If there is a route that offers TSW players a great mix of operations in a very scenic locale, the Everett-Lakewood, WA route is it. This route features freight trains, commuter passenger trains, regional passenger trains, and some long-distance passenger services; all packed into an 81.8 mile long route set in the scenic Pacific Northwest. Trains run along Puget Sound, through the big city of Seattle, WA, and through the mountains and forests in the area. This route has everything. Plus, even the operations are unique. I'll get to that in a bit. Let's talk about the trains that should be included in game. 1.) Seattle Sounder Commuter Trains: Seattle Sounder is the commuter rail system that serves Seattle and the surrounding areas. There are two lines: the more urban S Line from Everett-Seattle King Street Station and the more scenic Seattle-Lakewood N Line. The rolling stock for this route is as follows: -EMD F59PHI: Seattle Sounder rosters 11 F59PHIs that have been rebuilt to EPA Tier 3 Compliance. They are powered by EMD 12-Cylinder 710G Prime Movers and produce 3200HP. The base route would probably include the F59PHI. -Motive Power MP40PH-3C: Seattle Sounder rosters 3 of these locos. They are more powerful locos than the F59PHIs at 4000HP. They use EMD 16-710G Prime Movers and are also EPA Tier 3 Compliant. The MP40PH-3C would probably be a DLC Pack for this route. -Bombardier Bi-Level Commuter Coaches/Cab Cars: Same cars as the Caltrans Peninsula Corridor "Baby Bullet" trains in game; these would just need a repaint and some minor reworking for the SS route. 2.) Amtrak Cascades: Amtrak Cascades regional passenger trains share the Everett-Lakewood line. Amtrak Cascades uses the following rolling stock: -Siemens SC44 Charger: Cascades has replaced older locomotives, like the F59PHI, with new Siemens SC44 Chargers. These EPA Tier 4-compliant diesel locos are powered by 4400HP Cummins QSK95 Prime Movers. Amtrak Cascades currently rosters 9 SC44s with a pair of new ALC-42Es (that work with battery-electric trailing cars for power) coming in 2026. -Siemens Venture Coaches/Cab Cars: Amtrak Cascades has ordered 48 Venture Coaches to replace older equipment. These cars have started delivering this year (2026), so we could get them in game sometime soon. -Talgo VI and Talgo Series 8: These Spanish-designed articulated passenger cars were used on the Amtrak Cascades. The Talgo VI cars have been retired since 2020, and the Series 8 cars will be replaced by Venture Cars. -Amtrak Horizon Coaches: These were used along with the Talgo 8s on Cascades trains until the Venture Coaches began arriving this year. The Amtrak Cascades services on the Everett-Lakewood route would probably be a DLC Pack. They are a must-have for this route, though, especially with the Siemens Chargers and new Venture Coaches. 3. BNSF Freight Locomotives: BNSF runs freight services on this line, including one unique service that is an absolute must-have for this route. I'll get to that soon. Let's talk about what BNSF locomotives and rolling stock could be included with the Everett-Lakewood Route. -EMD GP60: The Spartan Cab BNSF (ex-ATSF) GP60 would be a great loco for yard and local freight services on this route. EMD GP60s are equipped with 3800HP EMD 16-710 Prime Movers. These locos would come in both ex-ATSF patched BNSF blue/yellow, BNSF H1, and BNSF H4 Swoosh liveries. -EMD SD75M/SD75I: BNSF's EMD SD75s spend their days handling heavy freights in the Seattle area. These big EMDs are equipped with 4300HP 16-710 Prime Movers. The SD75s would come in BNSF patched ATSF Warbonnet, BNSF H2, and BNSF H3 Swoosh liveries. -EMD SD60M-3: BNSF still rosters a decent number of older ex-BN SD60Ms (BN had an even 100 units) that have since been rebuilt as SD60M-3s. Some still have the early "Triclops" 3-piece windshields. These locos are equipped with 3800HP EMD 16-710G Prime Movers. The SD60s would come in BN Patched BNSF, BNSF H2, and BNSF H3 Swoosh liveries. -EMD GP38-2: These reliable EMD diesels are commonly seen on locals and yard duties on many BNSF