Us Routes Decline In Detail?

Sadly with the freight hater attitude the tsw crowd has twd US i dont see it... We could get Saluda if HIS is on board its a route in TSC ,They also have CSX Hanover sub in TSC Gettysburg Pa area York pa Hagerstown Md former Western Maryland line ..has modern CSX but can buy paks to play chessie system and WM era scenarios and painted cars locomotive s , there is B&O mountain sub Grafton West VA to cumberland MD plus WM Thomas sub the route is nice but too long to fit in TSW its 140 miles , They Have a West Palm beach to Miami. Route get Amtrak P42 and CSX freight plus a purchaseable unbranded tri rail F40ph3 c to run tri rail commuter that would fit TSW ..But the crowd on TSW dont like or want unbranded trains DTG wont do them they wont do P42 either just get sorry excuses from DTG why they cant do P42 s , There Is NS coal route in TSC that could fit TSW run and load coal trains on former Monongahela Ry in SW Pennsylvania. West Brownsville to Bailey Mine but again the majority of The TSW crowd thinks running US freight and coal trains is too boring and tough. There is NYC Boston and albany boston to springfield Massachusetts. and New Haven RR but the TSW crowd would nt like runnin Alco PA s FAs RS3 s etc they want sleek modern high tech passenger trains and one handled EMU DMU... they just dont want all this wonderful stuff but if you do Train sim Classic has this and a lot more that sadly will never see the light of day onTSW with the current attitudes on TSW

 

How do you do this in the TSW editor I am not familiar with it. I could replace the TOD file and click save but then upon loading it again it has the old one again.

 

Is this in the PC Editor?

 

More pathetic stuff from DTG in the 2nd roadmap ..We now get Airplanes in TSW5 ,,,, Buuuuttttt stil no new US Freight content anytime soon DTG can score a License for planes and put efforts into that ..but here are going into TSW5 no new freight content even mentioned they just keep putting it to us freight fans real good ...honestly i think its Focus that the problem ever since DTG merged with them US freight took a dump in TSW after TSW3 TSC has tons of NA freight classic and modern DTG was a soupporter of freight until Focus came in i just think the high ups there dont want it so no natter even if Matt says he for freight ..his superior s probably are not ..seems like US freight in TSW even freight in general in TSW the did cargo paks for UK but they just refuse to make it right for US freight fans all we got to to go on is High Iron Simulation s is working on a Santa fe pak not even a clue on whats going into it...is it even freight content is HIS doing freight stuff

 

Hate to say it, but even from a financial standpoint, US freight routes don't sell well.

-Most people outside the US don't care much for them.
-Their sales and play figures were usually pretty low.
-Clinchfield Railroad, probably one of my favorite routes for TSW2, was the worst selling route of that era, and never got any post release content or updates.

US freight is probably done aside from layers from existing stock till HIS and eventually Milepost Simulations start making content.

 

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Well it s time to give up on TSW then if freight has no future in it ...im done the US passenger and all these trash modern EmU DMU and passenger trains are BORING to run what makes passenger trains more exciting to run vs freight in any country just go station to station pick and drop off the people rinse and repeat ..and are HIS and milepost actually going to do freight content or will they just do passenger too basically TSW has turned into Passenger Train Sim World why dont they just change the name to that cause thats what its become ...

 

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honestly dont care for the new San Bernadino. Route it looks boring Antelope was boring i hardly play much passenger free roam freight was more fun... Then i m not buying anything TSW not even downloading the free version not going to be anything interesting worth buying to me i used to buy TSW day one used to be thrilled excited but not this time sadly im not beating this dead horse anymore ..

 

Im honestly wondering how much work HIS is even putting into their TSW content at this moment, since they are still working on routes for TSC. (AFAIK Reppo is the only one not working on the TSC side of HIS)

 

Cactusjuice is doing the signaling.

 

The new Metrolink line will probably get a run or two out of me, but overall it doesn’t look too exciting. If anything I’m just looking forward to getting a better MP36 & chance to run the F125 on a faster route.

I’m slightly intrigued by the HSP-46, along with the F125 it’s the closest thing we’ve had to some variety on passenger locos. The problem I have with these sorts of routes are that I really struggle to enjoy cab car action in TSW, and these routes keep you in them the longest. Ultimately I never get into a good rhythm of back & forth runs.

Generally I do agree there’s an issue with quality when it comes to the US stuff, I can’t quite put my finger on it but they just never feel as fleshed out, finished or focused as other routes.

 

But what do US freight lovers actually love about US freight routes? I found the UK cargo packs very nice add ons because you got to do freight tasks. But the USA is so big it is impossible to deliver or pick up any cargo on a route.

Wouldn't Expert loco's make US freight routes more engaging?

 

They definitely would. But the problem is that it would be nearly impossible to find resource material to pull something like that off simply because freight companies don’t let Dovetail (or game companies in general) have access to there stuff.

 

Searchlight worked with CP not so long ago to do the CP AC4400CW, and still working with them on their CP-focused US Simrail route. Reppo also has done great work with his various locomotives, including some semi-modern items like the GP20 & AEM-7. Virtual Rail Creations haven't existed in years, but the few items that are still avaliable on the Steam store are also really well done. Run 8's entire existence also shows that it's very possible to do expert quality US freight content.

