I was thinking there are a few people who want a Shinkansen, but the line lengths are very long. Well I was wondering if the ~130km long Akita Shinkansen would work as a TSW route. The Akita Shinkansen is a 'Mini-Shinkansen' where an existing classic line has been regauged and upgraded to allow narrow bodied Shinkansen units to operate. The idea being that a train would leave Tokyo coupled to a full sized Shinkansen at full speed. Then travel at low speed for the relatively short distance from the junction to the destination city. So if you are wanting 320km/h cruising this is probably not the route for you. Instead line speeds are a more sedate 130km/h Route The route runs from Morioka to Akita using parts of the Tazawako Line and Ou Main Line that have been upgraded. Some sections are fully standard gauge, others are one track of standard and narrow gauge, and others are mixed gauge. Shinkansen trains make 4 intermediate stops on route, but local services serve 19 smaller stations as well. Because of the track layout at Ōmagari the Shinkansen must reverse in the platforms. Which would give the player increased interaction. Trains E6 Series Shinkansen Introduced in 2013 these narrow bodied 7 car trains operate all Shinkansen services on this route. They run at speeds of up to 320km/h between Tokyo and Morioka - almost always attached to a E5 set. At Morioka the trains divide with the E6 set heading for Akita and the E5 continuing north towards Hokkaido. 701-5000 Series The 701 is a common sight on locals in northern Japan and the 5000 series batch of 2 car units built in 1997 is standard gauge to operate local services on the upgraded lines between Akita and Morioka. Narrow gauge versions also operate in the area so could appear as AI or player services on the mixed gauge sections. AI Only - E5 Shinkansen These would be AI only at Morioka station primarily for the player to couple to for Tokyo bound trains. Similarly a player would take over a north bound service with the AI performing the uncoupling operation, before the player takes over the Akita half of the train. The E5 is much wider then the E6 and will not fit along the Akita line (at least without off the rails being turned on ) I hope you like this proposal - rather then pure high speed, the lower speed line and mixed local and express services would give a lot more player interaction. Plus there is something amusing about the space age Shinkansen running through sleepy rural villages. Cab View of the line aboard a local
There's a short trip on Sanyo Shinkansen. Between Hakata and Kokura (56 kms) (can be extended to Hakata Minami and the depot there) and you can travel @ 300 km/h and also model the series N700 and maybe the series 500 also as Nozomi (1997-2010)
Bit of a double edged sword this one. The idea is good, the route sounds interesting and the peripherals like having to start/end each intercity journey coupling/decoupling would be really cool. But at the same time, a slow Shinkansen!? It's not how I'd imagine the first Japanese route to be.
The Japanese commuter lines that have been made for TS Classic aren't the first thing that people would think of either, doesn't change the fact they're very good routes. Likewise I'd say the HST is way more iconic than engines like the 45, 40 & 101, however that doesn't make the GWR route better than NTP. Just because a engine or route is iconic doesn't aren't necessarily mean they're best ones to put in. And I think this would undoubtedly be way better than say a 50 mile high speed Shinkansen route any day.
That's just 10 mins at full speed end-to-end and has no intermediate stops. Probably not the best from a game play perspective.
This was posted in the Tohoku thread and shows the E6s (and their predecessors the E3) running on the route in the snow.
One way I describe the E6 Shinkansen it's a mini shinkansen with the Tilt of a DB BR612 and speed of DB BR403 406 TGV Duplex being 300-330 km/h (185-205 Mph). Want to max E6 Shinkansen activate off the rails on LGV Mediterranee HMA or SEHS Ebbsfleet to St Pancras.
Id love a route with the 400 series or yamagata shinkansen. I wouldn't know any route where it would run, but id love to see it!
Both the 400 series and the current Yamagata rolling stock are part of my suggestion you have upvoted! I really love the Akita E6 colour scheme though - the bright red with white and some grey accents fits the shape of the EMU so well. And having a mini-shinkansen route would be so good - good amount of curves and stops while maintaining decent speed. Best balance in my books.
Rereading the proposal seems like the only point if the E5 is for coupling and uncoupling at Morioka, seems kind of pointless for them to be there just for show. IMO, the E5 "should" be omitted from the suggestion, but added in later via TSW2s layering system if the Tohoku Line was added later after this route. (Especially if UW ever made the jump to TSW)
I am stupid, I was reading/saying E5 while thinking E6, including when describing the E6 livery in the post above while saying E5. Edited that post, and deleted the later reply.
This would be a good route for a Japanese based route DLC. Let see if Dovetails can get the License from the JR East Railway to due this route.
