It's time to go back to Los Angeles and generate the logical Los Angeles connector to end all connectors (or something like that). We have the Pacific Surfliner pack, and we also have the Cajon Pass (though not for all customers) from San Bernardino to Barstow. It's time to link San Bernardino directly to Los Angeles itself via the San Bernardino Line. This would have a twofold usage: not only does it provide a missing link between the scenic Cajon Pass and Pacific Surfliner routes, but this can also be developed alongside a much-needed update of the Cajon Pass route. The version of Cajon Pass in the game is outdated, only has two tracks over the pass, and features tunnels no longer in use on the route. I should know because I recently researched it for video use. So let's update Cajon with a new batch of assets self-contained in the route, let's avoid using anything BNSF on that part of the line, and let's slap down this 56.5 mile extension to Los Angeles. The line is a local line as part of the Metrolink system and serves Rialto, Fontana, Rancho Cucamonga, Upland, Pomona North, Covina, Baldwin Park, and El Monte before arriving at Los Angeles Union Station to meet the Pacific Surfliner DLC and other uncharted Metrolink paths. There is an alternative. The Riverside Line is a major line that also connects the two cities. This line is slightly longer, at 59.1 miles. It connects through Ontario, Pomona, Industry, and El Monte on the immediate line. A southern spur also connects to Riverside Downtown directly south of the original Cajon Pass route, then heads west to Pedley and East Ontario before merging at Ontario. I think both spurs are actually considered the Riverside Line, though I am not 100% certain of this fact. There is also a HUGE yard east of Ontario along the Riverside Line's northern spur (might be better to say it's near Colton). Want another option? The routes I mentioned could perhaps be a DLC by themselves, so let's instead continue south on the 91 Line, which we meet by continuing south from the redone Cajon Pass. We join the line at Riverside La Sierra, and the westbound path leading to Perris and two new planned stations here can be disregarded for this purpose. We take the path through Corona North Main, Corona West, Anaheim Canyon, and Fullerton, and connect directly to the Pacific Surfliner line. You can even add the planned Placienta station west of Fullerton and between the main and local lines (the local line being the one serving Anaheim Canyon before ultimately merging into the Surfliner route). The route merge can then be created in the Workshop and we have a Cajon Pass that everyone can use again, traveling all the way from San Diego in the merged route (or it can be released as an extension and requiring the Surfliner, but this is not advised other than to show the Surfliner route aloneside it for existing owners, and having a scenario pack for owners of both available separately; it can also be bundled like with the Goblin Lines and North London Line, but I recommend not separating the Surfliner scenarios like that one did, and this also fits because the Steam Edition of 2015 already gave the route in the package). The only thing that is important is that the main track coordinates match the original Cajon Pass; that way, people can bring over their existing Cajon Pass scenarios and drive them on the new line without issue (of course, issues around the new second line around Sullivan's Curve would have to be explored in editing, and there might be other issues like route editing to accommodate the third track, but they could work otherwise). The idea here is similar to being able to bring Castle Rock and other fictional scenarios to the Workshop versions of the routes, which has been tested and seems from my experiments to work. (Yes, I'm aware scenarios created for the route would be more than an hour and a half, so two part and three part scenarios would be able to be employed here, and those wanting to do the full drive from San Diego to Barstow can do so in their own creations.) The main point here? Get a new Cajon Pass into our hands and looking prettier than it ever has in Train Simulator. But also give us something new to make it worth getting. As long as the track coordinates are the same, you can do whatever you want to the scenery and it will probably still function correctly. This way, you can develop it to not have to worry about BNSF. I think this would be a huge gain to either connect Cajon to the Surfliner route or, and possibly plus, adding the Metrolink service to San Bernardino. It also lets you update the route's rolling stock so we have updated UP ES44AC and SD40-2 stock for the route, plus perhaps CP stock since there is CP ownership here. Links: San Bernardino Line Riverside Line 91 Line (Perris Valley Line)
I am 100% in agreement with the things you've put forward with this suggestion. The Cajon Pass DLC does indeed need either an extensive overhaul, or a completely new version made, and it would certainly be nice to have a link between San Bernardino and LA, preferably one that's merge-able to tickle the fancy of those that like merges.
