Northeast Corridor Feedback Thread

That's my merit, huh



I'm checking it out now as a passenger. The lights are OK. I am more interested in the rest

 

The braking curves do seem a bit aggressive and that is being addressed. In the meantime running busy services like 174 NB Regional is much more fun for me with the safety systems cut out. The speed restrictions become suggestions then and it is up to you how much you want to push it. Without the enforced curve, I brake to be at the "suggested" speed by the next signal and that seems to work well.

This route has some minor issues but it is overall spectacular with all the AI traffic and the crowded platforms.


So far, I have just run the ACS 64 and I am really enjoying how it sounds and handles. Great route! I haven't had this much fun with a new route since HMA.

 

I fully agree with the honorable previous Speaker, but 'overlooking' certain defects (QC) deserves the penalty of flogging

The Mistery of The Garage : S O L V E D

 

Why are the AI headlights not fully lit? It looks like only the ditch lights are lit or the middle light is lit.

 

This is likely correct. If you don't do exactly what the scenario asks you to do in the exact order it asks you to then you will have problems from the other end. By following their instructions I had no problems, but deviating to the way I would intuitively do the cab shut down it left the about 10psi of brakes on - showed zero in the loco cab when I left and zero in the cab car - when after a while I realised the brakes were dragging because I was struggling to get speed even down hill I went back to the loco and saw it had 10 pounds on the brakes.

 

This is the first US route, I’ve purchased since LIRR.

I’m suitably impressed with how busy the route is and the look and feel of the route, even the outside environment feels “busy” - vehicles on the road etc. Really does feel like your really in a busy US city.

Still getting to grips with the signalling system (but at least it’s better than LIRR). Is ACSES/ATC too restrictive, or is this correct, on a short service I played to Readville, I ended up 4-5 mins late due to restrictive signalling speeds.

 

Normally buying a route like NEC Boston would be a no brainer but to buy it in it's current state i would have to be brainless.

 

Forest Hills is on the Needham line, so neither the Franklin nor Providence/Stoughton lines stop there. It was always a weird outlier when I lived near Readville.

 

I followed the instructions. My point is, the instructions are wrong. You shouldn’t put the headlights to Dim in the F40PH-3C as it is becoming the trailing unit. It should have its headlights off and marker lights on.

 

Yeah, I wonder why the rear marker lights are always problematic on some routes.

I mean LIRR comes to mind, where the M7 did it the bestoriginally in TSW, as the marker lights were on by default, so as you started, you turned them off and put on the headlights - so you had rear marker lights on by default. But then the M3 came and it didn't have it's marker lights on by default, so you had to rush back to the end of the train to put them on if you wanted to drive with them on. Same with Peninsula Corridor, you also have to go back and turn the rear markers on, and it's like that on this route as well.

It wouldn't be that much of a problem, as I enjoy walking back and turning them on manually, but then we should be given more time before departing at the start of a service.

Regarding lights, in my last run yesterday I noticed that the platform lights on the MBTA cars don't work properly. I mean they cast their light effects on all cars, but on the normal cars the lights don't have their lit up texture applied. You can see it on this screenshot, the left car is a normal car, while the right one is the cab car. The lights are all right on the cab car, but the normal passenger car's light doesn't have the lit up texture.


Another thing I noticed is that the trapdoor thingies above the stairs often stay down even at low platform stations.

Interestingly, they flip up on cars that are off the platform.


There are also these weird floating DS signs at places, as reported by others as well.

 

Dead Section

 

I've made a post in the technical section. I've been meaning to put in some screenshot comparisons and will get round to it tonight I think. https://forums.dovetailgames.com/threads/ai-headlights-ctc-3.43763/

 

Hi everyone!

