My thoughts too. More productive staff and less Community Managers please - TSC forums community management is completely absent, not even reacting when pressing issues or causes of bugs have been found (often in hours of detective work) and presented by the community. It seems their only job is to censor posts, select the weekly screenshot winner and post Announcements now and then. Sorry DTG, but it's very obvious there is absolutely no CM present for TSC. Glad we have Steve Dark communicating with us on a non-PR technical level. And Matt posting here, which is not his job as Executive Producer. Appreciated.
Definitely the latter, I’ve lost track of how much work has been done adhoc outside of main development, and it makes me shudder to think that losing some key members of the team would lead to a lack of the more special stuff we see. What’s alarming to me is that we’ve lost quite a few of the more well known devs which had a lot of expertise, over the last year.
It does attract people from all over. It isn't the most pleasant to ride on, although is a little better after they relayed the old jointed track which the chassis I am sure wasn't designed to cope with.
Yes I agree with that. I don't mind what we get for £20 but would have been far happier paying £10 more and getting the Rose Hill line for example with a sprinter. Set in the mid 1990's you could have still had the class 323 in RRNW and a reskinned 101 in regional railways livery.
Found one issue so far, got off 2G06 at Hadfield, the train doors shut and the trakn started rolling away, while it was rolling passengers were getting on the train but not just through the now closed doors, through the body of the train!! Like the route so far though and other than that I've not found anything else yet.
Don't get me wrong its a nice route, would have preferred the same version as in the original TSC version of the first Woodhead Route, but one main observation, its too clean!. some of the really old gantries are still silver, I thought the ballast was a different colour in real life. I dunno if I am missing the point here but this is an old route, it looks too new in places.
There have been various upgrades to the infrastructure along the line IRL, I wouldn’t go as far as saying it’s shiny new, but it’s likely in better condition than you’re expecting. Also most of TSW’s modelling & art style is ‘fresh from the factory’.
Well hopefully if the JT route does well they will create more routes from that period. I know Matt is a fan of BR blue so I still hold out some hope. I can't believe at some point we won't see some third rail slam door EMU's or some AC electrics. The two recent German routes have been more historic and we had Peak Forest so hopefully all is not lost.
positives: stations are well modelled, not many stutters, livery is quiet good. guard scenario was fun negatives: wrong OHLE, no weights or the detail from previous uk routes, no new train just a reskin, short trafficless route thats kinda boring imo, cloud reflection on the 323 windscreen, that god awful picture scenario ( please dont do it again) also the water works scenario, i like the TSRs but realistically no trains would be running especially if waters that close to live wires
sounds like the same issue we got with NEC NY-Trenton at newark station with the Acela they do the same but with the train stopped just walk into the side of the train with no door
it dosent float my boat, but its ok as this is a local route to me. its too short. they could of at least do the freight to peak forest which would of made it more interesting. as i said its ok for £18 but ive got bored already
I only bought it to check out the guard mode and I like it hopefully that will come to the game in future other than that I got bored straight away with it as the route is far to short got a refund
Weird how little fanfare there’s been for the launch? The thread on the other board still shows as coming soon.
Well I don't think it's out on PC/Steam, yet - presumably 1800 BST. (Not that I'm planning on getting it).
100% not out yet Oldvern it should be around 3am / 4am Sydney Australia time on PC Steam as thats whats its been for the past few months now on DLC's
From watching a few preview videos, the only noticeable bug I’ve seen is the cloud textures in the 323 windscreen. Not as severe as on MML, but would still be nice if these could be eradicated with a patch. There’s also someone who is apparently unable to start the steam railtour, is anyone else having problems with that?
I would love to see the Northern Class 331 on the route sometime seeing as they have the Northern licence
It’s getting rather tiring that DtG constantly recycle old locomotives. In fact the last unique UK diesel locomotive they released was the TVL class 20 in June 2020, that’s 3 years ago. Everything else is just recycled or layered. Now I’m not a massive fan of modern stuff but a class 68 would definitely hit the spot. Otherwise let’s please have some nice 1st or 2nd generation classic traction to brighten up our lives.
