You are correct and in actual documents its Diesels before the 1967-1968 closure of the route. Green Color 20 31 33 45 47 count towards original versions for achivements.
From the roadmap article: "With release, there will be 110 playable services, and approximately 140 AI services". Im not sure how that lines up to real life but apparently there's quite a variety of services including Banking operations in service mode and Light locomotive moves. Waiting to see how the new physics update changes steam, hopefully positively! Somewhat glad to see the preview has Jamie and Matt on it. No disrespect to anyone else but will be nice to have people who get steam a bit more.
Looks like a 4F about to couple up as a banker.. no guard's van? As far as I know BR didn't stop the compulsory use of a guard's van (even on fully fitted trains) until 1968 and that was only because the guard was allowed to travel in the rear cab of a diesel locomotive. I also noted Matt mentioned the issue of making sure to control unfitted trains on the steep downhill gradients. This would always have been assisted by the guard screwing down the guard's van hand brake to keep the couplings taught and not letting a few hundred tons push the loco uncontrollably down the hill. Presumably you can't ask the guard to appropriately assist in this, especially as he doesn't appear to even exist?
(Going to put this post here as well as I'm not sure where it's more likely to be seen - apologies if you've seen this one in the article thread already) The route itself looks incredible and the route-building team should be congratulated. The attention to detail in the scenery and the ambience is spot-on, well done. The timetable looks to be based on the 1963 real-life timetable too and automated timing calculations appear to have been avoided, which is another box ticked. Between this and the steam physics updates, I've moved from 'not buying' to 'maybe'. However, I still have real reservations about the gameplay. Let's take a look at that passenger timetable - available on timetableworld.com. Timetable World Buxton Midland passenger services The DMU service between Buxton Midland and Miller's Dale won't be represented - this amounts to a total of 18 missing services in each direction. It also means that Buxton station will only see three departures (7:10am, 8am and 9:15am all heading to Chinley) and two arrivals (8:16am and 6:30pm), presumably all hauled by a Jubilee which I think is more or less period-accurate. These shuttle services can't be represented by anything else as the track and signalling layout in 1963 means that it would need push-pull or DMU operation. It seems a bit of a waste of such a gorgeous station and all the hard work put into the Buxton branch to only have five playable passenger services over the whole day? Unless there's a Class 104 in development, there really should be a Class 101 in green included for these services (or at least as part of a forthcoming loco pack - not years in the future please!). Local stopping services As it was confirmed on the stream that they aren't included, there will be at least six missing all-stop local services in each direction. These would normally have been operated by something like a DMU, Black Five or 4MT 2-6-0 as far as I can tell (sources vary) - maybe the 4F could be used for these with say 2 or 3 Mark 1s? No pick-up/drop-off goods on the timetable? It also looks like there is a pick-up/drop-off local goods service but it's in a scenario rather than on the timetable. Appreciate that it's probably a bit harder to incorporate that kind of service into the timetable but it would add some really nice variety (being able to do it in different conditions at different times of year). Would have been an ideal way to utilise the 4F a bit more - it seems largely confined to shunting and banking duties at the moment. It also would add some flavour even as AI - shooting through with a player express service while a 4F shunts away in the yard? Yes please. It would also allow us to spend some more time in the yards on the route which have clearly had a lot of love from the route-building team. Class 45 'Peak' These diesels were mainstays on this route by 1963 - they're even named for it! Considering that we already have a blue Peak from NTP, I'm really surprised there isn't a plan to make the necessary model adjustments and have this in BR green with the head code box included on this route. Here's a photo of a brand-new Peak in 1959 taking a northbound express through Darley Dale. Given this is a pretty in-depth post, I'd also say that this isn't just about rivet-counting and perfect historical accuracy, it's about the variety and accessibility of gameplay. Some people find steam locos too complicated to drive and that's absolutely fine - why not give them the opportunity to enjoy this gorgeous route from the cab of a prototypical diesel instead? There are plenty out there too who enjoy the thrash of a heritage diesel just as much as a hard-working steam loco. Fundamentally it's about having as many ways as possible to enjoy this route. As Matt once mentioned, not every route has to be a magnum opus but this looks to be really close - let's fulfil Peak Forest's potential!
In the preview stream there was a a guards van on the end of the consist, but this was one of the scenarios hopefully it'll be the same in timetable mode.
I think there will be some additions made. I think usually reference isn't usually made to such things as missing services or it is glossed over but there was more positive talk so it seemed to me despite the usual caveats. Adding a DMU, Peak or other DLC like a Jinty would all be DLC which DTG would make money from so would be to their advantage too. I just hope SOS won't be forgotten. If both this and SOS ended up with as realistic timetable as possible we would have two very immersive steam period routes in the sim.
Would love to see Peak Forest get the "TSW 4 upgrade" like Dresden-Riesa and a bigger timetable with diesel.
Yes, give Peak Forest a full timetable, class 45/0, class 104 and the rest of the line to Derby it would be one of the absolute greatest routes of all time.
