Alan Thomson Simulation – Northampton Loop For West Coast Mainline South

https://alanthomsonsim.com/product/...rthampton-loop-for-west-coast-mainline-south/

Now available on ATS. Adds around 24 miles to the WCML South from DTG including Northampton, Long Buckby and the Daventry freight terminal.

Price looks fair to me: £13.99 and 7,99£ for subscribers.

 

Here you go:
https://sites.google.com/view/trainsimulatorcontent/wcmls-northampton

New route extension + 5 scenarios!

 

It's nice It's got no dependencies, other than WCML South.

 

Does it add to the existing WCML-South with the same GUID or does it create a totally new route and GUID?

 

Well unless you include the scenarios :P

(seriously though i'm glad someone has done the Northampton Loop )

 

It uses the same GUID and the Route is renamed WCML South Full: Northampton Station

 

Daventry DIRFT

 

Why do route builders think that assorted repetitive junk scattered around in the manoeuvring or parking areas of yards is realistic? Where there is junk, it's invariably pushed hard against a boundary or in an inaccessible corner.

 

I notice I can buy this extension without an ATS Sub but do I have to use the ATS Launcher to install it?

 

Wouldn't it have been nice offered as a freeware Workshop add on...

 

Everything free is nice. Pay up Mr Vern!!!

 

Yes - worked fine for me and I’ve previously had a few installer problems. I did what I always do and downloaded it, did the install and deleted it again.

Extension seems pretty good from my first play through.

 

Does that not mean that if you verify the game files the additions will be wiped out?

 

Afraid I don’t “do” ATS…

 

Same here.
I'm not installing some software to then use an EXE file to install the add-on.

 

I usually support ATS and very much enjoy all the products. But I have taken a pass on the Flirt and the Northampton Loop. Flirt was a little too expensive. I might get it, if the gaps between Liverpool Street-Stansted Airport and Cambridge get closed in TS at some point and give the Flirt more driving options. Northampton Loop? I´m not a fan of running Class 350 up the WCML with loads of stops. I rather blast the Pendelino or the class 86/87 along there. Once they merge the whole thing with Trent Valley and Stoke-On-Trent... it´s a first day buy.

 

Northampton Loop comes with the ATS freeware route West Coast Mainline South v5.3.

 

This is true ... but most use the DTG WCML South these days and ATS said on Stream, that Northampton Loop for the DTG route was the most requested thing they had from the community for a long time... also the DTG version is later going to be used for the WCML merge.

 

Seems to work fine.

 

I see no mention of Quickdrive in the manual?

Does anyone please know if you can select Northampton as a starting point for a QD using the new ATS loop to either Euston or Birmingham?

 

On the ATS Facebook group they said there are currently no Quickdrives, but they will add one in a future patch.

 

Same with me.
I have downloaded and installed a few free bits and pieces from the ATS site, that didn't require the use of the installer. But thats about all.

 

West Coast Mainline South v5.3 is not an ATS Freeware route - it was on UKTS long before ATS existed.
ATS just host the route - and from what I remember its quite old.

 

West Coast Mainline South v5.3 still hase one thing going for it though: it has the entire bakerloo line. Most people believe, this only exists in TSW.
But lets be real here: if I felt the desire to drive the Bakerloo, I would fire up TSW. So the old freeware route has become redundant.

 

No i have already asked the question you can just buy the route without a subscription and download it with out the ATS Installer

 

The old freeware route is arguably better than the DTG one but the list of dependencies (some no longer available) means it's not worth bothering about unless you had it when it was first released.

The ATS add-on is essentially to bring that branch to your existing DTG WCML South route.

 

I might get this, although it might be a hassle to have installed if file verifications will get rid of it. If I do get it, I'll clone the original, and when it is installed I'll back up the extended version too.

 

Been driving the new scenarios. Works nice! Some pretty long routes, avertage time is 101 minutes for all 5!

 

Who did you ask?
I asked the same Question on the ATS FB Page and Alan Thomson said I had to use the installer

 

The latest installer now retains all of the Working Timetables/DLC purchased (downloadable AND Launcher products). Like all technology maybe one should just embrace it since ATS may be the primary purveyor of new TSC UK content going forward!

 

What is this picture supposed to mean?
It might be obvious to the people with the ATS Launcher but not to anyone else

 

The picture is the actual download URL from ATS. It downloads the Launcher and NOT the content. The content is then installed from the launcher. This is what you will see under your ATS orders download page. This is NOT the Launcher. This supports your comment that you MUST use the Launcher for this product. It will NOT let you download the content directly.

 

This is the ATS Launcher

 

What makes you say this? There are multiple people creating content for Train Sim besides Thompson - Armstrong Powerhouse, Victory Works, Caledonia Works, Steam Sounds Supreme to name just a few UK ones - and I have not seen any indications that they are planning to cease doing so in the near future.

 

This is simply my opinion. Just Trains has started to focus on TSW. AP typically focuses on rolling stock. ATS appears to desire to present UK routes [WCML Complete/Missing Link (my suspicion), ECML Complete, Leeds Line, Chat Moss, Kings Lynn, Peterborough]. There are obviously other freeware content suppliers. ATS appears to be the site where the majority of new routes for TSC UK is available. Compared to Steam and other suppliers ATS appears to be the most active in this area.

 

Are any ATS routes really new?
I have the impression they are reworked TSC routes?
Their authors are keen on 'improving' signaling, which doesn't always work out because of dependencies.

 

I’ve resigned myself to using the ATS installer. I don’t like it, but for me it works. (I don’t mind installers so much, but the interface is poor and doesn’t correctly identify what is installed or whether its up to date)

I don’t get the argument that people won’t use installers. Surely you use Steam every time you install something for TSC that you buy from there. Steam is arguably worse as you have to leave it installed. For ATS I just download the latest version when I need it and delete it again afterwards.

