On the continuing theme of lack of US steam, what could be better than the world's largest loco? The UP Big Boy was made to haul along the Wasatch Range, from Green River, Wyoming to Ogden, Utah. I'm sure this is a well-requested loco, and it would be great to see it perhaps alongside a Union Pacific 4-8-4 (#844)
And also UP SD70M (including America 250 #1776 and #1616 Abraham Lincoln Units), C45ACCTE (ES44AC), C45AH (ET44AC; including #4547 Trump Unit), SD70AH-T4, GP60/GP62/GP60E, SD59MX, and GP40-2/N. Also needed: UP Excursion passenger cars, cement hoppers, intermodal well cars, new autoracks (maybe Thrall articulated or Gunderson Multimax cars), coal hoppers, grain hoppers, steel coil cars, etc.
Think this is double jeopardy here, as DTG seem to have stopped doing both US freight routes and they have certainly stated they are not doing any more steam. Simugraph couldn't even cope with the relatively simple physics of a UK steam loco so something as complex as the Big Boy, if the Smokebox version in TSC is anything to go by, would completely confound it.
DTG abandoning steam development is still a scummy and lazy move because steam locos are a major part of the railways and the fact we have to rely of third parties *praises TSG* for steam development now isn't the best look on DTG. Ik there's likely no convincing them but still
I agree, it’s a crying shame and whatever happened to the mantra of offering solutions, not problems (from DTG). That’s why I’m currently doing a curated reinstall of TSC to get access to all the magnificent steam locos, including the Smokebox Big Boy, though of course that’s not an option for console users.
Interesting... I'm sure they can cut corners for the steam engine physics surely? Have it work on the same principle as the UK locos, with the wheels "solid", a "ghost" driving piston, and the actual Big Boy pistons "for show"?
No more US freight routes? That really sucks, not happy about that at all. The UP runs as a special passenger service now and that would be equally cool to drive IMO!
