Route Thames Valley: Windsor, Henley & Marlow Branch Lines - Feedback Thread

Like I’ve said what makes this route interesting, is the operational quirks of the branches if anything.

Every branch is unique and it’s nice to change ends after a couple of minutes and return and complete full end to end runs on all branches.

At Bourne End, it was brilliant watching the two units depart the station at the same time!





The Maidenhead to Marlow branch is definitely my favourite for scenery!

 

They gave us the option to turn off scenario markers, no reason as to why a similar thing can't be done with the route hopping marker

 

Route hopping markers and Scenario markers should simply be on the same toggle. I would assume most people, either don't mind seeing both visible in the scenery OR they would rather see neither.
Since I am still advocating for some more route hopping points to be added to several routes, I agree this needs to be addressed.

 

For scenario creator, there's apparently no option to add services coming and going off route at any of the mainline stations. I'd love to add something like a Western thundering through non stop at Maidenhead.

 

So when are we gonna get the patch and route mastery.

 

A lot of the feedback on the visuals concerns stuff that is pretty far outside the cab or third person 'driving' view. So they're not really a problem imo.

 

Hi incrediblehannes, sorry for the tag again. The issue regarding the 165 on GWE seems to occur when you start a service with the 165 from Thames valley. This issue results in other 166/165s being 3 or 2 car units which is incorrect. I have tried spawning on foot and this issue doesn't occur, same when I start a Hat service. Hope the information I have mention is useful.

 

It’ll come when it’s ready.

Off topic but, I think an idea for DTG would be to include potential patch/updates on the Roadmap (I know they do to an extent with some updates) as then it would stop the constant questions all the time and then at least “if it’s not on the roadmap” then we know there’s no plans or active work being done on a patch.

 

The drawback being that this will also create new expectations. If they are not met, there will be yet more complaining. Personally I like to be surprised by a patch now and then

 

Any updates on whether the mastery has been fixed so you can see what you need to do to unlock it?

The fact it does not appear on Dovetail Live maybe suggests it partly a DTG fix required?

 

It is, they'll probably add it after rebuilding their website tomorrow.

 

Still not added to mastery i beginning to wonder if there actually is one. incrediblehannes can you confirm if there is one thanks.

 

I'm finding the audio of the boats is far too loud inside the driver's cab. I can hear them even when they are quite a way from the train. Is there a way to make them less audible from inside the train?

Also a proper timetable for connecting AI trains that represent real-world services would be a big improvement for immersion.

Otherwise it's a very nice little route

 

Mastery is now live

 

I can see I have achieved it on the tracker, but when you go to activate the tile there is no option to do so. This means it doesn't appear at Windsor when you spawn there. A bit more fixing to do I think.

 

Reset the game and will appear when you go back in.

 

Restarted the game and now it's even more broken as it says I haven't achieved the mastery when I have completed all 5 scenarios.

 

Click on and off mastery. It's got a UI bug they've never fixed. It'll show as completed after a while lol

 

You have to do it again after the mastery was brought online.

 

No announcements toward windsor and Eton central, but going towards Slough, they work

 

On PS5, at a random scenario or timetable, after loading a save game there is hardly any traction. Only a reset sim physics gets it fixed.

 

Both signals T3542 (on approach to Slough) and T3572 (on approach to Maidenhead) show a green aspect BUT sound the AWS warning horn. Unless there are some missing warning boards surely a green aspect should ping the AWS bell?

 

Since the Medway Valley Line in TSW6 doesn’t have a Sunday schedule (and I can’t even try to create a mod because the TSW editor doesn’t work on Linux), I operate trains on the Thames Valley: Windsor, Henley & Marlow Branch Lines on Sundays.

In my opinion, this Thames Valley: Windsor, Henley & Marlow Branch Lines DLC isn't bad, though—like any other TSW expansion—it requires you to turn a blind eye to numerous inaccuracies and flaws. It's not a deal breaker, though. In any case, fortunately, the pros outweigh the cons.

Here are three things that bother me the most when it comes to enjoying this DLC:

1. The light in the Class 165 cab is hopeless. It’s far too bright. The cab’s brightness doesn’t adjust properly to changes in external lighting. In many cases, the cab looks like an overexposed photograph. I would very much like this to be fixed, because whilst it isn’t particularly noticeable in summer in daylight, in autumn and winter, when I’ll mainly be driving after dark or during twilight, the overexposed brightness of the cab will be very harsh on the eyes.

2. Train Guard. As I’ve learnt, there shouldn’t be any on the two branch lines at all, as they are DOO-type lines. Their presence in the cab is an eyesore and spoils the immersion when I want to operate the train realistically in DOO mode. If the presence of the train guard is linked to the train model, we should be given two variants: one with a train guard and one without. And on the branch line where a train guard is actually present, that train guard does nothing but sit there. Worse still, every time the direction changes, a different train guard appears in the cab, which ruins the sense of realism.

3. Route-hopping cones. For goodness’ sake, hide them somewhere behind the stairs or behind a piece of platform infrastructure so they don’t spoil the beautifully crafted scenery.

The biggest disappointment in the Thames Valley: Windsor, Henley & Marlow Branch Lines:

The main advantage of this DLC is undoubtedly the highly detailed and dense scenery. That’s why I’m hugely disappointed with the appearance of the Windsor & Eton Central station model. That level of stylisation might be acceptable somewhere in the third or fourth plane, where players view it from a great distance. But for heaven’s sake, not in the foreground of a DLC that’s primarily marketed on the detail of its scenery!
I’m not the kind of player who runs all over the map looking for stuffed dinosaurs; I tend to stay in the driver’s cab or hang around my own train. However, I’d prefer the stations I serve to be properly modelled, rather than full of holes and sloppily cobbled together from generic objects.

Overall, I find this DLC playable and interesting. I guess I’ll be coming back to it often (on Sundays), unless Firefly Simulations releases the Sheerness Line DLC or eventually adds a simplified Sunday timetable for the Medway Valley.