What’s Next For All Aboard Studios?

AABS have been really knocking it out of the park lately with their WCML releases.
Nothing is confirmed whether AABS will continue with more WCML content or pursue something entirely different, after the release of Trent Valley.

Poll time


So examining the WCML train map there’s only a few remaining options for the team to pursue.

What would you like to see?

I’m all for the Bletchley to Bedford line. We’d get the class 230 and a decent drive for our money (40 minutes).

 

I was pondering this earlier. Logically infilling Milton Keynes, or rather Roade to Rugby via Northampton then across to Birmingham would be the next step, however this is going to lead to not two but three slightly overlapping and disjointed sections (four if you include the OG WCMLS) of the southern WCML.

So I would rather they sought new territory, though much would depend on whether they have anyone on the team who can build new rolling stock or whether it would continue to use existing or slightly rebuilt items already in the sim. Lots of potential not too far from where they are already working on...
Birmingham to Peterborough is crying out to be made.
Wolverhampton to Shrewsbury and maybe on to Crewe or Chester via Wrexham.
Crewe to Chester then along the North Wales Coast.
Crewe across to Derby.
Or perhaps consider a new area, East Anglia is often mentioned and something like the Wherry Lines would be a good place to start.

 

Hopefully not WCML...

Aside from Riviera and Medway, it's the only line TSW developers seem to think exists...

Not like I personally really care with the state of their existing releases on console

 

Would die to see North Wales, Crewe-Llandudno or so

 

I'd say the "safest" bet from their side is MK-New Street, but as they've run out of 80x and 350 subclasses to offer (I think), they'd need to develop a 730, hopefully in both LNWR and WMR.

At some point they'll need to move out of WCML though... my guess is that as they prefer modern, busy, high speed environments they'll go for bits of the ECML at some stage.

 

Maybe I’m missing something, but I don’t really understand the hype around the North Wales Coast route. I found it quite a long and somewhat repetitive drive in TSC. What do people find so special about it?

 

Pretty scenery I guess. It does have the potential for lots of variation though; any of the TFW stock, 805, 70 when it comes out.

 

I would hope that JT do the North Wales Coast as part of their 80s era, far more variety of traction action and whatnot... Plus, they've gone to the effort of making Crewe circa 1986 so surely they would try and re-use that like Preston 3x and Carlisle 2x.

As for AABS, I think they would like to also re-use Crewe again and perhaps do the Heart of Wales line? It's a pretty line but not exactly teeming with traffic, that's the only real issue I reckon.

 

It’s one of the most scenic routes in the UK.

 

North Wales Coast in the late 70;s and early 80's was a Mecca for classic diesel traction. It would be disappointing if made as a more modern iteration.

 

East West Rail is a route I’d like to see

 

There'd have to be trains on it, first

 

I think AABS will be doing the north Wales coastline somewhere in the future or at least a part of it. The only reason why the 805 exists is because of the north wales coast line. Now that the 807 will be included with Trent Valley there is almost no reason to buy the 805 add on. If they make the NWCL more people will be buying the 805 as well.

 

Would love to see the Portsmouth Direct line Waterloo - Portsmouth Habour with a class 450 and 444. Might be a bit too long of a route for a small dev team though

 

Well they could release TSW first just like GB railways livery. Or if this government gets its arse into gear release at the same time

 

According to Google it’s around 65 miles, perfectly doable I’d say.

Also a route I’d love to see. I enjoy driving the 444 and 450 on TSC.

 

Stafford to Liverpool, utilising the section to Crewe and adding in the potteries line via Stoke-on-trent
Or MK to BHM via Northampton loop, including the fast lines to rugby
Rolling stock - 730 for either

 

Marston Vale line holds very happy memories for me, if it was set in the 80s using JT's 104 and their Intercity rolling stock as AI traffic at Bletchley as well as HSTs at Bedford, I'd pay a silly amount for it!! Can't see AABS taking this on of course.

MK to Birmingham via Northampton would be decent too, but can understand why the highest polling option is something not WCML.

 

My memories of the Bletchley to Bedford line are Cravens DMU’s which terminated at the rather forlorn shack which was Bedford St John’s. Quite some distance from the town centre or the main Midland station. Though ISTR a couple of nice pubs en route serving Charles Wells ales for refreshment (back when real ale meant what it said and not overhopped battery acid masquerading as IPA or dishwater sludge like Doom Bar!).

 

My brother and I used to go for a ride as it was the closest place where the trains had blinds we could ask the driver to leave up so we could see out the front. Very rarely they'd be up on a 310 but they did away with them on the WCML near me not long after I was old enough to go out riding. I didn't get in to the pub for ales, that was a couple or three years later...

 

I'm really hoping they move onto the ECML next. It needs some attention and not from DTG.

 

I do agree. ECML needs more.

 

Hopefully a non electric route and definitely not another damn 350

 

London Kings Cross to Peterborough

 

I see you`ve found your new profile pic.

