Kinzigtalbahn: How A Route Should Be Done

it may have flown slightly under the radar tonight, and understandably so with the excitement of the west coast mainline, but frankfurt fulda is an example of how a route should be done. excellent scenery, quality locos and a good timetable. it’s clear that more work went into this than wcml, it’s a shame routes aren’t always this good

 

Agree excellent route. Very very choppy on PS5 around Hanau and last 3km heading to Frankfurt on the ICE 1650 service JD.

I'll do a return run and see if that helps clear it up but console is really struggling frame wise here just a friendly FYI. fear it will be crashable with all layers attached come full release.

 

Thanks JD. Sure they'll be some optimisation updates at some point as well so just a heads up in case others on Playstation 5 mention it.

 

Agreed, it's a very nice route! Just did a full run on the Flixtrain Vectron, the first one from the journey, and it was excellent. Lots of very diverse traffic, some adverse signals, some fun with LZB, great altogether.

I noticed a glitch on a 423 S-Bahn, where it is impossible to board it from a platform (at least at Frankfurt Hbf) and with PIS on the DoSto cabcar (displays wouldn't change as ordered by the in-cab controller). EDIT: I posted it in the feedback thread too, once I found it.

 

Just did my first run and very impressed.

Two interesting things I noticed:

• The ticket machines have the logo of the regional transit company/association. Why couldn’t they put the exact same logo on the S-Bahn trains to make the livery look prototypical?
• Speaking of the S-Bahn trains… I don’t think the DB BR 423 had the huge interior PIS screens function before? Why would they add them now considering the S-Bahn services play only a minor part in the route and the train has the incorrect interior from Munich. Perhaps they have more plans for the 423 in the near future?

 

well the 420 is supposed to come to frankfrut-fluda route put two and two together

 

I'm waiting for all the DLC to download to see what is going to happen on PS5 but first run on Frankfurt scared the hell out of me performance wise. Worse stuttering I've seen since TSW3 and that's just only the base layers.

 

but i have a small question JD there was plan to add the S bahn branch because we can see that there is track on
Kinzigtalbahn for S bahn in area of frankfurt could be amazing to make the S bahn of frankfurt

 

the only problem that i have is the BR 411 the sounds and the physics need a rework I sincerely hope that the ICE T is not forgotten and get a upgrade

 

Interesting as I've went to Frankfurt for my first run and was actually surprised how good the route performed even on the forst run on PS5. Frankfurt was somewhat heavy but by far not as bad as i aspected. I've driven in slightly cloudy weather, maybe that helped in my case.

 

I can confirm this! My first run was also pretty stutter-y. But after that the performance was pretty solid and way better than Semmeringbahn.

 

I will be able to install TSW5 tomorrow evening but I'm really curious. Can you actually drive an ICE 1 service, say from Frankfurt to Fulda on this route and then switch over to Kassel - Würzburg and drive that service from Fulda to Kassel? Do the timetables on both routes align?

 

Hi JD,

I noticed a missing layer on this route and posted it in the feedback topic. Should I also submit it to the team via a bug report/ticket?

Sincerely,
LunaVisits

 

Yeah what should i say..... This route is briljant! Wow what a afford is taken for this route. There is so much to explore and so much to drive. This is the best German route so far by DTG! Well done!

 

Unfortunate news, but I appreciate the clarification all the same. Thank you.

 

Thank you, yeah I know it won't be a seamless transition, they're different routes with different timetables, what I meant was whether the ICE 1 services exist on both timetables, for example if I can drive service ICE 591 from Kassel to Fulda on the old route and then drive service ICE 591 from Fulda to Frankfurt on the new one

 

I’m not sure if the routes are set in the same year (they talked about “time traveling” while route hopping in the preview stream), so finding services that match up might not be straightforward.

I hope someone in the community will create a “route hopping guide” that lists good service combinations and timings to get the experience of a full run!

 

JD, is the ICE 1 and ICE 3 ai or playable because I can't seem to find them on the route screen, and is the 425 playable as I have noticed it as ai at frankfurt hbf. The console I'm on the xbox series s

 

All the other content from previous games will only be available from the 17th onwards. Steam was the only platform that can use all the content right now iirc.

 

Ok, sad to hear that.
I only preordered the regular version, so have to wait a few days more.
PS5 is a beast, many games like God of War and Horizon prove that.
Sad to hear TSW5 continues the "tradition" of being extremely bad optimized.

 

That sounds good.
Can't wait to see Frankfurt with all layers and full traffic. Sure hope frame rates will be good enough on PS5.

 

Watching from the videos of some players or streamers, im asking me who made the flixtrain vectron. The entire brake indicators are messed up both on the loco and the wagons. TSW 5 seems to be rushed on many corners when looking closely.

I think its time to move on, cant see me spending money on all those rushed products, seeing dlc by dlc coming out unpolished or lack of testing. Its just not worth the time.

