I have had a passion of the Pacific Northwest area of the United States for most of my life. The woods, the waters, and the coast. It all melts together for beautiful scenery. Running from Eugene, Oregon, to Vancouver, British Columbia is Amtrak's "Cascade" service. I believe adding a portion of this line from Olympia, Washington to Everett, Washington would be a great addition to Train Sim World. This portion from Everett to Olympia would be around 90 miles, meaning it would take a long time to add, but I believe it would be worth it. This route could be done in two different ways, either a 1990s Burlington Northern era or the modern day aspects. The route would use the BNSF Seattle and BNSF Scenic subdivisions. Here are my ideas for rolling stock and operators. Amtrak Amtrak runs several Cascades services in this area, using the Spanish "Talgo" Series 8 trainsets, although the Series 6 trainsets (currently being retired) would also be nice. The Series 8 sets have a cab car on one end, while the Series 6 sets have either an Amtrak Cascades branded F40PH NPCU (Non-Powered Control Unit) or Genesis locomotive. All the sets have nicknames based on mountains the trains pass by, such as Mt. Rainier. Amtrak also has the "Coast Starlight" a train running from Los Angeles to Seattle, which goes along this route. This would have the "Superliner" railcars with Genesis or Charger locomotives, and a baggage car. This could also have a route on the Antelope Valley Line, whether it be equipment moves to L.A. Union or services running as far as Burbank. The main locomotives that could be used for the route are the Siemens ALC-42 and SC-44 "Chargers", P42 "Genesis", or F59PHi. Most of the F59PHis are already retired, but they are a railfan favorite, so I am still suggesting them. Currently none of the F59PHis still operate on the Cascades service, but they are loved by many as aforementioned. SC-44 Chargers would also be used on the Cascades, and the ALC-42 variants could be used on the Coast Starlight. This would offer beautiful views whether as a passenger or a conductor. BNSF/Burlington Northern BNSF runs on these very same lines as the Cascades and Coast Starlight, as BNSF owns the Seattle Subdivision and Scenic Subdivision. These could use the Cajon Pass ES44C4s, SD70ACes, and SD40-2. However, I believe the GP38-2 or GP40-2 would be great additions, either in BNSF H1/H4 or in the iconic Burlington Northern "Cascade Green" with BNSF patches. Another addition that would be nice to see would be the EMD SD70MAC or C44-9w in the BNSF H2 (or H1 for the C44-9w) paint scheme, or the SD70MACs in the BN "Executive" paint scheme. These would be on high priority intermodal trains, manifest trains, and coal trains. Rolling stock that could be added are the BNSF Rib-Sided hopper in BN or BNSF paint, BNSF single car intermodal or 5 car articulated TTX sets, and/or a BN Bethgon coal hopper. If a Burlington Northern era of the route was done instead, the SD40-2 could be retextured into Cascade Green as well. Local Services could be run as well. Conclusion I believe the Pacific Northwest is an area in TSW that is needed. From the beautiful mountains of the Cascade range to the shiny ocean waters, it would look amazing. Despite how long it might take to make, I still am adamant that this route would be a great installment for TSW 5, or even TSW 6. I very much hope Dovetail takes this idea into consideration. Sorry if this was short, I did want to make this short yet have a good amount of info.
The BN version of the route could be way cool. I'd like to see the following BN locos: SD70MAC, SD40-2, GP50, GP40-2, GP39E/M/V (rebuilt GP30s/GP35s), GP28M/P (rebuilt GP9s/GP18s) and/or SD60M, along with an Amtrak P32-8BWH or P40DC or P42DC Genesis. As for BNSF, I'd love to see the following: SD75M/I (for heavy locals/Seattle-area trash trains), ET44C4/ACH, ES44AC/DC/C4/ACH, SD70ACe, C44-9W, SD70MAC, GP39-3, GP50/GP25, GP60/M-3/B, SD40-2, and/or SD60M-3. Then we need Amtrak Cascades SC44 Chargers and F40PH NPCUs and Amtrak ALC-42 Chargers for the Coast Starlight.
