Announcing The Freightliner Class 70 From All Aboard Studios

I’m probably being overly optimistic (again!), but this could work well on a Cardiff-Westbury route… I know 4O57 (Wentloog - Southampton) is a thing of the past now, but FL 70s were very common on that up until recently….

 

I'm super hyped for this regardless, but I do have one concern here. The 70 and 90 are both coming, both of them predominantly for the southern WCML. With the apparent lack of cooperation between AABS and ATS, I'm worried that we're looking at there being a very high chance that the 70 and 90 end up only existing in separate dedicated timetables, unless both are programmed to sub in for the 66. The 70 could be, the 90 not so much as that could only happen in cases where the locos never leave the OHLE which pretty much restricts it to only driving on the modern WCML routes, so that will likely have to be manually placed.

 

Hopefully the 70 can just slot in place of the 66, rather than needing to be entirely new services.

Hopefully ATS will also put the 90 into the AAS routes too, since AAS clearly won’t.

It’s so bizarre that one of the few AC freight locos in the UK, which mainly runs on the WCML, is being disregarded by a dev studio who is wholly focused on the WCML.

Freight has long been disregarded for UK TSW, with Skyhook doing what they can but obviously not having the capacity to do locos. Now that we have several wagon packs & 2 upcoming locos, it’s so stupid & anti-consumer that we can’t use them altogether.

 

Mentioned in another thread, someone has discovered the route via Bescot is all laid out in B2C, just devoid of scenery. Would be nice if AABS plan to expand this as part of the Class 70 project. It would need a Colas licence but Bescot is one of their hubs for engineering trains, so loads of scope for operations.

 

I wonder if someone from DTG could illuminate the difficulties of substitutions, layers, AI, etc in timetables. So much of this is guesswork.
Often once you know how something works, a lot of the "what the hell are they doing?" moments later make a lot of sense.
My biggest fear for the 70 is that it turns out to just run on two routes with limited stock, neutering the whole project and making it unworth the buy. Then, the claim is made that it "didn't sell well so people don't like freight" when the problem was it just didn't run anywhere and the LACK of routes made it not sell well.

 

I think it's time to put the "lack of cooperation" narrative to rest. AABS came on the forums and have said they've had issues using unreleased DLC whilst developing the Crewe - Birmingham TT so want to avoid that same issue.

 

Not to stir the hornets nest, but I find this announcement is kind of odd. Wasn’t ATS making the Class 90. Is this some on-going rivalry again to one-up one another, considering their past history.
Just strange we’re getting two new freight locos back-to-back.

 

Competition can be a good thing if we get two freight locos out of it.

 

From the standpoint of "we end up with more locos", absolutely. Not so much if the result is those locos being unable to coexist within timetables made by either 3rd party.

 

I'm not sure the two things are related to one another.

 

hopefully this isn’t too far off now, do we think it’ll just add into the 805/807 timetables across the various wcml routes, or be ANOTHER new timetable?

 

The 70 is in the layers list already for Crewe to Birmingham so will presumably utilise the existing timetable. Not sure about other routes though.

 

The 70 has the advantage of going pretty much anywhere in the right years timeframe, so will be more adaptable than the 90 which needs OH.
I’ve seen both on my end of the WCML on the edge of London. At last the UK freight scene looks more interesting having been force feed a diet of 66’s for so long, the only excitement being variation in liveries!

 

It's coming in Trent Valley as it uses the cement works as stated in yesterday stream

 

And the Mildmay extension judging on the latest preview shots

 

Keep in mind also that substitution doesn't require a visible layer, as can be seen in several German routes. You might for example require Frankfurt - Fulda to activate the freight layer on a route and that layer will specifically be calling upon the DB Vectron, but then the moment it is activated the substitution kicks in.

The point being just because we can't see a layer for it with any additional services, doesn't mean the 70 still can't be present and simply be a sub for the 66.

 

He’s putting the Class 90 on there as well. I hope the fixed version is out before the MildMay extension.

 

All i want is it to be worth my time and have more than 1 timetable on only 1 route

 

Looking forward to this addition, I liked the 70 in TSC so its nice to be getting this into TSW plus some new wagons by the look of it according to the layers..

Expect to see this on many modded TTs once out, and also in the Colas Livery as well to offer up some difference to just FL which is going to be good

 

Yup, I'll decide if it's worth it when I see where it drives and how much.
A loco is useless that isn't really useful.

 

Update about the Class 70 in the roadmap, will layer into B2C and WCMLS only on the 805 timetables and will include new MLA wagon as well as a brand new timetable for Midland Mainline including CrossCountry services.

 

It will also include a new MML timetable which also has 220 and 170 Cross Country services and will also sub into Mildmay and Thames Branches.

 

That's the bit that I'm most excited for

 

take notes, ATS. this is what loco dlcs were designed for, not protecting and restricting them to a couple routes because of your pettiness

 

Looks like there’s gameplay across multiple routes with this one, should be good.

 

Back of the net! MML is finally getting some TLC!

The 70 was always on my to buy list, but I feel I'm getting a lot of bang for my buck with the MML timetable included... Will certainly give it the padding out it always deserved!

