I remember many years ago when I joined TAA their then Chief Check and Training Captain Frank Fischer (few of his ilk around these days) telling my course that they had done a lot of research and found that after 8 years as an FO, if you had any potential at all, it didn't matter where you came from or what your experience, you'd still make an equally good captain. As I had very very little time as actual PIC (alone in the LHS with no other pilot on board) this was great news. I think I had (other than dual, ICUS etc) a total of about 200 hrs as "sole pilot" on anything at all when I had the chance for my DC9 command. Passed somehow.
The Chief Pilot on the 777 of the airline where I now work went from an F5 pilot to DC-10 F/O overnight. Coped. I knew numbers of guys in TAA who'd gone from Chipmunks to Viscounts! There'd be a good thread about similar career jumps. I remember many telling me years back that I was almost a lost soul if I didn't have the magic "glass cockpit" experience. Bull... took an hour or two of CBT then all OK.
Yes it is their train set, but don't take it personally. My dad had command of a Lancaster with about 300 hours.