Hi all, Just for fun and as a diversion from the TSW4 chirping, I started making some notes in an attempt to begin to learn the east coastway in its pleasurable entirety. This is just the first section between Brighton and Lewis for the Down East branch and is a first set of notes that needs to be fleshed out a bit with braking points etc. Hopefully/maybe it might be useful for someone else trying to play with minimal HUD. As I say, just for a bit of fun First image is Brighton to London Road. Ill be redoing this for sure. These are my own notes and so anyone using them be advised they may not work for you. They're just an idea really that I've found works for me, and maybe they'll give someone ideas for their own enrichment of the TSW experience. Second image is London Road to Lewis.
I’m tempted to try make route plans if I were to go HUD-less on TSW, do you also have speed increase points for each consist?
No, thats much more of a guess work exercise Im afraid. Im generally over cautious on estimating the lengths of trains (maybe I'll sometimes try and look back using the window viewpoint) but generally with the freight and trains on East Coastway its normally not too bad as theyre quite short trains. In my mind I split the track into speed blocks, not dissimilar to signal blocks. That seems to work for me. This website is one Ive been using to snip track plans that I then annotate. Its a very good sight for keeping an eye out for interesting movements on the line too irl if you're near a railway in the UK. Railway Track Layout for Brighton (raildar.co.uk)
This is awesome! Did you ever look-up the sectional appendices put out by Network Rail? They give you line speeds, tunnels, bridges, etc.
I didn't even know they existed so that's definitely on my list of things to do! Very much appreciate the heads up! I'm away at the moment but when I get back I'll continue putting something together. Prob be a week or two but it's good fun and definitely helps me learn the route!
https://www.networkrail.co.uk/indus...ators/national-electronic-sectional-appendix/ Scroll down to the one that says "Kent Sussex Wessex Sectional Appendix June 2023.pdf". It's the one you want for the East Coastway. You'll want to start with PDF page 451 and continue with PDF page 521.
These are perfect! Thank you very much indeed for sharing Whan I eventually finish my annotations I'll post back. Maybe they'll be useful for someone else trying to route learn. Even if not, it's all good fun
Lewis. There's a couple of line speeds missing out of Lewes Tunnel and a few other things. Braking and acceleration points are not on there either. I'll update and post as I go. I'm sharing these just as a bit of fun which hopefully either can be used by others or provides ideas for others on their route learning journeys
Are you taking into account both the 377s and 313s. I would imagine the braking points and passing speed limits would be different. Also, there is an 8-car 377 twice a day between Brighton and Seaford, which goes off via Wivelsfield in the morning and vice versa for the evening.
Hi Jack, I dont have the 313 so its not an issue. Obviously if you do you'd have to take that into account, but I generally stick to one traction type for a period. There's nothing wrong of course with having a route learning method for each if you have multiple units, although I imagine that would rapidly become 'work'. The 8 car acceleration points I can just note down with a little line to the relative position but Im glad you brought that up because I had forgotten about them. I think its a case of whatever works for you. As I say Im just sharing these in case theyre useful. If theyre not, naturally you're under no obligation to use them but maybe they'll give someone ideas on enriching their own experience and interaction with TSW. I appreciate the thoughts. Keep them coming
One thing I learnt - if you depart falmer ( lewes bound ) accelerate until you reach 48mph, and then coast, when you finally hit 70mph, it's time to slow for the 55mph
Yeah, fair enough, I just wondered. Obviously I can't expect everything, and like you say, I'm under no obligation to use them. Maybe a little note to say it is only for a specific train/number of cars with a note to saynneeds adjusting as required to avoid confusion in the future. Nothing wrong with constructive criticism, happy to point it out.
I've updated my original post with the following: "These are my own notes and so anyone using them be advised they may not work for you. They're just an idea really that I've found works for me, and maybe they'll give someone ideas for their own enrichment of the TSW experience." That should hopefully avoid any confusion.
Yes, real life drivers have mud maps. There own. A lot copy from experienced drivers so they have notes to learn.
Im certainly finding it a lot more useful than just blasting up and down the line hoping that something sticks Its also made me resolve ambiguities in knowledge with regard to signalling and signage, so for example I now know what all the little signs mean as Im passing them which is really quite a nice feeling, also what type of signals are which, controlled, distant etc which sometimes is only possible from the little board fixed to the pole.. its all quite interesting and good fun.
How do the real life drivers handle the difference between units? Or do they typically stick to one unit type for long periods? (I assume that, unlike many of us who play TSW, they have more regularity.)
