Trainz/Version And Build Numbers

Trainz Versions Overview
Trainz software releases or equivalently Trainz Retail releases or Trainz retail versions follow the common software industry practices of assigning releases version numbers paired to 'Marketing Names' as Major Releases of Retail base packages (to draw a parallel case, consider another more familiar family of software: {each of Microsoft Windows Operating system Retail Releases: Windows 1.0, Windows 2.0, Windows 3.1, Windows 95, ..., Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8 & Windows 10}), any one of which per industry practices, might also then have applicable bug fix 'Hot fixes' and other less urgent change patches (generally adding capabilities and/or also making operational tweaks or fixing additional lesser serious bugs and those providing additional user feedback generated 'new' features) called Service Packs. To manage a series of such software & (supporting) data files collections, programmers use a serial number system, in Trainz called the code build number,, or Code Version number. Note that both each element in a software system (DLL, EXE, supporting data files such as images, scripts) each have some sort of serialization, or their own code build numbers, and the resulting overall distributed collection, a 'build', is given an overall code build identifier for the entire mix. All the changes to these products' retail releases (retail versions) collectively are known as software upgrades' and it is a side of computing with which the average lay computer user has little experience, sheltered as most are in a business environment by an IT department or an IT consultant. These days, internet based or enabled software often are written expecting to be updated periodically, numbing our sensitivity and inuring the computer user community to such instabilities in software. Home computer packages&mdash;including virtually all download obtained software these days, with massive distribution numbers, often have built-in update coding within to check for updates and either update automatically, or when well designed, alert the user, and update when commanded. Auran Holdings, the holding company with all the Trainz rights and their partner N3V Games, currently managing the development and marketing of the properties, has only recently in 'Trainz-version timespans' (2011, finally debugged in TS2009 SP3 and TS2010-SP2) mastered the later techniques.

