Upcoming London Commuter: Have You Decided What Service You'll Play First?

Discussion in 'Off Topic' started by cloudyskies21, Sep 23, 2021.

  1. cloudyskies21

    cloudyskies21 Well-Known Member

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    With the huge anticipation for the soon-to-be-released London Commuter Rush Hour route, have you decided what service you'll think you would play first and why to get into the spirit of the route?

    I'm thinking of driving the Gatwick Express 387 first from Brighton (starting somewhere familiar) to Victoria and hopefully seeing more and more traffic along the route. After that, I reckon straight to a slow line service to Reigate, before *hopefully* picking up the layered GWR 166 to Gatwick.
     
  2. Mattty May

    Mattty May Guest

    Definitely a Gatwick Express. The red 387 looks lovely and it’ll be a nice long run. Can’t wait.
     
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  3. stujoy

    stujoy Well-Known Member

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    Full route end to end of course, Brighton to London, around noon, on whatever service makes the fewest stops along the way. A standard type ‘looking at the route’ run.
     
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  4. Tay95

    Tay95 Well-Known Member

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    Something in the day time for sure to have a good nosey around!
     
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  5. Crosstie

    Crosstie Well-Known Member

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    Express from Brighton to Victoria (if there is such a service) just to get familiar with the route. What are the speed limits generally?

    Used to be you could do it in 4 minutes. :D
     
    Last edited: Sep 25, 2021
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  6. cloudyskies21

    cloudyskies21 Well-Known Member

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    Your best bet for such a service will be the Gatwick Express 387. I believe the max line speed is 90mph.

    Haha yes, a classic. :cool:
     
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  7. CK95

    CK95 Well-Known Member

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    Personally I’ll work my way through the training and scenarios, then my first timetable service will likely be a GX service from Brighton to Victoria via Gatwick Airport, followed by a Southern service to Reigate and then hopefully a GWR service to Gatwick and then from Gatwick to Brighton via GX again.

    So less of a service and more of a shift, but obviously that depends on the layers and timetable allowing me to do so without too much waiting time.
     
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  8. ARuscoe

    ARuscoe Well-Known Member

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    If you want to look at a route, run freight. They'll do the entire length of this route at 60mph with no stops unless there's adverse signals

    First full run is going to be whatever comes up in journey mode for me. I don't bother cherry picking until I've run a few and know the station markers and big speed drops.
     
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  9. Southern Driver

    Southern Driver Active Member

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    I shall be interested to see if the 100mph section south of Gatwick is still there. As for speeds, rough guide for the fast lines is

    Victoria to Clapham - 45mph
    Clapham to Wandsworth Common - 60mph
    Wandsworth Common to Selhurst - 70mph
    Selhurst to East Croydon - 45mph
    East Croydon to Purley Oaks - 60mph
    Purley Oaks to Brighton - mostly 90mph

    If they’re including a more challenging run then a fairly often occurrence is fast line closure between Victoria & East Croydon meaning you’ve a few more speed restrictions to think about on the slow lines.
     
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  10. trainsimplayer

    trainsimplayer Well-Known Member

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    I think I'll just hop on a 387 service from Brighton up to Victoria when I get on BML.
     
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  11. Oo7 BELL 7oO

    Oo7 BELL 7oO Active Member

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    I’d probably also do a Brighton-Lon Vic with Gatwick Express and the do an all stops (or majority stops) service on the 377 returning to Brighton.
     
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  12. paulc

    paulc Well-Known Member

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    Has anything been mentioned about freight? Will this route come with many freight services?
     
  13. ARuscoe

    ARuscoe Well-Known Member

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    Nothing's been mentioned specifically about any of the services, but the freight services from ECW all end up on this line somewhere...
     
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  14. Factor41

    Factor41 Well-Known Member

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    Same here. But before that we get to the fun bit, we'll have to have to prove to Dovetail that we understand how a controller works again by looking at some markers, then have a little walk around, and a short passenger ride...
     
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  15. ARuscoe

    ARuscoe Well-Known Member

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    And while my computer is doing that, I'll watch something on youtube on the other screen
     
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  16. cloudyskies21

    cloudyskies21 Well-Known Member

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    I believe the track north of Balcombe Tunnel up to around the Horley area is nowadays at 90mph, though yes I think this section was 100mph historically.
     
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  17. formulabee#1362

    formulabee#1362 Well-Known Member

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    I’ll be going straight to Clapham Junction or Wimbledon
     
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  18. Krazy

    Krazy Well-Known Member

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    When I get the route, I'll probably do what I did when I first got the other Rush Hour routes. I'll stand at London Victoria during the morning rush, and watch a bunch of Electrostars coming in and out of the station.
     
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  19. ARuscoe

    ARuscoe Well-Known Member

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    And a few networkers, if you have that DLC
     
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  20. trainsimplayer

    trainsimplayer Well-Known Member

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    I think after my first run I'll be doing much of the same. Clapham especially will be very interesting to see.
     
  21. ARuscoe

    ARuscoe Well-Known Member

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    Clapham will look weird without SWR and LO services. 5 platforms used out of 15...
    Wimbledon isn't on the route. Southern don't call at Wimbeldon at all, only SouthWestern and Thameslink (and the trams)
     
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  22. Northerner

    Northerner Well-Known Member

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    It'll probably be a Brighton - Victoria stopper for me, to do the full route and experience the approach into London.
     
