Train Sim World®: West Somerset Railway Route Add-On DLC

CSX WSR is essentially the fourth dlc to this new franchise. WSR features the heritage West Somerset Railway. While this is just a single location, there is plenty to do along the route. The Service Mode allows you to select any time of the year and the weather, and from there will provide you with a full 24 hour time-table for you to work on. But besides all the good things we've just mentioned, there is also space for improvement, necessary improvements to enhance the overall player experience. Beyond a few AI trains, there’s nothing else going on. Just static scenery. There are no cars waiting at crossroads, no birds flying in the sky, the world is empty and not populated besides some people at the stations, very quiet enviroment, .. I'm rather dissapointed that they didn't include more buttons and switches to try out, more doors and hatches to open on the trains, no functioning mirrors, .. it would have been fun to really check these engines out and feel like a true train driver. Should you buy it now? TSW is a great start to what will surely become one of the best train sims around but for now hold on just a few months until they release more fixes and make more things available because it gets boring quite quickly due to world emptiness and not a lot of functionalities, ..

this is my favorite route hopefully they will add steam trains soon so it will be even better

A lovely countryside heritage route. Well crafted. Some nice things: lots of birds, cows in the meadows (this is new for TSW). Two beautiful engines, MK1 coaches where you also can take the guard seat if you like. This route is good if you like to enjoy the landscape, slow driving, but grades up to 1.3%. I love this. Please have a closer look athe detailed coupling procedure. Wonderful crafted. They really improved on sound, you now actually can hear your horn inside the cab and the klunk klunk on the tracks. The minus side is that the number of services is not very high, but this is part of the game for a heritage line. I would have liked at least one steam engine and some freight vans, sow we can do some shunting. A free roam setting also would be nice. I also would have liked the route set in its glory time instead os a heritage route. Especially with the 25% discount we get this week, it is a good buy.

I'm adamant that the West Somerset Railway addon is the best for TSW yet. PROS: The route is very tranquil and well modelled, and there are functioning UK level crossings for the first time. Stations are modelled accurately with a fraction of artistic license here and there, but this is entirely justified. The details of the trains are beautiful and delve into more depth than any other DLC. There are a range of scenarios available. Far better FPS than any other DLC (30-40%) CONS: The sounds of the trains are, as usual, shabby. The horns for the trains sound disgusting and I pray that DTG will fix them in due course. The engine of the 47 is too quiet, and there is almost no gases being released from the engine. There is no freight services available, therefore just doing passenger runs up and down during daylight can be a tiny bit mundane, although I recognise that this is a passenger diesel gala. Driver Only Operation. Of course, there are a fraction of bugs here and there, some of which are major, but I'm hoping that DTG will fix them in due course also, but overall I'm really pleased and impressed with the quality. The lower price tag is a surprise, and a welcomed one too. The driver only operation is a setback and this will be one of my major bugbears about the route. Overall, if you like passenger running and diesels, and you wish for a DLC which is far more optimised, while also being extremely beautiful, then this is the one for you. At such a low price tag this is a must-buy.