Today I was driving the MBTA service #808 from Providence to Boston and somewhere before Route 128 I had to stop because there were 2 trains in front of me waiting on a red signal. The first train was Amtrak service #66 from Providence to Boston and the 2nd was an MBTA service. I waited for 10 minutes but nothing was happening so I had to get back to the main menu. Btw. there were even more trains waiting across the whole map, just a weird situation. Then I decided to drive that Amtrak service #66 that was waiting in front of me earlier and everything worked just fine. No red signals or anything. I was wondering if anyone experienced something similar?

 

Driving Amtrak #172 towards Boston and got a 30mph restriction about 4 miles back from Back Bay and crawled the rest of the way into Back Bay. Looks like the ACSES needs some work, like others have said but it was a very nice run!

 

I don't believe that's the case. Standard US practice with a trailing loco is to turn the headlight to Dim, unless it's equipped with red taillights (few are).

 

The F40PH-3C is equipped with red marker lights. They can be turn on/off at the back wall.

 

Then you are right, those should be used (but not the white markers)

 

Not really a bug, but this is a feedback thread, so... the snow texture should really be applied all the way up the stairs, on top of the trapdoors a bit, and maybe even a wet-look texture in the vestibule area. Even when there's only a dusting of snow on the ground, it would still get tracked up the stairs on people's shoes to some degree. (Maybe it does when the snow level is set higher in the weather settings menu? I don't know, as I don't have the route.)

 

Another problem, annoying to see it in a simulation.
I was standing in a station waiting to leave at the scheduled time, so I got off and walked around, when suddenly I see another train coming behind me. I wonder, but where are the signals, the security system is only used to annoy players like me who do not use the HUD, while the AI fs a bit as they like?
Really bad this thing, I hope it gets resolved.

 

So, there is one strange signal coming into Providence, 3.4mi out, see here (33:00 into this video):


I would expect the double red to be meant for me and the yellow/red for the track on the right, but it seems like that is not the case since there is no SPAD in this situation. Is that a special signal where we kind of need to know what signal is for what track?

 

According to Matt in another post, that seems to be how it works in real life, trains are allowed to occupy the same block and drive on sight when doing so, hence getting quite close together.

 

Yes, trains can occupy the same block. However, the train in the rear will be traveling at Restricted speed and have to follow the rules for traveling at Restricted speed. Here's an example at Route 128 in 2016. We pulled up right behind an Acela.

 

Sorry, one question, I saw the video, and I saw that your train jolts, while mine does not why? do i need to enable something? the jolt, make the simulation prettier.

 

Not my video
Go to the settings, look for Head Sway or something like that (quite far down in the list I think), when you turn that on the head moves around while driving.

 

You want the jolt? I laid the track in such a way as to discourage jolts. But if jolts are what you want, just overspeed.

The track speeds are all Type A (Acela with tilt capability). Northeast Regional trains are Type B, which usually is 5-15MPH lower than Type A. For instance, the curve at Hyde Park is 105MPH for Type B but it's 120MPH for Type A.

All of this will be in the route guide I plan on writing soon.

 

Thanks for the reply.
I tried to inspect all the settings, but found no match for that item or similar.

 

Try Camera Motion Sway.

 

Route guide you say? Count me in, I'd love to read it once you're done
One question, if I may: Will this guide also give some information on ATC/ACSES? I'd love to have some documentation on it, which I can rely on.

 

Wait, are you saying that the MBTA stuffs max speed is 80 mph? That makes keeping the schedule even harder, it's not even possible going up to 90

 

It'll be a comprehensive guide on ATC/ACSES. Even information about the systems that you may not encounter in game. Just in case you want the full picture about the systems.

The coaches max out at 80MPH. No, you can NOT go 90!!! Haha

 

Agree with alot of the points mentioned in this thread, my biggest disappointment of the route has to be the lack of building/city lights at night. Guessing this is because of performance reasons but surely there is another way to light up the buildings. IT really detracts from the busy city feeling and ambience.

