Scotland - Ayrshire Coast Line

Discussion in 'Suggestions' started by john13mps, Feb 19, 2020.

  1. john13mps

    john13mps Member

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    Doubtless everyone in the United Kingdom has seen a picture of the Ayrshire Coast Line on the news. The stretch between Stevenston and Saltcoats is dreaded by commuters whenever bad weather arrives, due to the electric railway's proximity to the Firth of Clyde.

    [​IMG]
    Picture 1 - Class 380 between Stevenston and Saltcoats during a storm - This is a regular sight along the promenade, even when the weather is nice! (Daily Mirror, 2016)

    Stations
    The line has 28 stations and 3 branches. Trains run from Glasgow Central to Kilwinning, each stopping at either a few, all or no stations between the two. At Kilwinning the line splits - Ayr trains one way, Ardrossan/Largs trains the other direction.

    On the Ayr line trains run to Irvine, Barassie, Troon, Prestwick International Airport, Prestwick, Newton-on-Ayr and Ayr (some trains don't stop at Barassie and Newton-on -Air). The railway passes though multiple golf courses as the railway goes along the Ayrshire Coast.

    All trains to Largs or Ardrossan stop at Stevenston, Saltcoats and Ardrossan South Beach. The line splits again and Largs trains then stop at West Kilbride and Fairlie before terminating at Largs. If a train is scheduled to meet a Caledonian MacBrayne ferry it will run to Ardrossan Harbour via Ardrossan Town. Trains terminating in Ardrossan that don't meet a ferry terminate at Ardrossan Town. Passenger services leaving Saltcoats toward Ardrossan South Beach are treated as travelling along a single line, due ASB having only one platform.
    [​IMG]
    Picture 2 - A train in Ardrossan Harbour station meeting the MV Caledonian Isles (Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald, 2016)

    Services and Scenarios
    During the day, 6 trains per hour pass through Kilwinning in both directions so there would be no shortage of services for a potential route. Scenarios could arise from cancellations - often when the line is shut between Stevenston and Saltcoats services to Ardrossan and Largs terminate in Kilwinning - the empty train moves though to Stevenston before returning to pick up the timetable of another cancelled train from Kilwinning. There is potential for freight services and scenarios. Freight trains could run to Hunterston Nuclear Power Station, near Fairlie. Trains hauling aviation fuel regularly travel to deliver to Prestwick International Airport.

    For a period of time recently (in the last couple of years) trains to Ayr with more than 4 carriages terminated at Prestwick Town because of part of Ayr station being shut due to the Station Hotel (which made up most of the station building) literally falling apart. These shorter services could be a potential scenario.

    Even when trains aren't cancelled and the weather isn't too bad, the waves between Stevenston and Saltcoats can be bad. I have been on multiple trains that have been hit by very large waves, which has caused the overhead wires to short out. The driver had to coast into Saltcoats station and restart the electrical systems - another potential scenario.

    Rolling Stock
    2010-Present
    [​IMG]

    Class 380 - operate solely on the Ayrshire Coast Line
    [​IMG]
    Class 314 - Some 314s operated between Glasgow and Ayr to fill in shortages in a 380 availability.

    Before 2010 (these trains are now in ScotRail livery, but operated in Ayrshire as SPT Rail)
    [​IMG]

    Class 334
    [​IMG]
    Class 318

    Trivia
    Some facts about the Ayrshire Line
    • Prestwick International Airport is the only Scottish International Airport with a direct rail link (GARL in Railworks is fictional)
    • Prestwick International Airport has the second longest name of British Railway stations.
    • Ayr is one of very few stations with only three letters.
    • In 1995 the brakes of a Class 318 failed. This train crashed and demolished Largs station - miraculously nobody was killed in this accident, and the train 318254 was repaired and returned to service
    • Ardrossan, with a population of around 10,000, is the smallest town to have three individual railway stations.


    Conclusion
    Railworks/Train Simulator featured the fictional Glasgow Airport Rail Link around 10 years ago, however this did not show the beauty or tranquillity of travelling through the hills and valleys to the Ayrshire Coast.
     
    Last edited: Feb 21, 2020
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  2. BjornGroen02NL

    BjornGroen02NL Well-Known Member

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    Finally someone who can write a decent proposal! And man what a cool route... That first picture is brutal, and would make it an route which sells very well if Dovetail Games could replicate that :) Cool proposal!
     
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  3. john13mps

    john13mps Member

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    Pictures of the Route
    Glasgow Central:

    Platforms 11-15 - these are the platforms from which most trains towards Paisley arrive and depart.
    [​IMG]

    Cardonald*
    [​IMG]

    Hillington East*
    [​IMG]

    Hillington West*
    [​IMG]

    Paisley Gilmour Street
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    Johnstone
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    Milliken Park
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    Howwood
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    Lochwinnoch
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    Glengarnock
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    Dalry
    [​IMG]

    Kilwinning

    Before renovation completed in 2019 (Building in front left is a BTP Station)[​IMG]

    Kilwinning after renovation
    [​IMG]


    *
    Almost every train on the Ayrshire Coast Line do not stop at these stations. I included these on this list because trains to Ayrshire pass through these. The only Ayrshire train stopping at Hillington West (and neither of the other two) is the 0642 form Largs to Glasgow Central.
     