 

The Brakes are broken on the BR 114, it makes almost no Effekt on Stufe 1 to 6 and the RE and RB Liniennummer didnt work.
Only the Destination Showing is a Bug

 

Finally could do a few runs with most of the DLC installed and this is an amazing route. This is my new favourite route. It runs smoother than expected most of the time. The variation of trains you can drive is amazing. Route layout is superb. The route even looks different depending on the train you drive. When driving the S-Bahn I was confused thinking I was driving a new part of the route. Very enjoyable

 

here are really insightful comments that some might consider pretty helpful... the LZB section around Fulda has some interesting quirks/features that other LZB-equipped routes didnt really incorporate much... like when you are switching tracks and get onto an LZB track, what influences if your train will get under LZB or not (for greater clarity for reading, I edited the layout of those quotes):

this last one concerns a FlixTrain service from Fulda:

I would really suggest adding some more detailed entry into the game's Training center text thingie (dunno how you call it, that kind of in-game wiki/tips thing where you can find some info on the fly) about when train enters LZB supervision and when it does not - some ppl including me might be confused by the fact that you get onto an LZB-equipped track but dont hear the beep of LZB getting operational

 

btw I know they showed the entry points into S-Bahn tunnels, but are they actually used in-game? cos when I looked onto the route map, no track is shown between those

 

While it may not be the case with Fulda (as it's a dedicated SFS station), usually if the train is diverted to any non-through track in a station, you'll get kicked out of LZB on entrance signal, as side tracks don't tend to be equipped with it. You'll serve the station under PZB and return to LZB monitoring at the entry point placed after the end of junctions beyond the station. This is not really modelled in TSW, where all tracks are usually in the system, from beginning to the end of LZB region and you only get Ende once at the end.

 

While doing freeroam services i let tsw do all kind of lzb exits into yards, loops or sidings. This works surprisingly well in tsw.

The only thing can cause nasty surprises are the sidings with shunting signals instead of regular main signals.
On older routes the dispatcher guides the player with 90kmh over "fahrt erwarten / green distant" into a Esig "hp0 / sh1" or "hp0 / zs7".

 

I can now confirm the 18:37 FlixTrain Vectron service that starts under LZB, has now correctly modelled LZB wire at the platform (following the update) very happy, can ride that service with peace of mind now lol... will check the other one sometime later... now I am off to Frankfurt (virtually)

 

just completed a run with 146.2 and gotta say this is the best version of that loco to date... FINALLY (imagine The Rock saying it his way) the LZB and release from it actually work... this run also had a sandwich of two 146.2s, so I could use banking comm, so it was super-fast accelerating, nice braking... and I had THREE instances of LZB, short, yes, granted, but THREE LZB entries, and THREE LZB exits, which I loved )) great run... I might even try this version of 146.2 on Munchen Augsburg and Koln Aachen, where 146.2 is as a layer/substitution for REX services, but was barely usable cos it didnt really have functioning LZB exit thing

 

ICE 1557 service with ICE-T, from Frankfurt to Fulda:

shortly after LZB section was supposed to end, I was still under LZB supervision, as you can see, no LZB wire


like 10km later LZB Ende finally appears, after numerous speed changes (as far as I know, LZB section was supposed to end soon after you slow down from 200 to 160 kph)

going to try another service if this is a persistent thing/bug or just this one service

 

doing the next one, 1559, and this time it released correctly... btw when the AFB is braking under LZB supervision and I got throttle applied, why does it lock power?

 

got another one *sigh* - during the LZB section a bit after Hanau, driving BR 101 (non expert), got AFB set to 200 kph... once it gets near, like 195, for a bit it does strange thingie, dancing between 195 and like 191... reaching 195, slowly goes down to like 191-192, then back up, without showing any braking (and the gradient there isnt steep or anything)... only later it pops to 198-199 as it should... this happens both with single 101 and in sandwich formation (ZDS BR120 MU setup)

I understand some locos like Taurus/182 or so sometimes keep the speed like 5 kph under the AFB speed, but it is not like it goes back and forth

 

I have PS5 and almost all the layers active, the performance around Frankfurt suffers. But the section from Hanau to Frankfurt Hauptbanhof is outstanding. A lot of traffic and the recreation of the city is great (not perfect, but great).

I am having fun with the DB 642 in that section, a pity that the BR 628 did not make it at the end.

On the less positive side of things, the BR 114 has the breaks broken, but let’s stick to the route here.

 

Route is nice but performance wise I feel it's a step back from TSW4. Having played it in early access without any extra layer installed I experienced that the performance drops are not due to too much traffic. The route performs the same as without the extra layers.

 

Thats what i noticed too. My pc can handle a lot of traffic, but this one is running rather low fps.

Is it maybe the conductor mode or is it just not opimized?

 

I frank-ly expected Frank-furt to fry my PC to hell, but even though the performance isnt always the best, it is running MUCH smoother than Frankfurt Hbf in TSC ever did (never got past 25 FPS on better days )

 

I can only agree. The dual LZB zones, plus the GNT on the ICE T makes it a very interesting route to drive. The scenery is nicely done and there is a good variability, between the section along to river, the tunnels, the overpasses, and of course the entry into Frankfurt. I find there is a lot of traffic layering and it's easy enough to pick up another service. I did the Vectron first, then picked up the DAB 767 back up to Fulda then the ICE T back down to Frankfurt. It's quickly becoming my favourite German route (And I got them all)

 

do the dostos here have LZB and if yeah does it work properly, like can the LZB be ended and such ?

 

Hi JD, on my PS5, there are no 628 at all.

Checked for hours and now, with the new feature where you can show the timetables on the tracks, there are no RB12.

I own Niddertalbahn and in fact every German DLC, so they should be there. Or have they been removed from PS5?

 

I’m on PS5 and I’ve definitely seen the 628 AI tons of times. Always funny to see it approach the gigantic Frankfurt main station.

I haven’t played that much over the past few weeks though, so perhaps it was inadvertently removed with one of the recent patches?