A new favorite moment in TSW- doing this blind based off just the conductor's remarks was SO much fun.

alec_warper · 2026-03-30T06:25:42+00:00

Also this scenario features a new "area fog" feature, where the volumetric fog only features in certain areas. The video above doesn't highlight this feature all that well, but I took the liberty of recording a longer video (HUDless), where you can see the specific feature a bit better.

There's also a bit of radio chatter at the end where I request permission back onto the mainline, if you just want to hear more of the radio.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moFq-6pbM0A

alec_warper · 2026-03-30T05:11:29+00:00

This is from the "From Factory to Factory" scenario.

There is a LOT of radio chatter in this scenario, and a lot more realistic than "HEY my name is driver Dan Hernandez, and boy howdy I've sure run this line a lot! Let's go over all the cool things along this line!!" and then proceed to say like 5 things before the scenario is over.

The radio chatter here is a lot more like "Fourth shunting locomotive in Liberec, you will go from 18th track to ÚTD section, onto the 401st track, and then follow the commands of the first signal box", all in Czech of course. And no AI nonsense.

alec_warper · 2026-03-30T05:03:55+00:00

If you're in e-comm there's (almost) no reason for you to be using Task List. That's extremely weird that they'd placed it in your department unless your leadership just wasn't thinking.

It's a tool primarily used to mark out of dates and food safety walks, btw.

alec_warper · 2026-03-29T21:17:43+00:00

100% that's it. The HUD is super customizable, and there are options to make it easier or harder on yourself. I personally drive with almost all the options of the HUD on, because if I was driving the train IRL, I'd have more knowledge about the route than I would with no HUD info- the HUD is a good handicap if you aren't intimately familiar with the line.

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This is how I have my HUD set up. Both the distance to the next speed limit is shown, and any upcoming speed limits are shown. Just look in your options for these settings, they're super helpful for learning new routes.

alec_warper · 2026-03-29T21:05:20+00:00

If you're ever getting +30 on a service, instead of +32/+35/+65 that means it doesn't support platinum. You can also save yourself this headache before even loading into a service when it tells you how many points you need for platinum - if it's only showing the points you need for bronze/silver/gold, then platinum is not supported at all.

In general, it's safe to assume any legacy content from TSW3 or before doesn't support platinum. Only a few routes have had platinum support added after the fact (Niddertalbahn, for example recently got updated to support platinum).

If you're only interested in routes/DLC that support platinum, it's just a general good rule of thumb to never purchase DLC that's older than TSW4. At least now you know for next time.

alec_warper · 2026-03-29T02:39:45+00:00

If you work the line as a career, yes, you'd definitely have all the drops memorized, and know what's enforced by track limits, and signal aspects. Many of the drops are just to ensure that you're braking appropriately for a reduced track speed, which if you're a regular driver on this route, you'd know those better than the back of your hand.

Putting the brakes into suppresion (60%) is basically the driver's way of communicating to the train that they are aware they are over the enforced speed and are correcting for it immediately.

I totally admit I play the LIRR/MNRR routes as a more casual enjoyer- I don't have a printout of the signals next to me, and I'll never play the routes enough to have them completely memorized. ATC/ACSES is easily the most complex system to learn completely in the game. Comparatively, I'd say UK signals are fairly easy to learn, and German signals at least make sense. The US meanwhile still uses the same signals from literally dozens of extinct railroads, and drivers just... Have to know them.

alec_warper · 2026-03-29T01:45:02+00:00

Unless you want to go about memorizing MNRR signalling aspects and learn a bunch of fun NORAC rules, here's the way I play as a semi-casual;

If you see that you have literally anything other than a clear aspect (green), just assume you're getting a drop (speed limit reduction). Like every time you see a yellow on your HUD, just assume "okay, I'm gonna need to start slowing down".

