True, but honestly i'd be fine with them "cheating" it with a HUD element or something as a temporary solution. If people don't want to drive them, at least we'd have them as AI traffic and with the layer toggle feature, can turn them off completely if they want.
Im wondering what the cab signals that need to be necessary to add be? I checked NEC: NY on TSW 2020 and neither the Gp38-2 or Gp40-2 had them. The SD40-2 that came with the Hudson line on TSC had these, but again, IDK if that would be sufficient enough to run on the lines. And if not? How hard would it be to modify the existing CSX GP38-2 or SD40-2 to have the proper cab signals to run?
Yes! But I must clarify it's not included with the route. So I'll be using stock from other routes like SPG.
DTG Matt Any chance we'll see purple MP36's and Bombardier/Pullman single levels? The MP36 could be a quick and dirty DLC, and it'd be nice to have the current single level fleet instead of the MBB cars. Also, y'know, the Bomber cars could always be repurposed for Harlem and Trenton! lol
They have 2. 010 and 011 However, I dont think either are on the property as they were supposed to be overhauled by MPI, but they haven't returned yet.
They roster two, 10 & 11, both of which are getting an overhaul. http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=4951313
I hope we get an updated Boston South station, as recently through my more construction and the station has changed.
I was watching some videos today about this line. Seems like it will be a good one in game. I like how it runs along the highway for a big chunk. The trains seem to be a total mix of single and bi-level cars, I couldn't identify any pattern to them so I am wondering if MBTA just throws together whatever mix is handy at the time. Also it runs VERY close to Fenway Park, basically along side it at the Landsdowne station and definitely visible from the tracks. I'll be interested to see what asset DTG can come up with for that, I think there will be an uproar if they don't get it relatively accurate .
Will the original Kawasaki 700 series bilevels be quietly included in the route alongside the 800 series? Or will there just be the 800s? I ask because almost every all bilevel set on the MBTA mixes these two cars together, and the 700s differ from the 800s in many ways both externally (positioning of the external LED boards and door window size) and internally (800s have bathrooms, 700s do not).
This would be great, the MBB cars are nonexistent on the south side these days and are even rare to see on the north side, almost all of them are gone at this point. It would be best to just replace the MBB in game altogether with the Bombardier Comet cars altogether for the sake of a more realistic feel.
Yes and no. Many stations have a "mini high" platform at the outbound end of the platform, just long enough to provide level boarding to the two coaches nearest the locomotive, while the rest of the station has a low platform at rail height. There is always a restroom-equipped car directly behind the locomotive, which tends to be a bilevel car. The railroad is also trying to phase out single-level cars entirely, starting with cab cars, so most trains have a bilevel cab car as well. As far as what goes between these bookends, yeah, it's whatever is available to meet the target capacity of each train set. It's been almost a decade since I was a daily commuter on the Worcester Line, but I've seen everything from four single-level cars on off-peak Fitchburg Line trains to the pair of monster 8-car, all-bilevel trains used on the 5:00 pm Worcester and Providence expresses. Of course, I don't know how COVID has changed train makeup since: when I moved away the schedule was very peak-oriented with long midday gaps, but the MBTA has reoriented schedules to better serve off-peak riders and reflect new travel patterns.
Modern day the MBTA runs the following consists south side: F40 or HSP (or rarely a rebuilt GP40MC) with 1 BTC-4C/4D (with 4D being the most common), 3 or 4 comets, and 1 CTC-5 (5-6 L-B-S-S-S-(S)-B set) F40 or HSP with a mix of 4 BTC-4/4A/4B/4D, and 1 CTC-5 (5 car bilevel set) HSP with a mix of 5-6 BTC-4/4A/4B/4D and 1 CTC-5 (6-7 car bilevel set) the 4/4A/4B are the Kawasaki 700s, the 4Cs are the Kawasaki 900s and the 4Ds are the Rotem 800s, which we are getting ingame CTC-5 are also rotems which we are getting. They used to run CTC-4s south side (Kawasaki 1700s) but they have been moved to the north side to allow the retirement of the older 1600 CTC-1B and 1500 CTC-3 control cars. Another note for the TSW devs: there are 24 CTC-1Bs still in revenue service, but with their cab controls disabled (and have been disabled for many many years). Even if we don't get the comets it would be nice if we saw the occasional MBB cab car mid-set.
For me the interesting aspects of the route are not so much the commuter running, but rather the traffic congestion between South, Back Bay and Southampton Yard and the freight layers.
