I mean, Just Trains gave the NTP class 08 and 47 a lovely little update for Blackpool Branches, with all those nice smoke effects and such. So, it's not completely outside the realms of possibility that they might give the class 40 and 45 a bit of spit and polish on this new Preston to Carlisle route. Image all the lovely clag a class 40 would throw-out on those steep inclines... Just wishful thinking.
The 45s lasted until 1988 or 1989. I remember seeing a lot of them lined-up on the Bescot TMD scrap lines in the early 1990s.
40's were prevalent on the WCML right up until the early 80's, 45 less so, you'd be more likely to see them on the rare occasion on the S&C on a Carlisle to Leeds train .
Not from the west and don't know the section of line particularly well but I'd imagine the 45s could pass as layers, they did pop up all over the country.
Not 45/1s assuming the route is 1988 or before and anyway as proven on BPO JT are not scared to use locos that are not correct given 40s were gone before the route is set.
Peaks handled the Thames-Clyde Express from mid-60s until its end in the mid-70s. (It ran Glasgow-Carlisle then down the Settle route to Leeds and then the Midland main line to St Pancras, taking about 9 hours! Very scenic though )
More likely to see a 40 or 47 between Preston and Carlisle than a 45, certainly on freight workings or summer relief trains.
JT are releasing some details tomorrow according to their Twitter so we shouldn’t have long to wait to find out!
40s and 45s are on Blackpool which is set at the same time and pretty sure you see them as AI heading north on the WCML so would assume they’ll be playable. Hopefully we’ll find out tomorrow!
thats more down to the fact there isn't any AC electric included in the game to take the trains north along the WCML, they're only 40/45/47s because there isn't an alternative at the moment
Carlisle is my (very!) old stomping ground - lots of 47s and 40s on this part of the WCML in the 80s. 45s were relatively rare but did show up on S&C trains from Leeds from time to time. The only diesel conspicuous by its absence around both Carlisle and Preston from those days is the 25… You’d get the odd Deltic and HST when there was trouble on the East coast too, I guess
I believe the route is set in 1989. Personally from a realism point of view I hope we don't see any 40's or 45's. For some reason on the Blackpool route a class 40 turns up every session which irks me as they were gone by 1986. This is why I wish selectable substitutions were a thing, everyone would be happy then.