Up to now I've held of buying any TSW titles until recently as the reviews I had been reading indicated that CSX had a beta feel about it. Whilst disappointed about this I figured DTG would release updates to address the core complaints especially the widely reported frame rate issues. So after holding off for 18 months I finally bit the bullet and bought CSX in the sale and I was pleasently suprised although the frame rates still aren't great. Don't get me wrong - it isn't perfect but as someone who doesn't know much about US railroading I had quite a lot of fun with it. Encouraged by this and looking at the overall feedback for the West Somerset Railway I took the plunge and bought this a few a weeks later and I've got to admit I wish I'd been a bit quicker coming to my conslusions so I could have got a refund. First let's go other positives:- Externally the rolling stock and locos look great. The locomotive phyiscs feel good although I can't comment authoritively as I've never driven a Class 47 or 09. However this is tempered by some of the other issues (see below). Unfortunately that's about it on the positive side. Now the negatives. Compared to CSX to amount of interaction you can have with the locos is limited. There are many buttons which aren't active and the ones that are don't appear to be working correctly (AWS etc on the Class 47). I can't help feeling in the back of my mind they just reused some models from Train Sim and added a little candy here and there. The sounds, whilst I think are accurate, aren't well engineered into the game. The horns for example sound the same inside the cab as out and generally whilst walking around you feel the ambinence of being near the locos when you start using them it just doesn't sound right. Frankly the fact I can't save a CSX scenario in progress and save a WSR one at the same time is frustrating. After getting fed up with WSR I thought I'd jump back into CSX and continue a previously saved scenerio there only to find myself back in the previously saved WSR one. The environment is just lifeless - nothing is moving. The level crossings are permenantly down. There are no cars. No one is on the beach. The 'passengers' just stand on the platform motionless until the doors open and are often facing away from the train. In winter the trees have leaves on, the flowers in the tubs on the platforms are still in full flower and the cuttings / embankments still have vegetation albeit brown. Doesn't look like how I remember winter. There are numerous bugs in trying to complete scenarios. I've been locked in cabs, stuck at red signals after a save (which then work if I replay the whole scenario without saving). I've had the class 47 buffers locked beyond the rolling stock buffers and I've managed to get the 09 fipped onto it side by reversing at 0.5mph into the coaching stock I've just shunted. I'd also make a comment on the framerate. Whilst significanly improved over CSX the amount of track in WSR is significantly lower. The amount of objects in the landscape is also a lot lower. It's mostly fields, hedgerows and the odd tree and static animal. To my mind a lot of the scenic modeling is of a low quality and whilst nicelly presented as a pastiche of West Somerset it could be better. With this in mind I don't think the framerate is that great at all and I'll be interested to see how the framerates are on future, more intensively populated, routes holds up. The signalling is shocking and therefore immersiveness is comprimised. You shouldn't have to 'tab past' a shunt signal in order to couple up to stock. Whilst I understand a lot of work has gone into the physics but I don't really care if the tractive effort profile is 100% accurate. I can't see it. I can see signals that are incorrectly functioning. It's a bit like in a flight sim having the ATC giving clearance to land when you are waiting to take off. I know this seems a bit ranty but it's the outcome of my disappointment. As a long time train simmer I really felt I needed to put this out there. My overall feeling this has been done on the 'cheap' and as a result it's a substandard product for what I guess would be around 3 years of development on the platform and route itself. I can't help feeling that WSR is the TSW equivalent of the original East Coast Mainline that shipped with RailWorks and I can only hope TSW content improves on a similar trend that TS has. TSW should be an improvement on TS but I'd prefer to play the Wherry Lines on TS than this right now.

Well I took the plunge and bought the WSR in the Black Friday sale, mainly because I am interested in the Class 33 when it releases. Nothing much to report that hasn't already been said. The route and assets look very nice but the Class 47 still sounds like rubbish - the "Duff" in Rail Simulator was more accurate. Just an indistinct idling sound with a touch of turbo whine which sounds more reminiscent of a Class 56 spooling up. DTG really need to sack their sound boy and get someone in who knows what they're doing... While accepting steam traction is a WIP, it's a bit stupid to issue a heritage route without a token steam loco. And the choice of a 47 and 09 is hardly inspirational when they could have included a 42 Warship, 35 Hymek or 52 Western. Far more iconic than a wretched Brush! The biggest challenge driving the route is staying awake. Not only do you have the overall 25 MPH speed limit, it is peppered with numerous lower restrictions. A couple of gradients where a few seconds of half power is required and station stopping is just drift down the platform on initial application and a bit of service brake to finally halt. This route and stock pack amply illustrates why DTG need to pull their thumbs out and at least deliver a scenario editor so we can mix and match train-sets between routes. At least then we could test the 47 physics on the main line to see how good or bad these are. This is where I wish Steam would allow me to leave a "neutral" verdict, rather than a downvote but that will have to do.

I want to recommend this addon, I really do. I’ll overlook completely the lack of any Steam traction in here, as the WSR itself does have a strong diesel heritage scene. I may be biased, as I live in the area and can pick out places that I recognise and can say "wow, yeah that's really like it is" but as I live in the area I know that the WSR is a bustling railway with endless amounts of rolling stock strewn around the line and in sidings... this representation of it just feels too empty. On the point of feeling empty, this is supposed to represent a Diesel Gala event, the next Diesel Gala event is in a couple of weeks’ time (early June 2018) and there will be four classes of visiting locos and four classes of home fleet locos (ironically not either of the two represented in the game). This addon has much potential, but it just falls too short in delivering what the WSR is known for If DTG can revisit it with at least some additional rolling stock, even in static models (a lot of the real stuff really is in no state to be moved until heavy restoration work is carried out on it) then I'll happily change my review, as the route itself is a good representation of the WSR metals and scenery, just it lacks its heart! And if they can add additional locos, even as extra DLC, I’m happy with that as principally this is just the route, then I’ll sing it’s praises from the rooftops! Do I regret buying it? No, the prettiness of the route is in no doubt, I just can't recommend it to others with its current roster of locos and just MK1 coaches.

