Tsw2 Woodhead Electric Railway In Blue

Discussion in 'Suggestions' started by MrSouthernDriver, Mar 26, 2021.

  1. MrSouthernDriver

    MrSouthernDriver Well-Known Member

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    A rich history of modernisation and refinement awaits you on the Woodhead Electric Railway – see for yourself how advances in power and route design gave new life to a struggling operation. From the first days of this route steep and unforgiving gradients combined with heavy coal trains to make it a challenge for steam trains, so even as far back as the GCR days, discussions of electrification were taking place…
    Words were turned into actions by the LNER in 1936, who planned out the electrification of the line between Sheffield and Manchester, including the branch line to Wath, and even had a majority of the overhead gantries in place before the start of the Second World War. While the conflict halted the project, it was reinstated as soon as the war ended, however one big change to the line was added into the plan.

    To traverse the Pennines, the Woodhead Line when built bored through the landscape with tunnels stretching to 3 miles long. Initially, a single-track tunnel “Woodhead 1” was opened in 1845 and was one of the longest in the world, this was soon followed by “Woodhead 2”, another single-track pathway though the Pennines. Enclosed, and damaged due to years of use by steam locomotives, it was decided that the electrified line would pass through “Woodhead 3”, a new twin-track tunnel that could incorporate the wires.

    A small fleet of 8 BR Class 506 EMUs were constructed for passenger use - these 3-car units would operate between Hadfield, Glossop and Manchester throughout their working lives. The 506s were rather unique, along with the 76s and the Woodhead Line itself, in being electrified to 1500V DC, instead of the conventional 25 kV AC, this different electrification made it easier for heavy trains to use regenerative braking on the unrelenting downhill sections.

    Despite the modernisation and new fleet, the Woodhead Line was closed to passenger traffic in 1970, this controversy was due to the Hope Valley Line being all around more convenient, albeit less direct. The Woodhead Electric Railway in Blue captures the route as it was in its waning years, and in addition to that, covers extra mileage such as the Glossop Branch and Reddish depot. If that wasn’t enough, the included traction; Class 08, Class 76 and Class 506, will all come equipped with Pro Range functionality for those who like an extra challenge. Glory in a piece of Railway history and experience the improvements that gave a brief second life to a truly wonderful route!

    the rolling stock


    [​IMG]

    The British Rail Class 08 is a class of diesel-electric shunting locomotive built by British Railways (BR). As the standard BR general-purpose diesel shunter, the class became a familiar sight at major stations and freight yards. Since their introduction in 1952 however, the nature of rail traffic in Britain has changed considerably. Freight trains are now mostly fixed rakes of wagons, and passenger trains are mostly multiple units, neither requiring the attention of a shunting locomotive. Consequently, a large proportion of the class has been withdrawn from mainline use and stored, scrapped, exported or sold to industrial or heritage railways. As of 2020, around 100 locomotives remained working on industrial sidings and on the main British network. On heritage railways, they have become common, appearing on many of the preserved standard-gauge lines in Britain, with over 70 preserved including the first one built.

    these will have 13 services and 2 services where the train has broken down and has to be shunted back to the yard

    [​IMG]

    The British Rail Class 506 was a 3 carriage Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) built for local services between Manchester, Glossop and Hadfield on the Woodhead Line, which was electrified in 1954 on the 1,500 V DC overhead system.

    these will run 81 services between sheffield victoria and manchester victoria

    [​IMG]

    The British Rail Class 76, also known as Class EM1 ( Electric Mixed-Traffic 1 ), is a class of 1.5 kV DC, Bo+Bo electric locomotive designed for use on the now-closed Woodhead Line in Northern England.

    these will run 31 freight services between sheffield and manchester victoria
     

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  2. jolojonasgames

    jolojonasgames Well-Known Member

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    This would be an unique and interesting. As a Dutchie I know that the class 76s had a carreer in the Netherlands after they were sold (as NS Serie 1500), that just makes the route more interesting to me.
     
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  3. OldVern

    OldVern Well-Known Member

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    Would make an excellent route although maybe a little too close to NTP in terms of area, from DTG marketing POV. But gets my vote.
     
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  4. driverwoods#1787

    driverwoods#1787 Well-Known Member

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    It'll be an excellent route however it's simply to close the northern transpennine via Huddersfield standedge tunnel. The sister game train Sim 21 has Forum discussions on how to operate class 76 locomotive and the class 506 EMU which doesn't have a speedometer unlike Northern transpennine Huddersfield standedge tunnel Class 101 DMU which has a speedometer. Basically what's going to happen here is this players who own the game and have the Woodhead route they're going to look into sister game train Sim 21 forums to find the solution they're looking for.
     
  5. driverwoods#1787

    driverwoods#1787 Well-Known Member

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    Also the Class 08 shunter which is the NS 0600 shunter.
     
  6. elarthur

    elarthur Well-Known Member

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    Woodhead route is much needed. Must at some point get the EM2 Class 77 Co Co locomotives too.
     
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  7. jolojonasgames

    jolojonasgames Well-Known Member

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    I made a mistake in my earlier comment, it weren't the 76's, but the 77's that went to the Netherlands :).
     
  8. elarthur

    elarthur Well-Known Member

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    That is correct. Class 76 were a little unusual in wheel arrangement being of Bo+Bo type and likely were not useful anywhere else.
     
  9. Tonto62

    Tonto62 Well-Known Member

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    Don't forget that there were also loco hauled services between Manchester Piccadilly and Sheffield. I travelled to Lincoln from Manchester in the 1960s and the run to Sheffield was hauled by a class 77. There were also diesel hauled services. The famous Harwich boat train was usually a class 37. It was also unusual because it used the crossover in platform 5 at Piccadilly to run round it's train. I would of course buy this in an instant. It's much wilder and very bleak compared to the Standedge route and would be a completely different experience with the old DC traction.
     
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  10. Purno

    Purno Well-Known Member

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    I own both Woodhead routes in Train Simulator, and I prefer the older one because it still has all passenger stations in use. So if the Woodhead line makes it into TSW, I do hope it's from the time periode when all stations were still in use. The Class 76 would be nice. Don't care much in which livery it comes with though :)
     
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  11. JJTimothy

    JJTimothy Well-Known Member

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    The prototype EM1 also spent some time in The Netherlands. She was built in the early '40s but the WW2 rather got in the way of the Woodhead electrification scheme (as the Great War did with the NER's electrification ambitions). I think there was just a shortage of locomotives after the hostilities and, since the LNER had a 1,500V DC loco' they couldn't use, she was loaned to Dutch Railways- presumably with her service there being monitored as an extended test. While in The Netherlands she acquired the affectionate nickname Tommy and was actually named such on her return to Britain when the Woodhead electrification was completed and she and her newly built sisters could finally enter service having been the sole member of her class for around a decade.

    The fact that Tommy was unceremoniously scrapped in the '70s having been considered unworthy of inclusion in the National Collection infuriates me to this day.
     
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  12. Medellinexpat

    Medellinexpat Well-Known Member

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    This would be a popular suggestion although it does raise an interesting question. Should TSW2 remake TS routes or seek new content? Perhaps variation, period/stock would make some sense. Also if Steam is coming wouldn’t an iconic route like this be a good choice?
     
  13. JJTimothy

    JJTimothy Well-Known Member

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    Makes perfect sense to me. Obviously the process of developing the routes and trains is quite different for each sim' but the research and some of the design work can be shared to the benefit of both as has obviously been the case with the Clinchfield routes. I don't particularly like Clinchfield (in TS), it's another plod through hills in some lumpy loco's you can't see out of very well, but by George it's beautifully made.
     

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