Midland Mainline - Derby To Sheffield

Discussion in 'Suggestions' started by chris-penny, May 17, 2020.

  1. chris-penny

    chris-penny Active Member

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    The Midland Mainline is one of the most important routes for England. It connects the north and the south, bringing frieght from the ports and bussiness people commuting down to London.

    The current rolling stock from Derby to Sheffield consists of the following:

    Class 125/43 HST - EMR & Cross Country
    [​IMG]

    Class 150 Sprinter - Northern Rail (2-4 coach formation)
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    Class 153 Super Sprinter - EMR & Northen Rail (1 coach formation)
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    Class 158 Super Sprinter - Northen Rail & EMR (2 coach formation)
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    Class 158 Express Sprinter - EMR & Northen Rail (2-3-4-6 coach formation)
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    Class 220 Voyager- Cross Country(4 coach formation per train set)
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    Class 221 Super Voyager - Cross Country(4/5 coaches per train set)
    [​IMG]
    Same cab as Class 220
    Class 222 Meridian - EMR(4,5,7&9 coach formation per set)
    [​IMG]
    Same cab as class 220

    The Derby to Sheffield Route

    The track distance for this part of the mainline is 36 miles long. Derby Etches Park depot is whe EMR trains rest and get maintained. The route starts with both the frieght, regional and high speed intercity lines at Derby. It contiues through Duffield(regional only stop) and Belper(regional and limited intercity stop). The main regional line brannches off at Ambergate junction towards Matlock and Manchester. If a regional train wants to continue towards Sheffield, it joines the intercity line and a regional line joins again, shortly after Ambergate. The route goes on to Alfreton(regional only stop), Chesterfield(regional and intercity route), Dronfield(regional and limited intercity stop) then lastly the majority of trains terminate at Sheffield. Sheffield has a maintenance depo for a few regional trains.
    /all infomation off personal knowledge and trusted websites\
    Short video of route:


    Derby Station

    [​IMG]
    Duffield Station
    [​IMG]

    Belper Station
    [​IMG]

    Alfreton Station
    [​IMG]
    Chesterfield Station

    [​IMG]
    Dronfield Station
    [​IMG]
    Sheffield Station

    [​IMG]


    This route is my favorite one in England. I'm very fimiliar with it and use it frequently. It's a very sceneic route with la big variety of rolling stock. I would love to see it in the game. I know it's already on TS 2020 so it shouldn't be too hard to have it on TSW as DTV already have a lot of the scenary. Please, Please, Please add this route!
     
    Last edited: May 19, 2020
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  2. Factor41

    Factor41 Well-Known Member

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    I'd buy this if it came with a 158 and a 220/221/222.
     
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  3. fabdiva

    fabdiva Well-Known Member

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    Is the Just Trains MML on Steam then? I thought it was still exclusive to the JT store at the moment. Either way I think this is going to be unlikely for a while, not because it's a bad idea but because JT have just released it for TS Classic, with JT being in the partner programme I suspect DTG will not want to step on their toes.

    Also it's not possible to port routes easily from TS Classic to TSW, while some assets could probably be reused they would still have to be manually placed in Unreal, so a major job.
     
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  4. chris-penny

    chris-penny Active Member

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    Yeah they're the main four on the route
     
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  5. Iskra

    Iskra Active Member

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    Interesting that the line conveys only businessmen and not women.

    I like the JT route for the moment and we have all the stock for it there plus all the enhancements, so even if it were available I'm not sure I'd be tempted away from the JT version for quite some time, to run just the 2/3 trains TSW may provide.
     
  6. chris-penny

    chris-penny Active Member

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    I'm not saying that TWS will only have 2/3 trains. It opens a lot of opportunites for addons, giving DTG more investment.
    Also bussinessmen is the plural term for men and women. It's like the word 'human', there's no huwoman.
     
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  7. Iskra

    Iskra Active Member

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    'Business people' would solve the issue.
     