One issue I have noticed with the Northern 323 is that the TFX and OTDR screens have missing textures, the interior light textures seem to be a bit off as well. Also, the traction motors take too long to kick in when taking power. Top images - MGP 323: Bottom images - BCC 323:
My feedback is that I like it, it was relatively cheap and I spend limited time on TSW so the short route is fine with me - I'll get enough value out of it. But it's nothing really special - could have been a lot better with even just a bit of lineside clutter. I'll play it for a while and it'll go on the list of DTGs distinctly dull 2023 releases. I really hope the big summer package does arrive and has something really good in it because TSW is, for me at least, on a big downward trend this year (I've mostly gone back to TSC). The exception being TSG's route which I played a lot. I would buy MML as well, but I'm waiting to see how long it takes DTG to get around to releasing the hotfix that Skyhook have done. The one highlight is the guard mode. I personally hate it, don't see why anyone would want to play it more than once, but I appreciate that people have been asking for it and it's good to see new things being tried.
Bit of a fps drop for me. I always get fps drops idk why. But I get constant 30 odd on this route when I normally get 50.
So my initial thoughts on Hadfield/Glossop. I know this route quite well in reality, as it’s one I’ve travelled on often and one that has always interested me due to the Dinting Triangle. So when it was announced I was made up. Now would it in my Top 10 list of routes, I’d have liked DTG to make? Honestly, no. If it was Glossop/Hadfield/Rose Hill/New Mills absolutely. But I’m sure glad they did make it. First thoughts, well what you see is what you get, it’s a short route ideal for a 30 min drive or a full run taking around 1 hour 20 minutes, doing Piccadilly-Glossop-Hadfield-Glossop-Piccadilly. In reality traincrew could do potentially do 3 round trips of these on the bounce (guards more so than drivers), it’s a very intensive route, changing ends in 3 minutes, keeping to time, it’s tricky! Personally, I would have liked the Class 150 to layer between Piccadilly and Hyde North. The Class 323 is one of my favourite units, and you have to push it to the limit on this route to keep to time! The Northern livery looks great and it’s not “just a reskin” there’s some different details added such as the clock in the cab. The stations are modelled brilliantly, instantly recognisable. Standouts for me are Glossop, Dinting, Hattersley, Guide Bridge and Hadfield, they are incredibly modelled. Although the disused station on the route - Godley East should look a lot more disused then it does! The scenery is beautiful, the transition from Manchester City, to Manchester suburbs to Derbyshire/High Peak is fascinating. The view from Dinting viaduct is incredible. Some of the distant hills do look a bit bare, there should be more trees, but that what the Peak District is like in places. Kinder Scout is somewhere in the distance, I’m sure! Some of the close vegetation is a little overdone but nothing to grumble about. It looks a little bit too lush and green in places. There could be more in the way of trackside clutter, but that’s not something unique to this route alone. Now the timetable fantastic to see the complete timetable, but the way it’s split up is immersion breaking I’m afraid. A full run should be Manchester - Glossop (change ends/reverse) - Hadfield or Hadfield - Glossop (change ends/reverse) - Manchester where the service should end. Now I’m sure this due to a limitation of TSW the way it’s been split up due to the changing of ends. But to be honest that’s my biggest criticism and something I’ll have to live with, but considering that’s the only bugbear I think DTG have done really well! It’s nothing incredibly spectacular by any means, if you’re expecting rolling hills/rivers at every glance or an express timetable then it really isn’t it’s a mainly 60mph commuter route with frequent stops, but it’s still a really lovely little route, and a nice addition to TSW, and a brand new TOC! I think Liverpool - Manchester with a 323 via the Chat Moss should be next! The price with loyalty discount is welcome, was it worth £17.99 in total? Yes and no. Yes I bought anyway and it will give me plenty of enjoyment, without a doubt but I’d have been even happier if it was £14.99 to be honest, I think that’s a fairer price for a small route, but it does exactly what it says on the tin. If I had to sum the route up in one sentence? A unique commuter route featuring a new TOC, utilising one of the best trains in the game. I’ll give it 8.5/10. Thanks DTG!
When there are multiple interesting TSC payware offerings on the way, I think I'll give this a miss. Another busy interchange/terminus populated with a fraction of the rolling stock mostly because there's still so little modern UK traction being supplied by DTG. Another soulless line that's devoid of usual railway clutter, another city that is too dark at night and too bright during the day. Roll on TSW5.
