Railfan: Brown Line Simulator on PC

[dailycommuter62]

So you might be familiar with the game Railfan, the Japanese PS3 game from 2006 that had a simulation of the Brown Line. I recently looked for it again and rather than pay $200 on ebay for the game and a PS3 I figured out it's possible 15 years later to play it on PC for free using a emulator (a 3rd party software that simulates a PS3 console for your computer) with a copy of the game and some tweaks.

 

How to:

First go to https://rpcs3.net/quickstart, and follow the instructions to download the software and firmware files. This video is helpful to get started.

https://youtu.be/Ql-VHopXLGQ

A controller is not required for this game.

While I have a good PC that handles this game smoothly, the game is basically a interactive video slideshow and should be smooth on older PCs.

 

Now you need to find and download the actual game: I went to https://r-roms.github.io/, navigate to the PS3 section. The full name is Railfan BLJM60013 and download (its a big file 23.6 GB so it will take a while). When done add to RPCS3.

 

Now right click Railfan in the game list and select Change Custom Configuration, go to the Advanced tab and check libvdec.sprx like shown, then click Apply, and Save custom configuration. This has to be checked or the game will freeze when loading the map.

Now launch the game by double clicking Railfan, immediately skip the intro cutscene by pressing START (default Enter key on keyboard), not doing this will freeze the game.

 

Press start and select Chicago,

At this screen: 

• 01 is a tutorial mission, I haven’t passed this since I can’t follow the Japanese instructions.
• 02 is a regular trip starting southbound and going to the Loop and coming back (press this option to start a run immediately).
• 03 is nothing but videos about showing the Brown Line (don’t play it will freeze the game)

 

When selecting 02 this pops up, this is the time of the run (morning or afternoon)

 

After selecting this screen allows you to pick which stop start at, the game only has the Brown Line from Fullerton to the Loop and back.

 

The next screen shows 3 options, the 1st option launches the map, 01 and 02 show nearby attractions to the station in detail.

 

Voila, you're in the cab of a 3200 ready to go!

 

Notes to play

• The only controls you have is to move the throttle/brake (UP or DOWN key), and the horn (Triangle (v) key), you cannot control the doors. Move the view by WASD.
• When the game shows the circle button when you're stopped at the station, it is for saving your position at the station to quit and rejoin at the same point later.
• You cannot over speed the train, the cab signal will slow you down automatically.
• You will get a black screen if you overshoot a train really far at a station and the train resets to the station, not stopping at a station the game fails you and exits the map.

This is 2006 so you get to see the pre-rebuild Brown Line, Randolph and Madison/Wabash, original 3200s, and the old Chicago and Library announcements.

[BrownLineTrainToTheLoop]

15 minutes ago, dailycommuter62 said:

So you might be familiar with the game Railfan, the Japanese PS3 game from 2006 that had a simulation of the Brown Line. I recently looked for it again and rather than pay $200 on ebay for the game and a PS3 I figured out it's possible 15 years later to play it on PC for free using a emulator (a 3rd party software that simulates a PS3 console for your computer) with a copy of the game and some tweaks.

 

How to:

First go to https://rpcs3.net/quickstart, and follow the instructions to download the software and firmware files. This video is helpful to get started.

https://youtu.be/Ql-VHopXLGQ

A controller is not required for this game.

While I have a good PC that handles this game smoothly, the game is basically a interactive video slideshow and should be smooth on older PCs.

 

Now you need to find and download the actual game: I went to https://r-roms.github.io/, navigate to the PS3 section. The full name is Railfan BLJM60013 and download (its a big file 23.6 GB so it will take a while). When done add to RPCS3.

 

Now right click Railfan in the game list and select Change Custom Configuration, go to the Advanced tab and check libvdec.sprx like shown, then click Apply, and Save custom configuration. This has to be checked or the game will freeze when loading the map.

Now launch the game by double clicking Railfan, immediately skip the intro cutscene by pressing START (default Enter key on keyboard), not doing this will freeze the game.

 

Press start and select Chicago,

At this screen: 

• 01 is a tutorial mission, I haven’t passed this since I can’t follow the Japanese instructions.
• 02 is a regular trip starting southbound and going to the Loop and coming back (press this option to start a run immediately).
• 03 is nothing but videos about showing the Brown Line (don’t play it will freeze the game)

 

When selecting 02 this pops up, this is the time of the run (morning or afternoon)

 

After selecting this screen allows you to pick which stop start at, the game only has the Brown Line from Fullerton to the Loop and back.

 

The next screen shows 3 options, the 1st option launches the map, 01 and 02 show nearby attractions to the station in detail.

 

Voila, you're in the cab of a 3200 ready to go!

 

Notes to play

• The only controls you have is to move the throttle/brake (UP or DOWN key), and the horn (Triangle (v) key), you cannot control the doors. Move the view by WASD.
• When the game shows the circle button when you're stopped at the station, it is for saving your position at the station to quit and rejoin at the same point later.
• You cannot over speed the train, the cab signal will slow you down automatically.
• You will get a black screen if you overshoot a train really far at a station and the train resets to the station, not stopping at a station the game fails you and exits the map.

This is 2006 so you get to see the pre-rebuild Brown Line, Randolph and Madison/Wabash, original 3200s, and the old Chicago and Library announcements.

That is amazing! Thanks for sharing this with me, i really like the brown line and i haven't found many good simulators of it.

[chicagocubs6323]

Thanks for the instructions.  I was thinking of downloading the emulator and trying to get the game to work.  

[midway_737]

Would you still happen to have these game files?