Birmingham New Street - Northampton Wcml

Discussion in 'Suggestions' started by byeo, Feb 4, 2020.

  1. byeo

    byeo Well-Known Member

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    Birmingham New Street – Northampton (approx. 49.47 miles)

    I feel the Midlands is currently neglected in TSW given we’ve got northern and southern routes and nothing in-between. Thus, my suggestion I feel is a good one which would appeal to many.

    Operating from Edinburgh Waverley to London Euston at a total length of 399 miles, the West Coast Main Line serves a total of 51 stations with termini at London Euston, Liverpool Lime Street, Manchester Piccadilly, Edinburgh Waverley and Glasgow Central. Below I’ve listed the main stops on this DLC.

    Birmingham New Street

    upload_2020-2-4_15-52-37.jpeg

    Birmingham International Station

    [​IMG]


    Coventry

    upload_2020-2-4_15-55-24.jpeg


    Rugby

    [​IMG]


    Northampton

    [​IMG]


    Rolling Stock

    British Rail Class 350 Desiro EMU


    [​IMG]

    Class 390 EMU Pendolino

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Feb 4, 2020
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  2. JJTimothy

    JJTimothy Well-Known Member

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    Speaking as someone who lives in County Durham I'd say there are southern routes and one northern route.

    As someone who was brought up in Stourbridge and often took the train into New Street to see my dad at work I'd quite like to see this.
     
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  3. byeo

    byeo Well-Known Member

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    I guess it depends where you live. I class NTP and TVL and northern. But thanks for the support in getting the WCML on TSW.
     
    Last edited: Feb 4, 2020
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  4. Factor41

    Factor41 Well-Known Member

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    I'd buy that - seems like a decent length if they couldn't put enough resource into getting it all the way to London Euston. And once they'd modelled New Street, there could be a whole web of services heading out across the UK in all directions (like my Cross City line suggestion!)
     
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  5. byeo

    byeo Well-Known Member

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    The length is more than capable for TSW, the HST service has some variety with more than one stop (Birmingham Intl, Coventry & Rugby).
     
  6. theorganist

    theorganist Well-Known Member

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    Good to see someone else from Stourbridge on here!
     
  7. Olaf the Snowman

    Olaf the Snowman Well-Known Member

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    I’ll be intrigued to see how well they do with simulating the Class 390s, 350s and possibly 221s if they do implement the idea or any part of the WCML. There’s a lot of work to do with TASS (Tilt authorisation Speed Supervision) and associated alarms as well as improving the functionality of the TMS (Train Management System) certainly compared to the Class 377. Even the simpler things like signalling (flashing yellows), PRIs (preliminary route indicators) and TPWS need to be sorted out because whilst they may have got away with not doing it (properly) on GWR, it needs to work on the WCML due to many stations ordinarily requiring a flashing yellow sequence. It would be good to see a UK route with OHLE (overhead line equipment) and therefore additional items associated with it such as neutral sections.
     
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  8. A_normal_name

    A_normal_name Member

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    This would be great!
     
  9. Tonto62

    Tonto62 Well-Known Member

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    I'd be interested in this if it was in an earlier era, when the class 86s and 87s were hauling coaches. New Street was also full of diesels we've already got, 47s, 45s and 40s for example. They wouldn't have to build new trains, they could spend the time building the route! Just my preference, good suggestion.
     
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  10. -PjM-

    -PjM- Well-Known Member

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    I often saw a 52 "Western" there as well. Also 33s. And of course an 08 shunting coaches and vans about. So yep, tick, we've got all of those.

    For it's variety I'd like New Street in any era really. Although it would be the 70s and 80s for the memories. :)
     
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  11. Tonto62

    Tonto62 Well-Known Member

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    I was going to mention the 52 but wasn't sure. We've got everything we need for a 1970s route, apart from the 16ton mineral wagon and a guards van!
     
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  12. theorganist

    theorganist Well-Known Member

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    A class 116 DMU would be useful as they were the main DMU on local services in the 60's to the mid 80's. But yes would love to see a BR blue period New Street.
     
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  13. Factor41

    Factor41 Well-Known Member

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    I'd much prefer it to be modern day with some Voyagers and Pendolinos. Or 90s at the earliest. Crusty BR era has had plenty of airtime, but the only properly modern UK route we have is the Brighton one with a single EMU.

    I wonder how much extra effort it would be, if they built it as a modern route, to then strip back the overhead wiring as necessary, take out any of the more modern buildings along the route, and provide a dual-era version DLC with both Now and Then threads in the Journey mode. How much would the line-side view actually change in 20-30-40 years if you needed to create two sets of tiles for the route? I'd imagine there would be some very large sections with minimal changes. There could be timetables for both eras so we could sub in all of the UK trains and get the relevant era load in for each. There must be a mechanism for dynamically switching the tiles as they've done for the mastery prizes and things like the big factory fire on RRO.