This after three pages has been the best post in the thread. I was tempted to buy the route but wanted to try and crtitically evaluate what i had seen first as there was nothing initially to hook me in. Honestly, I don't think this has anything that makes me want to get it over the purchase line and I hold Dresden , BML and SEHS as my "do I buy it benchmarks" now. I can't help thinking this route is a little place holder, try a few new things out until a bigger route/summer release comes. What further supports this in my mind was it felt like the 10 in 10 was a clutching at straws video and if you wasn't lit up by guard mode or the photo thing then all you got was the 323 and a viaduct. I think this is one for me to sit back quietly on and watch for now. I'd like to caveat with the above in that I have neither seen nor heard anything bad about this route, just not my flavour at the moment. I do think it looks very well modelled from what i have seen
Same here. So far have heard mostly good things about the route but is just not my cup of tea. patiently waiting for the NYT timetable update which for some reason looks to be in the same boat as the Bakerloo and Hamburg DLC timetable were last year around the same time.
Very helpful review, thanks. Still undecided. I can’t understand why as you say the timetable has been split into 3. Agree that is very immersion breaking. For me the timetable mode is the strongest part of the game & one of the annoying bits is incomplete services gif me, but in this route we have full routes that we can’t complete without an interruption at the penultimate or second stop? DTG can this be sorted?
Perhaps if they had pitched it around the £12.99 mark... As stated above, with a few caveats it sounds like it is a moderately well crafted release and ideal if you want a quick bimble. But it's not iconic, I would have bought the 11 mile Blackpool Tramway, or any one of several heritage railways of similar length in a heartbeat. The North Tyneside Loop or Newcastle to South Shields and Sunderland in diesel days. However, it's just another really short electric commuter route the like of which we already have plenty in the game.
Is bro ok? I'm doing the three point turn scenario and my guys is laying there. I guess the cows really did knock him out.
Now my personal feedback on this route is I'm loving the new guard scenario and stuff and truth be told that's the only reason why I bought it. I would of loved it more if they didn't reskin a 323 and added a new train like a 331 or something like that.
One is by dtg after it's been released. One is by the community created shortly after the preview livestream. They will read both anyway
Having purchased the route and now driven I can say I am pleased with it although it is never going to be one that I might rush home to drive on. It has many positives, the scenery is very nicely done, there seems to be a good amount of detail, the stations seem well modelled, I don't know the line in real life. Driving over the viaducts was very immersive. The class 323 as with BCC is very well modelled and sounds good, it is nice to have another route to drive it on. Approaching Dinting junction from Hattersley there isn't an AWS ramp, not sure if that is prototypical. My main bugbear with the route is the splitting up of the services, if there was no other choice then fair enough but otherwise it is a shame as it breaks immersion a little. Especially getting down the other end at Glossop and Hadfield and finding a driver already in your seat. I do feel it could have been made into a network with some other lines added and a DMU included at the extra cost. For the £18 I paid for it I don't think you can complain really, clearly a lot of work has gone into it. I do feel some seem to know the cost of everything but the value of nothing. It is a nice route when you want a relaxed drive and don't have much time or if you want to be a real driver for an hour or two and do a few runs on the same unit. I do like these self contained routes.