The issue with US content is that so few do it in comparison to the UK or German side of things. As far as it goes currently the only ones doing expert quality items for the US currently are Searchlight & Reppo with diesel/electric traction, while Smokebox is the only developer doing US steam. Of which the only one that might be willing to jump to TSW is Reppo, DTG burnt their bridge with Searchlight and have been doing Simrail content as mentioned earlier, and I seriously doubt Smokebox is gonna get roped in without further improvements to the steam code.

 

Putting a freight together in a big yard then taking it to a destination and cutting the train and delivering to new sidings, or to an industry on the route. Besides even European freight routes often aren't long enough either to take it all the way.

 

That's very interesting.

 

i agree US freight needs more than A to B runs we also need switching ,,loading examples pick up and set out at a grain elevator even load grain ,,,unload a coal train at a large power plant ..we could also get stone and aggergate loading unloading. The only US route that has stone unloading is the UP local s in Peninsula corridor.. We did get ethanol unloading in Oakville. Sub ...At least DTG gave UK the cargo paks which i also have and love UK also needs more freight ...butttt DTG gives NA the short end of the stick...thus why I and some other s understandably very upset with dtg over US freight

 

Just as Trainz does so well, and of course Railroader.

 

i wonder too guess its going to be a very very long time before or even if we get US freight content ...are any 3rd partys working on any us freight at all ..whats not to say its more passenger LOVE...im tired of only getting US passenger routes with meager or no freight layers..like i said in forum im done with TSW until NA US freight makes a BIGGGGGG comeback and sooner than later how dang long are we going to have to wait TSW6 7 maybe they will just completely can us freight the way its going it wouldn't surprise me ..look what DTG did to steam last year at this time DTG was fluff and puff all giddy happy announcing the great Flying Scottsman them months later steam dropped like a lead hammer

 

Interactive industries are as follows...
Sand Patch Grade: Coal Loading
Peninsula Corridor: Stone
Oakville: Ethanol (Scenarios only, tt you just wait)
Clinchfield: Coal Loading
Cane Creek: "Contaminated Dirt" (Unrealistic to how it actually is handled) & Potash.
Horseshoe Curve: Coal Loading

Sherman Hill I don't remember.

Cajon Pass could of had unloading at the cement plants or the Grain Elevator, but didn't.
Antelope Valley could of had rock unlading in Sun Valley, but didn't.

Looking over the San Bernardino Line, unless there is container loading/unlading added, there is no opportunity for interactive industries on the map.

 

Yeah they keep changing their mind. I saw Matt say that whoever is in charge of US freight stopped them getting access, I asked why that had suddenly happened literally overnight, I got no explanation. As for steam I'd be happy with just a continuation as is, it's still fun. I think the real reason might be sales figures. Why does US freight and steam sell on Trainz, TSC and Railroader but not on TSW? Only answer I can think of is TSW sells a lot of games to consoles.

 

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Ya they could also do more with intermodal container loading unloading they got the Huge intermodal facilities in Cajon pass at San Bernadino. It looks like a grave yard in real life its a very busy facility I wish DTG and 3rd parties would start putting the same efforts in to freight in all countries as they do with passenger trains

 

The way the current game works makes what is the fun part of freight is boring. Switching/ running locals. Both are fun when its left to the player to solve the puzzle and plan out the moves. The current game does not allow the player to do this it just follow the floating objective even to the point of telling you have to navigate the yard.
The core game systems have to fundamentally change for freight. The game needs a better sandbox mode, with a persistent game world that you can return to session after session. Where a player can look at what its in a yard and see where it needs to go. then give the player the tools to plan out how to do so. Like a functional map. I dont now why the map in this game is so bare bones, it tells you nothing of the route, where any thing is. A better map would also remove the requirement for floaty objectives.
other basic stuff like multiple save slots. So you can keep your progress.
Routes with more sidings and branch lines.

 

Yes, DTG has utterly failed to maintain the promise of SPG, CRR and other early freight routes.

I only half-believe the excuses about access. There are plenty of Class 2 and 3 railroads. Have they been approached?

Plus DTG have plenty of models, some of them quite decent, in their catalog. They are using some of them for the odd freight layers in MBTA, for instance. You can create routes from the many sources of maps and data available in the public domain.

None of these issues seem to be hampering development in TSC and other simulators.

I think it's more a combination of economics/ profit plus maybe a lack of the right personnel and a true commitment to build a solid US freight segment.

 

I think you are right regarding finding the right personnel and motivation to do things properly.
'banking comm'? gives a clue about DTG understanding of US railroading. Come on DTG, that's a very British term, perhaps even English?

But there seems to be a general trend in declining interest to create for train simulations, noticing the dwindling numbers of creators on Elvas Tower for instance. It is mostly retirees, and old people die and there seems to be very little influx of aspiring young successors.
Also, many have perhaps higher standards than a commercial studio when it comes to recreating their favourite route, locomotive or train set.
And, last but not least, the territory is very much larger, even though apart from the urban centers, only sparsely populated with few stations, industries etc to provide for game play.

 

Probably got more to do with Elvas Tower's focus on MSTS/OpenRails...

 

Can I know if someone have done TOD4 for Sand Patch Grade?