Let me start this thread with a little story. As a European railfan, I always admired huge US freight trains, even though I knew very little about them. When I first got to the USA, I took the opportunity to see some freight action by the Hudson river (CSX River subdivision, I think). The very first American freight train I saw was an autorack train. Nice ca 100 cars. CSX Gevo with a KSC AC44 foreign power in the lead pulling a really nice mix of autoracks of all shapes and colours/providers. Ignoring the 2-car autoracks, this train still contained all Class I providers - CSX, KCS, UP, BNSF, NS, CN and CP (some of those in multiple variants). Apart from those, there were also multiple Conrails and Southern Pacifics as well as a GT. So a real American unit train is already more varied than a manifest in TSW (and real-life manifests are on another level). And yesterday, we saw what the actual unit train on the newest route would look like. On a BNSF route, an autorack train does not have a single BNSF autorack. If TSW is all about a realistic and authentic feeling, then these freight trains miss the mark horribly. In TSW, there are currently 3 different autoracks - CSX, UP and CN. Even if BNSF autorack wasn't made for this route (which is still wrong), you already have something to create some variety with. You have that for all types of freight cars. We could get a mixture of hoppers (CSX, BNSF, UP), goal gondolas (CSX, NS, UP), well cars (Gunderson, MultiMax), etc. Freight cars in unit trains should have varied providers/operators, and freight cars in manifest should be completely random (and they used to be in the past). With every new freight route that introduces a new operator, this mixing would get richer and richer. But there are already problems with this within TSW: - supposedly, random freight car substitution can't work because the freight cars would automatically be empty (the game can't load a randomly selected freight car) - this problem has been in the game since weighted cars were introduced, so 2 years now, I think - by now, even the autoracks all use different levels of technical depth, with OSD (CN) probably being the worst and SMH (UP) being the best - mostly braking systems have been greatly changed to facilitate longer trains Because of these two problems, we are stuck with extremely flat-looking one-colour unit trains and very artificial manifests all looking the same (ok, I think 2-3 premade sets are used, not much better)with clear-cut sections of the same freight cars. We probably by now have like 30+ different looking American freight cars to pick from and get max 5 in one train. With extremely limited loco substitution, we also get no foreign power, and everything is pulled by the very same locomotives. This seriously needs to change. American freight trains don't feel right, and with more and more routes and Class I operators, this issue becomes more and more glaring (especially when proper freight cars for the route don't even get made). With the Training Center now being the holder of all new rolling stock, DTG should really do something to improve this. Take the newest tech iteration of a freight car type and copy it with all models you've used for the car (e.g. SMH UP autorack with CSX and CN "skins"). The Training Center could be a virtual warehouse for all American freight routes to pick up freight cars from freely. Someone should also sit down and solve the empty substitution cars. Manifests should be completely random. No two should look the same. This would also enhance the gameplay - the same train would never behave the same way (possibly also aided by loco substitution within the needed horsepower limits) because of the length and weight. Just trainspotting would also become a lot more interesting as all trains would be different. Although it sounds again like "hey DTG, do work for free", I think properly randomised trains would greatly improve all American freight routes and make such DLCs a lot more interesting. Especially since now, we don't even get dedicated autoracks for Cajon because "UP runs there often"...
American freight always looks so clean in the game. Watch any video and every vehicle is dirty, dusty, dented and distinct etc.. The vehicles have more of a childs toy colouration. "Lego trains"?
If a railroad officially licensed a company to represent it and use their logo, I’d guess they probably state in the contract that all representation must be kept pristine regardless of realism.
The insight we've gotten on streams about this is that it varies by company, some don't care one bit, others request screenshots or videos to approve. Given BNSF were a bit reluctant to open up their license outside of the US it is possible they are on the stricter side, but equally possible DTG simply want to give people the big shiny engine promised in the marketing artwork. My experience is that close up the engines usually look a bit grimier anyway, it doesn't show up in the streams. Besides. on PC at least there are usually mods to muddy up the locos if so desired, not sure if anyone does it via creator's club for all other players.
Exactly, many companies might straight up forbid them from making their rolling stock look dirty, let alone have graffiti on it (though we have a number of "DTGX" freight cars, this could still be done to). I doubt, however, that there are limitations to what the consists look like, so at least the variety should definitely be possible.
I doubt thats the case...sounds more like an excuse. Countless racing games have original cars that get dirty during a race and can be trashed.
I feel like at least for modern routes, US freight should pull rolling stock from a pool of base rolling stock included as standard to the game. With each car being able to spawn in an appropriate livery on an appropriate train, or varied if needed. And if or when a new route is released, a new livery is added to the base pool of freight cars, while any new cars are added to the base pool of cars. Example. 89ft Auto Rack Avaliable liveries to spawn in -BNSF -CSX -CN -UP And any autorack train throughout any route can pull any of those 4 liveries into a consist. This would also stop the game from having multiple versions of generic base cars as well. We don't need 5 different versions of the same DOT tank car.
BNSF wasn't reluctant. It was just very complicated to license their brand internationally because they're owned by an international conglomerate. As far as we know, it had nothing to do with BNSF being reluctant about having their brand in a sim.
This is precisely what it should look like - the freight car should have one frame of functionality, and liveries should be just put on that. If the frame gets updated, all affected cars do with it.
That would save everyone so much hassle. If we look at the German content right now, you have some cars with accurate brake timings and brake modes (DRA, DCZ) and then you have the very same cars in older routes with completely outdated physics.
It would also be beneficial to have a pool system for NA locos as well. Since we seen in the past different paint schemes can have different features on the same loco (Like the differences between a CSX YN2 and YN3 SD40-2, or the 2 different SD70ACe for Sherman Hill) Would help especially if a reused loco got new prime mover sounds too (Like if the SD70ACe ever got better sounds in the future).
I agree with the main point of the thread. Before a recent move, I lived right on top of UP and CN tracks and the trains that rolled through were a mixture of locos and rail cars from several companies. Even NS contributed the occasional loco.
Completely agree on how much better it would be with a variety of rolling stock. One interesting thing specific to autoracks is that they are a pooled railcar not owned by any one railroad. As i understand it the participating railroads all have some featuring their brand. That’s why autorack trains have such variety and you would never really see one with the same autorack car for the entire train.
IIIRC, TTX only owns the lower part of the car, essentially the flat car itself, the railroads themselves own the upper half of the car, the rack itself.
So one freight car has two owners? And if they got into a quarrel, you would have to cut just above the frame?
That's interesting. I'd always assumed they were of monocoqe construction. Now you're saying they are essentially TOFC?
That’s interesting, I had assumed that TTX basically managed the fleet on behalf of the railways, I live on the east coast of Canada near a large facility that transfers cars between ships and rail so I see autoracks all the time and they regularly represent every railroad you can think of that doesn’t operate anywhere near here.
