I'll be cheeky and say I'm glad JT are the sole developers of BR Blue content (for now anyways). Ensures the quality of the routes and the trains are really high, which I think are really needed to appreciate them. Wouldn't be as keen if a developer like Rivet attempted a grand train like the 86 or 87 based on their track record... :p
If anyone was to get the 37 right for TSW, it would be JT.. TBH, I'm just trying to find an excuse to get a better version of the 37
Wow yeah… the 58s were a massive splash of colour … Looking back now I guess I was quite spoiled at Carlisle in the early 80s because we regularly saw 3/4 of BR’s “non standard’ liveries (40 106, 86 214 and 86 235) … 56 036 was never likely to turn up there Then again, there were other unofficial livery embellishments like the Stratford silver roof and those white stripe 104s down in Preston. But basically everything was BR blue… and I still miss it, oddly
Haha I remember the “legends” at the time where people would smugly talk of the time they got a trip to Barrow and back behind a 45 or a 31. Personally I never saw anything on that line besides a 105 or 108
Well, we know for a fact that Rivet Games can't add neutral sections to a route without completely buggering it up (Edinburgh - Glasgow), so keep them away from anything with a pantograph.
Should just keep them away from anything... everything. Would rather they didn't have the ability to completely butcher anything else.
I found a Preston to Carlisle run with 86225 in 1985. It is a good insight into just how transformative the electrification of this part of the mainline was. The heavy slogs of old are a thing of the past!
Talking of which, an opportune visit to Doncaster Works in April '83 enabled me to capture this fellow for posterity. As far as I am aware it had been undergoing trials since handover to BR in December '82.
I agree the tsw one could Be so much better it doesn’t sound right for me if I ever wanna drive a 37 now I just jump back on tsc with the Armstrong Powerhouse version that’s how it should sound
Thanks for this! If not a 25 then I'm hoping for the 58 to come, although I don't think the chances for a 58 are high. I'd be fine with a 81/85/86 aswell though, or anything they decide to release really. More BR era stock is always great.
I never saw a 56 or a 58 anywhere even close to Preston or Carlisle. Closest I can remember was a brand new 56 on Longsight shed in 1982 or 1983, which had come up from Crewe works on a test run, IIRC. First 58 I saw was down Leicester way.
I was only a kid when they were around but seem to remember 58s were an occasional sight at Preston, but certainly not frequent. Would they have been common around Tees Valley at the time?
The 58’s tended to work mainly around Toton, East Midlands coal field. They would occasionally come down to Didcot on MGR workings as I remember allocating them back on TOPS when covering the traction Control desk back in the late 80’s. If the SIAM Aire Valley 1990 traffic simulation game is accurate they also worked into South and West Yorkshire on coal trains to Ferrybridge etc.
I’d be surprised if they were - if I remember right they were mainly used on MGRs in the Midlands. I think there were a few Southern turns like Didcot power station, but I don’t recall them being at all regular North of Crewe really. Be interesting to hear if anyone else remembers differently though! —— Edit: Vern beat me to it
There's more 56 traffic (log train)now in Carlisle than has ever been in the past. Similarly there's the odd DRS 58 now and again, but back in the 80's they were as rare as hens teeth.
The thing is that for certain things, nobody else would do it. Swiss content was made by rivet in tsc and not tsw. I don't think there's another Swiss developer. Then there's rivet being innovative. They first introduced the announcement section and neutral sections. While they seem bad, they also have positives
I think it will be the Class 87/0, which will be a challenge, but very rewarding when you get it right. For further details see :- https://www.justtrains.net/in-development/train-sim-world-5-west-coast-main-line-preston-carlisle What sells JT regardless of content is their quality and real attention to detail put into their routes. I for one am forward to this route more so than WCMLS which is well, "WIP".
I reckon there is a 100% chance we will see an 87/0 arrive for (or should I say with) this route, yes. Spoiler: Psst MercDriver click here The 87/0 is coming with the route. There is also another loco coming separately. Also out of all cars why choose a Merc!
Spoiler: Psst MercDriver click here Also out of all cars why choose a Merc! [/QUOTE] I have an E250 Estate, that's why! You need a good tractor towing a caravan
I was about 5 at the time so have probably mis remembered but have a few photos in the loft of stuff me and my dad saw at the time so will have a look on the off chance.
