As often say, with JT's decision to introduce two additional packs this year (86 & 142TfW), this will no longer leave time and spaces necessary to develop a route like WCMLOS! Would prefer an integration of the current experience, adding Windermere(all stops already marked) and Heysham to increase offering! I'd like to see a 108 coming alongside this! Not to mention all nuclear activities to/from Hysham Power Station!
It'll probably be down to Crewe which in itself isn't that inspiring, but would be great with the branch to Liverpool Lime Street.
Even then you have a problem with the timetable as unless you artificially change it, many Liverpool services ran through Crewe without stopping as did a considerable number of the Anglo Scottish services which were either non stop from Euston or Watford to Preston or did something odd like Warrington or Wigan first stop. Anyhow that's something for the JT route thread already running but it does illustrate with the bits that are already done, how difficult it actually is to add another viable section of the WCML to TSW that doesn't end up being 200 miles long and/or duplicating the modern day WCMLS.
JT saying they'll use the Class 86 and 87 in future releases, I think that'll include their next release given that the 86 was only used on existing services in WCML. They'll want the 86 to be star of the show on the next release. So that's somewhere between Preston and Euston or Liverpool Street and Norwich. Narrows the conjecture down a bit, doesn't it?
i had a thought yesterday about JT and how long between routes, i've just had a look at the TSC MML stuff they did and it was just short of a year between the lincoln expansion and the hope valley, but it was a year n half between that and the buxton peak forest expansion. i got all three on first day release. so i wouldn't count ones chickens that they will do an announcement next month in line with TSW6 stuff. we could be waiting another 6 months or longer. plus if they did do the liverpool st to norwich route i know one member is north west based near blackpool if they all are and did do it, its a hell of a way to travel for on site research. i know happy days of plane spotting at raf coltishall and you get to sleaford and see that sign 74 miles to norwich after we have already driven for 2 n half hours. welcome to the fens you have 2 hours to go. marham and lakenheath were just as bad.
They started running Liverpool Street to Ipswich and Harwich Parkeston in mid-1985. At Ipswich they would be detached and swapped out for a Class 47 for the onward journey to Norwich while OHL work was completed. Through electric services to Norwich started in May 1987. DBSOs started to arrive from Scot Rail in 1990 so that push-pull working could commence.
