Dovetail Games Mattel’s Thomas & Friends™ Is Coming To Train Sim World!

Was the holiday express or whatever it was called a real world route/train? Did it stop them producing other DLC when they focused on it?

Why do you think the focus on this DLC will be any more onerous than it is when they are producing a new route? Is this DLC going to take longer to make than for example the Goblin line? It might take the place of one or two DLC's.

Have you seen the other routes on the roadmap, the Cardiff route, the German route, the Dutch route? Are these not real world routes?

Do you think we are not going to see DTG producing any more real world routes this year?

They don't even need to build a route for it.

This is just an overreaction and frankly I don't quite see what the reason for it is!

 

Totally agree.
Too many people are over reacting saying DTG are losing the plot. There's loads of stuff still in development that is real world. One piece of content that is a children's favourite been announced and people are losing their LOVE over it!!

 

I reiterate my earlier sentiment, one really has a hard time determining who the real children are in all of this.

 

I don't like this stand point where it almost feels like you're trying to gatekeep what the devs are working on for your own content wishes. The sim is for many types of railway enthusiasts not all the same and DTG needs to cater to everyone for the success of the game.

 

It's really no different to someone saying "I only like single stick EMUs and therefore DTG should stop making all other content to cater explicitly to MY personal preference".

 

Back from the penitentiary to find Thomas the Tank Engine has made it into the game.
Probably the only US based license DTG, or I suppose rather its parent Focus Entertainment has been able to secure.

Thomas without his friends and his own magical Island of Sodor?

Has DTG even thought about the implications of having Thomas, a comic character oriented at young children in the game?

Thomas trunding up and down this rather boring heritage route?

What kind of 'enticement' will DTG give their youngest customers, the konsole kiddies to keep playing Thomas and saving up or persuading their parents to buy ever more DLC to make the Thomas experience complete?
What will the older brother and dad, true thumbstick warriors, think about having to give up their gamepad for hours? Will they part from their consoles this easily when the young one wants to play with Thomas?

How will real railway staff react when young kids wander around the depot or even trespass to look for Thomas when their game time is up or big bro has kicked him off his console?

When will the first case come to court from an angry parent whose child was caught trespassing, or worse, got injured, maimed or even killed looking for Thomas?
For there must be 'collectibles','experience points', 'new levels', 'rewards', 'incentives' and even treasure hidden somewhere along the track, just like in the game?

Even though I am not interested in Thomas - at all- it could be a sensible marketing move to get younger players hooked on the game and create another flow of steady income.
Whether that will be used to improve steam physics I doubt, Thomas is best served with one knob DCC style controls, no physics necessary apart from a nice button to sound the whistle. Plus those Mattel licenses probably don't come cheap and one should wish for Thomas not becoming the usual play once and throw away toys spun off comics that fill the shelves in our toy stores.

Thomas can become a success only when properly implemented, perhaps in spin-off game with its own sanitized, child friendly and most importantly safe world, completely separate from real simulated railways.
Gradually expanded by solving puzzles, completing challenges or whatever to unlock now track until the whole Island of Sodor becomes available. Lots of commercial opportunities to sell Thomas' friends, though at what price? One doubt a family will spend like 200 or 300 quid on Thomas?

Yes, I know there are Thomas lookalike real locomotives, but DTG best be wise to make a clear distinction between toy and real train.

Lets wait and see what becomes of Thomas, whether he takes the franchise in a new direction, if at all.

 

I can understand your frustration, but I think it's important to acknowledge that everyone has different expectations and desires when it comes to the game. You’re right that the simulator is meant to cater to a wide range of railway enthusiasts. However, adding fictional elements or story modes, like with Thomas the Tank Engine, can feel out of place for players who are looking for a more grounded, realistic simulation experience. It’s not about gatekeeping, but about wanting to preserve the core purpose of the game.

For those who enjoy fictional content, there’s definitely room for that, but it would make more sense for it to be part of a separate game. If DTG wants to do something like Thomas the Tank Engine, creating a standalone title (similar to their VR offering) would allow them to focus on both the simulation community and a different, more story-driven audience without compromising the integrity of the core simulator experience.

Ultimately, I think it's a balance between catering to various interests without alienating the original fanbase. It’s clear from your comments and others’ reactions that there’s a divide, and that's something DTG should consider to ensure the success of the game for everyone.

