The Riviera Line: Paignton - Exmouth

Discussion in 'Suggestions' started by shbrocrafter, Jan 21, 2021.

  1. shbrocrafter

    shbrocrafter Active Member

    Joined:
    Aug 27, 2019
    Messages:
    33
    Likes Received:
    102
    [​IMG]
    The route I will be discussing today runs from Exmouth to Paignton in Devon, in the southwest of England. It is a beautiful route, in my opinion one of the best in the UK. It runs alongside the River Exe, River Teign and the English Channel. The total route length is around 40 miles. The section from Exeter St David’s to Newton Abbot is 20 miles in length, with the branch off from Newton Abbot to Paignton 8 miles, and the section from Exeter to Exmouth approximately 11 miles. The top speed reached is 80mph, but not for very long. I'm not quite sure of the Exmouth branch speed limits, but I'm sure it is a lot slower than the rest.
    Here are photos of a few of the stations along the route:
    Paignton
    [​IMG]
    Torquay
    [​IMG]
    Newton Abbot
    [​IMG]
    Dawlish
    [​IMG]
    Starcross
    [​IMG]
    Exeter St David's
    [​IMG]
    Exeter Central
    [​IMG]
    St James' Park
    [​IMG]
    Topsham
    [​IMG]
    Exton
    [​IMG]
    Exmouth
    [​IMG]

    The Steam page for The Riviera Line from Train Simulator gives a detailed description of the route, so if you would like more details go check that out, however the TS version only covers the section from Exeter to Paignton.
    Steam page: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2...n_Route_AddOn/
    Route 'In Detail' video:

    GWR used to operate full length HSTs for their express services, but since 2017 the class 800 has been operating those, with HSTs operating in 4 car formations. Here are the names of each train used on the route, with a brief description and what services they run.

    Class 143 Pacer
    DMU operated by GWR which runs local stopping services from Paignton to Exmouth. Often coupled to class 150s. Top speed 75mph
    [​IMG]
    Class 150
    DMU operated by GWR which runs local stopping services from Paignton to Exmouth. Often coupled to class 143s. Top speed 75mph
    [​IMG]
    Class 153
    DMU operated by GWR which runs local stopping services, however these are used less often than the other 2. These can also be coupled to class 143s or 150s. Top speed 75mph
    [​IMG]
    Class 800
    Bi-Modal multiple unit operated by GWR, however can only use diesel on this route. This train runs express services between Exeter St David’s and Newton Abbott non-stop. However, every few hours, a class 800 runs a service to Paignton, which stops at multiple stops along the way. These trains came into service in 2017 and succeeded the class 43 HSTs. Top speed 125mph
    [​IMG]
    Class 43 HST
    The HST is a pair of diesel locomotives on either end of the train, with a varying number of carriages in between. Since 2017, GWR only run them with 4 Mk3 carriages. These are known as Castle Class HSTs.
    [​IMG]
    Cross Country still run full length HSTs on this route, however very few as their Voyagers do most of the services here. Cross Country also have a few services a day that terminate in Paignton, however these are run more by the Voyagers. The HST top speed is 125mph
    [​IMG]
    Class 220 Voyager
    DMU operated by Cross Country used for express services between Newton Abbott and Exeter, with the occasional service to Paignton. Top speed 125mph
    [​IMG]
    Class 66
    This diesel locomotive is used for freight along the route, between Newton Abbott and Exeter. Top speed 75mph
    [​IMG]

    This is a long list of trains, however they won’t all be necessary. The Voyager and Cross Country HST won't be necessary, and I think the route could do without the class 153. Therefore leaving the 143, 150 and 800 to be created, and the HST and class 66 from GWE can be reused here.