=Versions terminology and meanings= Each named product release (retail version) as well as each successive upgrade level (Hot fixes and other patches generally have to be added in order of release) has a multi-digit 'build' number that is definitively unique to the build as defined by the software publisher. In Trainz, these are known formally as the or Trainz build versions, and as their own IT department, 'Trainzers' have to keep these things straight, for not all can be done automatically, and every new retail release requires a new Installation step. In Trainz, until one understands the contextual meaning it seems the word 'version' becomes a bit over used: name= "Page-created">Revision as of 10:22, 2010 March 4 by Windwalkr, &mdash;1st draft to present, all immediately discussing code build number, Chief programmer Chris Bergman (aka Windwalkr)  name="Trainz_build_versions" >Used by chief programmer Windwalkr himself in has an exact technical meaning&mdash; a final compiler run against a version controlled  and subsequently released by Quality Control as the next official 'code set' ''advance.  🇨🇴 In TS2009-SP4 and later releases it appears in both the bottom right corner of the Launcher Menu and the Main Menu. In prior releases, it appeared only on the Trainz 'Launcher' screen, and was easy to overlook in some. Each of the other types of versions derive from this stable set of ; a plateau in the change cycle signifying stability and reliability insofar as such things can be tested. />
 * 1) First, there is the Trainz version (slang: meaning Trainz Retail Version),
 * 2) Secondly, the 'code version' and 'Trainz asset version' numbers, formally known as a '"Trainz-build tag" values or Trainz-build version numbers  />
 * B. Hotfixes for bugs and adjustments of several things, not usually to make the whole work, but instead to make the whole work better after an interval of additional testing and while the programmer's are fixing one or more other minor bugs or adding an extended feature. Some of these, such as TS12-SP1+hf4 should have incremented the . Auran & N3V's management has seemingly been inconsistent in their rationales and actions. Basically, a new trainz-build represents a technology plateau, wherein some heretofore unavailable capability has been added. Some of this is within the programmer's experiences&mdash;the internal changes within the run time packages; others, mainly involving asset capability, features, scripts, or interactivity are obvious to the community and to content creators, inasmuch as new tags, practices and containers in config.txt files or asset source folder grouped data elements (asset parts) are affected. Trainz is a highly cooperative joint development COMMUNITY at its heart. Content Creators often drive software development with requests for a capability. The programmers and/or N3V management approve the notion, prioritize it, and the programmers thence define parameters (data types); at that juncture, the likely first software modifications are to the error testing screening software which vetts uploaded assets before allowing them onto the DLS&mdash;and to a TBV step release enabling its software to not burp on the heretofore unfamiliar new data elements. Content Creators behind the features then provide assets with the theoretical capability, the programmers work on getting it into a future package of software updates and eventually &mdash; everybody gets to see whether the data and software have the desired effects... or whether alterations in data definitions or the run time software implementation need adjusted. This all takes a lot of people working together. {{TrainzTip|BG=#f9f9f9|Each code build number (2 to 5 digits) maps onto a corresponding Trainz {{TBS|trainz-build|p=trainz build version number}} (a 'TB' or 'TBV' decimal like 2.9: once generally indicating a technological threshold or capability level). The {{TL|trainz-build}} 'steps' or plateaus correspond thusly to a targeted set of capabilities, whereas several iterations of debugging and 'code build releases' (Smaller Hot Fixes and Larger] Service Pack(s) releases map into the same trainz-build thresholds. Hence the new user will notice a predominance of certain TBV values, so called major releases or major versions, in asset lists in the {{TL|Content Manager}} searches&mdash; {1.3, 1.5, 2.2 & 2.4, 2.6, 2.8, 2.9-3.3, 3.5&3.7, 4.0& 4.3 &4.5} generally following directly the longevity of a software system. This formerly only reflected the simple relationship between the length of time a stable software suite release existed before the next retail (new) product release was launched with new technological abilities. Formerly, Content Creators deliberately formed new assets with the lowest possible TBV so the asset would be usable by the widest groups of Trainzers, many who remain faithful to an older Trainz release (and even form clubs with thousands of members, s.a. Trainz Pro Routes et. al.) &mdash; in short, if the new tech was using a tag or ability such an asset could care less about and didn't need, making a new bridge, building, business, or traincar that would please the most people makes emminent sense... Hence the wide number of V1.3, V2.6, V3.0, V3.5 assets still in very wide use. Also, since asset features and those bits of code that can manipulate effects-instructions can be embedded inside the run time software suites are written to comply with or satisfy the particular conceived technological capability, there is a long lag time between request for a capability, and the time it shows up in an release that can exploit it. Example: Basic traincar data structures and configuration were laid out by the end of Trainz UTC. Someone desired ability to have realistic traincar ID numbers vary automatically, submitted the idea to Auran, and the programmers implemented a set of data elements to control the effects. Which leaves most rolling stock unchanged, yet allows a technology not available in previous code releases. A similar transition occurred for signalling capabilities regarding realism in yard crossing tracks, sometimes called '{{TBN|diamond crossings}}' &mdash;a real common need to match prototype places (train yards). Generally in the past, Data conventions increasingly enforced since TS2009 were designed and in place in the lengthy TRS2004-TRS2006 era (and JET II game engine) &mdash; yet most asset types were perfectly fine using the older simpler Trainz 1.0 era data structures which are unitary tag based in the main, and don't involve any aggregate data structures Trainz's {{TL|Containers}} in the {{TL|config.txt}} control files. In 2009 N3V decided to add severe filtering enforcing the newer data structures in subsequent releases. They also added installation software testing, filters, to vett and bless DLS uploads&mdash;this is updated as time and versions pass, forcing higher and higher TBV values be submitted&mdash;even when an implemented asset has nothing significantly different from the earlier 1.3 or 2.5 era assets, save a more detailed less rough sub-assembly component part (A Trainz '{{TN|dependency}}, like a new bogey, sound, or perhaps a traincar modified to have interactive cargo and doors that animate{{efn,Many older assets used a mix of tech tags and containers to program their manifestation in game, so adding the containers and tags to a config.txt that enabled a box or flat car to handle interactive cargoes (introduced in TRS2004, a Trainz strength) required a mere cut and paste alteration. However, script and mesh dependent capabilities such as animated doors, really do warrant a version change, being far more complicated. }. This has been controversial and caused many aggregate assets (Routes and Sessions) to be short compatible assets. So until TS2009, older and looser data conventions were tolerated in newly altered and new assets&mdash;allowing new assets produced to a lesser capable standard.  The Trainz Version number exactly matches the asset (technology 'level' identifying) Trainz-build tag number.  There can be many code build numbers for a trainz-build code (or technology level); some are for a different group of languages as translations become available, and ... {{bull}} Each of those also has possible Hot fixes and Service Pack patches&mdash;some of which change the {{TBS|trainz-build}}, and others do not. Hot fixes do not usually cause a change in version numbers, while Service Packs usually cause an increment of +0.1 to the "Trainz-build" tags and colloquial terms thrown around as the 'Version Number!}}

