More Could Be Done For Us Freight Lovers....

Discussion in 'Suggestions' started by paulc, Oct 18, 2021.

  1. paulc

    paulc Well-Known Member

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    With a few simple modifications our TSW experience could be greatly enhanced.

    For instance, the 66 scenario "Aggregate Industries" on GWE, rather than simply starting at the entrance to the aggregate discharge yard, we could start at Acton Yard, drive the train upto a runaround point then access the Aggregate yard, do the drop off then carry on to Acton Yard as usual.

    An engineering movement on this route would be a great idea too!

    There are a few places on GWE That could be utilised for freight movements.

    Tee's Valley is quite good but again loads of assets within that map are not used, there are so many inaccessible sidings that could be used one way or another.

    I do love the Eastcoast Way Aggregate move but it's quite a short run.

    Basically what I'm saying is I would love more to do with my 66, 37, 31 etc on routes other than just Tee's.
     
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  2. KoeleKoen

    KoeleKoen Well-Known Member

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    Same for german routes, rsn has great implementation of shunt services interacting with freight services, i expected to see the same on dresden but alas... All the rest is just plain average 30 minute a to b runs with many yards left useless, no pick up, no drop off, no turn arounds
     
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  3. paulc

    paulc Well-Known Member

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    Yes there is atleast one service I have done on RSN where you pull in to a yard, shunt, drop off then carry on! It was quite enjoyable :)
     
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  4. ARuscoe

    ARuscoe Well-Known Member

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    Last time DTG did a poll freight was one of the least voted items on people's list, somewhere near VR and having a cross between COVID and botulism...
    It seems the average person isn't interested in freight unless the live in the US, and then obviously the consist needs to be five miles long with loads of connected locos pushing and pulling things up huge mountains.

    Irony aside, I would love to have "proper freight runs" on all the routes, even as scenarios (so avoiding timetable clogging up of other train's pathing). I'd happily author the darn things if I had the chance
     
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  5. cyrill.kroonstuiver

    cyrill.kroonstuiver Well-Known Member

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    I'll agree, although I'm not particularly big on freight myself necessarily, also mainly playing German routes, I dislike how freight services mostly boil down to just being a (near) full route run without stops, making them far less dynamic. RSN is indeed fantastic in that the DB 363 added some nice shunting into the route.

    Something I'd like to add though, as mainly a passenger driver, I think the whole service/maintenance movements should be looked at as a whole, including passenger trains, and I don't just mean going in and out of depot.
    Instead, there's 2(.5) examples of already in-game of what I'd like to see more of which links up perfectly well with the spirit of this post.

    1. On RSN, if you have the DB BR 363, there will be a broken up Dosto standing in a yard, and 2 of your services have to do with disassembling that Dosto unit, taking out a "broken" car, and reassembling it with your shunting loc.
      This gives passenger yards actually something to do other than simply to move some trains in and out of occasionally as well as, the presence of that train and actual yard work makes the game feel more alive also when you're driving past it in another service.

    2. On Peninsula Corridor (In my opinion the best American route), if you have the CalTrain MP15DC, there are multiple services like the one mentioned regarding RSN. There is the service where you assemble the special event train of double length in the yard, but also, mostly of what I'm alluding to for realism, there is a train which arrives at San José Diridon and is "broken" which you need to go fetch, bring in to the yard, and replace the "broken" carriages to then bring it back into service.
      The fact that some trains on the timetable "break down" at the end of their service, even if they're not actually broken, makes a timetable more believable as in real life trains can break down too.

      The way I'd see this implemented on another route, say German, could be that it doesn't necessarily need fixing, but at least hauling to the yard. Especially if it's an EMU which can't be simply disassembled.
      In fact, such a movement is also an excellent opportunity to bring in special wagons certain railways use when a coupler doesn't match up as is often the case with the chain coupler on locomotives and the (German example) Scharfenberg coupler on most EMU's.
      That scenario would look a bit like this:
      -An (undrivable) AI EMU train arrives in e.g. Hagen from the portal/edge of map side, or maybe from one of the branches halfway in the middle of the line somewhere where it stops and ends its AI service, looking like a train that broke down in the middle of nowhere.
      -Now your freight loc service begins by first having to fetch your coupler converting wagon.
      -Go to the stranded train.
      -Couple and move it back to the yard.
      -Decouple and bring back the coupler wagon.
      -Done.

      This already feels like a lot more steps than usual loc services.
      Another variant how this could be solved too is to have another compatible EMU closeby couple on and bring both trains in to the next station and siding where it will then be fetched by the service loc. (have been in a stranded train that was handled like that once). Both options work in my opinion.
      Another thing this does is bring a little bit of chaos to the timetables which brings realism. And again, it makes TSW feel more alive.
      I actually prefer this kind of thing happening in the timetable occasionally instead of a scenario. The timetables are way too "perfect" currently and there's so few curveballs, so a stranded train blocking your way and the measures that requires gives us that extra bit of timetable realism.
      Of course this could also create a nice Challenge for DTG to improve the PiS systems so that a delayed train by this malfunction is actually shown as delayed, instead of the ETA being calculated to account for the broken AI train. Even if of course this was all planned.

