I am glad that DTG has added locomotives from the 4 biggest Freight companies. However, this is one of my big issues & it can actually solve one of the problems us die hard rail fans are noticing. We have several different locomotives that, at most, are being used by most of the railroads (ES44AC, AC4400). Why not have one, give it several variants depending on what company you pick, instead of releasing it as some complete standalone content? It can give us more variety, especially with formations. Also, can we please fix the layers on the UP AC4400 so that people can use them in livery designer. Just a thought.
Because honestly, it would be too much work for DTG to do. I mean, look what happened when they tried to make the BNSF SD70ACe, they used a configuration that BNSF doesn't even allow to lead in real life. So now they would have to try and research each spec of each locomotive that each railroad uses and try and sell that at a reasonable price. On top of that DTG never made a standard ES44AC, only the BNSF ES44C4. Also the UP AC44 is Skyhook's problem, and they've pretty much abandoned their US content.
Unless they are going to surprise us in TSW7, main line US freight seems all but dead in the game apart from the one 3P who now seems to be dabbling with it.
2 technically, since Adamovic is still working on their BNSF SD40-2. But I don't expect him to make big loco packs like the OP posted. Just individual locomotives.
if memory serves, the loco used on the horseshoe curve route is the ES44AC, right? however, it belongs to NS and was produced by skyhook (which, as you rightly pointed out, completely abandoned its US content)
Freight trains are very important to modern transportation in the US. Trains carry almost everything we use, from food to building materials, and they do it quickly and efficiently and while using less fuel than trucks and requiring two or three-person crews for each train. It's strange that we are not getting any new American freight locos, rolling stock, and/or routes at this time. Plus, I like freight operations better. One of the problems with DTG and American freight trains is that, apparently, the US RRs are not letting DTG and other developers do the research to add US freight trains in the game (at least, that's what I've been hearing). We should get more US modern freight route, loco, and rolling stock DLCs. Also, some passenger routes, like the Peninsula Corridor, also see some freights running on them.
Indeed. As I’ve said before the sandbox of Run 8 provides a much better environment for the more free form style of operations. I’m currently having great fun doing the Met101 and Met103 drop offs on the industrial park at Modesto. It’s kind of train simming Sudoku, but entirely up to me what order I go about dropping off the cars and the moves I make to do it.
i wondering how much work would there be to make es44ac from es44c4. cause when i look at it i think they have to remove that break valve system that in the middle of the hi ad truck.
At its base? Just the trucks, since the C4 only has the 4 powered axles. In depth? Alot of more small minor changes to match each railroads specific spec of ES44AC (Cab, lights, horn etc.) Also something I learned recently, is that the BNSF C4 model in game was also done by Skyhook. Which 1 makes it odd that improvements to the C4 weren't carried back to the NS ES44, and 2. Means we wont see anything done with that model either unless someone else picks it up and redoes it (Like HIS with the Blacksteinn CSX Dash 8)
oh i didn't know that i thought dtg made the es44c4. well looking on there skyhook page they make gp40 and coal cars. ya those changes also side vents and stuff.
