Wcml Preston To Crewe Discussion

If they won't do an 85 or 81 I suspect an APT would be nigh on impossible. Also the APT was finished iirc when the routes are set.

 

Preston to Crewe

Golborne to Winwick

Latchford to Fiddlers Ferry

Springs Branch to Bickershaw

Preston to Deepdale.

Written version!!

 

That is a lot of Branch Line on top of an already long route. Really looking forward to it!

 

The JT LMR routes are set in 1986. The APTs continued to run in passenger service certainly until August 1985 mostly providing cover for the traditional WCML fleet and running additional relief services when required. I've even read reports of it in passenger service up to the end of that year. During 1986 the BR research team used some shorter APT consists for the purpose of a test bed for the Intercity 225 project so they continued to be a familiar sight working test trains on the WCML mostly between Preston and Carlisle thoughout 1986.

So it wouldn't be much of a stretch of the imagination to have an APT DLC for the 1986-based sections of the route. In terms of official passenger duties it misses the era in which the routes are set by 4 months. In terms of it running at all, it was part of the WCML scene in 1986.

 

I would buy it, just dont see it happening.

 

I would rather we saw something like a class 25 and a 108 before the APT, but I would probably buy it.

 

Regarding a 56, they probably only handled a couple of MGRs a day from Healey Mills to Fiddlers Ferry and not a lot of miles run on the proposed route. There was also the daily Cawoods containerised coal service from Blythe to Ellesmere Port but not sure if these were running in 86 and I've seen no mention of including the appropriate wagons. But again, not a lot of route miles.

 

I had originally written out a post then realised we were talking about the same diagrams That said, there is a decent potential for them just doing the tail end of it either picking up at Newton (which is rather unrealistic to do) or just working between Latchford and FFPS. The thing with a 56 would be its potential on other routes, mainly NTP, TVL and MML (though they'd need to fudge the calendar for that one).

As much as I'd love to see the APT, I think a 25, 108, 56 or Roarer would be most welcome first as they would offer a lot more to this and other routes.

 

I'd love to see a 56 on NTP but I seem to recall it was stated a while ago that NTP was maxxed out which is why the 31 didn't get services on NTP. It was suggested that the 31 was actually originally for NTP as it's a BR Blue, non-refurbished variety rather than a Railfreight refurb one more likely on TVL in 89.

 

I would expect there to be some Fiddlers Ferry MGRs from Silverdale and Point of Ayr collieries. Not everything came from Bickershaw and Parkside.

 

Also Whitehaven I think.

 

Haig did supply Fiddlers Ferry after the Workington Steel Works closure in about 80' until the Miners Strike and eventual closure, though I think it was more token than any actual real supply by then anyway.