Southern Belle was unique at the time of release in that it was the first 3D steam train simulator available for home computers.

[citation needed] The game allows the user to take over the fireman and/or driver duties on a King Arthur class passenger steam locomotive on the London to Brighton line.

Additionally, there were sections of line where there were no buildings visible in the foreground, leading to criticisms that the game looked as though the countryside had been hit by a nuclear bomb.

The game's demo mode was a high speed run, in homage to British Transport Films's classic London to Brighton in Four Minutes.

The reviewers felt that Belle made a welcome change from space games and had intuitive controls, but was ultimately lacking in excitement.