Originally designed for TSW 2020 (TSW2’s predecessor) 3 years ago or more, West Somerset Railway (WSR) is close to my heart as it's the closest heritage railway to my actual place of birth. Unsurprisingly I was keen to see what Dovetail's incarnation would look like powered by the newer game engine–and they didn't disappoint. Another bonus is that if you bought it for TSW 2020 you will be able to update to the TSW2 version for free thanks to Dovetail’s Preserved Collection feature (several of which we plan to review if we get the chance because a couple of you lunatics asked our opinion of them.)
Naturally limited because most of the route is single line, this DLC still manages to be interesting and surprisingly varied. Of course you have a rather good impression of the pretty Somerset countryside and occasional sea views to look at, but there are 39 timetabled services, 6 scenarios and the usual tutorials for both locomotives; the Class 47 in British Rail green, and the Class 09 shunter. The route runs about 23 miles between Minehead in the west through rolling hills to Norton Fitzwarren near Taunton in the east, making it the UK's longest heritage route.
It’s worth noting that if you own them from Tees Valley and Northern Trans Pennine then the Class 37/5 (RailFreight grey livery), 08, 40, 45, 47 and 101 (all BR blue) all get services layered in, as does the Class 31 if you bought it separately. This level of diversity makes WSR well worth the £19.99 asking price (£17.99 with Game Pass.)
WSR is definitely a 'Marmite' (love it or hate it) route, you'll either love its peaceful atmosphere or hate its single-line, long runs with a slow Class 09 shunter or a mighty Class 47 which is sadly shackled by painfully slow speed limits (frequently as low as 5mph up to a maximum of 25mph!) There's also a relative lack of traffic, which is realistic, but you may well prefer something busier. Nevertheless I enjoyed West Somerset's Heritage railway, it's kind of unique in the ever-growing TSW2 network.
Thanks to Dovetail Games & Lick PR