Managing these improvements in the corporate world is the task of an IT department, but since Trainz is a personal software suite, the task of updating a Trainz release devolves onto private users. This aspect of Trainz is further complicated by Trainz nature, it is at the heart, a data base manager and a huge data base (the greater size in files) with satellite tools programs (especially for example, the Surveyor, Driver, Railyard, and some others behind the scenes like ) each of which may need patched or replaced with a service pack release or Hot fix. Further, and the most problematic part as it takes some time when a user has a lot of downloaded content, a new update may also scan each item in the database, and where necessary, patch those to compliance with the 'new technology level' being introduced by the patch and corresponding to a new asset build tag number.

Trainz releases are further complicated by servicing an international user base; from the start the product was produced to service different international languages groups and their translation needs. In the later practices, the plethora of internationally different releases was managed down to around four initial

Legacy (unsupported) Versions
The balance of this page is presented in ordinary calendar order, first out, first listed. The first group are the giants of history upon whose shoulders newer versions of today stand. Trainz in all versions and releases was supported for over a decade by Auran, then later by N3V Games &mdash; until the adoption and announcement of the unpopular Trainz Life Cycle policy in 2010. In the policy, an arbitrary four years has generally been added to the original retail versions release date, after which the release is magically 'called obsolete' and N3V withdraws support.

Trainz Life Cycle policy has its largest negative impact now on asset updates through the creeping rise-in-threshold-difficulty of acceptance-testing-software by the DLS software, and those requirement changes have adversely affected the reliability of the Trainz-build numbers as a tell-tale of the tech level actually needed within any given asset. The whole system now is introducing a upward version creep in assets updated or added into the DLS collection, and requires authors' to donate their time making a lot of unnecessary 'updates' to the data structures in the config.txt file leader every asset has; changes which aren't really functional, but making no real change to the assets textures, meshes and other operable guts. In short, such changes are administrative data shufflings, instituting wasted time by thousands with unnecessary work-arounds.) showing up on a users Content Manager module and Main Menu screens.

Trainz

 * Trainz 1.x series :Cover motto: Trainz Virtual Railroading On Your PC
 * Main article: Trainz with no service packs applied V1.0

Trainz beta V0.9
Perfection is achieved, not where there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away. The very rare boxed Trainz: Beta version 0.9 was published in a very small run by Auran Developments in June 2001 after several initial software download versions were made available to collaborating railfans and other involved parties for testing purposes.

A brief history of Trainz by an early 'Auran partner', Charlie Lear on the development of this popular software can be read can be read here:, and much of what followed is presented with commentary and cover art up through TRS2006. The Beta release cover art contained a quote from Antoine de Saint Exupery. (See quote above). Targeted at the model railroading enthusiast's market niche, Trainz was bare of a lot of content, but delivered a Surveyor module much like today's, which is still the best in the business for route building.

