The thread was created to speculate about US route. You are welcome to come up with your own speculation. From freight route to a passenger route. We will probably find out soon enough. So please let’s keep it on topic and respect everyone
I suspect most US freight routes are more interesting in a despatcher sim than to actually drive. I have a few of the old SIAM ones... Tehachapi 1991 (Bakersfield to Sanborn, Wash and Ravenna). BN Funnel 1990 (Sandpoint to Spokane pre line improvement and doubling). MPKS Kansas City to St Louis with from Jeff City the routes via Sedalia or the River Sub. All offer a fascinating challenge, obviously in the case of Tehachapi we can drive that in several sims already, don't really need it in TSW too. I would like to think BN Funnel could be interesting and of course KC to SL way too long in its entirety. Apart from the shonky graphics, Run 8 probably does US freight better, particularly when it comes to flexible operations and the forming up of trains, serving local industry spurs etc. There are some interesting short line railroads like the old logging lines in Oregon such as Carlton Coast with its multiple spurs and routes, or the old McCloud River railway near Shasta, but how do you get what was very much ad hoc and as required operations into the disciplined structure of TSW, not to mention many short lines the number of trains a week might be counted on one hand and running at 10 or 15 MPH due to the state of the track.
Yeah, I honestly feel US freight just doesn't work that well in TSW. Starting at point A, and just going to point B and stopping just isn't that engaging. It's the same reason I don't like driving the HST on GWE despite liking the train. If they added in some of the stuff from scenarios like building your consist/refueling, and having random things happen on the trip would make it a lot better. It's made even worse when it's set in a desert, with lacking scenery.
How about Miami - West Palm Beach? That route has already been made in Tsc and includes the Amtrak P42 for passenger traffic and the CSX C40-8W for freight.
That's only 4 Amtrak Services (Silver Star and Silver Meteor both ways) and a handful of CSX freight, the route is flat as a pancake and doesn't offer much in terms of a challenge for freight. Not to mention the majority of traffic on that line is the Tri-Rail Commuter line, which didn't grant a license for TSC. It is also considered one of the poorer routes for TSC.
What about the North Jersey Coast Line with maybe an ALP45. The route could go from Penn Station to Long Branch or even Bay Head. We could get a current change from 12kv to 25kv and a part without overhead wires where the ALP45 come in action. +Layers of the ALP46 from NYT https://content.njtransit.com/sites/default/files/pdfs/maps/NJT System Map April 2023.pdf
Only if you play on a PC. ECML is in other sims too, so are most other routes players want to see in TSW. That doesn’t mean they can’t or shouldn’t be in TSW. Tehachapi would be great in TSW and would give many players their first chance to drive it.
Tehachapi suffers the fate of being a majority single line main with passing sidings, which IMO would make driving it a pain since the player would be forced into every single siding depending on direction running like Clinchfield. Which is something that cant really be fixed for TSW. It means Westbound players are forced into 4 different sidings during their journey (More if the route is backdated to not include the various improvements made by UP over the years.)
I guess next US route is hudson line with P32DM or new LIRR with Diesel lokomotive DM30 with cabcar,M7 and M3.
To be clear, as I understand it, this thread was more to speculate on what new US route will be released this summer, as opposed to what would be preferred by players. There are already so many suggestion threads. I have speculated on either New Haven or LIRR based on the available evidence. This is not to say that a passenger route would be better or worse than a freight route; it is just my best educated guess. Although, I would be happy with either of these, to be sure. As for US freight, I definitely enjoy SPG and CJP. I think it has its place but you do have to appreciate it for what it is. However, I also agree that any single track route would be too degraded in the current game to be worthwhile, due to the aforementioned dispatcher limitations, as is shown by CRR. Although, there may be some improvements to said dispatcher coming, so...
I agree . I’m not sure if most here are aware of why we are leaning towards the two routes. But theirs is evidence that’s is pointing towards one of those two routes (New Haven line, LIRR),just as for the UK there is evidence that it will be the ECML. This doesn’t mean is 100% , but the evidence available leads to speculate to those two US routes ..
