Just Trains - Blackpool - Preston - Ormskirk Official Thread

I didn't realise it was out yet!

 

Thank you for the clarification.

I can't wait to watch the stream tonight, very excited for this route.

 

I remember it being said in one of the many news/update posts that the later versions were included purely for livery designer purposes. The only downside is that they might not appear on West Cornwall either, but that being said the Pacers being there was a happy accident anyway so can't complain. That would be down to DTG or Rivet to solve.

With that said, if DTG happens to be looking, I think I speak for many folk when I say... please enable the Pacers on the 101 diagrams for TVL. The destination boards are already there because JT are legends like that, and I'm pretty sure many people would smile at that. It would even make the passenger runs actually doable for people who (like myself) dislike driving the 101s.

Like I said, legends. The later models don't even serve this route, they are there solely for us to use elsewhere, improve other route experiences with them. My only wish on that front is that the final variant had the later two panel doors rather than the four panel older ones, so that with LD they could truly look at home anywhere we put them on the UK network.

But that being said, I totally get why that wasn't the case, it would be extra modelling and scripting that as I said doesn't actually serve this route itself in any way. I won't hold it against anyone, I'm just so glad to have this train coming to the game and to have the engine variants I grew up riding.

 

Would need the GSM-R as well, but yeah would be great!

 

This and the doors are patch or re-release material, either way part of the reason I'm not bothered by their absence is because I have little doubt we'll see it some day down the line.

 

TVL could do with a timetable overhaul. It's a decent fair go for TSWs early days but doesn't make use of the scope in the area. The 142 could hinge a new TT.

Risk of dragging the thread OT and should be in the suggestions but here we go.

IC trains at Darlington HSTs mainly, Trans Pennine Trains (47 and mk2s) also required. How we haven't got a Valenta HST yet is beyond me. Open goal on WCL for this which Rivet missed completely.

Sunderland Coast traffic feeding into Middlesborough.

Whitby line Traffic feeding into Middlesborough.

Both of the above mean the platforms at Middlesborough were occupied a lot more meaning freight should go round the back of the station as it does in one scenario.

A lot to ask but gameplay pack potential. Give it a lighting upgrade while at it. It's one of the best UK routes going.

Boulby potash traffic. This is one of the biggest missing freight flows.

Also various Speedlink and trip workings around the various sidings. Light locos on and off Thornaby also.

 

If you have the info/timings for the services, it could be worth compiling it. With the new editor, someone could make the timetable themselves.

 

Big ask perhaps, more realistically I think what could happen in a new TVL timetable would be Class 47 AI services both passing through and stopping at Darlington up and down the ECML. Expansion on the passenger services with 142 and 150 substitutions. Freight is more or less okay as is, as it should be given that's the main point of the route, however a few new substitutions such as the WCL 37 or the new 47 variants from this route would do well. And the absolute cherry on the cake would be for this new timetable to come alongside a new loco pack, best bet to look at home in the area and expand it I think would be a Class 58 RF with period accurate container wagons, perhaps a reuse of the KFA flats from the RHTT pack. And of course as seems to be the common practise these days with releasing new loco packs for old routes, the lighting update would come with it.

The timetable created by this could end up comparable to the Blackpool route, at least from my perspective. Somebody who actually has access to the PC editor, take notes.

 

I'll note at this point that all working timetables back to 1994 are publicly available for free.

 

TVL is set in 89 though is the issue. I'd imagine the shakeup between then and 94 is fairly big?

 

Would you?

 

I mean 5 years is a fairly big gap, changes in rolling stock and the starting of Privatization has got to be a pretty big upset to the timetable?

 

By 1994 the 101's were long gone from the area, they were being supplanted in 1989. The class 20's and 31's were starting to be withdrawn in 1994 although were still around. Class 60's would have been on the scene by then in fair numbers. Heaton had quite a few class 153's so in 1994 they would have been running alongside the Pacers.

 

Maybe, but with the release of the 142 the stock is there for a convincing 1994 timetable.

From the 1994 WTT there wouldn't be much in the way of playable 153 services - at most you could drive them between Middlesbrough and Thornaby before they left the playable area.

 

Let's not forget the fact that the very route this thread is for is set in 1986 visually but utilises service patterns from a couple years either side. Class 40s are on the route yet only one was in service by 86.

Southeastern is a prime example of time periods crossing. We have a 2019 timetable with white livery Electrostars in it which were all gone by early 2018, and the 37s pulling them.

I think with recently released content and when plotting out new content, what should be and in fact already is the case in places is that we don't say 'the 1989 timetable' and instead the better term for the sake of versatiliy and gameplay is 'a late 80s/early 90s timetable'. It gives a few years either side for the sake of variety while still being believable and looking right for the decade.

