I managed to find my way past the wall on the Windermere branch line this afternoon and was able to spawn a 101 and travel along the line. Its a pity this wasn't finished because, based on the terrain, it would have been a very pretty route, well worth exploring. Personally, I am not all that fussed about the Morecombe branch, its relatively uninteresting by comparison and I would rather have had this branch instead, but perhaps I am just wanting something because it isn't there, who knows? I cant help thinking it will be a missed opportunity if this section isn't completed at some stage, even if I had to pay a little bit for it as a route add-on.
I asked the question in one of JT's streams, but they said no plans to scenic this branch as it is operationally uninteresting (single line, one engine in steam).
I can see it. Not sure what's down that way in real life. There's only a handful of DMUs that run shuttles 3-4 times a day isn't there? Doing the whole thing would be about as long as the whole West Somerset route so it'd be a substantial investment for 3-4 runs by a DMU. Again, I don't know what it was like in the last 1980s so maybe it was busier back then?
IMHO the Windermere branch is dull as dishwater... I'd love to see the Cumbrian Coast Line done though, at least as far as Whitehaven - give the DMUs on platform 2 in Carlisle somewhere to go Some interesting freight runs along there too.
They have modelled quite a lot around Kendall, its surprising they didn't end the line there, even if they felt the rest of the line wasn't worth doing. All the hard work they clearly did in that area just seems wasted somewhat. And really its not all about how many trains go up and down a line on a timetable, we are the ones who decide to travel on a line or not and for many including some popular content creators this line is a nice little branch line worth investigating. I agree about the Cumbrian coastline route though, that would be a nice addition.
Windermere branch is actually quite nice scenery wise, other than not actually being able to see the lake from the train or station. It would have made a nice addition and no worse than the one train working from Kirkham to Blackpool South single line section. Maybe they will add it at a later stage, particularly if it's just scenery to add.
Last summer I got a sandwich from Booths supermarket next to Windermere station and it is the prime suspect for giving me the food poisoning that cut my holiday short and gave the hotel cleaners a morning to remember. I could have recreated that in game if they had done the branch so I’d like to thank JT for not including it. I was also sick all down my kagool on a coach trip to Windermere when I was a child. The town just doesn’t like me. I’m glad it isn’t featured. But seriously, Windermere and its surroundings are lovely and it would have been nice to have the line in the route but JT did an awful lot of railway already and the branch would have been a lot more work on top for just a few services. I can understand why they did the shorter Morecambe branch instead.
Yes its a lot of work for sure, its just such a beautiful part of the world though and the line has some decent gradients too. As I said, more than happy to pay of they decide to finish it off and make it playable, I have paid for other DLCs I shall probably not use all that often. Not realistic I know but just for the hell of it I took a 142 from Windermere to Morecombe tonight to see if it could be done in free roam mode and it was fun, several 1.3% gradients both downhill and up with the climb into Oxenholme then a high speed section then down to 15mph for the last stretch to Morecombe. Its was a nice run and with scenery along the branch line it would have looked very nice I would think.
there is a short time table that's been done and runs in game, so everything is there apart from the scenery. i doubt its high on JTs list of things to do as a route but what's there, there is nothing to stop someone with the right skill set working with JT and finishing it.
Think I mentioned previously the disastrous period of my life in 1977 when my parents did a council house exchange from Northampton to Kendal in the mistaken belief they would be moving back closer to their roots in the north east. The house was on Hallgarth Estate actually just next to the Windermere branch along Kettlewell Road. But it was a real sink estate and it didn’t take long for the local youths to take exception to the outsiders moved into the area. School was a nightmare having being ripped out of Upper School in my exam year to find the local schools had a totally different curriculum and examining boards and being slotted into the grammar school was like stepping back 30 years in time. Luckily the situation resolved itself when my parents realised what a complete fubar they had made and we managed to get back to Northampton later in the year. But the experience coloured my view of Kendal for life and would relish the chance for a virtual train ride through there in TSW to give the place the virtual middle finger!
The Windermere branch being on the map is like rubbing salt in the proverbial wound. WCMLOS is my favourite DLC by a country mile but I'd love to drive the branch, there's a couple of through services to and from Preston to Windermere that end at Oxenholme, I'd love to drive them through to the end.