It's easy to see why speculation turns into suggestion. Since any upcoming route has already been chosen and developed, any route we name is like Schrodinger's Cat. It's either dead or alive and we won't know which until it's revealed by DTG. I don't think anyone knows anything at this point, so a suggestion is just as good as an uneducated guess, despite what " clues " people might conjure up.
The question though is would DTG develop 2 NYC based routes back to back? Or will they keep their Freight/Passenger routine up that they have since Clinchfield/Boston? Though with no changes to US Freight in general at all, do we really want to see another US freight route which doesn't give the true experience. (Run thru power, mixed freight cars, local trains etc.)
I say yes, because of Matt's recent comment about "deeper experiences". NYC would fit that bill with so many of the trains already in the game, many layering possibilities, etc I also think DTG realize their US Freight game isn't up to snuff. REALLY hoping we get some core upgrades in that area as part of TSW4.
Perhaps something smallish, as that seems to be the theme of recent DLC releases, and as some people on this forum have asked for fully automatic trains, I speculate they may go for something like The Plane Train (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Plane_Train). I'm a bit skeptical on whether they can do the passenger volume justice though.
Come on American rail enthousiasts: the rumour says it's "76.6 miles" and "it's in the sunny part". Why haven't you figured out already what it will be? The entire TSW community is counting on you to figure this out
Doubt it'll be Metrolink due to license, let alone the limited selections of locos and rolling stocks Metrolink has on that route in the modern days. Also, not believing the "rumored" mile number someone posted. Clearly a fake to make more speculations around the announcement already.
That would mean buying up a new right-of-way through the densest-developed and most expensive real estate in the country. And if you mean outside the NE corridor- there's no point.
Wouldn’t really fit from what Matt mentioned the other day about digging smaller but deaper holes…. Reusing stations….. other assets…..I’m just really looking for NYT new timetable. And If Brandon was has been working on a project for DTG my money would be on the NEC or LIRR. Don’t really see anything else on less is a freight route
It's been a year since the last US freight route released (Cajon Pass) It's not everyone's cup of tea but there is a demand for it, I'm one of them.
I have a feeling DTG will create more freight routes soon after the core is completely revamped. I have a very high feeling the next US passenger route is either the New Haven Line or a rebuilt Long Island Railroad
There will be a freight route released either in September with the new pack or by December or January at the latest.
What about Peninsula Corridor extended from San Francisco to Gilroy? It would almost match the alleged 76.6 miles.
Spend time to extend to add 6 total roundtrip services...... plus whatever UP still runs out there...... (Of course, most of the rest of the services gets extended to Tambien, but....)
Do you think after the NYT DLC, any pressure on DTG to make the next US passenger DLC similar in amount of stations and length to the UK and DE route . So if it’s the ECML Peterborough to King’s Cross for the UK……..
If Antelope Valley line is the US route, what would need to be include to actually have Freight services. I know some of these are further down the line but was thinking of Hobart yard, Pico Riviera yard, 4st yard, South yard, Santa fe distribution Center, Commerce Maintenace, and the Metro yard for ECS moves.
Do any of the existing US freight routes layer into Antelope? I only have the base routes and not particularly eager to buy the others to have a busier US passenger route.
Unfortunately freight routes is not my expertise. But on the Pacific Surfliner route on TSC BNSF has a lot of scenarios and lots of locomotives at Hobart yard
I've mentioned them before but just a handful of Intermodal freight from Union Pacifc, plus a local, I think only 1 train runs during the day, the rest at night. UP has thier massive intermodal yard, LATC, just across the LA River from Mission Junction. BNSFs yards and tracks are too far to the South that I don't think they will appear. Sherman Hill
It's the only mainline Union Pacific route we have, so if none of their stock comes with the route, it'll be layered in from there.
Cane Creek could also bring in UP AC44 and SD40. But with SMH it would be UP SD70Ace, AC44 and SD40 additionally. Btw I saw a local freight on YouTube there. I'm not sure if was with Geeps or SD40's. So layering of UP GP38-2 from PC could make sense?
