Us Content Early Speculation Thread.

I read that, I think the thread was about US freight and I said I'd like to see some more retro US freight routes like Clinchfield, and Matt popped up to say about maybe doing something with that route himself as a labour of love. It could do with upgrading, pity we can't add a high hood GP9 too.

 

I think (my opinion) that the premise and idea of a freight only route can be boring to most players. Sitting in a train going 60-70 for about an hour straight most likely causes boredom because you’re not interacting with your train. You put the reverser in and let it run for however long. The idea of passenger I believe makes more sense to Dovetail as you are interacting with your train a lot more making sure your on time. Personally I only enjoy freight routes if they have a lot more switching involved where you actually have to interact with your locomotive. Clinchfield is the only freight route I play anymore.

 

I definitely see people that share that opinion. There are also definitely those like myself that find freight more attractive precisely because there isn't as much going on. I like to do US freight and take in the scenery as I chug through the pass.

 

I just don't think TSW does US freight very well. The routes aren't long enough, and most of the time the trains aren't long enough.

 

Dtg are unable to obtain a go or via license.

Anyways, passenger is just nicer and easier to work with. Amtrak, caltrain, metrolink were all extremely helpful and allowed dtg to record sounds on their trains and get tons of photos. Freight operators don't really do that.

Freight companies are much more restrictive in terms of getting reference material like sounds and photographs. That prevents a good dlc to be made. Freight companies care more about a business than to be involved in a game like passenger operators do.

 

Freight can be way more exciting than passenger. Only last night I did a run with a big BNSF intermodel destined for Seattle on the Antelope Valley line in the dark and it was mostly an uphill slog all of the way, and concentration was needed not to bleed power and come to a stop, especially as I couldn't see much ahead, until all of a sudden and unexpectedly we hit a decline of 2% when I'd managed to govern my power about 5mph below the speed limit, it took very quick reactions to engage the dynamic break to max, I'd already whacked on the auto break first to keep it from running away as the dynamic takes a bit to kick in, time I didn't have. Obviously a real BNSF engineer would know that route but I didn't! So no freight trains are not at all boring to drive, less so than a passenger service in my opinion. Rarely do you run on entirely flat ground and you have a lot of weight penalties behind you so can rarely relax like you can on most passenger services. Stopping is not far removed from bringing a decent sized ship to a halt!
I also enjoy working with 4 locomotives on a big train, as well as assembling the train beforehand or doing a bit of yard work too, with some manual switches, whereas with a passenger service you just basically drive from A to B along a linear route making stops at a few stations. I enjoy that too, but not at the expense of freight.

 

So how did DTG get UP, NS, BNSF, CN and CSX into the game in great detail? That doesn't make any sense.

 

I believe it was mentioned that U.S passenger routes are more popular than freight routes a while back. I could be wrong though

 

Weird, I mean Run8 is a very successful game based solely on freight.

 

That is true. But then again, freight routes in Run8 are way better than freight routes in tsw. They are long and have more variety. Freight routes in tsw are quite limited in what you can do. Not to mention they are short

 

US freight sucks in TSW, and DTG should focus on fixed those existing stuff before making new ones.

 

Exactly. And the other train simulator "Simrail" published his plans for an northamerican (CP) route. And that's a freight and not a passenger US route.

 

I agree here. There haven't been any meaningful improvements in US freight gameplay since increased train length, which was how many years ago?

 

I think that's because of the optimization Problems in TSW. You can see that at last at Antelope Valley Line. The Intermodal trains have 40+ cars only.

 

That's good news about Simrail as I have it in my library but haven't played it much, with freight coming I shall.

 

I

was playing horseshoe curve recently on a x box series x i was counting cars on passing ai trains one empty tank car train i counted about 80 cars in cajon i had a 70 car freight train 3 engines up front 1 on rear think the gen 9 consoles give longer trains on my old x box 1x 50 cars was longest

 

i think also taking a US freight down grade is challenging immersive you have to be on the ball with the brakes the other day i did a down hill scenario on cajon using BNSF SD70ace tried to keep my speed in the 18 to 25 mph range did well made it to san bernadino ..even with the janky brake on the 70ace wher have to keep bailing off aftrr every brake change i did fine like running the 70aces even withat brake bailing

 

I'm a daily LIRR commuter, and the prospect of a refreshed TSW LIRR makes my heart leap. As several people have pointed out already, the DM30 is a critical component here, especially given Hunterspoint Ave and LIC are really diesel-only territory.

I would be content with no additional route extensions, provided the following is included: signalling system gets fixed, traffic is updated, DM30/C3 get added as locos, updated/refresh of the Main Line (3rd track, rebuilt stations, retaining walls, Elmont, etc.), and the extension to GCT (this is more complex than people give it credit for with the tangle of subterranean interlocking east of GCT and 8-track terminal). Given the aforementioned, we'd effectively be driving an entirely new route.

That said, Port Wash seems like the most logical candidate for an extension, given its relatively short length and diversity of scenery (urban/suburban/water crossings/bridges/grade crossings/forests). Second to the Port Wash, something along the South Shore, say, to Wantagh, would be cool, but unlikely given the additional track work modeling necessary east/SE of Jamaica.

I'll keep my fingers crossed - going to be an interesting week regardless!

