Route Length: ~74 km (46 miles) Rolling Stock: BLS Re 465 (other options include BLS Re 4/4, or BLS RABe 535 if >2008 Gameplay: InterCity, regional, heavy freight, Autoverlad services Scenery: Bernese Alps, engineering marvels including the double-loop spiral tunnels in the Kander Valley and viaducts Licenses: BLS (Bern-Lötschberg-Simplon) Time Period: <2007 - More traffic including IC, regional and freight >2007 - Less traffic with no IC services and less freight, but more regional services (with BLS RABe 535 EMU) Similar Add-ons: Berninalinie (scenic Swiss railway) Mittenwaldbahn (standard gauge scenic railway) Why this route: This route would offer a busy standard gauge Swiss mountain railway line, connecting Spiez to Brig. It includes a medium-length route past beautiful scenery of the Bernese Alps and views of the Rhône and Kander valley, cities such as Visp, as well as a variety of tunnels and viaducts. The owner of the line is BLS, which means we can avoid SBB (who don't want to license any more). The route would be a lot busier (if set before 2007) than Swiss routes such as Berninalinie, but still have beautiful scenery. I think the best choice of rolling stock would be the BLS Re 465, a large electric loco of iconic Swiss design, with some coaches and/or wagons. I think the best era would before the opening of the base tunnel in 2007 - this would give it more traffic and include more variety. However, setting it after 2007 is also an option - this would mean no intercity traffic and less freight, but would include some hourly regional services using the RABe 535.
BLS Re 465 Country/Region: Switzerland Operator(s): BLS Type: Multipurpose electric loco Era/Years in Service: 1994–present Top Speed: 160 km/h (99 mph) Power Output: 6400 kW Notable Features: Iconic Swiss design based on the SBB Re 460 Existing routes it could operate on: None Ideas for new routes: Swiss routes featuring BLS Appeal to railfans: A loco with an iconic design in the Lok 2000 family (the last mainline locomotives to have been designed almost entirely by Swiss companies) Gameplay variety: A mainline Swiss electric loco that could pull both passenger and freight services depending on era Livery potential: Each loco has a different name, BLS, SBB
As a SBB Cargo shunting locomotive driver, I would really enjoy this route. But the BLS Re 4/4 would also have to be built for it, because the Re 4/4 is simply an iconic Swiss locomotive, whether from SBB or BLS. The Re 4/4, also known as Bo'Bo', were built as Re 4/4I (Re 410), Re 4/4II (Re 420 / Re 421) and Re 4/4III (Re 430). You could then also build either the Tm 232 or the Am 843 shunting locomotives with freight tasks in an expansion pack.
bring it on and for post 2007 you need two lines Rabe 535s summit line ETR470 in the original 15/3kv version Rabe 503s base tunnel with Re 474/484s.
