Set in the years between the withdrawal of Class 55s in 1982 and the electrification of the ECML in 1989, this route would be 60-65 miles long and feature the railway's modern icon, the InterCity 125. Proposed Rolling Stock Class 43 in InterCity Swallow livery Forming the backbone of ECML & CrossCountry services during this period, the HST's have visited practically every corner of the country except the south east & Norfolk. 95 sets were ordered with close to half of these being allocated to ECML & CrossCountry duties alongside Class 47s. Class 47/8 & Mk2e's in InterCity Swallow livery These locos operated CrossCountry services alongside the HST's, playing a vital role in the system all the way up to the early 2000s. The Brush superpowers would usually have a rake of 7 or 8 Mk2s in tow. Class 107 in Strathclyde PTE livery Whilst the 101s were the dominant units on the North Berwick line I'm sure we're all bored to death of them and the Class 107s were the most common unit alongside them on the branch, so here it is!
I think this would be a great route hut it would be such a shame to have a backdated ECML without Deltics. I would however take 1989 over 2023 though.
maybe it will happen sometime down the line, not the most unrealistic as it’s limited stations similar to Kassel-Würzburg, Though you would need quite a fair amount of time to be able to get the most out of it, so maybes that would perhaps hold it back more than the actual length.
Whilst in definitely more of a fan of the modern ECML (and the 91 days) I think a least a section of this route would likely be during the Deltic days, not sure if this part would be the one though, maybe more York area for that.
maybe a route more then if something like a breakthrough in track layering or station building comes around, or in a 2 part route. These ECML and WCML are quite beasts and I don’t think those calling for them are looking for short sections (myself included)
it’s the longest section of the ECML (ECML North Edinburgh - Newcastle 125 miles), (York - Newcastle 79) (York - Peterborough 120 miles) (Peterborough - London 76 miles)
they could honestly release a Newcastle - Darlington rather than all the way to York, then that could be a part of a real split section if they then done Darlington - York or in terms of the thread, a Edinburgh - Berwick and Berwick to Newcastle sections could be less in TSW as in half a real life section built, or stop in a random point due to them running out of their allocated time for various reasons, was what I was more referring to for sections in terms of lengths.
