Sheerness Branch & Class 466

Quite a nice little surprise as a Southern Region electric fan myself. And given that the Metro Camell built Class 466 numbers are dwindling in real life, it's nice to know they'll feature in a route. Also Firefly are developing the line so we know it'll be a belta! Plenty of potential for the 466 and 375/3 too.

 

I wonder if it'll be included with with SEHS or be it's own separate thing.

 

The 466 will be nice layering as additional stock on the Dartford to Faversham runs

 

I believe you meanr Firefly

 

Severe dissapointment and waste of potential in my.opinion. I reallt expected Firefly to venture into something slightly more. As an amazing develope this is pretty boring IMO.

 

Would be great time to finish Kent now like Faversham to Ashford via Margate Ramsgate the Canterbury and Dover then rest of Southeastern Mainline and Chatman mainline and the Kent Down Lines

 

That would be preferable since on it's own is just 7 miles.

 

Yes, I do. My bad, I was also reading the Shrewsbury route... I've corrected the post accordingly!

 

Our next project is something more, this is an in between project that is majorly focused on the Loco (466) that enabled extra gameplay on Medway Valley. This helps us keep the lights on, and be more ambitious on our next (bigger) project.

 

Can you tell us if it is its own standalone route or be added to SEHS? I'm gonna purchase it either way, was just curious.

 

I was just about to reply to this with a theory of why Firefly might have had this as small DLC pack (well not really small with a new item of rolling stock included).

I welcome these branch line packs in all their forms. Quite often one of the biggest criticisms large routes face, is that they don't feature branch lines that naturally diverge from them. And I naturally presumed this was because it added memory to an already large mainline route... So for developers being conscious of this and giving the branchlines their very own DLC is refreshing and most welcome for me. When I think of branchlines I often think of ones like my local (Bromley North to Grove Park which is only a mile in length), so the Sheerness being a nearly 8 mile branch line with 4 stations is a good run for a 466. And as mentioned the 466s will soon be something of the past so to have them in the game (and as Networkers are my favourite trains) is superb.

It's been a pleasant surprise recently since Thames Valley Branches released that developers are seeing the branch line potential as separate DLCs and I'm all for it.

 

466 is a big yes. So basically this is a loco DLC with a small route attached.

 

We're getting somewhere with the networkers, surely a matter of time until we get the other variants of the 465

 

It's a stand alone route, I didn't want to use the massively outdated SEHS signals again like we did with MVL, caused us no end of headaches.

 

That's cool thank you. Can't wait to drive it.

 

I agree they seem to be slowly finishing it all bit by bit hopefully it gets finished only problem with it we will have to do it all by route hopping which annoys me but better than nothing

 

Interesting, the 466 will deffo add some variety to the SE traffic in game, so i imagine this route would be dirt cheap then, considering its length?

 

Southeastern Hight do need a little update like new timetable and scenery to match with Medway Valley Line and long with a better st Pancras model and would be nice to have Chatham Mainline from Victoria too

 

It’s a loco DLC with a short route attached, the option won’t be there to buy one and not the other.

The route was added to the loco DLC mostly on the basis that if it didn’t get made now it would likely never get made, but it also provides more gameplay for the 466 and the Medway 375 so is a win win really.

 

Well we know it will be done to Firefly’s exceptional standards so that’s a plus. Essentially TVB for the South Eastern, albeit one 12 mile branch rather than three shorter ones. If the 466 gets a sound set of similar quality to the MV 375’s then definitely worth picking up especially if the price sits around TVB levels. Short branch lines aren’t normally my bag (unless a heritage or steam route) but I will likely make an exception in this case.

 

WOOOOW!
The Sheernes Line for TSW7?
And in high quality from Firefly Simulations?!
What fantastic news!!!

I think I just got my Christmas present

Thanks, guys! I was really hoping you’d agree to make this small but charming - and, I think, interesting - branch line. What’s more, with new rolling stock!!!
I’m all in!

I heard that at Swale Station, only one person gets on and off - the drawbridge operator. I trust you’ll make sure this station will be empty in TSW7, just like in the real world. Unless that’s just a spiteful rumor and Swale Station is actually full of passengers.

You guys really know how to save the day. After the disappointment with the Tri-Rail half-route, this is such a nice surprise.

I think I’ll stick with being a virtual Southeastern train driver for good

 

Looking forward, looks like Firefly are prioritising performance over complexity which i cant argue with....a stuttering sim is very off putting.

 

I’m presuming the 466 won’t layer onto the Medway Valley? Unless 2x466 can sub into the 465 or 375/6 circuit along there?

 

Want it cost 17,99€ Like Thames Valley?