Trainz

 * Trainz, the original version, with no service packs applied is assigned a of 1.0 (V1.0) and is known as the 'Trainz Community Edition'. The boxed Trainz 1.0 was transferred from Auran Development and released by Auran Games, Pty. Ltd in November 2001 in a self-published regionally distributed version after an initial 24 September 2001 software download only version  Generally, each applied  increments the version by +0.1, so with application of the third service Pack (SP3) the cumulative version code value becomes Trainz V1.3; the first fully stable software release of the series also dubbed as the 'Trainz Passenger Edition'. The release also included a licensed version of the three dimensional (3D) model building tool GMAX, which is responsible for the huge numbers of user created 3D assets available on the.

Early Trainz Mininum & Suggested Requirements

 * The first widespread international release was in February 2002 and included SP1.
 * With SP3, this is sometimes called the "Community Edition", and by some is considered a totally separate release and product so different was the operability and reliability in V1.3.
 * Trainz Community Edition (retail version or UK Edition, SP1.3 unpatched): build 263
 * Trainz Community Edition (retail version or UK Edition, SP1.3 patched): build 277

Trainz 1.1 (SP1)
Trainz 1.0 with SP1 for Trainz applied is promoted to Trainz V1.1, code build TBDL

Trainz 1.2 (SP2)
Trainz Version 1.1 with SP2 for Trainz applied promotes to Trainz V1.2, code build TBDL

Trainz 1.3 (SP3)
Trainz 1.2 with SP3 for Trainz applied promotes to Trains V1.3, code build TBDL, and because of the functionality enhancements&mdash;is widely considered a major product release on its own, despite being free to acquire. This was the most widely distributed and longest lasting of the versions of the original Trainz product family, not replaced except for language updates and patches until the release of Trainz 2004 with several major user friendly resources added, including, a facility that enabled scenario creation.Trainz SP3, apart from bugfixes, saw the introduction of the Trainzscript programming language and scripted user activities called "Scenarios"., Charlie Lear (cjlear), former Auran developer. A few years later Trainzscript was generalized, libraryized, and the game engine modified to assemble and run the conglomerate rules of a session 'on-the-fly', so Scenarios were soon replaced by the (scriptlet based) sessions Rules facility in TRS2004/06. This version was still being sold in the USA, with an additional Service Pack 3 CD included in the summer of 2013.

Trainz V1.4 (SP4, Spanish)
Trainz 1.x implemented multilingual languages support by installation of different service packs. There was no French or Eastern European languages versions marketed.
 * Auran also assigned V1.4 to the stand-alone software.

Trainz UTC, V1.5

 * Trainz: the Ultimate Trainz Collection
 * Main article: Trainz UTC with no service packs applied V1.5

This was called the Ultimate Trainz Collection, a November 26th, 2002 release including four groups of routes expanding the options for the user.
 * UTC - English - no service packs applied: build 327
 * UTC - English - SP1,. code build 404
 * UTC - English with SP1 build 902 pre-installed as part of the 2008 Trainz: The Complete Collection Omnibus edition.

TRS2004 series

 * TRS2004 with no service packs applied V2.0
 * Main article: Trainz Railroad Simulator 2004

This version incorporating many technical advances, not least among them the vaunted Trainz interactive industries and interactive rolling stock assets. It also established the Trainz Download Station in the internet searchable version whose descendant is today's Trainz DLS. Many Trainzers held for year after year that TRS2004 was the best Trainz release ever, but time has occluded the memories that it had many growing pains  as evidenced by the four service packs. While many of the new data model features were introduced in Trainz UTC, they weren't fully implemented until in 2004. By the 2005 release of TRS2006, Auran began fault testing to a much greater extent, including warning messages that now obsolescent tags should be removed. So after SP4, trainz-build code value 2.4 (V2.4), Auran finally had the extensible product that made users fans. TRS2004.exe (the Launcher module of the release commonly known as TRS2004) provided no integrated data management module. It has a module called ContentManager.exe, but it left much to be desired; at it's heart, it could only list data with very coarse sorting and display abilities. A third-party utility, by Terry Franks did the best job at asset management and organization in the era until TRS2006's Content Manager Plus (with similar features) supplanted it. Each Trainz release since has a version of Content Manager; though its appearance and operation changed dramatically with the release of.

