Hi all, Absolutely loving the wcmlos route. Didn't think I would be a big fan of the era but there's something about it I love. The 87 is a beast of a loco for starters, and can take power quickly. The gradients especially the descent near shap summit is thrilling and keeps you on your toes. A question or two..what are these white plates attached to the signal for? Additionally what's your thoughts on what the next just trains route will be, when it will be announced etc and mileage. Additionally, do you think the 87 will layer onto their next route. Also do they use the northwest because it's local to the team or just because that is where they have started. Do you reckon they will branch out. also, how many services will 86 have when it comes if you had to guess. I am excited for the future uk content..do you reckon we will see more partner programme devs get announced in the future? Also in the manual it says you can select between different types of cargo configurations. How do I go about this? Is this only in free roam or something? Theres some fun easter eggs also as nods to the JT team in the route. Even in Blackpool branches. Level of detail is astonishing.
All pretty much speculation as JT keep things fairly close to their chest. The Class 86 and Mark Two coffins will probably sub on to the secondary services, leaving the 87’s and Mark Threes on the Euston to Glasgow and vv workings. You were also far more likely to see 86’s on freight than 87’s. As regards their next route, well it could be just about anywhere and predictions tend to end up just becoming a wishlist. Another section of the WCML is possible, to build on what they already have. However I believe JT themselves have ruled out continuing on to Glasgow from Carlisle which creates a bit of a conundrum if they wanted to do a longish route. Preston to Crewe is a bit short and something like Rugby to Crewe via the Trent Valley puts you in the position of most long distance trains not calling at Rugby. Something like North Wales Coast is a possibility, apart from a Class 25 and much sought after Class 108 DMU, most of the stock already exists in game to do a BR Classic version justice. Well maybe some blue/grey Mark Ones. The Furness line along to Barrow could also fit in with their existing paradigm, albeit doesn’t quite have very high traffic levels. Of course it’s entirely possible they could switch to another part of the country entirely. Their various sections of the Western Region for TSC extend all the way from Paddington to Penzance so something west of Exeter perhaps? Their Metropolitan Line for TSC is also quite highly regarded, if a bit buggy and crashy, so they might go there. Or a wild card, summer Saturday on the Wherry Lines out of Norwich to Sheringham, Yarmouth and Lowestoft. Loco wise just about all there, need the blue/grey Mark Ones and a Cravens Class 105 DMU to round it out.
The white diamond plate (it's actually a hexagon but shhh) means that the signal is absolute block and track circuits are in place to remind the signaller of your presence, or something like that.
The Hope Valley line is long overdue! There's plenty of stock to do it accurately in the late 1980s. I would love to see Sheffield modelled in TSW...quite a missing gap at the moment.
Preston to Stafford is shorter than WCMLOS by about 20 miles. But if they did the Stoke on Trent Loop.... it'd be pretty close to the same. Stafford makes a pretty good transfer point to end at. The Liverpool part to Crewe is already a route (albeit an older one) That leaves the Manchester to Crewe as a shorter add on for someone else to do (I think it's 30 or 40 miles?) since that would link existing lines again.
The 87 and (hopefully) 86 are planned to layer into Blackpool Branches at some point, as for future DLCs....not a clue, depends where they go. The 86 I imagine will layer onto Cross Country services and freight and possibly have a few more new services of their own.
Please excuse my ignorance but what is WCMLOS? From searching I gather it is the name given to WCML North (Preston to Carlisle) but can’t find any reference to what the OS stands for, nor can I work it out.
West Coast Mainline Over Shap... I believe the original WCML North on TSC was from Carlisle to Glasgow. But its definitely not the route Over Shap summit.
