Train Simulator: Miami - West Palm Beach Route Add-On DLC

Yeah, no, this route has several problems after getting into it. After spending about 10 hours completing every scenario in this pack, this was just rather depressing, yet oddly horrifying. 1. Quick Drive is literally impossible to start from West Palm Beach, and you can not start at Mangonia Park if you wanted to, the whole train even if you wanted to drive to Miami is bugged as the train is facing the opposite direction. There's also an oddly placed light CSX engine that runs by itself for some reason. And lastly in Quick Drive, you can't start from any other station, except a select couple commuter station, and only the main intercity stations can be chosen which is a huge disappointment. 2. Very bad placement of car AI spawn areas. I've seen a few areas where the cars just literally spawn right across railroad tracks which is outright silly. If it were not just static cars, and real life objects, you'd know the situation you're in. If that was not just the only problem, there's just simply not enough to complement the atmosphere in the game leaving the highways paralleling the tracks noticeably empty. Just so eerie, yet very depressing for Miami to WPB. 3. The rail signals in game just suck. Like literally it just sucks. Even as the AI passes through the block, it turns green, and yet that same train ahead of you that you're on is on that same block, running the risk for collisions. I don't know if it was meant that way, or there is more to that, but it just doesn't make sense. There maybe missing additional signals in game to ensure the player doesn't collide something ahead of them, or feel like they're in dead territory. 4. Other DLCs included in the pack are just weak sauce. There should be more than just three additional DLC scenarios in a locomotive pack I have purchased. The Dash-8 and Tri-Rail commuter rail DLCs I have purchased are just small addition for a total of $32 together. There would've been more to fit the value of the DLCs optionally included in the Miami to WPB route pack, but nonetheless just way too small of a serving. And for real Dovetail. Fix. Your. Bugs. In. This. Pack. Dovetail. I feel as if I have wasted my $20 playing this bugged route.

Just to start off, I think the Sherman Hill route felt more scenic and enjoyable that this. I very quickly ran through most of the route and was seemingly accurate (Judging only from Train Maps Live) but the only thing you really get to see most of the time is the roads/highways and they are roughly put together (Some roads going to/over the crossing aren’t even correct and 1 or 2 crossing(s) have cars that spawn right in front of them and driving over regardless if the crossing gates are closed). All scenarios function correctly, the driver cabs, train exterior and passenger view look good and sounds are quality. Now getting the biggest bundle for this route (Giving me 3 more trains with 3 scenarios each) did give me more to do, but it didn’t feel completely worth getting the extra DLC cause the only thing i’ve sort of found “worth” is the P42DC Amtrak loco/cars you get with this. In the end even though it’s Miami and the map has some good effort but the scenarios make it feel bland to me (Even the “Florida Storm” scenario isn’t to eventful… it just rains for a while causing no dilemmas which isn’t what I expected from the first time playing it).

This is goated for amtrack/CSX fans There are inside view alomost all rolling stock but no view for any freight car, bagged car, no sleeper view? :( they got routes for CSX and AMTRACK 10/10

Not worth it. Why? - The P42 remains as buggy as ever (terrible brakes, terrible power application - seriously, cruising at 79mph in Notch 1 with the train STILL accelerating slightly? -, awful sounds) - The new passenger cars have no inside view, no new sounds as well. If there's one thing good about them, it's the outside detail but I like more than just eye candy. - The Dash 8 has awful brakes as well. - The route is completely featurless. An obvious example are, as mentioned before, the super-vast highways that are almost completely empty or even worse, with cars spawning or disappearing directly in front of you.

Train Sim - West Palm Beach When it comes to Train Simulator routes, the Palm Beach route is an underrated homerun. Simulating the CSX mainline to Miami, you’ll get to drive the Dash 8 in CSX livery and the P42 in Amtrak livery as standard on about 70 miles of track. Features include 89 MPH running, switching, heavy traffic, and lots of great scenery to look at. In fact, I think this is one of the best routes for really making you feel you’re in this location. There’s just something about this route that I love, and it’s so hard to put a finger on what… So, to kick this review off, let’s talk about the rolling stock for a moment. The Dash 8 is a excellent example of a modern American locomotive, as it should be as it’s the only sort of US rolling stock DTG make, but I digress. Sounds are excellent, Cab view is incredible and functional, and the freight cars it pulls are varied and well done as well. But the real star of the show is the P42, which DTG knocked out of the park with this one. The horn is easily one of the best I’ve ever heard in a train game, period. The cab looks great and again is functional, ditch lights work and flash when the horn is sounded. It’s just nice, nice to drive, nice to look at, great job DTG! The route itself is also high quality too, and between the color palette, buildings, busy roads, and of course the occasional palm tree, it just feels real. There’s always something to look at, there’s always something to distract you from the task at hand, just like real life. The route is challenging to boot. For example, 90 to 45 MPH speed drops, constant and heavy traffic from both CSX and Amtrak, plus a myriad of crossings to whistle or bell for. Being a racing driver, I tend to play chicken at the speed drops. Waiting as long as I can to brake and still get the train under the 45 limit. But the best thing about this route is the additional DLC. The Seaboard U boats and Amtrak Pooch backdates the route to the 1970’s-90’s. Throw in some Chessie traffic and you’re in for a bundle of colorful fun! The Amtrak Dash 8 brings the route back to the late 90’s, mid 2000’s with its iconic Pepsi can paint scheme. Plus, you can add the commuter train, which it’s exact name escapes me, for stop start traffic. Like a good trainset it’s expandable, even if for a premium. If I had to list some negatives, the biggest for me is Quick drive seems to spawn in trains backwards. Also, it’s worth noting some people say the route isn’t close enough to the real location, but I disagree. Yes, it’s not exact, (Like most train sim routes) but it captures the spirit of Florida. It feels real, is fun to drive, and has some great rolling stock to boot… All and all, The West Palm Beach route gets a recommendation from me, even at full price. However, like all train sim stuff, it’s best to wait for a sale, where you can pick up the route and most of its DLC for around $30. And I highly recommend checking out the DLC too. I plan on doing reviews of them in the future but in short, they aren’t as detailed as the locomotives that come in the route, but they’re good enough to add extend the life of the route and thus your enjoyment. If I could make one request to the Train Sim devs out there. Somebody need to make those new bullet trains coming to Florida, the Brightline.

