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Fundamentals for Trainz Trainees
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See also: Third_Party_Trainz_Fansites and Where to find non-DLS assets, each of which contains some other links to 3rd party sites.
  • These pages will be merged at some point in the future.

Missing a KUID?

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Then start with this site: TrainzKuidIndex.com which uses the power of a bot to search out kuids far and wide on the over four hundred Trainz dedicated websites and tells you not only what site, but which page (i.e. a full url to the page) to goto to find that missing kuid.

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Auran Holdings Pty. Ltd. continues on as a business entity, leasing rights to N3V Games, which currently develops, publishes, and manages the web holdings for Auran. These are private business arrangements that are no one else's business, but consequently, both company names are still in prominent use in the Trainz world.

  • Among other things, this https (secure internet) portal is where you check your account, register, update your email, subscriptions, etc., and submit service tickets.
  • The Trainz Discussion Forums, a large community and huge source of information on all things Trainz. The beating heart of Trainzdom and Trainz-think where you might find some declaiming about almost anything but non-Trainz topics.
  • The place to go for user-to-user help for your technical hitches, latest screenshots and community views.
  • You can bet that within minutes of a new upgrade release, somewhere around the world Trainzers are awake and soon a bevy of regular veteran Trainzers will be downloading installing it, so it is EXTREMELY unlikely you will see a problem first.
  • In Trainz there are few problems encountered by just one, that haven't been experienced by the many—unless it's a new one the many are suddenly experiencing from a new software upgrade—in which case there will be a rush to share the experience and kvetch about it.
Most such conversations produce a working fix, or having revealed a bona fide bug, have N3V call in the exterminators for the next hotfix.
Seeking out such solutions is likeliest the fastest solution in 99% of cases, so remember Google site searches are your very good friend. Perhaps your best friend here, the N3V Wiki and in the forums. You need only find the right phrasing to ask it!


  • Remember to use the search function before asking simple questions in a new thread. Such should be posted to the forum for the version of Trainz you are currently having an issue in.
  • The best search method may be to exactly quote some key phrase in a google site search:
"site:forums.auran.com "the phrase sought" or "error message seen"


  • Registration required for posting and advanced functions, but basic viewing is open to everyone.
  • The Trainz DLS web page access. Once logged in you can wade through the almost 100,000 items taking your pick. TRS2006 users may wish to just use CMP.
  • online.ts2009.com Main_Page — more often known as the Trainz Wiki, this knowledge resource infopedia is a wiki about Trainz matters, especially content references and a bit of new user help, with a smattering of tutorials on other subjects, particularly content creation.
  • Auran's 3D asset creation resource site — providing the Trainz Asset Creation Studio (19.2MB), some textures, tutorials and help files. Also the place to obtain the 3D Studio Max plug-ins, Content Dispatcher and various source files.
  • Autodesk. The company and site for 3DS Max. Offers resources, documentation, plug-ins, service packs and the highly rated 3D modelling software, but bring a big wallet. Introductory prices start at about $2,500 (US dollars) and require yearly renewals and individually priced extensions. (i.e. for professionals, not hobbyists)

Content Creation Essentials

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  • Licensed Gmax 1.2 from Turbosquid — Latter day home of the popular 3D content creation program that built Microsoft Flight Simulator and over half the assets on the Trainz DLS. Discreet may have sold out to Autodesk, and a casual hobbiest paying out several thousand a year for a supported version of 3ds Max is unrealistic, but Discreet made a very generous deal with Turbosquid, and you can still take advantage of this free promotion!
  • Blender.org. — Home of the increasingly popular open source, 3D content creation suite BLENDER.

Content Creation Tutorials

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  • Wewain Trainz Fan Site — offering plenty of tutorials including the famous HOG/MicroDEM method of creating computer-generated terrain.
  • World of Trainz tutorials. — Once called 'Essential for any beginner', PhilC closed this site down in early 2014 and publicly announced he was done hosting content and providing asset updates. Nor would he be turning his inventory of locomotives to carry on providing. Phil had possibly the most useful tutorials around, with examples in Gmax, 3ds Max, Photoshop and Paint Shop Pro. PhilC, thanks for many years of service to the Trainz community.

Trainz Content Downloads

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  • AC MonkeyWrench Models. An automatic download site with everything from standard to animated scenery. High detailed drivable over the road trucks, military vehicles, and even motorcycles. Specialized train locomotives and cars.
  • TrainzObjectz source site. A site providing some Trainz content and a small number of tutorials by a prolific early Trainz asset creator. Most of his content is built in on the DLS. Author search #1942 or tafweb in CM. Unfortunately, age and health have affected him and his 'Good Stuff'.
  • 44090 Digital Models. UK site offering UK content downloads. Also includes some of the finest tutorials (by P. Hobbs), hints & tips and GMAX macros.
  • Trainz Pro Routes. Website representing the professional TPR team. The TPR web board membership is over 5,000 users.
  • HP Trainz. Site offering payware and freeware downloads including the Marias Pass-X route amongst several well engineered professional grade routes with new assets. An N3V Games/Auran partner since 2004.
  • Trainz Luvr. Popular, well organized site offering many downloads, some tutorials, links and a few DivX clips.
  • Ianz Trainz. Australian Trainz site with freeware downloads and several useful tutorials.
  • Constructiongames.de. German site with several CDPs for download and a collection of tutorials, mainly in German.
  • Sirgibby's TrainZone. Home to the Murchison layouts. Includes downloads and screenshots. Sir Gibby is another iconic Trainz content creator notable not only for narrowgauge, but many scenery and trackside assets.
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DEM means Digital Elevation Model(s)
  • Microdem. Site of the freeware mapping software, used to open, convert, crop and modify DEMs, satellite imagery and vector data.
  • [Trainz Luvr Hog download page.] — The Trainz terrain generation tool that produces your *.gnd files.
  • Cellspark's — useful latitude/longitude conversion tool for those working with Terrain maps and DEM models.
  • TransDEM website in English. — Home of the TransDEM software by Dr. Roland Ziegler, aka Geophil, #126773. The sophisticated application used for getting Digital Elevation Data and Vector overlays into Trainz.
  • Login required, a bit more complicated than the previous USGS site.
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  • Razorback Railway. — former famed Australian Fantasy Railway website[1] had Layouts and activities for TRS2004 (SP4) and TRS2006 (SP1). (This great railway project is likely dead as of March 2014. jenolan (#59904) seems to have lost his interest in upgrading the vast content resources for Trainz to the newest versions though fans have undertaken that task with his permission.
  • V-Scaler. News, reviews and articles of anything related to virtual railroads.
  • Sodor Island 3D. — A special site that makes Thomas the Tank engine-style content for Trainz on a route to match. Got little kids in the family?... start here!
  • Shane’s Trainz Information and Tutorial Site. — Technical and operational tutorials, tips and tricks and utilities for Trainz. A computer professional, Shane practically lives on the Auran forums helping others. Also keeps download links for Service Packs and hotfixes.

Notes and References

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