Wcml Preston To Crewe Discussion

Hell yeah and some MK3 sleepers, Motorail (I think was still a thing in '86?)

 

Pretty sure Motorail was still going then (until the 90s?) - certainly remember seeing them at Whitmoor (between Stafford and Crewe) and by then they were closed wagons, rather than the old open top ones that you used to see. I think the Mark 3 sleeper has been a constant in terms of people requesting it and it would be so useful in terms of not just in the 1980s on the WCML, but from only a few years back on more recent Caledonian Sleeper workings and would fit nicely on the three Western region routes we have too. Absolutely loving those shots of Crewe - the one of 86426 in that pseudo throw back livery probably excited me the most (it was quite criticised at he time, because of the full yellow end and the fact that they didn't use the proper electric blue colour). I agree there are plenty of other locos that could be added, but it's a shame that there is no Class 304 - even though you couldn't really drive it (as would be going to Liverpool Lime Street on stoppers or Manchester Pic) - it will feel like a missing part of Crewe at the time & I guess the DMU 101 will have to do for now. Despite all the new releases, this one i'm still incredibly excited about.

 

Motorail ran until 1995 on the WCML.

GUV vans usually formed them with Mk3s BGs and Mk2 Air cons for Seated passengers. Carlisle had a service as did the Inverness and Aberdeen trains. Quite a few to Stirling also.

The Overnight formations are probably the most inaccurate ones on the JT DLCs.

 

Some GUVs and maybe a CCT or two are definitely missing from TSW, I mean the things were everywhere in the 80s & 90s and newspapers/parcels trains aren't the same with all BGs. I mean I would love to see Sulzer 2s in TSW, that would just be the icing on the cake.

Here's hoping with 2 updates in a month they've got their release date from DTG.

 

Not a day goes by where I contemplate "commissioning" a DLC, I've got access to a myriad of preserved diesel locomotives for research, modelling and sound recording but have no actual skill in any of those departments. I've wondered just how much it would cost to hire a small team to go ahead and do it, then how to put it "in game". I mean this is not MSTS where the skill-set "bar for entry" was particularly low, I was even able to make stuff for that - loads of reskins but as soon as transparent windows became a thing I was stumped. There has to be a good level of ability for modelling, after all it's not like you can just take a photo of the cab from the driver's perspective and leave it at that, you need to model the cab fully in 3D and if its a unit, the interior of the cabin too. That's all going to add up and bump up costs for the relevant skilled folks. Then of course you need to actually implement it into the game too, timetable creation is a skill as well.

It's one of those where sometimes I just want to say right, here's a small stack of cash, go forth and make me a loco and sadly, it doesn't seem to be that easy.

 

The lack of sleeper stock was and still is the most baffling thing for me with the Shap route, they modelled the Mk3 so well but missed out arguably the easiest variant to model. The interior could literally just be the corridor with all of the rooms locked off (like the toilets are) and voila, the only exterior differences would be the windows and maybe the inclusion of built in tail lights.

The problem with them now is that there is no incentive for a developer to make them, aside from not being able to include them in the existing JT Shap timetables (in the same way that Skyhook were not able to include their freight packs) there just isn't really a demand from folks who would be willing to buy a coach pack that consists of one or two coach types (Panty/non-pantry). In a similar vein it would be a struggle to make a wagon pack unless they already had an agreement from other developers to include them as layers on their own upcoming routes.

 

Such a pack could also include the Night Riviera version, plus other variants (like those from Eastern Rail Services for railtours).

"Take my money" for that !!!

 

I'm still writing bug reports for WCML Preston Carlisle, so I'm remaining cautiously optimistic and will give this route 6 months (or a 50% discount, whichever comes first) before buying.

I hope that Just Trains haven't jumped onto the "Dovetail flywheel" with their DLC releases.

It would be nice if they at least fixed the misaligned bogies on the class 86/2 before they drop the new 86/4 in this route.