 

I get your point, but it seems like some assumptions are being made here that I didn’t actually suggest. Let me clarify:

The fact remains that when a development team divides its focus across multiple projects, the resources (time, manpower, and attention) are split, which could slow down progress on other areas. It’s just simple logic—more projects mean less dedicated time for each one.

As for the holiday route, I agree with you—while it was a fun addition, it didn’t seem like a serious step in advancing the simulation. It felt more like a holiday gift or a special event, not a major feature. But the Thomas route is a different situation. This feels like a much more significant and strategic decision for DTG, and that’s where the concern arises for many fans.

What people are frustrated about is the focus on a project like Thomas the Tank Engine, which doesn’t align with what the majority of Train Sim World players are asking for. The community didn’t request it, and while there’s definitely a place for fun or novelty content, it does feel out of place in a simulator that’s intended to be more grounded in reality.

The hype built up around this DLC, especially considering it’s a month-long marketing push, feels like it’s overshadowing content that might be more in line with what the core player base expects—real-world routes and features that enhance the simulation experience. I think that’s where the frustration is coming from.

It’s not about the other routes being developed or whether this particular DLC is going to slow down the entire production pipeline; it’s more about priorities and what content feels true to the nature of Train Sim World. There are plenty of fans who want more realism, more routes based on actual railways, and fewer distractions with fictional characters and story modes.

So, it’s not about "overreaction," it’s more about wanting to stay true to the essence of what Train Sim World should be, which is about simulation, not a story-driven adventure with fictional trains

 

What are the majority of train sim world players asking for?

There are assumptions being made, by those predicting that the arrival of Thomas will see a diminishment of "serious" DLC and some have predicted a complete end to it.

Any suggestions are only by a small percentage of the community. We only see what is requested on here.

We will see what the "facts" are in a few months. And my prediction is little will change and those who are frustrated will have gone quiet or found a new stalking horse. I could be wrong but I doubt it.

It is one DLC amongst several others so I don't see how it is over shadowing it.

 

Presumably the same way they've been doing it for the last 40 years.

 

I've never seen Thomas discussed so much on a forum. Must be some real hard-core fans here.

 

I didn't realize you created TSW. Because you seem to know what the essence of TSW is and only the creators know that.

Last I heard the concept was to bring rail simulation to everybody by including consoles. Nothing about it being a game for serious simming adults only.

Last I checked the rating was E for everyone.

 

I do wonder if DTG have even given any thought to this, let alone done any sort of risk and safety assessment involving the WSR. While it might seem far fetched, as said it would be a tragedy if a young child were to get carried away and jump in front of an approaching steam train. Bear in mind that TSW currently allows the player to wander freely around the infrastructure with just the movement icon changing to red.

Exactly why Thomas should be in its own game, in its own fictional model railway environment and with restrictions in place where the player can actually go.

Not saying there aren’t children of an impressionable age already playing TSW and there are plenty of adults who get stupid around trains. But that doesn’t absolve DTG from taking reasonable steps to prevent Thomas on a full size simulated heritage railway does not become an additional factor.

 

I've been on many heritage railways and I've never seen a child jump in front of a train. I've seen some so called adults behaving irresponsibly though.

 

Fully agreed here. But we don't know how far Thomas' license extends and what DTG will bring and at what cost? Do they even know themselves or are just following the focus their parent company puts on their efforts to generate cashflow to stay afloat even with all these licensing troubles in pursuit of 'the ultimate in train simulation'?

Will they try to milk the Mattel license as much as possible? Wetting the child's appetite with some freebies before releasing DLC in small bites after a feature gots unlocked but still needs to be purchased, which still do add up to a considerable sum over time? Most comics related merchandise follows the lead of the broadcast schedule and sales fluctuate according to the frequency of new episodes and repeats. Is Thomas even constantly aired on this or that children's channel?

Will Thomas's revenue be used to improve the presumed simulation part of TSW that caters to a different audience who want a more substantial simulation and less of a 'game'?
To me, TSW as currently being pushed by DTG, is still predominantly a game, the main market being gaming consoles and their owners, thumbstick warriors wanting to play with trains for a change between shooting aliens or zombies, and Sony/Microsoft's subscription models make for a more or less fixed income stream.

Only JT's WCML keeps me interested in TSW, my only 2024 TSW purchase. I spend far more time on TSC, Run8, DV and RailRoader which offer me a rewarding experience of actually 'going somewhere' or 'running a railroad'.