 

I have both the passenger and freight WTT for 1989 for TVL and was planning to do something with them but my time is low at the moment. Instead I'll try and find time to scan and upload them for you all in case someone else has time.

 

A reminder if indeed a reminder was needed, that this starts in just under one hour from now...

 

Class 56 is the one that transcends eras. I can't believe we don't have one. Good for practically every UK route in some form or another. They still go through Clapham jcn on freight.

NTP and TVL and the Blackpool branches too. Used to go to Burn Naze on freights.

 

Noticed luggage racks in one end of the 142, from memory it was fold up long seats in the ends near the cabs, one end was lockable also like 150s as Red Star parcels still went by rail and had to have a secure part.

 

The whistle for the 47’s at Preston was a great feature to add in, it’s a very immersive rich feature, completely reminded me of when I was at Newcastle Central the other year.

 

That brings back some memories. You’re right - fold up side-ways facing bench seats and a lockable section for parcels, although I don’t remember ever seeing it used for that purpose. I do remember bikes often being stowed in that section.

On summer days when there were a lot of bikes, 142s were ideal. 156s (which shared the duties with 142s on my route) while far superior in most respects, were more tricky for bikes, having much narrower doorways and vestibules. The big luggage racks on the 142s were a later addition if I remember correctly.

The other thing I remember about 142s was that the nearer the middle of the vehicle you sat, the better the ride. Each vehicle moved with a see-saw motion, so it was at the ends that it was most pronounced. There was a black rubber(?) mat, attached to one vehicle only, which lay on the floor covering the gap between the vehicles in the gangway. As the two vehicles bounced out of kilter with each other it would flap around and repeatedly slap against the floor of the vehicle to which it wasn’t attached (the idea of it was that you would step on it as you walked from one vehicle to the other, but in reality the way it was flapping around everybody took a big step over it). That irregular slapping noise will for me always be the sound of a 142 at speed.

 

What are your thoughts on the Pacer's acceleration? It's like a sports car. Owning the AP Class 142 2.0 in TSC, that accelerates nothing like this. One of the two must be wrong.

 

So loving the look of this route on the livestream and great to see a 1M88 Poole - Blackpool North service.

 

This looks amazing, great stream. Guaranteed 100% day one purchase, I can't wait.
The detail of the scenery looks great. Huge props to all the JT staff.

 

Yes, overall it looks great! But I have my usual complaint: As lovely as the route is, and Blackpool Tower at night - once again we have these residential buildings where at night every single window is lit, and in exactly the same way. See the row of houses on the right. It just looks ruins the immersion for me.

 

Awesome looking route and pacer. The scenery is the best I've seen so far in TSW. The Pacer looks like great fun to drive, loving the suspension physics and the feel of speed.
The only niggle I've noticed (signalling) is that upon leaving Preston south for the turnout (75 to 30/20mph) the approach control should be approach from red, not double yellow then yellow with feather as seen in the stream. If it was this in real life then fair play, but I doubt it. I guess to change it would muck up the timetable so probably won't happen. We never saw the signalling issues resolved in MML so it's probably an immense amount of hassle to change.
Minor niggle though, magnificent route and rolling stock, v well done.

 

VERY impressed. Love all the features like the AI guard, new suspension, announcements etc. And the detail is fantastic in the stations and along the track. JT have set the bar imo.
Day one purchase.

 

The route looks incredible to me and I love the attention to detail with the whistles and horns on the 47s, the simulated token stop. The scenery is beautiful and I love how we have a big station in Preston, thats full of variety and isn't empty!

I did have one query. In the stream the guys referred to the SOS mineral wagons as vac stock and had a 35mph speed limit. I believe that specific stock is unfitted and would have a 25mph limit (at least in the steam era). Wondering if we could get a little clarification regarding that

 

Absolutely blown away by this. Theyve thought of everything.

 

Just to add here - Not sure if this is a core issue affecting other routes or not but the driver model is missing when using exterior camera and looking at the trains

seems to be player services only issue not Ai

(Edit its a core issue)

 

Fantastic preview, top candidate for best route in TSW in my opinion. May the weekend be quick and may Tuesday arrive soon.

 

Yep, I literally can not wait for this route. Eagerly counting down the time.

 

This is core, I ran into it when taking images for the screenshot contest a few days ago on Dresden and Southeastern

 

I thought I’d seen it somewhere, thanks for confirming

 

Is it not just in photo mode? If you go into photo mode from the internal camera there is no player character because it isn’t present when in the driver’s seat. Going into photo mode from an external camera means there will be a character sat there. Were they using photo mode when you saw the issue? That would be my guess.