 

Personally, I used to get bored when TSW was mostly freight. I think they keep making passenger stuff now because the base of players like passengers stuff. Not boring secluded one train per day freight routes.

 

I'd certainly rather have Metrolink's Orange County line, with the Pacific Surfliner over any possible freight route they could ever release for example.

 

I feel like Pacific Surfliner is next on DTG's too do list

 

Hopefully they pick Orange County over Ventura for it.

 

Yeah that's a real feeling of achievement which you don't get on a passenger run.

 

I still say driving a freight takes more skill than any station stopper. Besides many Amtracks also only run 1 train a day, the Antelope Valley line isn't exactly a train a minute is it? But each to their own as long as you allow for what other players enjoy. I will say US freight is unique whereas passenger services are pretty much the same across the globe, which is why I'd hate for US freight to be phased out in favour of purely passenger, especially when Simrail are about to do freight, and it sells so well on TSC and Trainz, not to mention being the sole focus of Run8.

 

I don't think that it will be the LIRR. Matt said multiple times that it is very difficult to have reference on the MTA network:

While the tracks for the New-Haven line are owned by the CDOT or Amtrak (With a small part still under the MTA).

 

The screenshot from above literally says "LONGISLANDRAILROAD2".

 

He was talking mainly about the New York Subway system, NOT LIRR.

And at worst, the LIRR would still be only M3's and M7's.

Worth noting the prime mover in the DE30AC and DM30AC's is the SAME as the BR Class 66. So they could pull what they did with the SD70ACe if DTG REALLY wanted to. (Relating to sounds)

 

I'd absolutely be over the moon if we get the DE and DM 30ACs.

 

Dude.... It literally says LIRR

 

DE/DM30AC vs BR Class 66. Wonder who would win that race

 

BR Class 66 for speed

 

Some really good LIRR videos on this guys Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@3985uprr

 

Love this guy - especially all of the commentary he provides about the route along the way.

 

On LIRR/2 being an upcoming route...this could be completely unrelated, but the Screenshot Competition winner last week was a beautiful LIRR shot...seems like more than a coincidence given everything else that has dropped in recent days.

 

while i like running both freight and passenger ..sometimes the passenger runs get boring stop and go pick up passengers at every station there are some express runs but its same as running a freight go point A to B..thats how real rail roading is take a train point A to B i think freight would be more immersive if they added switching work also stop at a yard or sidigs along the way to drop off and or pick up cars ...

 

With all the clamoring for the revised NYT timetable to include an LIRR layer, I'm surprised nobody is stumping for the inverse. A new LIRR route and timetable should absolutely have Amtrak and NJT AI services in Penn Station and through to Sunnyside Yard.

 

There are hints to some kind of "LIRR 2".

 

After a playstation trophy leak in anther thread, there is no doubt the next route is an LIRR route.

The trophy shows that the new route is labeled as NYLI.

New York: Long Island?

 

Yup that's how i read it too

 

While I'm a bit tired of the NewYork/NEC paradigm, I'll make an exception for a revamped LIRR because it would be virtually a new route, given the issues with the original. And a new piece of diesel stock would be an added incentive.
Although, personally, if it comes down to a choice between extension(s) and refreshing the existing layout, I'd choose the latter.

An SEHS- type reboot with a new branch and new loco would be day one for me, I think.

 

I have a feeling we will get some new motive power with the LIRR route, to run alongside the updated M3 and M7 EMU's. Maybe it's the diesel fleet or the M9

 

Hopefully the diesel fleet, the M9 wouldn't add anything new.

 

Maybe they can chuck in the Bushwick branch for a bit of ramshackle diesel freight action.

 

The M9 is a different train though from the M7. I don't see why they couldn't do both trains as that would mean we would have all of the trains from The MTA Long Island Railroad in game.

 

I mean I would like both yeah, but if it's either or I'd prefer the Diesel. Just because it would add new services, the M9 would just occasionally sub into M7 services like the M3 does.

 

Yeah I would really love to see LIRR re-done with all the things that have advanced since TSW 2020. It is really such an iconic route in North American, the current version is a mere shadow of what it could be. So I am excited about this.

Also the NEC/NYC paradigm is by far the most interesting part of North America when it comes to passenger rail so I am happy to see more routes in this area until they run out of stuff to do. Everyone has different tastes but I like the busy/dense aspect of it much more than the long meandering feel of a route like Antelope Valley for example.

 

Nothing wrong with NEC per se, just that there are good and bad parts of it. For instance continuing down to Philly would be OK as would north to Stamford with mixed traffic. But not Baltimore- Washington which I'm always scared to death they will do one day, especially without MARC trains.

 

Now Ive heard a rumor from the TSC discord that someone from Caltrain stated that later this year DTG is supposed to visit again to get references for their Stadler KISS EMU's. So "potentially" expect a new Caltrain route by 2025 or 2026... (If Caltrain doesn't botch their electrification up, apparently they already fried their AEM-7)

 

Ok, I'm finding this one completely ridiculous. Unless there's hard proof coming from that speculation other than that one person said from Discord, I highly doubt Peninsula Corridor would return with an update anytime soon, let alone upgraded to be electrified if it happens.

 

That sucks. always loved the AEM-7’s, especially when Amtrak ran them on the NEC..