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That is even less frequent than I thought. The Cross City seems to be vying with the Snow Hill lines for the worst service in the West Midlands.

 

I used the line last xmas from Longbridge to New Street and seemed pretty good to me (who's used to GRV - CHX services which take 58 minutes to do less than 30 miles)

 

I have seen many complaints but maybe it gives an unfair impression of the service as I guess those who are satisfied don't complain.

I am generally not a complainer myself but my own experience catching trains from the half hourly served Langley Green in the evening means I have turned into one to the point where I am seriously thinking of buying a small car to commute in. Last Monday sitting in the cold for 45 minutes due to the train being cancelled again sitting in a rudemantary bus stop shelter on a windswept station with it raining stair rods all around, in the not nicest area, was the final straw.

Anyway back on topic I am glad they are using the older timetable as it should be quite a busy route even without the extra trains.

 

There's a big difference between those who use a service once and find it's good and those who rely on it to be working five or six days a week
I used to commute into London and know the pain of a failed or cancelled train, and that's in a region where there's supposedly a guaranteed every 10 minute service...

 

Functioning GSM-R? No, it's not the most important thing, but definitely adds a bit more immersion. Hopefully this gets back-ported to the other relevant rolling stock.

 

I'll wait and see the functionality of it, but it seems to be as much about the signaller contact then anything else.
I guess I was spoiled in TSC when you could actually register it (even if that is basically pushing a few buttons before setting off)

 

For me, I think this Birmingham Cross City route looks really good and I'm really looking forward to playing it. I love the idea that there can be various start/end points (i.e Redditch/Bromsgrove, Birmingham New Street, Four Oaks/Lichfield City/Lichfield Trent Valley) and it's a nice idea having the main station in the middle rather than at either end. The new traction is really interesting, i do hope there are some AI layers around New Street but maybe there will be, hopefully!

I'd personally have preferred the ECML (my number 1 wanted route is Peterborough to York), but I think this route will work nicely. Yes it could do with extra layers (and maybe there will be something announced next week on the article) but overall I'm excited for this route, it feels different to the previous UK routes and will definitely be giving it a chance.

 

Oh I'm sure it will, it'll just take them 2+ years to do so.

 

Re freight, I believe the maximum unassisted load for a single 66 is 1050 tonnes. Anything over that needs a banker.
This list abstracted from another source gives ballpark figures for older classes:
The Freight Train Loads book from May 1987 gives the following unassisted maximum loads (including loco)
20 450t
31 370t
33 470t
37/0 595t
37/4 695t
37/7 720t
45 650t
47 650t
50 650t
56 820t

It's not just about the trailing load but also coupler strengths which is why the train needs to be banked in the rear and not assisted from the front.

 

It looks good but is so close to being really good that it’s pretty annoying.

Having the depot and even static trains in New Street platforms would make such a difference.

As others have said, if they are using it as a start of a hub then fair enough in the long term but the empty large station is very immersion breaking & being able to complete the depot moves at the start and end of service adds so much.

 

Random question that came to mind when reading about the Soho omission: Are licensing or other permissions ever required to recreate places?

 

I know the trains themselves need to be licensed since they are moving objects. I think the track too, but I'm not sure. But I would assume dtg can recreate places if they have the license. Cuz you need a license to be able to create anything in the first place. Soho depot was not left out cuz of licensing, it was left out cuz dtg ran out of time.

 

If its the shape of a building or there are logos or other "IP-able matters" there then yes, but mostly no and I doubt anyone has copyrighted or trademarked the depot itself, or it's buildings

 

AFAIK, Cross Country no longer use HSTs (at least that was the case when I lived in Chesterfield and commuted between Chesterfield and Sheffield on XC trains that went via Birmingham and to/from the West Country). They use Voyagers, which aren’t currently in TSW.

 

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:P89299/2022-11-04/detailed#allox_id=0
According to RTT HSTs 43321 and 43366 ran the Leeds to Plymouth this morning

 

They use them most days.

 

Nice, I live in Plymouth now so hopefully, I’ll get a HST next time I go to Chesterfield. Those Voyagers are nasty uncomfortable things, just like the IETs are.

At least we’ve got refurbished HSTs (now called Castle Class) running local services in Devon and Cornwall.

 

CrossCountry services are either really great or the worst thing in the world. I remember I took a HST back from Torquay (well, from Newton Abbot onwards) a few months ago and it was top class.

 

The HSTs are the best fleet Cross Country have. Their Voyagers are horrendous and their 170s have been ran into the ground.

 

Yes they are real workhorses to be fair and better than other trains out there. I traveled on one earlier from Stamford to Leicester on my way to Nottingham for the game tomorrow and for the 40 odd minutes I was on the train it was a very nice (my only issue was a very small amount of legroom, though I am 6'3'') and certainly did the job though like you say they are really being used intensely and showing some wear and tear.

 

Since we have passengers who fly up into the sky and disappear, then why not flying sharks too?

 

there are usually 2 services per day to/from Leeds using HSTs and 2 services to/from Edinburgh per day and there may be more running to Birmingham.

 

Yep, spent 5 hours on a Voyager down from Newcastle to Reading about 20 years ago; the last 2 hours going backwards from New Street after changing ends were one of the worst train journeys of my life

 

Voyagers are some of the best DMUs in the country imo. They're quick, extremely reliable considering the punishingly long services they run and they're quite comfortable. Yeah they're pretty miserable when overcrowded but what train isn't?

