Cardiff Central to Bristol Temple Meads Distance – approx. 40 miles. Speeds – high speed sections including 100+ MPH Route type – The South Wales Mainline is a high speed link between Cardiff (and on to Swansea) and England but is essentially rural between Cardiff and Newport, and from Newport onto Bristol. Running East to West until the Severn tunnel the route then curves South West through the tunnel and then South towards Bristol itself. The below picture shows the sheer number of connections in the region Major Stations Cardiff Central Newport Bristol Temple Meads Depots Cardiff Canton Bristol St Phillips Marsh Bristol Bath Road (era dependent) Freight Wentloog Alexandra Docks Llanwern Feeding in from all over basically… and of course, the Severn Tunnel Built to avoid the long divert through Gloucester the tunnel was built over a thirteen year period in the 1870s and 80s, an ill fated bridge over the Severn to link the Forrest of Dean and Sharpness docks was repeatedly hit by boat traffic in the Severn which necessitated a better solution so this 4 mile 624 yard (4008 meter) long tunnel was the solution. With steep grades on both sides of 1 in 90 and 1 in 100, a long drag up towards Bristol and mixed freight and passenger traffic this challenging drive would be a great addition to the game in any era, and if set in the modern era you get some funky blue lights which denote the very bottom of the tunnel itself. With over 200 services a day operating through the tunnel this would bring a vibrant and diverse experience! Cardiff Central The first part of the South Wales mainline opened in 1850, forming a major part of Isambard Kingdon Brunel’s Great Western route, with the link to London being completed in 1852 after the crossing of the River Wye which separates England and Wales. Originally constructed to broad gauge, the whole GWR system converted in May 1872 to the now UK wide standard gauge. Acting as Cardiff’s major railway hub the station is a terminus for trains from London, Nottingham, Manchester, Portsmouth and the Valleys as well as through station for trains from all over Wales (along with extended services to Swansea) The station has 8 platforms numbered 0 thru 8, with platform 5 no longer in existence with the main through platforms being 0 to 6, and platforms 7&8 being almost exclusively for the Valley Lines to and from Cardiff Queen Street Newport The third busiest station in Wales after Cardiff Central and Cardiff Queen Street, this station was originally built in 1850 but was rebuilt and expanded in 1928. A major upgrade in 2010 brought four full size platforms along with the two thru lines. With freight sidings, diesel galas and a wide variety of routes including via Bristol, Swindon, Shrewsbury, Gloucester and Cardiff and a lot of freight Newport is a great position to see a vast number of consists at almost any time of day. Severn Tunnel Junction This station sits just West of the Severn Tunnel, at the junction of the lines from Gloucester and Bristol towards Cardiff. Pilning This station sits just East of the Severn tunnel and in 2015 was the sixth least used station in the UK with only 68 recorded passengers passing through in the entire year... Three platforms with a loop each way ending either just before or just after the station. First of the Bristol urban stations Patchway Another minor station under the Bristol system, single track each way Filton Abbey Wood The first station after the line from Bristol Parkway joins from the north. 4 platforms and a wide variety of consists from all over the South West, South Wales and from the Midlands and London. Stapleton Road Another urban Bristol station, and the first on the route with links to Severn Beach, a branch line of which routes through a major industrial area with heavy freight and regular passenger runs. Lawrence Hill Last of the urban stations on the route, Lawrence hill has two platforms with two main lines running behind platform 2. Bristol temple Meads The original terminus of the Great Western Railway, a grade 1 protected structure and one of the wonders of UK railways BTM is a major transport hub for the city of Bristol, the West and South West of England and much of the rest of the country. Originally built in 1840 the station was to serve as Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s masterpiece station and all of his lines led here, and since then the station has been upgraded and extended significantly 3 times. Currently it has eight tracks with 15 operational platforms as well as several loco storage bays and through lines. Depots Bristol has had several depots over the years including St Phillips marsh and Bath Road Depots, taking care of local and regional stock as well as the occasional HST. Cardiff Canton Depot has been a major hub for train care, hosting and maintaining every type of unit that runs on diesel power. Opened in 1882 it became a major centre of steam operation with 28 roads and a huge turntable, in the 1930s the table got even bigger and the depot operated and maintained over 120 units. After steam the diesel age took hold and in 1964 a rebuilding project enabled the site to work over 350 locos and units across the 30 acre site with units operating all over the UK. Scaled back in the 90s the depot now operates exclusively for Transport for Wales with stabling for CrossCountry and the occasional stabling for DB(EWS) Freight South Wales was built on coal and steel, with the Valleys, Port Talbot and Llanwern being huge freight train centers along with Margam. This, alongside docks across the south of Wales makes for a wide and varied mix of diesel hauled freight along the entire length of the proposed route Eras: 1980s – First Generation DMUs from classes 101, 108, 117, 118 & 119 operated across the South Wales and Western networks. Diesel haulage many forms operated throughout, so the opportunity for classes 33, 45, 47 etc are all there. And of course the HST 1990s – Second gen DMUs such as the class 150, 180 and of course the pacers of all kinds on the branch and suburban lines. Classes in the 50s and 60s join the fray 2000s – Second generation and newer stock including all the 90s stuff but adding in 170s, 221s and most recently the 800s, with class 70s joining on the freight side Services: High speed runs from Cardiff towards London could be driven if a minor extension to Bristol Parkway was included (the station opened in 1972 so could be in all the above eras), there are also freight sidings here where many freight services stop or pause so a good layover for those sort of runs Cardiff (or western wales) to anywhere past Bristol (Taunton, Portsmouth, Exeter etc) could be run in many different consists Depending on if any of the branches around Cardiff are included passenger runs from any of the surrounds are possible, as are stabling, and consist forming around Canton Depot Additional scenarios could focus on dragging failed services to Canton, the occasional charters through the area (class 52 anyone?) and of course freight up to the eyeballs. Freight All the freight…! With so many yards, types of freight from heavy coal or aggregates, multimodal, wood, oil and so much more the freight possibilities are huge Shunting The South Wales yards all have shunting requirements and shunters from 03s to 08s were found all across the system into the 90s
Great Western (GWR), SouthWestern and Crosscountry as well as specials on the passenger side and all of the freight companies
Not sure how creating 40 miles of detailed route is "cheaping out" but you're entitled to your opinion of course...
Maybe but then they will lack in customers because they will use stuff from a route that already has it
Because they would be no new locos, this is train sim world, not train route world. I'd like to think that they would add new locos and make the 43 and 166 compatible, like they did with RSN and MSB (I did mean it as a joke, I forgot to put 'lol' at the end)
