Midland Mainline - Leicester To Derby & Nottingham

I’m in two minds whether this is a ‘day one’ purchase for me or not. Although the era is more recent than usually interests me, the HST and 158 are both trains with a bit of character to them - much less ‘plastic’ than most of the UK trains produced for TSW of late - and I’m looking forward to them.

On the other hand, a 20 minute journey between Leicester and Derby or Nottingham just feels ridiculously short. As a Driver you would not take over one of these services then be relieved 20 mins later, and it just feels as if it’s going to take away from the immersion. A bit like playing a demo - fine to understand what’s on offer to make a decision whether to buy, but surely not the full, final product.

I think I’m going to hold off to see what others make of the physics on the 158 particularly (I’m assuming the HST will be OK as the performance of the real thing is not massively different to the Valenta version, so they barely need to change anything) before deciding. Assuming, that is, that not everybody does that. We’ll look a bit silly if we’re all sat around waiting for each other’s reviews before buying.

 

What we don't know though is when the April roadmap is: for all we know it may have been pushed back to the end of April.

 

Im not worried about the route it self. Looking at cane creek, for me its one of the few routes in tsw makes you believe to actually be in that desert.

For those have tried a freight train hop in the evening sunset, its just stunning the visuals.

(Skyhook and rolling stock is a different topic..unfortunately)

 

I don't think it's coming out before the next round map

 

Yep that’s exactly where I am, route just seems a bit meh to me. Understand folk that know I it might be more keen though. Probably a sale purchase for me, post any issue resolution.

 

But the roadmap doesn't need to be in the 1st week of April. I think the next roadmap will be after and not before Easter.

 

Just wondering why it is called Midland Mainline. The Midland Mainline franchise ended in 2007 and this route is set in the East Midlands Trains era.

 

because the route is part of the midland mainline?

 

Midland Mainline is the name of the route (in real life), called so because it connects the cities of the midlands with London, as the East Coast Mainline connects the east of England and Scotland to London and the West Coast Mainline connects the west of England and Scotland to London.

What else would you call it?

 

I always like to add my own little finishing touches to routes, which developers may not be able to do

 

Midland Mainline was the franchise name that ran the service many years ago, who were taken over by East Midlands Trains and to this day, by East Midlands Railway.

The actual line is called the Midland Mainline, just like you have the East Coast Mainline, West Coast Mainline etc.

 

Midland mainline sounds better than "the 21miles of track laid by Garth south of nottingham" to be fair

 

Im in 2 minds over this route and havent decided if its day1 purchase or not.

On one hand its made by the studio that created the amazing visuals in Cane Creek and the very solid (if unspectacular and with its faults) Horseshoe Curve.

But on the other hand its also made by the same studio as the BR187......

 

i’ve decided i don’t do day one purchases anymore after my rivet edinburgh glasgow experience

 

My best advice would be to wait for any livestreams, videos and reviews before making a day one purchase.

 

For me it was after NYT. Never again. Well actually I didn’t buy it until just this week and I’m glad I did. At 45% discount

 

I have this route in TSC. To be honest without turbostars,voyagers,and super voyagers I’m afraid this will be another empty route

 

Indeed, I have the same concerns. Obviously, while a lack of rolling stock is to be expected for brand-new areas in TSW - though with any new route I'd like to see DTG expand with more modular routes in the same area for a network and thus more trains to add to a timetable etc.

 

At least there are going to be two different pieces of rolling stock though.

 

All I can say is thank goodness we aren't going to see this one shoved out in unceremonious style next week half-finished with a flurry of promises for future fixes. If I see anyone grumbling about "delays" I shall point them to the last few releases and say be careful what you wish for.

 

Personally I’m looking forward to driving the Class 158 the most. It’s a 45 minute journey for the local stopping services between Leicester and Nottingham, calling at all the intermediate Ivanhoe stations along the line.

 

Yes, I think the proportion of trains in the timetable they are able to include will be higher than any route for some time.

I’m assuming all London trains will be included, operated by HSTs. I know in reality some of them would have been Meridians in the era chosen, but HSTs frequently operated both the Nottingham and the Sheffield services so it’s reasonable to have HSTs on all of them in the absence of a Meridian.

Then the 158s are reasonably appropriate for most of the slower services. Even those which might actually have been booked a 156 or whatever could well have had a 158 on them on occasions.

The number of passenger trains on the route on which either a 158 or an HST would be completely inappropriate is small. They have plenty of options to throw in some freight trains if they want to as well.

 

Yes hopefully Skyhook will be able to deliver on the timetable as this does seem like a golden opportunity to make a very close to full timetable without too many compromises(apart from as you say the meridians).
Time will tell though!!

 

I hope you are right. I remember having the same optimism with NJT which I know is DTG and not skyhook. But if I was a betting man I would had bet that DTG would had done a great timetable for NYT.I’m not sure I share the same optimism now….l

 

Don't set your expectations high, that way, you won't be disappointed on release

 

can not wait until u do the pack u will deliver like always look forward to seeing that and showcasing it on my you tube channel once again buddy

 

You guys are going to like this one

 

No I'm not.

