Another WCML Post.. So The Rugby - Birmingham - Stafford Line. With Class 86/87 In British Rail Livery and Class 506 EMU in British Rail Livery. The route will be around 50 miles or so. Stations: Rugby Coventry Canley Tile Hill Berkswell Hampden - In - Harden Birmingham International Marston Green Lea Hall Stechford Adderley Park Birmingham New Street Smethwick Rolfe Street Smethwick Galton Bridge Sandwell & Dudley Dudley Port Tipton Coseley Wolverhampton Penkridge Stafford Layers: Class 31 Class 37 Class 47 DLC: 511 (or 510) EMU This will be set around the late 1970s into Mid 1980s.
If set modern day then it can take benefit of layering with Birmingham Cross City. This or the Trent Valley Line would make for a good second Birmingham-area route IMO, especially as these routes are more high speed and less start-stop like Cross-City.
Class 506 EMU in British Rail Livery. As per my route on your other thread, Classes 304 and 310 would be appropriate here.
Class 506 didn’t work along here, they were 1500 DC units for the western section of the Woodhead Line, out to Glossop and Hadfield. Primarily 304’s and 310’s, latterly 312’s for the period in question and I believe for a time 303’s displaced from Scotland were utilised on Trent Valley workings. However I agree this would be a superb period to represent the route in, problem being now DTG only do one new traction type per route it would be a toss up between a Class 86 with Mk2 air con stock or one of the EMU’s.
I disagree, what we really need is London Euston to Birmingham New Street cause if dovetail can make a long German route then surely we can see a long West Coast Mainline route and London Euston to Birmingham New Street would be perfect and it's less miles then that long German one.
It isn't as simple as mileage however. Lots of other factors need to be considered; number of new assets needing modelling (stations, landmarks etc.), number of new pieces of rolling stock needing to be built, timetable complexity, and overall performance (among probably many other things) all within a sensible amount of development time. WCML South is likely as complicated as it gets unfortunately.
Given route lengths seem to be contracting as the price increases (!), even Rugby to New Street would probably be pushing it. And of course, certainly in the 70's and 80's not many of the Euston to Birmingham/Wolverhampton services called at Rugby. They tended to be non-stop from London (or Watford Junction) to Coventry.
Perfect era though the fact more than one new piece of rolling stock will be needed may be an issue. I would only buy a WCML route if it were backdated.
Why not do it as WCML Crewe Stafford Rugby Birmingham New Street that way you can do shunting at Crewe by replacing Class 86 with Diesels for Holyhead. Remember if Working Neutral sections are added here Classes 81-87 need to be wound down for one.
