The East Coast Mainline (ecml)

Discussion in 'Suggestions' started by Ant Craft, Jan 27, 2021.

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  1. East Coast Mainline South Route DLC

    86.2%
  2. Class 91 Loco DLC

    75.9%
  3. Class 180 'Adelante' Loco DLC

    48.3%
  4. Class 365 Loco DLC

    44.8%
  5. Class 700 Loco DLC

    58.6%
  6. Class 717 Loco DLC

    37.9%
Multiple votes are allowed.
  1. Ant Craft

    Ant Craft Well-Known Member

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    Firstly, to start off with, I know there are many posts asking for the ECML. I am not the first, certainly not the last. However, I wanted to make an in depth route suggestion for the ECML.

    The East Coast Mainline
    As many people will know, the East Coast Mainline runs for 393 miles from London King's Cross, to Edinburgh Waverly, with major stops at Peterborough, Doncaster, York, Darlington (which is already in TSW on the Tees Valley Line) and Durham.
    The section of route I am proposing here is the section from King's Cross to Peterborough. At 76 miles (122km), this would make it the longest route in Train Sim World. While this is 16 miles (29km) longer than LGV, the current longest route, there could be plenty to do on it if you owned all the possible trains for the route (will expand on later). So, what would make the ECMLS a good candidate for a Train Sim World route? Well, there are many reasons why actually:
    • Is an already existing route in TS, which makes routes easier to do due to current times
    • Has lot's of expansion DLC options, which is good for both players and DTG
    • DTG already has licencing for LNER in TS
    • It is a highly popular route, so it will sell well
    The Route
    So, as I have already explained, the ECMLS route is 76 miles long. Along the route, there is no fewer than 24 stations (possibly 25 if St. Pancras is included). These are:
    1. London King's Cross
    2. London St. Pancras (Low Level Platforms for extra Thameslink services)
    3. Finsbury Park
    4. Harringay
    5. Hornsey
    6. Alexandra Palace
    7. New Southgate
    8. Oakleigh Park
    9. New Barnet
    10. Hadley Wood
    11. Potters Bar
    12. Brookmans Green
    13. Welham Green
    14. Hatfield
    15. Welwyn Garden City
    16. Welwyn North
    17. Knebworth
    18. Stevenage
    19. Hitchin
    20. Arlesey & Shefford Road
    21. Biggleswade
    22. Sandy
    23. St. Neots
    24. Huntingdon
    25. Peterborough
    The large number of stations allows for an interesting, diverse experience for both commuter and express passenger operations, with plenty to keep people entertained. For more detail on the ECML, here is a link to a detailed route diagram. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Coast_Main_Line_diagram

    The Trains
    Included with the route, you could have the LNER class 801 for express passenger services, as well as the Thameslink class 387 for passenger services.

    Both of these trains would be a good pick for the ECMLS as the class 801 (part of the larger IET family of trains) shares a lot of similarities with the upcoming class 395 Javelin, which should make it an easier train to reproduce. As well as this, the IETs are becoming incredibly widespread across the modern UK network, so there will be a high likely hood that the train (or it's other variants) would be needed in other routes too, so having it already in TSW will certainly help.
    Now, for the class 387. As we all know, the electrostar has made 1, soon to be 2, appearances in TSW, While the class 387 has more differences than the 375 has, it's not unrealistic to believe that DTG is perfectly capable of making the correct modifications to it. We have seen a similar thing happen with the original ICE 3M being modified into the ICE 3.

    Out side of included trains, there is a lot of possibilities for train/loco DLCs.

    The class 91 - While these trains are soon to be phased out, their planned date to be phased out is in 2023, so if the route was set in 2021 or 2022, this wouldn't be inappropriate. The class 91 DLC would include the Mk4 rolling stock, as well as the DVT (Driving Van Trailer). The class 91s are a iconic train on the East Coast Mainline, and I'd think it'd be a tragedy if the class 91 never made it onto the ECML in TSW.
    The class 180 - Ah yes, the train... where you'll be going nowhere. Humour aside, the class 180, despite their issues and controversy, are a very prominent train on the ECML. Operating for Grand Central, their appearance would further increase the variety on the East Coast Mainline by adding a 3rd operator. Plus, DTG already has Grand Central's license from when they made this exact train for this exact route for TS, so there should be no issues getting it again for TSW.
    These 2 trains would both add a lot of variety for express passenger services on the ECMLS, creating a very varied, entertaining and realistic experience.

    Now, if you thought 2 loco DLCs weren't too much, there's more. 3 more in fact. These include the Thameslink class 365, 700 and 717. These 3 trains would complete the Thameslink fleet used on the ECML. While each one would come as a separate DLC, this is for good reason as they are all very different trains. The class 365, while similar to the upcoming 465, they use AC traction. Most of the bodyshell is the same as the 465, but one can't ignore the fact that the 365 has a very happy face on the one end. The class 700 and 717 share a lot of similarities with each other, due to the fact that they are almost the same train. While there are some differences with the systems, the most obvious difference between the 2 trains is that the class 717 has a door with a built in set of stairs at each end of the train, to allow for emergency evacuations in some narrow tunnels the train operates in.

    The Business Case
    The ECML is one of the most requested UK routes for TSW, so the likely hood it sells well is very high. In addition to this, for the main route, and the 5 loco DLCs, that would cost £85 in total, While this is a lot, unless someone loves the route a lot or wants the complete experience, nobody has to buy all of them. This is a good thing for both customers and DTG, as it allows flexibility and more options for people to choose what they want, which is also good for DTG as due to the many options of what to buy, many people would buy one, or even a few of the loco DLCs.

    The Conclusion
    I hope I have done a good job explaining why the ECMLS route deserves to be in TSW, and why it'd be a good route for both customers and DTG. I understand that everyone, including myself, wants the whole ECML in Train Sim World. But for now, this is simply not going to happen. Maybe in the future, in the form of expansions, but not at the moment, So because of that, and due to the amount of content on offer, I decided this was the best section of the East Coast Mainline that could possibly be brought into TSW. Feel free to share your feedback, good or bad, in the comments below.
     
    Last edited: May 26, 2021
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  2. djcwey

    djcwey Well-Known Member

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    I do like it when there is crossover of Loco DLCs between routes. Although your suggestion is for the route to be set in the current time period an alternative time or modeller's licence would allow use of the upcoming Class 313 DLC?
     
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  3. Ant Craft

    Ant Craft Well-Known Member

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    Yeah, I agree. However, with the class 700 suggestion, you could see that put onto SEHS as a layer. So the opportunity for trains to be seen on other routes too isn't lost in my proposal. Plus, I am not too sure they'd dress the 313 up in a new livery just to put it as another layer on a different route.
     
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  4. lewis tobin

    lewis tobin Member

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    The ecml Kings cross to Peterborough is perfect really hope dtg look at this. Great proposal bye the way
     
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  5. Ant Craft

    Ant Craft Well-Known Member

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    I agree, and thank you :)
     
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