Clinchfield Preview (video Edition)

Clinchfield certainly had its own GP7s (and a couple of 9s), and late in existence a handful of GP38-2s as well. But these were used in its main yards at Dante and Erwin, as well as for some local freight and to supplement mainline traction

 

Theoretically... if Clinchfield is great... how much would we be willing to pay for Alco S4 and Haysi F7B pack? Pretty much "just" coal loader locos, but it might add the very important part. DTG would have to make one new loco and create a "cab" for one existing. How much would you see that being worth?

 

The Haysi F7B wouldn't even need a cab - it was radio controlled

 

Right, they could be seen pushing heavy coal trains from Elkhorn towards Dante, sometimes with a GP38. Problem was, some of the 7's didn't have dynamic brakes for the run back to Elkhorn yard. Even so, they were much better suited to this work than switching.

 

I looked at it and from what I've found it has been also used from the improvised cab, they've made, with the remote control. Even if the in-game version wouldn't let you sit inside, it should probably have the windows, bell and lights modelled. The biggest challenge would definitely be the remote control itself though.

 

The problem is in tsw2 you need to be sitting in the drivers seat to drive any loco,so dtg would need to figure out how to squeeze your character caboose into some kind of tiny cab area seat or your not driving any f7b unit anywhere.

 

This site has a couple of Clinchfield track charts and timetables. Page 21 of the PDF of the 1981 timetable indicates that Trammel is a siding, and I couldn't find anything else in the timetable or the 1982 track chart that indicated it was a second main.

 

Welllll-

Just thinkin' aloud here, but while it's true that your virtual patoot has to be in the "driver's seat" of the locomotive you control, your viewpoint does not- you can use the external cams and still drive, with full HUD if it's turned on. So who says the "driver's seat" of the F7B actually has to be on it? They could designate a lawn chair as its "driver's seat": sit down, and Bob's your uncle.

If they could make it work, the same thing could then be extended to shunters like the 363, which also are rigged for r/c.

 

Yes and no It would be nice to walk and to drive this way \o/ Switching tracks ahead of locomotive etc

 

Yes, conceded; I was just guessing, and Trammel was and is a siding not a section of double-track main line. However, some posts above, Matt said that at Trammell the east side track was considered the main and the west track the siding., even if the curvy bits of the switches pointed east.

 

With Derail Valley, you "synch" the remote control to the loco you're actually stood or sat on at that particular moment.

 

I think I may be looking at the same map and you're right, the left hand track is definitely identified as the siding, going north as you come out of the tunnel. It's strange, because without that map reference, you would certainly assume that the right hand track is the siding as it curves away.

 

I think everybody here would be more than happy with such a system, where a controller taken from one loco can only control that one loco. Haysi F7 was one of a kind, so no problem there and 363s on RSN are throughout the timetable well separated, so if we stole one controller, went to a different loco half the route away and were then angry we cannot control it... that's our problem, I probably wouldn't expect the game to handle this. Also it would definitely be fine if we wouldn't be able to move when using it.

 

Slightly unrelated but DTG, can we have this sort of time table for more passenger routes, ok some copy and paste at different times but if you know what i mean less is more, and i think most people would prefer 40-50 timetables, with lets say 10 copy and paste and the rest 'hand crafted'
Maybe other disagree but i think this would be super!

 

Almost like the press x to switch from camera to drive in tsw2020 (or whatever for your inferior console to the xbox

 

The difference is that almost all passenger runs do the same stops almost every time so there are definite "service patterns" that can be basically copied and pasted with very little overall difference.
With freight runs there is going to be some difference, especially if multi branch drop off and collections are involved, or different loops I guess

 

I get what you mean but like some sort of varitations, such as late skip, doors broken, couple etc.

 

Random events are a whole different topic being discussed every now and then.

 

Now the haysi f7b unit has only simplified controls for useing it,why couldn't you get in through the little side door behind where the little cab is and instead of sitting you interact with a pop up option to control the loco.

 

To me the breakdowns and so on are mainly for the scenarios at the moment - though I've answered extensively on my thoughts when it comes to random occurrences in timetable mode, I don't like everything being green for the most part
I do agree that things like coupling and uncoupling should be in the timetable, especially where such things are true to life like the SEHS route occasionally, and certainly the 375s, but then they join up at Faversham anyway
Maybe if they did the Brighton route because loads join and unjoin at Haywards Heath

 

Photo of the controlstand of the Haysi F7

 

Also to point out, Haysi #1 still exists, its under ownership of the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum, though its in poor shape....