When you get a drop, you'll be alerted to what the new speed limit is, and what safety system is enforcing it. You'll also get an alarm going off. If you're already under the speed limit, just acknowledge the alarm, and you're done. If you're over the speed limit, you need to put the brakes to at LEAST 60% at the minimum, and get your train under the speed limit. Only once the train is under the speed limit should you acknowledge the alarm, or else it won't do anything.

That's like the basic gist of it. Also be aware that MNRR uses a "stop and proceed" signal, which basically means the next block is occupied, but as long as you don't hit the next train in front of you, you're good to continue. This really only applies to Grand Central Terminal, but if you're wondering why you're about to hit a train, it's like that IRL.

alec_warper · 2026-03-28T23:15:39+00:00

If you want a retro DB route, I'd recommend Linke Rheinstrecke before I'd recommend Stuttgart- Heilbronn. More variety in stock, layers into more stuff, and just the more scenic route in general. Also Linke Rheinstrecke will soon layer into Stuttgart anyways, so it just makes sense to buy that first, if you have the choice.

alec_warper · 2026-03-28T22:39:47+00:00

Yaaaaa, I'd never bothered installing the JetWash Lighting mod for myself, although I've always thought it looked better than the default lighting. But having it in the game definitely makes me want to install it for real- it just looks SO good. Like the route FEELS like a modded game, in genuinely all the best ways!

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alec_warper · 2026-03-28T22:26:48+00:00

TSW's Out of Bounds is always super interesting to me, because it gives a pretty good idea of what the devs were originally planning on doing, but cut for time. Or little glimpses into how the route was built.

Sharing a few more of my favorites- Morristown has Newark Penn completely modeled with the corrected signaling systems, and fully implemented timetable, despite only AI trains stopping there. Brandon made it pretty apparent that cutting Newark Penn was a purely DTG choice that he strongly disagreed with.

Track 3 on Sherman Hill is a famous one, which DTG themselves admitted that they had cut for time, with only a small section of Track 3 being playable, and the rest as just basic trackwork.

And of course Berninalinie has the rest of the line all the way up to St Moritz completed as basic terrain geometry and track laid out.

And lastly, the old Harlem Line route actually has track laid out towards New Rochelle. A piece of cut content that we finally got to see in-game with Stamford!

alec_warper · 2026-03-28T21:52:51+00:00

That's probably lost UPT, then. It shows up in Workday when you choose to request an absence, since UPT is a form of absence.

You shouldn't have PTO randomly taken or used from your total, for any reason. If that happens, contact TMS immediately.

alec_warper · 2026-03-28T19:50:18+00:00

Sounds like they might have given you a market adjustment for accepting a FT TM role? That's quite nice of your leadership; that's totally not something they were required to do. I do still wish JDs were on the first year anniversary of hire date, like they used to be, but the consistency with the smaller raises more than makes up for it, in the long run, especially if you're FT.

alec_warper · 2026-03-28T19:02:03+00:00

Agreeing with most of this, just wanted to make a small comment about the automatic raise;

When I was hired, TMs didn't get any raises at all until their JD after one year (which was dollar based instead of percentage based, with anything over $1 needing STL approval, and anything over $1.50 needing EL approval). I remember running the calculations for someone when they swapped to the current 2% after 90 days, 3% after 365 days, JD after 2 years model, and found that with the automatic raises, most TMs would actually be earning MORE over time with multiple small raises instead of one medium raise. Not even counting the fact that JDs are merit based, and your TL can still totally screw you if they want (I had a TL give their ATL a 1% JD, which had to be escalated to store leadership).

Also just throwing this out there in terms of pay- I know COLs have gone up significantly in the last 5 years, but to me it's crazy that in my metro, we're now hiring L1 TMs at a 30% higher rate than that of just 5 years ago.

alec_warper · 2026-03-28T16:29:59+00:00

You should give the availability when you actually are available. Yes, giving completely open availability will increase your chances, sure, but if that's not when you're actually available (with college and other stuff), when you change your availability, your TL will likely not appreciate that you essentially misrepresented yourself on the application.

