Hello Everyone, It's been awhile since I've posted a content suggestion, and seeing the screenshots of the InterCity HSTs in yesterdays Road Map gave me some inspiration for what I'm about to share. I am a massive fan of both IC Swallow and Network SouthEast liveries, so imagine the joy I felt when playing the old East Coast Mainline add-ons for MSTS by developer Europeanbahn as a teen. You had an exciting mix of electric traction running as both MUs and push pull trains, as well as the unique roar of HST engines dashing up and down a high speed line, wearing some of my favorite paint schemes applied to UK trains. Running a stopping service in an EMU while an IC225 blew your doors in as it rushed by, and running a Class 91 with the "blunt-end" forward are experiences that inspired me to further my interests and research into British trains and railroading, and is something I feel could be a big hit with the community when translated into Train Sim World 3. Therefore, I present to you all... East Coast Mainline: London to Peterborough in the 90's 12.04.81_Kings_Cross_Class_254_HSTs_(5932012764) by R3DWolf91 posted Feb 10, 2023 at 3:03 PM Experience two generations of high speed trains on the famous East Coast Mainline. Starting in London's historic King's Cross Station, you'll be traveling north over a span of nearly eighty miles to the busy Peterborough station. Dash out of London at speeds of up to 125MPH with the included InterCity trainsets, or experience slower-paced but equally important commuter services with the Class 317. Feel like taking a detour? Visit the 24-mile Hertford Loop, diverging from the ECML at Bowes before returning at Stevenage. Bring trains to and from the depots at Bounds Green and Hornsey for servicing, or stable your 317 at Welwyn Garden City. Experience the rolling country side as you travel north from the capitol, with busy city-scapes giving way to fields and farm land, and occasionally plunging into darkness as you dip through one of the many tunnels found throughout the route. Along the way you'll pass through population centers like Huntingdon, St. Neots, Sandy, Biggelswade, Hitchin, and more, and get a gorgeous view of the countryside as you traverse over the 40-arches of the Digswell Viaduct. With nearly two dozen stations on the mainline and an additional eleven on the Hertford Loop. Take a step back in time to the 1990's, and experience the action-packed East Coast Mainline, London to Peterborough. Peterborough_Station,_1992_geograph-3967343-by-Ben-Brooksbank by R3DWolf91 posted Feb 10, 2023 at 12:36 PM ________________________________________________________________________________________ Included Rolling Stock [Existing Model] InterCity 125 Trainset in InterCity "Swallow" Livery: Consist includes two Class 43 power cars and a rake of Mark III carriages 1024px-HST_Leamington_1992_(47778069361) by R3DWolf91 posted Feb 10, 2023 at 12:42 PM [NEW MODEL] InterCity 225 Trainset in InterCity "Swallow" Livery: Consist includes one Class 91 locomotive, one Mark IV DVT, and a rake of Mark IV carriages Doncaster_Ron_Hann by R3DWolf91 posted Feb 10, 2023 at 12:48 PM [Modified Model] Class 317 EMU in Network SouthEast Livery 1280px-317345_at_Cambridge by R3DWolf91 posted Feb 10, 2023 at 12:51 PM [Existing Model] Class 08 Shunter in Intercity "Swallow" Livery St_Philip's_Marsh_-_GWR_08822_(bonnet) by R3DWolf91 posted Feb 10, 2023 at 1:57 PM ________________________________________________________________________________________ Scenarios Bound for Bounds Green - An InterCity 125 set has suffered a power failure with both units. Using a Class 08 you have been dispatched as station pilot at King's Cross to couple to the failed HST, then tow it north through busy evening peak traffic, before dropping it at the depot at Bounds Green. Loop the Loop - Take a Class 317 on a return service from Stevenage to Bowes Park and back on a winter afternoon trip over the Hertford Loop. DVT with the Slipness - Extreme springtime rains have caused a landslip over the tunnel portals outside Hadley Wood station. You have just arrived in Peterborough on a down IC225 service from the north and have been informed you will be detoured over the Hertford Loop. Operating from the DVT you will need to ride the flow of morning detour and commuter traffic before terminating at King's Cross. Digs at the Garden - Perform an afternoon Class 317 stopping service from Welwyn Garden City to King's Cross on a sunny summer day, starting by bringing the unit online and out of the stables at Welwyn Garden City. To Be Blunt - A Class 