Hi all, I've recently got into the hobby and I've been enjoying TSW2 a lot. However, there are two things that I'm missing - one is the ability to create freeform consists for freight locos, and the other is a wider variety of UK routes. I'm under the impression that TS2022 provides both of these in spades - is this correct? Now, I'd have to say the loco I enjoy most in TSW2 is the Class 66, purely because I see them daily in real life. I've heard rumblings that the TSW2 renditions of this loco are both quite old and also fairly inaccurate to the real thing. My question would be; what's closer to reality/more immersive/accurate - either of the TSW2 versions (I almost always use the ECW version) or the Armstrong Powerhouse enhanced version for TS2022? Furthermore, is it a similar story for other locos featured in both AP's catalogue and TSW2, such as the 37, the 377, and so on? I appreciate there's probably several schools of thought on this one, so I'd love to hear opinions of all sorts. Thanks in advance!
Hi malakhit, you are indeed spot on, In Ts2022 you can create any consist you like and then run it on any route you like, providing you own all consist & route requirements needed. I personally am a massive fan of Armstrong Powerhouse, I currently own all of their current offerings, so am somewhat biased in my opinion. The AP Class 37 is an absolutely stunning piece of kit, it takes TS2022 to a new level. You can adjust about everything from a cold start to Clag factor 10. I suggest you peruse some of the You tube AP offerings to see for yourself before diving in and purchasing, they are certainly excellent but not cheap. Here's a starter for ten. Hope that helps
Seconded on Craigie's comment - AP is the gold standard, going by the couple of loco enhancements I've tried from them. If you've a favourite loco or train and there's a version of it on their site, buy it. You'll not regret it for a second.
I've also got both TS20xx and TSW2 and I prefer the AP 66. I also like their HST enhancements as well (especially the ones with the basic implementation of ATP on them). Their Class 37 and 50 set the standard and their 68 is quite gnarly and fun to drive as well. TS20xx does provide a large array of UK routes - some more immersive than others. Personally I really like the recent Just Trains routes (MML + extensions and SWEX to Reading). But there are significant stretches of the WCML, amongst others (like the slightly older GEML) that have good freight run potential too.
The AP sound packs and loco packs make an excellent addition to TS20xx. The sounds are so much better than most of the DTG basic units. My favourite sounding packs are the DMUs such as the sprinters (150, 156 and 158/159) and of course the HSTs. Just Trains do a good version of the class 220 and class 222 (Voyager/Meridians) which actually takes me back to riding them and hearing them at stations (back when they were Virgin XC). The recent addition of the 150/2 in TSW isn't bad but the AP version is so much better on TS20xx (even though Rivet Games got the sound files for the 150 from AP).
There's alot more UK enhancements available - I hear the Alan Thomson Sim 185 is pretty awesome, as is anything from AP. If you're into US content then anything from Searchlight Simulations is the go - There's also some freeware enhancements out there as well from trainsimcommunity.com TrainTeam Berlin and also trainsim.store have enhancements for German content.
Thanks for the responses all. I'm glad to hear that TS20XX is still going strong! It does seem like this is the FSX/P3D to TSW2's MSFS, in flight sim terms - meaning that TS20XX still has all of the hyper-detailed addons that have been lovingly crafted by third parties. I watched AP's Class 37 preview and was astonished by how close it sounded to the real one I heard a few days ago. I think I'm pretty much sold on the idea of picking up TS20XX now. What other addons would people consider to be "essential" for a new TS20XX player? I know that there are some graphical mods that add some detail - what's the current recommended setup there?
I don't think there is a recommended setup because what works for one won't work for others It will be down to your computer. Processor, RAM, Graphics card are all different between players. Recommended for 32-bit: OS: 32- or 64-bit Windows 7 Service Pack 1, 8.1 or 10 Required (Other OS versions and types are not supported) Processor: Intel Core-i5 4690 3.50 GHz Quad Core or AMD Ryzen 7 1700 3.80 GHz Quad Core or Better Memory: 4 GB RAM (maximum possible under 32-bit Windows)/16 GB or Better (For 64-bit Windows) Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 or AMD Radeon RX 480 with 4 GB Dedicated VRAM or Better DirectX®: 9.0c Network: Broadband Connection (May incur additional costs for use) Storage: High Performance SSD Recommended with 40 GB or more available space (Additional Add-Ons will require more) Sound Card: DirectX Compatible Audio Device Additional Notes: Requires mouse and keyboard or Xbox Controller Back to the Class 66 - AP do an Enhancement Pack Listen to it and you can see why TS users think it is better than TSW version Peter
I'm running an RTX 3090, Intel i9-11900K and 64GB 3200MHz RAM, so I think I should be okay for higher end settings? I'm aware that older games like this are typically quite hard to brute-force into performing well, though. Indeed, the 66 pack is very close to what I hear/see daily. I think it'll probably be my first purchase when I start getting things set up!
The AP 66 is a bit old now but still very good. The TSW 66, like most older content in TSW, is a bit off and not as good as the latest content, although I am not personally aware of the inaccuracies of the Class 66 in TSW. AP generally makes the best content for Train Simulator, although sometimes they do make duds, like their recent Electrostar, Networker and 455 Enhancement Packs, which aren't very good at all, especially in sounds. Luckily, the 66 isn't in their dustbin department. TSW trains can be and often are more realistic than Train Simulator versions, even AP content, but it doesn't apply to everything. There will inevitably be a better Class 66 for TSW in the future, but when is unknown. Train Simulator as a whole is far older than TSW, so naturally there will be more content for it, but consistency is pretty much nonexistent. You can play routes from 2007 and those from 2021 in the same game, but that doesn't mean you'll want to. Generally newer routes are better, but there are a few old ones still worth playing - the Keith Ross WCML routes, for example. Most of my time in TS is on fictional routes so I can't tell you which real life routes are most realistic, and even if I could there are people in this community who know much more. That said, if fictional routes are your thing, Marsdonshire by Just Trains is quite dated but has a lot of opportunity for freight, from logs to tanks. Just Trains' Valley Corridor route is also great for long distance freight, although it'll only be interesting if you like yard to yard services - the only non-yard area for freight is the docks at the south end of the route.
No. Play both, that way you get the best of both games. TSW2 for stability and consistency, TS for variety and occasional super high quality, and the editing tools.
Doomotron decided to give a long answer to a short question TS2022 is a lot better than TSW2 as you control what you run and where you run it.
Having now bought into TS2022 - I can confirm that I'm having a lot of fun with it! Thanks for the guidance all.
Have a look at this thread - https://forums.dovetailgames.com/threads/third-party-repository.3548/ There are a lot of third party repaints and add-ons Have a look thru the various stuff but hold off until the sale before Xmas
