Hey everyone. I'm excited for steam trains when they finally come. What are you expecting will be the first to come out? I know people will want Big Boy or Mallard, but something smaller is probably more realistic for the first steam release. I'm hoping for a pannier tank since they have an interesting look that I really like.
It's going to be something within easy reach for DTG - this would mean a British steam locomotive that can be researched in southern England is most likely.
Thats a little ungenerous Gary. We all learn from our mistakes and Cornwall appears well forested compared to Switzerland. I’ve suggested before it’s likely to be a preserved uk loco which they can get access to and record in use. Most likely a relatively simple wheel layout to start with to ensure their algorithms and particle effects work correctly.
Rivet should be stripped of content creator rights. I'd guess something operated by WSR - GWR 7800 or GWR 9351
Why has this thread just randomly turned into another "let's bash rivet" thread? I think it'll be a period route, but not a mainline. Likely a secondary route with a small tank engine and a small tender loco (ie both of 0-6-0 config). I do think it may be a bit much for the first route to feature big and complex locos. I'd hope for it to be an LNER route but doubt it.
I don’t think the first steam loco will be a simple loco pack. This is going to potentially be the biggest update TSW gets when you consider what work the core tech will need for it and if there’s a release that deserves all the bells, fireworks & whistles, it’s certainly steam locomotives! I think it’ll be a 3-route project like Rush Hour with three historic routes for TSW’s “Big Three” - what they are is anyone’s guess but I think for the UK, something that involves the Black five would be a sound guess, they’re a jack of all trades.
Black Five was amongst the first steam locomotives in Rail Simulator as well, if I remember correctly. So I would place my bets on it as well. Neither too simple nor too complex, a pretty normal looking steam train, perfect for a first choice.
You're absolutely right - Black 5 and 7F on Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway (Bath - Templecombe) was one of the routes in Rail Simulator (along with Newcastle - York, Oxford - Paddington and I believe Hagen - Seigen)
I also suspect we'll see the Black Five as one of the first locos, I think it fits the balance of not too big and famous in case it's not up to scratch and not too small to be uninteresting to people.
City of Truro first steam train to do 100mph! (Here comes "no it didn't" comments) Maybe TrainSim-Matt gave a hint with the simugraph testing up to 100mph Only kidding Matt, I wonder what some of his favs might be? (Care to share Matt, would be interesting)
I agree. I do have some doubts regarding the feasibility of such a pack considering that research trips to the US are still difficult and Germany didn't even get one vintage route before (while both US and UK did get at least one before). However, I think this would make the most sense to let people get into steam (for recouping the investment). While many of us on the forums probably own and use routes from all the big three, I'd wager the wider audience outside the forums may be more interested in just one country, but this is just guesswork on my part.
And a good chance we would get the S&D bearing in mind DTG via their contacts at Kuju probably have humungous amounts of research on it. So that's the three UK route pack sorted... Fairford Branch including through to Oxford. Bath Green Park to Templecombe (though Bournemouth West would be nice). Woodford Halse to Annesley for 9F's on the Woodcutters. We can but hope and dream!
Wouldn't bank on it - that research would be at least 12 years old*, and they had to completely redo the research for Munich, as Matt said it 'wasn't good enough for TSW'. *and if the Newcastle-York route is anything to go by, may have huge gaps in it.
On a slightly related note. I realize that the two games are very different in terms of their core engines. But how are DTG able to consistently release new North American content for TS Classic throughout the pandemic if research is so stifled? Just the other day they launched 2 new locos and a scenario pack. There have been at least a couple of new routes during the time of Covid and of course we had the Boston route in TSW recently. If they can make an SD 60 why are they having a problem with the UP "Ace" sounds? Both locos have been in their TS catalog for years.
I think almost all those DLCs have been done by 3rd parties based in the US. No doubt the 3 in-house routes will have had heavy 2nd party involvement in the research department.
I still have my bets on a period route. Something with either BR standards would make sense, but looking at the succes of riviera in the fifties on TS I wouldn't be surprised to see a TSW version of it (like I suggested). I would also like to see a US period route, and of course a German one. However, I don't know how likely those are, especially the German one. I have made a suggestion for the Preußische Ostbahn in the 1910's, but nothing for US steam. Something like a PRR or SP route in the glory days of steam would be absolutely fantastic. However I'm not getting my hopes up for either of those. I don't know what exactly to expect. Seen the fact the we're supposed to be getting an article on the developement of routes set in the past I'd expect at least one period route for steams release. The 'Spirit of Steam' name might be an indication that it will be a similar thing to this years Rush Hour Season ticket, but it's too early to say anything about that. I also feel it's unlikely that we'll see three period routes with new complicated steam locos on them as the first release for steam, I'm expecting a single route to start with to be honest.
Wutachtalbahn (sp) was a good one in TS and would combine the chunky German tank engines with classic diesels.
The 2 loco DLCs were from Travel By Train and TheLocoShop, the Scenerios pack by High Iron Simulations. DTG barely makes content for US on TS anymore, their last loco DLC was the Clinchfield U36C well over a year ago, and they had contracted route builders for Tehachapi.
You mean like the ones that run practically under DTG's office windows on the Chatham Dockyard Railway?
I'd like to see Stephenson's Rocket and the 1830's LMR. Start simply and improve from there... Not sure how much source data and reference material exists for the route though...
