Dovetail Direct Reaction / Tsw4 Thread

Also, I feel like the only way to make the local work, would be to at least include the 6th Street yard as a starting and end point for the local. Would make a nice small yard for cars for this service to be move onto and off the map by AI without screwing the timetable much.

 

Please do!

 

yeah theres one on KWG aswell... no, two even I think

 

Let's stay on topic. This thread seems to have turned into a German route upgrade and a L.A metro/freight route suggestion.
So, back on topic, any news on TSW4/Dovetail Direct?

 

Antelope line, or Soledad Canyon, will be quite cool IMHO.
It gets one up on Run 8 who have yet to add this section to their SoCal network.
It is a very scenic route with the famous Newhall Tunnel which at the south end emerges under a massive freeway intersection.
It was the route you could see a couple of trains on during the 1971 movie “Duel”.
I assume it will be Metrolink era, but just for info pre Metrolink the freight service was fairly sparse. Working off the SIAM Tehachapi 91 traffic control game, which included the section down from Palmdale to Ravenna, there were maybe six freights a day in each direction, including the famous BKDOU/DOBKU oil cans between Bakersfield and LA Dolores Yard and return.
The less frequent service doesn’t worry me, there’s still going to be more to do than on Cane Creek and I expect a few extra freight trips will get thrown in the mix.

So all in all looking pretty good for TSW4, if we are assuming the UK route is the ECML era TBC, the Vorarlberg and Soledad Canyon. Hook we up for Day One or even a preorder.

 

Most of the traffic on the line was moved over to the Palmdale Cutoff when the Southern Pacific built it and the West Colton yard and shut down Taylor Yard near LA, the Oil Cans would be nice, but sadly those trains ended just about when the SP was bought out by the UP, there was a 2nd oil can train that ran on the Coast LIne though starting around 1996 till 2018.

 

Sorry but if it's really Antelope Valley that's fairly disappointing.

Something something about "deeper buckets" ....but i guess not for the North America. We now have:
1 CSX route (Sandpatch)
1 LIRR route (LIRR)
1 MBTA/Amtrak route (Boston)
1 NJT/Amtrak route (NYT)
1 CalTrain route (PennCorr)
1 NS route (HSC)
1 Clinchfield route (CRR)
1 MNRR route (Harlem)
1 CN route (Oakville)
1 BNSF route (Cajon)
1.5 UP Routes (Sherman/Cane Creek)

and now...1 Metrolink route (AVL)

More like puddles....

 

But having Los Angeles and Metrolink in Tsw could be a gateway to eventually having the Pacific Surfliner.

 

At least, if the route is confirmed and DTG has secured a Metrolink license, it does open up the entire Los Angeles area for routes, adds the Pacific Surfliner, potential Amtrak long distance equipment due to the yard at Redondo Junction. BNSF and UP for freight traffic. Just a very odd 1st choice.

 

It's always a gateway to somewhere else, eventually, maybe someday with TSW.

I don't see how this is a headline route to launch what's presumably TSW4.

Another desolate timetable just doesn't cut it for me anymore, especially since they still haven't fixed Trenton, which actually should be busy

 

It's not a suggestion, the TSW4 route for the USE is the Metrolink Antelope Valley Line it appears.

 

Long services though, so the ‘drive for ages’ gang will be happy. There will probably be some freight action too, so plenty of services to chose from. Not as many as the busiest routes but they don’t seem to be busy enough for some players either.

I’m wondering if the passenger services will be split into two services that follow on just for those players who don’t want a long haul. This would be like Cajon Pass services were split.

So, Dovetail Direct is a video event that will be talking about a LA metro/freight route amongst other things. Just like this thread. It is very much on topic and insightful for a speculation thread.

 

There isn't really much freight that runs on that route either though is the issue. Almost none at all.

 

One word within a link doesn't confirm it. It could easily be a codename like Smithfield.
Although it does confirm TSW4

 

Oh so the Antelope Line is confirmed? Nice, just waiting to see if it's a big TSW3 update or TSW4.

 

This word, originally meaning a fortress or citadel, also came over to old English from old German via the anglo-saxons, and still exists today as in « Edinburgh » or « Middlesborough » for example.

