Tsw 7 - I Guess Its Accidentally Official Now

I fear the I7C is dead, honestly, since the most recent round of updates swapped the layer for it on the Fife Circle sprinter TT for the GWR HST like on Edinburgh Glasgow

 

Waverley wasn't really updated per se it was just ported from Fife Circle back to Edinburgh - Glasgow for consistency / better quality on E2G.

ECML North would be practically complete, rolling stock wise. We already have the 801, 385 and 380 which are the main trains along that route (as far as Dunbar for the latter two). If the Northern 158 is coming with a West Yorkshire route then that's ticked off too.
All that's missing would Lumo/TPE trains, the Class 800 and the Class 156 for an alternative to Morpeth.

All Borders services would also be ticked off with the 170 and all other AI at the western end is covered minus the Class 334.

It would probably be one of the most ''complete" routes we've had to date.

For a core route that's a very unappealing situation.

 

I would doubt it's a core route, but it could explain what Rivet have been working on if ATS are this year's UK core route builder. Throw Millerhill and Craigentinny into the mix along with the North Berwick branch and there's potential for some interesting moves?

 

Would make sense for Rivet to climb up the Scottish East Coast further, something like Dundee-Aberdeen. 158, 170, 220 and, of course, the reworked HST! I've already made a proposal about that stretch, some time ago

 

God help us if ATS are doing the core route. I mean, Rivet are bad but at least they know not to use Triang Hornby second radius curves… If that is the case (and not saying it is) it’s a sad reflection on how much has been cut back at DTG they no longer have any in house route development capability. They are going to end up like N3V and Trainz, entirely dependent on third parties.

 

i do have faith that with the right support and expectations ats can pull off a good route. MAC was decently modelled, has a great timetable and was overall a good first route. of course it’s not the same team now, but i still reckon they’d do a good job

 

I don't think we need to be worried about ATS being the main route builder for TSW7. The only link I can see above is that the supposed route is part of a route that was created by a developer that publishes their work on ATS.

Even if they are, MAC is mostly decent and the track has since been fixed. It just should be longer.

 

It might end up being West Yorkshire Metro: Airedale Wharfedale and Wakefield lines. Using Leeds as the central hub station.

They might have even combined the ECML from Doncaster to Leeds in a repeat of last year's German core?

 

That would be very cool. Personally i like a network and the ECML section we have in the game is pretty dull imo.

 

I think you're all being very ambitious in your dreams. We'd be lucky to get the Ilkley and Bradford branches.

 

It's only 40.Miles. I'd hardly call that "ambitious"

 

That would be a shame, I would love to see Rivet come in with some more ScotRail content especially HST content. I fear you're right though.
I'm hoping it's a similar case to Grump Dog's GWR Class 387 and it was just announced/found/revealed wayy too early

 

Especially with the WCML stretches now, it's a bit on the bland side. Also, it would be nice to get away from central London and all those fps killing terminals.

 

As for the American route, were there any leaks?

 

There usually isn't. The UK usually takes most of the spotlight with German stuff usually second.

 

Trouble is, they must find it very hard to compete with Run 8. I just added the Fresno to Modesto route which now means if I wish, I can drive all the way from Modesto to Seligman, which must be getting on for 500 miles! This new section is over 200 driveable miles as it includes the UP and BNSF routes between the two cities. Not bad for £30!

 

To be fair, the ECML is much more dull than the WCML. It doesn't have a regional operator like LNWR running the majority of its length. Apart from commuter services from London and Newcastle, it's mainly InterCity trains.

The WCML on the other hand has regional services all the way from London to north of Crewe, a ton of ScotRail services at the Glasgow end, and some Northern between Wigan and Lancaster although we won't see them in their modern guise.

And infrastructurally the WCML is probably more interesting, with four track sections, the splits at Northampton and into Birmingham, and the fact that there are IETs and Pendolinos on the InterCity rather than just IETs as on the ECML.

I think you'd have to go from Newcastle or London to find a truly interesting bit of the ECML, personally.

 

ECMLS has plenty of regional.services. Great Northern, Thameslink. And then all.of the faster Intercity services. It would.be similar to WCMLs. Just better IMO. better variety of rolling stock and Kings X!!!!

You also have the bottleneck at Welwyn North. The potential Branch to Cambridge and the Moorgate line. More opportunities if you ask me.

 

Saying ECML intercity services are only IETs is just objectively untrue;

• Grand Central run 221s and 180s.
• The LNER IC225s.
• XC 220s and 221s north of Doncaster/York

 

Class 387s/379s also do Express Services that often run non stop all the way to Letchworth. On an ECMLS route that would be the entire route. Much more variety.

 

nothing that anyone’s aware of it seems. unless i’ve missed something in the last few years the last US core route to be ‘leaked’ was boston-providence for tsw2 rush hour, a whole 5 (FIVE, that’s gone way too fast for my liking) years ago.

 

I've always found it odd that it's normally just the UK stuff that leaks

 

i think it’s likely because there’s more online engagement from UK than US players on the forums, and maybe discord too. plus the ratio of routes is a huge factor.