    3. (honorable mention) As I said, I'm not much of a fan of these things being a scenario as I think it should be in the timetable as well, but that being said, on GWE there's a scenario in which you're a Class 66 driver that has to fetch a stranded HSL train and bring it back in.
      This is basically what I want to see happening in timetable.
    Sorry for the long read, but I thought I'd flesh it out a bit :)

    Edit: P.S. this is the kind of coupler wagon I'm talking about that's used for such things. Although more countries have their own version of such wagons, either looking like this, or more like a service/personal wagon.
    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Oct 18, 2021
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  6. 43050

    43050 Well-Known Member

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    I like freight traffic too and totally agree on the routes and timetable stuff we have in game. A shorter more intense freight route would be very good. Crewe to Trafford Park or Scunthorpe to Immingham with loading and unloading at each end. Loads of shunting work - yes please!
     
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  7. Lightspeed

    Lightspeed Well-Known Member

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    A modern British Freight route would be nice. Somewhere like Manchester or Derby would be nice to drive along with the scenery being the countryside. Need some more freight locos like the Class 66/6 or 67, 68 needs to be added for more variety of locos as, I’m fed up with the same old 66 that we had since forever. Oh and also add A.I. trains into the route, as in Britain and Europe, freight is second priority as passenger trains are more important.
     
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  8. paulc

    paulc Well-Known Member

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    Some excellent ideas here!

    I too love the rescue runs on GWE & TVL & also NTP.

    Modern British loco variety is seriously lacking, the 66 we currently have in 2 slightly different versions (GWE & ECW) is a great loco but it's currently the only modern British loco in game! More diesel modern locos would be brilliant! 60, 68 & 77 but also some electric locos 90, 88, 86 & 87 too, obviously we would need somewhere to use these such as the WCML ;)
     
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  9. driverwoods#1787

    driverwoods#1787 Well-Known Member

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    Excellent idea and for the European routes they are missing an access to a marshalling yard in German Deutsche Bahn SBB Rangierbahnhof Austria ÖBB Verschiebebahnhof. That way we actually operate services that require the use of shunting and sending Freight wagons over a hump then make a freight train Bound for different destination. For RRO RSN the Gbf Hagen Hbf serves that purpose or make both line meet at Rangierbahnhof Hagen Vorhalle. Difference between German and Austrian Rangierbahnhofs are ÖBB using an electric locomotive 1063/1064 on the Hump while Deutsche Bahn uses 363 294 & 204 650 Vossloh G6 to work on the hump
     
  10. antwerpcentral

    antwerpcentral Well-Known Member

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    I always like to chip in with controversial ideas so here we go :D

    Freight is really dull at the moment. I bought a freight loco and the gameplay is boring as hell. I thought the same thing of TSW2 before the Rush Hour upgrade. Driving a train from point A to B without a purpose is pointless. Bringing in passengers that need to be in time for work is a purpose. It could have been more fleshed out but ok there is a point now to TSW 2 commuters. So what TSW 2 needs is more of that but for freight so ....

    drumroll .....

    Cargo Mayhem. Chaos brews as trains fill up with cargo eager to get to their destinations.

    There will be more animations around cargo transport; their will be objectives with dangerous cargo, special cargo and I don't want to push a Belgian route but the perfect setting for Cargo Mayhem is the port of Antwerp. Where cargo from all over the world get's shipped to Germany.

    Yup Cargo Mayhem is gonna be hit :D
     
  11. driverwoods#1787

    driverwoods#1787 Well-Known Member

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    Do that it's going to affect German routes Schnellfahrstrecke Köln-Aachen and Rhein-Ruhr Osten both routes need SNCB NMBS locomotives equipped with PZB LZB Sifa. Diesel locomotives HLD77 7771-7871 SNCB HLE28/29 electric locomotive Fleet. Own Antwerp and Schnellfahrstrecke Köln-Aachen you might find HLD77 being uncoupled from the train at Aachen Rothe Erde Gbf then DB BR187 takes over. In real life it happens at Aachen West instead of Rothe Erde.
     
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  12. 43050

    43050 Well-Known Member

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    I’d love to see some proper MGR coal trains hauled by Classes 56, 58 and 60s somewhere around the midlands, Yorkshire or Lincolnshire!
     
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  13. grdaniel48

    grdaniel48 Well-Known Member

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    Hi.. I love freight trains too.
    But drive must be interesting as mentioned.
    Not just going to point A to B. ( Of course some timetables can be like this, but not all of them!)
    Please notice that kind of "boring" driving it is the same with High speed trains like the ICE on Koln - Aachen and on Munich - Augsburg with just the alternative to stop at Passing.
    Not mentioning the TGV route that you only have that, with no suburban, regional or freight alternative. That is the reason I did not purchased it.

