Relieve vintage electric traction on express and freight as this BR intercity route takes you into a bygone era of British rail history The route: The west coast main line south is a 82 mile long route from London Euston to Rugby the carries on for another 30 miles to Birmingham New Street. The Watford DC line is a suburban line that runs from London Euston to Watford junction. Stations: WCML: London Euston, Wembley Central, Harrow and wealdstone, Bushey, Watford junction, Kings Langley, Apsley, Hemel Hempstead, Berkhamstead, Tring, Cheddington, Leighton Buzzard, Bletchley, Milton Keynes Central, Wolverton, (Line splits) Northampton, Long Buckby, (Line rejoins) Rugby, Coventry, Canley, Tile hill, Berkswell, Hampden in Arden, Birmingham International, Marston Green, Lea Hall, Stechford, Adderly Park, Birmingham New Street Watford DC line: London Euston, South Hampstead, Kilburn High Road, Queens Park, Kesnal Green, Willesden Junction (Low level), Harlesden, Stonebridge Park, Wembley Central, North Wembley, South Kenton, Kenton, Harrow and wealdstone, Headstone lane, Hatch end, Carpenders Park, Bushey, Watford high street, Watford junction Rolling Stock: BR class 85 (BR blue and rail freight Distribution), BR class 86 (intercity swallow and intercity executive), BR class 87 (intercity swallow and intercity executive), BR class 90 (Rail freight Distribution and intercity swallow), BR class 313 (NSE), Class 310 (BR blue and grey), Mk3 DVT (intercity swallow), Mk 3b (intercity blue/ grey, intercity swallow and intercity executive) Mk 2f (intercity blue and grey and intercity grey and white and red) Mk 2a (intercity blue and grey and intercity grey and white and red), Mk 2c (intercity blue and grey and intercity grey and white and red) Mk 2b (intercity blue and grey and intercity grey and white and red) FKA container wagons, Layers: Class 47 (NTP) can be used on tanker and semi fast express passenger services, Class 37 (WCL) can be used on civil engineers train and stopping passenger or semi fast express passenger services, Class 31 (TVL) can be used on cement services from Watford yard and on stopping passenger services, The 1972 stock (BKL) can be used on ai services on the bakerloo line section of the Watford DC line from queens Park to harrow and wealdstone Class 20 (TVL) can be used on steel trains, cement train and coal trains, Class 101 (NTP, TVL or DLoTGW) can be used on slow services between London and Birmingham. Scenarios: Depot startup (Difficulty level 2) Take this class 310 unit from Camden depot to London Euston, change ends and perform a stopping service to Bletchley. Fast line (Difficulty level 3) Drive a mk3 DVT from Birmingham New Street to London Euston calling at Birmingham International, Coventry, Rugby, Northampton, Bletchley and London Euston. The weather starts clear but a rain barrage is imminent... Overtime freight (Difficulty level 5) Drive 2 late running class 85's from Wembley yard to Mossend yard as far as Rugby (via Northampton) where another driver will take over. However, there is an incident at weedon (not on the Northampton loop) due to a DVT hitting a car. This means that there is heavy delays when going through Northampton meaning you need to watch out for red signals. However there is a dense fog... Network routine (Difficulty level 3) Drive NSE class 313 from Euston to Watford junction and back performing passenger duties at each stop. Failure drag (Difficulty level 3) A class 87 has failed at Coventry. A class 90 has been called to help and you are tasked to drive it. Drive this service back to Euston. However, you are running late and you need to make up as much time as possible (by following the speed limit, of course). Semi awake (Difficulty level 2) Drive the 9:00 pm semi fast class 86 service formed of MK2 stock from rugby to London euston calling at Northampton, Tring, Bletchley, Watford junction and London Euston. Speedy recovery (Difficulty level 3) After breaking down at Wolverton 3 weeks ago, you have been asked to drive this class 87 from Wolverton works and drive up to Birmingham New Street, couple up to your train there and then drive to Coventry (not so fast that you'll break the loco though) Full freight (Difficulty level 3) Drive rail freight Distribution class 90 from Wembley yard to Soho T.M.D as far as Birmingham New Street
Great suggestion. A couple of comments for accuracy. Class 85's were all withdrawn by the end of 1990. A pool of Class 310's operated local West Midlands services alongside Class 304 until the mid 90s. Class 321's in Network South East livery worked the whole route via Northampton.
