Is There Demand For An Uk Freight Focused Route?

Yes.

Would love to see my local line in game.

 

I don't know about a freight route, but TSW desperately, desperately needs another modern British freight loco. 66s are everywhere, but they aren't the only ones!

 

zappatime Fun fact: my Woodhead proposal was the most appreciated here on the forums. Would say, a pre-1968/69 setting would be di-vi-ne! Full of stock options, both freight and passenger: EM1/2, 08, 13, 25, 40, 47, 506 etc... Plus tons of freight stock already appeared on Peak Forest/other old routes! Now also JT's MGRs!

 

I did submit a suggestion for this a while ago.

 

Perhaps one of the “new” games DTG promised on Direct will be a combined rail and container port simulation.

I remember a few years ago our Line Manager ( like me now retired, but who was great at organising team days out and about) took his Train Running Comtrollers down to Southampton to see the operations at the MCT and smaller Millbrook Yard. I found myself wondering how on Earth the operators keep a check on the 1000’s of boxes, where they are going whether by train or lorry. All the vehicles shuffling the containers around to various parts of the sites. A logistical nightmare or dream, depending on your POV.

 

There is a new game called Port Simulator I think.
I think Nintendo released or is releasing it though, not DTG.

 

I think TSW rules mean that we would be lucky to get this



Still at least the backdrop says "Here's what you could've had". (Felixstowe to Harwich ferry).

 

This would also make an interesting route, the old LD&ECR is fascinating. Although the execution wasn't the best on some aspects it was another favourite route in TSC for me.

 

On a side note, it’s such a shame we didn’t get the AP soundpack for the class 37. It really is on another level and frustrating considering AP worked on both the TSW class 20 and 31 from what I understand.

 

A route based around the collieries around Shirebrook (ideally including the freight only branch up to Maltby and Harworth via Brookhouse Viaduct) and including Cottam, West Burton and High Marnam Power Stations would be the ultimate route for me.

The sheer playability, the atmosphere, the nostalgia, i would pay really good money to see this come to TSW.

 

The new Just Trains route around Crewe to Preston is supposed to be exactly like this with lots of coal industry runs.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_Lawnmower_Simulator

Best game ever

 

i really hope this new JT route is a success and that it could spark interest in UK coal/freight routes, and it could hopefully be a catalyst for a dedicated UK freight route in the not too distant future

 

It’s a just trains route so it’s pretty much guaranteed to sell very well

 

South Humberside line would be a good freight route. Coal, Iron Ore, Petroleum and Steel, along with Speedlink and Departmental. And probably more too if the route went from Thorne to Hull, including Freightliner, Tilcon (Aggregates), Chemicals.

 

Interestingly also.. it’s starting off as a crowd funded project. Does that mean Skyhook would be tempted by a community finance driven project more than they’re admitting? Could it mean we could ‘persuade’ Skyhook to look into some of our more desired outcomes for the MML??

 

While freight isn't my bag, I would have thought an 80's DLC with a 56 based around coal trips in the East Midlands and/or South Yorkshire would be quite fun for those who want something a bit different. Driving slowly while the wagons load up with coal, then struggling with a heavy load over gradients to Sheffield or one of the huge power stations in that part of England.

I've said it plenty of times but a 1980s LTS Rail route would have bags of freight opportunities. Aggregates trains from Purfleet, Freightliners from Tilbury, Oil tankers and Speedlink from Thames Haven, cars and vans from Fords at Dagenham, Ripple Lane depot. I'm old enough to have stood at the long gone level crossing along Ripple Road in Barking watching a cast of locos (usually Classes 31, 37, 47 and 56s - even saw a 40 once) taking all manner of stuff up the country from many freight yards along the Tilbury loop. And there would be plenty for those of us who want to drive commuter trains or an Underground train along the surface section of the District Line.

