Train Simulator: Amtrak Acela Express EMU Add-On DLC

pros - get to drive the train. cons: no internal passenger view, incorrect tractive effort (seems to have stats ported from the Pendolino EMU), onboard cab signalling does not work properly and can interfere with driving (even the keyboard control doesn't work for it and no ATC disable keyboard combination ( aka Q - supposedly the acknowledge button key and CTRL-D for ATC disable (works on the ACS-64 add-on, AEM-7 and the HHP-8 addon, not this one though)

It's one of the United States very own Bullet Train Big AERODYNAMIC CABIN and it FLY'S and you feel like your flying!!!!

I would recommend this train to anyone who is deaf, because the sounds are terrible on this train. Doesn't seem like Dovetail Games puts any effort or even suggestions into their products. Horn isn't even close to the real train, nor the sound of the train when you accelerate. One of the worst trains in the game for sound.... Big Disappointment.

Great locomotive. Got it for Christmas and it runs great. The P3 horn is odd for it but overall it is amazing!

I bought this train with NY - Philadelphia route. I really liked the train itself and the way how you can interact with it, I liked the Cruise control option and some other small features. The only problem I found, is that there are only 3 scenarios on the NY - Philadelphia route instead of 5 claimed in the description. I would say it's a pretty decent price if you have both routes, but if you have 1 route you should get it on sale.

I've purchased this DLC on a sale, as I like fast trains and I find NEC fascinating. I have to say also that I've played only one scenario, but I've found some creepy things. The first is cab signalling. It's OK and nice to have actual speed límits in cab, but there is no warning of lower límits or a visible brake curve, as an ATP system should have, so is nearly impossible to drive without the hud. Second thing is cruise control. I have found the on/off switch and I can control it with the lever but the usual keyboard shortcuts Y/C don't work, só impossible to set up and move cruise control without moving the cam and manually moving the lever. This takes me to the third point. The manual. It's useless. If the train had usual keyboard assigments, it won't supose a problem not to have a keyboard assignment table, but it is not the case, so for me there is no way to use all the functionalities (as the cruise control) if I have no way to know which buttons to push. After all, I still recommend the Acela as it is driveable, it is graphically accurate (despite some minor things) and, for non-top-demanding users, It's OK. My overall rating is 6.5/10.

Cool loco, but the career scenario "Acela Express to Washington" is bugged (requires New Haven route). As you emerge from the tunnel to your final stop, you'll be met with a danger signal because the scenario didn't switch you to the correct platform. You have to save your game, exit the scenario and reload just before the danger signal in order to clear it and be pointed to the correct platform. Really annoying since I ran the dang scenario several times before I figured that out. I have yet to try the other 2 scenarios and 3 more are listed, but bugged as well. I assume it wants the Philly route, but it shouldn't be showing in the first place.

I bought the Amtrack Acela Express EMU Addon, and as per the information it should have 5 scenarios, however post downloading the game I found 2 scenarios "Acela from Phili" and "Acela from the Apple" are missing. Not sure if this is with everyone or jut me and how can I get the pending scenarios.

Love the train, and you can take it on a number of tracks, just so long as they support other high-speed trains like the ICE-3 or Class 395.

My original review as of 2014, and updated afterwards: Had this since TS2012, but it's been changed/revamped/retrofitted/whatever word you want to use since then. Some changes good, some not-so. From what I've observed overall, the unit is very easy to control as one'd expect, being a MU. Visual and modeling details have always been a personal high point, with the animation being good. Some touches are here and there like the panto sparks, updated livery, and the lens flare as another user has noted. I wouldn't be absolutely sure but I think the specs have been redone since then too, like how in the past it'd top out at 147 MPH in the sim, when the real one, as also noted in promotional material of this DLC here and there, can go up to 162 or 165. Seems to speed up a lot faster so it can be assumed they gave it a bit more juice. Other bugs have been fixed when you load a scenario partway through that had to do with the Cruise Control, displays, and other cosmetic functions. The "Acela Express" scenario was also optimized a while ago, although the last time I played it, it still suffered here and there from an AI train desyncing and derailing offscreen, the player being held up at Newark by a signal and thus not be able to satisfy the timetable, or be unable to finish the scenario at all with a set of points always set against you. If you also own or plan to own the New York to New Haven DLC, there are a few more Career Scenarios available using the Acela there too, although the Achievements seem to be broken at the time I write this. Now, some of what prevents this DLC from being more perfect (in my eyes, anyway): [list] [*]Cruise Control is broken; it either takes longer to kick in than from before this DLC was reworked, or it doesn't at all—the Class 390 is a better example of how it should function. [*]Pantographs can be a bit wonky; by default, the front pantographs are used relative to the direction being traveled, when it should be the rear ones. The cab switch to choose a pantograph doesn't appear to be animated either, and whatever I do seems to cause an indefinite loop of raising and lowering the "unused" pantograph. [*] Carriages leave a lot to be desired; while I did note the modeling was nice, inconsistencies from the real thing include the lack of the Business Class "End" Car (it's like the First Class Car, with two doors rather than four), how the carriages are generally flipped as opposed to how they should be in consists (ex. the First Class Car's—and wouldbe Business Class End Car's—doors should be adjacent to the Power Car, the two middle Business Class Cars, seat-wise, should face away from each other, and the Cafe Car should also be flipped relative to how it currently is (to give an idea, the windows, on the side with less windows, should be closer to the closest Power Car)). [*]In addition to above, they lack a passenger view. [*]The horn does not automatically turn on the bell like it does on the ACS-64 (as well as how it did in the original Kuju/MS TS). [*]Whatever updates done to the DLC also messed with the lights; the marker lights (the red ones) on the opposite power car don't always turn on when the front ones are switched on, and the ditch lights can either be on or off; they don't flash or alternate like previously (at least for me). [*]I probably don't even need to mention the sounds, save for the horn and bell really (though, this is only minor personally). [/list] Otherwise, it's a must-have if you're going to drive on either of the Northeast Corridor Route DLCs, especially when you consider the workshop scenarios available here for them. Too if you just like fast trains like I do. *** Update Jan 2017: I tried this DLC a few days ago (or 2 years after initially reviewing this) and I've noticed these changes and improvements, as well as stuff that still keeps the DLC from being the best it can be. Pros:[list] [*]Cruise Control is set by a combination of the on/off switch and the lever next to the throttle. The desired speed can be set by the lever and the switch is turned on once reaching said speed to maintain it. [*]Passenger view added to the First Class car. [*]Pantograph controls less buggy and work properly. Front/rear/both pantographs can be raised independently; by default in many scenarios the front pantograph is raised whereas the rear one (relative to direction traveled) should be raised instead. ([url=https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=837648172]x[/url]) The switches themselves still don't seem to be animated even if they are clickable however.[/list] Cons:[list] [*]First Class car still needs to be flipped; doors should be on the end adjacent to the Power car. ([url=https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=837648123]x[/url]) [*]Business Class car adjacent to First Class car needs to be flipped. (linked above) [*]Café car needs to be flipped. ([url=https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=837648151]x[/url]) [*]Business Class car adjacent to Power car should only have two doors (can be a reskin of the First Class car barring any differences in the interior). (linked above) (I'd do all of these if I knew how to edit the default consists and apply them to all scenarios.) [*]Ditch lights switch only works in "off" and "fixed" settings. The "flash" setting itself is activated with a press of the horn and not the switch. ([url=https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=837648196]x[/url]) [*]Horn still doesn't automatically turn on the bell like the ACS-64.[/list] I'd still recommend it, but felt the need to point these things out since it's not exactly a free product.