 

JT have managed to get the best out of TSW. Just awesome. I hope the PS5 version works as well as what we saw in the live stream.

 

Well I for one was throughly disappointed with this route. It seems to be missing many of the key features I've come to expect from previous routes (apart from maybe that weird German branch line).

Firstly, there are too many trains on the route in too many diffenret colours. Please only give me one train per route as I find the too confusing otherwise. They also seemd to "fix" some issues with Locos from other route. Please leave these well alone and how I'm used to them, it's DTG's job to decide if and when to provide fixes / improvments.

Also there is way too many plants around the tracks, looks too cluttered, I prefer the tracks to be cleaner and un-realisitic. Despite all the foliage, I didn't even see one tree pass through the cab. Shocking!

Another issue for me is how smokey some of the trains were, they may as well be on fire. Please think about climate change and stop these unsightly emissions. There is also way to much energy being wasted lighting up all the buildings round Blackpool North and Preston at night. Complete darkness in built up areas next time please!

Speaking of scenary, I can see too far in the distance, especially the tower, (surely it's not realistic to see if for this far away). It's much more exciting when the scenery surprises you by just popping in at the last moment.

Preston station seems too big, I'll probably get lost. Please can you add in some pointless invisible walls to keep me trapped on two platforms (or four at the absolute most!).

I love watching the steams just to spot all the obvious mistakes but this one was so boring. Over 2 hours and the only one I spotted was a lower case "I" in the Put A Gronk On It scenario text. Please try harder next time! At least then we had a proper fail with the service derailment, that's more like it! Can't belive they had the audacity to say they'd "fix" it though! Let's wait and see if that happens!

I'm certainly not going to buy any JT route unless then stop "listening" to customers and don't put in any more features like train announcements that I'm sure nobody asked for!

 

It looks absolutely incredible! JT have done fantastic, well done JT, seriously! Blackpool South branch is something I’ve been waiting for in any Train Simulator.

My only criticism and it’s very small and will not ruin gameplay in the slightest is the Pacer numbering.

142001-142014 should be GMPTE livery
142015-142027 should be Skipper, chocolate and cream
142028-142096 provincial

At the moment it seems and unit can have any livery, not a massive complaint of course.

 

Also like to add that JT and skyhook are the only devs to make use of an AI guard. As I've said before this increases the immersion and realism, I hope now dtg makes use of this in their future uk routes as it's proven possible.

If dtg could allocate more time to each route they make they would turn out just as good as this route is shaping up to be.

 

This is a joke right? If not Troll alert!!!!!

 

Yeah he's being sarcastic

 

I recall them saying they will try to implement this later on in an update as it is apparently quite complicated.

Edit: forgot to quote, I mean the livery matching to numbers

 

no just exterior camera in the preview where i noticed no driver (in pretty sure it was external anyways, I don’t recall the photo mode options appearing at same time)

I’m currently doing a class 101 on WCL (Xbox series x) driver appears in both external cam and photo mode, but I think I have seen this issue on another loco the other day.

 

Yeah you never know here on this forum LOL

 

I think the way it was driven the very low speed acceleration looked too quick, but that was because it was driven by putting is straight into notch 7, which as I understand it is not the way they were driven in real life. The instruction was to start in no more than notch 3, not to increase to notch 4 until above 5mph, and not to increase to full power until above 10mph (somebody told me the technical explanation for this instruction once, but I can’t remember it!) There was one station where someone in the chat asked for a notch 3 start, and it looked much more like they used to accelerate when in service.

So I think the answer is, in terms of initial acceleration, if you drive it realistically, it will behave realistically.

In terms of acceleration beyond 10mph, the Pacers were pretty nippy (being very light) and one thing I did notice is that the schedule appeared to be a real-life one (not AI generated, thank goodness) and despite the Driver being good on the brakes, he was only just keeping time. There were a couple of early arrivals where there was obviously some recovery time in the schedule, but at most stations he was arriving pretty much dead on time. That suggests a real life Pacer can’t be much slower, otherwise it would be unable to keep to that schedule.

 

Fair point. That said, it'll be a day one purchase for me. Looks phenomenal.

 

Guaranteed purchase from me, and honestly really hyped about what we can expect going forward from JT. Another route, or a loco pack? By far the best looking overall route in TSW, by both first and thirdparty.

 

I hope we get a good release with the route and few issues because now I feel like I need to get TSW4 just for this route. JT have really taken it to dtg with this one and I hope dtg are paying attention to the community reaction on this one and the small little features which add a ton to the immersion

 

My only problem is the Layland sounds that it part from that it will be a day 1 purchase for me.

 

Here the same.... Is there an option to skip the days and start tommorow on Tuesday the 14th? Anyone????