Dovetail Games Wcml: Preston - Crewe Q + A Thread

Not too many for this, but here goes…

How will the local services around Crewe that should be a Class 304 EMU be portrayed?

Why have you not added a Mark 3 sleeping car to the fleet? As depicted the overnight trains are just wrong. They were never formed of Mark 3 day coaches at this time, they were a mix of Mark 3 sleeping cars, Mark 2 day coaches (both aircon and pressure ventilated) and BG’s.

Why the Class 86/4 and not something more iconic like a Class 85?

Why the Class 47/3 and not a Class 56 which would have secured many more Day One purchases?

What are you doing to mitigate the infamous sound squelching which spoils the Class 86 and 87 on Shap (to an extent) and was apparently evident on your own stream. This question also addressed to DTG.

Edit: After Trent Valley seemed to largely miss it, can you confirm bridge reverb is in place as necessary. Also, now the Czech route has shown it’s possible how about clatter and rumble for rail over structures, particularly metal bridges or viaducts?

 

How is the performance going to be on consoles for this route? We already know static stock will be removed for PS5 and XSX as well as some AI services for XSS. Will this help avoid crashes and blurry textures and to what extent?

 

Hi excited to start driving this route on Thursday evening

For the fine folks at JT. You guys are the only one modeling the Neutral Section functionality on British routes in TSW. Yet no other Third party or DTG has implemented this feature in locos or routes since Pres-car. Is there a lack of intrest from other third parties to barrow this tech from you guys for their projects? or is something else going on in regards to this feature? It’s one of the challenges i love to drive with when operating UK electrics.

another question. In regards to Timetable operation. Do all the FID-FERY-PWR MGR trains come from the two coal sources on map or are there MGR trains that originate off map as well to feed the station. And to what extent can we drive those… like are there any MGR trains I can pick up mid journey at Crewe and continue up and through FID-FERY-PWR and back?

also I hope the existing class 37 gets some JT love in the future maybe as a 37/4.

 

Can you run it on a Playstation if possible? The XBox from last time was very nice and helped alleviate concerns on performance, but I think Playstation users in general tend to have more issues than XBox on new route performance.

Are there any future layers you haven't announced yet that are "future proofed" into this route?

Does JT have any future plans to expand the current area (WCML) or period (1986) for continuity?

Why have the three recent offerings been based on this? Personal interest? Access? Demand?

 

What did you guys learn/take from each route that you've done? In terms of route selection, locos selections, features etc. Literally anything!

 

Can you mention how many additional sevices are provided by Peak Forest, and also Cargo Pack Vol. 5? What DLC are required for shunting services and trip workings? Thank you.

 

Will the Class 47 sound updates be patched onto the current Blackpool/WCML versions?

 

Does the 87 have its own timetable when it layers in.

 

Can you confirm if route hopping works on both Blackpool branches and over shap? Too many recent releases (Trent valley) never implement route hopping both ways.

Will the new Class 20's sub in for the old one on rail tours etc?

 

Could you please ask if the class 47/3 locos will have the correct top speed of 75mph?

In the JT stream last week they all showed externally and internally as having a top speed of 95mph like other class 47s but the 47/3s only had a top speed of 75mph with them being a freight sub-class.

 

Are there any future DLCs you're working on that will fit into this route?

 

Will the classes 31, 37, 40, 45 be layered into the timetable for playable services because on the JT preview stream those locos weren’t available for selection on the service selection screen (I don’t know if they didn’t have them installed or what but it would be really helpful if you could clear that up )

 

Will the isambard kingdom brunel Class 47 be playable in this route?

 

Design speed or line speed?

 

Which add-ons offer the most gameplay value in terms of layers? For instance I'm missing the following:

West Cornwall Local
BR Heavy Freight Pack
BR Class 31
BR Class 82/2
Cargo Line vol. 5

Which of these would be the biggest "bang for my buck" for adding to the gameplay of Preston - Crewe?

 

Is it playable full stop? Last I tried it I gave up after 5 minutes, its fighting the BR187 and the rivet 150 for the worst loco in TSW tbh, unless its had a stealth update im not aware of

 

What is an 82/2?

 

41

 

Will the new class 86/4 and 47/3 be available as replacements on the WCMLOS route?

 

I bought it purely for the Mk1’s, which whilst not perfect, are more than worth the sale price. The 47 though is shockingly bad.

 

The Preston Docker is a Class 20 railtour on a JT route, does this have the 20 swapped to the new?

Ta!

 

Sorry this isn't a question or answer but just wanted to say the route looks great and will be a day 1 purchase.

The class 20 has always been one of my favourites and I always wished MML had some services going to the power station so that this route combines both the class 20 and services to a power station means it's an immediate purchase for me!

 

Externally yup they said 75mph internally.....a fit one would still happily do 95 and beyond.....

 

It was due to the brake blocks as I understand it as some /0's got switched to them and then were limited to 75.

 

Freightliner took the decision to restrict to 75 for reliability purposes. before Freightliner the Freight sectors used many tricks to discourage the theft of locos by intercity and this was one of them, there are a couple changes to brake blocks but that only for spark arresting purposes, a 75mph would also be applied for tyres on or close to the last turn but again a stencil exercise... intercity 47s might run on r7 or r8 blocks but again these were low phosphorous blocks designed to prevent bogie fires. Didn't really have much effect in the stopping distance because compared to the train the loco does very little braking most 47s were on red band distributors so would hsve reduced proportionality. 0s or 3s you might find on r5 blocks but peaks had those and they would quite happily do a ton with no issue.

 

A similar situation to the Western Class 50 “DCWA” pool, then. Limited to 60 MPH but when they subbed for a failed Network Class 50 on the Waterloo to Exeter services, there is no way the drivers stuck to that speed!

 

Similar reason but different circumstances....engineering pools were generally allocated locos high on hours or close to major exams (C and above) , which is why some of them gained stripes on the cabside which at least 1 50 did, the rationale behind this, is that TOPS hours were only counted under power, so if you had a loco close to hours that might say get used up on 2 or 3 passenger turns....you could get another 10 engineering turns out of it because it spent most of the time idling and not underpower....therefore you could put off the exam for longer, the pool was meant to be the be all and end all but this didn't work in practice as the loco could still be pinched for duties by those who might not know what pool its in.....the stripes were put on the second mans side as a visual reminder....and that the depot manager might have some explaining to do if this loco appeared on a passenger turn without good reason...especially if it meant the loco ended up in the wrong place for its booked engineering turn....or if it had gone over hours!

Again apart from the fact it would already have been ragged to within an inch of its life by then...it would perform like any other 50....

33s and 31s used to have the ETH supply cables hacksawed through (or in the case of some 33s) the generator brushes removed the RTC class 31 was a common target for intercity which is one of the reasons why it got that garish livery... Intercity were very protective of the brand image and that was done to put them off....

 

will the 86 and 20 layer into blackpool and shap?

 

Into Blackpool's new timetable yes, Shap would need more work but we're hoping we'll be able to do it.

 

DTG Harry. There is so much packed into this route and wondered if Haydock racecourse is visible together with any EFL football grounds at Crewe, Wigan and Preston?

 

Said 95mph externally as well as internally.

 

It's on the list to be resolved don't worry