Don't get it. Just don't. Its extremely boring, you just sit in the cab and adjust the throttle to keep up with the speed limit, and occasionally you might come across a railroad crossing and something, or a neat looking station, but other than that its boring. The Dash 8 has the default sounds that the ES44AC has, and the K5LA on the Amtrak sounds bad, in my opinion at least. The only thing really worth it in this route is the AC6000CW, it had a nice horn and bell. Remember how earlier in this review I said it was boring as hell? Yea, you're restricted to 60-80 MPH on mostly flat terrain. Not much to look at or anything, either. I'm also pretty sure some of the routes require the F40PH, which, of course, doesn't come with the route. 2/10, only bought it for a route to run the AC6000CW somewhere were it would make sense. I'm literally begging you not to buy this. Get the Norfolk Southern N-Line or Sherman Hill or something, just not this.

Very nice route! Kinda gives you that Florida "feel". The route has beautiful scenery, Lots of High Speed areas, etc.... only a few flaws as in.... CSX Dash 8-40CW -Starts in Dynamic braking -Lights are a little too yellow -Same old problems like the other DLC's Amtrak P42DC -Same engine, horn, bell sounds from the Empire Builder -Viewliner Stairs doesn't drop down. Mods can make it better but besides that, great route! Tons of workshop scenarios for it. I recommend it.

The scenery on this route is great... however the rolling stock and scenarios are not. For example, the P42 is actually just a reskin of the P32DC-AM, meaning that there are still features such as 3rd rail electrical pickups present on the locomotive when in reality there are none. The paint on both the locomotives is lacking; the sounds on both locos are not good, but can be replaced. The amfleet passenger cars have strechy couplers, and the wheels on the passenger cars do not always appear to line up with the tracks. In the Dash 8, there is no way to toggle the ditch lights, or instrument lights by using the keyboard alone. The headlight on the Dash 8 looks weird when viewed from the distance. The scenarios do not seem very realistic. Once again, DTG has made you follow an extremely strict timetable for freight scenarios. Also, in the first freight scenario, your train is routed on to a 15 mph siding for...no reason. No, I didn't change the switch myself. In quick drive, if you try to drive south, your train will be facing north. The scenery is the best that DTG has ever done. Alright, there isn't enough traffic on I-95, but that's okay. As a route alone, it is fantastic, however I would've liked to see better rolling stock and scenarios included to take advantage of what there is to see.

I hate to vote No on this one. It's sooo close. The South Florida "Feel" is great. The route is accurate. The stations seem decent. However, this has two major showstopper bugs (and one other bad one) that makes me hesitant to recommend it until they're fixed. 1. Quick Start Routing from West Palm Beach is broken. Trains are always put in backwards. You can get around it using custom consists etc, but this shouldn't be necessary. It's ridiculous. 2. Start from the South and you'll eventually find yourself slowly passing an Amtrak train travelling BACKWARDS at speed (kinda sorta racing you.) This would be amusing, except that the driver of this train frequently derails it, taking down the entire route with it, through no fault of your own. Less severe but still a problem is 3. You can't travel the entire route. There's no Free Roam with this route, and no Quick Start scenarios allow you to start at Magnolia Park, the Northern terminus of the Tri-Rail system. Fix all three (preferably fix the third by adding Free Roam) and I'll wholeheartedly recommend it. Unfortunately it's a beautifully done route that's just too bug ridden to recommend right now.

This route comes nowhere near feeling like the South Florida route it claims to depict. I live in the area and even I got lost trying to place different locales. I've never been so disappointed in a route before. It seems like Dovetail only put a token effort into recreating some landmarks of the route, and those landmark seem to be those which are near stations. Even I-95 is a baren wasteland. It'd be better if they put at least a wall of unmoving static vehicles on it because then it'd feel more like South Florida!