Yep, you said exactly how I felt. I know it was a post TSW2 era route, but it just needed double or triple its length to really appreciate a journey.
No different to Nidd and that really is a great route. This is meh at best because even when they get a reasonable route they do the bare minimum they can get away with.
Pity Thomson Interactive folded and joined rivet, which dumbed stuff down, quality stuff from Thomson of old ime.
Positively surprised to see renewed discussion about this route here. I got it on sale a few months ago — mainly because I had been interested in it since release and just couldn’t resist giving it a try, despite all of its shortcomings. And to be honest, it’s been really fun. The scenery has held up quite well, the train is solid, and the services aren’t too short or too long. So sad that development was seemingly abandoned, it could’ve done with a few more bug fixes (the PIS, yikes) and a gameplay pack or two.
The only issue apart from the ECTS (always run with safety systems off) is that most of the Journey mode seems to be at dawn or dusk in the dark with pouring rain and a blizzard.
Its like that on most routes journeys. Im really hoping its not like that on the new routes and we get a good variety of weather and times in the journeys.
Or the pouring rain/mist/fog. Even Mittenwald did that so your first Journey run across this highly scenic route, you couldn't see much at all!
Also what pees me is you get a new route and the entire journey is in the snow or rain and makes the route look grim and dull.
DTG will get the night lighting right one day lol. I’m not a fan of night driving either, prefer early morning when the sun is raising or day time with light clouds.
Ironically, have been playing this route again recently - I'm a big fan of the Stadler Flirt. For such a short and lifeless route with a lack of variety and many bugs that needed priority fixing ages ago, despite all this, it's TSW route I continue to go back to and play again and again over the years. For context, I've actually almost completed 2/3 of the services in timetable mode and it might be the first route eventually I'll ever complete every timetabled service for. As others have pointed out, the scenery actually still looks quite good and the fact that, despite the flaws, feels different from other routes. The other thing too, for pre-TOD 4 lighting, I've always liked how dark the night time is; compare that with others routes from the same era like BML etc which night time looks almost like broad day light.
I do occasionally pop into this route to do a couple of services. It’s good fun. It’s a shame there won’t be any more Swiss routes.
No, that won't happen, the SBB will not stop issuing licences for its locomotives. More Swiss routes could be built, for example with the BLS. The BLS has some very attractive routes and in some cases even uses the same rolling stock as the SBB.
I’m not sure Rivet, who made the Swiss content, would risk starting development on any Swiss content in case the effective simulator ban spreads to all Swiss operators during development, if it hasn’t already. I think that’s why they now have a bigger role in DTG’s UK content development as their very existence was hugely threatened by this issue and DTG gave them a lifeline to keep them from going under. Now with two full UK routes to develop for DTG each year they have no need to develop their own route content.
All that was mentioned was that safety systems and some info screens can’t be added, it never really said anything about a full ban on issuing licenses but only from what I seen
That is exactly what you heard. I work for SBB, and I have heard and read quite a few other things there.
It hasn't, and won't. The RHB is independent of SBB and so far has been very co-operative, so any change in that is very unlikely.
The Engadin and Surselva Lines are hidden gems in TSC. We also need the Albula Line though it’s a little cliched and of course the TSC version even then was showing signs of the Rivet/Thomson shortcutting we saw with TSW Bernina by starting at Thusis rather than Chur. All three of those would be pretty much Day One.
I myself don't really like these RHB routes. But perhaps it would be possible to use standard gauge with BLS or another company. After all, we have many railway companies in Switzerland that are independent of SBB, and all of them use standard gauge.
I wonder if TSW could handle rack railways? Then we could have the BOB and Jungraubahn. Though never having travelled on the latter, have heard it’s about as exciting as the Bakerloo Line as most of the climb is in tunnel. I agree with Emmy_MAN that DTG should be talking with BLS. I remember travelling over the Lotschberg line many years ago (early 1980’s) and the scenery was outstanding. Better IMHO than the Gotthard route, plus you can do the scenic section along the lake to Interlaken. Where I recall going in a cafe and buying a rather large slice of chocolate cake, “Schloss” I think it was called, along with a coffee. Very nice!
well to be fair: Yes, the trains running on the Albulaline start in Chur- but the line itself starts at Thusis; so it actually is correct if you take a look at the line itself, but regarding the timetable it’s not complete