Cajon Pass is one of my favorite routes in Train Sim 2020. If we get a new version, I want a UP (and BNSF) GP60 or Genset for yard and local duties, a UP ET44AC (and BNSF ET44C4), an SD70ACe in both liveries, a UP SD70AH-T4, an SD40-2 (both liveries), a GP38-2 (both liveries), a UP SD70M/BNSF SD70MAC(e) and a UP/BNSF C44-9W/BNSF AC44C4M. Some of these could be DLCs as well. An Amtrak DLC could add a Genesis P42DC or Amtrak Siemens ALC-42 Charger and a Southwest Chief Superliner consist. Also, a great idea for the route would be to make the BNSF line from Barstow to San Bernardino and add the BNSF Barstow to Mojave and UP Mojave to West Colton sections of the route as later DLC. We could get the yards at Barstow, Colton, and San Bernardino. Also, if BNSF is added or included, I really want an ATSF #3751 4-8-4 as a DLC with an excursion train consist.
No. Just no. We cannot have BNSF or international customers will NOT be able to get it. Unless and until DTG can get an updated BNSF license and possibly restore all the other BNSF content they have to international customers, we cannot ask for BNSF from them. They may not even be allowed to do anything else by them directly. The only option for BNSF is to find a third party developer, possibly in the US, who can get away with creating BNSF. Even then, the item cannot be sold on Steam as DTG would indirectly profit from it due to how that works. Everything else in your post is good - specifically, I like the GP60 as a new idea, and I figure we'd get a GP38 added to the ES44AC, SD40-2, and SD70ACe that already exist. - but BNSF has to be struck. They cannot sell that.
We can't have anything from any of BNSF's predecessors either, at least, like the post above this says, not from DTG or on Steam. Bloody license issues. Nothing but a headache.
With that said, skinning other international assets to create BNSF models and making them freely available off of Steam? This, I believe, is allowed. And frankly, I wish more people would do that with existing models instead of asking me to use a BNSF skin of the original ES44AC from Cajon, which is ironically also locked to those outside the US. Heck, that entire batch of skins at Railserve is locked to anyone without US-only routes. That said, I am aware the US pack probably grants those models.
Umm, the Montana High Line is available worldwide, only thing is the BNSF logos are removed to those outside the US, so technically a BNSF line can come to TS on Steam, it just needs to be unbranded outside the US. (And done by a 3rd Party) https://store.steampowered.com/app/1147154/Train_Simulator_Montana_HiLine_Shelby__Havre_Route_AddOn/ Other routes that follow this rule are the Chicago Racetrack and Raton Pass. https://store.steampowered.com/app/258648/Train_Simulator_The_Racetrack_Aurora__Chicago_Route_AddOn/ https://store.steampowered.com/app/704250/Train_Simulator_Raton_Pass_Trinidad__Raton_Route_AddOn/
I want to be clear, I'm talking about if DTG produces the route. I am aware that Montana Hi-Line, developed by Great Northener and not by DTG, has multiple versions. DTG has noted they do not want to get into doing multiple versions of routes to add unbranded DLC, which is ironic since they went ahead and did it for South Wales Coastal (and I hope for North Wales Coastal too), so I guess that past statement only applies to international items, though there is no way to really know since the supposed multiplayer never came to be a thing and that was once promised.
MORE INFORMATION. Over on this thread, the E9 is suggested for Train Simulator. Conveniently, Blacknred81 brought up the City of Los Angeles train.which I link to Wikipedia as I usually do. The route goes from Los Angeles to Chicago. Prior to Chicago, passengers go through Cedar Rapids (Iowa), Omaha (Nebraska), Sherman Hill (Cheyenne and Laramie in Wyoming, we have this route in Train Simulator), Salt Lake City (Utah), Las Vegas (Nevada)...and San Bernardino, in California. Apparently, while Salt Lake City is a stop for the train, it does not use Soldier Summit, but also travels the Ogden to Evanston stretch - or the Wastach Grade DLC we currently have. The E9 City of Los Angeles train needs to be paired with this route and used on other routes. Therefore, I link to that train thread's discussion and submit it as part of this one for supporting both the San Bernardino Line and the Riverside Line, which are both east-west options (one is sufficient). If the path south of the Cajon Pass to Fullerton and San Diego winds up not being explored (which would be a shame, as that would be a nice drive from San Diego), then at least we can take this E9 across either of the new lines as part of an upgraded Cajon Pass, letting us go from Los Angeles direct to Barstow, and continue with a scenario in the Sherman Hill, and finally end at Chicago in the Racetrack. The E9 would therefore be a brilliant addition to Train Simulator and would support this route well, so I shall upvote the E9 and suggest to combine these ideas. As a note, we can follow the UP track and use the different path through San Bernardino on the remake if necessary, and the main Cajon Pass is still represented even if we don't see the drive through the city, though it would not hurt to touch that up as well. And we can still use Metrolink services to serve all of the other stations along the line, too!