TRS2006 series
The TRS2006 technology was leveraged into a large series of releases with targeted regional content, much of it formerly payware routes now shipped in partnership with Auran and N3V Games, which took over management of the franchise early in the era.

Trainz Driver Edition (TDE)
This is a Trainz Driver GUI only (a game only or demo) version of TRS2006 with some features omitted; it lacked both the Content Manager and Surveyor modules, so has no expandability nor extendability (self-built routes and sessions). Like TRS2006, it is level 2.5, Build number 3096 — UK release date of Trainz Driver was 24 February 2005.
 * TDE - US (Merscom) edition: build 3104 also appears to be a version of Trainz Driver Edition.

TRS2006-SP0 v2.5
Main: Trainz Railroad Simulator 2006 (or TRS2006)  with no service packs applied V2.5 TRS2006 - Australia and USA - no service pack applied: build 2761

TRS2006 - UK - no service pack applied: build 2773

TRS2006 - French - no service pack applied: build 2883

TRS2006 - Dutch - no service pack applied: build 2967

TRS2006 - German - no service pack applied - also called Pro Train Perfect or PTP: build 2970

TRS2006 - Spanish - no service pack applied: build 3007

Trainz Routes
The 'Trainz Routes' release was an add-on pack containing twenty additional layouts and dependencies for TRS2004/TRS2006 and not a program release. The DVD has an installer interface which directly patches the content into either version's data structure, but is biased to install to TRS2004 and must be given a hand-edited directory to install into TRS2006. The loader, once initialized, then presents four buttons, so requires four additional clicks, plus finishing acknowledgement clicks to completely install.

Build number (if any) and original publication date not known. Paradox Interactive re-published Trainz Routes as 3rd DVD part of '' with cover art copyright date of 2008. The release takes nearly an hour to install.

TRS2006-SP1
Trainz 2006 with Service Pack 1 (which was notoriously hard to install) was perhaps the most stable version of Trainz released before the latter service packs of TS2009 and TS2010, which each had four. On the other hand, the game itself was the game engine for TRS2004 with few improvements, with the main changes being the introduction of the unified utility suite Content Manager Plus.
 * TS12's CM is only slightly improved over TR06's original, and that kind of longevity and stability is an ovation all its own. TR06 would spawn numerous regional releases and until TS2009, these were clones of TR06 with a different batch of content, aside from slight changes to data models begun in TC3.


 * TRS2006 with SP1 for TRS2006 applied V2.6

TRS2006 - Australia and USA - SP1: build 3092

TRS2006 - UK - SP1: build 3099

TRS2006 - Spanish - SP1: build 3118

TRS2006 - as included in Trainz: The Complete Collection (aka Trainz TCC Pack, includes SP1 pre-loaded): build 3335
 * A three DVD omnibus release and the first Trainz franchise release published by Software (Now N3V Games); North American version distributed by . Release includes TRS2006 (with SP1 pre-installed), as one third on 2nd DVD; UTC and TRS2004 on 1st DVD, Trainz Routes on third DVD.

TRS2006 - as included with Trainz Railwayz (includes SP1), distributed by with a Steam Loco on the cover art. (aka possibly 'Trainz Classics' in the USA): build 3337 with 2nd CD containing TC1&2Cover Art, publisher, title, and TBV v2.6 of USA's BC Version 3337 all confirmed verbally via Skype with RRSignal, 2015-0815.

