I think one area where TSW is lacking is in the American Midwest, and a route of the Chicago Racetrack would be very good as a start in my opinion. The route could feature Metra, BNSF, and Amtrak. Here are my suggestions for the rolling stock and other additions. Metra Many of the equipment used by Metra is already in the game, albeit in different schemes/styles. The Nippon-Shayro Bi-Level coaches and cab cars are on the Peninsula Corridor: San Francisco-San Jose route and could be reused and retextured for this line. Metra's most iconic locomotive is the F40PH-2 and F40PHM-2. Once again, the F40PH could be reused from several other routes. The PHM-2 might be a bit harder to include, as it has a different style cab compared to the regular F40PH. The -2 variants have 3,200 hp instead of the regular 3,000 hp. These could be added in either the "Lightning Bolt" paint scheme or the iconic Red, Orange, and Blue Metra scheme. Metra also has a sizable fleet of F59PHs, which could be reused from the Metrolink F59PHR. Adding an F59PHi would most likely be a lot more time consuming and difficult, so I'm not necessarily advocating for it. These are painted in the "Lightning Bolt" paint scheme as well. The MP36-3C could also be added, reused from the Metrolink San Bernadino line or the Peninsula Corridor. Yet again, these are in the "Lightning Bolt" paint scheme. BNSF Most of the BNSF equipment could be reused/layered in from Cajon Pass. However, I do want to suggest the BNSF C44-9W locomotive in the "Heritage 2" paint scheme. This locomotive could also be added for Cajon Pass or the limited freight services on the San Bernadino Line. Most of this locomotive could be reused from the CSX Sand Patch Grade or UP Cane Creek Subdivision AC4400CWs. This is because the AC4400CW and C44-9W are very similar in design, only needing a repaint and the numberboards relocated to the top. However the C44-9W on BNSF has the special "Gull Wing" cab, which might be difficult to add (not a programmer or anything sry). The C44-9W has DC traction while the AC4400CW has AC traction, and I have no clue how difficult that would be to add. While I also think the EMD SD70MAC would be a great contender for a new BNSF locomotive as well, many are in retirement or stored as of 2024. If these were to be added, it would be an entirely new locomotive, but using the EMD 710 G3 engine on the SD70ACe and F59PHR (to the extent of my knowledge). These could be painted into the "Heritage 2" or Burlington Northern "Executive" paint scheme. BNSF trains could run on this route carrying basically anything, whether it be intermodal, coal, or just manifest trains. The ES44C4, SD40-2, and SD70ACe from Cajon Pass could also be used here. Amtrak So far, there is no equipment from Amtrak that could be used on this line, but people have wanted Amtrak (midwest/long distance) into this game for a while. I believe adding the GE Genesis (a.k.a. P42DC) would be the best contender, as the newer Siemens SC-44s and ALC-42s are quite disliked by many railfans. These could be painted into the "Phase Vb" paint scheme and run the several long distance trains that take this line, running them as far as Aurora. The venerable Superliners with the baggage cars could also be added, those being the sleepers, coaches, diners, and observation cars (I think thats the name). These Amtrak locomotives/rolling stock would also be able to be added with Cajon Pass or the Antelope Valley line with trains such as the Coast Starlight (as far as Burbank on Antelope Valley). I think this might be the least likely, as most of the aforementioned equipment is able to be reused, rather than adding entirely new locomotives. I'm not Dovetail, so I don't know. Conclusion I believe that the "Chicago Racetrack" running from Chicago-Aurora would be an excellent addition to Train Sim World 5 (or even 6 later down the line). Whether it be having more or less than these suggestions, I think this route would make many people enjoy Train Sim World more. Even though this wasn't a too detailed suggestion, I hope some of these ideas may be taken into consideration. Thank you for taking the time to read this, and if you just skipped for the conclusion, oh well :P.
DTG doesn't (yet) have a license for Metra (but they should). The Metra BNSF Racetrack route uses only F40PHM-2s and F40PH-2s. These have been upgraded to Dash-3 specifications. The Amtrak Midwest SC44 and Amtrak ALC-42 Siemens Chargers are a must-have for me. I'd love a C44-9W, SD70MAC, and/or ET44C4 in BNSF livery. An ex-BN GP39E/M/V (rebuilt GP30s/GP35s; now upgraded as GP39-3s) would be great for yard/local/switching duties on this route, as would a GP50 or GP60/M-3/B. A BNSF ex-BN SD60M(-3) would be cool to see too. Since DTG doesn't have a Metra license, we could get a BN or CB&Q version of this route with a few new locomotives, including CB&Q/BN rebuilt HEP-equipped E8/E9Ams, BN SD40-2s, CB&Q SD45s, GP39Es/Ms/Vs/GP30s/GP35s, etc. This route would be great because it has a mix of everything (local and long-distance freights and commuter, regional, and long-distance passenger trains) all packed into a relatively short 37.5 miles.
I really hopethe F40PHM comes with the route if released becuz, well it's kinda my favourite metra locomotive.
