Nec: New York - Stamford

There is no such thing as a dual mode P42. You were correct with the P32 designation, as the Genesis model that is dual mode is a P32AC-DM

Usually no one refers to the P32-8BWH as a P32, usually a Dash 8.

 

I admit at times I mix them up, but yes the P32AC-DM thanks for that correction. Those are the ones I see in the tunnel but again via Hudson River area and yard move between New York Penn and Sunnyside Yard.

 

Though now because line 2 of the east river tunnel is closed for repair , many Amtrak trains on the Hudson run with a locomotive on each end. (One of which is usually a P42DC), or 9700 (A P42C - Non powered control unit). A dual mode P32AC-DM will run on one end.

NYP- WAS NEC trains also tend to run with an ACS-64 at each end.

Edit: Another note, Metro-North put in an order for a pantograph/ battery version of the SC42-DMs for use on the Penn Station Access (NEC).

 

I wonder if the inclusion of both the Metro-North / New Haven and Amtrak alignments / approaches to NYC affected the length of the route. GCT and NYP are pretty huge. I imagine that may have affected the bandwidth.

 

Spot on. Besides, isn't NY Penn to New Haven around 2 hours in real life? I'm seeing trains on Amtrak's site list 1h45m to about 1h53 min.
Granted everyone's schedule and free time is different, but a round trip on that route can easily take a good chunk of one's day. I imagine it would be tough to make that work for the various consoles this game would be on, within budget and timelines. Along with the fact it would include both GCT and NY Penn.

Imagine any glitches or train traffic, those two hours could increase. I'd love to see New Haven in one of these, but I wonder how DTG could make it work.

 

As a Hudson line commuter, I can confirm towards the end of 2024, P42's have become a common occurrence on the Hudson line. Many more empire service trains have a P32AC-DM trailing on the northern end in push mode with a P42DC at the southern end of the pulling the consist. There are some consists where a P42C (P42 cab car with engine components deactivated) pulls the train. Double ended Amtrak trains became official on the Hudson line to reduce the time taken to switch ends at the end of the line

 

Up to now, as for freight, i see the SD40-2 confirmed by the screenshots , which is my favorite locomotive along with the GP40-2

 

Any old EMD is welcome! i would also like a GP35

 

Exactly. Most people who complain (especially those who throw fits) either are unaware, or don't care that making these games is a BUSINESS. DTG doesn't work for free. They have bills and people who count on them. So it has to make sense for all parties involved, and just like real life, not EVERYONE will be happy with EVERYTHING.

 

I suggested something similar when it came to CT Rail. I'm down for CT Rail content since we could get the GP40-3 or the P40DC.

 

You are correct on that. Certain companies (mainly the Class I freight operators in North America) don't want to play ball because of reasons that have been stated thousands of times already. Hopefully those companies will open up at one point especially the freight railroads.

 

Agreed. I've always wanted to see one of the 3 variants of the GE Genesis Series get featured in TSW.

 

I've also seen the P32AC-DM's on the New Haven Line as well. So the P32AC-DM's could act as a separate add-on.

 

Doesn't apply in this case. There has been no problem with getting the branding licenses from the Class 1's, which is why the game today has CSX, Union Pacific, Norfolk Southern, BNSF and Canadian National content. What they aren't allowing, since COVID, is access- no more photo/video/sound surveys of the actual equipment, and far too many US railfans took a huffy "well, if you can't use the real sounds then don't do it at all," so DTG took them at their word.

Branding is the issue with some major commuter lines (all government run), including MARC, SEPTA and METRA, which is why Chicago, and the NEC south of New Jersey, are not currently do-able.

 

I'm definitely glad we're getting more of the NEC. New York to Stamford is a decent length given that it's incorporating both NEC through Penn and Metro North through Grand Central (also my favorite terminus). Hopefully someday Dovetail gets CT Rail license so we get some more Connecticut in the NEC (and they get a SEPTA license because that would be a day 1 purchase)

P32 and P42 would also be something I'd purchase since I love Amtrak. Hopefully Acela II/Avelia Liberty gets its own DLC soon.

