Well I bought rail works sometime back installed it on my desktop that has since crashed. Here's my take on it.

pros
easy to operate the train takes some attention to the controls and the speed signs

cons
it uses steam for authentication
its mainly British rail very few USA tracks

improvements
two different ideas
first is when I was a c64 user we had a train sim where we had to manage the whole company like build the tracks transport goods to get operating capital then use excess to add track to next town etc. you laid out your routes

the second thought would to have both the freight and passenger routes for the USA. That way if you want to ride the Amtrak rail from nyc to New Orleans then changeover to the western route to da then catch the train back east that takes the middle route through Abq and such.