Trainz TCC
'Trainz: The Complete Collection' was a 2008 Omnibus release distributed by Paradox Interactive bundling UTC, TRS2004, and TRS2006 with pre-installed service packs on a 3 CDROM single box set. Build 3335 The edition also included Trainz Routes, a collection of mainly 'Basement Railroad Empire' sized routes without sessions.

Trainz 2007
'Trainz Railroad Simulator 2007', several Europe only releases

French Edition

 * The French TRS2006 standard edition release (includes SP1) is known as TRS2007: Build number not known.

'Trainz Railroad Simulator 2007' (abbreviated as TRS2007) was the second release targeting a regional market distributed by Anuman Interactive for sale in France, Belgium and Switzerland. There were initially two versions: the standard version which consisted of Trainz Railroad Simulator 2006 with Service Pack 1 applied, and the Gold edition, which included French regional add-on items.

Trainz 2008
Halycon Media later distributed Trainz Railroad Simulator 2007 with German region-specific content for the British, Austrian, and Swiss market. This is colloquially sometimes called TRS2008.

German edition

 * The German edition of TRS2006, published by Auran/N3V partner Blue Sky Interactive is also known by its release name: Pro Train Perfect (PTP).
 * TRS2007 - German (includes SP1): build 3325
 * The German edition of TRS2006 is sometimes referred to as both TRS2007 or TRS2008, and neither has any official standing.

Trainz Classics
Three TRS2006 special content joint-venture production releases were put together by Auran and N3V Games with professional after the release of the content only add-on release Trainz Routes in 2007. In the era, Auran had over extended in developing other video games and had severe financial troubles. They subsequently laid off most of their staff, entered the Australian version of bankruptcy seeking protection from their creditors, and ended up selling (licensing) development and distribution rights for their most solid asset, The Trainz Franchise to Tony Hilliam, a software publisher with family money who ran what is now known as N3V Games. Auran Development was reorganized as a holding company Auran Holdings LLC, much as DanJaq LLC owns the rights to the franchise and licenses it to Eon Films. N3V Games now develops and markets Trainz releases, manages the Auran forums, servers, and Simulator Central online store with Hilliam as CEO.

Trainz Classics 1&2
'Trainz Classics 1' (TC1) and 'Trainz Classics 2' (TC2) were both distributed initially (and briefly) as separate releases in a joint venture with Merscomm as / a couple of months apart in early 2007 and soon after as a bundled set.
 * Released as Trainz Classics 1; TBV V2.7
 * Released as Trainz Classics 2; TBV V2.7
 * United Kingdom released as: Trainz Railways/Trainz Railwayz2; TBV V2.7 Build 3337

Trainz Classics 3
The 'Trainz Classics 3' or TC3 release version and is " v2.8" and assets with that level, notably locomotives and textures using other than default AlphaHint processing as specified in their , were the first big group of assets that one had to fiddle with to take back to the TRS2006 standard, or make work with the new 2.8 s&mdash;depending upon which way one was porting assets.
 * Tag "'epbrakes' not allowed" errors were a common resultant error requiring users to delete the defunct spec line.
 * The new 'AlphaHint=' specification gives a 'path not found error'  when ported into earlier versions of Content Manager Plus, specifically TRS2006-SP1's CMP.

This 'new-status-quo', with additional new data adaptation problems when porting between versions now holds true for TS09&mdash;T:ANE assets builds as well.
 * Trainz Classics 3 original release - UK: build 3517
 * Trainz Classics 3 SP1 - UK: build 3529

Trainz Railwayz
Trainz Classics 1&2 was marketed and packaged as Trainz Railwayz in the USA and Trainz Railways in the UK. Trainz Railwayz (mainly USA) includes the full TRS2006 but the other regional editions do not.
 * Trainz Railways 1&2 - UK: build 3355

