Alan Thompson Simulation Route Discussion/speculation Thread

New ballast mesh is confirmed. Sounds trivial, but Id expect this dramatically improves the look of the track.

 

Crewe to Manchester feels like a very pleasant "filler" route to me. A great route to play as a distraction when you grow tired of the other bigger routes. I'll certainly buy it.

I'd love to see more routes like this that makes use of existing trains and stations. Presuming the 323 and 390 are included it'll be great to have new runs for both these, especially the former which felt quite constrained on it's previous two appearances.

 

A 30 mile complete route sounds good to me for their first release.

It is a shame but understandable there is no new stock provided.

The class 323 is one of the best modelled trains in the sim in my opinion so I'm quite happy to have another use for it. Especially if there are some faster sections.

I don't own any of their TSC routes but judging by their reputation this should be a well modelled route.

 

He mentioned on the stream or didn't comment when someone asked if any new stock would be coming so maybe just maybe something comes?

 

It would be great if it does. But I won't be disappointed if it doesn't.

 

The (Training Centre (sp!)) 323 has the new suspension. Why do that if it's not going anywhere else?

 

build test and bake into later core update I would guess. Perhaps with all else being worked on was needed for training centre as core part of tsw5 inc free version but just not enough time to get into routes like BCC yet.

 

Many believe this route is a Manchester based route. I have a sneaking suspicion that this could be both the Manchester to Crewe WCML plus the Styal Line as both would require the reuse of existing trains by the time of release.

 

I was thinking the same after looking at the Styal line on the map. As the screenshot detective work matches perfectly with East Didsbury I’d say the Styal line is a definite but not really enough of a route on its own. With both it would make a substantial enough route for a decent release.

 

Haven't they said 30ish miles, which I don't think is enough mileage to cover both the routes (via Styal and via Stockport). Which is deffo a pity as it sorta removes any 390 driveable running.

 

If they are just referring to the length of the route and not totting up all track mileage then it fits as both diverging routes are a similar length.

 

Perhaps the lines will meet and terminate at Wilmslow?
However I do think this is less logical than Crewe which is a better option when going via Stockport.

 

MAN-CRE doesn't work out when taking into account the length. That's 30 miles. ATS said 33.

 

i reckon machester airport to liverpool lime street both lines inclueding newton heath longsight and
edge hill depots
traction: clases 802 142 150 323 390 158 all in new liverys

 

Are you including the Airport Branch ??.

 

Does the Manchester Airport branch provide enough extra mileage?

 

How far is Piccadilly to Trafford Park? Would that add the 3 miles?

 

Thanks for your help. There is speculation that it has been confirmed on the roadmap but I have not seen/ heard that

 

its about 4 miles

 

Someone up thread mentioned that these guys (ATS) announced a route a while back for TSC that was Piccadilly to Crewe via the Styal Line, and then heard nothing about it since. If that’s true then it’s pretty obvious eh!

 

Hopefully, it is a route in London but I highly doubt it.

 

Not particularly?

Firstly the project was for a completely different game, and secondly projects can unfortunately get cancelled for a number of reasons.

I personally wasn’t aware of any plans for a Crewe to Manchester route for TSC, but just because it was cancelled it doesn’t mean that it becomes a TSW project instead.

Could the route be Manchester to Crewe? Looking at the comments of people who have identified the locations on the screenshots, combined with route length and the likelihood of reused stock - I would say most likely. But the TSC project, regardless of whether cancelled or still ongoing, has absolutely no correlation to what happens in TSW.

 

With this length in mind it looks like we won't be getting Stockport, which means no additional uses for the 390

 

The 323 has a nasty body defect on the centre car.

Look at the left side window surrounds, below the pantograph. See that dent where somebody screwed-up the modelling?

It doesn't affect the training centre 323, but it's a bug on the WMR, RR and Glossop variants.

 

If they’re only going to do one of Stockport or Styal, surely they’ll do Stockport.

The Styal line only has one train per hour, and they all have the same stopping pattern and the same stock. Basically, every train in the timetable would be identical.

The line via Stockport has far more trains, with a variety of stopping patterns and a variety of stock.

Assuming it’s modern era, I don’t think I’ll bother with it if it’s just via Styal - it just feels like Glossop mk2. If it’s via Stockport I’ll buy it.

 

There's only one train per hour from Crewe to Manchester via Manchester Airport, but there are more Northern services that start/terminate at Manchester Airport. The services via Stockport could layer in as far as Wilmslow.
Regarding the 390s it takes 20 minutes from Crewe to Wilmslow, not great, but a longer run than I thought. I found one that uses the Styal line (presumably for maintaining route knowledge in case of diversions). It also happens to be the Manchester to London via Birmingham service.
The Stockport line would be great, but I don't think the Styal line would be that bad.

 

Good point about the Man Picc - Airport services - providing the Airport spur is included, we’d have those at least to give some variety.

Most of the 390s don’t call at Wilmslow, though, so if the route via Stockport isn’t included, we won’t be able to drive them (or only on that 1 service).

The other benefit of doing the route via Stockport is that it includes Stockport viaduct - a highly impressive structure taking the railway over the town. I’m not sure there’s anything particularly notable on the Airport or Styal lines.

 

Going from information on Open Train Times, it looks like most 390s call at Wilmslow, roughly 1 train per hour.