  8. byeo

    byeo Well-Known Member

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    The Class 43’s only run Sheffield - Derby - St Pancras early morning and late evening (normally) as they do the Nottingham - St Pancras services. Still, the 222 is a great loco and I’d love to see this in TSW, I’m a Sheffielder so it’s a route close to my heart. In a perfect world they would do the MML Sheffield - Loughborough as it’ll have a really good length to it as well as multiple stops in a HST.
     
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  9. Kim1087

    Kim1087 Well-Known Member

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    it gets my vote :)
     
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  10. Olaf the Snowman

    Olaf the Snowman Well-Known Member

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    Nice idea. It’s a good alternative because whilst I would love to have St Pancras to Derby/Sheffield or Nottingham, it’s not realistic because of the distance involved. This, on the other hand, is only 36 miles so similar to Paddington to Reading in mileage. It would be nice to see an updated HST with improved physics but also a HST with a VP185 engine which sound and smoke like a semi-Valenta engine.
     
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  11. kennyjamesscott

    kennyjamesscott Well-Known Member

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    Why not start the route from Leicester?
     
  12. byeo

    byeo Well-Known Member

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    The Sheffield - Derby section of the MML is quite scenic
     
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  13. bananaleaderoceanic

    bananaleaderoceanic New Member

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    I’d happily buy it if they put the class 158
     
  14. chris-penny

    chris-penny Active Member

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    I am a 'Chesterfielder' so this is also close to my heart. I only did Derby-Sheffield route because I didn't know what is the recommended length for a route on the game and Derby Etches Park depot, i thought, was a good start to the route because of the EMR's depot. But I would really like to go from loughborough, that was my original choice-plus it still goes through Derby .I don't know too much about the HST timetable, i can only put what I know from hearing them go past but now you've said it, it does make sense.
     
  15. byeo

    byeo Well-Known Member

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    I only know as I follow a train manager for EMR on Twitter and I asked him about the Class 43’s. I also follow a YouTuber who’s a train driver based at Manchester Piccadilly called Don Coffey who’s got a few videos (from other drivers) of some EMT/EMR routes. Excellent videos and informative, well worth a watch.
    London St Pancras - Derby Class 222

    Derby - Lincoln then Lincoln to Loughborough via Nottingham Class 222

    Leeds - Derby via Sheffield Class 43
     
    Last edited: May 19, 2020
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  16. Olaf the Snowman

    Olaf the Snowman Well-Known Member

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    HSTs tend to be once an hour on the fast Nottingham services from St Pancras. They don’t tend to go Derby or Sheffield although there are a few services that do go in the day. Since EMT (now EMR) inherited the 6 power cars (and coaches) from Grand Central in 2017, they use these sets for the Derby and Sheffields because they are only 6 coaches long as opposed to 7 or 8 so they can just about keep to the same timings as a Class 222. A 7 or 8 coach HST would lose time compared to a Class 222 because of the slower acceleration (and dwell times at stations).

    The 6 ex Grand Central power cars are unique in a few ways:
    1. They have MTU engines as oppose to VP185s
    2. They have buffers on the power car which are only the power cars to do so apart from the couple that Network Rail have for the engineering train
    3. They run as 6 coaches instead of 7
    3. EMT put a slightly different livery on it as shown below

    Sadly, the HSTs will be going at the end of this year or that’s the plan anyway so this will mark the end of HSTs on Intercity services apart from the few sets that Cross Country have and this will also mark the end of slam door coaches (there may be a few small exceptions but on regular mainline services anyway)

    EMT/EMR Mk3s are nice because they still have the old Intercity seats which are super comfy. Or at least in my opinion because I know they are like marmite due to them being so low down. It gives a very nice atmosphere and ambience because the coach is so much more open. Compare that to the FGW/GWR Mk3s- whilst the seats were comfortable, they were very high which just ruined the ambience of the coach and let’s not even mention how bright the lighting was on them.
     
