Alan Thompson Simulation Route Discussion/speculation Thread

Dan! Dan! Dan!

 

Feel free to pop to Euston on Saturday morning and I'll say hello.

 

Bryer is definitely not Alan (unless he’s keeping secrets from me ).

 

That reminds me, I need to watch the Norfolk Bravery Awards episode again.

 

"Come on Sonia lets be appalling!"

 

Guys, you start flooding off topic)

 

Ah-ha.

Noted.

 

I have a wish list question, which route will be completed first? London to Glasgow; London to Edinburgh. If they have the time, how many years will it take?

 

I suspect, since the ATS route is slightly shorter than anticipated, it would be a similar pricing to glossop or goblin?

 

I definitely won't be spending £30 on it! I'd even hesitate to spend £20. At least Goblin had a new train, and Glossop had the novelty of adding a new operator, and (crucially), both offered complete end to end runs, which I think developers underestimate the importance of.

As I said previously, there's nothing new or interesting about this route to me. It would have to be below £20 for me to be interested in it.

 

Only if it’s Penny The Pendolino. My missus was quite chuffed a few years back when we did the Swindon - London - Birmingham - Cheltenham - Swindon trip on a box (as you do) to find that set on the Euston to Birmingham service. Or did Avanti take the names off the 390’s?

 

I don't think i've been judgemental? I'm just saying it's a missed opportunity (which it is) i'm still gonna keep up to date on the route and if it interests me i'll pick it up. Since there's no new stock the route building will have to be exceptional since i'm getting quite fatigued of the Class 323.

 

Oh what fun, off-topic personal old-man drama derailing yet another thread

 

probably never- if anybody really wants to drive those routes now, i welcome you to train sim classic.

 

Manchester Airport Station looks very very good in the screenshot that was shown. Good job ATS.

 

Putting aside the fact that this is ATS' first attempt at a TSW route ( wasn't the terrific BPO JT's first attempt? ), it's still a continuation of the monotonous parade of short commuter routes with reused one handled stock.

Standing at Manchester Piccadilly, with trains going to both Glossop and the airport, I'd be hard pressed to decide which one to board for a 30 minute cat nap.

 

Isn’t that the whole forums?

 

Yeah it is and it's gotten pretty tiresome imo.

I'm not totally awake yet though lol

 

I'm surprised it took so long to get the usual moaners to arrive on their high horse, telling us we're stupid for being interested in a route with modern traction, acting as if a train with more than one handle is a radically different experience. A 37 or 47 does not require much more thought to drive than a 323.

If the concept of the route isn't for you to begin with, then just stay out of the conversation. I'm sick and tired of people on this forum acting superior just because they prefer different trains and time periods.

 

Shhhhh it's ok just be quiet for a little while and they'll fall asleep for their afternoon naps, dreaming of those bygone, sepia-toned days when all the trains had more than one handle and always ran all the way to East Dunbartonshire, and twice on Sundays!

 

Plus had comfortable seats, windows you could open and... a buffet car!
Off to get my meds then a nap in the armchair.

In all seriousness and back OT, looking at Real Time Trains a run from Alderley Edge to Picc via the Airport is around 50 minutes. Let's just hope when we change ends at MIA the AI doesn't try and steal the train from you as happens with the split journeys on Glossop.

 

Well, my opinion is just as valid as yours and no amount of teasing will change my attitude.

And I've never told anyone on the forum that he/she is stupid for any reason. Nor have I ever acted superior - not in my nature. And I don't take afternoon naps.

Nothing wrong with liking modern traction, especially if it's all you've known.

 

To be fair, that includes a 15 minute stop at Manchester Airport.

 

Interesting... Looks as if the trips will have to be split as it will be pretty boring twiddling your thumbs after changing ends.

Or they modify the timetable to reduce the dwell time to the more usual 3 or 4 minutes needed to change ends.

 

I'm taking it the 323 will come with the route, or will Glossop be a needed add on?

 

You'll get the 323, but will need MML (158 ) and WCML ( 390 ) for layers.

 

They wouldn't ship a route without any native stock. It will be included.

 

Why didnt they just choose a different route then? would you have defended it if blackpool branches ended at poulton le fylde? Why not do something smaller scale like UW does. It doesnt even have a new train like blackpool branches does

 

Quite simply, you get what you get.

