In Praise Of Frankfurt-fulda

I could have put this in the feedback thread, but figured I'd give it its own heading-
What a wonderful route!

DTG seem to have taken the best elements of the better German routes and provided us with length, variety and a killer timetable. A bit of Koln-Aachen, some Riesa-Dresdem, a dash of Tharandter, a pinch of Munchen-Augsburg and a smattering of Main Spessart. In and out of LZB zones! Oh, and then topped off with the very nicely realized ICE-T. I just keep coming back to the Kinzigtalbahn because I simply enjoy driving it.

Sure, the 114 has issues. But then I never cared for the 143 family anyway; I just run those services with a 146 or 182.

 

there is a bit of an annoying bug on ICE-T which is the reason I am currently not driving it despite loving it - atm, if you have AFB active and you are under LZB supervision, any time AFB brakes for you, be it upcoming speed limit or if you use AFB to lower your speed (not very cool but well), it locks throttle if you have it anywhere over 0... 403 RBW also has this... filed a ticket, will see what or if they do anything about it

but yeah, playing a lot of it too once they clear some issues it will be one of the best

 

100% agree.

It is quickly becoming a favorite up there with SEHS and DRA. I haven't touched anything else since TSW5 and I haven't really begun the freight or 101 timetables yet. It is already in my top 5 for miles driven. A truly excellent route!

 

Frankfurt-Fulda is the best German route yet... it´s ver busy in real life and I have been calling for routes like this to be made since TSC days.

 

Apart from the bugs, the 114 is undriveable, and the cabcar for the 114 is broken, and the performance at the Frankfurt end, it's a solid route.

Not convinced it's the best German route though, but I guess that's subjective.

 

It is subjective. To me it doesn’t offer much we don’t already have with the German stuff, another electrified middling distance fairly flat route with a mixture of stopping, semi fast and express trains DB red and Dostos still predominating. The Flixtrain is nice, in its limited scope.

However I’ve been having far more fun in TSC with the Pegnitztalbahn, Karawanken Bahn and Munich - Garmisch - Innsbruck.

 

It's a good route I agree. But the best I'm not overly sure about.

Floating assets (and trackbeds) multiple places on the route, rolling stock issues (primarily the 114) and timetable issues (freight trains stopping too early blocking the track outside the station so trains can't pass and just lock up the timetable) really noticeable on the last timetable service for FlixTrain.

If these are fixed it will be one of the best German routes we have.

 

It probably would be my new favourite route if it wasn't for the extreme performance issues on my PC at Frankfurt and Hanau

 

Setting aside the annoying bugs it’s definitely the best of the three core routes. ICE T is very fun to drive and it’s a very busy route, the only thing I’m waiting for now is the expert 101 timetable, I haven’t touched the default 101 in ages and tbh I refuse to back to it.

 

It has been finally a big route for Germany again, which offers a huge variety of things and mostly important of decent length.

I really enjoy the replication of the station and skyline in Frankfurt. There must have been put hard work into this model it!

The detail of airplanes flying around Frankfurt airport are much more than just a detail and enhance the immersion so much.

Kind of agree, though. I'm anticipating the Pfälzische Ludwigbahn to offer a bit steeper gradients, curves and mixed landscape again between the rather flat S-Bahn lines of Mannheim and the outer parts up in the hills, Lukas talked about before.

I'm in love with the new Flixtrain, however yeah the scope is a bit limited. Of course due to the amount of services in real life.

I hope that we can drive the Flixtrain on any future route again.

 

Every now and then a route comes along that ticks a lot of my boxes and provides me with the opportunity to almost forget I’ve got any other routes installed and I can just get fully immersed in one thing. I don’t think there’s anything in TSW that can beat a run on this route with the ICE 1 with all safety systems on. Lots of other great runs as well with the new ICE T (so good round those bends) and Flixtrain plus regional expresses with the 146 which is in better shape than ever now. Plenty of freight too and even some short S-Bahn runs for those ‘oh go on then just another fifteen minutes’ moments.

