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Having had another go at Blackpool N - Preston today, I've added both to the table. On yesterday's attempt I had 45596 and tried to be more...

Yes, I had wondered whether the railways originated the concept of always going ‘up’ to London, or whether the railways used ‘up’ because it was...

No, it’s as thchap says in post #3. Up to the major centre, Down away from it. In the UK, for a high proportion of the lines the ‘major centre’ is...

In my experience (UK) this is less true than it was. In the days when British Rail’s main focus was cutting costs and rationalisation, there was a...

Fantastic. Thank you SprattyHeath and all involved in this mod for the original work, and for finding a way to make it compatible for TSW4. All of...

I gave it another go last night and did almost the same time again (I’ll write it up tomorrow, probably, but I could almost copy and paste my...

Thanks Lamplight, a really interesting first attempt. Our point-to-point times between stations were remarkably similar and, as you say, achieved...

My first attempt at the 0900 from Blackpool N was with 45723 'Impregnable' and the standard 8 mk1s, on a warm and cloudless summer morning. The...

A new challenge: Blackpool North - Preston The Blackpool route is, in my view, the best in TSW. Although, by the time the route is set, the...

Hi all. I notice Edinburgh-Glasgow’s on offer in the Steam sale. I’ve never bought it before, having no interest in the EMU which operates all the...

Fantastic run, Matt. You’re running as far as Millers Dale was similar to my best effort, but you completed the climb from Millers Dale to Peak...

Also looking forward to the results!

I made a second attempt at Lamplight's Peak Forest challenge this evening. 45681 Aboukir (apparently named after a naval vessel, which in turn was...

Yes, it’s annoying when that happens. The firebox doors can close by themselves, even in manual firing mode. My experience is that if you open the...

Great run, Andy. Getting the braking for the speed restrictions right is especially difficult on the gradients. I particularly like the shot of...

Ah yes, I'm guessing it was 08:15:17 rather than 08:16:17 at Blackwell (although it's not the easiest place to locate anyway, given that the...

Thanks for the very interesting account, Lamplight. It looks as if my run was a bit quicker between Rowsley and Bakewell, but apart from that the...

The Birmingham New Street - Bromsgrove table updated with that run by matt#4801 : [ATTACH] Looking at the the run by comparison to my most...

Interesting run, Matt. It looks as if your speeds were very similar to the ones I achieved on my second run, but you were slightly more strict in...

Great pictures, Spikeyorks. Some interesting jaunty camera angles and I particularly like the last one, taken from high up in the hills. In terms...

It’s interesting because, although I was born long after withdrawal of steam from the mainline, the fact that it’s more difficult to drive is why...

My pen is poised, ready to add you to the BCC spreadsheet, Matt! :)

I made a first attempt at the Down 'Palatine'. As usual I focused on preserving boiler pressure in the early stages, mostly running at 41%...

Great find, Lamplight, and a really interesting account of the run. I’ve only done a bit of playing around with Peak Forest but have generally...

Very nicely explained, Lamplight. I’d been mulling over whether I should edit the first post of this thread to give a broader explanation (less...

[ATTACH] [ATTACH]

Inspired by Lamplight's return to Crewe-Liverpool, I had a go myself with 'The Manxman'. There was to be no record-breaking on this bitterly cold...

I made a second attempt at Birmingham - Bromsgrove yesterday. Actually - I must be honest - it was a third attempt, but the second was so bad I'd...

I've added Matt's excellent run to the table, for easy comparison. I've taken the liberty of estimating a passing time at Stalybridge, as Matt...

Fantastic run, Matt. Really interesting to see that a slightly different approach can have equally good results (a few seconds quicker, in fact!)...

Fantastic run, Lamplight! The first genuine right-time arrival, I would say. It feels as if you squeezed a little more out of the loco than I did...

Good luck with the desk, Matt. I hope it proves a quick job, to leave time for the important stuff!

Thanks Lamplight. In terms of boiler pressure, I find for the long climbs the best place to have the pressure is above 210. (200 is good, but 210+...

Great run, Lamplight, and stunning pictures as always. That second one passing Marsden is outstanding - I love the way the gentle winter sun...

Enough is enough!

Thanks, Lamplight. A really interesting challenge, and a great first attempt. With 4 minutes to find, I think this is going to be a tough one. I...

That's a great run. 45 mins Crewe - Liverpool is our fastest time so far on this thread, I think. From what I can see, Matt had the previous best...

Great, I’m looking forward to reading about your efforts, Matt.

I’m with you on modern MUs, but the 323 has a bit more character to it than most. None the less I must admit most of my time on the route has been...

On BPO, 1Z41 Llanelli to Blackpool N (13:40 from Preston) is enjoyable with the 31, and not a clear run.

Thanks, Lamplight. I eagerly await my commission from DTG, but I think I may be waiting a long time! Cross City comes up very cheaply in sales...

A couple of pictures to (hopefully) whet the appetite. I suspect you'll do better... Both are Jubilees, and both are at Bromsgrove. There the...

A New Challenge: Birmingham New Street to Bromsgrove Another log from Brian Basterfield's 'loco performance' website caught my eye - on 4th April...

Regarding (3) - are you certain that’s what’s happening? A lot of the signals at stations on this route are timed to clear just after departure...

You are correct, it's not at all prototypical. It's part of the physics revamp which is required.

Great run Lamplight, and a minute inside the 30 minute schedule, with a heavier than booked load. As you say, the speeds are virtually identical...

Well, it’s difficult to say without knowing the exact circumstances or what they’re there to do. What I can say is there is often a certain amount...

That’s because while your train’s going past, they can’t work. Once you’re past them, they’re back at it. Generally the time they get to complete...

Really interesting run, Matt. I’m glad someone else attempted it with 10 on, even if it was by accident (I did it because I didn’t even know at...

Yes, it’s a very good route without other UK DLCs. The scenery and realism of operations are still excellent, and the vast majority of services...