There's several suggestions made for Dutch routes, but I'm gonna turn things around. There's one Dutch train which is so unique and iconic, that it'd be pretty silly to do a Dutch route without it. I'm talking about the NS ICM. The ICM (the right one on the picture) is an EMU that features a narrow hallway at each end. The units can be connected to each other, and the hallway allow passengers to walk from one unit to another. The cab for the driver is placed on top of that halllway, which gives its unique look to it. These units were nicknamed "Koploper", which literally means "Headwalker". Unfortunately the process and mechanics to couple and uncouple ICM units was prone to malfunctions and led to delays in the timetable. Starting at 2006, the units were modernised, the connecting hallway was no longer used, and the front doors were replaced by a large panel. Those units were classified as the ICMm (the left one on the picture), and were unofficially mockingly nicknamed "Doodloper", which literally means "Deadwalker". My suggestion would be to include the older ICM, with the old doors, hallway and coupling mechanism still in place. The ability to walk in and around the trains in TSW makes this an unique opportunity. For the driver to enter the cab, he needs to climb a narrow stairs to reach his 'throne'. ICM and ICMm trains are used for intercity services and capable of speeds up to 160km/h. They're impressing to see, either from within the cab, or from the platform. Unfortunately most video footage on the internet seems to be of the ICMm, and I'm not enough of a train nut to know all of the tiny differences between the ICM and ICMm. There's probably train nuts out there who do, though. Thankfully, various model railway manufacturers already did a recreation of the ICM.
WOW! That train is hugeeee! Honestly, I would love to drive that train just to look at its tall lead cars. The Netherlands has beautiful scenery and I would loveee to see this.
Actually, the dimensions of the train aren't really any special. It runs on the 1435mm standard gauge, and I'm sure the German double deck trains we already have in game are larger. The unique shape of the ICM front can make it appear quite large, as it isn't really streamlined. The German double deck trains at least have a slightly sloped nose.
As I am currently in my first year of MBO Train Operator in the Netherlands, I'd absolutely love to see the ICM make it into the game! It's indeed a very common train in the Netherlands, and the drivers like it. I have a teacher here who drove one for decades before he became a teacher, and he told me he absolutely loved the view from up there. It's like sitting in the cockpit of an airplane, he told me. I hope those trains aren't gone yet when I get my license at the end of the study... I would love to drive this thing in real life. But in the meantime, it would be very cool as a DLC for TSW2. Hopefully the NS (Dutch Railways) isn't too hard to deal with, licensing-wise...
I hope so. There's an official add-on for Train Simulator, published by DTG, which includes the NS Kalksteen wagons, complete with NS logo. That gives me hope licensing won't be an issue. https://store.steampowered.com/app/65249/Train_Simulator_DB_Freight_1970s_Loco_AddOn/
Many years ago i saw these trains in Enschede. At first i thought "what an ugly thing", but then they opened the doors and coupled them together and i suddenly changed my mind. A great concept with an extraordinary look. Are there any with working doors left in service?
Love this idea. Dutch routes are pretty unique and wouldn't be terribly difficult to render lots of flat land!
It's an EMU, it doesn't need a loco. I don't know if it's technically capable of coupling to other types of EMUs, but it doesn't happen. Multiple sets of ICM are frequently coupled to each other, forming a consists of several ICM EMUs.
There are. In this particular topic I'm not suggesting a particular route, but the Dutch Railways company operates on most of the railways in the Netherlands, so several of their train types, mostly EMUs, can be seen throughout the country on several routes. So whichever route a developer chooses, if the ICM runs on it, there'll be other train types running on it as well. Some routes even are shared with other rail operators, be it freight services, local railway operators, or international trains.
Oh! My apologies! I thought it was a route suggestion. My bad. But still definitely support it. A route I would like to see them on is the Almelo - Salzbergen route because there is locomotive hauled trains and the Units which are amazing!
Mind if I link your ICM(m) suggestion in my Dutch Route Suggestion (Enschede to Amersfoort CS)? You add some great information!
Please do. The more we support and link to Dutch suggestions, the higher the chances of us catching the attention of DTG or a third party developer. By providing information and photo/video I also hope to peek the interest of non-Dutch players.
I kinda have the feeling that we will see this year at least one new country in TSW (next to Swiss). And chances are good it's dutch because it is very popular. Or it's austrian because we already have the tech for PZB, LZB, some locos like the Taurus and very soon also the BR 101 which also can drive in Austria. So i guess it's either durch or austrian
Exactly, we have a unique and extremely busy railway network, with some of the most unique rolling stock in the world. The ICM is a great example, but things like the DD-AR and VIRM being developed especially for the NS because we Dutchies are so tall are really interesting aswell. Even for non-dutchies thereis enough interesting and fun gameplay to make our routes worthwhile.
I like the look of the rolling stock. The lead loco reminds me of theBristol Superfreighter: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bristol_Superfreighter
I came across this video and wanted to share it with you, although this video features the modernized ICMm unit, rather than the older ICM unit with functional gangway between units.
Sorry, for my personal opinion but I saw the train a couple of times on some pictures in the forum and in some avatars, and the look of it kind of freightens me. The route probably would be cool and the cabin also looks tasty and I feel hardly attracted to want to drive in it from that height, but just from the outside front look of the loco itself, it's absolutely scary to me. No matter what. I mean it kind of makes sense if you want to couple more of them (like shown on one of your photos) but it could have been implemented/designed in a different way as the US commuters I think. Is there a specific reason for the height of the IMU cabin? Would be definitely something different to drive and bring some more diversity to TSW.
Not sure, but my guess would be they wanted the driver to have a good allround view, so they couldn't have the passenger gangway on the same level as the cab. Having the cab (partially) on the same level as the gangway, such as found on US and UK trains, result in small cabs with limited view.
Yes, I thought so, too. But do you know about any specific causes regarding the route itself reasoning this height? I mean for the majority of european trains, this height for the cabin is very unusual. One thing I thought about was for example the reason there migth be something specific to dikes or something like that where a higher cabin has a dedicated purpose. I once lived in an outerpart of East Frisia in the north of Germany with a landscape very similar to the netherlands, just flat and with high dikes at the seasides, but the routes there were not really close to them, so it doesn't make sense. Before laughing at me what a dike has something to do with trains, I could think about a location with a train bridge over a canal close to a dike, and you need to be able to see whether a vessel is behind the dike or the trees. Kind of strange scneario, but for anyone who ever lived in the area, not a completely surreal scenario.
Not that I know of. They operate on intercity services throughout the country, not bound to a specific route.