I was just thinking right now about how the “Chunnel” might or might not work as a route concept in TSW, and I’m curious about your thoughts on this. Starting off, I am a big fan of the Channel Tunnel from an engineering perspective, and as a train geek I love the brutalist aesthetic of the LeShuttle trains — especially the passengers shuttles. As far as I know, their structure gauge is the very largest in Europe to be able to accommodate entire busses and trucks (which usually measure 4 by 2,55 metres across). Now, the few timetable runs on KWG with the BR101 that involve car-sleeper trains wet my appetite for trains that do the same, and to me none are more impressive to behold than the LeShuttle with their mostly gunmetal exteriors. Plus, I dig the class 9000 series locomotives that book-end these consists, in part because of their uncommon Bo’Bo’Bo axle configuration. I think that I would enjoy car shuttle trains, at least at first, especially if they involve actual loading and unloading with vehicles driving off and on. That said, cars in the scenery have obviously been tertiary to the trains and their passengers, thus far. Their models and movements are simplistic, and they rarely vary in more than just in colour. And I have yet to see busses, heavy trucks or motorcyclists. It would make for a monotonous affair to see so many extremely similar vehicles move about around you between runs. And then there is the route itself. KWG has been panned by some of the more vocal members of the player base for being monotonous and, ironically, I’ve found it more tolerable in the dark of night with lights of buildings in the distance than during the broad daylight. The Channel Tunnel would probably be no different: the journey would take just over half an hour with the vast majority underground. (Nor would any trans-alpine car shuttle service, such as those through the Lötschberg or Simplon tunnels, for that matter.) Still, the Chunnel’s terminals would make for some pretty impressive structures to have in-game, especially if fully modeled to include vehicles coming in, waiting for boarding, getting on and finally leaving at the other end. Whether this can actually be modeled is a different question entirely. I’m curious: what are your thoughts on this, or on similar kinds of services?
KWG was great IMO, even though it would use more stuff outside tunnels, maybe longer PZB section after Wurzburg