  4. john13mps

    john13mps Member

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    Ardrossan/Largs Branch

    Stevenston

    [​IMG]


    Saltcoats

    [​IMG]


    Ardrossan South Beach

    The line once again splits after this station - one line to Ardrossan Town and Ardrossan Harbour, the other to West Kilbride, Fairlie and Largs.

    [​IMG]

    Note there is only one platform, but two lines - the second platform was closed and demolished in 1987. The second line is now only used by freight trains, and the platform-side line is treated as a single line for passenger services.


    Ardrossan Town

    [​IMG]


    Ardrossan Harbour

    [​IMG]


    West Kilbride

    [​IMG]


    Fairlie

    [​IMG]


    Largs
    [​IMG]

    Ayr Branch
    Irvine

    [​IMG]


    Barassie

    [​IMG]


    Troon

    [​IMG]


    Prestwick International Airport

    [​IMG]


    Prestwick Town

    [​IMG]


    Newton-on-Ayr

    [​IMG]


    Ayr

    [​IMG]
     
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  5. A_normal_name

    A_normal_name Member

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    Good proposal! And Scotland is definitely possible since dtg have proved that they can go outside of America, UK, Germany releases with osd
     
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  6. john13mps

    john13mps Member

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    To be fair, Scotland is in the UK. But I agree that it would be good for DTG to extend further north to Scotland. I may be a bit biased, however, I believe that this would be a brilliant opportunity for Dovetail to make their first Scottish route.

    If DTG could recreate the weather between Saltcoats and Stevenston it would surely become a best seller based on it being a spot that always appears on the TV when a storm hits Scotland (see video links).





     
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  7. sophieclarke1983

    sophieclarke1983 Well-Known Member

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    Lovely idea now make it happen
     
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  8. sophieclarke1983

    sophieclarke1983 Well-Known Member

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    Make sure it’s released in consoles definitely one for me so picturesque and tranquil
     
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  9. john13mps

    john13mps Member

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    I can't help but think that this would be a brilliant opportunity for DTG to add a Scottish route to the game
     
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  10. OldVern

    OldVern Well-Known Member

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    Put me down for this Bad Boy!
     
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  11. FD1003

    FD1003 Well-Known Member

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    Sign me up, would love anything british modern, especially if not third rail/diesel for variety
     
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  12. simontreanor81

    simontreanor81 Well-Known Member

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    Would love to see it, always been a big fan of the Glasgow suburban network. It would almost be even better if they couldn't get the rights t Scotrail and they had to use SPT orange or carmine & cream! Would also love to see the North Clyde and Argyle lines
     
  13. stephen220378

    stephen220378 Active Member

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    Would really love to see this route as I'm from Ardrossan.
     
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  14. john13mps

    john13mps Member

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    I'm Stevenston. I think it would be a big selling route if they can master the weather along the Saltcoats Prom!
     
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  15. lewis tobin

    lewis tobin Member

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    You have sold it to me just by reading yorlur proposal. This would be a fantastic addition for dtg to make.
     
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  16. formulabee#1362

    formulabee#1362 Well-Known Member

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    Also there are no tsw2 Scottish routes yet, and this would be a wonderful starting route!
     
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  17. stephen220378

    stephen220378 Active Member

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    Should be fine as long as the game engine can handle horizontal rain and gale force wind.
     
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  18. formulabee#1362

    formulabee#1362 Well-Known Member

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    Yes
     
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  19. dasmith1

    dasmith1 Active Member

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    Before having the Ayrshire Coast Route to Largs,Ayr & Adrossan I believe its better off to have the E+G line with the Class 385s or the Class 170s set before or after the electrification of the line.(Just my personal opinion)
     
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  20. john13mps

    john13mps Member

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    I would like to see more routes in TSW/TSW2 that don't exist in the old Train Simulator 20XX. This would be a route that, if they can master the weather, would have a major selling point.

    Edinburgh to Glasgow would just be a remake - albeit with new rolling stock if they used 385s - of a Railworks route, joining Isle of Wight and the new HS1 route to name just two.
     
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  21. john13mps

    john13mps Member

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    A more recent clip of the weather at Saltcoats, a stop on the Ayrshire Coast Line. Imagine seeing this in game!

     
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  22. formulabee#1362

    formulabee#1362 Well-Known Member

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    Another fact is when the class 318’s were refurbished they had their end gangway removed to improve cab space
     
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  23. supersimfan#2303

    supersimfan#2303 Well-Known Member

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    This would be a great route for tsw but the weather (if modelled) wont be as intense as it actually is,
    Btw this route would have great scenarios due to the extreme weather
     
    Last edited: Feb 22, 2021
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  24. trainsimplayer

    trainsimplayer Well-Known Member

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    I have no doubt in my mind this route would be an absolute best-seller. If dovetail don't make this in TSW2 they practically just shot the game with an bazooka.
     
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  25. stephen220378

    stephen220378 Active Member

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    The route to Largs from Ardrossan South Beach has actually been closed for a couple of weeks now due to two landslips between Ardrossan and Largs. 0_emr_ihd_060221landslipardrossan.jpg
     
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  26. john13mps

    john13mps Member

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    Just adding to the thread a list of stations on this route:
    upload_2021-3-10_20-34-4.png
     
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  27. john13mps

    john13mps Member

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    If DTG makes another ScotRail route I think it should be this!
     
  28. AirbourneAlex

    AirbourneAlex Well-Known Member

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    As much as I would like this route, be careful you don't get this thread locked for bumping.
     
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