 

Thanks I'll try

 

Oh nooo Well, good to know, thanks I hope the timetable is based on that as well. Adding to the challenge

 

The timetable is based on a genuine 2019 MBTA timetable. It has been modified by DTG so it'll play nice with the new signals/dispatcher. I don't know if any arrival/departure timings were altered since I've been busy with the catenary replacements.

 

Scheduling (sometimes) is not feasible (to be on time). The reasons are: signaling, in-cab signaling, AI.
Besides, it makes a very good, authentic impression.

PS Departure times (service start) are boarding times. There is no buffer for prep. So you are always late, from the beginning

 

I'm assuming this is correct but do the MBTA coaches really have no end door just a single bar across meaning the vestibule area is open to the elements at all times? Must be lovely in cold, rainy or snowy weather.

 

oh man, I remember the fire scenario from when I was still a kid, what a nostalgia trip

 

In scenarios where reversing is required, and changing cabs is not possible, like in Clinchfield, I use the"3" key camera at the back of the train to pretend that there's someone giving signals to me as the driver. It requires some imagination, but it's the best we've got

 

1. In the first scenario (Marching On), the reversing point is outside the invisible walls on the south side of the yard. So it's impossible to walk back and manually change the switch.
2. Also, the sky in that scenario and throughout the route is way too dark for winter in Boston. I thought Unreal Engine allowed you to set a latitude, longitude and date in order to get accurate sun, but it seems like it's just set to give a generic "winter" feeling. The sun in December should be much higher in the sky at 8:00 am: https://www.timeanddate.com/sun/usa/boston?month=12&year=2021
3. On the timetable menu, the temperature is displayed in Celsius, even when I have Temperature Units set to Automatic.

Other than that, as a person born just outside Boston, I am really enjoying the route. Granted, I haven't lived there in decades, so I might not notice some minor inaccuracies, but the look and feel seem mostly spot-on to me.

 

One thing Ive noticed is that on low level platforms there is a section which is raised, this is always at the far end of the platform from Boston which coincides with the disabled coach postion always being behind the loco. In my head the stopping point should line up so one of the disabled coach doors line up with this high section of platform, however as the below image shows the game expects us to stop the loco in this section and not the coach. Heading east into Boston its even worse as the spot is always at the far end of the platform. Its not a biggy and for protypical reasons I always aiming to stop where is "right" rather than where the game wants me to.

 

Really loving this route! It’s got the fast section (to providence) and a slow section (stoughton branch) giving us some choices. Stations look accurate and trackside buildings are almost true to real life.
Speaking of accuracy, what’s with the pedestrian bridge in rt 128 station not connecting to the parking garage ?

Also, this route is begging for the Acela to stretch its legs! DLC hopefully?
Till then I can try running the ICE on this route.

 

I like how the headlights on the F40 shine farther than the ones that came with the base game. I’m surprised they didn’t do that for more of the American locomotives.

 

I spent some time with the F40PH today. It is really cool to run both diesel and electric on this route and the Stoughton branch adds a nice touch.

Also, it's an excellent US diesel loco: great sounds, a perfect horn (yes!!!), and it handles the train really well; the minimum reduction is 6 pounds; perfect!

 

Yeah I'm with you, I always try to go past the marker.
Given there is so much congestion on this route, and with ATC/ACSES it's so difficult to arrive on time, I'd much rather have a scoring system based on hitting your marks and following the safety systems appropriately rather than it being 100% time focused. Seems it would lend itself so much better, especially with the high level accessible platforms.

 

One question. Why are there steps leading to the high level wheelchair accessible platforms? A ramp would be more useful surely.

 

Couldn't be bothered to include those it seems like... I think there was one station where there weren't even stairs. And where there are stairs, they and the handrails are clipping through the floor, seems like they were designed higher than they should have been.

 

An audience member on the stream confirmed they really are like that

 

I think there is a door there too. I’m sure I had to open one then the bar. I could be wrong

 

In this photo looks like there might be a door further in?

but this one has no door at all

 

It would help, but getting rid of the stairs off that platform might help the disabled more