TS2009 WBE TS09

 * TS2009: World Builder Edition
 * Main coverage: 'Trainz Simulator 2009: World Builder Edition'

The following builds exist for, called the 'World Building Edition' because of upgrades of Surveyor with several new tools such as replace all and the 'Pick List' and tool extensions such as the combined modes of terrain shaping tools with a selected region. Where patches are available, these are noted beside the build number. TS2009-SP4 lacks only multiplayer capabilities and 'Native Mode' (64 bit data handling) relative to TS2010-SP4's improvements, both co-introducing and strategically adopting the major dependence on TadDaemon, Route and Session Layers, SpeedTrees, and allowing compatibility mode or native mode.

TS2010 - TS10

 * Main coverage: Trainz Simulator 2010: Engineer's Edition


 * sometimes, TS2010 EE

With the issuance of Trainz 2010: Engineer's Edition, N3V Games continued the user-unfriendly practice of not giving unique names to their Trainz.exe files, which would minimize registry confusion. This is even worse because both launcher and loader are Trainz.exe, one in the installations' root, one in the \bin directory. TS10 introduced newer speedtrees tech and multiplayer, as well as somewhat more advanced graphics rendering and was accompanied by a new group of canned routes and tutorials, finally abandoning many stalwart routes found from TRS2004 through TS2009. At the same time, TS2009-SP4 and TS2010-SP3 and SP4 all generate Trainz-build v3.3 tech level assets.

The following builds exist for. Where patches are available, these are noted beside the build number. N3V's auto-patching capabilities were inconsistent and unreliable until late in the TS09/TS10 product update series.

Trainz Simulator Mac

 * Main coverage: Trainz Simulator Mac-1

The following builds exist for Trainz Simulator Mac. Where patches are available, these are noted beside the build number.
 * Mac versions of Trainz and on Android and iOS on PAD computers are currently only TS2009 or TS2010 special releases.

TS2012
Formally, the releases title is: 'Trainz Simulator 12'.
 * Main coverage: Trainz Simulator 12

The following builds exist for TS12. Where patches are available, these are noted beside the build number. From TS2009 mid-releases, auto-patching of upgrades became more and more reliable as bug fixes to the patching suite of software were unearthed and fixed, so auto-patching since has been the norm.

TS2012 - TS12
The patch will work for the following TS12 builds: 46957, 47059, 47452, and 47772 giving promotions: 47059 > 48249, 46957 > 48249, 47452 > 48249 and 47772 > 48249.
 * Known build numbers for TS12: July 31st, 2012, 04:05 PM
 * 1) Build 46957 - Planet Auran release version, new  V3.4
 * 2) Build 47059 - Planet Auran release version (minor revision),  V3.5
 * 3) Build 47103 - Steam release,  V3.5 cap.
 * 4) Build 47452 - Just Trainz release version
 * 5) Build 47772 - Just Trainz release version (minor revision)
 * 6) Build 48054 - Defunct due to corrupt patch file
 * 7) Build 48249 - First SP1 hotfix, established  V3.6
 * 8) Build 49922 - Second SP1 hotfix, Added support for Aerotrain DLC - build July 31st, 2012
 * 9) Build 🇨🇴 - Third SP1 hotfix, Hotfix 3 - build Spring/Summer, 2013, established  V3.7 (TODO - Search for date, make citations )
 * 10) 🇨🇴 - Hotfix 4 & current build, Classed as a 'Quick bugfix' of hf3, out approximately last August  V3.7, while Trainz Mac 2 is  V3.8, the end for 32 bit CPU compatible pre-TANE Trainz versions. (Status update note on August 28th, 2014 )
 * If you have any of the boldfaced build numbers, you can patch up to 48249. Assets with trainz-build 3.6 will then become available.
 * If you have 48249, you can patch up to 49922. The Aerotrain DLC will then become available.
 * If you have 47103, the initial Steam release, you can neither patch nor use Multiplayer. Also, assets with trainz-build 3.6 must be obtained via FTP, then back-dated to 3.5.
 * If you have any other build, you may have a pirated copy of the game.

