Unfortunately I doubt it. If we regard the history of mainstream train simming as starting with MSTS 25 years ago, there has only been one commercial payware Irish route for any of the games - and that was the Belfast to Dublin Enterprise for MSTS. I would love to see an Irish (North or South) route, any era (though classic CIE/NIR preferred) in TSW but accept it will probably never happen.
All one track routes in the middle of nowhere with boring timetables and no replay value. It´s like three Tadami lines in other countries.
The main problem with the OG MSTS routes was that the Kuju route builders didn’t quite grasp how the prototype works. So we had some ridiculous gradients on Marias and of course the infamous Cutbank syndrome when physics forces built up in the train and derailed if you had more than about six miles between point or crossing nodes. Then Settle & Carlisle had less than suitable rolling stock as Flying Scotsman was hardly typical of the line. Even the later added Class 50 wasn’t quite appropriate. On the NEC, trains had a tendency to derail on curves even if below the speed limit. I do think a modernish Arlberg could be quite nice and would be a good stamping ground for the several OBB items we already have in game, plus something new.
But, I must admit, 25 years of MSTS would be a nice reason to bring the OG routes to TSW - man thinking about it I still can feel the infinite excitement from the store to the installation on the family PC I had, when I bought the game and finally been able to drive a train.
Speaking for myself I want a UK route that comes stacked with full driving turns, a selection of different types of service from freight, to express and semi-fast to inner-city stoppers. Electric, based anytime since the 80s, not in the NW or a section of the WCML. So that leaves plenty of options around the UK, but mostly on mainlines into the Capital.
As we’ve said previously, Great Eastern out of The Street any era (but preferably pre 1999) has that covered, depending how far DTG take it - Colchester at a minimum, though through to Clacton and Walton would be even better!
Blooming heck Vern. All that fuss you made about a Mk1 Buffet and now you're secretly pushing for a Griddle Mind you, nothing wrong with having this sort of view at the end of your shift
To be honest I don't think you can really go wrong even with pre-2020, as that still allows for loco-hauled services with the 86 and 90, as well as a decent variety of EMUS (360s, 315s, 170s, 150s, more that I am probably missing) depending on the year. I'd like to personally see when you had a mix of 86 and 90 diagrams though.
I think anything other than present day would make a very interesting route. I think it'd be such a waste to see the route made, only for them to include today's near-silent EMUs.
I'm from Italy so I didn't have a preferred route on the classic 3 nation we usually see in game but, this time, I'd like to have more new trains that new route. I know this sounds a bit strange but I can see a lack of new trains (the last route published had always the same trains) and for me, this must be air priority now! Obviously, if we had 3 new route I didn't disagree with their choice and I'll buy the new game just to support, as I did every year but, maybe someday something changes and, with a remastered route, we can have 2/3 new trains
I understand that the new PM has moved the capital north to Manchester. About time too. If so, there are indeed lots of interesting routes in and out of that city.
London Midland though, we need a rest from that region as they're leading all the others by at least 10 routes.
If you want a Low Definition sample of what a Liverpool St to Clacton run in a Class 309 would be like, here's a cab ride video from the Summer of 1989. At the time the 321s were replacing 302s, 305s, 307s, 308s and 310s so for a few months it was a amazing line to travel on, you'd have no idea what would turn up. Ultimately services beyond Colchester wouldn't see Class 321s until the 30 allocated to the Cambridge line transferred across as Class 317s on came to the West Anglia late in 1991/92. I know it would be totally impossible for any developer to base the route in July 1989 (when I started working for British Rail) and include the full roster of rolling stock but....we can dream. Hey Just Trains, fancy a pint in Colchester some time?
If we do get a 321 will we be picking up Dusty Bins at the stations? Can we also have the route tutorial delivered in the style of impenetrably cryptic riddles?
And when it needs explaining at the end everyone must respond "It was obvious now you think about it". When, it really wasn't. Ah the things we used to watch when our media choice was 4 TV channels, 8 official radio stations or (in London at least) a couple of dozen pirate radio stations sharing equally impenetrably cryptic instructions on how to get to this weekend's rave.
