Route Length: ~74 km (46 miles) Rolling Stock: BLS Re 465 (other options include BLS Re 4/4, or BLS RABe 535 if >2008 Gameplay: InterCity, regional, heavy freight, Autoverlad services Scenery: Bernese Alps, engineering marvels including the double-loop spiral tunnels in the Kander Valley and viaducts Licenses: BLS (Bern-Lötschberg-Simplon) Time Period: <2007 - More traffic including IC, regional and freight >2007 - Less traffic with no IC services and less freight, but more regional services (with BLS RABe 535 EMU) Similar Add-ons: Berninalinie (scenic Swiss railway) Mittenwaldbahn (standard gauge scenic railway) Why this route: This route would offer a busy standard gauge Swiss mountain railway line, connecting Spiez to Brig. It includes a medium-length route past beautiful scenery of the Bernese Alps and views of the Rhône and Kander valley, cities such as Visp, as well as a variety of tunnels and viaducts. The owner of the line is BLS, which means we can avoid SBB (who don't want to license any more). The route would be a lot busier (if set before 2007) than Swiss routes such as Berninalinie, but still have beautiful scenery. I think the best choice of rolling stock would be the BLS Re 465, a large electric loco of iconic Swiss design, with some coaches and/or wagons. I think the best era would before the opening of the base tunnel in 2007 - this would give it more traffic and include more variety. However, setting it after 2007 is also an option - this would mean no intercity traffic and less freight, but would include some hourly regional services using the RABe 535.
BLS Re 465 Country/Region: Switzerland Operator(s): BLS Type: Multipurpose electric loco Era/Years in Service: 1994–present Top Speed: 160 km/h (99 mph) Power Output: 6400 kW Notable Features: Iconic Swiss design based on the SBB Re 460 Existing routes it could operate on: None Ideas for new routes: Swiss routes featuring BLS Appeal to railfans: A loco with an iconic design in the Lok 2000 family (the last mainline locomotives to have been designed almost entirely by Swiss companies) Gameplay variety: A mainline Swiss electric loco that could pull both passenger and freight services depending on era Livery potential: Each loco has a different name, BLS, SBB
As a SBB Cargo shunting locomotive driver, I would really enjoy this route. But the BLS Re 4/4 would also have to be built for it, because the Re 4/4 is simply an iconic Swiss locomotive, whether from SBB or BLS. The Re 4/4, also known as Bo'Bo', were built as Re 4/4I (Re 410), Re 4/4II (Re 420 / Re 421) and Re 4/4III (Re 430). You could then also build either the Tm 232 or the Am 843 shunting locomotives with freight tasks in an expansion pack.
