When I first saw a picture of the new Portsmouth Direct I was so excited! Will there finally be a Waterloo to Basingstoke route going through my town? After reading the article about it however, I was disappointed to find out it didn't. I spoke too a few train simulator fans I knew and they were also very disappointed at this. I then thought that it would be great to extend it too Basingstoke as this would be a DLC that I and many others would definitely buy. As a bonus and to make the purchase more worthwhile, the route could also branch off to Alton. As a bonus, this route could also contain the South West Trains class 158 and 159 yo make it an even better purchase. This DLC would include the following stations on the South Western Mainline: Brookwood Farnbourough Fleet Winchfield Hook Basingstoke And on the Alton Branch: Ash Vale North Camp Aldershot Farnham Bently Alton I hope you like my idea and take it on board. I would be happy with just the stretch to Basingstoke, but Alton would be even better.
voted good idea as a bonus (maybe with MHR as a secondary bonus as the JT one is kinda old) yours ever [SR] 73096
I would love bolting down to Weymouth in a 444, 442 or even 423. Lymington branch with an upgraded slammer would be fantastic.
As a Mid Hants Railway volunteer I love this suggestion. This could take the form of an expanded DLC, much like the South Wales Coastal and North London Line routes. I would suggest that the following be included: - The line from Ascot to Guildford, in it's entirety. Certainly I think that the section from Aldershot to Guildford should be included given that Guildford already features on the current route and an extension to Alton would require the modelling of Aldershot. - The line from Woking to Alton, as suggested above. - The line from Woking to Basingstoke, as also suggested above. - The Mid Hants Railway from Alton to Alresford. The Just Trains route is now looking very outdated and also appears to have the problem, for me, that it can't be run with dynamic lighting turned on. - BR Class 159 DMU in the last SWT Liveries (The version without the 'flaring' on the red section at the front and the version without) - BR Class 456 EMU in SWT Red - BR Class 166 DMU in GWR Green (Old Default version for AI) - LSWR/SR Class S15 4-6-0 in LSWR Green, SR Black and BR Black. An odd suggestion, one could say, but my thinking is that in the next few years there will be at least one Urie S15, if not two, in operation on the Mid Hants Railway in addition to a Maunsell S15 as already modelled in TS. It'd offer a nice variation on an existing loco, much like the units suggested above. The specific locos are the Urie Locomotive Society's 499 and 506 (to be outshopped in LSWR green and either SR or BR black respectively) and the Eastleigh Railway Society's 828 (to be outshopped in... I'm not sure!). There are no operational S15's on the MHR currently, but there will be soon. - BR MK1 Coaches in BR(S) Green. The Mainstay of the MHR Carriage Fleet. If the route is to be made as a standalone one, but able to be merged with the existing route, then I would suggest the following be included: - SWML Woking - Basingstoke (SWT) - Berks & Hants Line Basingstoke - Reading (GWR) - North Downs Line Guildford - Reading (GWR) - Reading - Ascot (SWT) - Ascot - Guildford via Aldershot (SWT) - Woking - Alton via Aldershot (SWT) - Alton - Alresford (MHR) - Current BR Class 450 EMU (SWT Livery as per main route) - BR Class 458 EMU (SWT Livery) - Updated BR Class 166 DMU (GWR Green and FGW Purple) - LSWR/SR Class S15 4-6-0 in LSWR Green, SR Black and BR Black. - SR Merchant Navy No.35005 'Canadian Pacific' or SR West Country No.34105 'Swanage'. - BR MK1 Coaches (BR(S) Green)
I agree, they all sound great! maybe Canadian Pacific, Lord Nelson, Cheltenham or Wadebridge could go with the Mid Hants too. Canadian Pacific in particular.
I would love the Waterloo - Aldershot - Alton -Alresford, with the line connected in from Guildford also. I also think the JT MHR looks really outdated, I had to swap out the track textures for something new (Using the PDE track) and makes it look 10x better. Would also like to see the Line Via Basingstoke too into Portsmouth. Woking - Basingstoke - Eastleigh - Fareham - Portsmouth Portsmouth - Fareham - Southampton Central Eastleigh – Romsey – Salisbury – Southampton Central (for the Romsey Rocket) as well.
Agreed, the old PDL had the Alton Branch, but the new updated route had these lines removed, along with the New Guildford Line. So, yes I agree, these lines are a must, along with what Dave suggested: Woking to Portsmouth via Eastleigh, Eastleigh – Romsey – Salisbury – Southampton Central and maybe Basingstoke to Reading too? Also can you also restore the lines between Reading and Redhill as well?
If you look at the 2D map of the OLD PDL there are tracks and very basic scenery to Reading and Redhill. This occurs on quite a few routes, probably with further expansion in mind. Whether it will happen...
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=867929759&searchtext= Sadly not to Basingstoke though.