Hey everyone, here is my suggestion for a future TSW route. Feedback and comments welcome! Key information Route name: Avon Gorge: Severn Beach Line Distance: 24 miles (*see below) Between: Bristol Temple Meads and Severn Beach (*including line to Bristol Parkway and western line into Avonmouth) Number of stations: 15* Journey length: 40 to 50 minutes (up to an hour for freight) on Severn Beach Line, about 10 to 15 minutes through to Bristol Parkway Frequency: Up to 30 minutes (morning peak) otherwise every hour on Severn Beach Line. Up to every 5 minutes on main line towards Bristol Parkway Main drive type: Slower local branch line with freight services to Avonmouth Locos: GWR Class 155, 165, 166 and Class 66, 70 for freight to Avonmouth Playable layers: GWR Class 155, 165, 166 (on all lines) GWR Class 802 for depot moves in and out of Hitatchi Stoke Gifford depot and passenger services between Bristol Temple Meads and Bristol Parkway CrossCountry Class 220 passenger services between Bristol Temple Meads and Bristol Parkway *Includes line up to Abbeywood station and then looping to the left at the diamond railway junction at Stoke Gifford back round to Avonmouth for extended freight operations *Includes line to Bristol Parkway station for Class 802 depot moves and shorter playable services (local and intercity) Highlights: Urban, industrial, and rural all in one route Single and double track action Mixed traffic with freight, local, depot moves, and intercity service operations Daily waste train out of Avonmouth Multiple points of interest Points of interest: Clifton Suspension Bridge Avon Gorge River Avon Prince of Wales Bridge (over the Severn Estuary to Wales) Bristol Temple Meads (busy Victorian station with lovely curving platforms) Avonmouth docks The Severn Estuary (River Severn) Hitachi Stoke Gifford Depot (large depot for GWR Class 802s) Bristol Parkway Frieghtliner sidings Scenarios Bristol International Balloon Fiesta: Run a busy service between Severn Beach and Bristol Temple Meads for Fiesta goers. Spot the hot air balloons as they fly over Bristol, notably over the Clifton Suspension Bridge Trouble on the Severn: During a period of stormy weather, the river Severn has burst its banks and has flooded on to the line between Avonmouth station and Severn Beach station. Communicate with signal controllers (using GSMR) to navigate safely back to Bristol Temple Meads via the freight line past the former Filton Airfield Freight madness: An overnight frieght service has left stone wagons in a right muddle in the sidings at Bristol Parkway Station. Build the correct formation and then take the stone wagons to Avonmouth via the line past the former Filton Airfield Rise and no shine: Operate a GWR Class 802 (from cold) fresh from the depot at Stoke Gifford to replace an early morning broken down service at Bristol Temple Meads. Drive the service out of the depot and into Parkway, where you swap ends to drive back towards Bristol Temple Meads. Deliver the fresh train into Temple Meads on time to minimise delays, and then help engineers at the station to fix the broken down service, before driving the fixed train back to the depot.
