Hi all at DGT I like to the London paddington to reading remastered bought up to standard with Tod 4 lighting moor in line with the modern day update timetable with overhead wires all the way to reading train's I like to see in the upgrade are Class 387 and 800/2 and the 801/2 and have RHTT and old train's doing freight service not just the class 66 and have and the class 345 would be nice to have extension to heathrow with the class 387 but call it the DGT Airport express upgrade the class 43 HST and bring out as a DLC class 43 sir kenneth grange livery and have this as rail tour and steam trains as well as old oak common has now gone in real life for the HS2 and my second extension would be all the way to Swansea with overhead wires this would be welcomed in game as this will give us more playing time and a new pace of life to this route
DTG do not have the GWR license anymore I believe so it will be unlikely that the GWR Hitachi IET's will be brought to the game or an extension to this route unfortunately
Not to mention OP seems not to have discovered there is actually a Suggestion Sub Forum for this type of thing. Besides if GWE got reworked, please not in the modern epoch. Go back to the late 80’s and early 90’s when Valenta HST’s worked side by side with Class 47’s and Class 50’s. Or even earlier when the diesel hydraulics ruled the Western.
The update to the route would be good, I agree, but the extra trains i.e. the IET etc would obviously be paid content. Maybe a model such as with the 380 for Cathcart Circle with a free update to the route itself would work. Although the need for overhead catenary would be an issue. They would need to date it to around 2017/18 where the infrastructure was in place but HSTs were still running.
Yes, an update to this route would be fantastic, but even just to bring up to TSW4 or TSW5 standard would be good and could be done under current license, anything extra would be a bonus. And if DTG can get these guys around a table to talk turkey, who knows?
Everyone seems to want the Japanese knotweed IET on a modern GWE. The trouble is that licensing is a huge obstacle with the GWR license now expired and not reintroduced. I agree with OldVern that a complete do over set prior to electrification is the only logical solution as well as that period having vastly more character and variety than today. My personal favourite would be set in 1992 when the Turbos were being introduced and the Class 117/121 were still operating the line. Paxman Valenta HSTs were the prime IC power with semi fast outer suburban using mostly class 47 with Mk2 coaches. Westbourne Park Station still existed. A complete 'From Scratch ' rebuild could also vastly benefit from having the Thames Valley branches, both passenger and freight, included from the beginning for additional variety as they should have been included in the original route but were bizarrely missed out. Perhaps the main line could venture as far as either Didcot, Newbury, Oxford or Swindon. Also needed are the various missing landmarks that should be visible such as BT Tower, Windsor Castle, Hillingdon Hospital and Heathrow Control Tower (depending upon era).
Well, I must admit that sitting on my sofa riding as a passenger on an IET will be a lot more comfortable than the real thing.
