To me the easiest Idea is to build a wooden mockup and use one of the train simulators out there, nab the Real Throttle thingy thats made, pick parts out of it and adapt it to the simulator. Some of these simulators "might" be able to handle multi-screens so you could get a good around the engine view.
Computer systems or vidcards are available that can deal with multi-screens, up to 3 at least from one from Matrox, widen the view out.


Museum of Science and Industry in chicago had a mockup, but was just pics lit up where the windows were.