Blackpool To Manchester & Fylde Coast

Discussion in 'Suggestions' started by Pookeyhead, Dec 13, 2018.

  1. Pookeyhead

    Pookeyhead Well-Known Member

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    It would be great to see Blackpool to Manchester in TSW. It can include Manchester Airport also.

    Modern day with electrification would be great, but then so would this route in the heydays of the 70s and 80s. The difference would be that that in the 80s, most Manchester bound trains from Blackpool would have been to Manchester Victoria, as compared to now, where they go via Manchester Piccadilly. I'm sure many UK players over 40 will remember the class 40s, and this route was a regular stomping ground for the whistlers until the early to mid 80s.


    A modern version could include the usual termination of Manchester Airport, to give some fairly lengthy scenarios.

    Of possible interest for a historic version of this route would be the inclusion of the branch line to Fleetwood (and Poulton curve), which closed to passenger traffic in 1970, but remained open to freight until 1999, so an 80s based scenario on this line could also include freight traffic to ICI in Fleetwood. As one of the oldest lines in UK history, and of great historical importance in the 1840s as the most northern railway in the united kingdom, it would be fun to see.


    Opinions?
     
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  2. jasonpfc

    jasonpfc Well-Known Member

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    Good idea this one, its a 45 miles (possibly to long) stretch of track. Blackpool north into preston which has links to scotland, and down south
     
  3. Pookeyhead

    Pookeyhead Well-Known Member

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    If too long, then Centre it at Preston, and go into Blackpool (inc. Fleetwood) and south of Preston to Wigan or somewhere.
     
  4. theorganist

    theorganist Well-Known Member

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    I think at 45 miles it is around the same length as TPE so would be within their remit I would think. I would love to see it in the 70's with a class 40, maybe a 25 and a class 104 DMU.
     
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  5. Pookeyhead

    Pookeyhead Well-Known Member

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    Problem there is if you go too far back (1974) you'd need to model the old Blackpool North, which would be a LOT more complex than the current one.. plus, the old Blackpool North was starting to look a little worse for wear in the early 70s.

    Here it is 1974 the week it finally closed.

    [​IMG]

    I reckon early 80s.. but anything will do. A great line, with lots of history.
     
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  6. theorganist

    theorganist Well-Known Member

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    Well early 80's or late 70's is fine you could still have the 25, 40 and 104. I think slightly decaying infrastructure would look quite good in TSW.
     
  7. ex_railwayman

    ex_railwayman Active Member

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    Yes, it sounds good, but, it's a bit too near the Manchester route that has just been released. The other side of the country might be a better prospect, Scarborough to York, or, even East Anglia, Great Yarmouth to Norwich, something like that from the 1980s/90s. We don't know what DTG have up their sleeves for the future, did they receive enough plaudits for this Trans-Pennine route from a dark, dingy, dull, wet weather type scenario, will they construct something like this again, I doubt if every British route will be the same, they'll need to mix things up a bit, and the youngsters today of course might only be interested in the plastic multicoloured Multiple Units that ply their trade in and around the London area, I have a feeling they will come along sometime for the Console players.
     
    Last edited: Dec 28, 2018
  8. theorganist

    theorganist Well-Known Member

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    True it would be good to see them spread around. I do think we may not see another BR Blue route for some time anyway..

    As we have the 33 we could have Salisbury to Exeter set in around 1980 that would be quite an interesting route or Salisbury to Bristol.
     
  9. Pookeyhead

    Pookeyhead Well-Known Member

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    Yeah, but that's all going the other way isn't it? Out towards Leeds?
     
  10. ex_railwayman

    ex_railwayman Active Member

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    Yes, it is, but, it still centres around the Manchester area, which is OK for the locals, but, for the rest of the country I'm sure folks would ask can we have somewhere different, which you can't argue with as we have so many different areas of Britain that DTG can explore, and what about Scotland and Wales, I'm sure they would want their countries to be represented as well in the future, possibly.
     

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