December Season Of Reveals Speculation And Discussion Thread

I like the fact that they added clutter in the form of spare/old rails in between the running rails. Not quite sure what they're going for with those tall mounds on the side though? That doesn't look very realistic.

 

Video I just found that supports MrSouthernDriver and yes it was 2019. Class 158 Express Sprinter - Northern (ScotRail Livery) - Manchester Oxford Road Station [HD]

 

If the scotrail layer is here, I would estimate this route isn’t present day, but rather 2019.

 

Yeah I'm curious when the timetable is set as the Class 350s for TPE have been replaced by the Class 397. The transition started in 2019 so if Northern was using ScotRail 158s in 2019 that would potentially all be accurate.

I am guessing there will be a new 'unbranded' livery for the TPE Class 350s if the TPE license has yet to be secured.

 

They could be found between 2018 & 2020, they were cascaded from SR rather than loaned.

The 350s we’ll see will likely be the ex TPE ones that had a brief transition period in 2019-2020 where they were running the TPE Man Airport - Edinburgh services in LNWR liveries.

Going to say that the TT is definitely 2019.

 

It’s there on some parts of the real route so…

 

I suppose that could work as they were transferred to LNWR as the 397s came in.

 

So they just recycling the 323 from birmingham Cross City and Glossop line or they gonna redo it ?

 

Other than adding suspension, what’s to redo? It’s the same train that ran the route at the time & TSW wise it’s a fairly modern development & quite well done.

 

Of course if it's 2019 then most of the year the Pendolinos were Virgin Trains although Virgin did start debranding them well ahead of the switch to Avanti.

 

It's like the Avanti Pendo and 314s on Cathcart Circle, can narrow that down to a couple of days in December that year!

 

They do venture across the border to Carlisle and previously Newcastle, but they've certainly not operated trains to Manchester in modern times.

As others have mentioned I imagine they're included here to represent the 158's which transferred to Northern a few years ago and were put into service in an unbranded version of the ScotRail livery - see here: https://flic.kr/p/2gnzjJU.

The same thing happened with a number of Class 170's which transferred from ScotRail to Northern: https://flic.kr/p/2gNq3om

 

Pleased to hear further about this route, but gutted we haven’t had a release date. I was hoping that this would be out before Christmas!!!

 

Yep I feel the same mate.

I feel these reveals are simply just to get everyone excited until more concrete details in roadmap.

 

Route looks fine, but lack of new trains to TSW is a big negative.

 

You'd presume they'll use the Glossop model in the Northern livery, can't imagine they'll do anything to it.

 

We've had a fair few recently to be fair, and with more coming on Cardiff Network. Whilst I'm not defending ATS entirely, this is their first route and it's a small team. If the route is excellent then no complaints here.

 

I think everyone needs to forget EMT has changed to EMR since 2019 therefore will require a new livery in itself. This means using the ScotRail Class 158 to do it's job for performing the Liverpool to Norwich service which runs non-stop between Piccadilly and Stockport.

 

Very much hope it lets us walk in the pits below the 390s

 

It doesn't. Not ScotRail services go outside Scotland.

 

Sorry, are you implying that using a Scotrail 158 would be more realistic than an EMT 158, in place of EMR? EMR’s 158’s only got the majority painted into the new EMR livery years later anyway. The only thing that changed for a long time, was the logo.

Besides all of that, it was still EMT in 2019, which places it in line with the majority of the other layers.

 

Both the BCC and Northern Class 323s have visible model defects.

The only 323 without a borked mesh is the Training center model.

 

There are still EMT 158s running around in EMR colours. Just not the branding.

 

We can always just reskin the unit to EMR colours, I would doubt it will be set in 2019 being Avanti 390's weren't even in it's livery being just taken over from Virgin Trains. If anything most likely set in modern present day 2024.

 

See my post above - ScotRail continues to operate regular services to Carlisle and in the fairly recent past a ScotRail set ran through to Newcastle.

