What Are Your Favorite (or Least Favorite) Tsw Termini And Approaches?

There's something really special about arriving in a major transportation hub by train. Once a year as a kid, I'd take the Amtrak City of New Orleans from Chicago to Memphis and back again, and then every break all through grad school, I'd routinely take the Lincoln Service from St. Louis to Chicago and back. Every time I arrive at Chicago Union Station, no matter how many times I've done it, I love the feeling of going from forest-y suburbs into the busy neighborhoods of Chicago alongside Metra trains either on CN or BNSF tracks depending on route, running alongside the CTA Orange Line tracks and Stevenson Expressway, then curving over the Chicago River with an amazing view of the Chicago skyline before descending into the Amtrak and Metra yards and into the underground tunnels of Union Station, bell echoing off everything (RIP steel bells) as the conductor welcomes us to Chicago. I've always wanted a Chicago route in TSW so I could experience that in game.

I hadn't driven WCMLS in a while, and I've never driven it at night so this week I did a night service for the 807 to London and arriving into Euston at night really felt special. It truly feels like you're entering a major city and a major terminal at that city. It got me thinking about which terminus stations in TSW really feel special to arrive at. There are a lot of route endpoints of TSW routes that to me don't feel like major termini, or at least don't feel special arriving to them. I know for many stations in the UK and Germany where there are large interconnected national rail networks, that's simply because while some trains do terminate at those stations, many trains also continue on. Stations like Crewe, Preston, Wolverhampton, Stamford, San Bernadino Downtown, Faversham, etc, while bigger than average don't give me any special feeling arriving into them. For the most part, you drive at line speed and pull into them like a normal station. You don't even really get a more built up city area or breathtaking scenery with them except kinda for Preston.

These are just my opinions of course but I wanted to see what other people think? What are your favorite terminus stations to arrive at? What makes them feel special for you? What termini would you like to see in TSW?

Some more of my in-game faves are:

Boston South Station:
I think Boston has the best approach of all the US routes, especially in the Framingham Worcester routes. You get several stations in built up Boston suburbs before taking the tunnel to Back Bay. You stop at Back Bay, then you hit a curve and see downtown Boston and this huge station in front of you with MBTA and Amtrak trains constantly moving in and out. It's not a tediously long approach like the ones to LA Union or NY Penn either. I've yet to do this one at night but I plan to soon.

Hoboken Terminal:
Sure Penn and GCT are the biggest and busiest in the NY Metro area, but something about traveling for miles underground doesn't hit as much. The approach to Hoboken is beautiful with great views of the Hudson, Hackensack, and Passaic rivers, the skylines of Jersey City and NYC, and you travel through Newark as a bonus. The approach is a little tedious though.

London Euston:
I know when people outside the UK think of London rail stations they think King's Cross or Paddington or Waterloo, not Euston. But I love coming into Euston on the WCML. Unlike St. Pancras or even Paddington, you really get a feel of coming through the built up areas of London once you reach Watford Junction. Having a full TT with LNWR, LU/LO, and AVW really makes it feel busy. That run I mentioned earlier had me overtaking both a 710 and a 350 approaching Euston. And then the station itself feels like arriving at an airport. I love that you can go into the concourse.

Glasgow Central:
Natural light and crossing the River Clyde. That is all.

Frankfurt Hbf:
Gotta give the German routes a little love. I'll be honest the German termini feel a little same-y for me and the optimization of their network mean there's not a lot of complicated navigation before arriving at most of them, but I love coming through the final curve and seeing Frankfurt Hbf and its yards looming ahead. The S bahn route also provides a pretty different feel coming in off the S-bahn network into the underground tracks versus the long distance regionals and intercity lines from Fulda.

What are y'all's favorite termini or station approaches and why? Or what are your least favorite? Which ones do you want to see?

 

One of my Favourite Stations in TSW has got to be Preston on the BR blue routes.

It connects with a wide range of routes, it has a large amount of traffic passing through it and it has that general vibe of busy interchange. It is a very well built station.

my least favourite terminus in TSW has to be London Euston. I just don’t like how you can’t explore the station in full, I don’t like the amount of camera bugs and lighting issues that occur there. It’s definitely not the sharpest tool in the shed.

 

Least favourite - Any and all of the US commuter terminals. The approach is just so slow and from so far out as to be utterly tedious. I know DTG can’t change the nature of the prototype but I often find myself keeping going at 15 or 20 MPH just to get in.

Favourite - well Penzance is iconic as you’re running into the furthest west station in England (not sure of Mallaig in Scotland is further west for the UK as a whole). Euston, as it reminds me of the several years spent commuting from Northampton in the early 80’s.

 

London Euston is a good shout, but I also really enjoy coming in to Brighton on London Commuter. The grand size of the building is quite impressive and it gets lost on East Coastway a little bit; although Seaford is a fun little terminus station that oozes seaside theme.

I also enjoy Birmingham New Street, particularly B2C, which is very busy and filled with a lot of detail.

Least favourite terminus is probably Watford Junction on the Lioness Line on WCMLS. That whole semi-circle from Bushey to the end of the line seems so tacked on (in real life, too) and it drops to 15 way too soon on entry in my opinion.