 

Yes if you read the Bernard Cornwell Saxon Chronicles (aka Last Kingdom series) the books frequently refer to King Alfred and his successors building “Burghs” to defend against the Norse/Viking incursions.

 

I don't think any of the images that Dovetail have put on Social Media confirm anything, although there is a pattern.

The WCL HST and ECW 377 shots are both on relatively rural lines, featuring trains in their modern forms.

#OffTheBeatenPath is used on posts of Rural areas that many people don't typically see. If you click the hashtag you'd typically find pictures of old European houses, nature reserves or off-road cars.

The TSC Screenshot could very easily mean nothing, it's a post telling people to post suggestions in the suggestion forums - mainly because TSW Socials get flooded by people who can't understand that simple instruction - and they've used a screenshot from TSC. It wouldn't really make sense to put a screenshot of something that already exists in-game, on a post about suggesting things that don't, would it?

As for Antelope, the name could be a codename, or it could be the Antelope Valley line in L.A. It's 50/50. There is no confirmation nor certainty here, no matter what is seen.
The file name does reference TSW4, so it's set in stone now that TSW4 is coming.

As for Germany and the UK, we still don't have anything. The HMA extension is purely speculative and the only thing to support it is the existence of an old TSC route. The only route here that anyone can be even close to being 'sure' about is the American one.

People are far too fast to just jump onto something and run with it...

 

Just reading about the Antelope thing now. Most of the links to DTG database content no longer works, so it seems like a real leak has been found. Line doesn’t sound special at first glance, but apparently we might be able to do some passenger services on it? Interesting!

 

TSW4 Vorarlberg confirmed as well.

 

It is TSW4 the leaked link for the routes that are discussed now have TSW4 in the link name. So TSW4 is confirmed

 

Not much freight isn’t no freight though, so it will have some. I imagine the number of freight trains can be boosted to greater than what runs in reality. Just like the length of the track isn’t everything, neither is how busy it is, depending on the route itself. This could be a scenery focused route. It won’t be to everyone’s liking but I’m willing to wait and see if it is to mine. Cane Creek had a very light timetable and that really did only have a handful of services, boosted from the weekly trains they have in reality, and practically zero passing traffic. It was very scenic in parts though, and did represent a part of what US railroading is.

 

They could in theory do a historic layer with more freight, including those famous Oil cans (please, please DTG Matt just for me) .

Also looking at the timetable as noted apart from a couple of shorter turnrounds the through services take over 2 hours to complete the journey so that's nearly 40 hours of gameplay there straight away, with the shorts and freight probably adding another 10 or so, I just hope the passengers services are not split, though. So long as the save game holds up then I will just run them over 2 or 3 sessions.

 

A service of 2 hours? The more I hear about the Antelope route the more I ask "why?"

 

I know we are all talking about what is coming with DTG direct announcement next Tuesday, but for a future updates/upgrades, I would love to see a TSW Heritage collection pack with some wonderful popular heritage routes in the world.

 

I think they are going to break up the service into probably at least two. similar to what they did in Glossop line.
It breaks it up into probaly 50 minutes and makes the route looks like it has more services than actual.
My speculation

 

Why not?!

As noted previously, route has not to my knowledge been done in any other sim.

It is a good length (76 miles).

Timetable offers over 50 hours of driving, not including freight.

More scenic and less boring than Sherman Hill.

I love it!

 

I see this being the case.......just like the Bakerloo and Hamburg

 

Blimey, that's pretty long. Hopefully the UK route will be of a similar distance...

 

2 hours of gaming is a very long time for a train game. And scenic in real life does not mean scenic in TSW

We have different ways of enjoying ourselves and that's fine. I'm glad you have a route to look forward.

 

Yes but you break it up by saving the game, which now works reasonably well. Also quite possible DTG will split each run in two halves, though I would prefer not.

But in truth I am indeed more hyped if Soledad is one of the routes than for the possible ECML South with its one handled sub par sounding Class 700 and (again maybe) cliched 4472 Flying Scotsman.

