We have a shortage of first generation DMU's on TS1 compared to diesel locomotives. The class 108 was the most common low density type after the class 101 and has been seen on all areas of the BR network except for the Southern Region. There are also many preserved examples. There are various payware and freeware routes which could utilise these and provide some variety. Sadly DMU's tend to be forgotten and I get the feeling that as long as there is a Met-Cam class 101 then that is all you ever need!
Well yes and a 117, however that is only three about of 30 odd classes, if there were the same percentage of diesel classes released there would be much grumbling. It reminds me of the model railway situation circa 1990, you had the Hornby class 110, nice model but very restricted on where you could run it, the Lima 117, not accurate and again fairly restrictive and the old Triang/Hornby 101, which wasn't actually a 101 as it was based on the earlier Met-Camm lightweight of which there were I think 30 power trailer sets built and again these were not spread far and wide and had all been withdrawn by 1972. Things have improved on the model railway front but I can't see anyone building any more first generation DMU's for TS1. FIrst generation 25kv AC EMU's fare even worse of course.
I must admit I hadn't thought of actually asking him, I wonder if he responds to such requests, of course he did release the DEMU so it is not beyond possibility. I will do so, but one person asking might not make much difference, if several do he might take more notice. A lot of the sounds could be re-used, not all, for example the exhaust sound on the 117 is quite different to the 101 but a lot did use the same engines so some classes would sound largely the same.
AP responded to a couple of suggestion from me, both times in the negative but they keep things under their hat until near release. Are you aware of the 117 that comes with the North Somerset route? There are BR blue/grey reskns for it at Vulcan Productions.
Hi, yes thanks, I have those reskins. They came out when the 1985 Riviera line was released if I recall. I will message AP later but I suspect it will be a negative, unless he thinks there is a market for something.
The engines in most of the first gen DMUs were the same - it was the Exhaust that made the trains sound different A 101 and a 105 Cravens sounded different but the engine was identical
I do have it, it is a wonderful model. We could do with a dedicated route for it, I would love to see the Hastings to Ashford line for example. I think apart from some occasional runs into London on the London to Brighton route there aren't any prototypical routes for it.
You could at a stretch run it on the BackdatedTrainsim Tonbridge-Hastings freeware route here. It's very good. https://backdatedtrainsim.weebly.com/route-downloads.html IIRC they were used on some of the lines on the Southampton-Weymouth route below and certainly on the Lymington branch. https://steamsoundssupreme.com/page_fwrp01.html
Yes i have the Tonbridge to Hastings route, it is very good, it would be great if the Ashford branch could be added to it. I suppose at a push in the case of an EMU failure they could have ran up and past Tonbridge. I had forgotten about the Southampton to Weymouth route, I think I have the files on my system somewhere. Thanks for the suggestions.
You're welcome, the Hastings-Ashford or Hastings-Brighton route would fit the bill for the Thumpers as they ran between Ashford and Brighton. I live within earshot of the incline out of Hastings en route to Ashford. The Thumpers would thump their hearts out coming up the hill.
I can imagine what a glorious sound it was. I live within earshot of the Stourbridge to Round Oak/Dudley freight line and I used to get the sounds of class 20's, 31's , 37's, 47's and even the odd Peak I can just remember, plus the rasp of DMU's now all you hear are the anodyne sounds of class 66's and 172's. It isn't the same. The only excitement now is the odd special train from the Severn Valley Railway or a Network Rail train coming through.