Disregarding the new route announcement, looking at my collection I have three German routes yet to buy. With the sales looming I’m wondering which are the best options? 1. The Leipzig S-Bahn route. Old but apparently has just received a good preservation crew makeover. 2. Duisberg to Bochum. Seems a bit short and is it just another Ruhr interurban route with Dostos etc. 3. Hamburg to Lubeck. Another route through flat country and my recollection of the line is from the days of diesel operation. However the BR112 looks nice as an older loco. Would appreciate any thoughts or feedback to help with my choice(s).
Hamburg to lubeck Is ok and it's a nice looking route. The only feedback I'd give is it's a bit straight. I sometimes find it a bit too underwhelming. That said I do keep coming back To it and I'm sure there are some yellow signal chasing services. There is also some freight services where you literally run the train on its own the whole sense of the route which is a bit meh .... Duisburg isn't too bad, there's a lot of different track routes intertwining, the 101 services on this one are quite nice but it is an older route. I'm not sure off top of my head what the Leipzig one is
Ah I've not had that one for years. I had it on Xbox. It's mix of underground and over it I recollect correct. There are better routes but someone else may be able to give a better recollection of rapid transport
I find Rapid Transit pretty boring. But I don't have the BR182 addon to go with it. I hear it adds a whole lot more traffic to the route. It's a decent route, but without the BR182 there is very little AI traffic and it's basically a one-trick-pony like LIRR. It's a route of decent length though, and the section with the underground stations at Leipzig is pretty cool. Hauptstrecke Rhein-Rurh is short, but intensive. It's a lovely route with lots of AI traffic, and perfect choice if you want to do a short drive. The routes short length really is its only downside. Hamburg-Lubeck, I never purchased it. Being familiar with the Train Simulator version of the route, I remember it being a pretty boring drive on straight tracks through flat landscape with low speed limits. I assume the TSW version is no different, being based upon the same real life railroad.
Duisburg to Bochum is good because of the DB BR 425 - cab and audio are very nice. Plus you will need it for the DB BR 101 (also sounds great). Even though it's a short route you have two paths. S1 services with the DB BR 422 (stopping frequently) or RE with the 425. Freight and loco passenger services also add in with MSB installed. I like the others but find myself coming back to this more as well as RRO.
I would say Duisburg > Hamburg > Leipzig Duisburg - Bochum has nice service variety and quite a lot of trains passing through with the additional layers. Hamburg - Lübeck is a nice route, but with less variety and a lot of straights. It's pleasant to look at. Leipzig - Dessau is the oldest German route and it shows. It's a lot better after the preservation crew's efforts, the new service timetable has a different range of services, but it's still my least played route. All three routes are focused on passenger services, as for freight content, Duisburg has some A to B runs layered in, Hamburg has more freight services but it's also mostly A to B runs with some run arounds and Leipzig has none.
Rapid Transit is boring, not nice. Hamburg-Lübeck is probably interesting (still on my list). I do not like HRR very much either, but driving freight is nice at this route.
Ive only got Hamburg but I really enjoy it for a simple run which isnt to taxing, that said with the HUD off and PZB there are some issues with missing speed signs on the frieght only section and also theres a section where the speed drops from 140km (IIRC) to 80km which you have to be on the ball for in order to avoid penalty breaks.
Thanks! Plenty of information to mull over. Sounds like Duisburg to Bochum will be the first choice, come the sales.
Theres a sale on DTG store page already, currently 20% of Hamburg, 25% of Duisburg & 20% off the 101. To name just 3
Be aware the discount is not very good. Better wait for a steam sale. It look like there will be one next week.
That's what I'm waiting for Rudolf. Probably pick up one in each of the three likely sales - Halloween, Thanksgiving and Xmas/New Year. Normally can guarantee at least 40% off.
If you want to give heavy traffic to Schnellfahrstrecke Köln-Aachen with Container Trains and S-Bahn Rhein Ruhr Osten Wuppertal-Hagen. Looking for a new look DB BR146.2 then use that on Hauptstrecke Rhein-Ruhr & München-Augsburg go Riesa-Dresden. Without Riesa-Dresden then get Main Spessart Bahn Aschaffenburg-Gemünden for DB BR146.2 and 185.2. If you have Main Spessart Bahn Aschaffenburg-Gemünden with Rhein-Ruhr Osten you get DB BR146.2 services on RRO.
I've got RRO and MSB, just the three I mentioned at the start I'm missing. I certainly think at this stage Rapid Transit is going to be the least likely, certainly not before the other two.
Hauptstrecke Rhein-Ruhr doesn't come with Doppelstockwagen therefore you have DB BR425 & 422. To get them on HRR DDR Riesa-Dresden or Main Spessart Bahn Aschaffenburg-Gemünden must be purchased to get those on HRR. Way to tell a Main Spessart Bahn Doppelstockwagen Cab car 766.2 from the Riesa-Dresden version is a VVO Sticker & S Bahn Dresden sticker which is missing.
They are all very good. Can’t wait for the new German Route which doesn’t sound far off. Dresden to Chemnitz. Possible xmas release? What will the next UK route be?
There’s a lot going on, on Duisburg-Bochum, it’s quite a busy route, if you have all the German DLC! So definitely worth it, for a mix of stopping S-Bahn and RE services. Hamburg-Lubeck is another favourite of mine, slightly forgotten about for me now, because of how good Dresden is.
I've just got the HRR line and I absolutely love it. The 425 is so nice to drive and as others have said with extra layers from other DLC is a busy route. For an old route it stands up really well
Now you can use Doppelstockwagen from Riesa-Dresden or Main Spessart Bahn Aschaffenburg-Gemünden on Hauptstrecke Rhein-Ruhr Duisburg Bochum via Essen.
I was reluctant to get HRR, only bought it because it was on sale and I did want the BR 101. But I'm glad I did: it's a bit on the short side, but a lot of variety and a lot of traffic. Also the 425 is very good, and it fills out Munchen-Augsburg's Regio services. A very interesting freight timetable, too (Matt did it), where almost any freight run is held up for passenger services and you'll get a PZB workout. And, again, the 101.
Well from what I've seen so far the route is very good (HRR). However am I right in thinking there is no PIS at the stations? (Hello Preservation Crew). And running in autumn fog conditions it is still quite dark and overcast at 0645 but all the stations are in darkness, the lights are already off. Possibly another known issue?