 

I don't believe DTG's excuse.

 

Never believed that. Show me the evidence. (And I don't mean DTG PR statements. )

 

Since this is another NEC route and will have layers for the Acela, I hope someone at DTG finally fixes the issue with the tractive effort always going to max regardless of throttle setting when you try to use the cruise control.

 

This has been fixed on dev since may 2024. We have mentioned it a couple of times to try to make it out on a patch.I will mention it again.

 

There is a difference between wanting new and better sounds, and using just full on recordings.

And DTG was going in the right direction with the Cajon Pass ES44C4, but then they did an odd DLC with the ATSF F7, which didn't really fit in, and the BNSF SD70ACe, which was in a configuration that BNSF doesn't allow to lead their own trains.

 

How about the fact we haven't gotten any freight and whenever it is brought up on stream they have answered the same thing for 3 years.

Believe it or not but if it wasn't true I'm sure you would have seen at least 1 route in 3 years.

 

Yeah I was pretty happy with sounds on the more recent US trains. Compared to the SPG era locos that sound like my vacuum cleaner.

 

Oh I think the absence of US freight has more to do with the bottom line. Doubt if it has anything to do with players and sounds.

DTG has plenty of locos and route data in it's back catalog. They could resurrect a US freight route tomorrow.

If a small group like HIS can do it, DTG certainly can.

 

It most likely does, especially with how much some players on here like to spout "I don't play US freight routes because they are boring"

 

What do you mean? It's available in layers.

 

In real life, BNSF doesn't allow non-ISO cab SD70ACe's lead trains due to how loud they are inside the cab, so it shouldn't even be used as a lead unit in game.

(Or DTG should of made an ISO cab version to begin with)

Even RSC had both variants of it on TSC back in the day.

 

Very interesting information, thank you.

 

Per October roadmap stream, looking like a 2026 release. Also garbage trains are confirmed.

 

That’ll be interesting. SD40-2s aren’t used on the Hudson Division anymore. They use AC4400CWs now.

 

The TT is set around 2020 so not sure if that makes a difference

 

Damn I was thinking before 2018, only because it be cool to see M2s in the future, but they were LONG done after that...ehh 2020???hmm

 

I still hope the SD40-2 that comes with Stamford has a YN3 paint scheme, there is no reason to bring back a YN3B paint for it to make it somewhat more unique

 

If I’m not mistaken, didn’t the original roadmap revealed with TSW 6 say that New York - Stamford was in the 0-3 months section? That was in August, so a late November - December release? Could be wrong though. Not the best memory if I’m honest.

 

Honestly man, i wish this route did go all the way up to New Haven Cause It wouldn't just be a great basic commuter route but it would also be great for services like express services, especially for Amtrak services since it's such a long distance. So many people would buy this DLC if they extended this to new haven.

 

There's a mod/livery which fakes an ISO by creating the black rubber buffer strip

 

Yeah, made by SpaceyKat, same person who is modeling the P42, toyed around with that CSX C40-8, made a bunch of enhancements, and even made a BNSF autorack for Cajon in a few days when DTG said they couldn't. One of the better North American mod makers for TSW.
https://www.trainsimcommunity.com/user/spacey-kat/uploads

 

That’s awesome. Do they have any pictures or videos of the P42? If it’s good enough quality, maybe they could work with Dovetail to do an actual release of it. Honestly, i would pay for the P42 even if it doesn’t have that many services.

 

as you can see, no

 

I cant find the recent PTC video, it may of been taken down, the latest one is from over a year ago. But here is a few photos from her website. https://space7546.neocities.org/

 

Yeah, the PTC was on his YouTube but has since been made private.

 

Dragging this OT, so apologies for that, but surely the solution to justify getting at least the P42 in-game is to do the Lowell & Haverhill Lines out of Boston North with the Downeaster?
I think it still does 5 journeys each way a day, so I would've thought that's enough gameplay for the new loco, and then the MBTA has pretty good representation already, so layers wouldn't be a problem.