I was planning to set the route between 1988 and 1993 so that all the rolling stock mentioned in my post could run. However, thanks for the accuracy comments. I believe that the class 304 ran Birmingham to Liverpool services (according to Wikipedia) and that the class 321 were introduced in 1988 to 1991 meaning they could be in this route albeit as a dlc with other locomotives and multiple units such as the 321, 304 and paxman valenta HST
Also some class 86 worked London to Northampton services for a few years including 86401 which was named Northampton town and became the only class 86 to be painted in NSE colours. This locomotive still exists in Caledonian sleeper livery and is named mons meg
The APT would work in the eighties however some locos and multiple units did not exist when the apt was running (class 90 and class 321) and I really would like a class 90 in tsw. Maybe the apt could be like a DLoTGW dlc along with some first gen emus and dmus
If I may ask, what rolling stock from this suggestion would layer out. Like would the mk2fs go to WCL etc. Also is it just me or should they make separate timetables for this route, one for the 80s and the other for the 90s as NSE changed there whole timetable I believe when withdrawn the first gen trains they had. Plus you've mentioned Intercity white and red do you mean Intercity swallow or mainline as you've already got executive. Intercity swallow Intercity mainline
i think I meant intercity swallow and I also think that they should seperate timetable for the 90's and 80's as it would be highly unrealistic to see a class 90 (which was introduced 1988) on a timetable service that features the APT (which was withdrawn in 1986). Also, the valenta HST can layer into WCL and GWE, the mk 3b can be layered into NTP, TVL, WCL and GWE locomotive hauled express services. The mk2 a,b,c,f can be layered in to replace the mk 2 stock in GWE, NTP and WCL
Such route would be fantastic but the sheer mileage, station complexity and number of new pieces of stock needed to make it happen is likely far too ambitious at the moment sadly. The AC Electrics (Classes 86 and 87) would be something unique and a more modest route (such as WCML Over Shap - though still fairly complex) might be more sensible.
¹ we also have to take into account how much it'll cost as with inflation it might be over 80 dollars and it might be difficult for them to make due to the resources they'll need which they lack due to the current state of the world. Plus I don't think any consoles could work a route with this much complexity.
gen 9 would work perfectly? it's only gen 8 that would hold the game back, and dtg use software to load inscenery, etc. we have birmingham already, we have the LU Bakerloo line, and DTG have made a long route already. The only constrict is really and truly time, and no it does not require them charging 80 pounds... At most for a route that big and large it should be 45 MAYBE 50 and that 50 is really and trully up to if the route is done to a very high standard, for the trains at least, 4 trains included should be the 86, the 90,Class 313 and 310 and there. There is no reason dtg should charge 80 bucks for a route that isn't logical at all... i can see the justification for £40 or £45 or even £50 but £80 for what for about 120 miles of route? having a laugh mate, Considering how awfully done some routes are i doubt people would pay for that
I agree with that tbh, i rememer saying the wcml south of rugby is very complex, loads of depots, big stations, loads of AI, it would be unplayable for last gen consoles and lower end pcs, XBSX/PS5 can handle it but PS4 i'm not so sure, i'd rather get an ecml south for now until dtg can be bothered to make a wcml, but at least one part i'm sure we could get is rugby to stafford or even rugby to crewe which i would take in a heartbeat
Including the northampton loop lines/ Northampton avoiding lines is another 23 miles I think which would bring mileage up to about 132 if i'm not mistaken, if dtg were to do something like that, they'd probably extend it or release northampton lines as dlc
SoS is the WCML but that is a different part of it, WCML South is London-Birmingham with the Northampton Loop
I swear - half the people who want the wcml only care for London - Birmingham and couldnt care less about the north.
