Route Proposal: The Denver & Rio Grande Western

Discussion in 'Suggestions' started by Blacknred81, Nov 22, 2020.

  1. Blacknred81

    Blacknred81 Well-Known Member

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    So one Railroad that I think could be made for TSW is the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad, with the optimal eras for them being set from 1970's to about 1983. One reason I think this would be a good era to focus on, was the fact that the RIo Grande still ran their own Passenger trains during this time, as they did not participate in the formation of Amtrak in 1971, and held out running their own services till 1983. So this would give us some vintage US passenger services in TSW2.
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]

    The main Passenger Service would be the Rio Grande Zephyr, which ran between Ogden and Denver (Later cut to Salt Lake City and Denver). Station stops include....
    -Denver, CO
    -Granby, CO
    -Bond, CO
    -Glenwood Springs, CO
    -Rifle, CO
    -Grand Junction, CO
    -Thompson Springs, UT
    -Green River, UT
    -Price, UT
    -Helper, UT
    -Provo, UT
    -Salt Lake City, UT
    -Ogden, UT

    Routes
    So Ideally I think there are 2 routes that could be good candidates for the Rio Grande, both on the Moffit Route.

    Soldier Summit (Provo - Helper)
    1st route would be the importation of Soldier Summit from TS2020 to TSW2. Now this route runs from Provo to Helper Utah, and covers about 69 track miles. This route could also be done 3rd party, as Skyhook games did help DTG with some of the original modeling of Soldier Summit.
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    If the route length is too long, then the route could also be cut back from the Gilluly Loop Sidings near Tucker to Helper, a length of about 40 miles, but would cut out the station stop in Provo, leaving the Rio Grande Zephyr with only the station in Helper.

    Front Range (Denver - Granby)
    The 2nd route that I think could make a good location is the front range climb, from Denver to Granby Colorado. This route runs about 75 miles and would include the famous Moffat Tunnel, Big 10 Curve, as well as the opportunity to run Rio Grande's Ski Train, which ran between Denver, and Winter Park, just past the western portal of the Moffat Tunnel.
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]

    Locomotives:
    The roster for the Rio Grande should include at least 3 locomotives, 1 6 axle unit, 1 4 axle unit, and the F9. The others could be used as DLC locomotives.

    -EMD SD40T-2 (73 Units)
    [​IMG]

    -EMD SD45 (26 Units)
    [​IMG]

    -EMD SD50 (17 Units)
    [​IMG]

    -EMD GP30 (28 Units)
    [​IMG]

    -EMD GP35 (22 Units)
    [​IMG]

    -EMD GP40-2 (37 Units)
    [​IMG]

    -EMD F9 (8 total, 4 A units, 4 B units)
    [​IMG]

    Granted I know the roster and route isn't much varied from SPG or the Clinchfield, but I think the inclusion of the Rio Grande Zephyr would make this route stand out from the other 2.
     
    Last edited: Nov 22, 2020
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  2. JGRudnick

    JGRudnick Well-Known Member

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    Oh, man, A DRG&W route would be fantastic!!!
     
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  3. Challenger3985

    Challenger3985 Well-Known Member

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    Now, this is a good proposal that I can dig into for TSW. However, after reading this (don't get me wrong), it sounds like you're proposing these routes for the passenger side of the Rio Grande (which is of course the California/Rio Grande Zephyr). Which is not bad to say, since the DRGW didn't leave their part of the Zephr Train to Amtrak at the time. Just it sounds like you're in more favor of the passengers than freight (even if it's just one train through the Rockies). But, correct me if I'm wrong though.
     
  4. Blacknred81

    Blacknred81 Well-Known Member

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    Its a way to get those who are not in favor of US freight routes to be on board with a route set in a mountainous terrain. I could talk about the freight side of the DRGW, but rather push the vintage passenger side of things.
     
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  5. Challenger3985

    Challenger3985 Well-Known Member

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    ah. I see.
    Well again, this is a great proposal. I would love to see the Rio Grande be made into TSW one day, hopefully.
    (and tbh, I do want to see the RGZ to be made as well Out of all the vintage passenger trains in the US, the CZ is my fav. Even if I'm still a freight hauler :))
     
    Last edited: Nov 23, 2020
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  6. jedi247

    jedi247 Well-Known Member

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    I'd also like to add an SD7 (5 units) or SD9 (10 units), GP7 (14 units) or GP9 (24 units), and Alco PAs (4 units)/PBs (2 units). This route needs to be added to TSW2. The scenery would be amazing from one of the dome cars on the California Zephyr or Rio Grande Zephyr.
     
    Last edited: Nov 24, 2020
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  7. Zander34

    Zander34 Member

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    This would be perfect maybe it could have sw1200s
     
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  8. Lightspeed

    Lightspeed Well-Known Member

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    I’m up for a drive in vintage American stock like the F7 and F9. Makes a change from driving the GP-38s that are taking all the freight duties on American dlcs.
     
