January, although avoid any precipitation or wetness (or whatever they call it!) and certainly no dynamic weather!
Birmingham Crewe Modern Timetable (i.e. the one that comes with the 805) Class 323 RR 1Z23 This is a nice railtour run. I played it in May and it was quite enjovable, including the stopover in Stafford (provided that you have many UK DLCs installed).
Don't believe it's been mentioned, but 4M51 is a good contender. It's a freight run on Shap. Run in journey mode for best results. Spoiler you get stopped at Upperby by a Class 47 freight on the uphill gradient and after a slow start eventually catch up to it near Oxenholme, then its yellow signals all the way to Preston. You don't really reach full speed until Shap Summit.
Class 805 service on WCML: South, 1A38: Chester to London Euston it happens to pass THREE class 66 services along the way, one of which is routed to MK via the fast lines causing a wee bit of a traffic jam for those poor pendos (there are two held right behind it). Really nice run into Euston
Started both of these runs, didn't finish. As usual, DTG haven't bothered playing their own game - first run (Talent 2) ruined by dark signals as though the train was running under LZB; second ruined by the 411 not properly displaying PZB monitoring/restrictive modes on the MFD. I'm so sick of these little things ruining this game. There's no point reporting the bugs either because DTG have not a single shred of pride and don't fix bugs like this.
Interesting run indeed. Thank you. Spoiler: Something I have noticed When starting the service on PS5, the train at first will not take power. The electric mode does not seem to be properly set up for any reason.
Same on PC, though easy to fix. I thought at first it might be a random fault, though if there was an announcement, I missed it.
It spawns you with both pans down, you need to pan up in the leading set and use the TMS screen for the trailing set. It seems to happen randomly on WCML South services, not exactly sure why. Sorry I didn't mention it
Damn that means on PS5 these services must be unplayable with both pantographs up then as screen mode on the ps5 doesn't work so the TMS in the rear set won't be able to be raised.
When did this happen? I've been using the Expert 101 and other TMS heavy trains without incident since I got my PS5.
If the TMS has buttons around the edge then it works, but if it's a touch screen, screen mode doesn't work on PS5.
I'm not trying to argue, but it does in fact work. I have used the screen on the 805 to navigate the menu and indeed raise the rear pan/dim screen etc. same too for the 801/802/390/380/350.. Unless I'm missing something here it's certainly possible Edit: I was infact missing something here - I use the pointer and i see you mean screen mode. Fair play. Sorry for the argument.
I’ll have a go at this one… managing the braking on the freight trains is a challenge…how do you know what class a train / run is? Ps… I went through the timetable and couldn’t find a 15:57 service… I did another from Reading as I was to Acton.. how do you know what other traffic there is?
1P90 Hereford-London Paddington on the new GWE timetable. Brilliant early morning service with plenty of switching between slow and fast lines, easy to get caught out.
1P97 Maidenhead - London Paddington Great Western Express 2017 (Remaster) Timetable Class 165 (3 Cars) Spoiler: Details Quite a quick run at first. Start in the side platform at Maidenhead where you're met by a London - Reading stopping HST service. You'll then get an open run to Slough, where you can spot the one train to use the bay platform in an entire day. Once you get to Hayes & Harlington (roughly, I did accidentally skip Slough so my timing will be a bit off) you start chasing signals until you, eventually, get to just west of Ealing Broadway where you have to stop while a Reading - London is in the station. (it, itself, is behind a Greenford - London so if you're extra early you'll be waiting longer.) You then follow that Reading - London into Paddington, chasing signals through Old Oak Common where you then have to wait for an ECS to cross over your line. Once that clears you get about 2 miles of green lights into Paddington, but the 165's acceleration/braking hardly lets it become a sprint. A combination of chasing (and waiting at) signals and plenty of AI makes this quite an interesting run.
1R02 London Paddington - Reading Great Western Express 2017 (Remaster) Timetable Class 43 HST (8-Car) This is the stopping HST service mentioned in that previous post of mine. Spoiler: Details A multi-stop HST along the slow lines: Starting at Paddington you go along fairly smoothly until around Hanwell/Southall - where you catch up to a Heathrow Connect service. Depending on how fast you are you may very well end up at a red here. You then have to trail this service until it makes gets out of the road at Heathrow junction. You're then able to get back up to line speed and make your way towards your first stop, Slough - although yellow signals are in your way as you begin to catch up to the London - Oxford service. You may catch it if you're running early. You'll not need to stop en route to Maidenhead - where you'll see the previously mentioned service - and it's a calm run after that to Reading - with a stop at Twyford. Once again, plenty of AI; HC, plenty of HSTs and 166/165s, and a couple of freights running past.
