Below I have compiled a list of potential options for upgrades if GWE were given the remaster treatment it so richly deserves. I have refrained from adding any extension to either the main line or the branch lines as this then becomes a new route rather than a remaster, although I would love to see all of the Thames Valley passenger and freight branches added one day for much needed extra mileage and variety. My list is as follows. Paddington bear statue under clock on platform 1. Donkey instead of bear. Brunel statue at Paddington platform 8/9. Platform 1a at Paddington. BT Tower added to skyline beyond Paddington. More road traffic on A40 Westway. Trellick Tower added to North of line near Ladbroke Grove. Remodeling of Ealing Broadway District Line station and staircase to booking hall from Platform 4/5. Remodeling of Ealing hospital from Wharncliffe Viaduct and increased road traffic on A4020 Uxbridge Road. Correct style shed and associated fencing at Southall Railway Centre. Bilingual Punjabi signage at Southall Station. Anti collision beacons for Southall gasometer. Increased road traffic on A312 Hayes Bypass. Trio of tower blocks on Avondale Drive around 2/3mile North of Hayes Bypass A312. More accurate building assets on Viveash Close Hayes beside platform 1. Station frontage alterations and staircases added for Platform 1 and 4 at Hayes and Harlington. Trident House and Ventura House buildings 50 to 100 yds north of Hayes and Harlington station. More accurate building assets on record factory site West of Hayes Station. Hillingdon Hospital added to skyline to North between Hayes and West Drayton. Heathrow Airport control tower added to skyline to South between Hayes and West Drayton as well as increased road traffic on the A408 Stockley Road. Station forecourt bus turning area lowered and improved at West Drayton. Horlicks factory Slough. Windsor Castle added to skyline south of Slough. Slough Bus Station. Slough Power Station Maidenhead United York Rd football stadium. Increased service density along whole route to better reflect reality. More extensive explorable stations along the whole route (ie ticket offices etc). New dlc locomotives to fill timetable. TOD4 upgrade. I would like to know if there are any notable items that I have missed.
Another item missed is the fencing around The Railway Centre Southall. At present it only vaguely represents the real location with much of the perimeter fencing omitted and buildings not quite correct.
I think it'd be nice to go back and revisit GWE to show the original UK route some love again especially as for me it's always been a favourite of mine to drive. What about adding the greenford branch at west Ealing as a bit extra to drive.with the current timetable it's only 12 minutes so great for those with less time on their hands.
Agreed it is a favourite of mine too. However, extension of any kind is extremely unlikely, not to mention the fact that if the Greenford branch is added, then so too must ALL of the other passenger and freight branches between Paddington and Reading, which are... Northolt Line Greenford Brentford Freight Heathrow (licensing issues) Colnbrook Freight Windsor Bourne End/Marlow Henley on Thames Basingstoke (possibly) My best guess is that we'll only ever see these on their own separate route, however, without the mainline, I cannot see how they could be connected to one another. I have suggested before that perhaps it is time to rebuild this route from scratch with the branches included at the start whilst using current route building protocol.
If DTG did anything with GWE it'd be best if they managed to get the licence for GWR back so it could potentially have new rolling stock and a new up to date timetable so you could pick between the two although I dislike the 800s they are the face of British high speed rail these days so I'd would be good to see another representation of the 80x family.
Compiled a great list there, clearly from an expert in the area! DTG should bring you on board for consultation. The last post added the only other thing I would suggest, which is a timetable update (with or without dlc) as the route didn’t feel as busy as I remember it being 10 odd years ago.. DLC could be interesting though.. but other than one handled EMU’s, it leaves only the Night Riviera?
If you required more interest, however unlikely it is to happen, and extension to Oxford would require a power changeover with the class 800 I think at Didcot Parkway provided that the route gets an update to include the overhead wires. Plus you could have a timetable form the crossover period with HST sets operating alongside the IET sets.
This remaster suggestion pertains to the existing route in the same era of 2015. Hence I have not mentioned OHLE being added. Doing so requires a complete rebuild from scratch.
Better options for dlc if a new license were to be secured would be.. Class 57 +Mk3 Sleeper stock 5x locomotive Class 165/1 17x3 car and 20x2 car Class 180 14x5 car Class 332 9x4 car and 5x5 car Class 360/2 4x5 car All of these were well used on this route in 2015. The increase in fleet size stated above would vastly increase traffic patterns on the route.
If needed, I'd be happy to help DTG as I live yards from the line and have for over 17 years with personal knowledge of it for my whole life.
Your asking for way to much and DTG can't obtain the GWR license anymore it's been made clear many times but you still make suggestions about it
They are only around till next year anyways there’s a chance it can happen after the contract expires as a rebuild or remaster
Then they would have to obtain the license again gwr ain't keen on giving a license I don't see it being a possibility
It will require a DfT Great British Railways license rather than a First Group GWR license as each franchise will cease to be after the current contract.
GBR have not taken over the railways yet... and by the time they do I can assure that dtg would have forgotten about it I'd rather they focus on something completely new than reviving a dead route
This route is not exactly dead. It simply requires a complete rebuild in the same vain as SEHS but perhaps in the pre GWR era, ie NSE and Intercity which would likewise only require a DfT license. This route has lots of potential which has bizarrely been left untapped. If only someone would give a damn instead of hanging it out to dry. This good route could be a great one with a little effort applied.