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  23. trainsimplayer

    trainsimplayer Well-Known Member

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    I'll just turn my camera around :D
     
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  24. Southern Driver

    Southern Driver Active Member

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    southern did serve Wimbledon twice a day I think it was before the Covid19 timetables came in. The services went from London Bridge and round the loop via Sutton & Tooting. Around 10 years ago you could go to Wimbledon from Clapham Jnc via Tooting as well as the more obvious way!!
     
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  25. moofeen#2182

    moofeen#2182 Active Member

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    The highest I think is around 140-160
     
  26. moofeen#2182

    moofeen#2182 Active Member

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    N
    Nope but the class 09 layers on this route so kinda ya
     
  27. Crosstie

    Crosstie Well-Known Member

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    So, basically just a scenery item.
    No driveable freight services have been mentioned or promised on the upcoming BML.
     
    Last edited: Sep 27, 2021
  28. Crosstie

    Crosstie Well-Known Member

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    I assume you mean kph. Others have put it between 45 and 90 mph.
     
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  29. moofeen#2182

    moofeen#2182 Active Member

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    Yes
     
  30. ARuscoe

    ARuscoe Well-Known Member

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    Yeah, haven't checked pre covid but those services are all done by Thameslink now
     
  31. Coastway trainspotter

    Coastway trainspotter Well-Known Member

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    The 387 , Brighton - Victoria
     
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  32. paulc

    paulc Well-Known Member

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    If this turns out to be true then it's not for me as with Cathcart, no freight no buy.
     
  33. CK95

    CK95 Well-Known Member

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    To be fair BML, and Cathcart are both primarily passenger corridors, Cathcart being literally only a passenger line.

    Not sure how realistic it would be to expect freight on BML considering how little freight actually runs on it IRL.
     
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  34. paulc

    paulc Well-Known Member

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    Yeah thats fair enough :)

    I understand Cathcart has 1 engineering train, if there was a few engineering/loco rescue services to run on BML I might consider it.
     
  35. ARuscoe

    ARuscoe Well-Known Member

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    Almost all railways in the UK are "primarily passenger", but if you look at the freight possibilities through East Croydon or Haywards Heath there are a fair few

    East Croydon freight only
    Haywards Heath freight only
    Links valid until 4th October 21
     
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  36. Southern Driver

    Southern Driver Active Member

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    surprisingly little, however there are freights that run to Ardingly & Newhaven. So it’s not unreasonable to expect them to be included.
     
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  37. ARuscoe

    ARuscoe Well-Known Member

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    14 freight runs via East Croydon last Friday, 57 paths available
    10 via Haywards Heath out of 24 paths

    some of these are engineering, some are ECS engine runs
     
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  38. Crosstie

    Crosstie Well-Known Member

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    I'd love to be surprised by the inclusion of some freight services, but my gut tells me it ain't happening, at least not at launch. Maybe a dlc pack in the distant future???
     
  39. cloudyskies21

    cloudyskies21 Well-Known Member

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    I'd be highly surprised if no freight was included, especially when the Class 66 is already on several other routes. I think freight might be very limited though. My hope is that DTG remember the Class 66 service on ECW between Lewes and Newhaven - hence if they want to be consistent across routes, then this service should appear at Wivelsfield for the player to drive after coming to/from the Keymer Junction branch (after theoretically leaving Lewes).
     
  40. Southern Driver

    Southern Driver Active Member

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    There is nowhere near enough freight to warrant that!!! DLC charge for a handful of freights is not going to be happening I hope!!
     
  41. penguinmatt#1924

    penguinmatt#1924 Active Member

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    I'm tempted to just spawn on foot at Haywards Heath, as that was my local station when I was younger, just for an explore.
     
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  42. Mattty May

    Mattty May Guest

    I wonder what the collectables will be? Hopefully not the bog standard maps, posters, ticket machines etc.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 27, 2021
  43. cloudyskies21

    cloudyskies21 Well-Known Member

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    Good question. I think maps will be there, plus maybe holiday-themed posters promoting the South Coast as it's themed around summer. Some unique collectables I think focused around this theme could be stuff like postcards, sunglasses, sun cream, ice cream? :cool:
     
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  44. ARuscoe

    ARuscoe Well-Known Member

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    That's fine for Brighton itself, probably less likely in Clapham
     
  45. Southern Driver

    Southern Driver Active Member

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    Having done several night shifts at Clapham Jnc around 20 years ago I can say it’s definitely not less likely!!
     
  46. ARuscoe

    ARuscoe Well-Known Member

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    Sunglasses and postcards?
    I mean ice cream maybe not but don't see too many postcard stands in SW London :cool:
     
  47. marcsharp2

    marcsharp2 Well-Known Member

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    Usually after the route launch I like to do the training runs first, Then I'll check out the activities. Once they are done I like to check out the scenarios and pick one that starts in the depot.
     
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  48. mattwild55

    mattwild55 Well-Known Member

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    I'll spawn on foot at approximate real time and real weather at Balham (as it's the closest stop on the services that are incoming from Epsom where I grew up) then take the next available commuter metro service as a passenger into Victoria to ogle the scenery and the general business. Also helpfully tests the frequency of metro services ;)

    Then I'll probably try and take over whatever the next GX fast service is to Brighton to give the 387 a spin and see the rest of the route!
     
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  49. TinTin_57

    TinTin_57 Well-Known Member

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    As it stands now on PS5 this route won’t even appear on release day unless I delete old routes first to make way. Boston and Dresden are still missing for a lot of us, but that’s a story covered in another thread. On the original question, I’d like to go and see Battersea Power station and spawn somewhere there on foot
     
  50. taybarker20

    taybarker20 Active Member

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    I think first I’m gonna do a Gatwick express service to Brighton then a 377 doing a uncoupling service then a Reigate service
     
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