So I was doing some thinking and I have had an idea. Now, this can apply to both TS and TSW, I'm just putting it here as I play TSW more. So, my idea. Note: This will be using UK examples as that is what I have experience with. There are numerous preserved railways, museums and preservation groups around the world, these range from the likes of the West Somerset Railway and National Railway Museum to much smaller examples like the East Anglian Railway Museum on the Sudbury Branch off of the GEML or the recently established Clacton Express Preservation Group trying to save a Class 309. Now, many of these places and routes have ongoing projects to restore locomotives and units and as many of us are aware, this is not a cheap process. My suggestion is, that these preservation groups can present a bid to Dovetail who will select a project (maybe something like once a year) to bring a new add-on to TS or TSW. Now, the add-on selected will have a percentage of the sales donated to an ongoing project. These add-ons can be anything from routes and locos to liveries and vehicle selection screens. Say the East Anglian Railway Museum has their bid accepted. There can then be an EARM themed add-on pack. This could include, for example, their Waggon und Maschinenbau Railbus as a new vehicle and an LNER N7, which is their big restoration project at the moment (of course, that would be in TS or TSW after steam has been introduced). Perhaps it could also feature part of the museum as an optional vehicle selection screen too as an added bonus. Say if £5 from every sale (random figure, obviously up to Dovetail) was donated to the restoration project of the N7, the last survivor of the class. Just 1000 sales would provide £5000 for the EARM's project, this could make a huge difference to smaller museum's and preserved railways. As a little extra bonus for DTG, I'm sure there's some advertising potential from this idea too. At the end of the day, the players get some new toys and we get to help preserve railway heritage around the globe for future generations. I'm not sure if DTG has an arrangement with any of their existing heritage content, like the WSR, but it seems like a good idea to me. If you have any thoughts on the idea, or any refinements to it feel free to suggest them also. Just remember my vision here is primarily in helping smaller museums, preserved railways and preservation groups. The content we get out of it is more of a bonus really.
Only thing I can see being an issue with this is that DTG would still need to get licensing from any brand that's being used in the creation of the item, You listed W&M and LNER as examples, there may be IP requirements in the making of them and certainly any branding applied would have IP limitations. As an idea it's cool, and maybe even one "charity a year" could be chosen to receive such a donation, but the creation and licensing issues would be the same for any loco, image, branding etc
Yeah, that's always a caveat. I'm not sure how it works specifically for 60-70+ year old designs or defunct companies and the like but I know licensing is always a complex issue. It was more a top of my head example, obviously, the selection process will have to account for the feasibility of adding any content to the game, but I'm sure there are plenty of examples of preserved stock and ongoing projects that will be feasible enough.
For the most part in the UK the IP would have reverted to the British Rail system (I believe controlled by the NRM in York) and given the double arrow and BR blue locos are already in game DTG know who to contact for those ones. Depending on which "LNER" we're talking about it could fall under the above, or under the new LNER management Either way. Good idea
Superb idea. I can think of at least 3 projects of interest that would work as locomotive fundraiser add ons. These are... 5BEL Trust to restore/update a 1933 Class 403 4 car (later 6 car) Brighton Belle EMU (for Brighton Mainline, ECW and SEHS?) Baby Deltic Project to new build a Class 23 Diesel Electric locomotive with salvaged original powerplant (for WSR?) Class 22 Project to new build a Baby Warship Diesel Hydraulic locomotive with salvaged original powerplant (for WSR?) If DTG were to work with these teams, they could benefit vastly from their acquired knowledge in creating add ons as authentically as possible. We as players could get to experience these long scrapped types (or modern renditions of). This would also greatly spread the word of these often little known organisations as well as provide them with much needed money to bring their projects to completion. Awesome suggestion.
Excellent idea and if Pennsylvania Railroad horseshoe curve where to come to TSW2 from Sister Game train simulator 2122 that's where T1 Trust comes in. Their goal is make a brand-new Pennsylvania Railroad T1 steam locomotive
I do think many projects struggle with funds due to a lack of awareness and people being cautious not to support projects which don't seem likely to be successful. I think tying a fundraiser to an in-game product can avoid those issues. People are either going to buy DLC to support projects, or will just want the product. I suspect it could prove more fruitful than say, relying on a Just Giving page or something.
This is very true. Awareness, or lack thereof, is often the single biggest obstacle to fundraising for these interesting and ambitious projects. Like you stated, at the same time as donating to these causes, we will also be getting something useful in return to perhaps see what the finished project will offer us for the real world.
The T1 is certainly one of the best looking steam locomotives ever built. It makes me quite sad though, because since the glory days of PRR, the US' railroads have gone downhill by a long way. Maybe after building the T1 they'll build a NYC Hudson or a PRR S1, equally spectacular locomotives. On a similar note to those great US locos, I'm disappointed that we'll probably never get an EMD F7 in Santa Fe livery.
While I'd certainly like to drive the Severn Valley Railway because it's my local heritage line, I'm not sure how much appetite people have for driving everywhere at max 25mph. I'd be interested in a DLC loco project to use on another line which supports the preservation/recreation of said loco in real life, though.
I agree and for their Home routes NYC Hudson locomotive Metro-North Hudson Line Poughkeepsie Croton-Harmon PRR S1 & T1 horseshoe curve Altoona Harrisburg. If these were to arrive in game.
I have emailed the 3 groups I mentioned above to see if they might like to open discussion with DTG about this idea. Let's see what happens next.
Worth noting that DTG did donate funds from the Flying Scotsman add-on toward the NRM, G-Trax did the same with their set of steam locos as well. I'm not sure if DTG would still be open to it nowadays, but they and others did do such things in the past at any rate.
Predicted that because there is demand for sister game TS 22 routes to be in TSW 2. If you are wondering what they are Ruhr-Sieg Nord Hagen Finnentrop although train simulator 22 went all the way to Siegen Hauptstrecke München-Augsburg and Hamburg-Lübeck Peninsula Corridor San Francisco San Jose Although the sister game went further to Gilroy 80 mi 130 km and the two new routes Horseshoe curve Sherman Hill
Just received a reply from Simon Hartshorne at the Baby Deltic Project. He would be happy to open a discussion with the team at DTG if this idea is of interest and can be reached at simon@pindari.co.uk
I have just become aware of the following organisation... https://www.brcw.co/ They have a number of projects/ideas for new builds of extinct classes including... Class 210 prototype DEMU set Class 251/261 Blue Pullman DEMU set Class 53 Falcon Diesel Electric Locomotive HS Kestrel Diesel Electric Locomotive BRCW Lion Diesel Electric Locomotive Clayton DHP1 Diesel Hydraulic Locomotive These and the previously mentioned projects are exceptionally worthy causes that desperately need funding and profile raising to see them reach fruition. I personally would love to see these types (or modern builds of) become a reality mainly due to the originals being scrapped before I ever got to experience them for myself. I, and I'm sure the organisations themselves, would much appreciate if interested readers could spread the word and donate if at all possible.
A few images of current projects and the relevant websites... Class 22 Baby Warship http://project22society.co.uk/ Class 23 Baby Deltic (project underway) https://www.babydeltic.co.uk/ Class 403 Brighton Belle Pullman (project underway) http://brightonbelle.com/ Clayton DHP1 https://www.brcw.co/projects/
And the remaining few... Brush Kestrel https://www.brcw.co/projects/ BRCW Lion https://www.brcw.co/projects/ Brush Class 53 Falcon https://www.brcw.co/projects/ BREL Class 210 DEMUs https://www.brcw.co/projects/ Met Cammell Class 251/261 Blue Pullman sets https://www.brcw.co/projects/
