Hello fellow imprisoned masses. Just a quick silly question, what time period is the caltrain set? Not a biggie just curious.
I haven't seen anything to suggest it's not "present day" (at the point it was released) and the Fandom page which normally lists the date they're set, doesn't mention anything either (it's explicit about TVL being 1989, NTP being 1983 and GWE being 2015).
In Wikipedia you can read, that the Caltrain electrification program is expected to be completed in 2020. In 2021 the electric services are expected to start and substitute 75 % of the Caltrain diesel fleet. So actually the Caltrain stuff in TSW is absolutely actual.
Thanks for that. Yeah I knew it was being electrified so I was more referring to overhead electrical wires and the like, or a third rail.
...totally agree. I live near this route, and there’s definitely a fair amount of prep work going on near the tracks in the south bay, with makeshift yards set up next to the tracks where they’re staging construction materials and vehicles.
...found some good info on the Caltrain electrification project (some nice info and pics accessible via the second link). And the new loco reminds me of some of the German units. https://calmod.org/ https://calmod.org/gallery/
I will agree with you but I never use wikipedia because anyone can edit it. As for the Caltrain DLC, I think it is a preserved masterpiece of what the diesel days on Caltrain looked like back in the 2014-16 era. Now the route is expected to lose most of it's diesels with most being put for scrap or being sold off. In turn for the new electric EMU's. I like the diesels I think the new electric EMU's look really ugly.
HOLD UP! I thought this was a joke. But then I clicked the link... Is Caltrain bringing in some European-style (they look German to me) electric trains to the U.S.?!
...nope, no joke. Pulled this pic straight from the calmod.org website. Not sure who makes the new locos for them, but they look like slightly smaller versions of the German cab cars in the sim.
I agree with you the emu's look simple & don't have varieties.The diesels don't look the same & they have there own stories
...looks like the manufacturer of these (16) new bi-level electric unit-trains for Caltrain is Stadler Rail at their Salt Lake City, Utah location. Looks like they have a heavy presence in Europe... too many facilities to list. It’s pretty exciting. https://www.stadlerrail.com/en/about-us/locations/stadler_us_inc/26/
...yeah, I’ll miss the sounds of the current Caltrain locos too. Most of my rail-fanning in this area and elsewhere has been spent around locos like these- Caltrain, Amtraks and whatever freight locos I could film in various yards.
My issue is that they decide to make routes that are currently going thru very big changes. It would be cool if every month they would update the route to simulate what is going on in real life. Also they better make these changes to the route or provide the route in a new time frame when the work is done! Or I will be pissed!
I’d like periodic route refreshes too if I could get them, though I think the devel folks have their hands full with whatever else is already in the works, and will likely never be able to keep any of them super current. I like your ideas, but I’m not sure we’ll ever get there. I also heard a TrainSim-Matt comment during one of his livestreams that the current Oakville Sub route was modeled after the way the area looked about 10yrs back. And I could be wrong, but I wondered if they did that because modeling the current Oakville Sub with much less trackage would/could impact sales of the new route. Again, speculation on my part... but that would explain why they didn’t model the current 2019/2020 Oakville route.
I realize that they might not have the time for all the updates. Don’t get me wrong the Caltrain route is good I bought it on sale the other day I love it. But it has bugs for example one that really upsets me are the railroad crossings! I pull up to the station and gate will be down for the 2mins I’m at the station. I sit there no trains the gates never go up! Also I don’t know if it’s a glitch but ever since I got the dlc my ditch lights won’t flash when I blow the horn.
I just found something I was experimenting if the gallery car can go to the mp36 & the bombardier cars with the f40ph.I found out that you can use the f40ph with the baby bullet cab car.(I cant use it for services because of the red light in front of me)But you can use a test track between cemof & santa clara were there is a signal gap.But the mp36 didn't go as well thought
Yeah That’s cool I don’t have the MP36 DLC yet. I don’t have money for it. I will be back on the forms later I got class
Nice find. I think on specific services you can do that switching cars, before the service starts so you can leave the yard and drive the entire route with the Bombardier Bi-level cars. I have done it once but it only works for specific services on the timetable.
I know what you mean about the outright bugs in the sim, as well as the nice touches they could implement here and there that would make the sim that much better... I feel the same way, and some of that has been frustrating for me too. I can only hope they eventually address most if not all of these ‘issues’- but right now I have my doubts about that. These days, I just appreciate all of the good things TSW 2020 brings to the table for me... I’ve learned a lot, have definitely enjoyed the sim, and have also enjoyed being a member of these forums.