Learn how to use Quick Drive in Train Simulator Classic, choose a train and route, set conditions, and fix missing locomotives or destinations.
Quick Drive in Train Simulator Classic creates a simple point-to-point session without requiring you to choose a conventional authored scenario. Open Drive, choose Quick Drive, select a train, route, departure point and destination, set time, season and weather, then start. Follow the signals and stop at the selected destination.
How do I start Quick Drive?
Open Train Simulator Classic's Drive menu and select Quick Drive, then work through the train, route and environment fields.
- Open Quick Drive: From the main menu, select Drive and then Quick Drive. The front-end layout has changed between releases of Train Simulator Classic (TSC), but the same core choices remain.
- Choose the player train: The selected Quick Drive entry is usually a complete consist rather than a bare locomotive. Check the locomotive, livery, coaches or wagons and direction before continuing.
- Select a route: Choose one that supports Quick Drive and suits the train. If the expected route is absent, change the train selection or try choosing the route first.
- Set From and To: Pick the departure point and destination. TSC only lists locations connected by a predefined Quick Drive path; it does not offer every possible pair of stations or sidings.
- Choose the conditions: Set the start time, season and weather. Seasonal scenery depends on what the route author supplied, while rain or snow may also affect visibility and adhesion.
- Start the session: Review the selections and press the start button. TSC generates the run and loads the train at the chosen departure point.
What does Quick Drive let me change?
Quick Drive lets you choose the complete player consist, a supported route and path, plus the start time, season and weather.
| Choice | What it controls | Common gotcha |
|---|---|---|
| Player train | The locomotive and attached vehicles | Similar-looking entries may use different liveries, formations or control systems. |
| Route | The track and scenery used for the run | Owning a route does not guarantee that it contains Quick Drive paths. |
| From and To | The predefined path your train follows | A location may be available in one direction but not the other. |
| Time, season and weather | Lighting, scenery state and driving conditions | Not every route includes complete seasonal scenery. |
Quick Drive is not a true free-roam mode. The route author defines the available paths, and the dispatcher normally sets the points along the selected path. AI traffic varies by route and may be sparse or absent.
Use Quick Drive when you want to test a locomotive or make an uncomplicated run. Choose a supplied or custom scenario when you need scheduled stops, scripted instructions, operational events or scoring. Our overview of TSC's main driving modes explains where those alternatives fit.
The menu is not a comprehensive compatibility checker. Match electric stock to the route's electrification, and avoid consists too long for the departure platform or loop.
What should I do after Quick Drive loads?
Once Quick Drive loads, prepare the cab, release the brakes, select the direction of travel and obey the route's signals and speed limits.
Many supplied trains load close to a ready-to-drive state, but advanced locomotives may require a battery, master key, engine or pantograph sequence. Quick Drive does not bypass specialist startup logic. Follow our practical train-driving procedure if you need the complete sequence.
Use the track monitor and cab instruments to watch signals, gradients and speed restrictions. The route limit and the train's permitted speed are not necessarily the same. Our keyboard, braking, HUD and camera control reference covers the commands needed during the run.
Quick Drive normally has no passenger timetable or scored intermediate tasks. Opening the doors at an intermediate station does not create a scheduled stop. At the destination, stop at the indicated endpoint; if completion does not register, move carefully towards the destination marker, stop again and allow the scenario a moment to detect the train.
Why is my train, route or destination missing?
A missing item usually means the active selection excludes it or the add-on lacks the Quick Drive definitions TSC needs.
- The train or route is filtering the list: Change or clear the current selection. Choosing the route first may reveal a different set of trains, while choosing another train can expose more routes.
- The route has no suitable Quick Drive path: A route can support conventional scenarios without providing Quick Drive departure points, destinations or paths in both directions.
- The locomotive has no Quick Drive consist: A mistake we see constantly is assuming every installed locomotive automatically receives a Quick Drive entry. Older or specialist stock may lack the required consist or preload data.
- A dependency is missing: The route, train or formation may rely on additional installed assets. An incomplete consist can disappear from the list or fail while loading.
- The content database is stale: Restart TSC and use its Clear Cache command in the settings or tools area. The simulator rebuilds its asset database on the next launch.
- The session crashes while loading: Reduce the formation to known working stock and try another route. If crashes affect other sessions too, use our TSC loading and crash fixes.
Using a custom consist
A custom consist can be used when your TSC train-selection screen provides a custom-consist control and the required vehicles are installed. Assemble and save the formation, return to Quick Drive and select it as the player train.
Keep the formation short enough for the starting location and use vehicles with compatible couplings and braking systems. Creating the consist does not add Quick Drive support to a route; the selected route still needs a valid departure point, destination and connecting path.