Airedale Line ProjectThe initial project once the editing tools are released will be the Airedale line, a commuter route in West and North Yorkshire. The 29 mile route runs from Leeds City to Skipton via Shipley, Bingley and Keighley as well as a branch from Shipley to Bradford Forster Square. The Route in Detail The route's northernmost station is Skipton, in the county of North Yorkshire. This is a 4 platform station, with carriage sidings with a train wash and freight sidings to the west of the station. It is also the end of electrification on the Leeds to Carlisle line and where West Yorkshire Metro services terminate. The view south from platform 2 at Skipton stationThe route then heads south from Skipton through the Aire valley, the railway is built on an embankment through the valley to stop the line from getting flooded. The line is mostly rural along this section with the railway skirting along the edge of several small villages. Two minor stations are on this stretch of the route, Cononley and Steeton & Silsden. Keighley stationThe next major station which the route passes through is Keighley, junction for the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway. Keighley is a large town, a change from the rural landscape further north. The line passes through a series of industrial estates and passes rows of terraced housing. After leaving Keighley, there is a mixture of green fields and urban landscapes with the line following the Aire Valley bypass road. The next minor station is Crossflatts. Bingley stationAfter Crossflatts, the next major station is Bingley. Bingley has a lot of Victorian mills still standing, creating a very industrial and run-down feeling to this part of the route. After Bingley, the next station is Saltaire, next to the famous Salts Mill, built in 1853. After Saltaire is Shipley station, which is on the junction between Leeds, Bradford, Skipton and Ilkley. The station has 5 platforms in a triangle layout. The Bradford branch runs south from Shipley, with one station at Frizinghall before the terminus at Bradford Forster Square, which has 3 platforms. Bradford Forster Square stationThe main route heads east from Shipley through the new Apperley Bridge (opened 2015) and Kirkstall Forge (opened 2016) stations before the end of the route at Leeds station, previously featured in Northern Trans-Pennine. However, the station has been rebuilt since then so will look quite different. A cab ride from Skipton to Leeds. Skip to 02:23:00 to start at Skipton. Locomotives and Rolling Stock BR Class 333 A class 333 after departing Cononley stationThe Class 333 is operated by Northern rail exclusively on the Airedale and Wharfedale lines. Based on the trains used on the Heathrow Express service, the Class 333 is an EMU with a top speed of 100 mph. 16 of these were built. BR Class 144 'Pacer' A class 144 at York stationThe Class 144 is part of the 'Pacer' family of trains, operated only by Northern. These are used on services beyond Skipton where the electrification ends, so diesel power is required. This would probably become the first of the Pacers to be featured in TSW. BR Class 66 and HKA wagons Already featured in the Great Western Express route, the Class 66 and HKA wagons can be re-used on this route for freight services to and from the Settle and Carlisle line along this route. How long will this take? This is not known at all currently. The more people building this route, the quicker it will be released on the Steam Workshop. However, at the moment I don't know when the editor will arrive, how long it will take to create assets or how difficult it will be to collect information such as speed limits and gradients etc. If you want to help with this project or observe progress, you can join the TSW Northern England Development Discord by the link in the above post.
Looks delightful for those who appreciate passenger service only routes (which I do not, but so what?).
Hi NorthRail1, Great Route idea I have a few TSW project ideas but am keeping them secret I want to see how easy the tools are to use before I proclaim anything. I made some basic box stations for TS 2013 a couple of years back and would like to build maybe some station packs for TSW. Once I get to grips with Unreal texturing and improve my Blender Modelling skills. Here are shots of the buildings I built for GWR I hope to create Better models for TSW. Good Luck with this project and I will be keeping an eye on developments. Kman
They look good Kman, I'd say they are up to spec with some of the stuff that DTG are putting out recently with TSW. If you plan to improve upon these, then I am sure they'd be most welcome.
Thanks I am really looking forward to the release of the Editor I have so many ideas I want to explore.