Personally if I didn’t buy ATS stuff (or AP) I’d feel I was missing out. So much good stuff (apart from their horrible blue track). Just because I don’t like the way they choose to install it, I’m not prepared to miss out. Each to their own. I‘m not going to criticise anyone for having a different opinion.

I also make backups of every product I buy, so in most cases if I need to reinstall, it’s just a case of copying all the necessary folders over. Doesn’t always work, but it does most of the time.

Back onto Northampton Loop. I’m really happy with it. It’s absolutely seamlessly integrated with WCML South and as soon as there are a few more scenarios out there I know I‘m going to get good value from it. Shame DTG couldn’t have done it in the first place but it was already quite a long route, so I won’t complain too much.

 

It's all a matter of who people trust; it's undeniable that quite a few view ATS as something "shady"

 

If I buy something thru Steam it gets installed seamlessly
If I buy something from AP/Just Trains/Steam Sounds Supreme/Virtual Railroads it comes with an installer.
I don't need to have a subscription to use it and I can download the newest version at any time.

If my subscription with ATS lapsed then I would have to pay again to install something I already purchased.

 

This whole ‘needs a subscription’ is nonsense. Just to be clear, if you buy non subscriber content, you never need a subscription.

Subscription is only required for subscribers only content.

 

So why can I not just buy the Non subscriber content without using the Installer?
I don't when I buy something from other DLC sellers

 

I don’t know. I hate the installer as well it looks a mess in my opinion, but it seems to work. It’s just an interface to install multiple products. I also wish they would just use a similar way to AP, but they don’t and never have.

Just pointing out that you don’t need to buy a subscription to use it and you still get updates for all non subware. My sub lapsed for some time and I still got updates and could reinstall all the stuff I paid for.

Personally doesn’t bother me as much as it does others. I wanted the route, bought it and it installed fine and I’m very much enjoying it.

 

How does this route differ from the free for all ATS WCML South v5.3, which also includes the Northampton Loop?

 

Since I do not have the free v5.3 I cannot answer. There are 5 scenarios come with the route. You can pay with Pay Pal so I do not understand the concern. If you purchase something under your name it is your license to download whenever you want.

V5.3:
ESSENTIAL FOR ROUTE: (Must be installed prior to installation)
DTG West Coast Mainline South
Steam: London to Brighton
Steam: Woodhead Line (original)
Steam: West Coast Main Line Trent Valley
Steam: Liverpool to Manchester
JustTrains: Newcastle to Edinburgh
UKTS: Freeware Pack Clutter
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS: (highly recommended scenery items)
Steam: Edinburgh to Glasgow
Steam: ECMLS (London-Peterborough)
Steam: Riviera Line
Steam: WCML2 (over Shap)
Steam: WCML North
UKTS Freeware Pack Blocks and Lofts
UKTS Freeware Pack Clutter
UKTS Freeware Pack Railway Buildings
UKTSFile ID: 26602 & 26550 Enviro Bus packs
UKTSFile ID: 30717 DAF LF pack
UKTSFile ID: 30832 Transmission Lines
UKTSFile ID: 30726 Telegraph pole Lofts V1.1

New ATS Purchased Version:
ESSENTIAL FOR ROUTE:
DTG West Coast Mainline South

Scenario Requirements may also be needed

Respectfully

 

They're different routes made by different people and at different times. The WCML v5.3 route originates from the UKTS days, whereas DTG's one is the effective replacement for it. There is still value in the original, most people have moved to the DTG one.

 

If it's "free" why do you need to pay with PayPal?

 

It's not paying for it that's the issue; what is upsetting them is that it demands to be installed using an *odd* method. As the ATS launcher/installer has been rumoured to act in a way akin to spyware it's understandable that folk have reservations.

 

If people are complaning about dependencies and installers, they might as well move to the cookie cutter plug and play experience TSW. TSC is a hobby at this point for a very niche group of people. ATS seems to fare well with catering to this small community of a few hundred people (they once said on stream, that they make good enough money). They have done alot right in my view by empracing route merges, updated routes, complex scenarios with lots of different rolling stock. They are catering to advanced players.... and let´s be frank: that´s all TSC has got left at this point. The cookie cutter crowd have moved to TSW a long time ago.

UK Railfans can be happy to have ATS! In the German Community there is mostly freeware remaining on different websites and forums. The payware crowd of German content has moved to TSW or got stuck in 2012 making scenario pack for vanilla routes with ELAP rolling stock in some cases.

 

Nobody's said anything about dependencies.

Nobody's said anything about having to install products, the complaint has been that it's too propriety: what's wrong with just a good old fashioned .exe along the lines of AP's method?

Would that be those advanced enough to fix ropey scenarios?...when they have a full complement of advanced creators your argument may hold water.

 

The launcher is there now... some may like it, some may not. But they said that went to a lot trouble to get it working. So now they should revert back to oldschool exe. because a couple of people don´t like the launcher? Don´t get me wrong, I´m no massive fan of the launcher.... but I feel that some people have painted themselves into a corner with this launcher boycott. As someone else pointed out: if you want routes, route upgrades, merges, extensions and modern stuff from the UK, ATS is kind of the only place to go to at this point.
And all of this for what? Because someone once claimed, that it´s spying on peoples pc or because others have claimed that Alan is some kind of super villian scam artist? I can just talk from my personal experience: all my interactions in the facebook group with Alan have been polite and pleasent and I have been satisfied with all of the products I have bought from them.