 

Great topic, I thought it was just me, but there is a feeling of satisfaction of terminating at the buffer stops, job complete and I definitely agree about London Euston, maybe i'm a bit biased as my journeys to London naturally are to Euston, it's not a station of great beauty, rebuilt in the functional style of the 1960s, but it's very realistically done in the game and although it can hammer you frame rate wise, passing through Wembley - seeing the yard, the stadium and the Mcvitie factory, passing the Overground and Bakerloo services, seeing the detail of the Alexandra estate buildings (I used to wonder whether it was the side of a sports stadium - some might call it ugly, but it's definitely interesting), the different levels of line at Primrose Hill, the fact that they made the effort to put in the Camden Roundhouse (once a turntable, now a music venue) and the three tower blocks that preside over Euston itself (in Train Sim Classic we got some generic tower blocks, these look real) - I do also love the approach into Glasgow Central, Manchester Piccadilly and London Paddington (just a shame we can't yet complete the journey to Carlisle, to Crewe (come on Alan Thomson Simulation!) and further than Reading.

 

I think my favourite is Mainz on Linke Rheinstrecke, because you pass the yards with historic trains parked before you enter the station.

Although I guess bigger Blackpool station (can't remember if it's north or south) fits the same requirement. And one of the termini of Midland Main Line (can't remember which) also has a yard with various trains (including older rolling stock) parked in the yards before you approach the station.

 

Least favourite is grand Central terminal because of that 10mph slow stretch. And favourite is blackpool North because on the approach when the yard is full of trains and locos sounds and looks awsome.

 

Still better than the 5mph speed limit at Atlantic Terminal.

 

Very nicely written.

 

As much as West Cornwall Local has its issues, thought they did a decent job with the approach into Penzance.

 

I like the approach to Liverpool Lime Street although it should be darker in game. That cutting is something else. The station itself is very impressive too. I know it well in real life so it’s nice to see it in a bit more of a vintage setting than I’ve known it. I’ve seen all the changes from the late 1970s up to the present. The difference going back to the 1950s is huge.

 

In reality my favourite would be Liverpool Lime Street, with the cuttings. Arriving in those after a long journey from Glasgow never ceases to be an "I've arrived" moment.

In-game, no, because SOS isn't my style so I don't play it.

Edinburgh Waverley is up there, flanked by the Princes St. Gardens and the Castle, and crowned by the National Gallery building.

Frankfurt Hbf is in there for it's sheer complexity although I have a soft spot for Bremen and Oldenburg with the bridges on the way in. I quite like Boston - although not a huge fan of any other US one due to how slow they are.

 

Easily Glasgow Central since the 380 timetable. Not only the approach, crossing the Clyde and pulling into the station but the sheer volume of traffic in and out of the station.

 

It's old but gold... London Victoria. One of the only terminals with decent busy sounding and hectic terminal ambient sounds. Also highly complex with the Eastern & Central sections. Sadly the route is completely dated now and I haven't visited it in about a year.

 

Not exactly a terminus but the approach to bushey on the lioness line is incredible. As for termini i'd have to go with either Glasgow central, Preston, or New street (specifically from the London end). I have to mention departing Lancaster as well heading north, nothing beats crossing the river Lune after departing in an 86 or 87, and going into run up once you clear that 15mph section. Crossing that bridge at speed is exhileraring

 

My least favourite is Long Brach on the LIRR route. So tedious at 5mph.

I like the large British ones, like Euston. Always so busy and you do slow down but typically much closer to the station.

I’m going to add Edinburgh, you come through the tunnel and then boom the whole station and its ladder tracks are there. Plus I visited there in real life a few years back, loved it.

 

Leicester, but as a Leicester lad I am biased lol.


But I think for me it's Blackpool North, seeing Blackpool Tower on the horizon, standing tall. Especially at night when it's lit up is fantastic, seeing trains in the various platforms waiting their next service and the carriage sidings full of carriages, fantastic.

 

• brighton- oldest seaside station in the uk, as well as being the nearest terminus station to where i live. it’s a good speed and the amount of track joint sounds is wonderful
• euston, especially at night- it looks really good when you reach the last short downhill stretch and you can see the lights of the station divided into two by the bridge
• hoboken- again, one that i prefer to do at night because it allows you to get straight out of the train and go and look at the nyc skyline for as long as you want. downtown has been modelled really well but unfortunately the rest of the city looks very sparse, midtown is a shadow of what it is irl. wtc 1 could also look a bit better as an asset, its recognisable but has always seemed a bit off

 

Always had a soft spot for Saltburn personally!

 

Saltburn, when you have to switch ends with the 31, and then a 101 arrives. Why is TVL still just so good?

 

Boston South has always been a fave; you can come in pretty fast up to Back Bay, and theres always plenty of activity and possible signal checks. Hoboken is a slower ride but very well done, and as mentioned a great view. For me there is always something special about Blackpool North as well.

For least favorite I can think about Duisburg, Bochum, and Hagen being so much less than they should be, but perhaps it's not fair to judge such old routes by newer standards. I'd have to say that Eastbourne as compared to Seaford and Brighton has always seemed much less fun to arrive at for me. Of course, it also not the actual terminus for many of the services that end there, which doesn't help matters.

 

Hoboken is a good shout. But the approach and departure out of GCT on NEC- Stamford, with two levels, the biggest station and busiest 4 track operation out of any other route in game. Watching the amount of trains in and out during rush-hour is priceless . I know some bring up the slow speed approach, but that's what the locomotive engineers, conductors, and passengers deal with everyday IRL