lines. They have non-turbocharged 16-645 Prime Movers that produce 2000HP. We would get these in both ex-BN patched BNSF, BNSF H1, and BNSF H4 Swoosh liveries. -EMD GP39-3: Many ex-BN GP39E/M/V rebuilds (formerly GP30s and GP35s) are still kicking around yards and industries on BNSF lines, including on the Everett-Lakewood Route. BNSF also rosters some former ATSF GP39-2s that have also been rebuilt. These would come in patched BNSF liveries and H4 Swoosh livery. -GE B40-8 and/or B40-8W: BNSF rosters a large number of ex-ATSF B40-8 narrow cab (40 units) and B40-8W Wide Cab (83 units originally; now 60) diesels. These 4000HP 4-axle GEs were originally used for fast intermodal trains in the 1990s-early 2000s. They now serve in local and yard duties on the BNSF RR. They are equipped with FDL-16 Prime Movers. 4-axle Dash-8s for this route would come in ex-ATSF patched BNSF blue/yellow (B40-8 narrow cab), BNSF patched ATSF Warbonnet (B40-8W), BNSF H1, BNSF H2 (B40-8W), and BNSF H4 Swoosh liveries. -GE C44-9W: BNSF was the largest operator of the popular Dash-9 with almost 1700 of them (including an even 100 from ATSF in the mid 1990s. They have GE 7FDL-16 Prime Movers that produce 4400HP. The BNSF C44-9W would be great to see in game, as we don't yet have them. The Dash-9s for this route would come in BNSF patched ATSF Warbonnet, H1, H2, and H3 Swoosh liveries. -GE ET44C4 and/or ET44ACH: The ET44s in BNSF livery are needed in game. BNSF rosters over 300 of the C4 variant with 4 traction motors similar to the ES44C4 from Cajon Pass. Their newest Tier 4 GEVOs are ET44ACHs, and they roster 50 units. They are heavier ballasted and feature 6 traction motors. -New BNSF Rolling Stock: -Boeing Fuselage Train: BNSF runs this unique and really awesome freight train between the Boeing facility in Wichita, KS and Renton, WA (near Seattle, on this route). The Everett-Tacoma Route should absolutely include the Renton Boeing Facility and the BNSF Boeing train. The Boeing Fuselage Trains consist of 89' flatcars carrying the new airplane fuselages, 60' flatcars used to separate the fuselages and also for smaller Skybox containers that carry wing parts and other aerospace equipment, and larger Skybox cars that carry the same loads. The Boeing fuselage cars are commonly added to intermodal or autorack trains heading to Seattle. Then BNSF switches the fuselage cars at their yard in Seattle and sends them on locals to the facility at Renton. This operation would make for great scenarios. Of course, we'd need an ex-BN caboose for the consist. We would get both loaded and unloaded versions of the flatcars and Skybox cars, along with different configurations of the loaded cars with the fuselages in different positions on the flatcars. -BNSF Thrall Articulated Autoracks: Need I say more? Thrall manufacturered these newer autoracks in the 1990s. I see these big articulated autoracks quite often when I'm railfanning. We should get these cars several liveries other than BNSF. -BNSF Gunderson Multi-Max Autoracks: These newer autoracks have been designed to be easier to change from bi-level to tri-level cars to handle different size automobiles. We should also get these cars in other liveries besides BNSF. The base route: -1 or 2 BNSF locos, Boeing Fuselage Train, several other freight car types, and ex-BN caboose -Seattle Sounder F59PHI, Commuter Coaches and Cab Car -Full 81.8-mile Everett-Tacoma Route, including Seattle Yard and Renton Boeing Facility branch -DLC Packs: -More BNSF power -Amtrak Cascades SC44 Charger and either Talgo 8 trainset, Amtrak Horizon Coaches, or Venture Coaches/Cab Car (preferred) -Seattle Sounder MP40PH-3C Another DLC Pack would be the Amtrak Empire Builder and Coast Starlight Superliner consists with either P42DC Genesis or ALC-42 Charger (in Day 1, Ph. VI, or Ph. VII liveries). Of course, we'd be able to run the BNSF ES44C4, SD40-2, GP60M/GP60B, and SD70ACe locomotives from Cajon Pass. Let's get a Pacific NW route in game. The Everett-Tacoma route has a bit of everything, including some cool stuff (Boeing Fuselage Train!).