 

Between the Airport & Picc runs it’s 4/5 trains an hour in each direction. The Styal line itself though isn’t hugely busy. Call it an hour run upto Crewe, 15-20mins between the Airport & Manchester.

For 390’s it would be 1 TPH each direction between Wilmslow & Crewe. 15 minute run.

 

Well seeing as the consensus on here is that the route is Styal, Piccadilly to Crewe, with just a shred of evidence, it does seem mighty coincidental.

That’s if the aforementioned TSC claim is true, I have no idea.

 

The building reminds me of the office block next to the Liverpool-Manchester line at Eccles.

 

The building in the screenshot is more reminiscent of a block of flats with balconies than this office block. Also, this office block lacks the roof antenna equipment seen.

 

Assets made for a TSC project can be recycled for a TSW one...

 

It has been recently renovated, when it was the Makro office it looked more like the one in the screenshot.

 

Let's try and use some common sense. It makes absolutely no sense for a route from Crewe to Manchester to go via the route that hardly any trains running between those two places use. If that were case, almost all runs on this line would be over in around 15 minutes at most.

I don't even think a developer like Rivet would be dumb enough to make that decision, let alone a respected developer like Alan Thompson.

 

It also needs to match all the other stuff in the screenshot not just the tower block. There’s a conspicuous bridge over the railway in that photo that isn’t in the screenshot (not the only thing that doesn’t match). This isn’t the location.

 

Never said they couldn’t..

But stating something as “obvious” based on something that does in fact actually not make it obvious seems kind of pointless.

DTG themselves have proven this - there are a lot of routes available for TSC with assets, but a lot of routes for TSW are actually first appearances for train simulations - Therefore proving that just because something exists for TSC, or was perhaps going to exist at some point, does not make it an obvious choice for a TSW route.

 

The locations in the pics are East Didsbury and Styal.

 

I hope it will be somwhere around Berlin with new DB BR 180. Thank you, Alan Thompson!

 

What ??
He’s working on a UK route.

 

Maybe new route is Manchester Piccadilly to Wilmslow via Manchester Airport and Stoke on Trent???

 

I was also thinking it might involve Manchester Airport if people are correct about the didsbury and styal locations. That would be good, always nice to see aircraft in tsw if only for an extra bit of immersion.

 

Stoke is further south than Crewe, and on a different line. Unless you think the route should be Stoke to Manchester both via Macclesfield AND via Alsager then Crewe, which sounds interesting but also way too much for what's supposed to be a 30 mile route.

 

I think they mean Stockport.

 

Excuse the godawful drawing but I think this would make the most sense within the constraints given (mileage, location of screenshots identified). This would be approx 33 miles with 18 new stations plus the existing Piccadilly.

This way you'd get a 390 run from both Wilmslow and Macclesfield to Piccadilly (both via Stockport) plus three different varieties of 323 stopper (Styal line, via Handforth and from Macclesfield).

If instead the route is Piccadilly to Crewe via Manchester Airport, that would be extremely disappointing for the 390 services, which you'd drive from Crewe to Wilmslow, only to hand over to the AI and then see arriving later at Manchester. Also less variety in 323 services.

The route above could be filled reasonably with just the 323 and 390, but if a new loco were forthcoming, the 331 would also work as a substitute for the 323 for some variety.

 

Another idea could maybe be Manchester to Preston.
The route is only 31 miles, but maybe if Victoria was included too, it could bring it up to 33 miles. Only thing is it would need a class 331 or 319 at least

 

I think people are really beginning to overthink what this route will be. I believe we were on the mark with our initial prediction of Crewe to Manchester Piccadilly but people are pointing out the screenshots at East Didsbury and this "33 miles" figure and beginning to over- analyse everything.

Let's all think logically- it would make absolutely no sense whatsoever for a route from Crewe to Manchester to NOT go via Stockport. I genuinely believe we're getting both routes. Alan saying "33 miles" could simply be him referring to what's considered the "primary" route between the two end points and slyly leaving out the extra diversion via Styal.

Wilmslow is perhaps the most illogical start point for any British route in TSW, more baffling than the ECML ending at Doncaster.

 

It comes back to the discussion about networks versus A to B routes. Networks sound good in theory, but the problem is that, to avoid excessive mileage, they tend to end up being a series of stubs. For me, having to start or finish every run at Wilmslow would be very un-satisfying. It’s neither a crew-relief point nor a major centre.

I’d rather have Man Picc - Crewe via Stockport and get a proper run with either a 323 stopper or a 390 fast (both having a variety of stopping patterns available).

 

As we already have Preston and Man Vic in 1980s routes, I think it would be a shame to then build a modern route connecting the two. For a start, Man Vic and Preston would need significant re-builds (Man Vic they’d pretty much have to start again from scratch it’s changed so much).

There’s a great opportunity to do Man Vic - Preston set in the 1980s. The two major stations are already built, and it would create a fantastic 1980s north-west network stretching from Leeds to Carlisle (via Man Vic and Preston) with branches to Ormskirk, Blackpool and Morecambe.

 

That East Didsbury scenery is a nail in the coffin for that unfortunately, unless we’re going to get both lines to Crewe.

Do we know if the year for this route has been confirmed? If it is the Styal line & it’s set 2018-2022, we’d get a more interesting service pattern since services alternated skipping stops. (ie a train would skip Burnage, but stop at East Didsbury, then Skip Gatley. The next service would do the opposite).