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  17. chris-penny

    chris-penny Active Member

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    Thank you, this is great!:)
     
  18. Olaf the Snowman

    Olaf the Snowman Well-Known Member

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    383B578E-D03B-4CD6-A43A-B527EB59C95A.jpeg
    Ex-Grand Central power cars inherited in 2017 with slightly different livery, buffers and MTU engine

    E563D3E2-1135-41E7-9609-DEED4F7E3719.jpeg
    Normal EMT power car with VP185 engine

    4082460D-79E4-4EC5-B2AD-E6D49507115D.jpeg 005604FB-ADB8-4FCB-A91A-CF79567252D6.jpeg
    EMT interior (top) and FGW/GWR interior (bottom).
     
  19. Iskra

    Iskra Active Member

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    Of course, XC HST's do run Derby-Sheffield during the day too.
     
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  20. carlos_2007

    carlos_2007 New Member

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    I'd definitely buy it if they bring this out
     
  21. Lightspeed

    Lightspeed Well-Known Member

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    It would make sense to include Leicester at least, as that is a main station where all trains stop to let passengers on. Plus there is a siding just outside of Leicester station where there are old locos being stored there. Could have some rail tours included in the route as part of a service on timetable mode, just like on East Coastway. To be fair, I’ll be over the moon if this got included into Midland Mainline if it gets made. One scenario I like to see is where you’re driving a class 222 all the way from Derby depot all the way to Lincoln and back to Nottingham after changing cabs and coupling to another 222, after the train starts to get packed because of the morning rush.

    Not sure about freight opportunities though.
     
  22. TrainSim_Fan

    TrainSim_Fan Well-Known Member

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    Looks fantastic, would love to see this in the game.
     
  23. londonmidland

    londonmidland Well-Known Member

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    I'd love to see the MML in TSW although I do request that the line runs down to Leicester instead of terminating at Derby. Simply because it gives us extra mileage and also the rather impressive cooling towers visible at East Midlands Parkway.

    If not possible, then perhaps the Matlock branch could be included instead?

    Finally, I don't think there would be any Northern stock included as that only really runs between Chesterfield and Sheffield, which isn't a great distance.
     
  24. Captaintraincrash

    Captaintraincrash Active Member

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    take my money
     
  25. Lightspeed

    Lightspeed Well-Known Member

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    The cooling towers at East Midland Parkway station are massive and plus there’s a tunnel that leads to a small bridge overlooking what appears to be a waterfall.
     
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  26. Lightspeed

    Lightspeed Well-Known Member

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    So what’s the speed limit between Leicester and Nottingham station? It’s 80mph isn’t it? I know the speed limit between st Pancras to Leicester is 80mph-125mph or something like that. Don’t know the speed limits on the slow lines though.
     
  27. londonmidland

    londonmidland Well-Known Member

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    Leicester - Loughborough is the fastest part of the line between Leicester and Nottingham, with 120mph being permitted for a short section of the line through Loughborough on the fasts.
     
  28. Lightspeed

    Lightspeed Well-Known Member

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    What about the slow lines where the 158s run?
     
  29. Lightspeed

    Lightspeed Well-Known Member

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    So if this got brought into TSW, then I think the route should go like this:

    Leicester-Nottingham on the fast services.
    Leicester-Derby on the fast services.
    Leicester-Lincoln Central via Nottingham.

    For slow passenger services:

    Leicester-Nottingham. Stopping at Syston, East Midlands Parkway, Beeston and Nottingham.

    Don’t know anything else that do services on the slow lines....
     
  30. johnjohn190690

    johnjohn190690 Active Member

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    This route gets my vote. Just Trains have did well from Derby - Leicester - Nottingham if we can get this in TSW2 will purchase right away it's 40 mile route then at a later could do route extension to either Sheffield or Bedford.
     
  31. ehrenholt

    ehrenholt Active Member

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    YES YES YES we need sheffield in tsw2
     

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