In my opinion, this route isn't as bad as most people I've watched say it is. I personally think that the route coverage, scenery and modelling on the rolling stock is perfectly fine, apart from a modelling error underneath the canopy on the up-through line at Crewe. Obvious aspects of this route that are annoying, to me and a few other, is the extremely limited amount of motive power, really spartan timetable, and the curious lack of a timetable layer for the 4f without mods. Like the East Coast Way and Cathcart Circle remasters, I think that this route could do with a new timetable from a new add-on. A developer could make a shunter like the Fowler 3f 'Jinty' with some new wagons - requesting a cattle wagon for the cattle dock at Ditton Jn and for Peak Forest - and a 1959 era timetable with the 4f from Peak Forest, and if you own the TVL and BR heavy freight, a backdated Class 40, 08 and 101. The 4f could be used on short freight runs and shunting work. The 3f could do the same but work cattle trains too because the cattle siding at Ditton Jn is tiny. The 08 could just do shunting. The 101 could be used on off the map and short length passenger trains. The 40s were just being introduced in 1959 so could just be used on test services. The Jubilee and 8f just need more of the services they already have, especially the 8f. In free roam, I saw the sidings between Ditton Jn and the river Mersey aren't accessible even though there are wagons there, if a remaster were to happen, the barrier between those sidings and mainline should be removed. *Edit* - in the scenario editor, there needs to be way more options for trains to start at Crewe, Speke Jn and Edge Hill, you can't run to the steam sheds at either end of the line in the scenario editor which says a lot for a steam route This route is in desperate need of a remaster so, DTG, here's another suggestion for the remaster list. *Second Edit* - Like with the imitation Class 165 we got with the GWE Remaster, an imitation Black 5 could be made on the Jubilee model for another steam loco, but for both freight on passenger - the Black 5's were classed as 5MT (5 Mixed Traffic)
Good suggestion but can you include what Locomotive/pack would be included with the remaster but as a owner of spirit of Steam I would love to see this
SimTrack were supposed to be making a Class 104 but I think that got cancelled because of the negative feedback of their Centro 323 reskin being payware. Though, there's nothing stopping a dev like JustTrains making one.
A new pack could be the Fowler 3f 'Jinty' with a cattle wagon for extra shunting and new cattle runs on SoS and Peak Forest. Cost would be something like £12 me thinks.
I believe the 104 pack is more "on the back burner" rather then cancelled although at this point it might as well be cancelled which is sad because I was really looking forward to that pack
SoS should have been the launch bed for a North West steam network, but sadly it was nothing more than a vanity project for the then CEO Paul Jackson. The route should have been extended from Runcorn to Chester then on to Crewe. We should have had several follow up DLC packs, including 3F Jinty, 4MT tank loco, Black Five, maybe a a Crab or BR Standard 4. Various passenger rolling stock including more Mark One variants, some LMS period coaches and some suburban stock. Not to mention an almost unlimited archive of freight wagons to call upon. It also needs a much better timetable. I was amazed to find if you finish the Journey mode, you have pretty much done everything there is available to do. I know we moan about the poor steam simulation implementation but that’s no excuse for DTG turning their back on the route after the huge “high fives” publicity it was given, once Paul Jackson said, “Job done.”
