braking systems properly. Handling the trains and making stops is challenging to master. I still cannot do it without the handicap of the brake status monitor on the HUD.
6 hours played
Aug. 2026
Diesel Railcar Simulator is exactly its title: a diesel railcar driving simulator. Its primary focus is on British diesel multiple-units and diesel locomotives around the turn of the 60s. I'd like to impress upon readers this game is not an immersive simulator, not in the truest sense. DRS shares most in common with traditional rail vehicle simulators, not so much with immersive sandbox titles like Derail Valley . Pick an engine and a timetable to run from the main menu, and DRS starts you on the line in a vehicle ready to be hot-started. The short is I adore Diesel Railcar Simulator . The game gets its sauce by authentically representing the experience of driving and riding these railcars. There's definitely a mechanical or physical feel to it all; the player is in charge of manually shifting the gearbox as well as working the pneumatic brake essentially by opening a valve and lapping it to set a desired brake force. The bogies can be observed recoiling at every undulation in the railroad, and the camera in the cab shakes to give a sense of the forces traveling up from the wheels. This sort of thing is what Diesel Railcar Simulator does best. Part of Diesel Railcar Simulator 's success also comes from a reasonably effective tutorial and feedback loop. By default, the player receives guiding key prompts through every stage of operation, and there are (togglable) UI widgets to indicate all manner of vehicle state, as well as a timetable and linear minimap indicating upcoming signals and speed limit changes, with gradual braking cues. At the end of a run, players are graded on a 10,000 point scale, with deductions for the number of errors in operation (like shifting with the throttle open), as well as percentage deductions for the number of assisting UI elements active (like key prompts). I don't find it perfect; in my opinion, the error deductions are too small (granted they're sized to be repeatable per second or so, but missing the Automatic Warning System horn and letting the brakes trip deducts a measly 100 points) and the assistance deductions are too big. Otherwise, I think it serves well enough to instruct and immerse by reinforcing expectations of the drivers from that time. My praises aren't to say there's nothing left to be desired; there is maybe a heaping handful of drivable engines, the game ships with only 3 fictional routes, weather effects (like rain and snow) are (according to what I've read) some ways off in the roadmap, shunting operations have yet to be added (if they'll be added at all), et cetera. Additionally, some other things I moan and nag about are: [*]I'd personally like to see some improvements to the fidelity of the cabs, particularly the gauges. Because the gauge dials are rasterized, they're not very visually sharp or readable. It's difficult to tell what the values are without knowing offhand. I prefer driving with the widest field-of-view, and having to take my hand off the keyboard to zoom with the mouse feels quite clunky. [*]When multiple key prompts are displayed at once, they tend to shuffle up and down erratically as they're completed. There is work being done on this in the beta branch, but it would be nice if the player were instead presented with human-readable checklists where each item contains the relevant keybind and gets crossed-off upon completion. Adding to that, it'd be nice if we could split the station checklists and the in-motion prompts into separate assists. [*]There is currently no support for head tracking. This I sorely miss. DRS is practically made for it. I'd be elated to see it added. [*]Derailments were added some patches ago and while the screenshots show instantaneous derailments happening where the cant deficiency would be very high, I haven't seen any evidence of less catastrophic low-speed derailments that occur as a result of gradual flange climb, like what happens when a long train travels slowly over a positively graded curve. [*]It's been stated that the primary holdup for weather effects is due to the complexity of wheel-to-rail interactions in such conditions. This has me curious about DRS 's choice of adhesion model. In OpenRails , weather effects are handled by multiplying a weather coefficient times the maximum tractive force (which itself is a product of the weight of the vehicle and the coefficient of friction according to the Curtius-Kniffler formula), as well as changing the C value of the Curtius-Kniffler formula. I don't know if the developer would find that a satisfactory solution (or if there are other challenges barring progress; attributing the decision not to work on it yet entirely on a couple of coefficients is admittedly reductive), but I would definitely welcome such an implementation. [*]Perhaps hide the point grading system behind a letter grade? There's complaint of the grading system being "arcadey," but I find it serviceable for being some manner of reinforcement. One alternative would be modeling all consequences of a mistake, which would be development intensive and is perhaps beyond the scope of the project in most cases. The game does have Steam Workshop enabled and a built-in route and train editor, which I'm very happy to see. There are some really excellent additions made by the (albeit small) community. All considered, is Diesel Railcar Simulator , in its current Early Access state, worth the asking price? Remember that no game should be promoted for its "potential," as the licenses sold here on Steam are products at best and not investments. I will only say that the game Diesel Railcar Simulator is today has earned my appreciation and--heaven forbid a future update ruins the game ( DRS 's strengths are so obvious, surely it won't happen, no?)--I expect to continue enjoying it for some time to come. If you're the sort that thinks running a timetable makes for an enjoyable evening and you want to experience the sensation of driving a diesel railcar, Diesel Railcar Simulator should certainly satisfy. Or even if you've yet to take an interest in 60s British diesel rail (I hadn't!), I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. P.S. I solemnly, indignantly swear I wrote this review with all ten of my fingers and no instruction whatsoever from some infernal water-guzzling techbro-stroking hallucination device. Accusations of stolen valor will not be taken kindly to.
18 hours played
July 2026
Charming and straightforward train simulator with a surprising amount of built in tutorialization and hints to make learning the game a lot easier. Great cameras and sense of speed. Didn't know how much I liked diesel railcars and their funny transmissions until playing this game.
13 hours played
July 2026
First I am playing DRS on a Linux Mint 22.2 system, and running Proton 10.0-4 (latest). I'd been following the game for quite some time and I see a lot of potential in the games progression from EA to full. There is a lot of repetition of the routes (meaning you do the sames things more than one time), but I believe this is getting players used to driving the rail network. Not a fan of the XP or over penalizing a player for making mistakes, but it is what it is. I think a better solution is reputation and perhaps an economy that gives a player better opportunities to advance in the game. The scoring system falls into the arcade world. On the simulation side it's quite good actually. It's not on the levels of say SimRail, but for what DRS is programmed to do in simulation it's good. There is a career mode that was added so you can take it a step further than just single runs, and adds a lot. There is an editor, but it's not all that intuitive as I am learned (and tried for myself), but coming from Trainz 22 PE that's kind of what I thought the editor would be like in DRS. Though my opinions on what I think isn't necessary in the game doesn't diminish that it is still fun. You do have to concentrate and make sure you watch your speed and don't start rolling from a station/terminal until you have permission from the signaler. Yes this is early access, but the devs are actively working on the game, and listening to the players. I will as always revise my review as I put more even hours into it. SkittleKicks
1 hours played
July 2026
Its a cool sim, I thought it was actually far more in-depth than I was anticipating with the sounds and controls but there is one glaring issue and that is there are no headlights despite there being different times of day as well as tunnels with actual darkness. I know its a one man team or whatever but lights aren't hard to add and are a rather important part of trains. Overall its a nice cost effective experience with a decent world to drive around and admire but if you want headlights evidently you'll have to go to rolling line, train sim world, or trainz to satisfy that simple desire.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Diesel Railcar Simulator is currently priced at 19.50€ on Steam.