I bought the route as it's a line I know very well. My thoughts so far: Positives - Generally the stations and surrounding scenery are very well done. It's all highly recognisable. The scenery at the East end of the route is very attractive. - The nature of the route, with fairly low line speed and a unit with powerful brakes, makes it very easy to learn in order to drive HUDless (for those who like to do that). I found one return trip with a couple of HUD elements was enough to tell me enough to enable me to drive it HUDless from there on. The fact I know the route in real life probably helped a bit, but I think anyone will find it quite easy. - The real timings are used and that gives it a realistic feel. It means that - just like in real life - some of the sectional running times are very tight, but there's recovery time in elsewhere. - I'm quite happy with the length of the route. For me 30-40 mins is often as long as I've got, so to have some routes that length is useful. Also I don't think another 30 mins of repeated stops would have added much. It's good that the length of route was reflected in the price. I think the £17.99 'loyalty' price is fair. - The 323 is a well made train - a very realistic recreation of the real thing, with the sounds being particularly good, as is the sound and reaction of the regen brake. I also think the delay in taking power is about right. - There are a few other trains around at Man Picc. It's not deserted like Glasgow Central. None of their paths conflict with the train you're driving unfortunately, so they're purely eye-candy, but it's better than the station being empty. Negatives - The signal aspects barely have any 'glow' which means in daylight they just get lost in the scenery. When the background is poor you have to know precisely where the signal aspect is and even then you can only pick it out when you're really close to it. It's like trying to spot a semaphore. In real life, even in daylight, colour light signals have enough of a glow to really jump out at you. - This is not helped by the fact that quite a lot of the signals have no AWS magnets. I'm not certain how realistic that is. On the signals near Dinting I have a feeling it may be correct (the fixed distants have AWS magnets) but I'm less convinced about a couple of the others. - The absence of the Rose Hill services removes the opportunity to see some other trains and for a few signal checks which would have livened up the West end of the route considerably. In real life between Hyde and Manchester it's a really lively route with a high likelihood of some signal checks. On TSW it's greens all the way. I'm guessing the well-documented issues with the 150 caused DTG to shy away from putting them on the Rose Hill services. However, if the route had been moved a few years earlier they could have had 101s on those services and 158 AI services between Man Picc and Guide Bridge (on transpennine services) which would have made that section really busy and interesting. An opportunity missed. - The 323 still doesn't really work with RailDriver. Like certain other units, the full range of brake steps is within a couple of milimetres of movement of the lever, and no amount of re-calibration helps. This is odd because some other units/locos don't suffer from that problem and the brake steps are well spread along the movement of the lever. For me RailDriver isn't really useable with the 323 so I drive it with the keyboard, but that does take away some of the enjoyment. I now drive Cross City entirely with the 101 partly for that reason, but the 101 wouldn't be appropriate on the Hadfield line so it's 323 with keyboard, or nothing. Overall, I think it's an OK route with some excellent features but with some annoying issues - annoying because they wouldn't be difficult to fix. With the signal glow and RailDriver issues addressed, and more trains added to create some visual interest and signal checks at the West end of the route, it could be a really good route. Fingers crossed this feedback is taken on board for an update. Skyhook have set the standard now for listening to feedback, taking it on board, and bringing about prompt fixes. Let's hope DTG learn from that and do the same.
Regarding the AWS magnets mentioned above, on approach to Dinting Junction from each direction, this is correct and as per reality. I think the route really comes into its own once you get past the suburbs of Manchester. I always think from Hattersley/Broadbottom it’s a lot more interesting. Like icyrrjp said above the timetable is a challenge and you really have to push the 323 to the limit, to keep to time. I think scenery wise DTG have got this one absolutely spot on, they’ve learnt a lot from Peak Forest as that was one of my favourites scenic wise too!
After many positive reviews of this route i gave it a chance. Yes the route is short, but i like it. Doesnt feel rushed and obviously its the more quiet kind of route. The Depot is included and is even equiped with lifts (big plus for sandbox gameplay). Also there is a yard for freight trains. The mastery scenery with the cl.76 is also a nice surprise. The only thing i spotted, while there are layers from mml stock, why isnt the aws equipped steam jubilee used from rivet? The 1960s version which isnt technically allowed looks a bit off.
I like it a lot. The advertised length had me scratching my head but I'm pleasantly surprised. What the route lacks in length it makes up for in beautiful scenery and consistent hands on activity. The tight timetable, speed restrictions, and significant grades will keep you busy. Plus the 323 is such a fun train to drive. I see it as a mini Cross City Line. A complete down and back run with service in the triangle takes about as long as one BCC run. And did I mention it's a COMPLETE service. That's a big selling point for me. The roleplay element in changing ends is a good time, although I wish the AI wasn't so aggressive about trying to take the train away from me. When I play TSW I get in the mood for a country, then from there I pick a vibe (express, stopper, sometimes freight). It's nice to have another UK stopper on the menu. A great addition to the collection. Nicely done DTG.
I did request a refund due to the fact I probably would of got bored quickly due to the small length but overall its not a bad route stations look great and the view over dinting viaduct is stunning tbf great job on that front
Probably because the sos jubilee is more accessible since more people would have bought the route than rivets steam railtour.