 

Or Hitachi AT300. Basically a new train we haven’t seen in TSW yet, even if it’s modern like a TfW 197.

 

Time to give WCML a rest guys and get down to Kings X.

 

But didn’t DTG say building Kings Cross was too complex or something ?. Anyway yeah. Just get it built no excuses anymore xD.

 

personally i think it’s hard to argue against their next route being north wales coastal- it’s a highly requested, doable route and the rolling stock is mostly already available

 

They literally have a mock up version of it on the Mildway line. If you know where to look you can spawn a train and reverse into the station. I said before, but I always believed this was built intentionally for a future project.
It makes no sense to model the station when you have no business driving that way on the route.

 

And that's why we pay DTG (or the 3P's) a lot of money to make this stuff!

 

How is King`s Cross too complex, its small as far as terminus stations go, its got only 9 and 3/4 platforms?! Dovetail being Dovetail.

 

The class 201/ 205 would be nice

 

It’s not. I don’t think DTG said it was too complex to make at any point.

 

As I've speculated before - LNWR services (in terms of stops) diverge at Milton Keynes:
Birmingham services go via Northampton, Crewe trains go direct to Rugby.
Logically, it would make sense for AAS to 'complete' the EUS-BHM service by building that route.

I'd personally like to see the Nuneaton-Coventry-Leamington Spa line thrown in just for the love of the game, although I doubt it would happen. It would just break up the monotony of the mainline.

 

They once said on a stream that it’s complex because of all the intermediate stations they would have to model between Kings Cross and Peterborough. Another problem would be: what should it include? Kings Cross to Peterborough on its own would be a bit of a letdown in my view. I would like to see Moorgate and the St Pancras Low Level Thameslink platforms coming from Finsbury Park. Many people would also be asking for the Hertford Loop. If they did the whole thing, it would be a very diverse route with tons to do.

 

Yes please. Or the full Oxted Lines from East Croydon to East Grinstead and Uckfield, also Eridge to Tunbridge Wells with a Class 207.

 

Anything short of all of that is bound to disappoint a fair chunk of the player base. St. Pancras is maybe expendable but I think that would still be seen as an open goal - especially as that would leave TL services with the awkward end point of Finsbury Park - St Pancras is a natural 'terminus', as the start of the ATO section.

I think the main question would be what the focus is.
If it's an LNER-centred route then I could see them just having the Mainline + Moorgate / StP branches
If it's a commuter route then I could see the Branches + Hertford Loop with potential of having the mainline end at Stevenage.
AAS could maybe go all-out but even for them that may be a bit much.

 

Not so much complex but a lot of stations and therefore a lot of work. It is too much for DTG but AABS on the other hand like a challenge.

 

A modern route to Liverpool is well overdue, Crewe/Stafford to Liverpool and Chester makes the most sense to me.

I added Crewe to Chester only so it could make use of the 805, I know it might be asking a lot! We already have the 390/350 and soon 807 for the Crewe to Liverpool section.

 

AABS are certainly building their stock of trains now, so i highly doubt they’d do anything else but a modern route.

If we’re diverting off the WCML and onto the East Midlands then I’d like to see Crewe to Derby, or taking it a step further to Nottingham. It’s crazy how much untouched potential the East Midlands has to offer, some fun routes to experience there.

 

to continue the theme of filling in the gap in the WCML can see them doing stafford to stockport and crewe to stockport so could do a complete birmingham to manchester run both via stoke and crewe and route hop to the manchester airport dlc

 

As I said previously, I believe they will want to make the most out of Crewe, given a lot of work went into the station and trackwork. Now thinking again, I think they might do something like Stafford-Stoke-Crewe-Liverpool. It fills in the gaps at both ends really, as there are those that want Crewe - Liverpool and of course there are those crying foul that Stoke was left out of the Trent Valley route.

It would also be a good use for their Class 70 DLC which did some semi-regular MGR workings up that way, though they'd finished them by the time of this timetable.

 

No clue what they WILL do. I can spitball the things that would be good for TSW regarding networks, traction and completeness, but it's really up to what AABS wants to do. So much of the creator choices seems to come down to what they have a hankering for. More often than not it's not even what is asked for or sells, but rather I keep hearing along the lines of "I grew up around there" or "I just really wanted to see that in game." =-)

 

crewe to liverpool by aabs in the modern era won’t be happening as they said a few months ago that they’d leave that section out of respect for dtg and jt, i think it was one of richyrails streams?

 

What do they mean, out of respect? This has something to do with Steam: Crewe to Liverpool Lime Street in 1958?

 

I dont get it either.. out of respect for what.. So Liverpool to Crewe can remain known as one of the worst DLC for TSW..it was that good they had to give it away for free!

 

i think it was more aimed at jt, because it’s them who are making that section, or at least part of it and it’s their work which isn’t for aabs to then replicate in a different era

 

They wouldnt use JTs work they would create their own, while its such a small stretch with what 3 stations , so dont get that reasoning...anyway I guess we'll see what AABS get up to once WCMLTVL is up and running.