*This is a repost of an older suggestion that was made by me on an older account with some new information added* The name of the game is Train Sim 'World' except we have only seen German, British, and American routes; Vastly available on Train Sim 19 and kind of boring at this point. Before you drown your thoughts in the lack of diversity, imagine this; 1067 mm track, sweeping around hills and houses in trains that range from 40 years old to only 2 years old. Imagine battling for your position on the mostly single track mainline against privatised freight companies or trying to keep to a timetable in the congested core. Now imagine zooming past a small town, running 30 minutes late on the fastest narrow gauge train in the world. A variety of rolling stock is used in the region. The city train fleet consists of: - 1979 - Present: EMU, 100 km/h 3 car (slowing being phased out) - 1988 - 2021: ICE, 120 km/h 4-6 car (phased out 2021) - 1994 - Present: SMU 200, 100 km/h 3 car - 1999 - Present: SMU 220, 100 km/h 3 car (almost identical to SMU 200) - 2008 - Present: SMU 260, 130 km/h 3 car - 1996 - Present: IMU 100, 140 km/h 3 car - 2001 - Present: IMU 120, 140 km/h 3 car (almost identical to IMU 100) - 2008 - Present: IMU 160, 130 km/h 3 car (almost identical to SMU 260 but with toilet) - 2015 - Present: NGR, 140 km/h 6 car Long Distance services consist of: - Loco hauled, ~km/h ~car - Tilt Train, 160 (200 design, 215 record) km/h 6 Car - Spirit of Queensland, 160 km/h 2 + 7 car Freight trains vary depending on operator and use case. The type of scenery varies a lot. In the central core between Bowen hills and Milton/South Brisbane, the scenery is mostly high density residential, commercial and offices. As you move outwards from there, the scenery almost instantly shifts to the suburbs and dreary industrial areas. Heading south the line splits to Cleveland or Beenleigh/Gold Coast; - Cleveland is situated on the eastern coast. The rail line follows the Brisbane river through the suburbs until it reaches the ocean where it follows it through the Redlands Bay Area, even converging into single track at one section, until reaching the seaside suburb of Cleveland. The line is only serviced by all stops trains but does have a connection to the Brisbane port for freight trains coming from the south. - The Beenleigh line snakes it’s way through the southern suburbs. This line is low speed due to the old alignment it runs along. The track is shared by both Beenleigh trains stopping all stations and Gold Coast trains which run express with only a couple stops. The track alternates between double and triple track along the way and past Salisbury is also shared with freight trains bound for the Brisbane port. - The Gold Coast line is where the scenery really begins to change. The sandy coastal landscape begins to permeate, with the aesthetic changing from the vibrant green and grass to dull sandy-clay ground with a subtle hint of green coming from the abundance of eucalyptus trees. Past Beenleigh the railway line was only built within the last few decades after the original alignment was torn up many decades ago. This grants the line favourable qualities for high speed. The designed maximum speed is 160 km/h, allowing city trains to reach their rated top speed of 140. The stations on this line are also unusual given the fact that all the platforms are level boarding for the entire length of the platform, something rarely seen on the rest of the network. The track was single track a couple years ago but has since been upgraded to double track all the way to varsity lakes. Heading west the line only splits at Darra; - Until Darra, the Ipswich and Springfield trains (as well as dome freight) share the same four track mainline. Although the area has 4 tracks, the capacity is hardly utilised, even during peak times. The scenery is fairly basic throughout the entire route, the only change coming with the increasing dryness that sucks the saturation from the grass and trees the further you head west. This section is also used by long distance services heading west. - The Springfield line diverts south after Darra to the emerging suburb of Springfield. Springfield central is very unique as it is an elevated station and also an aesthetically pleasing landmark in the region. The line is fairly short with only 3 stations past Darra. The scenery isn’t unique and is just like the suburbs that sprawl across southeast Queensland. - The Ipswich line is longer than the Springfield line, continuing west from Darra towards the city of Ipswich and Rosewood. The line follows the M2 motorway for a large portion of the journey, only splitting from it on its approach to Ipswich. Ipswich station has been covered over allowing for development to take place above the railway, similar to central station in the city. Ipswich’s core is relatively dense, with a fair share of high density buildings, however outside of the CBD the city soon turns back into the suburbs. Heading further west the line leaves Ipswich to connect with a few regional towns on its journey to Rosewood. The line has a mix of all stops trains the Ipswich and some services that run express between Milton and Darra stopping only at Indooroopilly