Previously, I suggested a diesel pack for Spirit of Steam. Today, I'm suggesting a steam locomotive pack for the same route because you can only go so far with the Jubilee and the 8F in my opinion. Please note that am unaware if any members of the below classes were sheded at either Crewe North, Crewe South, Speeke or Edge Hill during 1958. BR Standard Class 7 'Britannia' 54 'Britannias' were built between 1951 and 1954 for mix traffic work. They were based all over the UK and one (70013 "Oliver Cromwell") was involved in hauling the 15 Guinea Special. Today only 2 are preserved with these being 70000 "Britannia" and 70013 "Oliver Cromwell". In SoS, these could haul both express passenger and freight trains. Ex-LMS 3F 'Jinty' 422 Jintys were built between 1924 and 1931 as shunters. Today, a healthy 9 examples have been preserved. In SoS, these could be used as shunters in goods yards all over the route with either one or two being station pilot(s) at Liverpool Lime Street. I was a bit surpised when we didn't orginally get a pilot engine for SoS. Ex-LMS Princess Royal 12 Princess Royals were built between 1933 and 1935 for express passenger work. Today only 2 are preserved with these being 6201 "Princess Elizabeth" and 46203 "Princess Margaret-Rose" . BR Standard Class 4 Tank 155 Standard 4 Tanks were built between 1951 and 1956 for commuter and outer-suburban work. Today 15 are preserved. In SoS, these could haul local services services between Crewe and Liverpool Lime Street. Ex-LMS Black 5 842 Black 5s were built between 1934 and 1951 for mix traffic work. In August 1968, 3 Black 5s (44781,44871 and 45110) and were involved in hauling the Fifteen Guinea Special. Today 18 (including 44871 & 45110) are preserved. In SoS, these could also haul both freight and passenger trains just like the Britannias that I mentioned earlier.
DTG have gone very dark on their proposals for further SoS add on DLC or even a new steam era route. A Jinty for shunting and a 2-6-4T for secondary work would be useful, though I suspect a Black Five would be first on their list to build with almost universal aplication elsewhere.
I am longing to hear more about steam and its development In TSW. I fear dtg have lost some confidence right now because even the ai spad issue on SOS hasn’t really been talked about much. I want to say folk are looking forward to the full implementation of Full on manual firing. I am pondering if we’ll hear more about routes and layers when that part has been made ready. I sincerely hope so, we can see they’ve invested a lot of time and passion into steam so far and it has been a challenge. But, keep it up dtg- the results are good despite ‘stuff,’ there’s a crowd of folk waiting in anticipation, and it can get all the way.
Yes they have a bit of a hurdle to climb as even after the physics fixes in TSW3 I still can't quite bring myself to fire up SoS. Part of it is the route, just doesn't really excite me compared to some of the more iconic lines they could have done.
I think the physics is down to the coupling, because I've never had that problem on any other routes, but those heritage British ones
Bring it in and for the 4MT it must come with new Wagon types just like how Huddersfield Line heavy freight pack had TEA and 12T van vacuum brakes only and TVL Classes 20 & 31 PCA Cement van