Spoiler If you want to deliver said train, it's 3S32 from Paddington at 8:23. I've just started it so a bit premature to declare it awesome but the first minute leaving on a yellow bodes well
So, without explaining why (see spoilers above), 3S32 is moderately awesome. My fav so far for a bit of variety is 1P22. Take a 165 to really stretch its legs Reading-Paddington where you'll start out on the slows, be switched over to the fasts, get a few overtakes in, and end up switched back to the slows again. But so far I've only begun to scratch at the surface of this super timetable.
I agree, but just a small warning, in case it affects anybody else (though it could be a peculiarity of my setup), when I run this with an FGW (blue) 165, the game freezes irrecoverably at a yellow signal exactly 6 miles before Slough. If I rerun with a GWR (green) 166, I have no problem.
Double headed class 66 "Super aggregates" service 6A60 (requires SEHS for the JNA and CL2 for the HOA). 40 loaded wagons, about 4,260t. Spoiler The run starts out uneventful, but gets a bit tricky when you get behind a stopper while nearing Slough. You stay behind it the whole way towards Southall yard. Delicate breaking required with a train this heavy (I ran it in dry weather, might try it later in the wet . You also encounter solo powercar service 0Z77. Part 3 is tricky getting onto the main line and behind two stoppers that are held by red signals Part 1 is towards Southall yard, where the loco is run round (part 2), so you continue towards West Drayton for the approach to Colnbrook Aggregates (part 3). These super aggregates are a great concept IMO.
1P19 on GWE Remastered in the HST. Plenty of AWS action and a nice surprise at the end if you own all the layers
I didn’t have any of the bits you mentioned on my run with this apart from the solo car…. but I did parts one and two.. .. I also made a note of the service numbers of trains running in the opposite direction.. so I’ve picked one, 1C85 HST and I’m going to run it and see if I can meet myself coming in the opposite direction.. lol… I assume that as all of these are timetables services you should see some overlap… guess I’m about to find out.. Edit.. did the 1C85 and did indeed pass 6A60 around Taplow… this could well add some fun the game.. train spotting! A bit better than aimlessly dashing about!
Service: 5R28 on Birmingham to Crewe Loco: AWC Class 805 ECS from Oxley, stopping at Wolverhamption to let a 390 service pass, adverse signals into New Street and finishes with formation coupling.
Another recommendation for Birmingham to Crewe on the 2025 timetable: 9R28 Crewe to Birmingham New Street at 7.02 in the Class 805. Spoiler You are running non stop till Wolverhampton. Around 9ish miles from Crewe you are held at a red to allow a Pendolino that I think must have come from Stoke to pass. You are then held briefly by another red at Stafford before you get to fully stretch the legs of the 805 on the 125mph MU section between Stafford and Wolverhampton. I believe this train is the one that 5R28 mentioned above couples up to at the end presumably to form a 10 car service to Euston These runs definitely whet the appetite for what WCML Trent Valley will be like when it releases.
GWE Remaster 1A40 Penzance to London Paddington in the Class 47/4 HI IC livery (representing the Night Riviera) at 04:22 Spoiler Uneventful for most of the run although if you run in late spring/early summer you get a nice golden hour early morning sunshine. The interesting part is for some reason after going through Acton Mainline you are pathed through the Old Oak and North Pole sidings over the bridge before rejoining the mainline on the final approach to Paddington. Part of this involves a brief wait to let a HST coming from Old Oak through.
Unfortunately, you need to have a pretty good route knowledge because the HUD doesn't display the correct speed limits for the Night Riviera.
Really interesting run, thank you. I wonder why GWR had it in the timetable. It's an odd experience driving a stopping HST on the slow lines, while being overtaken by 165s on the fast lines. I left Maidenhead a few seconds late and ran alongside a 165 the whole way to Twyford (where it drew ahead as it doesn't stop) - that was good fun. It was also interesting, just after arrival at Reading, to watch a 165 arrive from the West on the next platform and attach to another 165 which was already in the platform, to form the 0905 to Paddington.