    The Paignton to Exmouth services take anywhere between 1hr 20mins and 2 hours to do the full 40 mile run depending on stops and waits, as every service has to do a cab switch in Exeter St David’s, and therefore has an extended wait before the service continues. Also due to the Exmouth branch being single track, trains have to wait at Topsham station a few minutes for the train coming the other direction before they can then carry on down the line. The express services between Newton Abbot and Exeter take around 20 minutes which isn’t the longest time, but the section of the route is very nice and would be very much replay-able. In terms of freight, I’m not too sure of where it goes, however I know it does pass through the Newton Abbot to Exeter section of the route. In terms of number of services, the local services are every half an hour in each direction. The current GWR timetable has between 1 and 2 trains in each direction per hour and Cross Country has 1 per hour in each direction. I’m not quite aware about the timetable from a few years ago, however I’m sure it would be fairly similar.

    Here are a few links for videos that may be useful:

    Paignton - Exeter cab ride:
    Exmouth - Exeter cab ride:
    Trains at Dawlish Sea Wall:

    I think this route would sell very well in Train Sim World 2. Firstly, many people would get this route for the rolling stock alone, The class 800 has been requested many times for GWE, and if it was to be introduced in this route, many people would also want to use it in GWE through the scenario planner. The pacer is also one of the most requested British trains, as it is a classic DMU that is used all around the country. With the use of the livery designer, many fans will be able to use this on TVL and NTP, and hopefully by the time the route would be out, DTG would have added livery and scenario sharing abilities. The class 150 and 153 are also very well requested trains; although they are not as requested as the other two, they are also diesels used all around the nation, and therefore also appealing for fans. Besides the locomotives, the route itself is very appealing. Train fans from all over the UK know of the iconic British Riviera, and Dawlish is one of the most recognizable railway locations in the nation. As well as the casual seaside appeal, the South Devon Mainline is a busy commuter route too, linking the entirety of Cornwall and Plymouth to the capital and further north, including wales.

    There are multiple options with the creation of the this route, and to be honest you can’t really go wrong with any of them, so whatever would be easiest to construct I would say is the best option. If necessary, DTG can cut the route, taking out the Exmouth branch, making the total length 28 miles. Although fairly short, the services will still take up to an hour to traverse the whole line, and with the scenery we would have, it would be better for them to focus on the quality of the route instead of the length.

    So far, we have not been able to fully enjoy a seaside railway in TSW, and I think The Riviera Line is the perfect way, running alongside the sea for miles, with beautiful coastal towns, carving through hills, rock and stunning scenery.

    Thank you for reading, I really do hope this route could be considered as it would be amazing to be recreated in TSW2 and I'm sure many people would agree. If you would like anymore photos or videos, please do ask, I’m always happy to help :)
    saro.
     
    • Like Like x 3
  2. ghawk2005

    ghawk2005 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Nov 20, 2020
    Messages:
    664
    Likes Received:
    1,270
    I already suggested Plymouth to Exeter, but the Paignton and Exmouth branch included would be nice too. One of the most sought after routes in previous Train Sims
     
    • Like Like x 1
  3. Purno

    Purno Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jan 16, 2018
    Messages:
    2,727
    Likes Received:
    4,408
    Oh yes. I'd normally not be in favour of yet more UK routes, but this one offers quite a different landscape from the usual UK routes. I'd love to see this route in TSW. It was one of my favourites in good old Train Simulator :)
     
    • Like Like x 1
  4. fabdiva

    fabdiva Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jan 13, 2019
    Messages:
    906
    Likes Received:
    809
    143s and 153s have gone now - replaced by 158s and the Devon Metro has now gained a couple of 3 car 16x units

    Fastest line speed is 100mph from Marsh Barton to Powderham.

    Exmouth line is 40mph from Exmouth Junc to Polsloe Bridge - then 60 from there until just after Newcourt - where it drops to 50, Topsham is 25 then it's 50mph all the way to Exmouth - These are MU speeds - the HSTs that visited as Rugby Crowd Busters are limited to 30mph on the whole line.

    The Exmouth line was my commute for about 18 months, the views made up for the early start to some extent.
     
    Last edited: Jan 21, 2021
    • Like Like x 1

Share This Page