I found myself in a rare mood to explore on foot, so I did just that, and found something interesting about this route I don't think has been picked up yet. The Church Path Pit Sidings, between there (not the sidings themselves, but the access track to them) and the Dartford-Gravesend line, around the Northfleet area, there is a modelled estate far away from any track whatsoever. It can be explored as well, but strangely, you cannot go onto the tracks right next to you as you are stopped by an invisible barrier (good for trainspotting though). Why? Why does it exist, when you'd never need to go there at all. There's nothing but houses and streets.
I walked from Manchester Victoria to Leeds yesterday on NTP... It took 3 hours and 54 minutes. Still only found 31 of 40 bloody logs though, so gawd knows where those are hidden. Walking the routes can be therapeutic, whenever you get too much time on your hands.
I think I've found my new favourite thing to do in TSW. May be a game about driving trains, but there's so much you miss out on when doing that. I decided to take a walk from Ashford up to St Pancras. Not recommended unless you've got hours to spare, it took my a while to walk 4 km (there are markers telling you how far from St Pancras you are which is neat), but it was weirdly relaxing.
At Northfleet, walk onto the tracks next to the main line and follow them round. When they split, head left until you see a blocked tunnel (you might even be able to go through the tunnel but I didn't try that). Walk along the grass back to Northfleet and you should stumble across it. Hope I explained it well enough.
Try using a gamepad if not already on console, and then prop it upside down with the joystick wedged forward!
On the first level crossing at Faversham heading west towards Teynham, there's a bench you can sit on. It's amazing how much you discover when walking.
One of the reasons I want the Great Central Main Line in TSW. Many years ago I walked through Catesby Tunnel (actually the first time was on my little Suzuki 100cc motorcycle) and that’s an experience I would like to repeat. Of course when I went through the line had already been shut for 12 years, the track lifted and the tunnel flooded right across in some places. Another time, I hiked the old trackbed from Charwelton to Brackley. So therapeutic in the game and IRL!
I couldn't find it. If you have time would you get a picture please? Maybe where you can get away from the tracks, or the important place I need to find? Sorry, sometimes a picture is better than a thousand words, at least for me I think I spotted the blocked tunnel, way off in the distance...
Spawn here: Spawn a train (you cannot walk along the track as an invisible wall stops you, but somehow you can drive a train past it) and drive until you reach this tunnel: Turn to your left, under a bridge towards the houses in the distance, and explore to your hearts content: Some houses are solid, others aren't. Beware though, to get back you have to go the way you came. For some reason, you can defy an invisible barrier to get here, but if you make your way to Northfleet you cannot go onto the tracks. When you reach this area, go north until the houses stop then take a right turn, you will end up behind that tunnel: And there's still more to explore.
I've seen that tunnel mouth in real life and often wondered where it led to, looking at rail map it seems to have been a spur to the docks
You can even walk on the River Thames, although if you try to get back to land (other than where you came from), you will fall under it and end up in blue hell. Although not solid, they took the time to model the docks around Tilbury (despite everything being floaty or walk through).
I've found places like this on several routes over the years. I guessed that the areas were starting to be developed for a route then the route was cut short for whatever reason. The invisible wall thing is strange. At Stratford there's platforms you can't access, yet if you spawn a train where the invisible wall is, you can climb thru the train past the wall.
Took a walk along that old spur a few years ago. After often passing on a train and wondering where it went. Remember talk of it being a tunnel to Essex!
Thanks for that' I'll give it another try. I like exploring Wonderland (as I like to call anywhere off route where the scenery eventually fades out and things go weird). There's another invisible wall you can drive through on the Windermere branch on WCMLoS, all the way to Windermere, but for some reason it doesn't work on the other branch near Morecambe, the name of which escapes me right now.
Historically I believe that section of track and aerial image you posted was the Gravesend West branch that closed in 1953 to passengers. It has new track associated with HS1 built on it now. The line itself was still open to bits of freight traffic until the late 1970s. The Gravesend West branch went to Longsfield. I believe the section at Fawkham Junction was reused as a spur for when Eurostar services went to London Waterloo.
No, my point is, Fawkham Junction was 'part of' the Gravesend West Line itself, I'm just explaining that as well as the Gravesend West terminal area that I believe is part of that aerial image I was quoting, that the Fawkham Junction area part of the line was also built on/used by HS1. Just to clarify so there is no misunderstanding!
Oh yeah. I've done quite a bit research in the past on both lines, I'm sure Gravesend West was a bit further down from the spur the op mentioned. I think it was part of the cement works. Further reading suggests the line was restored to transport the spoil from cross rail to the pier at the other end in recent years.
Thanks, was reading up on it and that branch was only slightly further east than the dock line. But that branch also had a fascinating history I've circled where the branch terminated.
