I've only just picked up MML and quite enjoying it so far. Got thinking about its potential given AABS have said they will release a new timetable for the route along with their future class 70. Not seen this in the forum so here's a few topics for discussion to see how adventurous you all think AABS will be. In what year will they set the TT ? Could that mean new liveries for the existing stock? What could be included for layers not already in the current TT ? I expect Cross Country Voyagers and 170's are a given with the latter drivable on Cardiff services. A Voyager to Meridian conversion may be a bit of an ask though At the least Leicester depot should be even more interesting for static stock.
Yeah I don’t think anything too special will be happening with it, just the addition of the XC stock. It will be nice to get XC stock onto it, the MML TT has needed a refresh for a while & I really want to drive the XC 170 on something other than BCC. I do wonder if they’ll be taking some creative privilege with the XC side of things in general. The route we do have is quite interesting for XC as you can find their services on each end of the route without necessarily seeing loads throughout it. Some ‘issues’ I do have with the idea of it all though, is that I’d really like to hear what’s going on with the 170 updates from Rivet that we’ve been promised twice & not seen. Also there is the NT class 158 in the pipeline so I hope that work is being done to get that appearing on the route when it does release. It’s a shame we keep getting timetables where new stock that would add into them releases a short while after & it hardly ever appears on them.
I agree with both of you, I was just speculating on what's feasible and realistically could be done - it's not a remaster after all. On the new stock from recent releases point, I hope it's not too late to fit in a class 20 railtour with the new JT locos
So I imagine, XC 170s at Leicester as AI traffic (They operate Birmingham-Leicester- Cambridge services, turning off at Syston), we may get the odd ECS service. There should be driveable XC services between Derby and Nottingham, including a Daily Nottingham-Bournemouth service Voyager.
I'm pretty sure there are (or have been?) XC class 170 services between Birmingham and Nottingham via Leicester, giving us a decent additional journey between Leicester and Nottingham - hopefully!
They go via Derby, the XC 170s usually at Leicester are Birmingham-Stansted airport services. (With a Leicester terminating service as well).
There are Empty Coaching stock movements between Leicester and Nottingham, and the occasional Diverted service. But as far as I'm aware there are no timetabled passenger Cross Country services between Leicester and Nottingham.
I need to stop getting excited at new Timetables. It's great that Cross Country has finally been added, and the class 70 obviously. But there are no Railtours, Nottingham still doesn't have any AI traffic (such as the Skeggy, Norwich, Worksop trains), No Leeds services...though with no Northern DMUs yet that's not surprising. There's barely any static stock at Derby etches park or the Network Rail centre.
That's a bit of a shame I was really hoping the new timetable would have a little more depth to it! I really like the 45 Railtour on the default timetable!
