I really want to like NTP, but the trains are dreadful. They look and sound great, but they are ALL crippled dogs to drive. They take forever to get going, the brakes (even in initial) come on and come on hard and then take forever to release. I appreciate this is how they are like to drive, but I just don’t enjoy them. I wish there was a more modern train set on the route like a Pacer, but I don’t know if that is true to life at the age the route is set in.
I mean... it IS how they drive in real life. They are old locos hauling long trains, and the route is characterised by it's steep gradients. It's a shame that you don't enjoy it, it's always been one of my favourites. I have a blast trying to get as much out of the 47s and Peaks as I can as I will them to take on the tricky climbs. And yeah the route would need to be set at LEAST 10 or 15 years further in the future for Pacers to even possibly be on the route.
Braking is definitely a tricky beast to master on NTP, but think of it as TSW version of Dark Souls, when you beat it an master it your feel completely epic.......
Oh and if DTG were to put the very first pacers in the game they could just about squeeze in on the time it was set in, pretty sure very first pacer was around 1983-1985.
Took a little time to get to grips with the 101 but again when it clicks it's like you have just punched God in the balls, it's that level of awesomeness.......
If it wasn’t for the gear changes with Dpad I would hardly ever use the 101. Travelled on them so much as a kid so the 101 and the BR blues are quite nostalgic for me
On the pacer discussion I was just about to say did they not say preserved content would be just that and nothing would be added when I suddenly remembered we just got a Shunter for RSN. So anything is possible
Its almost the hidden kink of the train fan, they all love it but could never admit to it in public for fear of being called freaky........
Totally agree with you. I didn't touch NTP in TSW2020, but now I gave it another chance and I really enjoy the 101, the shifting and the breaks. Finally made it to drive the 101 the whole route vom Manchester to leeds in snowy weather - I wasn't on time, but still I felt great after reaching the last stop without getting a SPAD.
If anyone is having trouble with the brakes on the 47 I've found that when putting the brakes back into the running position, using L1, you've got to be very careful you don't hold L1 for too long as it puts the brakes into the release or overcharge position. This will then cause odd behaviour like the brakes creeping on requiring you to overcharge again to get them off. Best thing is to be gentle with L1 and avoid the problem in the first place.
Wash your mouth (keyboard?) out with soap and water. The trains are not dreadful or crippled dogs, they are beauties and a dream to drive. A shaved monkey could drive a modern train, these fellas need skillz. Yeah, I’m 50 years old and I spelt skills with a z
Dude you just made me feel young at 40 lol and yes i call everyone dude but i don't care because I'm old(ish)......
I love the NTP route, I used to travel this route a lot as a kid and then commuted on it during the early 80s, DTG have absolutely nailed the 45, 47 and 101 on the route, especially the loco and track audio, they are exactly like I remember them, if only the current technology could give us the smells of these trains as well.
Ohhhh but NTP set in the 1980s is one of the best routes in the game! As you mentioned the trains look and sound nice, you also have passengers dressed for the time period including hair styles which adds a good amount of charm. You do have to expect the respected locomotives to run the way they do and although it may be a slow start sometimes these things really do the job of making you feel like your driving up a mountain and down it. Although I personally haven’t had much luck with the signals being green when making a scenario but I think being able to run things like the class 52 or the class 166 would be fun for you! I’m mainly waiting for the Heavy freight pack to be released!
Those heaters under the seats in the 101 that would bake everyone to death while choking everyone with the dusty smell the used to give off lol
Yes but they only baked the people sat near the heater, and even then just their shins, everyone else would be freezing! I remember once going to Blackpool (for a dirty weekend with my girlfriend at the time if you must know ) and we were sat behind the driver who had left his blind open so we could see him, it really is a labour intensive job driving one, his arms were a blur every time we stopped or started at a station.
I guess I just need to find my passion. The route is great, the trains and locomotives are awesome in their own right, I’ve just struggled to find them fun. I always feel like I’ve been really tense after driving them, especially the 101.
The 101 is a pain in the a**... I cannot enjoy the route while driving it. Gears, those tricky brakes...
I do find the 101 brakes more challenging in TSW2 because of the change in the HUD. In TSW2020 I'd look at the brake gauge and get used to where I lapped the brake and knew what the stopping speed/distance would be like if I applied that much brake. I definitely had a sweet spot. The gauge on the HUD is a bit different this time so I am having to apply brake and basically look out the window to see if I am stopping too quick. I just need to compare the two HUD's and work it out. I have only done the tutorial and one scenario so far for the 101 so maybe my lack of use in the new game is a big factor
I found it a pain too until I mastered the brakes, the knack I think is selecting your initial braking level then moving it back to the middle position so it keeps that level until you get down to the required speed, then quickly move it back to release to reset it to zero. When stopping I usually have the gear set to 1 and then can quickly throttle back up a few mph if I'm in danger of stopping too short.
The braking is very different in comparison to such like the Class 377 because it uses Regenerative Braking as well as disk brakes. Furthermore, the braking is a set step per each setting where as the Locomotives just use a Brakepipe pressure. This therefore means it is harder to control when braking as it takes longer to apply and longer to release.
Once you get to grips with the route and its rolling stock this is by far the best British route in the game. A grand challenge even when you know what you’re doing.
