Wcml Preston To Crewe Discussion

Apprantley Earlestown is included assume Newton -le- willows is included too. But unsure what traction or services it entails.

 

Those stations mainly saw a mix of loco hauled (45s/47s) and DMUs 101 to 108 and 142s/150s.

 

Will we be getting 150s on this route or just 142s, 101s like stated.

Is the stopping points likely to be Warrington Bank Quay - Earlestown - (Newton-le-Willows) for what now is the Leeds to Chester route. As I'm sure Transport for Wales, TransPennine Express etc weren't a thing back in days of 1986.

Thought Blackpool North from / to Liverpool Lime Street but unsure.

Whats the section by Wigan North Western towards Wigan Wallgate currently on National Route toc guide map. Maybe be part of it or not.

Unsure what the collobaration is with All Abroard Studios for a seaminglees route between the now named Lichfield Trent Valley route. Has a route hop is just a route hop. Like at other stations such has London Paddington on GWE. Same with Brighton in East Coastway. Nothing special.

 

I'm afraid that the collaboration will simply mean agreeing on the route hopping marker's placement...
As I said in another thread, talking about "seamingless transition" is almost false advertising.
This is not "in-cab route hopping", it's even less a merge, in short, nothing new under the sun.

 

Era slightly too early and AFAIR the initial allocation in the North West was 150/1’s not the 150/2 which did not come off the production line until 1987.

 

Some 150/1s would be very nice to have in the sim (Maybe the 2 prototype /0s too, the Class 151 would also be super nice but not much reference material exists I'd imagine since both were scrapped)

 

Possibly there might have been a few Derby based units terminating at Crewe in 1986, but not enough really to warrant making an as built condition 150/1 for the route.

 

I still feel like it would be worth it, opens up possibilities for the future having another sprinter.

 

I suppose at a push...the WCL 150/2 could be used as an AI. I know it wouldn't fit the time period exactly but it wouldn't be too out of place.

Also, since the the WCL 150 was replaced by the GWR 150 on WSR, I think that makes it the only UK DMU that doesn't layer onto other routes.

 

If it was in Provincial livery it wouldn't be so bad but Regional Railways livery didn't come out till 1991 if I recall and it wasn't until around 1994 the Sprinters had received the livery in numbers.

As an aside I assume the class 40 will feature.

 

Agreed, the WCL 150/2 would look totally out of place with the later Regional Railways livery. While I think there's scope for a 150/1 in the future for another route, any potential provincial 150/1 run on this route would be very short indeed, I assume you won't be able to run much further than Crewe South junction.

 

If we get into the finer points of what is out of area there is also a lot of stock missing as TSW basically canned BR era DLC after Tees.

No class 304 EMU

No class 25 diesel

No class 81 to 85 eletrics

No Mk3 Sleepers

No class 56 diesel

No Class 37/0 varient (most numerous in the period)

No Mk1 GUV parcel vans

No other DMU than 142 and 101 (aware 108 is in pipeline)

No Speedlink type wagons VDA, VGA, OBA etc

No Cargowaggons

The list above is large but I am not critical of JT for not producing it but it would have been nice to have some of it. The Mk3 Sleepers is my bugbear as standing at Carlisle at night watching the trains is kind of spoiled by the Mk3 day coaches which would have been tucked up on depots usually at that time.

The Mk1 situation isnt great either. A great vehicle produced by JT for the Buffet version but a dubious one by Athena which I wont buy after seeing comments about it.

 

Ah that's true, I'd forgotten that. Still we've seen trains given liveries to help them fit in with routes, so I'd he happy to see it in original Provincial livery.

 

I'd say yes to all of those! That's why I posted my initial reluctance about this route way back on page 1 of this thread.
With only JT making content for this era - each new route needs a new train. I have not real interest in the Whitehaven route per se, but will get it for the 108.

Your list shows how much we need for just that era in TSW, but at the current rate developers release new rolling stock, we're looking a decade and TSW will have been replaced by then...

