Birmingham 2020

If, like me, you've been in the community for the original Train Simulator you may remember the Birmingham 2010 route, a fairly sizeable network route based around Birmingham. In effect, I am just suggesting a remake of this for Train Sim World 2, but with a few extra route miles added in to allow for more driving and riding time. The main core of the route would be part of the CrossCountry route, the section included in this being Stoke Works Junction to Derby. The other lines included would be as follows:

Redditch - Aston (Cross City South), Birmingham New Street to Birmingham International / Solihull / Walsall / Oxley Depot / Nuneaton, Smethwick Galton Bridge - Solihull (to allow for some Chiltern services to be rideable for players, the Trent Valley Line from Nuneaton to Lichfield Trent Valley, the Camp Hill Line from Kings Norton round via Mossley to Birmingham New Street and Landor Street Jn and finally, probably the most ambitious part of this suggestion, the West Midlands Metro from Birmingham New Street to the depot for the trams at Wednesbury Parkway

Essential Features

• To be able to walk between Birmingham New Street and Birmingham Moor Street (or catch a bus if you want to put the effort into that)
• The section of the WM Metro where it is running through the centre of Birmingham to be fully detailed and not just spamming a lot of tall buildings and shops in.
• Freight paths that will utilise Stoke Works loop, therefore allowing for the player to drive them from either Landor Street Junction or Burton-On-Trent, depending on where they come from
• Scenarios where you drive trains onto both Tyseley, Oxley and Soho depots.
• The ability to spawn at well known trainspotting places such as Vigo Bridge and Pikes Pool

Included Rolling Stock:

Quite possibly the largest list of requested new stock in one go, but here is the list anyway

• CAF Urbos 3 Tram (WM Metro)
• Class 170 'Turbostar' in both Cross Country and West Midlands Railway livery
• Class 43 'HST' in Cross Country livery (a slide door version would be better than slam doors as those already exist)
• Class 323 in West Midlands Railway livery (including the BTP livery)
• Class 350 'Desiro' in LNWR Ex-LM and LNWR livery (including BTP livery on Ex-LM variant)
• Class 390 'Pendolino' in Avanti West Coast livery (both full livery and half livery as well as Pride)
• Class 168/0/1 'Clubman' in Chiltern Railways livery
• Class 172/2/3 in West Midlands Railway livery
• Class 220/221 'Voyager' in Cross Country and Avanti West Coast livery
• Class 60 in DB Red livery and TEA Tankers (Westerleigh - Lindsey workings)
• Class 66 in GBRf, DB Schenker and DRS livery with JPA Wagons (GBRf), BAA/BZA and BYA wagons (DB) and IKA Intermodal Wagons (DRS)
• Class 37/9 in Europhoenix livery (for Class 350 drags to/from Long Marston)

Possible DLC opportunities in the future

• Class 68+Mk3's+DVT for the Chiltern services as well as flasks to and from Dungeness and Berkeley
• Pre-Privatisation pack including Class 117, Class 309/310, Class 321 and Class 87/47+Mk2's
• Class 150/158/175 for the Aberystwyth - Birmingham International services
• The other Class 168 and 172 subclasses (/0 and /1 for the 172's, /2 and /3 for the 168's)
• Class 150/1 and /2 for the Snow Hill Lines
• Class 67 for the original loco hauled Chiltern sets as well as Wrexham & Shropshire workings

Reference Images for some stock
Class 168/0


Class 37/9


Class 43 with Sliding Doors


Class 172


WM Metro tram

 

I mean, yeah, it would be brilliant to get aaaaaallll of the things.

What d'you want to pay for this lot, £24.99 as normal?! Can't see any flaws in this plan at all...

Essential. Uhhh huh.

 

£124.99 would be about right

 

I might wait for a sale

 

It might be a while if your on Xbox

 

It's ambitious, I'll give you that.

Maybe I'll also wait for a sale.

 

I think youve missed off the 2 branches from Birmingham New Street which should definately be included in this DLC.
The southern Branch to London Euston and then the Northern Branch up to Glasgow.

I mean we could also ask for the spur line to Edinburgh along with the Birmingham avoiding line down the trent valley but I think that might be pushing things to expect those to be added within the DLC.

Either way if DTG try charging more than £25.00 for this DLC, I will be consulting my lawyer about the infringement on my human rights

 

Sadly their are liscensing problems with cross country

 

13 locos in one pack?
And probably about 100 route miles?
Not likely in one pack and they don't do networks or extensions

 

Here is my wallet! Where do I pre order?

 

Having gone over it again, I’ve narrowed down the stock to ones which would be essential for an even slightly realistic representation of these routes. These units are:

Class 170/172 Turbostar (WMR, Cross Country and Chiltern Railways)
Class 323
Class 350
Class 60 in DB+TEA’s
Midland Metro Trams

Possible future DLC’s apart from ones previously mentioned could be:

Class 390, 221, 175 and 158 for Wolverhampton - Birmingham International

Class 66 in DB and GBRf livery with a variety of wagons for a Freight Pack

Class 168/0 for Smethwick Galton Bridge - Solihull

Midland Metro between New Street and Snow Hill

Class 67 for Wrexham & Shropshire Workings

Class 43 & 220 for a CrossCountry pack

 

The locos are probably less of an issue than the route itself tbh, it's far too long.

 

Nothing but respect for the optimism in some of these suggestions. Dresden couldn't even have its branch lines but we're looking forward to Birmingham Sim 2022, complete with trams, functioning buses and sightseeing walks!

 

So now twenty trains... definitely not going to happen