But we have not said they will not come back.
That does not emphatically say they will, either, and "several months" could be a long time for someone waiting to get the assets to run a freeware route.
Also I still remember quite vividly the Phorum Peninsula saga and the undertaking given by Matt Peddlesen (when he was still talking to me) that he was going to look at putting the narrow gauge and tramway resources on Workshop or Marketplace (for a nominal fee). That went, er, precisely nowhere.
What with the regional selling restrictions from the US railroads which DTG seem incapable of resolving and now the removal of DLC that isn't selling very well, it puts would be freeware authors in a very difficult position as regards sourcing assets for their routes. NEC today, Donner Pass (another lackluster offering) tomorrow, maybe, which would remove a significant amount of SP assets from the pool. I know DTG and the acolytes will argue that DLC isn't created for the benefit of route builders but, 1. It surely boosts sales of products people would otherwise be uninterested in and, 2. It is the only way to source assets for routes intended to go on Marketplace as third party content is not permitted.
I don't want the above to come across as negative or vexatious, more frustration that DTG seem to be set on hampering independent development and driving route builders such as myself in the direction of Trainz or, heaven help, ancient MSTS when they should be doing everything they can to encourage us. That starts with keeping a stable collection of DLC publically available to fill our creative palette and not withdrawing it on a whim.