(Xbox player)

I'm just jealous.

 

It was never given a release date, it was only ever guess work.

 

It will be for me as Leicester is my home and I've done those journeys thousands of times, yeah the distance may not be great but it is fast north of Leicester, the stopping service is fascinating as well and I'm looking forward to it.

 

It was stated as coming before the next roadmap (April 6th), which seems highly unlikely now (unless it releases on the 6th).

 

What DTG say and what they do are two very different things, for instance how long has HST livery designer been "almost ready" for release?

 

saw it only had 108 services/scenarios on the linke rheinstrecke stream, think you’re right

 

I have a feeling the trusty old EWS class 66 will get dusted off for another outing on this route and the ROG 37 is nailed on given that they are based in Derby.

 

Voyagers don't operate on the route and would only be seen as AI traffic departing Derby for Birmingham so only on screen for a few seconds. Cross Country Turbostars would be AI between Leicester and Syston Junction and only drivable between Derby and Nottingham.

 

It's possibly the reason why the ROG 37 was created?

 

I'd be amazed if the RHTT isn't part of the route as well. Considering ROG on SEHS as services to and from Derby I'd say they are a definite as well.

 

The figure above sounds about right for Leicester Station.
Each hour there are 2 trains to Sheffield, 2 trains to Nottingham, 2 trains from Birmingham with 1 train extended to Stanstead Airport.
There is also an hourly all stations service to Nottingham with the Class 158 emu.
That makes 14 Passenger trains an hour through Leicester.
However we don’t have the stock (class 170) for the Birmingham services.
If you then add in the freight services on the route, then the figure of 108 services in the 12/18 hour Timetable sounds about right.
Mike.

 

Yes, the RHTT should be there but I was talking mainly about freight traffic generated by the DB (EWS at the time of the route) depot at Toton. Even if they don't include the yard I think they have to acknowledge the EWS branded traffic it generates on the MML.

 

Well hopefully ROG’s depot at Leicester (Lip) will be included when the route is previewed.
Mike.

 

Yeah it's an incredibly busy route now with freight, traffic in and out of Toton, Liner traffic, Traffic in and out of Ratcliffe etc etc plus anything else like the Network Rail stuff.

 

Was the date of the roadmap announced?

 

First Thursday of every month.

 

This route offers a number of sidings and yards, which can offer countless future layering opportunities, be it driver playable or AI/portal only. It certainly isn’t an isolated, one-type-of-train-like route.

Sidings and depots featured in real life along the route:

- Leicester LIP (home of UKRL & previously Europhoenix/ROG) ROG 37 opportunities? Class 66s can also occasionally be seen here for attention)
- Leicester Humberstone Road (Layover for aggregate & intermodal freight, as well as test trains)
- Mountsorrel Sidings (Large aggregate works. Lots of Class 66 work)
- Loughborough Brush Works (Occasional Class 92 drags for modifications)
- Ratcliffe Power Station (Regular Coal flows. Mainly GBRf operated but could sub for EWS/DB)
- Toton (Massive Freight hub for DB. Regular Aggregates and engineers flows)
- Beeston Engineers Sidings
- (Beeston Scrap Metal sidings
- Nottingham Eastcroft Depot (Home of the EMT Class 15x fleet for light maintenance and stabling)
- Derby Etches Park - (Home of the InterCity and Regional fleet for heavy maintenance and stabling)
- Derby RTC - (Home of Network Rail’s test trains as well as ROG)
- Derby Chaddesden Sidings (Used occasionally for EMT ECS moves for reversals)

If we could have BOTH DB and EWS 66 featured, that would be great as we haven’t seen the EWS 66 featured on TSW routes in a fair while now.

 

Yup. I hear you.

 

The Lincoln to Leicester stoppers were booked for both 158s and 156s. They each had separate diagrams. I think it was a 60/40 split on favour of the 156.

Of course in reality there was the chance of getting both a Cummins or Perkins 158, as EMT had both types, however I think they had more Cummins so having this variant better. The Perkins would have been easier to develop as they share the same engines as the 166

 

Like you, I'm from Leicester, so interested to see how accurate they make the route seem. I know the route well and how the stations should look. When a player knows a route like the back of your hand, then it could be hard to not be overly critical if blaring errors are made. Hope they do a top job.

 

A delay to a route has to be seen in a positive light these days. If DTG decide it’s not ready, then perhaps it’s because they’ve actually listened to the community, who are rightfully getting seriously wazzed off with recent rushed and incomplete releases.

 

Yeah, Niddertalbahn gets away with being short because of the mind blowing detail and the fact an all stations run takes 55 minutes to do 21 miles. But I don’t see that paradigm working with a UK main line, especially if the stock turns out to be flawed.

 

They’ve not announced a release date yet so what makes you think there’s a delay? I do agree though that I would prefer a delay than a rushed and incomplete release.