Content Builds

 * Main coverage: Auran DLC: Trainz DRM Content

Auran's patch technology has the capability of updating the base Trainz version and installed addon content independently. The following is a list of released content build versions for add-on content.

TANE CE
Trainz: A New Era, often seen as TANE or T:ANE in forum mentions was built around a new 64 bit computing game engine written from scratch. The initial releases had over optimistic fund raising hopes and expected results too soon for the funding levels obtained. About half-way into development, major staff changes rocked N3V games as long time programmer and asset creator James Moody departed N3V leaving less user oriented programmer's in uncontested control of the software development. Unsurprisingly, it missed nearly all of the deadlines promised during crowd source funding efforts.

Trainz: A New Era, Community Edition or TANE CE were the expected benchmark partial product releases that were mainly sold by advanced subscription or as a benefit to bigger donors in the internet crowd source funding drives of late 2014.
 * Trainz: A New Era, Community Editions

Beta test and teething troubles plagued each of the three formally released versions of the troubled and Crowd Funded Community Editions &mdash; each released to comply with 'developmental benchmarks by deadlines' promised during raising the crowd sourced funding on the internet. The Community Editions were download-only software only available through internet subscriptions. A departure for Auran/N3V inasmuch as previous versions, excepting the Steam.com special versions of TS12 each were also offered by CDROM or DVD with printed manuals. The formal Beta test version was repeatedly reset and put off over the fall of 2015 and finally released for people who preordered TANE on December 10, 2015.

}}
 * 1) Trainz A New Era: Community Edition 1.0 - Trainz-build version 3.9
 * 2) Trainz A New Era: Community Edition 1.1 - Trainz-build version 4.0
 * 3) Trainz A New Era: Community Edition 1.2 - Trainz-build version 4.1

TANE
Trainz: A New Era was officially released on May 14, 2015 as an alleged full version overcoming lacks of TANE CE. TANE's Driver, Surveyor, and Content Manager modules each had their issues. Most lacked operational hotkeys users were used to having. Its CM user interface has many more powerful pluses, but wastes search specification screen space needlessly, and its overall implementation mysteriously changes terminology in the oddest places (Common Trainz operational terms, most with hotkeys before hand which were in place and well known in the community since Trainz 0.9 Beta release, and other operational menus, and especially the important mini-maps in Driver and Surveyor operated very differently.  As of the SP3 release (TBV 4.5), many of these shortcomings are still disgruntling the community.
 * Trainz: A New Era (TANE or T:ANE), the full release...

Various 'finishing touches' have been added through a succession of hotfixes, patches, and service packs with a rumored fourth service pack supposed to be nearly finished as of 12 March 2019, even while the program is being supplanted by TRS19, a new release of TANE, without the New Era tagline. One major improvement instantly popular with users was the facility allows the user to directly control where local content is kept, and to change it as desired, allowing content creators and users to customize their experience and sequester data&mdash;say separating British routes and assets from North American, enabling both less clutter in selecting and managing content in CM and Surveyor. There have been numerous upgrades, starting from the original zip downloaded installer (Code build: 78667), SP1 (Code build: 80201), SP1 Hotfix 1: 81190, SP1 Hotfix 2: 82149 to TANE SP3 (Code build: 94916)

TANE MAC
The Mac version of TANE was also released on May 14, 2015 as an alleged full version overcoming lacks of TANE CE. The MAC user interface from Trainz Mac is alleged to be used for CM and Surveyor screens, giving the Trainz software an alien look, see, and feel for the first time since Trainz 1.0 on the one hand, and TRS2006's CM on the other.

Notes, Footnotes & References
Beginning in August of 2009, Auran/N3V Games began a Technical reference and user interest wiki called TrainzOnline. Most of the data on the site was put up by the official staff of the company.