 

Class 70 finally a new British diesal Loco - ✅️
Truckload of services across content - ✅️
A new timetable for MML ✅️
New wagons (that don't interest me but are still a display of good effort and care) - ✅️

they've really put the effort into this DLC and the fact that AABS have made a timetable for a Skyhook add-on using Rivet DLC, and are providing the Class 7 for ThVL and Mildmay show how well some 3rd parties work together and how those layers SHOULD be used. It also really shines a light on ATS' pettiness regarding their Class 90. A fantastic update, can't wait to get my hands on it.

 

Class 70 looks great. Will be my first TSW purchase in months

 

Kinda making want Trent valley now

 

TBH not a fan of the 70, but i am a fan of anything that isn't another 66, as broken as the 90 is, it fast approaching my most driven loco which is the 86.

 

Those yellow wagons would be absolutely perfect for an Eastleigh route.

 

I hope the exhaust dynamics are accurate. These produce a hell of a lot of clag at times!

 

Well anything is better than current LOL, that's more like walking past a group of teens doing a thomas the tank engine impression with their vapes

 

Love seeing the 70s creeping around Bescot

 

Just posted this on the road map thread, then found this one.

A bit of feedback on the class 70, don't know if this can be passed on to the developers please? Appreciate its WIP so may be subsequently fixed.

The lighting setup isn't quite right. The screenshots show all 3 markers lit, but it should be 2 markers and a headlight. Day time is the headlight on the secondmans side, night is the driver's side headlight.
Day time:
https://flic.kr/p/2mZ1vEX
Night time:
https://flic.kr/p/L8nCh3
And yard work is just the two markers.
https://flic.kr/p/2jaegj1

The air pipes are not stowed correctly on the model, in fact I'm not sure how they're stowed? They should be hanging on the brackets below the coupling, as per:
https://flic.kr/p/2if9Q4N


The Wascosa JNA seems a funny pairing with the 70 (would work well with a Colas 70 though) as the Heavy Haul 70s don't tend to work Network Rail services, and when they have was earlier in their life, before the Wascosa fleet arrived. A Freightliner coal hopper or aggregate box would perhaps have suited better.

Anyway, the buffers should be of the "breadloaf" style (curve top, flat base) on the Wascosa MLAs.
https://flic.kr/p/2rKdQ2m
As that picture shows there is also some discrepancy with the end branding. The model should have the wagon number on the end, and lose the Greenbrier logo.

The typeface for the numbers and UIC markings could do with a tweak too to get it closer to the real things.

Hope that's a help and can be implemented to improve the release.

Jo

 

Should be an interesting release. Might pick it up if it's a decent price, given that it's at least a little on 4 different routes so that's a huge improvement over the 805 or 90 for example.

 

You are right with the running lights, I thought something looked odd when I first saw the images but could not point it out but you have!

 

Looking forward to this. With the 66, 08 and the 70 we have the most common fleet of freight and shunting locomotives in the UK. I do agree with others that the most up to date version of the 66 should be made part of the core game to save memory and headaches in the menu.

 

Im as much hyped for those new wagons as I am the loco lol! Going to be able to do quite a bit with those Wagons for many of the Modded TTs..I have a Network Yard north of Carlisle to fill and these will fit nicely into that!

 

will the class 70 have a speed set like the 90?

 

It always amuses me that something like the Class 70 of which there are under 40 ever made is considered a "common" type.
The 66 yes... almost 500 made.
The 47 yes... almost 500 made.
The 08 yes... almost 1,000 made.

The 70?
Eh.... not "common" really.
Something I'd definitely like to see in game, but "common" nah.
To be fair there's more Class 60s out there, or even Class 56s, the latter especially would be available across almost every route in the UK in game given how long it was in service. The 70 is really an ultra modern one that is limited to rather modern routes.

Again I want to see the 70 and I plan on getting it, but it wouldn't be the most "common" or most useful in game overall.

Maybe we'll see those and a few others in the future.

As I said, I'm HOPING they're learning from the Class 90 and such and anything following the 70 will be useful on a lot of runs on several routes at least.

 

Would love to see a Class 73 in any of its varients

 

A quick straw poll, the 56’s numbered around 135 in total and were far more widespread than the 70’s. If it’s done well I’ll certainly buy the 70 (though I recall the TSC one wasn’t very good as running light the friction values were incorrect and it wouldn’t coast without power) but there are other classes I would much rather see - a Sulzer Type 2 for starters.

 

I hope there add some ambient radio communications and plant movements for the engineering work scenarios. Make it feel like a real work site

 

That would be a nice little scenario. Actually been able to operate the tamper too.
But highly doubt that would ever happen sadly

 

I guess finishing off Toton for the MML update is a bit optimistic, but have to say a new timetable and the 70 will get me back into that line for sure.

 

Well, have fun beeing amused. I´m aware that the 70 is a lot less common and there only 40 of them. After the 66 it´s apparently the second most common loco you would see hauling freight. Who told me? AI when I was googling the Class 70. Yes, I know... AI very bad =)

 

Yes! The lighting setup on class150s are also wrong. TFW 150 is both markers with headlight while GWR has only one marker with headlight, devs have completely got it all wrong

 

Once this Class 70 releases, I think the Class 90 is going to die a lonely death. Even if the upcoming update fixes all the issues, which it probably won’t, it being limited to just a few runs on a poor WCMLS timetable is not going to keep it relevant.

Only a BR-era one for Preston - Carlisle and Preston - Crewe will be able to save it.