Train Simulator: Class 156 Loco Add-On DLC

I like this DLC, just what I wanted for the West Highland Line. It looks good, sounds good & so far I've not found any problems with it. I know that there are quite a few negative reviews for this unit but I guess it must have received some tlc in the meantime. I'm very happy with it.

DO NOT buy this unless you want a broken train that can only really be used as AI. For those that don't know, this item was deemed so bad by DTG themselves, they REMOVED IT FROM SALE. This is why the release date above now shows April 2016, dont be fooled, this is NOT new!! The train itself dates back to the early days of Railworks and so doesn't even have basic upgrades like rain on the windscreen. It's also not compatible with any kind of controller and if you try to use the keyboard, you have to get into the habit of stabbing at the brakes otherwise a nanosecond press too long and you're in emergency braking! For DTG to reissue this at full price knowing its faulty is dishonest. Unless it's £3 in a sale and you really want one of these for AI in scenarios, run away!!!!

The Class 156 had a bit of a rough start in Train Simulator. Initially released back in the murky days of Railworks 3, the model was later updated to make it drivable (as before 2016 the model was so broken it was only fit for use as AI traffic). Is it worth it now? Yes, as long as you are willing to accept its shortcomings. The positives are that the model usually gets 60-70% off when on sale, so can be snapped up very cheaply. It also appears a lot in workshop and 3rd party content. The modelling is good for the era, and there is a good selection of liveries. The negatives, on the other hand, include wonky physics, bizarre sounds, and an outdated model. The model lacks TS20XX scripting, so you won't see rain on the windscreen, and the unit has a habit of alarmingly pitching backwards and forwards on tight bends. The Midnight Moon scenario has a situation where the unit can derail terrifyingly easily at Southall (a rather unfortunate fact given the fatal accident there in 1997). Wait for a sale with this one, and if you have the cash, do yourself a favour and get Armstrong Powerhouse's version.

Great addon! Pretty good detail for an older addon. Only thing I would say is that it took me a while to get my bearings on how to drive it as its not like other DMUs on Train Sim.

Oovee was what AP is now for Train Simulator. Very high class modelling, sounds, scripting. Beautiful baked in ambient occlusion, they were so far ahead of DTG at that time. Recommended!

I dont why everyone hates this DLC. Sure it's not detailed but it's old. Anyway, I love the 150, 156 and 158 DLCs without any argument :D Definitely give all three a go :D

Not quite sure what everyone is complaining about to do with this DLC. Yeah, I know it's old and it HAS had some issues, but DTG has fixed this. Even the sounds that it comes with default are'nt too bad compared to some. If you want the true experience though, get the AP Sound Pack. A nice addon all in all.

A very nice purchase for your RailWorks game. It comes in several liveries (Regional Railways, BR Express, ONE railways, Central Trains, Northern Rail (early) and ScotRail (from 2000). Tha\nks to our friends at DPSimulation, there are many easy-to-install reskins including Northern Spirit, First Scotrail and Northern Rail (current), just to name a few! It has a really nice passenger interior, although I am convinced that it is the Arriva Trains Northern interior. There are, however, some inperfections, for example, the DLC has not been updated to TSX mode, so you will not be able to enjoy the rain particles on the windscreen of other trains. If you can get these past you, then go and click the add to cart button and you will not be dissapointed. NOTE: The DLC release date is set to 6 April 2016 because it was withdrawn to be updated.

Very good DMU especially with all the recent bug fixes. There's a lot of liveries and scenarios for this train as well.

In the past, this add-on had a few bugs which sadly rendered the train for AI only use. Which was a shame. But recently this add-on has been fixed to an acceptable level which makes it useable in scenarios now. So that's a good start there. The pack comes with a nice amount of "base" liveries to get you started and there is a nice amount of freeware community made repaints available for this pack as well. However I have noticed that the "Regional Railways" logo is missing from the grey, black and two-tone blue striped "Express" livery is absent. Especially as "Regional Railways" was dissolved when British Rail was privatised between 1995 and 1997 which a sizeable chunk of the fleet passed to "Central Trains" and "First North Western" in the 1990's outside Scotland. I would have liked to have seen the Central Trains unit in the pack with the Central Trains branding as that TOC ceased trading in 2007 when the Class 156 fleet passed into East Midlands Trains and National Express East Anglia at the end of that year. So I am not sure why those names were not present in this pack as that would have been nice. In terms of the add-on itself. I like the cabview as the position is nice and I like the layout of the controls. The passenger view is also nice as well. The sounds are reasonable and I am saying this because I would recommend getting the Armstong Powerhouse Class 150/153/156 sound set if you intend to use this as a player train in your scenarios as the experience with the higher quality sound set will be much better. However there is a slight inaccuracy with this add-on because the passenger access doors that are rear most of each car have a grab iron/handrail which is not present on the real life Class 156. While it is not a deal breaker to me, more research should have been done to avoid inaccuracies like this, However it is still a recommended add-on for your train simulator. Overall Rating: 7/10.