This Is A Proposal For A New Route That Would Feature The Whole Merseyrail Network Route Maps: Northern Line Wirral Line Helsby Line Rolling Stock: Class 507 Class 508 Class 777
This would be a great network to see. Especially if Cardiff City Network is a success for DTG. As for the Helsby line, the section from Ellesmere Port to Helsby is operated by Northern so I doubt this would be included as well, but one can hope.
Thumbs up for anything Merseyrail from me but I would imagine DTG might balk at the amount of stations to model doing the whole network. I think doing something like the Northern Line + the Wirral Line to Birkenhead might be a realistic start. It would then have a couple of 'back in time' route hops with Lime Street for Spirit of Steam' and Ormskirk for Blackpool Branches. I'm hoping at some point DTG does a modern route from Lime Street given that we now have more of the rolling stock required to fill the station such as the Class 390, 350, 323, and 158. So it would be a great route hop for this too especially if Liverpool South Parkway is included which is another interchange station between Merseyrail and the mainline. Modelling the battery operation with the Class 777 to Headbolt Lane might also be an interesting first for a TSW route. Although that has had a lot of problems since introduction for Merseyrail which potentially lends itself to a scenario! Skyhook are based in Liverpool so maybe they could help DTG with getting something going in Merseyside again for TSW!
Do the Northern Line to Ormskirk, set it in 1986, and we can link it with BPO. Or set it modern day (any part of the network), but in the transition era between the 507/508 and 777.
This suggestion comes up so often, which is not a criticism, but shows how popular an idea it is. I'm with Jack on the era suggestions. Personally, I prefer the BR era but the transition era would be nice as you'd get to do the battery switchover on the 777s when heading to Headbolt Lane. There's too many stations for the whole network, but I think the Northern line branches would be nice. If they did, I'd insist on an interactive bench at Sandhills, a great location for videoing trains.
Perhaps the Merseyrail network is feasible if split into two separate dlcs. Would be nice to see Merseyrail trains added to Ormskirk as AI on Blackpool Branches. The 507 and 508 would also make great throwback units on a future South Western network route as they filled in there in the late 1970s and early 1980s prior to delivery of Class 455 units in 1983-4.