There are a quite a few issues as is normal with a TSW route and occasional wrong priorities in the timetable but they can simulate a bit of chaos which can be fun. It’s still an all round brilliant route and certainly my new favourite. I’ve had a couple of crashes too (PS5) but hopefully they can be ironed out along with some other stuff but since TSW5 was released this has easily takin up 80% of my time in the game and it’s been a while since I’ve had so much satisfaction from just one route. And I’m using PZB all the time now which is something new for me for TSW5.

 

For me the route itself is nice, but the rolling stock is meh.

The 411 is not using its potential, too many copy and paste stuff from the ICE3. I can only hope for a modpack here.
Disappointed with the 114, could have been the way to finally give the 143 family a bit of care, but no (and the sound is so awful!)

146.2 - yeah seen often enough, not much care given here. And for the DOSTOS, well without the new DOSTO mod it is for me just undrivable. The sounds are so bad.

423 is hopefully a placeholder at the moment.

And all the many small bugs and issues can be found in the feedback thread. Also the broken passenger system is not helping in giving FRA Main Station a lot of life.

So yeah it is surely subjective, as always. I can only hope that due to maybe some additional rolling stock or S-Bahn Services the route will get a bit more love. It is very, very nice but it would have helped the route to have a bit more development time for polish etc. Rolling stock issues on top of that.

 

That´s how subjective views can be oldvern. I find Pegnitztalbahn an absolute snoozfest.I guess back in the steam and diesel era it was a little more exciting.

First: It´s not flat. I just drove a freight train up there in the rain two nights ago (real life, not game). It´s NOT flat. Have you been to Schlüchtern and Steinau?
Second: It´s a super busy route. Everything goes through there. A boatload of ICE services, Flixtrain, RE´s and RB´s hauled by different traction (Vectrons, 146, 114)... on top of that there is Hanau, Frankfurt Hbf and Frankfurt Süd with the S-Bahn. Saying it´s just another German route with nothing to offer sounds wrong.

 

Guess I need to spend more time with it then, but I do crave more to do with the 218 etc.!

 

Are you using AFB on freight trains in rainy conditions? I was always a bit sceptical about TSW tutorials telling you to slam the throttle lever to max under AFB (I never do so, mostly around 70 to 80 percent tractive effort, in rain even less).

 

sure, why not? The locos have "schleuderschutz". But depends on personal habbits... some drivers don´t use AFB at all, because they want to "drive themself". There are even companies that ban or force you to use AFB... but with most companies it´s a personal choice of the driver.
during rain you should not use dynamic braking... it basicly does not work in wet conditions. I think this is also simulated in TSW and TSC with decent rolling stock.

 

Would that mean you're pushing the ebrake handle when applying brakes so it's only using airbrakes? Just guessing, you were on a 185?

 

No, it was a Vectron =)
There is a little button on the brakehandle that takes the dynamic breaking (E-Bremse) off... in wet conditions I can then only apply the airbrakes so there is no "schleudern".

 

I haven't played any other route since TSW5 release, logged 150 hours. I'm a bit biased because I live in the area but the route really resembles the real world (stations, surroundings, atmosphere, [...]) pretty well! I recognized a lot, I see a lot love from the developers went into this. I'm happy they didn't screw it up and really hope for more Frankfurt and Rhein-Main built on this in the future.

 

There are no significant sections over 10 ‰ around those stations (or anywhere else on the route aside of multilevel crossing areas), at least in the game..

 

Also when I was referring to "flat" it was as much in reference to the scenery. once again a route through low rolling hills rather than something in the real hills or mountains.

 

You just had.. Vorarlberg, Rosenheim-Salzburg, Semmeringbahn.. Literally every mainline route in TSW4 ran through or near mountains

 

I never said that... just that is not flat. But I think there is a short over 10% just before Schlüchtern? Not sure though... I only drive it for divergens. My main route is via Spessart most days. It´s a shame Aschaffenburg-Gemünden is the old route in TSW... between Hösbach and Wiesthal the route is totally changed these days.

