Same, I've hardly bought any DLC since the half-a-job Cardiff City Network that had the line down to Barry cut out just to cash it in. Roadmap streams bring up the indentical issues that were talked about in 2022 and still exist, the marketing crew just change their spiel to twist the narrative back to dangling many carrots "we think we know the issue"....
For last beeping time they can’t until the Mac fixes from eons ago are put in by DTG (class 86 case again) if they added anything new to that build it would have to go through another round of qa which ends up taking much longer, when they were talking about it on stream they had a dig at DTG so high chance it’s accurate info, since most would be annoyed by having their new build stuck in qa hell
Some of your suggestions in this and other posts are very very off the mark and I’ve felt the need to create an account just to reply to them! Class 90 locomotives saw regular use between October 2024 and March 2025 over a large section of the GOBLIN, working the 4M88 Felixstowe to Ditton service, which doesn't now run. However, a pair worked over this section on Monday night (2 days ago!) working the diverted 4S88 Felixstowe to Coatbridge service because of a bridge strike on the Camden - Stratford section. In terms of your comments about the LTS, these are also incorrect. Until 2019, DB used them on the Dagenham - Mossend car train which also went via the full length of the GOBLIN for part of that time - there are pictures of 90s at Upper Holloway and Walthamstow working this train. I don’t see why class 90s wouldn’t be cleared for the whole route considering they have operated over it on a daily basis. Saying “they don’t run there every day anymore, so they’re not cleared anymore” I don’t believe is how it works, or how would steam locos get cleared for lines?
Wonderful post and thank you for bringing some items to my attention. Just curious to where you got your information? I have a few questions for you! How did the 4M88 services that according to you ran along vast parts of the GOBLiN get onto that section of the line from the GEML/NLL under electric power? Please see my earlier post in this thread regarding the Tottenham incline and Heavy electric freight locomotives. 4S88 was pathed as a Class 66 from Freightliner's Felixstowe terminal to Basford Hall on Monday evening due to overhead line issues in Colchester, which allowed for it to go via South Tottenham due to a bridge strike. You can see this in the Real Time Trains data as no loco swap was planned until Basford Hall. https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:H03954/2026-04-27/detailed . I also know this to have been a Class 66 as I watched it go past me at Colchester while waiting for a train to London Liverpool Street to go to work as a train driver. Last night 4S88 was Class 90's from Ipswich as I was sat on Kelvedon station as it comes through 4 minutes before the train I normally get to work when on the Sleeper job out of Euston. Are you sure that the services on the car train that used Class 90's is as late as 2019? The contract for the most part of 2010 onwards has been either GBRf or DRS neither of which have had Class 90's. A Class 92 was used by GBRf during the early parts of their contract, however this had to be amended due to the issues below about power supply. I cannot find any publicly available photos of a Class 90 on the car train in London as you mention apart from some early 2000's at Lockerbie on its way to Mossend, so please share if you can, would love to see them. The issue is that currently and for some time, electric locomotives have been restricted along certain parts of the LTS (through Barking) due to electrical draw in the area at certain times of the day, normally when freight is cleared to run, so it's easier for a Class 66/68 to haul services. This is currently why the Class 99 hasn't been along the LTS yet for route clearing runs. There are lots of reasons why a locomotive can lose access to particular parts of the network, it's down to changes to the Sectional Appendix and also Network Rail having operational reasons. A steam locomotive can power it's way along any line, an electric locomotive is governed by the availability of OHLE, which are affected by power supply issues/demand on the grid.
This is something I guess I didn't learn about and maintain knowledge of from my BR days mainly because I was with a passenger operating department but does the old BR "Route availability" number still apply to locos?
Yes it does, however there are amendments to this that can be localised and mentioned in the Sectional Appendix. For example, Class 92 and MK5 coaches have just been cleared to run from Crewe to Preston via Bolton and go over it for the first time this Sunday night, but this isn't in the SA yet and will come as a NR Amendment and certification of acceptance.
4M88 ran via South Tottenham with 2x 90 everyday and I know this for a fact as I saw it most days during the holidays for the novelty of 90s on that route! I don’t know about Tottenham Incline, all I can say is that I’ve seen them with my own eyes going up it. 4S88 may have been pathed as a 66 (note - pathed is not the same as booked, it’s almost always 2x 90 from Ipswich) but all reports suggest 90004/041 worked that train from Ipswich - are you sure we’ve got the same train? It also took under 9 minutes getting from Ipswich to Manningtree which seems a tad too quick for a 66. Even if it was a 66, I saw a pair of 90s go that way on 4M53 a couple of months back so it still happens. About 6X77 here are two pictures on Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/13818...xF-25kxbDA-H4G4tL-H2Bhqj-CqoYgt-aGHPZM-afHcQT https://www.flickr.com/photos/21611...xF-25kxbDA-H4G4tL-H2Bhqj-CqoYgt-aGHPZM-afHcQT
As a driver that signs the routes I know the limitations as written in the Sectional Appendix, and that's what I'm basing my answers regarding 90s on the GOBLIN, the Tottenham incline is not cleared for daily heavy electric freight locomotives, emergency working possibly but they can no longer be booked that way every day for the reasons I've mentioned. Times change so it may well have happened in the past, but as it stands with current guidelines it cannot be a daily event. In regards to doing Ipswich to Manningtree in 9 minutes with a Class 66, it's very possible. 4S88 is a short, light train and a 66 could easily pull 1200 tonnes along that section (I know I've done it) between the locations in 9 minutes. Thanks for the photo links, most interesting.
There’s not really much I can say in response to this about 4M88 but all I can say is that I have so many sightings of 90s working this train at Gospel Oak, Upper Holloway… I’ve even seen them come off the aforementioned curve at South Tottenham, I’m not going to argue as you clearly have your view set in stone but this was a daily working for 6 months, about 4S88 as I say all reports I’ve seen suggest 90s, the TOPS reports show them being at Ipswich on Monday afternoon and at Coatbridge Tuesday morning and of the current paths 4S88 is the only one that does that.
I'm not looking to argue with you either, I'm just advising that Class 88, 90, 92, 93 and 99's, according to the NR documents I get sent as part of my job, state that no electric heavy freight locomotives are cleared to use the Tottenham incline on a daily basis at the present time. You could well be right, regarding Monday night and I could very well be wrong, I only caught sight of the wagons going past between passenger trains with the ying ying of a Class 66. Opentrainmaps and trakey both showed it as the Coatbridge, but there was no power in the OHLE at the time. Thanks for the information regarding 90s on the GOBLIN most informative. Have a cracking weekend.
Can we get back to discussing the awfully bugged Class 90 for TSW? Maybe even the lack of support or updates since the botched release? ta.
Haha i mean it sure has taken a long time to "upload the correct build" Would think it's just pressing a button? Anyway, my wallet is slightly happier since i ain't buying til AWS is fixed on controller.