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  9. 59321747

    59321747 Well-Known Member

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    One of you compromised to DTG’s suggested 40-mile route. Are you really so afraid that DTG will not adopt your suggestion? I think this is not the key point of the problem, but whether DTG can do it. They have their own plans, and we don’t know how much they can adopt. I have already begun to question that if the freight route is made short, it is better to develop the European route.
     
  10. OldVern

    OldVern Well-Known Member

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    They could do what Trainmaster 4 did and run from Denver to just the other side of the Moffat Tunnel, Fraser I think.
     
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  11. Monder

    Monder Well-Known Member

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    Tunnel motors and Rio Grande Zephyrs? Sign me up! I would probably go with the Denver-Granby option as it is different from TS2021 and could feature a larger variety of trains with the Winter Park specials. It is also stunning to ride a train up the climb from Denver seeing the whole city beneath you.
     
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  12. ehz0689

    ehz0689 Well-Known Member

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    someone gets an A for their project. the only question is licensing on DTG part
     
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  13. Monder

    Monder Well-Known Member

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    If TS2021 is anything to go by, it should be fine, there are Rio Grande locos there already.
     
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  14. aeterna

    aeterna New Member

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    Amazing suggestion, thanks dedicating your time preparing this. Lovely lovely pictures.
     
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  15. Blacknred81

    Blacknred81 Well-Known Member

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    The Rio Grande Licensing falls under the Union Pacific so there is no issue there.
     
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  16. steammaster4449

    steammaster4449 Well-Known Member

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    Gotta say, I quite like this suggestion. I'd certainly buy this if it got put into the game.
     
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  17. jedi247

    jedi247 Well-Known Member

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    The SW1200 sounds good, too. D&RGW had 10 of the switchers.
     
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  18. NSMotherSlug#881

    NSMotherSlug#881 Active Member

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    Nice, proposal but i don't see it happening given most of the Veterans of TSW can understand playing TSW for 2 years and we got nothing but BS from DTG. So why would you think they would give us something interesting. there's been over a couple hundred thousand votes for Horseshoe Curve since TSW that came out in 2018 and do see that in game NOPE ! what makes you thing Rio Grand is going to be in game anytime soon. DTG can't even get Santa Fe or Burlington Northern in game and there not even around anymore as a railroad.

    And lets NOT forget about Steam Locomotives where are they something EVERYONE has forgotten about Steam, isn't that the main REASON dtg made TSW2 because tsw1 couldn't do it, Yeah, Yeah !!
     
  19. Monder

    Monder Well-Known Member

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    You aren't getting these... because BNSF did not give them a license for that. In one of the posts recently a majority of people said they want properly licensed trains, not unbranded ones. So BNSF, ATSF, BN etc. are not happening unless BNSF changes their licensing policy.
     
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  20. NSMotherSlug#881

    NSMotherSlug#881 Active Member

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    Explain Clinchfield Railroad then ? yeah !
     
  21. Monder

    Monder Well-Known Member

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    What about it? Clinchfield merged into Seaboard and later CSX. CSX has provided their license as you can see with SPG. What's the point you're trying to make with CRR?
     
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  22. steammaster4449

    steammaster4449 Well-Known Member

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    Can practically hear the crack of a whip with that one.
     
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  23. thechickencow1

    thechickencow1 Active Member

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    This would be awesome
     
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  24. peterg1002612

    peterg1002612 Member

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    would like to see this route should be a challenging route to
     
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  25. aarontheloner

    aarontheloner Active Member

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    Bumping this cause I am all in favor of mountain railroading.
     
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  26. MetrolinkF125#916

    MetrolinkF125#916 Well-Known Member

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    A western US passenger route with freight mixed into it? Im down! I’m pretty sure DTG would opt for an F9 and GP40-2 to be included in the route, as they love reusing content from older routes. Now the big question is, tunnel motors or SD50s? An SD50 would be a brand new loco, but the tunnel motors are iconic...
     
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  27. aarontheloner

    aarontheloner Active Member

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    Tunnel motor, with the SD50 as DLC.
     
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  28. Blacknred81

    Blacknred81 Well-Known Member

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    The Tunnel Motors were the Rio Grandes Bread and Butter since they arrived to the railroad, with 73 of them compared to the 17 SD50's it would make more sense to include the SD40T-2 as a base loco with the SD50 being added in as DLC.
     
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  29. steamfan#1309

    steamfan#1309 Well-Known Member

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    It would be lovely to finally run something other than comuter trains with freight mixed in.
     