Everyone wants a longer route with more detail and more rolling stock. It's just not going to happen.
Or it takes over a year would be 120 to 150 miles long, have 8 new units, crashes all the time due to ram issues as its too long with many assets and the route would cost around £60 to £70 Dur to the investment in time.
Most would moan at cost and it being unstable and end up waiting for it to go on discount.
Creator makes very little profit, if any on a years investment and they stop producing content.

Can't win can they.
It's a route more than we had.....as long as it's quality and works, then happy days. I'd expect the next step to be longer routes and potential rolling stock from ATS.

It would be great to have a 3rd party who just creates rolling stock. Maybe they can redirect Rivet.

 

These days that seems to be Skyhook's new path.

 

If they wanted to piggyback on the existing rolling stock, something like Trent Valley from Rugby to Stafford might have been better received. Or build from the BCC route maybe going from Birmingham to Stafford or across to Coventry. New Street station already built for them (with kickback to DTG).

 

OldVern Keep in mind that development for the Manchester route would have started well before WCML existed.

 

Ah good point. Still if they were eyeing the 323, something West Midlands could have been put on the agenda.

Anyhow this is all beside the point, we’re getting what they decided to make, all we can do is wait for the final release information plus price point and judge if it’s worth getting.

 

We also don't know what they're planning next route or stock wise. Perhaps it'll build upon this route?

 

Seems like an easy win for them. Easily get three or four out per year.
Could really do with adding additional locos to the pack though.

 

I have just spotted a In Cab Class 397 service Manchester Airport to Carlisle video on Tube.
Stopping at Manchester Piccadilly.
It has a great driver commentary and good route detail.

 

Sorry only just noticed your post on page thread page 7

 

Nothing is impossible. First, I must rule out DTG. Everything else is possible. DTG is synonymous with business, it is a business machine!

 

Seems a lot of folk are not too happy about having the 323 in the route.
However, if you want to get the most out of the new route scenery from the cab the 323 offers the best views out of its three front windows.
I still drive all the modern commuter tractions for example 158, 350, 377 etc, but the small field of view forward is so limiting.

 

I did wonder if they'd do that or go somewhere completely different. I admit from a selfish point of view I'd love to see another route out of Piccadilly, maybe with a TPE engine like the one linked above in the Dan Coffey video. Preston via both Wigan and Bolton, perhaps? To Lime Street would offer both express and stopper routes, I guess...

 

Anything around Manchester would be a thumbs up. I live on the Bolton line, so I'd take that. We would 100% need some new stock and reskins though for anything else that comes in the area. 150, 156, 158 all needed. Plus the CAF units. Manchester to Liverpool would be decent too. Hope Valley lines via both Rose Hill and Stockport ...

 

It'd be all about the 195 for me, as that's the train I generally use when heading back home to Cumbria. Doubt they could be a DLC for this Manchester/Alderley route as I think (probably incorrectly!) they only do the service between the Airport and Piccadilly (then onwards, of course, to Barrow, Windermere etc) so not exactly a whole lot of use.

But if they did then do content from Manchester further North, then I guess the 195 would make sense to be included.

Forgive any incorrect assertions on my part - just a casual fan of the railways!

 

3 or 4 a year there’s only 4 of them in the team and they all have full time jobs! You are aware of that aren’t you they aren’t a big design house they are like us rail enthusiasts who give up their spare time to produce railway content

 

Three windows?

 

Skyhook?
Thats who my reference is related to. Thought they had a lot more than that.
I know ATS is small.

 

Okay two very large windows LoL

 

My point is just simply they are a fraction of a team of a big developing house they have normal jobs and they are just like me and you I think the lazy comments and short route general comments not saying you said that is really harsh and if anything it should show is that all of us can do it if we really want too

 

Be sure that nobody is lazy - they'd lose their jobs. The nature of commercial software development is project schedules. Like on the original Donner Pass (v1) for RailWorks, the person responsible for placing scenery was just not given enough time before being assigned to the next project. "I'm not finished yet" does not matter in the entertainment business. They're not going to the office thinking "what am I going to do today..." - that's not how the industry works. People making content are not the ones fixing content, unless they're doing it in their spare time.

 

Oh, I agree and 100% on the unhappy comments being ridiculous.