This is it. This is the one. Performance - 60fps at maximum settings. Same settings give 25-50fps on HH, 20-40fps on NEC and 30-50fps on GWR. Diesel throttle - working as it should! Finally! No more cruise control throttle! Yay! Voiceovers - we have them again! Yay! Scenery, looks - wow. What a beautiful, scenic route. Best content so far. DTG, hats off to you. This one really hit the mark.

[h1] Intro [/h1] The scenario's are nice, the scenery is amazing, it's the West Somerset Railway... Oh and the review got a bit long lol. [h1] The Pros [/h1] Well, in short: [list] [*] Nice route (nice scenery etc.) [*] Detailed diesel-locomotives [*] Good scenarios [*] Extremely detailed carriages... So nice to see! [*] Little cool details like "collecting milk cans".. [/list] [h1] The Cons [/h1] [list] [*] You can't sit on the benches on the train stations, WHAT'S THIS GAME! I WANT TO BE ABLE TO SIT DOWN ON ALL BENCHES! srsly. That should be added. [spoiler] (or have all benches just been painted?) [/spoiler] [*] Tutorials, well... Nice to see the startup-procedure, now I want to know how to turn on all the AWS bells and *dings*. [*] [strike] Some bugs, but I'm sure they'll fix them like they did before with other DLCs :D [/strike] they've fixed most of them :) [*] Only diesel trains? Where is that beautiful fireman that works his, well works really hard while you have fun? [/list] [h1] What bothers me then? [/h1] [whining about the game] Well, here we go... Here comes what bothers me. This DLC, well, it's not really anything different from what we've seen. I mean: 2 locomotives, a few scenarios, great scenery, all amazing, don't get me wrong, you can see all the work that has been put into this, the detail, the love, but... I don't know, call me crazy, but I feel like something is missing. [spoiler] steam trains? [/spoiler] <-- not only that there, but just... I mean I understand you can't change the whole game and I know it's about driving a train. I love driving trains, that's why I bought this game in the first place. I don't know. Maybe it needs more variation in trains, in gameplay? Maybe it's just more content that has to come? But I guess this complaining is a bit subjective and doesn't fit here for the DLC? Too much questions. [/whining about the game] [h1] But should I buy it? [/h1] If you like more scenery, fancy *some* (actually only 2) different detailed locomotives, detailed carriages and like to drive in England: yes, definitely. You're still in doubt? Watch a few videos on YouTube of this DLC, I'm sure there are some. That's kinda it. You don't like driving in England: don't. That's what I can say. It's a bit subjective with these DLCs in my opinion + in my opinion it's not like you have a whole different experience with this DLC, it's more that you have something different to drive on (although some might disagree with me on that point). [h1] In short [/h1] So, should you buy yet another DLC? Well.. It's up to you actually. My advice: watch a few videos on YouTube, and decide yourself if you like it or not. I enjoy driving it tho, but like I said; there's something that bothers me too, but that might be more about the game than the DLC in a way.. But, to come to a conclusion: it's not a bad DLC at all, actually pretty good [spoiler] don't expect steam trains tho, or being able to SIT DOWN ON BENCHES AT TRAIN STATIONS [/spoiler]

I can't recommend this DLC. Don't get me wrong, the map and train modelling are absolutely stunning and I praise the developers who work for Dovetail. But, where I draw the line on the praise is where the cuts to quality are made. CSX: Heavy Haul, the initial release of Train Sim World, gave the community the impression that you would be living the life of the driver, living everyday life on the railway. I've yet to see that gameplay a year after release. They offer the most boring scenarios with the most lackluster AI on the railway you could think of. You're not living the everyday life of a train driver because you're operating on the same day, with the same consists, with the same traffic, with the same timetables, just with slightly different weather that has no effect on your driving. A year after release, there's no sign of editing tools, the promised multiplayer, third party DLC, and the lack of information makes me concerned as to what Dovetail are planning. There is almost no communication between the devs and community and I find that quite absurd in this day and age. A year after release, CSX Heavy Haul still has a multitude of GAME BREAKING BUGS. Great Western Express still has a multitude of immersion-breaking bugs that ruin the experience. West Somerset Railway is the most polished, but is the worst offender to the greed of Dovetail Games. When I played CSX Heavy Haul, I was astounded at the detail of the DLC and the interaction it gave you with the train; entering any cab you wished, tinkering with the fuses, refueling the trains, looking inside the engine room, cold starts etc. and the game seemed promising. We lacked most of not all of those features from Great Western Express and the Class 66, but at least you were able to enable most switches in the cab. West Somerset Railway doesn't give you most options in the cab; you only get the functional buttons. Opening the windows doesn't change the audio level, and you still can't go into the engine room. I'm ashamed at Dovetail for making empty promises and offering literally no information on what they're working on. Don't support this charade of smoke and mirrors.