    SUGGESTION 1:
    But freight trains could be really fun to drive if we have the alternatives when driving them:

    - Start on a yard and ends on another one.
    - Same as above but adding some shunting at both ends.
    TSW2 has the right feature, where you can leave a locomotive and go to another one just by walking.
    So that will be great for freights: You first "create" your freight consist by shunting freight cars on a yard, then leave this locomotive and go walking to the mainline one, made the run and when arrives, get another shunting loco and left the freight wagons on different yard tracks
    - During the run of the train, you could also have delays due to yellow and red signals. This can be caused by passenger train in front of you as it has to stop frequently.
    Another chance you may have to stop at a siding, and leave another passenger or priority freight train to pass you.
    I noticed on a stream on Hamburg - Lubeck this happened!. So this can be implemented on TSW2.
    Then please DTG include it on other routes too!

    Another chance is to create our owns freight scenarios.
    I have tried to do it on 2 nice german routes about it: Koln Aachen and Munich - Augsburg.
    Why? Because they have 4 tracks on must of their length.
    This allow you to run freight trains on the same tracks of regional or suburban ones, leaving the other 2 for the high speed passenger trains.
    For example I tried to make a freight train from Augsburg to Munich, but from one freight yard to the other one, you go through the same tracks of the ICE! I saw a cabview video on Youtube of a freight train from Augsburg to Munich which it was going on the other tracks! Not the one for the high speed trains.


    SUGGESTION 2:

    Then please DTG modify the "path" (sorry that is the name used by MSTS and OR when I have programmed very interesting freight runs on several routes), so you can go on the regional tracks when you are leaving from Augsburg. Then go to the fast trains ones, just before arriving the Munich one.

    Similar one for Koln Aachen!
    When we have 3 and 4 trucks available, then freight trans can go throught the other ones, leaving the ICE / IC and other AI freight trainss go away..
    I have tried to program an Scenario but it is very difficult to know which exact platform on each station has to be used for that purpose.

    Hope these ideas be useful for DTG and the community.
     
    Last edited: Oct 20, 2021
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  14. driverwoods#1787

    driverwoods#1787 Well-Known Member

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    For HMA you mean ending the freight train at Rangierbahnhof Munchen Laim from Gbf Augsburg Hbf which would have required a Shunter DB BR363 204 & successor DB BR280.5 to shunt those trains at Rbf Munchen Laim. To break them up and re form them
     
  15. Blacknred81

    Blacknred81 Well-Known Member

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    I feel like for TSW2, the local freight scene is a bit lacking.

    Sand Patch Grade has the entire hump yard there, yet no services use the actual hump...

    Peninsula Corridor could of had a UP local freight service if the line to the Port of Redwood was included and had local switching duty there.....

    There are multiple coal loading platforms on Clinchfield that are completely unused in any service (Still hoping for a GP7 loco DLC to use these)
     
  16. OldVern

    OldVern Well-Known Member

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    For a serious freight challenge we are going to need something of a cross between Run 8 and Snowrunner (or ETS2). In Run 8 you can form up your locals then work out the various trips to drop the wagons off at a loading facility or siding and after a specified time has elapsed they are ready to pick up again, loaded or unloaded as necessary. Tripped back to the yard and shunted into various outgoing long haul freights. Or you could have a block train which just serves an entire facility.

    I suspect however this would be very difficult to accomplish within the very scripted timetable environment that TSW2 currently employs. Effectively you would become the freight operator and have to "bid" for paths to move your traffic around the route as necessary.
     
  17. ARuscoe

    ARuscoe Well-Known Member

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    It depends on if they have the "marshal" command in TSW or not. If you were told to marshal a load of wagons in a freight environment and then haul them to another freight yard that would be fine. Even better drive from one point on the line, go to the industry, load up, run around and haul them back again.
    Whoever does the timetables does seem to forget that freight exists, or at least has little imagination when it comes to how to get them working. Either that or timetable mode doesn't like you unhooking, running around and reattaching wagons
     
  18. jedi247

    jedi247 Well-Known Member

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    Make a route with a lot of local operations and multiple industries. There would be plenty to do like switching and loading cars at the industries. Plus, a section of long mainline could be nice, too so players could run long freights as well. I'd love more yard operations where players could break down arriving trains and build outbound trains.
     
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  19. coursetim

    coursetim Well-Known Member

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    I do somewhat agree with you!
    I hope for steam or older routes they could find some way to implement pick up and drop off goods to add some variety as that was how the railways were run dropping certain wagons at certain stations etc!

    I think it would add some real variety
     
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  20. driverwoods#1787

    driverwoods#1787 Well-Known Member

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    They can fix that Hump feature then introduce one of those on a European route one of those can be RRO and RSN if linked up via Rangierbahnhof Hagen Vorhalle which you must to break the inbound Rhein-Ruhr Osten freight train from Wuppertal Steinbeck to Hagen Vorhalle. Then form a new train using the from Hagen Vorhalle to the new destination of Finnentrop Gbf Ruhr-Sieg Nord.
     
  21. tej

    tej New Member

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    I like a mixture of frieght and passeger services but I one hundred percent agree that there needs to be more frieght they could possibly add the class 70 and 59 and possibly the class 50 and it would be nice if there was more wagon types on the old school gwe
     
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