The Blue Pullman sets used the same MAN engine as the hydraulic locomotives so would sound almost identical. The now defunct Project 22 had a power unit of this type which may still be running or fixable.
I am desperately hoping somebody upgrades the sounds for the 37. I have seen videos of the TSW version and have heard all the criticism of the TSW version. I haven’t however tried it myself, despite owning it. To me (and I suspect an awful lot of people), 37s are all about the noise. I just can’t bear the disappointment of opening the power handle and not experiencing that iconic eruption of growling noise. So unfortunately for now, the 37 remains as AI for me. On a similar note I am already getting nervous in case Rivet make a 68 and mess the sound for that up
Without rivet, there wouldn't have been innovation and uniqueness For example, as bad as the 385 was, it had announcements for the very first time. It had neutral sections for the first time. There wouldn't be any interesting Swiss routes like arosa where you're run in the street section for one part of the route and going up a mountain in another part. It's also the very first narrow gauge route.
Yes, I love the 37s mainly due to the noise they produce but also I love them for the amount of clag they produce when they opened up full. The 68s are my favourite modern locomotive (again down to their engine sounds) so I hope they are done properly. The 68s remind me of the Class 55 due to both classes sounding quite similar.. Talking of the 55, on the basis that the Deltics make it to TSW (Please JT make a 70s ECML route), I hope they are done properly as a smoke-less Deltic ain't a Deltic!
I can confirm 58’s did work north of Crewe (got a photo somewhere !) they came off the Stoke line (loaded coal) and ran through the station centre road. Not sure of the destination but possibly Fiddlers Ferry or Garston Docks.
You don't have to worry about the class 68. They are all being put into long-term storage, as nobody wants them... What a waste of near brand-new locomotives.
A bit off topic but the UK seems to have a very stupid/inefficient system for owning and leasing rolling stock. I remember a similar story where the fleet of 379 Electrostars were sitting collecting dust for a very long time and nearly got scrapped because of the particularities of leasing them.
Apparently two have gone to Leicester for (I think) UKRL work. But yeah it's a huge waste of brand new locomotives especially when we still have 60 year old locos still running around.
Not until the mid to late 90's, when some Euston to Blackpool services went HSTs. The mystery DLC loco (86 ) will fit into the mid 80's timeframe of the route. (I have to add that HSTs were common on Virgin XC services to Scotland in the 90's and 2000's too)
Thanks for the knowledge I was hoping for one of the Valenta HSTs as from what I've heard they sounded cool, though I never got to hear one myself.
Yeah HSTs can be seen on XC duties in Video125's Royal Scot film. I think it overtakes a Devon Scot at Lancaster, but that was filmed in 1995.
I remember a few HSTs (and Deltics!) popping up in Carlisle whenever there were ECML “emergency” re-routes… they didn’t happen that often, but when they did happen it was a proper fun day! Add an APT test run and an 84 lurking in the area on ECS runs and your 36 exposure film was used up pretty quick…
I am not trying to throw a spanner in the works here, but are we SURE that there is another new Just Trains locomotive coming? We haven't all misread the Just Trains website, and the class 87 actually IS the new locomotive, right? Just checking!
Well then, this is the part where I think about buying some glasses... You guys just carry on and pretend nothing happened. *Exits stage right*
Cross Country services were often loco hauled via the West Coast but a few HSTs did make their way up, wasn't until the mid 90s they were regularly scheduled as far as I know via the West coast, I had one from Birmingham New Street to Dundee which ran via Manchester, Preston, Carlisle, Carstairs, Edinburgh. It was a Bournemouth-Aberdeen service.
1991, after Carstairs to Edinburgh electrification ironically. HSTs worked under the wires for huge milages from Birmingham to Glasgow and Edinburgh. I salute our countries efforts to reduce emissions by using more diesels on electrified routes to reduce 'costs'.
And then to show we were really serious about reducing emissions....Cross Country replaced all their Electric Locos with Voyagers and ran them under the wires on services that would only have been done with electric locos (Such as Birmingham-Manchester)