 

Omg. Don't start saying stuff like that. Dtg will put invisible walls all over the place. We will be lucky to be able to get on a platform, let alone a train.

 

Obviously not, but given the Health And Safety focused times we now live in, one would hope some sense of responsibility pertains at DTG in regard to this matter. Trains are great fun, up to the point someone gets cut in half by one and that's not something preserved railways are immune to. So just saying, all things considered, DTG (who I believe you work for, or at least consult for) take a little bit of responsibility and at least consider putting Thomas into a train game like TSW needs a bit more thought than plonking it on an existing route where players are free to wander all over the place.

 

So now a Thomas DLC is going to cause kids to run onto tracks?!?!.

If you look at the stats more adults are hit by trains than kids, so I guess the just need to stop making the game.

Also they do have a disclaimer when you start the game about railroads and safety.

Just in case you forgot.





Its a game people, and that is the most ridiculous remark or reason for not making this DLC.

And listening to heavy metal will make you worship Satan. What is this the 50's?

 

I am sure I can hear the sound of the bottom of a barrel being scraped!

 

Trespassing was a thing long before Thomas' creator even existed. Any trespassing incident of any kind will be treat as trespassing, regardless of the reason.

If the child wanders off, that's largely parental responsibility.

They don't need Thomas to fight over who gets to play on the console. This is something that happens with siblings, it doesn't need Thomas to be involved to happen.

 

Sounds like people are just looking for a needle in a haystack.

Thomas isn't going to lead to a rise in kids getting hit by trains, not going to increase trespassing. And it certainly ain't going to be the reason kids fight over who gets the console.

All those things have been happening since they were created. No idea why it will suddenly happen more because of Thomas.

If kids are getting hit by trains looking for Thomas, then pretty much every single Thomas fan would be dead by now. He's been around since before my grandparents were even thought of.

 

The first Thomas book was published in 1945. The first TV series was in 1984. Neither to my knowledge has ever been linked to a rise in childhood railway deaths.

 

Well I've stated my piece in support of the person who actually said it first so I'm not the only one with a concern.

Maybe it is over reaction but there's still a subtle difference between watching Thomas in a fictional environment with its unique graphic style or a model railway, than on a semi photo realistic simulation game. Yes the game has a warning screen but how many 6 or 7 year olds are going to read or even comprehend it before jumping in the game? Plus if you skip through the opening screens it doesn't always appear anyway. So if DTG are happy that absolves them of responsibility, go for it.

No further comment from me on this particular matter, other than just hope it doesn't come back to bite someone in the posterior.

 

You know because ever since flight simulator came out, all those people stealing planes is just crazy.

Oh BTW the 9/11 hijackers used MSFS to learn how to fly. Wonder why they never got sued for it. Oh right they have a similar disclaimer on their games as well.

How about all those kids who just wonder onto pit lane during races because of playing those racing games.

And all those additional kids trying to go down drain pipes and wells because they saw it on Mario Bros.

This is just a witch hunt at this point.

 

Is it just me or is there a complete lack of children falling infront of trains due to Thomas and friends being on tsc?
And before you say it, yes children do own pc's all of mine have since the age of 5.

 

I’d say there is a risk of severe harm due to Thomas being in TSW. It has already caused many elderly men to burst a blood vessel and it hasn’t even been released yet.

 

If I was cynical I'd say it was just an attempt to stoke the fires as certain people don't want Thomas in th sim....but I'm not that cynical, honestly.

 

All I keep reading are alot of people saying that this is not "their" vision for TSW.

Yet has any of fhese people actually asked DTG what the vision for TSW actually is? No they are all just assuming that it's the same.

When you assume you only make an a** of you and me. Thats what I was taught.

 

I never said I created TSW, but yes, I do understand what simulation means. And yes, the goal is to bring rail simulation to everyone, which is exactly what ‘simulation’ is about. As you mentioned, TSW does’not stand for ‘Train Story Mode Fiction World.’ The name reflects the aim of creating a realistic rail experience, not a fictional one. Thomas the Tank Engine, for example, doesn't belong in a simulator because it’s a children's character from a fictional universe. TSW is about real-world trains and operations, offering an authentic experience for all players, as indicated by the 'E for Everyone' rating

 

Like the Holiday Express? Your idea of a simulation is different than mine just accept that some people just don't share your view.

I prefer a casual gameplay that is why I have no interest in the expert loco other than the cab car.

I don't like older routes, US frieght, or steam and prefer modern equipment.