I had a run from Bristol down to Plymouth on one not long ago and it was one of the most relaxing journeys I've had all year. I'm so sick of people treating them like they're Satan's chariots.

 

I always try to avoid them when possible

 

Good point and here's a Class 60 TEA tanker making Lickey incline Northbound unassisted. Video dates to June 10th, 2021 UK date format 10 June 2021.

Class 37 Rail Tour Class 150 Network Rail HST & the mentioned Class 60

For Class 60 it has a trade-off between Tractive Effort vs Hp than class 66. In order to get 105k lbf Class 60 loses 2,000 hp 3,100 hp than a class 66 3,300 hp which loses 14k lbf tractive effort 91k lbf.

 

If not crowded then they are fine, better than the rancid Hitachi 8xx's. The problem lies with the fact they were specified as 4 and 5 car units to replace HSTs and 8 coach loco hauled trains. Increasing the service frequency doesn't help if passengers don't stagger their journeys or you get loads of people wanting a service to Scotland which is a 4 car 220.

It's the same mistake Regional Railways made when replacing 5 or 6 coach loco hauled sets with 2 car Sprinters.

 

I wonder why they didn't add this new train model in instead we get the one that is about to retired?

 

Here is the official route map in RL.
https://www.westmidlandsrailway.co....r_regional_map_with_rail_zones_-_march_22.pdf

 

That is a diesel train and won't be running the Cross City services just the New Street to Worcester/Hereford service at the bottom end of the route. The new EMU's to replace the class 323's haven't entered service yet.

 

I agree, however I'll take your post and raise you "why not add the 172 due to its unique drivetrain", no pun intended.

 

I reckon that any route should have a diesel loco tbh because some folk prefer them.

 

Whether it would be historically accurate or not, I hope they somehow layer in the Class 101 or one of its 1st Gen siblings. Right now, that's the only thing that would entice me to buy the route.
A single Electrostar AC equivalent doesn't do it for me.

 

Quick Question. I haven’t purchased TSW3 yet as I’ve been playing it on Game Pass. If I buy the Birmingham Cross City Starter Pack, will I still get the updated SEHS and SoS included (as per the original starter packs) as I own these in TSW2?

 

yup

 

I don't think 172's run this route they are on the Snow Hill lines.

I prefer driving diesel units and if one fits then I agree why not include one or add some as DLC. There is limited scope really for diesel for this route in its to be released state.

 

It's a real shame this route was conceived with a very narrow vision. Pushing down to Worcester would have added the possibility of diesel services with a 170, though they couldn't have dodged building the small depot there! Going to Cheltenham would have given a 40 min run for a 170 or Voyager.

 

There are class 172's running to Malvern/Hereford, same ones that run on the Snow hill line, though it tends to be more weekend work. This also includes the Class 172 (that looks like a 170 with rounded windows).

 

Let's actually hope that DTG include the 2-3 second delay prior to departing where the traction motors are engaged. Just got on a 323 leaving University and I noticed that this even occurs in notch 4.

 

Cheltenham might be a big ask, but I reckon an extension to Worcester, perhaps even the Malverns, with a 170 DLC might be a possibility as it would be a rare opportunity to extend a route and not affect any of the existing services which all legitimately end at Bromsgrove.

 

Oh okay I hadn't realised that. I still think a 170 would be a better choice as they certainly are/were the main units used.

 

That would not have been bad at all and a good place to thrash the classic diesels - especially the 31, 47, 52 and even the GW HST. Come on DTG, broaden your vision.

 

Absolutely, to me this would add massive variety to what might ultimately be quite a disappointing route, I can't wait for BCC but it's not sounding up to great things with just the 323.

 

A 172 would've been a brilliant train to do due to its unique transmission alone

 

Given the route limit is currently Bromsgrove, doesn't this mean that any railtour coming from the south will have to attack the Lickey Incline from a standing start?

Do we think the Jubilee is likely to be able to tackle this unassisted with a reasonable load or will the steam railtours included all be banked from Bromsgrove and therefore require additional layers? (Consider that if you only own BCC and SoS, then you won't have the Class 66 or any other potential diesel bankers).

Genuine question going out to folk that know more than me - do any steam railtours do the Lickey from a standing start in reality?

I'm sure many of these questions will be answered in the article this week, but food for thought.

 

In theory you would have to plan for a standing or near standing start anyway, in the event there was a signal failure or the something ran out of course and brought the train to a stand. In fact the power provided would also need to be capable of restarting the train on the bank. Would imagine any steam going up the Lickey is going to have a diesel attached on the rear as insurance.

 

Oooh well sorry that I rounded it up a few days before it's been out for 2 months. [Removed - Alex - Rude, Offensive]

 

Pretty sure the one that came through earlier this year actually stopped at Bromsgrove. They were run by Tyseley Steam Trust. Looking at the event page, they were originally planned to be GWR Castle No. 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe and GWR Pannier No. 9466, which would be banked up the Lickey Incline, but were switched to 7029 Clun Castle and 6233 Duchess of Sutherland, which were operated alone. I'm not sure how those engines compare to the ones we have in game that could be used for railtours.

Edit: No, I'm wrong. This video shows that it definitely wasn't stopping at Bromsgrove! I'd caught an earlier train and there was something about a special service on the platform boards, but maybe that was just to make sure all the crowds formed in the right place.

 

I know but for realism I would prefer the most realistic train for the route. There are other routes which use the class 172 as a core which could be built in the future.

 

Bless getting corrected then not liking it resulting to insults how very mature.