Could be a Rivet/Leven situation if people are loud enough. Although if not, I wonder what could be bundled with it to make an "extension" worth the time and money? The extension itself would be what 12 miles? Would people pay for it? It'd arguably be about as much work as adding another small route like Isle of Wight or WSR since they are both in that ballpark. What would people be willing to pay for JT to add that bit?
I would like to see the scenery completed. Yet it is just a DMU shuttle but so is much of the Blackpool DLC and the Morecambe branch. It also looks to be quite a pretty line from what I have seen of it on videos. It is part of the same experience of being a train driver. Not just glamorous expresses. Local DMU's were and likely still are the bread and butter or the railways. As said above, if it came with a class 108 then that would be a win, win as far as I'm concerned.
Yes very much so. It was the dominant DMU in the north west at the time. I think it was the only class Carlisle Kingmoor had by 1986, it was the predominant class at the two Manchester depots and at Allerton depot Liverpool. Class 101's would have been relatively rare, most would have come across the Pennines from Leeds or maybe Newcastle.
Well then, guess it'd be conspicuous by it's absence. A combined Windmere/108 pack would be worth a few bucks. There's quite a few preserved too for references. Would it layer on any other routes too?
Yes the 108 would be perfect to go with the Windermere extension. They were amongst the last heritage DMU's left in BR service before the Pacer/Sprinter displacement. Several of the existing routes would provide a welcome home - WCL instead of the Class 101. Blackpool Branches, NTP and TVL.
don't bash the 101 too much newton heath had an allocation 86-89 so they do fit on BPO. but after doing a bit of reserch last time about first gen DMUs Kingmoor needs some 108s still not found the answer to my own question though, which depot provided the DMUs for the branch. Preston is the start point in WCMLos for the services, but i know that was just a holding point rather than a full depot
I have only rechecked my 1988 platform 5 book so far but alll it shows in their are a couple of centre carriages and a couples of DTCL's.
the only thing ive looked at was this https://www.railcar.co.uk/depot/newton-heath really interesting data base, not saying your book is wrong far from it but would be interesting to see how they compare. have a look makes it makes an interesting read
What we need is a WTT from the era, that might reveal where the sets came from, though almost certainly Newton Heath.
It does look for around a year from middle of 1986 there were a handful of 3 car sets. These were originally ones running out of Tyseley which eventually ended up at Reading. So maybe the class 101 isn't totally unrealistic but it would have still very much been in the minority. A couple of the DTCL's I have looked up were running with class 108 DMBS's. Class 101's started to be allocated in any reasonable numbers from mid to late 1988 and onwards.
a WTT would be handy and make for an interesting read. my only other thoughts last night were 101s from Neville hill working the leeds Morecambe service would of popped up now and again. Heaton depot at the time only had 101s so one would guess they would of been common on the Newcastle line to/from Carlisle. couldn't agree more though that a 108 would fit the bill better.
I suspect that’s where the 3 car 101 I observed working the branch on Easter Monday 1977 came from, as it was in the West Yorkshire PTE livery. I scraped my pocket money together, walked into Kendal town centre and had a return trip to Windermere. Nice little treat for a 15 year old!
I am sure I have one (WTT) from 86 so I'll have a look later. Yes I'm sure 101's would have worked across from Leeds. Unfortunately DMU's are always underrepresented as they aren't as s@xy as big diesel or electrics. However they are probably more important in my opinion, they were the backbone of the railways. Seeing a 101 everywhere doesn't make things realistic. Although I sometimes wonder if realistic operations in TSW is considered that important. Although JT and TSG do seem to make an effort in that respect. I can think of at least five different classes of DMU in the north west in 1986. If we had just one loco there would be much muttering of discontent.
The Windermere DMUs were supplied by Kingmoor IIRC. A unit would run down to Preston via Barrow, work up to Oxenholme, do a stint on the Windermere branch and then return way it came. That being said, a unit would often lurk on the branch for days at a stretch before rotating back into the main pool. I became conditioned to not even look at the Windermere platform when passing through Oxenholme, as the DMU there would always be one of my locals (I lived in Workington at the time*) I don't ever recall seeing other DMUs there. * this was up until 1983, so slightly before the game timeframe
Oh yes Windermere branch in game would be awesome. If JT are reading I'm sure a pack with scenery, and a 108 would sell well. The challenge of the 5mph speed limit on the ungated crossing would catch many out. There's also a manually operated gate crossing to animate! Yes I'm biased. I use the line twice a day five days a week from OXN to WDM but, yeah, go for it!