Do I think DTG do a good job. I haven't touched the game since early November so no I don't. Do I complain? Yes lots.

How does 1 more DLC that I won't buy ruin my game? It's not like I have to even see it in my library. 98% of content is built as you say why can't we add a little fun every 2 years or so for the casual gamer.

Thomas is in TSC. MSFS has Dune vehicles and a Halo one. Those seem to be fantasy too and there is mre fantasy in TSC than that. But the majority they make is real world. Even Forza has Hot Wheels cars.

But people haven't said those games are ruined.

The game is made for everyone both players like you and I.

Unless you think I should not have the right to play TSW. Which would be pretty selfish.

 

Oh no. TSC has been ruined forever by having Thomas in it. Guess I'm going to go and get a bunch of pitchforks and start a petition to demand its removal.

 

I just saw that a Wallace and Gromit DLC is coming soon to Powerwash Simulator. Will the horrors of frivolity never end?

 

Really think some of you are overdoing it on the thinking. Maybe some of you should go lay down for a few months.

Seen loads of kids at Heritage railways, enjoying the Diesel & steam galas and Thomas days. I also don't see kids in the beer tents either, drinking with their designated parents so I think they will be OK.

 

All those straws folks are grasping at - pretty sure they're a choking hazard for kids too. We should look into banning them next!

 

That game was already horribly maimed when the SpongeBob DLC released ;-)

 

Ha! Didn't notice that one. Did that community also predict the apocalypse?

 

It seems like you've made a lot of assumptions about what I think of the game and of you as a player, which I haven't actually said. I've only explained what many fans feel about Train Sim World and what a simulator is generally meant to represent. I’m not trying to criticize your preferences. If my comments came off as personal, I apologize, as that wasn’t my intention. I just wanted to clarify the perspective of some players who focus on the realism aspect. I’ll leave it at that, as it seems this conversation is going in circles.

 

I focus on the realism aspect. I am a railway enthusiast first and a gamer second. For example I get annoyed with the unrealistic layers we get on routes, more than many on here seem to.

However I can see a space for TTE and think it potentially could be beneficial for TSW, although that's down to DTG.

I think the comments from the Soothsayers that this is the end of TSW are unfounded and a little odd.

 

I don't know. I didn't buy that DLC because I didn't like it. The base game is still very cool though.... Just like TSW, which is still a great game, even after release of the Thomas DLC

 

No offsnse taken.

 

Same, in all my years of Railway travel. The most trouble from Enthusiasts comes from adults and the older generation.

 

The not authentic layers shouldn't be a problem since TSW5 anymore. Because you can delete it. So when we get Thomas, then we should get back the UP layers for SPG and the 204 layers for almost all german routes. Because you can delete it now.

 

It depends how they are set up. You might not want to see a particular locomotive, like a class 40 on Shap but to get rid of it you would have to get rid of an entire layer, which you might not want to do. On the Blackpool route you could remove the class 40 and keep the layers.

It is substitutions which are not editable unfortunately.

 

how much ya'll wanna bet we'll see a glitch that has thomas in the line up on a BNSF freight train lol

 

I don't have a problem with the 40 at the WCML, because:

1. The 40 run there in real even if it was some years before the time the WCML North in TSW plays.

2. Even if that locos ended their regular timetable services there, it is very likely, that there were some extra services probably for railroad engineering and so on. I work in the near of a railway and there I can see almost each day old locomotives running (V160, V100 and so on), that are not in regular timetable operations, but pulling engineering or museum trains.

3. When we bring an unauthentic humanoid loco like Thomas to the unauthentic place (a real raylway route like WSR here, than we shouldn't have a problem to bring an authentic loco on an authentic route, if the time is 5 or 10 years to late only.

 

There’s also a Shrek DLC. Let the freaking out begin, LOL. (I really like that one.)

 

Personally it does bother me. It is my favourite era and one I have most knowledge about. There was only one class 40 on the mainline in 1986, one restored to BR green and used for rail tours.

Thomas is irrelevant as I won't be buying it, but if I did it isn't likely to start appearing on the WSR and of it does I imagine you'll be able to remove it as a layer.

 

From the Thomas news piece that was released.

• Gameplay will consist of a multi-part story with a fun narrative
• Tutorials for Thomas & Diesel will exist in Training Center
• An additional timetable will feature the Thomas & Friends characters
• The characters can be driven on any route Add-on using Free Roam