 

One thing that does sound positive about the Antilope route is that they can't mess this up like NYC or BML. It doesn't sound like a project that went way over their head like BML

 

Less than 50 is plenty of services to you?

 

The early LNER Class B1 4-6-0 were named after species of antelope.

 

Man we are really lowering expectations lol

 

Still no DE/UK route. As I said.

 

BML is still considered one of the best routes.
Funny, that...

 

2 hours is not long at all i do it each week on Tuesdays & Wednesday 100% LIVE

 

Perhaps you could take the self-promotion to...
say...
somewhere else?

 

Were you able to play it at launch without getting a seizure? It took a long time to remove the slideshow performance of that route. If people ask them to add the 700 you can see Matt already starting to sweat.

 

The first (almost) definitive leak of a TSW4 route is upon us, it's the Antelope Valley Line, of Sunny California. Here's what to expect...

Antelope Valley Line

Los Angeles, CA - Lancaster, CA

The Antelope Valley Line is one of the 8 Lines on the LA Metrolink commuter network, and the only line located entirely within Los Angeles County.
A primarily rural line, as it travels through Soledad Canyon, alongside Highways and National Roads, the route runs for 76.6 miles (123.3 km), with 12 stations along the way.

Operator
The operator of this line is Metrolink, the Commuter Rail company responsible for the Los Angeles network, including neighbouring counties. In the case of the Antelope Valley Line, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) are the most important of the five counties who play a role in Metrolink's governance.


Rolling Stock
Metrolink (usually) operate two types of locomotive in revenue-earning service.
These are:
The MPI MP36PH-3C

And the EMD F125

As for passenger coaches, the most common types are the Bombardier Bi-level Generation 1 and Hyundai Rotem Bi Level cars models, however a significant number of Bombardier Gen. 3s also operate across the network.
Bombardier Gen 1:

Hyundai Rotem:


And for Cab Cars, the most common type is the Hyundai Rotem Bi Level cars:

However Bombardier Generation 1 models also operate in large numbers;


Operations
On the Antelope Valley Line, there are 19 trains in each direction (between LA and Lancaster), for a total of 38 services. 5,800 passengers use the line a day.

The Route
The route runs for 76.6 miles and has 12 stations, these are:
Los Angeles Union (A)


Glendale (A)

Burbank-Downtown (A)
Burbank Airport-North

Sun Valley

Slymar/San Fernando

Newhall
Santa Clarita

Via Princessa

Vista Canyon (Under Construction)
Vincent Grade/Acton

Palmdale
Lancaster


Key Details
Services: 38
Type: Passenger
Top Speed: 79mph (127kmh)
Avg. Speed: 35mph (56kmh)
Length: 76mi
Stations: 12

This certainly could be interesting.
This post presumes the route will be set in the present, and of course it's a guess at the route. This is not a concrete representation of the final route.

 

I was on a Gen 8 console.
You know, that just isn't capable of running something as intensive as BML, at all?

 

TSW4 will probably have these editions:
101 - Standard
102 - Deluxe
103 - Special?
104 - Flying Scotsman
105 - US
106 - Central Europe
107 - UK
108 - Germany

 

Still it was released for gen 8 consoles. Like I said 'way over their head".

Now that we are on gen 9 and at the end of the lifecycle of already TSW3: Have the Rush Hour passengers that were part of the marketing for TSW2 Rush Hour already added? (it's a rhetorical question)

 

Just to say, I'm pretty sure they retired the MP36PH-3C's, they only operate the F125 now as far as I'm aware.

 

They still operate the MP36s, they retired their F59PHIs and most of their F59PHs except a few for MOW trains.

 

I guess At depends what year is set

 

Well I love the Caltrain Baby Bullet, so if I can basically drive it on another route, that would be great.

 

Ideally DTG should include the F125 as the new locomotive and reuse the MP36 but in Metrolink spec for this route, would make a realistic mix of the older and new stock, as they are usually mixed together and not uniform. UP stuff can always sub in from Sherman Hill if DTG wanted to.

 

Tram routes are the Blue and Gold Lines that pull into Union Station Los Angeles Motorway access US-101