 

I must admit I didn't really have no interest in German content. Then Frankfurt fulda come along and I've learned how to use lzb and pzb. Like the route alot.

 

Oh hello there!

 

Well I've just got about 20 minutes into a run from Fulda to Frankfurt and must admit I have to recant most of my earlier thoughts.

Scenery is actually very nice and yes there are some gradients, albeit not that challenging to the ICE-T. Most zen is the curvature especially going round at the higher permitted GNT speed.

Of the three new routes with TSW5 it is undoubtedly the best.

Now if only we could have some nice old DB trains to run on it, a some UIC Am and Bm232's and some rancid old Silberlinge stock. Hard plastic seat heaven!!

 

Well, that's what the Flixtrain is hauling, under the lime green paint and the internal makeover

 

Interesting... After finishing my ICE run, I'll take a closer look.

 

They plainly were gutted and done over inside, since they were originally built as compartment coaches with side corridors (the connecting doors are still off to the side)

 

Several times, in fact. The previous rebuild was for the InterRegio.

 

Yes I can see the origin. The end doors in particular give it away. However for nostalgia’s sake would like to see a rake in the original configuration. These coaches essentially the DB equivalent of the BR Mark Ones, apart from the very austere seating!



Superb for 11 hours from Hook Of Holland to Copenhagen!

 

Wow, that's one of the former 3rd-class (relabeled 2d class) coaches, with the narrow window

 

This has quickly become my all time favorite route in TSW, howeverrrrrr I cannot help but feel slightly sad that the strech of track through Frankfurt Ostbahnhof and the massive Umschlagbahnhof were not included. It would have added even more service variation, a logical endpoint for container trains, and more freight/shunting potential.

 

They certainly had character, if not much creature comfort!

 

Certainly looks like a place where you could get quantities of shaving cream applied

 

I also appreciate that now after todays update the centre screen in the 411 is more accurate and the indicators and text inside are the correct size, it would be nice if it could be ported back to the ICE 1 & 3

 

This route is now even better with the addition of the expert 101 and the 101 Cab car!

 

Shame the 114 is still as broken as it was before the patch that said it was fixed though.

 

It will always be subpar like the 112 or 187, sadly.

 

The DB BR 423 sounds are innacurate along with the interior. The 114 doesn't work properly. The Flixtrain in my opinion should've been included in the route and not a paid DLC given what little it adds to the route. The bugs and performance doesn't make this the best german route in the game in my opinion. It feels rushed in some areas. Apart from the DB BR 411 ICE T, this route doesn't offer anything new

 

Bit weird to expect any modern electric to struggle much with gradients.

LZB and PZB offer more engaging play than gradients ever will in anything set after the 70s.

 

Depends how long and heavy the train is. After all, the Germans and Austrians do doublehead in the Alps, even the short little freights they run.

 

This route is the only one which gives me hard stutters mainly at stations and i dont know why other routes are perfoming very well.
any other with that problem on that route ?
im on pc

cheers

 

Try DX12 mode and the .ini fixes that JetWash has made: https://forums.dovetailgames.com/threads/tsw-5-enhancement-lighting-graphic-ep-v1-01.84738/

For me, this reduces stuttering by a lot, and makes the game more beautiful without much of a performance hit.

 

thx 4 ur answer
i have already installed jetwash´s ini and im using the dx12 command too but this route specially makes trouble^^
i also played with default engine.ini and its the same result.
i still try to figure out these days

cheers

 

there is still much to do for the overall optimization of the route.
Stuttering, FPS drops, GPU not used to 100% etc.

 

You have the Cloud / Sky Details in the Graphics settings lower than Ultra, correct? This eats up a lot of FPS IMHO, "very high" is enough

 

yea its on high
other routes performing much better
i think i go to nvidia 561.09 but first i backup my shader cache and than i will see if that works to put my shader folder into the new driver cache^^

 

The GPU in some cases can not be used 100% because the CPU limits the game. This is especially the case in bigger stations like FRA, same is happening at Bremen on BRO for example.