Train Simulator - MRCE BR 185.5 Loco Add-On (DLC)

Let's be precise about what this is: a single locomotive add-on for Train Simulator, the long-running Dovetail platform that has built its entire business model around selling you one more piece of rolling stock at a time. The MRCE BR 185.5 is a real-world electric multi-system freight locomotive operated by MRCE (Mitsui Rail Capital Europe), and this DLC drops it into your garage as a driveable asset. If you are the kind of person who already owns fifteen Dovetail locos and knows the difference between a pantograph and a power notch, you understand the value proposition immediately. Everyone else should read on before clicking buy. The BR 185.5 is a capable, modern freight hauler, and the detail work on a loco like this lives or dies by cab accuracy, sound design, and physics fidelity. Dovetail's ecosystem has a known ceiling here: the core Train Simulator engine is aging, the AI traffic behavior is famously unambitious, and the tutorial infrastructure has not materially improved in years. What you get is a well-modeled cab to sit in, realistic fictional route content stretching over 70 km with tunnels, single-track sections, and varied scenery, and the promise of future updates adding more track types and additional trains. The Early Access label on a DLC is an unusual flag worth noting: the route content and feature set are not final, which means you are buying into a work in progress. From a depth-of-decision standpoint, Train Simulator is not a strategy game, but the sim crowd cares about systems just as much as I do. Throttle management, braking curves, timetable adherence, and signal awareness are the levers you pull here. The BR 185.5's multi-system capability is interesting on paper, though how meaningfully the route exploits that depends on the scenario design. Three user reviews at time of writing, all positive, is not a sample size anyone should make a purchasing decision on. The developer, listed as a small Japanese studio (汐留姉妹), is not one of Dovetail's in-house teams, so quality control and long-term update cadence are unknowns. For newcomers to Train Simulator broadly: the platform has a steep learning curve not because the mechanics are punishing but because the UI, the asset management system, and the sheer volume of DLC create genuine friction for first-timers. This specific DLC is not an entry point. Start with one of Dovetail's own bundled routes first, get comfortable with the cab controls and the scenario editor, then come back for add-ons like this. For experienced sim players who want a modern European freight loco and are comfortable with Early Access uncertainty, this is a focused, functional addition. Just keep expectations calibrated to what a single-loco DLC with an unfinished route can realistically deliver.

Diego · Scout Team

Strategy & simulation

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