and Corinda, and usually terminate at Rosewood. Rosewood also has its own connecting shuttle service. This section is also used by long distance services heading west. Heading north the lines go towards Ferny Grove, Doomben, The Airport, Shorncliffe, Redcliffe, and Caboolture and the Sunshine Coast. - The Ferny grove line is a slow line that travels through some of the wealthier suburbs in the region. The scenery consists mostly of suburbs with a mix of modern and traditional housing. Like most of the region, the area is very green and littered with trees and parks. The line is double track and served by all stops trains only. - the Doomben line is very short, running from Roma street to the suburb of Doomben. Diverting at eagle junction, the line makes its way through the industrial area on the northern side of the river, which is seeing gentrification and redevelopment thanks to a demand for higher density housing. Originally the line went out to Pinkenba. The line only has a single track past eagle junction and is only served by all stops trains. - Brisbane is special as it is one of the few cities in the country that can boast an airport rail link. The Brisbane airport is served by the airpot line. The line opened in 2001 with money from private investors, and is one of the few public transit lines in the world that is profitable (thanks to its high ticket price). The line diverts off the the mainline just after eagle junction and runs along an elevated single track line with stops at the international snd domestic terminal. The scenery is pretty basic, with the view being taken up mostly by the airport. The scenery is also similar to the Doomben line as it runs in the same area. - The Shorncliffe line diverts off at Northgate station towards the eastern coastline. The line travels through the suburbs towards the eastern coastal suburbs of Sandgate, Brighton and Shorncliffe. The line passes through the mosquito ridden Boondall wetlands, and also past the Brisbane Entertainment Centre. The line is serviced only by all stops trains. - Between Northgate and Petrie the railway is served by the Redcliffe, and The Caboolture and Sunshine Coast Lines. The line slashes its way through the northern suburbs on its way to Petrie. The lines share a 3 track corridor that allows for express services alongside traditional all stop services. Trains bound for Caboolture and the Sunshine Coast run express between Petrie and Northgate with no stops, while Redcliffe trains stop at each station. This section is also used long distance trains heading north. - Heading back to the coast, the Redcliffe Peninsula line serves the northern suburbs out to the peninsula suburb of Kippa-Ring. The scenery is coastal and similar to what is seen on the Gold Coast Line. The line is the most recently built on the network and has 2 tracks and level boarding stations, served only by all stop trains. - Continuing north, trains either terminate at Caboolture, Nambour, or Gympie North. Trains for Caboolture travel through the thinning suburbs as the city begins to fade away into the lush greenery, until Caboolture where the city comes back into focus. The Nambour and Gympie north lines continue past Caboolture where they travel through the fastest section of the network (where the tilt train can reach up to 160 km/h), through the picturesque glass house mountains, and endless national parks and forests until Nambour. Past Nambour the scenery shifts even more, with fewer and fewer towns and more vast green landscape until terminating at Gympie. The scenery here is one of the most picturesque and beautiful locations in the country. Until Elimbah the line is double track, past Elimbah and to Landsborugh the line is single track with passing loops and double track stations, and for the rest of the line the track is single track with only passing loops. This last past creates an interesting situation at stations where trains are timetabled to arrive at similar times. Here trains will load and unload passengers, then move into a passing loop parallel to the station until the train in the opposite direction arrives and the train can continue its journey. In peak times some trains may even have to wait for the train in the other direction to load unload passengers first before they can. This section is also utilised by long distance trains. For the add on I would suggest a locomotive that could be used for freight and long distance passenger services, the tilt train, and the SMU 260 and IMU 160 (since they are visually and technically identical) or the NGR as it is the most common on the network. Further rolling stock could be added in the future as separate DLC.
I would prefer something in NSW, but I might be biased since I live in NSW. I will happily support adding anything that is Australian to TSW. Our country is underrepresented. Give me Australian routes! Side note, I really like it when suggestions include pictures of trains. Gives me a better idea of what is being suggested. Good suggestion OP.
An incredible overview of what Queensland has to offer! I've added it to the list of Australian proposals found here: https://forums.dovetailgames.com/threads/australian-proposal-suggestion-master-list.41526/