Since making my original post I have more or less focused on NTP, particularly with the BR Class 40 which is part of the BR Heavy Freight back. I’ve come to really appreciate the route and I’ve really enjoyed driving the 40 and 47. I’m not a massive fan of the 45, she seems exceptionally underpowered for the route - not sure if that’s true to life, but the 40 and 47 definitely feel slightly nimbler to drive. I still hate driving the 101 and probably always will. Roll on the release of the 166 in livery designer and the red signal fix and I can run her up and down the route in the BR Blue livery instead.
Like you I didn't like the 101 and use to avoid it like the plague up until a couple of weeks or so ago. Then I saw Jamie driving it in one of the streams, it was him and Natalie in the stream. After a few minuets of watching him I thought, I don't know it looks quite good really and a lot more interesting to drive than most locos. I think it is probably a bit easier on a PC because Jamie seemed to be able to select and move the different controls a lot quicker with a mouse than I can with the PS controller. After watching the whole stream I thought it looked really good to drive and decided to give it another try. After just a short while driving it I started to love it and now I can honestly say it is one of my favourite locos to drive. If I only had TSW2020 with classic controller then I think it would still be a no no and one I would not touch because of the gear change with the controller. But with immersion, or whatever it is called controller with TSW2 the gear change is very easy using the D pad up and down. Once I got use to the gears the brakes were a bit of a pain. But I loved the sound of the air being released and charged so I was determined to not give up to soon. I realised it was easier when I was first getting use to them to leave them in the middle most of the time so if I needed to brake a bit quick I didn't have to get from all the way from off and to the middle before the brakes started to take effect. That is what use to confuse me at first, I use to be applying the brake so I thought, but I wasn't, it only started to apply once I got past the middle of the range to the 0. Then it's apply a bit, back to middle and let it slow down. If not enough brake some more. It to much then back the other way to release it again. But then back to the middle ready to brake again. Even now sometimes I will go on it and pull away and after a while look down, 14 MPH, mmmm not going very fast what's wrong? Oh yeah I forgot, I have to change gear, lol, and soon get back into it. If you have not tried it using the D pad to change gear give it another try, I am sure you will soon learn to love it. I felt so pleased with myself after my first drive after watching Jamie's video stream. Pleased that I was driving it and I thought then , and I do now, it must be the closest we can get to driving a non modern type train on a console. I only started playing TSW 2020 a couple of months or so before TSW 2 came out. I enjoyed 2020 so much I got TSW 2 on release day. So I am no expert and if I can drive it I am sure anyone can drive it, and enjoy it. Sorry if as I expect you know most of what I have said, and sorry I have gone on a bit. Just feel that I was missing out on a great experience until I gave it another try using the D pad and thought I would let you know how good it is. If you like driving the other locos give it another try, if you have TSW 2 that is, using the D pad to change gear. If I had to choose just three locos to keep out of all the locos I have this would be at the top of my list. A while ago it would have been the first to go. Hope I have helped in some way, if not, again sorry.
Just for info, the gear change was also done with the dpad up and down in TSW2020 and with the classic controls in TSW2. It’s not new to the immersion controls.
I love the trains in NTP especially with the heavy rail pack. If this route was busier and featured more of the busy work that you get in TVL service mode where you drop off freight in to yards and return with the empties, then it might be a contender for my fav UK route. For instance transporting the oil from Manchester you only go as far as Mirfield and then you are told to get out the train and then it takes off without you, so you never get to take it to a yard and do anything or return with empties. This is realistic I guess as the destination isn't modelled, but I can't helping wishing for more. Every so often in TVL on service mode you get adverse signals, and have the fun of slowing down in these really heavy freight trains, I wish I experienced that in NTP, as the gradients would make it an interesting challenge. The scenery in places looks brilliant, but in other parts like near built up areas it looks very sparse, for instance there are warehouses with nothing in the grounds surrounding them, not even some scrub vegetation and rubbish, just nothing. I feel like it could do with more random detail and detritus just thrown around to give it a lived and worn out feeling. If you look at the industrial parts of RSN that route seems packed with extra detail making it look realistic rather than clinical.
Had a go driving the 101 on the Saturday Special from Leeds > Stalybridge. It wasn’t an awful experience, but when I came off it, my neck was really stiff. I must be really tense when driving this train.
The braking is definitely difficult in all of the locomotives. I think the longer acceleration and difficult braking however is the reason to like this route. It's a change up from driving really powerful S-bahn trains or high speed and it forces you to be a little bit more switched on when you're driving. Would love to be able to drive this line in the present day with more regional locomotives though!
I’m finding that the more delicate I am with the brakes on the old BRs, the more control I have and the better my stopping accuracy has gotten. Initial application is a perfect setting for most situations if you think ahead.
Yep. Allowing plenty of time with less brake - especially on freight services where a schedule is not a worry - definitely allows a more relaxed, precise drive and stop.
Good old fashioned slow and steady British braking, so nobody spills Earl Grey out of their fine bone china cups in first class. Maybe not in the Class 101 though, more likely to be Bovril in a flask there.
NTP and all the BR blue... I love it all. Might be a generational thing. Gears, bad brakes, inclines, speed restrictions, overflowing bins, broken lighting... all great stuff, can't get enough and games should be challenging if you ask me. You can keep all the modern push button (and foreign) stuff. All I ask is that the class 31 aws warning horn is fixed. (PLEASE). Oh, and can we have a Class 55 with a bit of the ECML, Peterborough to Newark perhaps, (Stoke tunnel) and then an A4?
Nothing like on a cold day going on into the Travellers Fare for a cup of brown and a mars bar (one that actually was worthwhile none of this 'bitesize' rubbish) and all for less than 50p!