Reading through this thread and it seems apparent that the coach stock included in the Boston - Providence route is obsolete and practically gone from operations. Is there a reason they opted to choose those cars instead of (from what I've gathered from this thread) the Comet cars? I believe other operators like Metro North and New Jersey Transit own those type of cars, so wouldn't it have been a better idea to use those cars in that route and then repaint them for later use in future routes? Maybe MBTA only gave them access to those older coaches. Just curious as to the decision.
Sorry, but I like the Boston routes more than the California ones)) The route looks very interesting, I will wait for the release
Due to the signaling in use at the time, you'll have signal-related congestion between Framingham and Boston. The absence of CP-6 and CP-4 interlockings around Boston Landing means you'll have an exceptionally long set of signal blocks there. To put it into perspective, imagine you are following a train into Boston and that other train is stopped at Lansdowne. You'll have an Approach signal (30mph) about 3.5 miles away from that train.
I don't know why PTC is so complicated to install. Is it so much better than the comperable TVM or LZB. Especially LZB recognice everything about 6 miles in front of the train. Combined with AFB it can automatically reduce train speed if you're to near to another train.
There's a lot of complex math that needs to be figured out in order for an accurate PTC to be implemented. I have white papers but even those don't show the algorithms.
I don't think so, but the only one that does is that of San Bernardino that some of the video will arrive to show the route on September 5 From what I see, that was the route that was going to be shown after San Bernardino. I thought it was just the one in San Bernardino.
Will Worcester Union Station have the new island platform, the old platform, or be shown under construction?
I wish it would have been set in 2024 because the schedules from 2019 were very odd and not as consistent as that’s re now, but I guess setting it in 2019 makes for a good excuse to keep the MBBs
It probably also helps for the route hopping feature to keep the timetables consistent with each other.
2019 keeps it very, very unique for signaling. You will probably have to do research, but in 2019 the area from Framingham to Boston is NORAC rule 261 as opposed to Rule 562 which is what it is today
Hoping the F40 is somewhat updated. The sounds could use some changes as well as some things that were left untouched from the Caltrain version: Headlight casting yellow onto ground, parts of the front not updated modeling wise like the wipers.
Sounds cool, one little thing I am hoping for is that the you guys get the MBTA styled signage and font right at the stations this time, that would be a really nice attention to detail.
Rule 261 versus 562 has nothing to do with PTC. Under both methods of operation, trains are authorized to move by signal indications (as opposed to other methods that use paperwork to authorize the train, and signals only to restrict movement). In Rule 261 territory, there are signals at all interlockings and intermediate block boundaries, and tracks are bidirectional. (One-way tracks would be Rule 251.) Cab signals and/or PTC may or may not exist. In Rule 562 territory, the block signals are removed leaving only wayside signals at interlockings. This method requires cab signals on each leading locomotive* to display the intermediate block signals, because the boundaries still exist but are not accompanied by physical trackside signals. A full PTC system may or may not exist -- the Worcester Line had this system without PTC for decades, originally installed by Conrail, and it was later upgraded to a full PTC-compliant system with the addition of ACSES. For reference, the PTC system used in the northeast consists of three parts: Continuous cab signals for engineers to see the current signal indication ATC (Automatic Train Control), which enforces the signal speed: slow down under cautionary indications, slow down to change tracks, etc. ACSES (Advanced Civil Speed Enforcement System) which enforces civil speeds: maximum track speed, permanent speed restrictions for curves, temporary speed restrictions for track work or track defects, etc. *If a locomotive does not have cab signals, or has inoperable cab signals, each interlocking signal has an extra "C" lamp that can be illuminated to tell the engineer that the train is authorized all the way to the next interlocking signal. If implemented in TSW (and that's a big if), this could allow freight services using locomotives without cab signals.
Agreed, the HEP generator should be much much louder, you can barely hear it in game, in real life it’s louder than the engine at idle
Joethefish is there any plan for the Lake Shore Limited on this route? I know it was represented in Boston Sprinter by 2 x ACS, but with my limited knowledge of the Worcester line, I'm assuming there isn't the OHLE for them this time around?
The only reason OHLE line exists is for Amtrak's extension of the NEC line to Boston, the Worcester line doesn't have any. Though either Joe or Brandon confirmed on the TSC discord, that the timetable will make room for the LSL, if one were to make an appropriate diesel locomotive in the future. (Weather be DTG, or KitKat, whos been working on a P42 on their own)
