Even if the devs look at this thread, I highly doubt they'll take any action. With 3 British steam locos in the game (and a fourth on the way), I just want to discuss some ideas for North American steam routes and locos. I've given some thought to it, but I can't come up with any good ideas for routes other than re-releases of routes already available (i.e. Southern Pacific-era Peninsula Corridor with the P-8 and/or MT-4; Pennsy-era Horseshoe Curve with the K4 and/or J1). What do y'all think? What other ideas for North American steam routes/locos can you come up with?
No plans to do any NA steam at the moment, I feel like we need to really find our feet better with modern and diesel heritage before we delve into the much smaller US steam enthusiast audience. Love to do it at some point, one of my favourite steamers of all time is the J4a Hudson, but I think that we serve more players better by focusing in other areas - and that's before you consider the areas of the core steam simulation that need more work. Matt.
Gee Mike, to do that NYC J4a Hudson you need to create a route for it. How about the water level route up the Hudson River.
Running k4s on the nec pulling the Broadway as a rail tour would be fun running the big boy on any of the up routes would be fun. That loco is no small niche market. It’s got quite the crowd chasing it around the country every summer
With Railroader and Century of steam coming you will get your US steam fix. far better then what DTG offers, would not be surprised to see some US steam come to sim rail either once 3rd party devs start releasing content or even mods.
I really wonder if American steam would be fun? Sorry for the Americans but their rail network does not seem very fun. Without a lot of robberies happening on your service I guess American steam routes would be very dull?
You mean like the staged robberies tourist railways like the one to the Grand Canyon do? Have read some very disparaging reports on Trip Advisor about that one, it’s essentially a forced means of coercing tips out of the captive audience, i.e. the passengers. I suspect if we got any American steam more than likely it would be via a heritage railway, though in my experience they can be a bit hokey compared to the similar operation in the UK (I really don’t need someone walking up and down playing a banjo when trying to enjoy the loco thrash and scenery!).
Those exist? Yes something like that I suppose. When I was looking at the Antelope route these US routes feel like chores. It's a modern day route so there is a lot present that was not present when steam was driving there? The blockbuster scenario is probably the only thing I will be really doing on that route if it is the only action based scenario on this route. With steam they probably would need to make a lot of action based Wild West dioramas to make me play it
Dare I say something like Grand Canyon RR with 4960 and 18? It's only 66 miles so it fits within DTGs route preference. It's so far of a long shot though, I know. I know it'll never happen. Or 3751 to run on the Grand Canyon RR route. With 4960 and P42 DLC. Ahhh, it's fun to dream. Would we be talking about a period US Steam route that once operated or would you want to see a current steam locomotive operating (like 3751 or 4014) and in more of an excursion type setting?
See my earlier comments about the Grand Canyon Railway! Also AFAIK they only run one or two trains in each direction and no freight so the timetable is going to be fairly limited.
Yes you are correct. Currently they only run 1 train in each direction daily, with a 2nd train just very briefly in March and April. The 4960 runs every 1st Saturday of the month and then on other select days throughout the year. But it looks like at a minimum, it runs every month and some months, multiple times.