No, Diesel Railcar Simulator is currently not on sale. You can purchase it for 19.50€ on Steam.

Yes, Diesel Railcar Simulator received 290 positive votes out of a total of 312 achieving a rating of 8.53.
😎

Diesel Railcar Simulator was developed and published by Lapioware.

Yes, Diesel Railcar Simulator is playable and fully supported on Windows.

No, Diesel Railcar Simulator is not playable on MacOS.

No, Diesel Railcar Simulator is not playable on Linux.

This information about Diesel Railcar Simulator is not available yet.

This information about Diesel Railcar Simulator is not available yet.

No, Diesel Railcar Simulator does not support VR.

Diesel Railcar Simulator is a single-player game.

No, Diesel Railcar Simulator does not currently offer any DLC.

Yes, Diesel Railcar Simulator is fully integrated with Steam Workshop. Visit Steam Workshop.

Yes, Diesel Railcar Simulator supports Remote Play Together. Discover more about Steam Remote Play.

Yes, Diesel Railcar Simulator is enabled for Steam Family Sharing. This means you can share the game with authorized users from your Steam Library, allowing them to play it on their own accounts. For more details on how the feature works, you can read the original Steam Family Sharing announcement or visit the Steam Family Sharing user guide and FAQ page.

You can find solutions or submit a support ticket by visiting the Steam Support page for Diesel Railcar Simulator.

Data sources

The information presented on this page is sourced from reliable APIs to ensure accuracy and relevance. We utilize the Steam API to gather data on game details, including titles, descriptions, prices, and user reviews. This allows us to provide you with the most up-to-date information directly from the Steam platform.

Additionally, we incorporate data from the SteamSpy API, which offers insights into game sales and player statistics. This helps us present a comprehensive view of each game's popularity and performance within the gaming community.

Last Updates
Steam data 02 October 2026 21:04 UTC
SteamSpy data 15 October 2026 20:51 UTC
Steam price 27 October 2026 15:10 UTC
Steam reviews 18 October 2026 06:07 UTC

If you'd like to dive deeper into the details about Diesel Railcar Simulator, we invite you to check out a few dedicated websites that offer extensive information and insights. These platforms provide valuable data, analysis, and user-generated reports to enhance your understanding of the game and its performance.

  • SteamDB - A comprehensive database of everything on Steam about Diesel Railcar Simulator
  • SteamCharts - Analysis of Diesel Railcar Simulator concurrent players on Steam
  • ProtonDB - Crowdsourced reports on Linux and Steam Deck Diesel Railcar Simulator compatibility
Diesel Railcar Simulator
Rating
8.5
290
22
Game modes
Features
Online players
0
Developer
Lapioware
Publisher
Lapioware
Release 05 Mar 2018
Platforms
Remote Play