A recently very popular thread about interesting services (https://forums.dovetailgames.com/threads/awesome-tsw2-service-mode-runs.32010/) inspired me to try and explore another indirect aspect of TSW2 - the railfanning. Picking an interesting point, time with a good amount of traffic and takes some interesting shots. It can also get more interesting with the liveries you have created or downloaded adding a variety to the trains you see. As an example here's Lambesc (one of the maintenance stops on LGV, very popular railfanning spot IRL) at around 14:00 when you can see a larger amount of TGVs passing in the upcoming minutes. (credit to zawal.belili for the Alstom livery) So I would like to invite everyone to share some cool spots to walk to at some time and simply watch the traffic go by as I think this is a very underappreciated aspect of the game, especially it being the first train simulator, where you can walk.
Great thread! Here is my suggestion at the Aachen station on SKA: Spawn during the fall at Aachen HBF at 1540 hrs. Walk out to the east end of the platform toward the viaduct. You’ll be watching a beautiful fall sunset and hear the church bells. Your first train will be a regional arrival followed shortly by an ICE departure. Three more arrivals and departures happen in the next 35 min culminating with an ICE arrival and a freight departure at 1615. The same sequence happens at other times. Try 11:40 if you want a bit more daylight. Edit: thanks for the correction, Monder!
That's a really nice evening in Aachen. Based on the pictures I guess you mean the station though, right? The depot is further west and barely anything goes there as it's the end of the map.
(Dash-8 DLC is needed for this one) Entry to Cumberland terminal starting at 7:50 (best option is to spawn at Cumberland station at 7:45 and walk there before the action starts). The first train to pass you is the U-877 at about 7:54 - a 4-header coal train usually with a mix of Dash-8s and 9s crossing all tracks from the outward sideline to westbound mainline. Shortly after the last car passes, an intermodal train leaves Cumberland and passes you just after 8 am. And last but not least at about 8:10 a mixed freight comes from the summit (if only the game wasn't using only one out of my half a dozen Dash-9 liveries all the time...) Sadly you cannot delay certain trains when railfanning. If you run the U-877A service and wait a couple of minutes, you'll get held at this spot and both trains will pass before you're allowed to continue and catch up to the intermodal in front of you.
Nahverkehr Dresden it's either Dresden Hbf or Dresden Neustadt. Main Spessart Bahn possibly Heigenbrücken.
