The Train Sim World® 4: London Overground Suffragette line: Gospel Oak–Barking Riverside route is one many of us UK TSW fans will have actually ridden on. Running 12 miles from North West to East London it has 13 stations, and winds its way right through the capital, north of the Thames. Formerly known as the Goblin Line, it carries both through goods trains as well as the busy passenger EMUs.
The BR Class 710/2 Aventra dual-voltage EMU (Electric Multiple Unit) in London Overground livery is our main ride, and it drives as smoothly as it looks, controlled via a single combined power/brake lever. It feels like many modern metro or underground trains, and while not fast, gets up to speed and stops quickly enough. It’s a pleasantly easy EMU to drive and control, and the subtle slopes on the route demand constant vigilance, as do the regular stations. As well as being a good-looking unit the drive motors sound right, and the horn sounds magnificent!
There are standard 5 Scenarios included, including a tour of various football stadia (that I couldn't see hide nor hair of), a "spooky" Halloween run and a 5th of November service where you'll be lucky to see any fireworks! There are 154 timetable services for the 710 TFL and 74 varied goods services for the Class 66. As has become the norm, we had other layers available dependent on the DLC you already own, and we had a few services for the Class 37, 20 and 33, making for plenty to do on the London Overground.
I've got to say the route looks impressive, maybe a bit too clean but both the topography and trackside detail, foliage and clutter, are excellent. There are more dioramas than I've noticed before, and passengers now have phones, drinks, umbrellas, various luggage & backpacks, headphones and earpods, and use ticket machines, shelters, seats and kiosks while reading books and newspapers (remember those!?). Oh, and there are even working elevators… In fact, apart from a few dopey passengers ending up on the line and the way their umbrellas clip into each other, it's an impressive improvement. The main thing is that the route feels right, as it wanders through built-up areas, deep cuttings and leafy suburbs, with the tall buildings in the city centre visible away in the distance. TSW4's inherent pop-up is kept to a minimum and the only thing I would gripe about is the way that the weather changes from rainy/misty to clear in a sudden flash, and doesn't fade away in the same subtle way it arrives.
I try not to take too much notice of the comments on Dovetail’s forums or live streams, but there always seem to be complaints about TSW DLC prices, but London Overground Suffragette line: Gospel Oak–Barking Riverside is priced at £24.99 (£22.49 with Game Pass), less than the normal price for a new route and without doubt represents decent value for British railfans.
Many thanks to Dovetail Games and Lick PR for the review code.