Extend The Weardale Route

Discussion in 'Suggestions' started by crodgersz, Oct 1, 2018.

  1. crodgersz

    crodgersz New Member

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    It would be fantastic if the Weardale and Teesdale line could be expanded to include Richmond and the Saltburn Line, because at Darlington there is only one side of the station that never gets used in Train Simulator 2018 and that is facing towards York. It would be great to include The Richmond branch as it was such an important hub for the Town of Richmond. Richmond lost its rail connection in 1969.
     
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  2. JJTimothy

    JJTimothy Well-Known Member

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    Personally I'm sure that the Weardale and Teesdale is one of the best routes available for TS and certainly the best one I have but if we're just daydreaming...

    On the grounds that the route-builders had to stop somewhere I think the mainline stations make good start/end points but it would be nice to have the lines extended eastwards to cover the whole of the Stockton and Darlington Railway's original route and, on that subject, a couple of features noteable by their absence are the S&DR loco's Locomotion and Derwent which, into the late '60s, used to be on a plinth facing the south bay platforms at Bank Top.

    You could extend the route in almost any direction with interesting results. Continue that line from Relly Mill junction to Consett and serve the steel works. There was a spider's web of coal lines all over the area which might make for an interesting DLC in their own right (not for me particularly though I understand the NCB had its steam engine maintenance shed in Chilton barely a stone throw from where I sit now so...). The S&DR's branch line to Croft was a sleepy little backwater branch that didn't even have run-round facilities at the end never mind a turntable so all stock south was propelled- but it was within sight of the ECML which consumed more than half its length when the GNER built its line into Darlington.

    Personally I'd like to see the South Durham and Lancashire Union line west from Barnard Castle to Tebay with its splendid Beelah and Deepdale viaducts and scenery even more bleak and rugged than the line over Cockfield Fell. It was an important freight and passenger line with a couple of rail served quarries and the Eden Valley branch so there's scope for variety. One winter set scenario idea that comes to mind instantly is to rescue a train caught in a snowdrift at Bleath Gill.

     
    Last edited: Oct 2, 2018
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  3. Marcus

    Marcus New Member

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  4. JJTimothy

    JJTimothy Well-Known Member

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    Thanks for posting that. I can't quite describe the noise I made when I saw it but suddenly I'm very interested in Steam Sounds Supreme. It'll probably be aimed at kettle fans but the W&T has a sort of timeless quality so it looks right for almost any period from Nationalization to the end of BR Green and I would imagine the SDLUR would be much the same.

    Oh wouldn't it be great to be able to link the two routes? I wonder if they could offer a version that works as an extension to the W&T.
     
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  5. Marcus

    Marcus New Member

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    I am very much looking forward to the Stainmore route, should be spectacular with Belah and Deepdale, with Shap thrown in as well.... Both routes will connect nicely at Barnards Castle, but I doubt if they can be joined.
     
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  6. JJTimothy

    JJTimothy Well-Known Member

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    Like you I doubt it will happen but not for any technical reason- routes obviously can be joined because they have been and there's a few DLC that are extensions for earlier routes. I suspect the fact that the routes are from different developers will be the big barrier to such a thing.

    I wonder if you'll be able to see the castle from the Tees viaduct at Barney- it's one of a few noteable ommissions from the W&T.
     
    Last edited: Oct 4, 2018
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  7. crodgersz

    crodgersz New Member

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    I suggest a route called South Darlington and have a line going to York, and Richmond, Salburn Line and finally Wensleydale branch. Thats more of a pipedream though we cannot always have what we want.

    I totally agree with JJTimothy is that having the Weardale line with the Stainmore Line add-on to Kirkby Stephen East, Tebay would make a very interesting DLC. Monst of the trackbed of the line is still visible from google earth. I'm sure Derek Siddle would approve. :)
     
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  8. JJTimothy

    JJTimothy Well-Known Member

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    Do you mean all the way to its western junction at Garsdale on the S&C? I'd quite like to see that but I'm more for:
     
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  9. crodgersz

    crodgersz New Member

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    :)I'm in favor of both really as they both have potential.
     
  10. Wivenswold

    Wivenswold Well-Known Member

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    Extending over the top of the Pennies to Carlisle would be great too.
     
  11. S.E.M. 34090

    S.E.M. 34090 Member

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    I'm just musing here, but the reason cited often for being unable to merge a pair of routes are their featuring different route origins...
    Now, If the Stainmore route origin can simply be picked up in the route editor and moved, and it can be done, to the exact coordinates of the Weardale & Teesdale route origin (in Bishop Auckland) then perhaps the two could be joined to make a gigantic route that only a supercomputer could run?
     
  12. JJTimothy

    JJTimothy Well-Known Member

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    You make a good point there actually. The W+T already covers a lot of route miles and perhaps extending it much would push the limits of what TS is capable of- the 32bit version anyway.
     

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