What Is Auran and How Do Trainz Fans Use Trainz Luvr?

Updated

Auran is the original creator of the Trainz train simulator, and Trainz Luvr is a long-running fan site that serves as a "one-stop-shop" for the N3V Games Pty. Ltd. Trainz family of train-sims. If you want to find community-made content, browse projects, or download Trainz add-ons, Trainz Luvr is built for exactly that — though some actions require an account.

Who Auran Is and How It Connects to N3V Games

Auran developed Trainz, the sim-style rail game that Trainz Luvr is dedicated to. Over time, development of the Trainz family moved to N3V Games Pty. Ltd., which Trainz Luvr now names as the current publisher of the sims it covers. In practice, this means:

  • Auran is the historical origin point — the studio that created Trainz.
  • N3V Games is the company behind the ongoing Trainz family that the fan site documents and supports.

The site's own description frames it simply as a fan site for Trainz, "an online collectible model trains sim-style rail game created by Auran."

What Trainz Luvr Offers

Trainz Luvr describes itself as covering "anything and everything relating to the sims, or in some case trains in general." Its main community features include:

Feature What it's for
Content Creators A directory of people making Trainz content (502 listed)
Projects & Workshops Community projects, including current 3rd-party projects (539 listed)
Trainz 3rd Party Content Wishlist Requested or wanted content (711 entries)
Downloads Files contributed by outside parties
Submit your file to Downloads A way for creators to add their own work

These numbers come from the site's own statistics, so they give a sense of scale rather than a fixed catalog.

How to Navigate and Search the Site

Trainz Luvr is organized around a menu of icons below the logo, plus a set of quick links. To find something specific:

  1. Use the menu icons below the logo to move between the main sections (creators, projects, downloads, wishlist).
  2. Use the quick links for direct access to current 3rd-party projects, contributed downloads, and the file submission page.
  3. Use the search box ("Search for specific item") if you already know what you're looking for.
  4. Use Advanced Search when a simple keyword isn't enough to narrow results.

The expected result is that you land on a project page, a creator listing, or a downloadable file rather than browsing the whole site.

Accounts, Login, and Downloads

The site has a username/password login and a "Not a member? Request an Account" option. This tells you two things:

  • Browsing much of the site's public content doesn't require an account.
  • Downloading or submitting files is tied to membership, since login and account requests sit alongside the downloads and submission links.

If you plan to contribute content or pull files, request an account first rather than assuming open access.

Why the Site Relies on Donations

Trainz Luvr asks visitors to "Help this site — Donate!" and accepts support through PayPal. The site has been online for over 21 years, and its news posts show the practical reasons a fan site needs support: server moves, software updates, and recovering from a hack in 2011. Donations keep a volunteer-run hub for Trainz content alive, which in turn keeps community projects and downloads available.

Practical Takeaways

  • Auran = the original Trainz creator; N3V Games = the current Trainz developer. Trainz Luvr covers the whole family.
  • Use the icon menu and quick links to reach creators, projects, downloads, and the wishlist.
  • Search or Advanced Search when you know the item you want.
  • Request an account if you need to download contributed files or submit your own.
  • Donations via PayPal are how the site sustains itself after two decades online.