 

You do realise the problem was probably fixed months ago but the update is stuck in qa hell right?

it’s mainly just DTG being slow at releasing the updates

 

You keep telling yourself that, if it makes you happy.

I'm always happy to let the guinea pigs go first.

 

Uh here's a direct screenshot/quote from JT

and

They had also said that they had fixed it and sent it off to DTG for approval in a different thread months ago.

 

Which isn’t much better, as the end result is still the same.

Pretty sure every single third party has given the same reason at least once now, so third parties need to be pushing back on DTG with this.

Ultimately it’s their product that has something wrong with it, I may aswell have not bought the 86 on release & waited for a sale.

 

You clearly haven’t been keeping up to date with stuff said by the third parties

ATS, just trains and possibly TSG if I remember correctly have all said about their updates being held back and all of them seem pretty annoyed with it.

 

Yes the overnight trains really shatter the suspension of disbelief. Mark 3 day coaches were not generally used on these trains, should be a combination of Mark 3 sleepers and either Mark 2 D/E/F aircon stock or older air braked non aircon Mark 2’s for the seated portions. I had hoped JT would chuck in a sleeping car with Crewe to Preston, but it seems not.

 

No, I don't check third-party websites and forum threads every day, as i have a job, family and kids to look after, so don't spend my entire life glued to the internet.

I bought a new car last year, but don't check the Ford website every 5 minutes for product recalls or bug fixes either. Because most people would call that obsessive, unreasonable and borderline insanity.

Maybe certain people in the train sim community need to get out more, maybe get a life?

Just an observation.

 

I’ve said this many times before but I’ll repeat it.

as a consumer a don’t care about if a fix had been submitted or not. A bug isn’t fixed until it’s no longer affecting my enjoyment. Internal politics is none of my concern and I shouldn’t have to wade through forums to find out why something isn’t fixed

 

I mean your profile states you’ve posted 83 messages in the last two weeks, but sure perhaps it is the rest of us who need to get a life….

 

Funny enough I’m only really on the forums for like 10 minutes a day if that.

Also I don’t really check their websites unless there’s a new update log, I just tune into the occasional stream and check notifications when I have nothing else to do lol.

Also for the record I work 3 8 hour shifts and one 6 hour shift all unpaid due to it being a internship +one full day of University to catch up on work from my classes so I have quite the life

anyways blame dtg

 

Its the one thing that has been 'phoned in' I have a massive respect for JT but do feel this compromise is a bit much. If the Sleepers were like they are now with only two trains each way I would maybe accept it. But there is far more.....

 

Trains like the Bristol to Glasgow/Edinburgh were huge consists too. Something like 15 or 16 coaches, one of the few scheduled passenger trains that needed the Lickey bank engine going north. When I last used it in around 1985, it was definitely Mark 3 sleepers and Mark 2A, B or C day coaches (not much sleep in those with the unrelenting fluorescent lighting on all night).

 

not to be *THAT* person, but Just Trains sending a fix to DTG doesnt help much when they held the Sprinter Express timetables for almost a year before they daned us worthy of having the update. even though Skyhook had it done and ready to go months earlier DTG still decided we werent entitled to it so we had to wait.

As awesome as it is having JT work on fixes and send them off to DTG, it doesnt do us much good untill DTG decide we are worthy to actually have the update.. JT could cure cancer, but it doesnt do much good if the people who need the fix cant have it

 

My biggest thoughts on this route now are if JT has taken any of those developments seen on MVL on board for their route? Because if they had it would be a total game changer, especially for such a heavy timetable.

 

The dentist chairs was one nickname. We have the mk2s and Mk1 BGs. The Sleeper arguably could get away with not having the cabins modelled to cut the bite on performance.

My era was the time when pairs of 37s used to back on at Waverley with a Generator van. In the Summer the Aberdeen, Invermess and Fort William all ran separately.

As said elsewhere the Sleepers still run on The Padd to Penzance so woild have a place in a new DLC for the modern day routes.