 

If it's an extension for the SEHS route then it'll be good, but if the Sheerness Branch is a separate route like the Thames Valley branches then the DLC will be another damp squib.

I also wouldn't be surprised if the 466 has the wrong moquette like the 465 has since it came out.

 

It’s separat with is dumb

 

lucky trainsimcz can merge this with Southeast High Speed and Medway valley

 

It will come with three totally new timetables; Sheerness 2019 (466) Sheerness 2025 (375/3) and MVL 2019 (466).

 

Even better! Close to how I remember the valley line growing up once the 508s left

 

I apologise if this is a stupid question but will Medway have the same layers for freight and rhtt in the Sheerness provided 466 timetable?

 

It won't be exact freight as it's a different year, but should have freight and RHTT yeah.

 

awesome! cheers

 

Would be nice to have a new loco dlc like a 73 would work well with this and Medway Valley

 

I do wonder if any changes will be made to SEHS like last time, around Sittingbourne. Remaster by stealth?

 

i saw in a different thread that they won’t be doing anything to sehs this time because the old signals caused them lots of issues when they did medway

 

I see nothing wrong with these smaller packages, sometimes it is nice to potter up and down a branch line. I will be interested to see what they have planned next.

The different timetables and the new one for MVL make it more than just a short route and a train, more timetables give more variety.

 

Well this is selling itself to me more than TVB managed to, mainly because it will be a self contained package. And as Firefly have stated, it’s more a train pack with a bonus route than the other way around. (Though Tonbridge to Hastings would have been nice!).

 

Tonbridge to Hastings with a class 201 especially or a 411 in the Jaffa Cake livery.

I am wondering what their next project will be, as I am sure most are, no-one has claimed the Wherry Lines which is apparently in production, yet!

 

i feel like this will be similar to the czech 843; not called an expert loco, but pretty close to being one. i’m expecting a very good soundset as well. already a day one purchase for me though!

 

I really hope that the team's next big project will be the Chatham Main Line + North Kent Lines, in addition to the existing Midway Line, as a development of a large network route (similar to the TSC - Southeastern Network: v.2.1).

 

Day 1, shut up and take my money, etc.

 

Really they should have done a 73 with the RHTT pack. Instead we got a 66, which are rarely used on RHTT runs in Kent to begin with, and DB don't do RHTT runs in Kent so the EWS livery is completely inaccurate.

 

I rather hope they will explore an area we haven't seen yet in the sim, though of course much depends on where the team is based as regards getting out for research.

 

Also would be nice to have more sub class of the 375 377 and 465 like a 375/377/3 as we only got the 375/9 and /3 an /6 from Medway Valley and just need a /3 and /8 and need of 465 /0 /1 and /2

 

It a hard pick ever do Chatham Mainline or Southeastern Mainline Like Chatham Mainline can have new Victoria model and using the bit from sehs from Rochester to Faversham and could even add in Ramsgate or even Dover via Canterbury East and for Southeastern Mainline can have London Chaing Cross and Cannon Street to Dover or Hastings both of these routes would be great to have

 

I, on the other hand, feel the opposite. I would prefer for Firefly Simulations to expand and enhance the Southeastern network around the Medway Valley. This offers the potential for a more complex and immersive gaming experience, since we already have a significant amount of rolling stock for AI traffic in that region.

Starting from scratch in a completely different region means there won’t be varied AI traffic, and large stations and busy rail routes will be unnaturally empty due to the lack of AI trains. Just like the Cathcart Circle Line on launch day, which went from being a bustling rail hub to some kind of post-apocalyptic ghost town. It wasn't until DLCs featuring other Scotrail trains began to be released that Glasgow Central started to resemble the bustling metropolitan train station it is in the real world.

I think it’s better to choose a specific region and then build an immersive railway simulation world around it, rather than jumping from one end of the world to the other, multiplying railway segments taken out of context. Look how lifeless the only Canadian DLC for TSW looks.

Tri-Rail could be an exception, if only the developers had chosen to recreate the entire line instead of just a section of it. While the region is entirely new, the line is served by only three carriers: Tri-Rail, CSX, and Amtrak, two of which are already present in TSW, and the third will be introduced along with the new route.

 

Well when Medway valley was announced I was disappointed with the route length, but then when it came out, was blown away with the level of detail, so will still enjoy this and also quite hyped by the fact that is an interim route in lieu of something bigger.

 

If it has the same build quality as Medway, and it adds a new train to Medway as well as the branch line itself, it's going to be a day one purchase from me.

 

As such was the story of the two 'loco bundles' for TSW 3. All containing reskins of existing stuff for use on the three base routes. RHTT was arguably the one with the most new content: the RHTT equipment wagons.

 

The RHTT wagons themselves looked good, it was just what they were bundled with which was the problem.