    Obviously not going to happen, but that would be an awesome piece of DLC! :)
     
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  14. Tonto62

    Tonto62 Well-Known Member

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    Dual era dlcs, I like the sound of that! It'll never happen of course but imagine being able to select the date and the route changes to suit. A two dimensional time machine!
     
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  15. Factor41

    Factor41 Well-Known Member

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    And the ability to switch between eras on the fly if you pick the right loco! :D

    BTTF Train.jpg
     
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  16. theorganist

    theorganist Well-Known Member

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    There was the Thames-Mersey route for MSTS which had 60's version and a switch which took bit back a couple of decades by removing the wires and cantenary and maybe other changes. The Making Tracks Great Eastern route also had an era changer IIRC so it has been done in the past. The WCML over Shap route was quite a good compromise between eras so I think some routes certainly could be built for different periods, some where signalling or track were radically altered wouldn't suit so well of course. Although I doubt much changed on the railways between the 70's and early 90's.
     
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  17. JJTimothy

    JJTimothy Well-Known Member

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    I don't recall seeing either of those at New Street. In fact the only time I recall seeing Hydraulics in the wild was at Worcester when I was still in Junior School. We might have been on the way to Oxford. Don't think I've ever seen a Class 33.
    With you there.
     
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  18. theorganist

    theorganist Well-Known Member

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    Westerns worked quite a lot on the Paddington to New Street service in the last couple of years of their working lives.
     
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  19. -PjM-

    -PjM- Well-Known Member

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    As theorganist says in their later years, and looking rather dilapidated, the 52s often hauled the Paddington trains up and back...
    Screenshot_2020-02-22-22-55-50-280.jpeg
    ...later to be replaced by class 50s (on right below).The 33s were sometimes seen on trains from the southern such as the Portsmouth - Leeds service.
    Screenshot_2020-02-22-22-59-42-690.jpeg
    The 33s spread their wings in the 80s and were seen further north. :)

    Looking at the state of the station in these old pictures maybe byeo's modern version is preferable!
     
    Last edited: Feb 22, 2020
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  20. theorganist

    theorganist Well-Known Member

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    I would be happy to see a modern version but in my eyes it would be nowhere near as interesting as a 70's or 80's or indeed 90's version.
     
  21. A_normal_name

    A_normal_name Member

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    The 80's would be intresting but we already have a lot of 80's content In the game and only 1 route with a british EMU
     
  22. A_normal_name

    A_normal_name Member

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    But maybe 90's?
     
  23. thearkerportian

    thearkerportian Well-Known Member

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    DT have stated the class 390 is too complex for them. Too many different coach interiors.
     
  24. paulgregs

    paulgregs Active Member

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    I'd like to see the era when the switchover from BR blue to executive liveries took place mk2 execs with blue mk1 buffet and guard coaches perhaps....

    Then again this could be done on an awful lot of the network at that time.....
     
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  25. sophieclarke1983

    sophieclarke1983 Well-Known Member

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    Awesome choice now all had to be done is make DTG pay attention and implement it
     
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  26. sophieclarke1983

    sophieclarke1983 Well-Known Member

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    But your definitely spot on about the midlands being neglected for sure
     
  27. djcwey

    djcwey Well-Known Member

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    There usually has to be a mix of passenger (express or local) and freight in TSW routes.

    Whilst I can see there is plenty of potential for passenger workings, not being an expert on the area what freight flows are there along the route?
     
  28. Olaf the Snowman

    Olaf the Snowman Well-Known Member

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    There is a freight depot at Daventry just North of Northampton between Northampton and Rugby. Northbound Freight services head towards Rugby and go via the Trent Valley towards Nuneaton, Stafford, Crewe, etc... there’s not many if any that go via Coventry. (Or vice versa)
    FYI: Southbound services go towards Milton Keynes, Watford and ultimately either Wembley or can get onto the Great Western Mainline via Acton Wells Junction which ends up just East of Acton Mainline.

    There are freight services that come off Leamington Spa into Coventry and then go off again towards Nuneaton that way but again don’t usually if ever go via Birmingham. (Or vice versa)
    FYI again: The services to or from Leamington Spa again end up on the Great Western Mainline as it goes via Banbury, Oxford, Didcot which then splits West towards Swindon or East towards Reading which then splits again West towards Basingstoke/Berks and Hants line or East towards Slough, Acton and Paddington.

    I added the FYIs because whilst I would agree there isn’t much scope for freight services (only Northampton-Rugby essentially), if in the distant future they merged maps together, there would be endless possibilities. Also, it is nice to appreciate how all the different mainlines and networks are linked together much more than a lot of people think. E.g. again, if you go via Swindon/Bristol Parkway, you can get towards Birmingham again via Cheltenham Spa so it’s crazy how it’s all interlinked!

    I might make a map of the above because unless your geography is spot on, I suspect most people are a bit lost haha. Sorry I got carried away :D
     
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