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  30. dedh98mosqueto

    dedh98mosqueto Active Member

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    agread
     
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  31. Snek

    Snek Well-Known Member

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    Looks amazing. We have great scenery, historic rolling stock and mixed traffic? Now that's interesting.
    Great suggestion, I'm sold already :D
     
    Last edited: Apr 28, 2021
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  32. dedh98mosqueto

    dedh98mosqueto Active Member

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    With the passenger cars being pulled by EMD F-9 units as it creates a whole bunch of opportunities with the scenario designer and the livery editor.
     
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  33. aarontheloner

    aarontheloner Active Member

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    Well that didn't go how you had hoped, lol.
     
  34. jedi247

    jedi247 Well-Known Member

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    Perhaps a GP60 could be added as another potential DLC. Though the D&RGW GP60s (there were 3 of them) were on their roster for only a short while before the UP/Rio Grande merger.
     
  35. Blacknred81

    Blacknred81 Well-Known Member

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    They would be too new for the route, They were wreck replacements for a pair of tunnel motors and a GP40-2 from a runaway on Tennessee Pass in 1989. They were delivered in 1990. 18 months after the Rio Grande Acquired the Southern Pacific Railroad, and 7 years after the last DRGW passenger train ran before giving up service to Amtrak in 1983.
     
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  36. csxfan#8403

    csxfan#8403 Active Member

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    These routes, Tennessee Pass and the Joint Line out to Pueblo would all be amazing routes to work with.
     
  37. driverwoods#1787

    driverwoods#1787 Well-Known Member

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    Really excellent idea and the owner of this route nowadays is Union Pacific to which both DTG and Skyhook games have the proper licenses. Locomotives like GP40-2 Reskin from CSX into Rio Grande Paint and SD40-2 just use the existing clinchfield railroad CSX into Union Pacific Rio Grande. Trains magazine article shows how the Rio Grande RR merged into Union Pacific. Note after 7 free articles there is a paywall on trains magazine and sister magazines.
     
    Last edited: Jul 6, 2021
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  38. Challenger3985

    Challenger3985 Well-Known Member

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    I'm pretty sure the Devs have said along the line of "it's more than Just a Reskin" when making an excate same loco, but from a different Railroad. Plus the Rio Grande only got the Tunnel Motor variant from the SD40-2 (SD40T-2), which is a COMPLETLY different look from the other SD40 models:
    showimage.jpg
     
    Last edited: Jul 6, 2021
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  39. driverwoods#1787

    driverwoods#1787 Well-Known Member

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    Thank you for telling me about this amd what I am thinking is what they did with Hamburg-Lübeck by copy and pasting Locomotives DB BR112 base model is DB BR143 RSN Black BR182 comes from Rapid Transit DB BR182. Because they might do the same with American routes.
     
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  40. Challenger3985

    Challenger3985 Well-Known Member

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    No doubt that, yes, Dovetail has already done this to other US/NA routes so far, after SPG (from what I said in another thread):
    And just to add Cane Creek is already reusing the CSX versions, remodeling both the AC44 and SD40 into UP variants (while it's a 3rd-party route, Skyhook has already chosen these locos from the beginning). So I do get why you think of this, and why we haven't seen much of other EMD/GE models for TSW2 being made yet. It really defeats their purpose on what they said about making a new loco at this point.
     
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  41. driverwoods#1787

    driverwoods#1787 Well-Known Member

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    Like your explanation and if this route were to be made what's going to happen is this FP7 Rio Grande is simply a reskinned CSX clinchfield Railroad and Rio Grande SD40T-2 base model is a Clinchfield RR SD40 modified to become a Rio Grande Union Pacific SD40T-2. Pretty much keeping in line of reusing United States and Canada locomotives for new routes. GP30 & GP35 are going to be new builds unless if an existing route that has them comes in then reskinned for this proposal.
     
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  42. csxfan#8403

    csxfan#8403 Active Member

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    Speaking of Canada, Yellowhead Pass would be another route for TSW2
     
  43. Challenger3985

    Challenger3985 Well-Known Member

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    Again, still defeats the purpose of making new locomotives for new or existing routes in the future, even if it's designed from the same model family. Which is why I've seen people in here wanting new, different, kinds of locos to be made instead of the ones that can be recycled to be designed as bad as the base model that came out from it, or worse.
     
  44. Mevans193

    Mevans193 Well-Known Member

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    Soldier Summit has my vote for sure! Tough grades in beautiful scenery, what more could you ask for? Plus I’ve always liked the D&RGW paint. I hope this gets considered, especially since Skyhook has already canyon scenery from a near by area.
     
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  45. csxfan#8403

    csxfan#8403 Active Member

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    The Moffat Subdivision does as well. Hopefully the Joint Line to Pueblo and Tennessee Pass are considered.
     
  46. finntd#7891

    finntd#7891 Well-Known Member

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    another one of your wonderful suggestions, as a Layering opportunity do you think the D&RGW locos can layer into UP Routes like Cane Creek?
     
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