This is a pretty amazing map to the community-made train systems cutting across the Second Life mainland (click here for high res version, also available for free in the Marketplace), created by Rydia Lacombe, and updated from her 2021 edition. If they look longer and more complex than many real life train systems, you're right there — they're longer, Rydia tells me, than the system in a major city in Scotland.
"Calculations in 2014 estimated that there was about 30 kilometers of track on the mainland. I would assume that this number is roughly correct – with the main line at least 12 km!" Rydia tells me. "This means that the SLRR Main Line is larger than the Glasgow subway system – which is fairly neat."
Anyone can ride these at any time, by the way — just get a train (there's free models) drag it onto the track, and it'll snap to the rails, and you're ready to go. (Info below.) I just took a leisurely train ride with a famous YouTuber, and can confirm it's a cool way to enjoy the rolling scenery while having a fun chat.
"I just like drawing maps," Rydia tells me, grinning. "I used to be told off in elementary school because it wasn't 'normal'. I just think it's neat."
There's also a broader motivation for her:
Rydia in SL's subway system. Yes, there's also a subway system
"The [Seceond Life] mainland is a very unique project in the gaming sphere which fully deserves to be promoted," she tells me, "as do the many creations that it enables. even though railways have stopped being useful for genuine travel, they continue to have an impact on the mainland and how it's organized, land prices, etc. which I think is worth highlighting."
Here's her advice on getting started: "Station names are generally sim names : And don't feel stuck by the lines, feel free to explore on your own (the lines just represent the SLRR noclamenture)."
She posted more detailed tips on the Reddit thread where I found this:
For belli : http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Red%20Hook/101/148/53 is a great place to get started – just rez your train and enjoy.
For the mainland - well I will say the quality of builds is up and down across Heterocera. Nonetheless, classic starting points must be the ends of the main line at http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Tuliptree/128/128/2 or http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Bhaga/128/128/2
Other interesting places you could rez a train from include http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Immidae/198/58/53Laggier options include http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Calleta/202/67/53 or my own hub at http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Bedstraw/54/120/53 (underground station)Much of the network is unmanned (bring your own train) but a few lines have running trains – namely the Hiraya monorail (http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Cisthene/59/36/53) , as well as the Bay City system (http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Bay%20City%20-%20Molesworth/81/8/53) and the excellent Zany Zen railway (http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Somdari/212/242/53).
Finally make sure you find and join Passengers of SL as people run trains on the network if that's your thing.
Wagner James Au / New World Notes 
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