Like I said it’s only next year. And you can’t be so sure they’ll forget as they didn’t forget to revisit LIRR and redo that which came out in 2018
Having thought about it too, I have to agree. Any later than the current version date and the 166 and HSTs become obsolete. It was a current rendition at one point, but a rendition of a line in limbo. A 90’s version would finally give us an official IC Swallow HST in-game, a period of time before major changes occurred, and a slightly more creative license with accuracy of landmarks perhaps. Did anything other than the HSTs or 166’s operate out of Paddington then? Loco-hauled stuff?
Good stuff but as stated the scope of a remaster is pretty much TOD and changes to existing scenery, not extensions welcome though they would be. Under the existing licence one straightforward QOL would be cab doors on the HST which remain open in motion, as was done on the SHG MML version. This would transform the experience from a near quiet cab to getting the albeit somewhat more muted MTU engine sound to a more acceptable level. Again subject to licensing and research access a Class 165 would be relatively low hanging fruit, but more common on the stoppers than the 166.
NSE 47’s with Mk2 rakes, until 1992 class 117 and 121 dmus alongside the brand new 165 and from 1993 166s too. Occasionally there were Intercity 47s with Mk2 rakes also. NSE dmus were complemented by a handful of classes 101,104 and 119 units from the Reading pool.
elarthur you should turn this thread into a master GWE remaster suggestion thread as your list is remarkable and unique as you keep growing it so keep up the good work.
A selection of photos to illustrate recommended changes. Brunel statue on platform 8/9 at Paddington. Platform 1a Parcels at Paddington. Skyline above Westbourne Park looking North East with BT Tower visible. A40 Westway traffic looking North East. Trellick Tower North Kensington.
District Line station Ealing Broadway. Platform 4/5 staircase to booking hall Ealing Broadway. Ealing Hospital with A4020 in foreground. A4020 traffic at Iron Bridge Southall looking West. Southall Railway Centre looking East.
Bilingual signage at Southall. Southall gasometer at night with collision beacons illuminated. A312 Hayes Bypass looking North from railway. Avondale Drive trio of tower blocks on left in mid distance but out of shot.
Hayes and Harlington station frontage. Platform 4 at Hayes and Harlington showing staircase to booking hall. Canopy removed by 2015. Buildings of Viveash Close Hayes with Platform 1 in foreground. Hayes and Harlington station looking West from Platform 1 staircase to Station Road.
Record Factory buildings looking North East. Brown brick buildings were not present in 2015. Iconic HMV Shipping Building looking North from Bourne Bridge Hayes. Part of Record Factory.
Hillingdon Hospital as viewed from distance. Heathrow Control Tower as viewed from distance. A408 Stockley Road traffic looking North across railway. West Drayton Station bus turning area and forecourt. Platforms can be seen at higher level to right of building. Windsor Castle as viewed from Slough.
Missing Maidenhead United’s York Road stadium, right now in game it’s a couple of goal posts in an empty field lol.
Couple more: -Slough bus station -The Horlicks Factory -(At a push) Slough power station Fun fact: The bus station caught on fire in 2022 and still hasn’t reopened to this day (Further note, Windsor castle can’t be seen from Slough unless the W-E branch is added)
If you raise the external camera above Slough, Windsor Castle should be visible to the South. Other items will be researched and added as necessary.
Checked it myself now and even with the cam it’s still too far away to see Windsor castle from Slough. It would be the same result irl considering the castle is a couple miles away with high-rises and the M4 in between.
I would've thought it could be seen from various points around Slough in external camera view considering its size. Perhaps I need to invest in a drone to attempt to get footage from various nearby points. Not likely at this time though. Is my screenshot not taken from Slough? The buildings in the foreground might hint at the location.
When it comes to more explorable stations, I suggest the following... Open Ealing Broadway booking hall and staircases. Open Hayes and Harlington booking hall and staircases. Open staircases, subway and booking hall at West Drayton. Open Langley booking hall. Open Slough booking hall and staircases. Open Burnham staircases and subway. Open Taplow booking hall. Open Maidenhead booking hall and subway. Open Twyford booking hall.
Looking at the photo I think it was taken from a high rise on the other side of town centre which will have a better view, at the blue line. From the station you’ll only see the town centre.
Therefore it may well be visible from other points along the line either East or West of the station, sightlines permitting.
Unfortunately, Slough is the closest station to the castle along the line, you definitely won’t see Windsor castle from Burnham or Langley. Again unless the Windsor and Eton branch is added you won’t see the castle.
Surely there are a few gaps with clear sightlines between Langley and Burnham. I am aware that you would not see anything from the cab but surely at least once or twice from high external camera view is possible?
From the map Slough is quite literally perpendicular. The closest view you might get of Windsor Castle from Slough is possibly looking down from Stoke Road bridge next to the station but it’s really stretching it. (Also the Slough curve library is my last suggestion.)
Here is the result very simple..... There is no change that GWE get a remaster.... DTG has already confirmed it will not happen due to its age and different build type. So this is thread number 100 nearly and all they are the same.... Not possible. Sorry not my favorite but this already discussed so many times.
