Covering the final 36 mile segment of the South West Main Line between the towns of Bournemouth and Weymouth, this line has seen an interesting variety of traction and operations in its history. This particular suggestion is being set in the early 1980's, when classic diesels still hauled traffic across the hills of southern Dorset with a unique operational set-up. Route Map The Route The primary route covers the main line stretch between Bournemouth and Weymouth, with short spurs to the depot near Branksome, the Hamworthy freight branch next to Poole Harbour, and the Weymouth tramway connecting the railway to cross-channel ferry services. Total route length would be 36 miles end-to-end, with branches adding up to approximately 40 miles. The nearby Swanage Railway has been displayed on the map above for scale comparison. Dorchester West should be included for better playability of Heart of Wessex line services from Weymouth. The line starts out in the suburbs of Bournemouth before skirting around the edge of Poole Harbour, heading inland towards Wareham. Between Moreton and Dorchester South there is a lengthy single track segment, acting as a bottleneck on busier days. Heading south from Dorchester the line encounters a steep gradient down to the sea, passing through Bincombe Tunnel and eventually arriving at the harbour town of Weymouth. The highlight of the route would be the Weymouth Harbour tramway, a short 1 mile stretch of street running with main line trains, primarily as a means to link up with ferry services from Weymouth Quay. By the latter half of the 1980's these trains were becoming increasingly infrequent and by 1987 the last regular train had run, with only special railtours operating in the years after. Bournemouth Railway Station The Trains Between the late 1960's and late 1980's, the primary traction on the route would be the Class 33/1 hauling Class 438 (4-TC) unpowered coaching stock in a push-pull configuration, providing an hourly service. There were 19 Class 33s converted to the /1 subclass, changes including the fitment of external high mounted brake pipes and electrical cables for compatibility with southern region multiple units, allowing them to act as the powering locomotive in a push-pull configuration. The Class 438 fleet were converted from redundant Mk1 coaching stock as unpowered multiple units during the mid 1960's, resembling the similar Class 421 and Class 432 fleets built a few years prior. They were intended to be flexible in design; able to operate on both diesel and electric routes and substitute for electric traction when the power was out. Their operation was mainly intended for the (then) unelectrified Bournemouth to Weymouth segment of the South West Main Line. At Bournemouth, a single or pair of Class 438s would arrive from London Waterloo, and detach from a more powerful Class 432 (4-REP) that hauled the consist along the electrified lines. It would then couple up to an awaiting Class 33/1, be hauled down to Weymouth and then return later back to Bournemouth with the Class 33 at the rear in a pushing configuration, with the driver operating the controls from the cab of the Class 438. Layers would include the Class 101 for Heart of Wessex line services between Weymouth and Dorchester West, and the Class 47 with Mk2 coaches for Cross Country services at Bournemouth. Various engineering and oil trains were also common across the line. Some special services, including railtours traversing the tramway, and summer Saturday/loco substitutions with the Class 31 could also be included. Class 33 near Poole Class 33 at Wareham Class 438 at Dorchester South Class 438 at Weymouth Quay Summary This route would offer some engaging and distinct operations into the game, including common push-pull and coupling manoeuvres along with the unique aspect of street running along the Weymouth Tramway. The route itself has a good diversity of scenery with suburban, coastal and countryside settings to explore. The route length is fairly modest but typical service duration would be just over an hour, with various different service types and a good array of layering potential. The route should be a prime candidate should we ever see another BR Blue route in-game, owing to the uniqueness of this route and the reuse potential of the underutilised Class 33. It would also be the first example of a historic southern region route in-game, vastly different to the style of Brighton Main Line and Southeastern High Speed. Class 33 traversing the Weymouth tramway All thoughts welcome.
Fantastic idea let’s hope if it’s made the famous Weymouth sticks of rock are included as a collectible