What I'd love to see JT do - or anyone competent really - is build a dedicated rolling stock pack. No route, just trains, but trains that can be added into their existing routes. Not one or two items, but a good few.
Imagine an 80s pack with a new EMU, DMU, diesel loco, electric loco and rolling stock/wagons in it with some improved timetables for existing routes?
I've hardly bought anything in TSW for a while, but I'd be "take my money!"

 

JT have some of the wagons done in TSC already. Is it that hard to port them over?

Your right on the speed of DLC releases. One or two BR era a year if we are lucky.

 

As much as I would love to see the Class 25, and there's a case to be made for how many were made, but I can see why there's no rush for it. There's quite a few "similar" engines in game (20, 31, 33, etc) that can fit that general niche.
If we're being honest, outside of maybe the 25, 56 and maybe 60....the UK rail scene is very well populated in TSW.
Most of the numerous locos that were at least say 75 to 100 made are included in some fashion.

If the route just has the locos included and possibly layers of locos already in game, I'm still satisfied as long as the route itself is decent.

 

As an enthusiast of the era, what we have it great but there was so much variety at the time that what we have barely touches the surface.

This isn't a criticism as there is a lot to add and JT have already advanced the cause but I hope we aren't finished with regards to potential DLC.

 

The 25 could feature on all JT routes. I do wonder if JT have a strategy which hasnt quite happened as planned. When they do produce something they dont skimp on detail. Nameplates and liveries for one. At least a freight 47 is coming as its much needed. I guess in MSTS and TSC we were spoiled and now as TSW is so hard to develop for we are seeing less and less DLC....

 

I think the 304 is going to be a potential tricky one as they handled a lot of local passenger trains out of Crewe, yet there aren't any services of a decent length on the route covered by JT. A good candidate for an AI only train I think if that's feasible for TSW.

 

In TSC we had proportionately more BR blue stock than routes which I always thought odd. MSTS was great for BR content as you say. I would happily pay a lot more than normal for a TSW version of the MSTS NWC with all that stock which was contained in it.

I do wonder where things will go after the Cumbrian coast. Will the change area or era. I hope they do look at some DLC along the way. As you say the 25 would suit all four of their routes so seems a no brainer.

 

It would be great to see one in the sim. I recall them around the West Midlands, they looked ancient back in the 80s. Would love to see a driveable one come with a route, Crewe to Liverpool would be great but it's been done so might not be so popular.

 

1st Gen AC EMUs were always underrepresented in TSC, I'd love to see that change in TSW although unlikely. A 304 could also run on the Manchester routes as a 'Retro' timetable. The Cross city line would also be a good candidate alongside the 101 and 108, representing the real mix of stock while the 323s had a troublesome introduction into service.

 

The 304 would get use with me. Could make some retro timetables for more modern routes. MAC a good candidate, as well as the more modern Crewe to Birmingham route and upcoming one via Rugby.

Could even create a scenario to recreate a famous incident from 1986(?) where one was sent to Carlisle. That'll be fun on Shap!

 

I used to love travelling on the Class 304 but I don’t know if there’s anything that survives that would be a good enough substitute for reference to make one for TSW or if there’s a way to make one from documentation alone. I’m not confident we’ll ever see it.

 

Maybe do a 308 instead, the coaches are slightly longer but they're the same Wolverton design, they (along with 305s) ended up replacing the 304s, there's a driving car in existence and there's a couple of routes down south that they'll come in useful for in the future.

 

Are any of those available and running to be used as a model?

 

There's no AC 1st gen EMUs running unfortunately, but I reckon something could be put together in terms of sounds from the 3rd rail 4 VEP or MLV battery unit, which has similar traction equipment minus a rectifier. I wonder what AP used for their 4-CEP pack as no CEPs are running?

 

I would love to see some Network Southeast southern region stuff, although then you have a the problem of needing a bunch of different EMUs to represent it.