Schnellfahrstecke Köln-Aachen (remake timetable): Take the 17:39 S19 service from Köln Hbf to Düren. Choose early March or probably some time around October to drive into sunset. Make sure you depart on time from Hansaring and you can race an ICE3 over the overpass all the way to Ehrenfeld. Don't forget to stop while the ICE starts to pick up speed
Service KT49303 on Dresden - Leipzig is a clear run, however it unusually took the avoiding line around Neustadt. Don't know if this one is already mentioned
Sorry I can't get the time right now as I'm in another service, but I'm quite sure it was a morning run? I did it in the Expert 145.
So far the best run I did with the expert 145 is surprisingly on.. Main-Spessart Bahn. Long-forgotten hidden gem of a service? DB 88138 Gemünden - Aschaffenburg @ 18:50 Playable from any freight loco, I would suggest something with good physics and cozy high beams, either 145 or 193. Train is limited to 100 km/h, with 145 it's Mbr 70, BrH 77, PZB M. Open windows for some nice sound of wagons crying for lathing, and don't be afraid to add some throttle, try to keep close to speed limit. On 20 March, it's dusk all the way until darkness shortly before the end. Spoiler Just as you enter the service, another one next to you departs, and you will be following it very closely aaaall the way. Due to high speed limits and varying length of blocks, you will be randomly encountering greens and yellows, but usually it frees up before you need a full stop. But your fingers will be tingling for PZB and brakes, because the M curve is rather fast and from 100 to 65 it takes a bit when you are rushing down the 2,6% ramp. Here is a video from my run:
On the subject of the 145 reinvigorating older services (although in the example I'm about to give, old is doing a lot of heavy lifting), DGS 41437 on Frankfurt-Wiesbaden was a bundle of fun in it. Makes a short drive way more entertaining than you'd expect.
Just drove Acela 2153 at 8.58 on New York to Stamford. Plenty to keep you busy driving all the way and one of the best approaches into Penn station I've done dodging LIRR traffic.
I just had my most insane ride ever: it was Kinzigtalbahn FLX 1244 Frankfurt Süd to Fulda (departure 17:11) I don't know how the timetable is supposed to work (and works with AI-drivers) and don't know what caused troubles but everything ended in chaos but without getting stuck! The ride starts uneventful. When you watch your timetable and check the line you find out you need an average speed of around 110 km/h, so definitely no hurry. I think whatever speed you choose you will end up queued behind a RB51 to it's final stop in Wächtersbach. After that you kinda continue behind a RE50 which will allow you to pass at Schlüchtern. Now you think that's it and go full throttle to catch up but you end up standing in front of a red signal at Flieden. After a freight train in opposite direction arrives you are clear to go on the opposite track! The Signal showed a flashing ZS8 "opposite track replacement signal" (I think the signal aspect should stay on stop IRL, but it showed slow speed) Shortly after that there is a preliminary signal showing slow speed with active PZB. (Here I am certain that IRL that specific signal should have been off with a "Kennlicht" because there is no block signal on the opposite track). Anyway after I checked there is no such signal I freed myself and went at full speed (being aware that IRL there could be a lower speed allowance for opposite track!). Now I was keen to see what expects me on the opposite track besides there being no block signals. What I found is that there is not even a distant signal for Neuhof, but there is "marking location of a preliminary signal" and it even correctly had an active PZB magnet. (and that I know is as it is RL) The entry signal however allowes for 80 km/h and there I went. In the station there is another invalid preliminary signal showing slow speed that should again have been off with a "Kennlicht". Because there will be no more main signal in the station on your track. (this one did not have active PZB-magnet). But in the station you have to keep 80 km/h all the way through the station and in the ende there is actually a switch back to the right side track. From there I managed to arrive at Fulda around 6 minutes late. I am surprized that stuff like opposite track driving and signalling is even implemented at all. But while there is a lot of issues with signalling this ride just showed me how much sleeping potential we have in TSW! Good luck for anyone trying this - would be interested to see your results. After arriving in Fulda I checked the map and saw there was now an ICE and behind it the RE50 we passed at Schlüchtern both stuck at signals in Flieden. I quickly boarded the ICE and saw it is also scheduled to take the opposite track but all the way to Fulda (I earlier saw that some services do that!). I think these trains are not completely stuck but just waiting for more trains to arrive in opposite direction. I am myself currently waiting for my FLX return trip and will try to continue in that active game to see what happens next...
