Well, it wasn’t me who found the photos, it was a member on discord who changed something with the URL to show the hidden photos. it doesn’t necessarily class as a leak, as these were public domains available for anyone to access.
Good point, well made. Currently eagerly awaiting the Roadmap Q&A, so many questions to put up for this one…
To be fair, Northern made it common practice to run 150+142 consists. You could also regularly find a 150+142 consist on Blaenau Ffestiniog Branch, back before the pacers were banned from the line.
The 150 and 153 should be able to couple to themselves, each other, and the 170s, 158s and 142s. Whether they do or not we don't know. I think we can rule out the Rivet 150 (which the JT 142 was not set up for) but everything else should be made to work. Of course this wouldn't be totally realistic as the different PIS systems would render the trains incompatible in passenger service, but that's nothing to worry about in TSW.
can’t say for the 142s, but having worked the 170s they often come from canton and detached from 150s and 153s all the time. So if they could couple in game, it at least gives people a chance to simulate empty stock movements. If the 142 and 150 could couple it gives people a chance to simulate early tfw days. There’s genuine use cases for at least some of it.
When I mentioned the PIS systems, I meant that it prevents some of the Sprinters and Pacers from working with the others. EMR's ex Greater Anglia 156s can't work with the EMT ones. Northern are changing the PIS on their 170s to (heaven forbid) TrainFX so the PIS can work when they're used in multiple with the other trains in their fleet. Mechanically every Sprinter and Pacer (and the 170s and 172s) can work in multiple.
the Class 150 is being heavily modified internally by DTG to bring it more inline with current train model standards. I would expect it be able to couple up to other stock going forwards when Cardiff City releases. Hopefully the new 150 will show as a sub in routes that currently feature the old class 150.
You just know they will find a way to mess it up. They always do. I hope I’m wrong though haha! They need to fix the lighting at Cardiff central though. The lights in the screenshots are way too… white.
Is it more rural or urban this route? Are the outskirts of Cardiff quite greenish? Just interested. Also wonder what max speed will be?
You won't be going very fast, no more than 50 or 60 MPH if that. Most of the stations are fairly close together too in the area represented.
I reckon they will announce its release on the March roadmap as March is st David’s day (Welsh national day) so it would kind of fit the theme
To be honest - I’m disappointed by the route. It’s a really small area, the variety of driving that DTG said we’d get in the season of reveals just simply won’t be there. It’s all stopper passenger services. We in effect will get two lines and all the services will be over before you know it. They missed out by not extending the route to Barry Island. That being said, I’m still going to be buying and wasting my money on it as it’s the only Welsh route for TSW.
Still maintain at the least they could have gone to Barry Island. Think like North London Line. this is one where caution will rule the wallet and the complex equation of selling price, initial reviews and general feel for the product will come into play.
Not sure if anyone's posed this question yet but I wonder if this could be a precursor to North Wales Coastline or something more substantial for the summer release? As this would give a boost to the initial stock on that route. SHG could do a 158 in TFW which is something they said they looked at for this but wasn't quite appropriate I believe?
You would have thought... But then they made the Class 700 (albeit slightly flawed) with huge potential for use on other routes, but other than popping in as AI or for ECS moves at Peterborough on ECML it remains tragically under utilised.
I actually wrote that out beneath and then took it out before I posted for some unknown reason. Surely DTG couldn't make that mistake again?
I would have course preferred this route to be longer. But I like network routes and at least there are completable services on it. Also I do like the Sprinters and we are getting two with this, so it very likely I'll get this on day one unless it isn't finished. It would have been great if it had gone further into the valleys as there are some interesting lines up there.
I reckon that on sale this route will be worth buying just for a better 150 and the 153. The TFW 150s are very similar to the GWR ones so they'd be a prime candidate to be reskinned and used in a modern timetable mod for WCL.
I’m based in Cardiff as a mainline guard with TfW, so I only go on three of the stations in the route. Central, Ninian Park and Grangetown. I really, really think the line could’ve been extended to BYI and that would have satisfied most. The “network” style is a bit of a cop out IMO. I know with my level of familiarity, at least with the three named stations, I’ll find some nit picky things. I cant see any reason why Canton ECS moves won’t be included as you will be going right past canton to get to GTN. I just really don’t like how DTG are hyping the “variety” included in the route. I’ll have to see how long I can keep my will and wait for a sale. But, that being said I’ll still enjoy it though, because I’m a shill I’m looking forward to the revamped 150 and the 153 too. Just wonder if it’ll be the refurbed units with PRM toilets or not. Often enough, the City Line is run by a single 153 without an accessible toilet due to the length of the route.
It’s different I guess, there’s nothing wrong with DTG experimenting with different types of routes. imo network routes are quite fun, if done right of course.
I respect that, but the variety of services? No. Two and a bit lines is hardly a network is my point. There’s definitely not much in the way of variety. It’ll get boring, very quickly. I do feel DTG have over-sold it. But. I’ll still pick it up and play it regardless.
The "variety" comes from it being more than a simple A to B, unlike most other routes. There are very few TSW routes that are like this. Closest we've got (off the top of my head) is Cathcart.