A number of ScotRail Class 158's and 170's also transferred to Northern a few years ago. Northern used them in debranded ScotRail livery for a period of time during which they appeared on services around Manchester.

 

But we don’t need a reskin, because we have the EMT 158 as it existed in 2019.

If the route is based in 2024, you’d have to reskin the 158 twice for Northern & EMT. The 350 would be removed completely.

The only thing that doesn’t fit in 2019 is the 390.

 

Another “reveal” of something that has been known about for some time.

 

scottdarg#6046 is correct, admittedly it's just over the border but they are regular services too and from Carlisle.

 

I had this too once. Went on a Scotrail service which subbed in for a northern service from Carlisle to Newcastle

 

If they're layering in the Scottish 158 for Northern services, why not include a Northern livery class 158?

 

I see. Well, learn something new every day.

I know some 158s and 170s transferred from ScotRail to Northern (I spend my working life on those very trains), but never knew actual ScotRail services ran into England.

 

With more information...so it's still revealing something.

 

Surely by now you understand that ‘season of reveals’ is just an alternative way to deliver December’s roadmap? Don’t read to much into it.

 

Could the Scotrail 158 be used just as a base model for ATW/TFW 158 reskin to be included? I think they have the same headlight config rather than the EMT/EMR ones. Might be wrong of course.

Now I might be going a bit mad here but wasn't this in a September/October Roadmap as coming within 0-3 months which would of course put it out at the end of this month, evidently it isn't going to be out before the end of the year as they'd have just mentioned the date in the "reveal".

 

I know that quite nicely... Basically just adding a bit more hype to what's mostly already known. Kind of hoped Week 3 would be a bit more "reveal"ing...

 

I still think day 20 will show us something new and cool. Might not be as big as some other forum members dream it up to be, but still.

 

Oh wow. I can't believe we are getting the Class 66. Very nice. Needed that in game for a while now
Very much become the Lynx Africa of TSW. You get at least one every year.

 

I'll reserve the right to disagree with it and I do hope for a different pricing model when it's released.
One of my biggest issues with TSW the lack of new DLC with each route. At the current rate you'll never represent more than a fraction of the trains that have existed. And that's on every developer, not a dig at ATS.

How I long for a developer like Making Tracks were back in the days of MSTS. Not only would they build the best routes, but they used to model just about everything that ran on the route in the period set. Best developer ever in my opinion, no-ones ever come close.
Of course, it was easier to build DLC then as way less interactive/detailed than you have now, but we still need to see an increase in the amount that comes with routes.

 

I agree. The coaches coming with the 86 were the only real surprise - at least for me.

 

Manchester Airport looking fab !!. Nice to see they have done the planes flying at the Airport too.

 

The majority of routes have come with new trains. You would have to pay a lot more if you want MSTS levels of stock and wait a lot longer too I would wager.

 

Yes starting to feel click and bait are the words that spring to mind. Including the "fabulous paradise that is Alderley Edge" quote is stretching the story also. Tomorrow's reveal will be that DTG produce Train related DLC.....

 

The big reveal is probably going to be a remaster of the Brighton mainline

 

We already have most of the UK locos that would fit on the routes that are included. You'd have to have the appropriate routes to run them on....and many of those remainder aren't in the current timeframe (like a Deltic for example) so you'd have to recreate older routes, which much of the player base seem allergic to.

 

Nothing will ever match imagination.
If people are always assuming reality will match their imagination, they will continue to be disappointed.

 

Styal Line is only 12 miles from the description. Where did 27 miles come from? Why is that?

 

I'd be very happy with that. It's still a great route- especially the busy timetable. If they could give it the GWE treatment including getting the Thameslink services added it would be amazing IMO.

 

You can be certain that, if there were no planes flying overhead, the route would be panned mercilessly.

 

It’s the total length of Manchester to Alderley Edge via Styal and Alderley Edge to Manchester via Stockport Edgeley!!

 

Oh don’t worry I know that haha. Seen it many times before.