I'm well aware of all that. My point is that the impression that they are somehow " cut off " from any research or contact with American railroads and developers is overdone. I personally think that, in reality, DTG is quite capable of developing NA routes and locos, even steam locos, if they had the intent. Sherman Hill is not a fictional route, it's obviously been planned for some time. Plus I'm curious why the UP SD70Ace sound files from the old TS version, which sounded quite good to me, cannot be adapted for TSW2. Is it a technical/audio problem? Overall, I guess my point is that, now we have Boston, are we in for another famine in terms of NA content? Sherman Hill and HSC are likely most of a year away from release, judging by past experience. I guess this is a little off-topic, apologies.
I think Sherman Hill will be closer than we think - its achievements are already on SteamDB which is usually an indication it's 1-2 months away.
Possibly but the S&D hasn't changed in that time, other than maybe the old tunnels at Bath being converted from a fallout shelter to part of a cycle path, i.e. it's still as closed now as it was 10. 20 or 40 or even 55 years ago! (That latter is a scary thought). The route probably has as much historical information available as any other contender assuming they are going for a period creation rather than a 25 MPH heritage railway. I would also be quite happy with a representation in the case of a long closed line than a rivets and all re-creation.
My point is, I've been trying to revamp the Newcastle-York route (set in the 70s remember) and it's shockingly inaccurate - I can only assume it's because it's 12 years later and I have more information than they did. It may well be that there's more reference now for the S&D as it was in the 40s/50s than there was when it was made in TS1, so therefore they might as well just start from scratch if that's the case.
Good point Cam. Of course one vital resource for old UK routes at least is going bye, byes in the next few days - Old Maps UK is shutting up shop. I found that an invaluable resource especially their 1:2500 collection which showed the track plan in considerable detail.
A suggestion for Rivets first steam dlc, nothing can go wrong with this . Of course im looking forward to steam, and it will be a day 1 purchais. By the way im still supporting rivet because not everything is bad what they do. Cathcarth is one of my favourite routes and arosa is enjoyable too. Every route would have empty areas with those high mountains & the train frequency of arosa is like one per hour in real life.
Technical I'd assume, the way the sound works is very different between the game engines and cannot be transferred easily, if at all.
I’m going to speculate the first two will be small, less complicated ones. It’s highly probable they’ll be a German and uk one in quick succession, I have it in mind it will perhaps be a loco only release rather than with a route to draw more attention to it
I've thought if they do do a period route, perhaps it'd be in the transitional period (ie 1960s) and include a 'simple' 0-6-0 steamer and maybe a BR green 20/31/40/47/DMU?
What they can do is something like Bochum Dahlhausen Steam Railway because it can give steam locomotive traffic to Hauptstrecke Rhein-Ruhr Essen Steele section S3 to Oberhausen HBF via Müllheim Hbf. Remember 1930s onward German Steam locomotives new builds and existing designs are using PZB old name Indusi.
I'm hoping on a blue LB&SCR E2 class on the Vicarstown - Tidmouth mainline. The inclusion of the Knapford - Ffarquhar branch would be a great bonus though.
Thomas/RWS related content isn’t likely to happen on licensing grounds alone. I imagine it would cost more for that one be licence than all of DTG’s owned licences put together.
I can only imagine the utter outrage from a large proportion of the community if the first steam trains and route were from a children's book and TV show about a fictional railway. Though I personally would have a go and would love to explore the route!
25 MPH and lower speed restrictions will make for a dull run. At least a real period era branch line like Fairford would allow 40 to 50 MPH running, with apportion of main line such as the Great Central or S&D 60 MPH or more.
<TinFoilHat> Maybe Rivet didn't include Falmouth on West Cornwall because Falmouth will be the first Steam route... </TinFoilHat>
I'd love some steam action with PZB... As for UK content, I'd love to see the GWR 14xx with the GWR autocoach. TS has it on the Falmouth Branchline and it's a blast. At some point there is going to be a steam loco for WSR for sure.
For a UK route I think at least a medium size mixed traffic locomotive such as LMS Stanier 'Black Five' 4-6-0 or GWR Hall 4-6-0 would appear, as from a gameplay perspective this would enable a wider variety of scenarios and timetable operations to be carried out compared to say some solitary 0-6-0T shunter, as the limited coal and water capacity would restrict the possible operations. For a USA route it would be a shame to always be restricted to whatever locos have been preserved, as most classes of steam locos from the US are extinct as they were scrapped unmercilessly. Something like a New York Central route with J1e, J3 4-6-4s and S1b 4-8-4 'Niagaras' would be fantastic, as would a Pennsylvania Railroad route with T1 4-4-4-4s, J1 2-10-4s. and M1 4-8-2s. Unfortunately no examples of these locos exist anymore, and this is the case with many other US railroads as well, like the Northern Pacific, Erie, Denver and Rio Grande Western (except for narrow gauge stuff) etc. However one that might be possible would be a Norfolk and Western route, as at least one example of the J class 4-8-4, A class 2-6-6-4, Y6a 2-8-8-2 (sadly no Y6b) and M class 4-8-0 exist. Another would be a Chesapeake and Ohio route, as again, at least one preserved example exists of the H-8 2-6-6-6, H-6 2-6-6-2, J3a 4-8-4, K-4 2-8-4 etc.
I was gutted about this too, but I found the National Library of Scotland have a similar - and in my opinion better - offering: https://maps.nls.uk/ Go to 'Georeferenced Maps' - you can view all sorts of historical maps overlaid onto a satellite image. There is also a slider to adjust the opacity of the map overlay to reveal the satellite imagery underneath, which is useful for getting your bearings... Hope that helps!
Sadly not useful for me as they don't appear to have maps (at a usable resolution) for the two TS1 routes I'm doing.
My Guess for what its worth is that the first steam loco or locos will be british, probably as some form of add on the west somerset, a steam Gala may be.