Announcing DTG's upcoming Union Pacific Kansas City - Topeka route

[Kevin]

If you are talking about the Rock Island Grain facility adjacent to S 57th Street, in real life it is no longer connected to the rail network.

https://goo.gl/maps/rijxBpDMfe2dwhhNA

(note the grain trucks)

Apologies if this is not the one you mean.
Kevin

It shows an SD70ACe pulling up beside a grain elevator. There are two tracks with the loco on the right hand elevator loading track. This track is supposed to go under and through the car loading house..... yet, the car loading house is half buried in the grain elevator and not over the track. Putting the grain truck there just makes it worse because it leads you to believe that there is supposed to be a truck grain dump there too. Not.
.

[BNSFdude]

Why is the RI Grain Facility lifeless in texture when comparison to the counterpart you've shown?

[gtrtroger]

If you are talking about the Rock Island Grain facility adjacent to S 57th Street, in real life it is no longer connected to the rail network.

https://goo.gl/maps/rijxBpDMfe2dwhhNA

(note the grain trucks)

Apologies if this is not the one you mean.
Kevin

It shows an SD70ACe pulling up beside a grain elevator. There are two tracks with the loco on the right hand elevator loading track. This track is supposed to go under and through the car loading house..... yet, the car loading house is half buried in the grain elevator and not over the track. Putting the grain truck there just makes it worse because it leads you to believe that there is supposed to be a truck grain dump there too. Not.
.

Look at the building in Google Earth 3D...... clearly, two truck loading bays and one overhanging rail loading bay. There may have been a closer track under the overhanging roof that’s gone now, but there is no denying that this looks nothing like what is modeled in the 3D structure....just saying. Apologizes for nitpicking....

[5292nate]

I honestly can't believe what I'm seeing. The recycling of 2008 rail simulator assets and lack of any kind of R&D is truly heartbreaking. Looks like the future of the simulator is truly up the community.

[dejoh]

The presentation of this preview video of this route looks as if it was given in 5 minutes notice to put together. Not well planned, not well thought out. Truly disappointing that a peek at a new route was half-arrsed out to the viewing public. First impressions mean a lot. Not a good sales presentation. I would think that TSW would try another attempt to sell this route.

[AlcoFan]

Wow, the stock is absolutely dreadful. The GP40-2 has flashing ditchlights, and a mail slot battery box door. They evidently just repainted a CSX version of the locomotive. They somehow managed to make the old Kuju SD70ACe even worse than it already was by making the ditchlights brighter than the sun. You can't help but wonder how even DTG managed to let that slide. It's shown in most of the promotional images and looks awful. What an embarrassment.

[mindenjohn]

The stock is replaceable, there’s more than enough available in the library. It’s the route that matters and mid western routes have until very recently (this week?) been like rocking horse droppings. This route is not perfect (are any) but is sure better than none.

[BNSFdude]

. This route is not perfect (are any) but is sure better than none.

Sounds like you've got a case of Stockholm Syndrome.

There's plenty of better coming soon. Hi-Line, Monroe Sub..

[mindenjohn]

Stockholm Syndrome? No, and I am aware of what’s coming, I read the posts, all of them and don’t feel compelled to buy anything. I do appreciate quality but I also acknowledge that as long as a route is a reasonable representation of a railroad it can be tweaked. This is not possible if it doesn’t exist. Frankly, whilst I appreciate the work of for example Minerman and Tomcat, I personally am not that worried about how many skyscrapers there are as long as the route is interesting operationally AND it works. This route is not yet proven one way or the other - I have an open mind.

[Tomcat]

Found this after all of 20 seconds and it's not the only instance. (fyi, all my graphics sliders are on max)

Screenshot_Granger Heartland - Kansas City to Topeka_39.09000--94.63050_12-35-35.jpg

Ditchlights are bright...

Screenshot_Granger Heartland - Kansas City to Topeka_39.00992--94.91350_13-03-20.jpg

...lights on the GP40-2 are set on 'Deathray'.

Screenshot_Granger Heartland - Kansas City to Topeka_39.06509--94.77537_12-52-39.jpg

But hey, lineside vegetation looks okay.

Screenshot_Granger Heartland - Kansas City to Topeka_39.10036--94.67660_12-40-46.jpg

Can I find anything else positive to say... well, dynamic brakes on the SD70's don't derail the train even if you set them to max like they do with the SD70 packs if you just move them to setup. I can't speak to whether it looks like Missouri/Kansas, I'll leave that to the posters who live there. Oh yeah, track is smooth. That's all for now.

[dr1980]

Man this feedback is really disappointing to read. Between this and Wasatch I was looking forward to adding some new North American content but unfortunately not based on what I’m seeing.

[raptorengineer]

Found this after all of 20 seconds and it's not the only instance. (fyi, all my graphics sliders are on max)

Screenshot_Granger Heartland - Kansas City to Topeka_39.09000--94.63050_12-35-35.jpg

Ditchlights are bright...

Screenshot_Granger Heartland - Kansas City to Topeka_39.00992--94.91350_13-03-20.jpg

...lights on the GP40-2 are set on 'Deathray'.

Screenshot_Granger Heartland - Kansas City to Topeka_39.06509--94.77537_12-52-39.jpg

But hey, lineside vegetation looks okay.

Screenshot_Granger Heartland - Kansas City to Topeka_39.10036--94.67660_12-40-46.jpg

Can I find anything else positive to say... well, dynamic brakes on the SD70's don't derail the train even if you set them to max like they do with the SD70 packs if you just move them to setup. I can't speak to whether it looks like Missouri/Kansas, I'll leave that to the posters who live there. Oh yeah, track is smooth. That's all for now.

is rear walkway still missing on sd70ace when your in cab view?

[raptorengineer]

so i read the manual an for the sd70ace it look like they just added headlights. no step or cab lights. where on gp40 they have support for cab and i think step lights.

[EngineerJohn]

I've learned to never buy a route on release day for reasons like this.

[Tomcat]

Upon further review...

Ditchlights can be toned down by going to setting 2 on headlights.

Screenshot_Granger Heartland - Kansas City to Topeka_39.06880--95.67517_13-57-10.jpg

Cars do not stop at several grade crossings.

About 2.5 miles outside Topeka on the approach you'll see a 30mph limit followed by a 15mph a half mile beyond - speed actually becomes 15 at the 30.

As far as route decorating goes (with the understanding that I don't live there and can't speak about what is appropriate or not) I think it's fairly well done.

More later if I find more.

Edit: Forgot to mention

I can see the walkway in cab view.

Screenshot_Granger Heartland - Kansas City to Topeka_39.07144--95.68197_13-59-24.jpg