 

It looks like the took parts from a f7a controls a cobbled togather a simplified cab,(with the always vital seat)why not use this example for creating a haysi f7b unit add on dlc tsw2 switcher.You can still use outside cameras as well that more or less like remote operations.(The question that left is,is the haysi mine on the crr route dlc?)This would also need maybe 3 senarios possibly a extra car(i'm not sure what it would be)Now this would be a easy sell for this route the chance to get such a rare a super one of a kind loco.

 

Hi Matt.
You can already sort of fudge remote control by using the 8 key view, although you do fly rather than walk around lol.

 

WOW, I thought someone must have scrapped that

 

This explains why the dwarf signal on the north end of the siding is to the left of the large signal mast, although, as a minor nitpick, shouldn't the train in the video then be governed by the high-mast signal when leaving the Trammel and not the dwarf since it was technically on the main?

Overall, I am very much looking forward to the route, and as long as the signals don't do something odd like switch from red-over-yellow to green-over-red when an opposing train clears the other end of the siding, I'll be fine with it.

 

Could be, although it's also the case that some B units came from the factory with 'hostler controls' (really intended for self- shunting).

 

May be nice to have DLC with some private shunter engines working at the various mine locations. It feels a bit like a waste not to be able to use operational coal loading facilities in game.

 

When do you think will there be a preorder, because the one for Arosa started 1-2 Weeks before release?
And we already saw a preview, so its only Weeks away.

 

Arosa isn't a DTG product so their pre-order may be on a different schedule. Plus I haven't seen a release date for Clinchfield as yet so them putting a pre-order would basically do that confirming

 

No. DTG is responsible for this. Rivet Games can't even determine the price, only DTG can do everything.

 

I have been taking a drive over the TS (Classic) version having picked it up cheap in the Steam sale. It's a great looking route and so long as it doesn't fall down the rabbit hole that Arosa did we are certainly in for a visual treat.

My only caveat is that in terms of train driving, so far nothing to really excite me. I haven't had the F7's up above Notch 4 which was to get moving and climb the hill to the long tunnel, then it's downhill pretty much at 15 MPH (so far). In truth I was almost nodding off! I guess that's just one scenario and hopefully there will be plenty of Notch 8 thrash to be found.

 

Well, the speed limits on the stretch modeled for TSW2 don't generally exceed about 30mph. Further south, there are sections with speeds of 50mph, but they aren't included.

 

I can imagine that CRR won't appeal to players who hate Sand Patch.

 

Unbelievable! TSW, so overpacked with action... & SPG, 'John Wick' between routes... No words. Some people are heartless.

 

Gone eerily quiet on the Clinchfield front.

 

Indeed. Which is a shame because I've been spending a bit more time on the TS version, having great fun backing up the coal cars at the various loading points. Really looking forward to doing similar in TSW2.

 

Right i was hoping for a release this week, but probably was a little unrealistic with the holiday coming up. Here's hoping for next Thursday!

 

I mean there isn't much to talk about, we know that it is slightly delayed due to some last minute fixes, and we know a good amount of the route thru the articles and stream.

 

For the moment DTG is working and done, I prefer that to a lot of talking and a job poorly done.

Once the road bought, this will talk, do not worry.
We will discuss the road for good and bad when the time comes (more good I hope).

 

Same here. I couldn’t resist buying the TS version just to get acquainted and get done route knowledge.

I must admit I’m impressed with the TS version; the scenery is excellent. And the F7 horn had a nice resonance: I could announce my approach to the whole valley!

I am looking forward to this. Take your time; I’m not going anywhere.

 

Actually Clinchfield would seem to be one route that would benefit greatly from the Run 8 style of “radiant” industry production, rather than fixed tometable or scenarios.

 

Going off of what they said in the video and stream, you won't be doing much loading in TSW...

 

I like this grouping of task sequences (journey). This introduces some overriding purposes for driving.

I would also like the tasks to enable a more flexible approach. Instead of direct commands - couple this exactly car full of coal - these could be less restrictive, for example, pick up all 'ready' (full of coal) cars from location A. Still, what we will get is already a very good change of direction in my opinion!

 

That's exactly the situation modeled by "banking comms" with the SD40 and GP48, which is why DTG put that switch on the voice radio: it abstracts having a live human crew receiving verbal instructions. The Dash-2s don't have remote control* to this day, except for those upgraded to Dash-3 standard. Note that they don't have the DPU switch found in the AC4400.

*Except for the brakes

 

And that's fine with me. After the coal loading services in Sand Patch, which took forever, I'm like, "been there, done that". Delivering empty hoppers and picking up the loaded ones is probably more realistic for an engineer anyway. Various methods were used to load the coal, including cables, winches, track mobiles and dump trucks rather than slow speed loco hauling by CRR crews.