Having downloaded some excellent liveries for the original WCL Class 150/2 I've spent a few days giving the unit a thorough run on North TransPennine and Blackpool Branches and have genuinely had a good time. This led me to wonder, is this unit really "that" bad? I heard a lot of negativity about the WCL 150/2, particularly in the run up to the Cardiff City Network coming out. I never really gave the unit a chance, racking up a whopping 2 miles on it and most of that was coasting down Miles Platting bank. Having gone back I genuinely think it's ok, the model is excellent though it does have a few flaws (like the internal passenger door controls missing) and while the sounds are not particularly amazing they do seem quite passable (I found starting 0-6-7 to be the best sounding departure). Sea Leopard Reskins has produced some fantastic reskins though only the "Sprinter" and "Network NorthWest" ones will work in TSW5, I've put some screenshots below.
Beyond botched relative to reality. If you’re not familiar with one IRL (or bothered at all) then sure it sits right in with most of TSW’s rolling stock. Personally though I think for a unit which has such accessible technical data, has been produced multiple times by TSC devs & is widely accessible in the real world, there’s no excuse for its physics to be so flawed.
You to many locals expressing their opinion. The route may not be 100% realistic, but it is fun to drive and there is a lot of variety.Keep in mind that if you know an area well, you most likely will disappointed because you know what is not there. I always try to enjoy what is there and in most cases it is quite good.
I feel you may have got the wrong thread with this post mate. Though to bite a little bit, personally I only know the 150s from them sat idling at stations where my TOC uses the same stations as another who runs them so have very little knowledge of their sounds above 10-15 mph, but the sounds are on an obvious loop, which as stated, sounds like a dryer. The revs when starting are also quite clearly off too.
It's the worst train in the game by far. 150s are already horrible squeaky things, but the TSW version is 10x worse. To be honest, it's the one thing I actually don't like at all. Which says a lot because usually I'm not bothered, but it is botched beyond belief. By contrast, Rivet's 170 is 100x better.
If Matt is right about the sounds then surely the phrase should be " Bosched beyond belief?". (I'll get my coat).
The sounds were not that great but passable for me on initial release and I used it mainly on NTP, then they attempted to change the physics on it so the sounds would improve and it turned out to be a disaster, it was awful, I just couldn't drive it or be a passenger in it anymore, so it got relegated to AI only.
The main thing that winds me up with the 150 is that the Timetable was never adjusted with the physics etc so it's impossible to keep to time from what I've seen? It's a shame because the model is so well done. The rest of it unfortunately falls in comparison.
Maybe its fine if you've never been on a 150 before in real life. Genuinely sounds nothing like the real thing. Sure if you want to start in notch 7 go ahead. But some of us like to drive as realistically as possible, you know because its a simulator (or at least has sim in the name - simulator is questionable these days). At least the Cardiff 150 has had the main issue I had with it sorted, for the most part. That being the distinctive revving sprinters do when power is applied. The sounds are not perfect, not at all, but it is driveable now.
Has anyone heard whether the sound improvements on the Cardiff 150 are planned to be applied to the West Cornwall 150?
I watched a YT clip the other day, might have been RichyRails, the Cardiff version sounded different but still not right to my ears. That throaty, harsh roar when the engine revs up still seems absent. And not paying £30 for that tiny route to evaluate any closer!
I wouldn't expect it. Older locos don't normally get the upgrade of newer versions. (E.g: east coastway electrostars)
I used to drive 150s for my previous TOC employer. My recollection from a short drive on WCL is physics are pretty decent, the sounds aren't so much. I dont love it (nor the real version), I dont hate it - I do think it comes in for a lot more abuse than is warranted. I'll give it another go tonight and see if my feelings have changed!
Just done a quick 15 mins and would say the following: Notches 1-5 are a little underpowered (but not excessively), notches 6/7 power are about right until the top end where the unit is over powered, reaches 75 easily and maintains it easily. In reality, 75 is a drag to get to and on anything beyond a gentle gradient you would expect 150s to struggle to maintain it. Sounds are a mixed bag, the engine sounds aren't awful, but fluid coupling in the sim sounds like a gear change (about 40 mph), which it very much isn't. The flange squeal is painful, some of the looping isn't good. Brake performance is about on the money. Just my opinion and it's, of course, very subjective, but I'd say the physics (especially in terms of braking) are more realistic than the TSC counterparts.