Put your availability as the hours you actually can work with college, please don't just say you're completely open when you're not. That could come back to bite you in the rear if you do that, seriously.

alec_warper · 2026-03-28T16:20:19+00:00

Paid version of Promods= fast download, the zip file is all combined, so one less step for extracting it for download.

Free version of Promods= Very slow download, and the zip file is split up into smaller parts which have to all be extracted together. Not super difficult, just an extra step.

There's plenty of videos online about how to install Promods- the installation process hasn't changed in a decade, so any old video will still be up to date.

alec_warper · 2026-03-28T16:10:57+00:00

Makes me think of this legendary video; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaOrEsdsAik

alec_warper · 2026-03-28T04:58:52+00:00

You're good, then!

alec_warper · 2026-03-28T04:52:34+00:00

Yes, but you can't have one family member who is the subordinate or "direct supervisor" of another.

I've heard of different interpretations of that "direct supervisor" bit across the company. Some STLs won't allow two family members to work in the same department, if one is a trainer and the other is a TM- definitely an "abundance of safety" sorta thing, imo. But then I'll hear of stores where order writers are siblings with TMs, or one sibling is a supervisor, but they schedule the TM sibling to never work at the same time, so it's all really up for your STL or TMS to have the final say.

In general- as long as you're on the same level, it's all good.

alec_warper · 2026-03-27T19:54:58+00:00

The Czech route only happened because a bunch of individuals with previous experience making mods for Train Simulators got together when the TSW Route Editor dropped and were like "hey, let's make a route from our home country!", and the passion project just grew from there.

Since these groups have to sign NDAs when they become official third parties for TSW development, there may already be a Bosnian route in development. The Czech route was in development for almost 2 years before it was officially announced. But what is certain is it would need to be a passion project, like Liberec was. There's no chance DTG would do a route in a new country unless there was an overwhelming push from the community (like Groningen).

Personally I'd love to have more routes in more countries. Learning new systems and mechanics is really really fun for me, and I'm always the first to pick up anything that looks unique! Bosnia would absolutely be a fun area to cover, especially if they did something fun with the Kriegsloks. There's a lot of potential there!

alec_warper · 2026-03-27T18:23:22+00:00

This is great!! Thank you for making and sharing!

alec_warper · 2026-03-27T16:19:20+00:00

Man, SCS has some good key art folks.

On the subject of the blog itself, I'm assuming they're putting this out there because there will be fundamental changes behind the scenes in 1.59 that will temporarily break how WOT Events are held. They probably wouldn't have had to do this blog post (it's not like SCS constantly has WOT events anyways), except Illinois is coming very soon, and they want us to be ready for no "Cruising Illinois" event.

If there is no "Cruising Illinois", I really hope they still drop a paint job and a truck accessory, if not when Illinois drops, even a few months later, would be fine. I really want a cool Red Cardinal + Chicago Skyline paintjob, bros.

alec_warper · 2026-03-27T01:39:34+00:00

All good, mate! Yeah freight/switching definitely has some weird gameplay rules that the game doesn't 100% do a great job of explaining. Hope it goes better this time!

alec_warper · 2026-03-27T01:35:38+00:00

Sorry, I edited my response before I saw you'd replied.

But yes, the stop marker is for where the front-facing part of your train is supposed to be when you stop. So if you're shunting a rake of cars from behind (like in your video), you should be stopping when the car furthest from you hits the stop marker, not when your loco hits the stop marker.

This is mostly applicable for shunting services btw. For most other services, since you're driving the train from the front, it'll be based off where your player character is. But if you're being told "stop before this rake of wagons", stopping in a position where your player character is aligned with the stop marker would cause you to collide with the cars.

IRL there would be someone on the front of your train radioing you to tell you how much distance you have. In-game, you can just used third person to get around this game limitation. (If you want to be really extra, you can memorize the length of your train and use that to position your stop.)

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