Let's all be honest and stop kidding ourselves about the Lone Pine Branch. The 50 mile (previously 150 miles in length, but 100 miles of track were abandoned by SP) Lone Pine branch is full of excitement. Now, I know that exists for Trainz Railroad Simulator 2019, but I'm talking about Train Simulator 2022 which is less buggy, has a lot more dlcs and doesn't purposefully slow download times of freeware content. The Lone Pine Branch is one of the most legendary routes in America, mostly due to how flooded [or busy] it was with non-stop rail traffic. Freight options: The most common freight traffic on the LPB was usually grain and coal with the former being transported via 3 Chutes hoppers and the latter being transported by 100-ton coal hoppers and occasionally coal gondolas. Sulfuric acid was also carried and so were soda ash, salt cake, coal, military equipment and minerals. Perhaps the best part of LPB is watching trains roar through the highway 14 crossing which in my opinion was the best railroad crossing in America so far. Here are the freight cars that should come with it. 100-Ton coal hoppers in D&RGW, Union Pacific, Santa Fe, Southern Pacific, and BNSF Liveries all with clean and dirty versions. 10 3-Chute Trinity Grain Hoppers in BNSF, ATSF, SP, and UP liveries with varying degrees of rust and clean versions. Two DOT specialized tanker cars that can be loaded with sulfuric acid. One can hold 7,000 US gallons and the other can hold 13,640 US Gallons. 4 60ft high cube boxcars in D&RGW, UP, SP, and BSNF liveries that can carry bricks on pallets, fuel and oil drums, crates, and military equipment Locomotives: Now for the fun part! EMD SD40T-2 in Union Pacific, Southern Pacific, and D&RGW Liveries EMD SD45 in UP, SP, and D&RGW Liveries EMD SD40-2 in UP, SP, and D&RGW liveries EMD SD40-2 in an Authentic Desert Storm livery EMD GP40-2 in UP, SP, and D&RGW liveries GE ES44AC in BNSF H3 and Union Pacific liveries 50 Route miles between Mojave, CA and Searles, CA. 2 large freight yards Feel free to add anything if I missed something!
I have covered this in Run 8 and it was a bit of a yawn fest, TBH. First half is flat and slow, second half introduces a few curves and gradients but is even slower, then you have the run down to Trona. It kind of works in Run 8 because you can serve the industry tracks spotting cars to unload and collecting later but that type of persistent activity can't happen in TS.
This is honestly better tackled as a workshop or freeware route, not one for the steam store. It's a no from me.
I thought there was a freeware version? ISTR discussions at Trainsim dot com and I believe the late Otto Wipfel (RIP) may have had some involvement?
Well wow where's everyone's enthusiasm? I thought everyone was dying for another Mojave route for TS.