It's mostly tankers and Freightliners from the new Thames Haven docks nowadays but there's still lots of freight for an inner-London mixed in with an intensive commuter service.

 

South wales coastal on TSC has a decent freight to it with the 70. But all it seems we get is a 66. Consistently or lazily, you decide.

 

I thought the issue with the 70 was licensing, though I could be wrong.

 

Loco licensing or livalry?

 

Both since you need both access and livery.

 

Yeah with 56's, 58's and 60's.

 

Would love to see a Freight Focused Route set somewhere between the 50's and 80's on the North East Coalfield with Passenger Services being secondary...

The Old Colliery Lines around Newcastle and Sunderland

The Leamside Line
Stillington Line
Sunderland to Hartlepool via Murton
Sunderland to Durham via Murton and Hetton
The Blyth and Tyne
Durham Coast Line
ECML to Darlington
The Lines to Sunderland Docks
The Lines to Port of Tyne around Jarrow and South Shields

Probably quite the task to create, but a guy can dream

 

Port Talbot to Llanwern in the late 90’s would be a good one. I remember standing on Bridgend station with the iron ore trains pounding through with either a 56 or 60 on the front.

 

Triple 37s surely?

 

Yes!!!!

 

You can never have too much English Electric traction.

 

I’m not a fan of those sim city style types of games. I did try Transport fever 2 fairly recently, but it wasn’t for me.

 

Can 37s be linked up as full Multiple Units, or did each have to be crewed separately to control throttles independently?

 

They have the Freightliner license now though. During the preview stream for WCMLoS Matt demonstrated the Freightliner branding on the intermodal cars, and said that they have the license for all Freightliner liveries up until Powerhaul which is the Class 70 green and yellow livery, the only one they still can't do is the current orange Genesee & Wyoming livery. But that means Powerhaul, original green and yellow, two tone grey and the various others are all available now. With that in mind in terms of licensing and legalities, there is genuinely nothing stopping them from doing a new 66/5 variant, a 70, 57, 90 ect...

 

Oi you! You can't come round here posting pictures like that!

 

Yes. Multiple working systems have existed since the 1960s, which would allow up to three locomotives of the same system to work under the control of a single driver - the most common being blue star (you may have noticed the little blue star on the nose of the wcl 37)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiple_working

Most common now is AAR which is computer based and used on modern freight locos including the 66.

 

Already available in game:

 

Not as good as your piccy Dave but do you remember this one? (No Lighting Mod at that time unfortunately).



I really must get my TVL scenarios updated and released

 

I'm working on a Tees Valley scenario with the 3x37s and Iron Ore train at the moment, David.

 

glad woodhead got a mention in this thread. in the 50s/60 still think it would be too much to do (although not impossible). a 70s route with the MGR wagons coming soon your not a million miles away from having most of the stuff you would need to make an epic route. i know passenger services would ultimately be a retro glossop branch with the 506. with the odd footEX and diversions full route but you would only need the EM1 at that time for freight. but the start end points on the Sheffield side Wath tinsley woodhouse and stockbridge then Manchester side Mottram godley dewsnap guide bridge reddish depot and ashburys, loads of scope there for a network and there is aload of stuff out there for research given its demise.

 

You still need access to a Class 70 to build one accurately though.

 

Too right.
I'm just surprised that, in this day and age, people aren't promoting its green credentials

 

Freight to me is 28xx, 2884, 47xx, 72xx, 42xx. But of course not available in TSW because steam locomotives are beyond DTG's capabilities in this game.

 

That's why there's many other games that have steam in them.

 

Not on console

 

Railroads Online is on console.
It's all steam trains.

 

Still doesn't bring steam to TSW and out of those other games only TSC interests me.

 

Then play TSC.
Not every game has to have everything in it.

 

Us only steam I think, I’m mainly interested in uk steam

 

Well that just leaves you with most of the TSC content then.

 

Don’t have a strong enough laptop to run, one of the smallest routes being Doncaster works