I have recently come back to TSW after being off it since TSW3. I have the Cathcart Circle route and want to buy one of the others. Which do you recommend I buy first? Fife Circle or Edinburgh to Glasgow? Cheers!
Can't comment on Edinburgh Glasgow, didn't buy it because of the 385s tiny windshield. But I recently bought Fife Cirle and although the route is pretty decent and the 170 is okay, the DLC really is a one trick pony that gets boring quickly. Not a varied service pattern at all, especially the Journey mode which seems to be quantity over quality.
Probably Cathcart Circle post overhaul and with the 380 timetable. EG has a better timetable because of Skyhook, but outside of that if you don't own the 158, EG and FCL all have potential but have become abandonware as does most of Rivets content.
Cathcart is the best Scottish route since the remaster. E-G has become a lot better with the 158 timetable, Fife Circle is OK and will also get a boost once the 158 timetable for that route is done.
btw guys how are the ScotRail MU DLCs? 158 and 380? worth buying or should I wait for some more fixes? I believe they adjusted some brakes on one of those recently?
Anyway, I’d take the Fife Circle Line, as it has three end-to-end services. The route itself is really nice because it’s non-linear, with the Leven branch services, services via Dunfermline up toward Cowdenbeath and Glenrothes, and mainline runs via Kirkcaldy and through to Markinch. I find the scenery on Fife Circle to be far more interesting than that of Edinburgh to Glasgow as well.
Both are great DLCs. They both also come with better timetables for EDN (158) and CCL (380) than the original ones. The 380 was always good IMO. Maybe the fixed brakes do improve it somewhat
The Class 158 is a really well-modeled unit, and the SHG timetable on E2G truly revolutionises the route. The future timetable on the FCL is sure to be the same story as the one on E2G, especially with the ability to couple with the Class 170 during timetable runs. The Class 380 Cathcart timetable also transforms the route, turning an otherwise empty Glasgow Central, for example, into one of the busiest stations in the game. The number of services on the route itself really reflects that, particularly with some 'express' service patterns during peak hours, I’m pretty sure and the ability to run alongside the class 314 creating some loco variation.
Just has a 170 to operate so it is very one dimensional at the moment. Skyhooks 158 timetable will hopefully remedy that.
yes, only has 170, but even that one, on each routing, has different stopping patterns... some services skip certain stations... like I had done an early morning service around 5:xx something, and up to the bridge, I skipped most stations, even reached 100 mph for a brief moment at one point, which you rarely do cos you have to brake for next stop... and the Leven branch added even more fun - my fav moments on the route are when the train diverges to the left or right onto one of the lines... and when diverging onto the Leven branch, you switch a lot of tracks, and I LOVE the sound ... so yeah I like the route, wish we got an official HST timetable on it
Fife Circle is my favourite of the two and will only get better once Skyhook’s 158 timetable drops. Lots of different service patterns in its current guise, albeit virtually all in the 170. Plus the Leven branch is excellent.
So I have bought it and yes it’s great!! Is there any other locos I can buy that works on the route now?
The 158 as already mentioned. Although it's not ready yet. The Flying Scotsman and Class 40 run on the route (not much though but it's a little extra traffic). Don't know what/if any other DLC are needed for them, apart from the Flying Scotsman itself and the NTP route. ECML and E2G provide layers at Edinburgh, think the 380 from Cathcart does as well. Think that's it.
Cathcart is probably the best built of the three routes but is a mind numbing electric bus service, apart from the odd semi fast run out to Newton or Neilston. The 380, with or without the brakes being fixed, is frankly wasted on the route. Fife Circle the runner up. It suffers from inherent Rivetness but not quite as bad as made out. The 170 as stated while a nice interior and exterior model as usual for Rivet has just about passable traction sounds but no track rumble at all, just floats along. Edinburgh to Glasgow, again as a route it’s average but the default 385 is meh, partly because of the prototype tiny cab window but mainly because once again Rivet banjaxed sound and physics. However it is better with the SHG 158 and the 380, the latter once the over powerful braking is fixed.
As everybody else has stated, CCL is much better with the 380, (which I have just bought last Christmas alongside the ScotRail 158) E-G is much improved with 380, 801 and HST layers, which comes with the 158. As for FCL, this is the last TSW 4 UK DLC for me to purchase, so I’m afraid I know little to nothing about it, except the Leven Branch and the upcoming 158 layers.
I'll show some love for E2G. I enjoy it as it suits my driving tastes, with some long 10-15 mi runs between calls so chance to get up to high speed and judge the braking, and also a couple of stations closer together in the middle to keep me busy, then another longer run. You're not stop-starting the whole time With the 385, I don't know what they sound like for real, but seems fine for me, including the air sounds when using the brakes - nice. Also the announcements to play with if you like. I drive it from the external camera plonked on the front so the windows don't bother me. I find that with some of the 380 services from Glasgow to Edinburgh, the second half of the journey you're running on restrictive aspects and have a red light or two to stop at, as you catch up with a stopper in front, so that makes a nice change from a lot of services in the game as a whole. Also, when approaching Glasgow, does anyone else see the evil grinning face greeting you at the end of the tunnel?!?
Fife Circle is my favourite Scotrail Route in TSW. It had a bit of a rough start but after a couple updates and an extension it’s actually a very good route now. A lot of people will still disagree with that but that’s ok as everyone is allowed to have an opinion. I personally think it’s fine. Could it still do with a fix here and there ?? Sure but it’s nothing major now. And yes it will be even better once SkyHook work there magic with the Timetable that’s supposed to be dropping soon. Edinburgh - Glasgow is a good route. A nice high speed route from start to end if you like that type of run. It’s a nice route for chilling out on. Glasgow Cathcart Circle looks very nice but it’s a route where you are stopping at a station every couple of minutes. That said it’s still enjoyable. Probably the least favourite for me out of the current Scotrail collection but doesnt mean I hate it… I just don’t play it that often lol. A busy route too by the way. Lots of Trains.
If Liam were able to pass his expert hands over Fife Circle, we’d have a cracking route on our hands. As it is it’s flawed and a definite one that needs improvement BUT the Leven branch is good. Previous posters have mentioned the traffic variety and that’s a big selling point, the layers add a lot.
Cathcart is by far the best. Edinburgh glasgow is decent too if you have skyhook's 158 timetable, rivet's is boring. Fife is pretty boring as well, but I assume that'll be fixed with the new 158 timetable as was the aforementioned routes
I would recommend Edinburgh to Glasgow it has Scotish Engineering which give you 2 new liverys for the Class of 66 Class 66 in pink & One logo the other is the Class 66 in Blue Direct rail services logo on the side . Glasgow to Edinburgh also has the BR class Scot Rail158 sprinter time table as well
Cathcart is by far my favourite and most played of the three but I can absolutely understand folk not enjoying a commuter route with so much frequent stopping. The recent timetable updates have really improved it too, Glasgow Central was far too much of a ghost town initially and now it's swarming with activity and loco variety.