 

I am stoked that the New York to Stamford is coming but if it's possible, I would see if they can delay it and bring it up to New Haven. Looking at the Harlem Line and the mistake of making that route a short distance (New York to North White Plains), I think the idea to extend this route to New Haven should be thought of. If possible, I hope this opens up room to bring the Harlem line up to current standards. Looking at the Metro North route map, it appears Stamford and North White Plains are roughly the same distance from Grand Central Terminal.

 

I don’t see Dovetail revisiting the Harlem Line.
In an ideal world I think it would be pretty cool to see them just bring all of the Harlem line over to New York - Stamford. Hell, you could just call the route New York Penn; GCT - Stanford; North White Plains.
More realistically, I could maybe see Dovetail “delaying” it or pushing back the release time frame so they could add the New Canaan Branch. Don’t see it happening though. But, I really wish Dovetail would’ve included Fresh Pond yard so we’d have more to the freight. Dovetail is advertising freight pretty heavily with this route.

 

There is no way they will extend to New Haven. In the years I have been playing I cannot recall any instance where they announced a route and then decided to make such an extension before it even released. There is also no way they would delay the release if the only reason was to extend the route. I am sure they have done the math and figured out their expense going to Stamford versus how much money they think the route will make. I am also sure going farther than that would result in more cost for no more profit.

You have also claimed as fact that the Harlem Line is a mistake because you think it is too short. Of course that is your opinion but it is not a fact and I don't share in your opinion either. In any case, you yourself have acknowledged that N. White Plains and Stamford are about the same distance from NYC, so I think you have your answer to everything right there.

For myself, I am not stoked for Stamford but I am apprehensive. It does not appear that the same people who were involved in making Morristown such a success are involved in Stamford, and even then freight ended up being dropped in Morristown anyway. My argument is that we should not be wishing for more in Stamford like New Haven or New Canaan or other dreams. Instead we should be focusing on not getting anything dropped that was announced, and especially that things like the signals, safety systems, and trains should actually work. Or else we could end up with another NYT.

 

After the backlash that New York - Trenton got, I highly doubt Dovetail would resort back to their own staff who don’t have solid knowledge on U.S railroads to make a U.S route. We know little to nothing about this route and who’s involved. But, I believe Dovetail would like the people who made Morristown to return after the positive reviews the route has received. Brandon who did the signaling on the past few routes I believe will return because he’s highly praised.

 

Unfortunately, the evidence we do have is not positive, because when Brandon was asked if he was working on the signals when Stamford was announced, he said he had not even heard of the route until right then. It would be nice to think that this is how DTG works but everything they do suggests otherwise. Just look at the UK routes and the involvement with Rivet, prior to the Riviera Line many players were demanding to know if Rivet were involved in whatever was on offer because they didn't trust Rivet's work. The fact that DTG didn't have Brandon work on NYT and also never had him fix it, when he offered (for pay to be sure), I think speaks volumes. DTG has shown that they will stick with certain people or groups even if the outcome is not guaranteed. There is a definite pattern and what I am saying is that after years of playing and posting on this forum I recognize the pattern repeating with Stamford, and there is reason to be concerned.

 

If Stamford is being done by the "b" team after how good Morristown is, that's hugely disappointing imo.

Why go backwards? I thought maybe we'd finally turned the page for US content.
Why don't they ever give the NEC any love? This is the 4th time they've tried a section in TSW:

Newark-New Rochelle was so busted it couldn't even be ported over to TSW2

Boston-Providence is probably the best of the lot but has some issues and Worcester is a much better MBTA route.

New York-Trenton the less said the better

And now New York-Stamford looks like it's getting the bum's rush.

At least they've only done the WCML dirty once lol

 

I remember in the latest roadmap stream, Matt said that they had only just gotten the track laid and maybe the Harlem Line section ported over but I don’t remember for sure. Maybe the idea for this route was thrown together very quickly because Dovetail wouldn’t have any U.S content to offer for TSW 6s life and so they hadn’t contacted Brandon about this route. Maybe I’m being really hopeful. But my excitement for this route has hit a new low if the Morristown team isn’t working on this route.

 

Since when can bits of route be "ported over" in TSW? I always thought that is not a thing.