91 has failed at King's Cross. Take a fresh unit from Bounds Green, running blunt end first, and couple to the front of the train. From there you will take the train directly to Stevenage where a relief driver will take over the train. Remember you are restricted to 110MPH when running the 91 in this configuration! Between Platforms 9 & 10 (...and 8) - You've just started your shift, choose between an early morning Class 317 stopping service to Welwyn Garden or an express IC225 train to Peterborough. InterCity 350 - Take an InterCity 225 test train topped with a Class 91 and tailed with a Class 43 from Peterborough to Bounds Green. You should have no problem harnessing over 9,000HP to get you across the line. Just watch for yellows as you follow an HST set that's traveling to King's Cross ahead of you. 1024px-82207_near_Grantham by R3DWolf91 posted Feb 10, 2023 at 3:42 PM ________________________________________________________________________________________ DLC Possibilities This route has seen such an interesting variety of rolling stock over the years, but for the time period there a few trains in particular that I believe could enhance the base route DLC even further. Class 89 "Badger" in IC "Small Logo" Livery 1024px-89001_Eaton_Crossing by R3DWolf91 posted Feb 10, 2023 at 3:28 PM Class 90 in IC "Swallow" Livery 90001_Crewe_1987 by R3DWolf91 posted Feb 10, 2023 at 3:30 PM LNER Class A3, 4472 "Flying Scotsman" with railtour consist Berwyn_No_60103_Flying_Scotsman by R3DWolf91 posted Feb 10, 2023 at 3:32 PM ________________________________________________________________________________________ Epilogue I sincerely hope this route and its accompanying trains be considered by DTG. It's historic, has busy passenger operations, and once built could be tweaked for both older, pre-electrification operations and modern high speed Azuma trains and the likes. I apologize for the lack of route pictures as I wanted to find only common-use photos showing the route and trains in the 90's time period, which are few and far between. I also apologize for any inaccuracies and incorrect technical details; I am not a native to the UK but try to do my homework the best I can. All photos are courtesy Wikimedia Commons.
Bring it on and one of your scenarios seems to be a reference to Harry Potter Platform 9 3/4. If you want another Steam locomotive to do the rail tour GWR 5972 Olton Hall which is seen in ECML South when Harry Potter movies are filmed there.
Absolutely brilliant suggestion, would love a) a Valenta HST in game as they sound glorious and b) the 91 in game as they are iconic and deserve to be in TSW
Owners of this route can find Valenta HST on WCL if both were owned. The hard part is this where would the development team and Armstrong Powerhouse get a working Paxman Valenta HST for sounds.
Olton Hall would be fun for a later iteration of the route, but wouldn't fit in with the 90's time period. Flying Scotsman barely squeaks by as I don't think it returned to the mainline until '99 lol.
good point but on the other hand if DTG recycles the MTU sound for a 1990s HST then the community will complain about why it has the wrong sounds for a period-era HST. Look at TSC forums Class 700 on why recycled train sounds are a bad idea for a new train. For DTG they should visit a museum or heritage railway for a working Paxman Valenta HST
Is this just me or should the hst be layering if they ever make a Aberdeen to Edinburgh route as it feels weird having a diesel train operate under a whole electrified mainline not running on it's own pass Edinburgh great suggestion though.
Brilliant suggestion mate as I would adore to see the HST with Valentas and 225 in game with the ECML especially having them in Swallow liveries would be cool to see again as well. Sorry to sound pedantic here but the maximum speed would be 125mph not 140mph.
Thanks mate it did sound a bit know it all in my head but glad it didn't come across that way! To be honest it's an easy mistake as the highest line speed would be 125mph but I would imagine you got 140mph as it was the design speed of the 225s. Easily done mate and as I say a brilliant suggestion.
would love this. At this point, its clear that we want the ECML for tsw3 and that DTG know that but it seem that they are teasing us with this concept by giving us basically every uk route apart from the ECML (oh and Wales obviously)
Yes please. The IC225 was one of my favourite trains to drive in TSC, London-Peterborough was an enjoyable route in TSC, and that Intercity Swallow livery looks good on anything.