I'd prefer WCML Over Shap as well and your answer is partially correct but the actual answer is because of London Euston but I'll give you route length
honestly it's not euston i'm worried about it's the depots, those depots at willsden are huge and if theres no locos people will complain, so a depot would kinda limit it on lower end consoles, but apart from Willsden it should be okay honestly - oh yea and the timetable but who knows what 2023 will bring
Yeah, Willesden TMD and Wembley ICD would be a big pain for Gen 8 consoles, not to mention the Willesden PRDC as well, oh ho, that would be the final nail in the coffin for Xbox Ones and PS4s, Gen 9s or PCs between Wembley Central and Euston, but on the other hand on Bakerloo, Gen 8 consoles handle Willesden and Wembley perfectly fine
It just depends on how well optimised the route is, but i know for a fact that the wcml or ecml is in the highest requested from the survey and on this forum
Uhh.. Unironically not really - It seems really boring and too industrial the WCMl south - I think Shap and Trent are way more scenic and interesting haha.
C'mon... I thought you knew about the WCML... Huh, never mind , I was asking why how so many people wanted the WCML, the answer was a route out of Euston and since Cross City has released, it means Birmingham New Street will get WCML layers
Euston is the most boring of the three main terninuses (Pancras, cross and Euston) in design and operations - cross n Pancras has loads of different and interesting operations + routes but Euston has an overground line and the wcml - considering the true power of the 390 is in Scotland I don't see much appeal haha.
I'll happily summarise for you : Euston - terminus of WCML - terminus which is being suggested to be run out of St Pancras - terminus of HS1/MML - already in game King's Cross - terminus of ECML - in game as a static asset but no tracks (SEHS)
Can you explain why you think the 390 is better suited to a WCML North route then, is it to do with scenery and bends by any chance
now that i think of it wouldnt it be easier to do the wcml, they already have the london end and birmingham
If I could ask for any WCML route, it would have to be Crewe to Carlisle via Preston. Set in the late 70s to early 80s mainly because of the WCML electrics but also the fact that we could could get the APT-P as a seperate DLC
i'm thinking of the St Albans Abbey Line Wich Goes From Watford Junction To St Albans Abbey i think that would be better than a older version of WCML South nobody would play it as much as the TSC Version would get more players. if not the St Albans Abbey line at least WCML-NORTH MODERN with the class 390 378 and 221's. set in virgin trains era would be better.
Great idea,would love to see the west coast mainline myself,but it's far to long and there's to much rolling stock for dtg to put on the route in one go,plus it's very busy in real life so would need alot of services to do it justice
Distance is 112-113 mi as seen on the TSC version of the route. Still loses out to SFS Hannover Wurzburg Kassel Wurzburg section by 3mi 5km. If made it's the first TSW 3 route to feature a UK Tap changer locomotive Classes 86 & 87. On how to deal with Neutral Sections on the route consult the TSC forums on how to deal with one. Achievement wise NSE 313 counts for the ECW version just like how Dispolok 182 counts for the RT Red colour version Sand Patch SD40-2 AC4400CW & GP38-2 for UP and Norfolk Southern versions of the same locomotives. More recent example is Press 155 counting for the red colour Power Surge 1550 km Power Up level 10 achievements.
Did you actually include that in your suggestion or not? Otherwise it simply the train simulator classic version with a 1980s flavour
Stumbled on a old book of mine that had some photos from the 80s and 90s of british rail and I found something interesting that could layer out of the route. A Mk 3 dvt in Cornwall heading to Penzance, no joke this actually happened. the caption for the image i found says on summer saturdays the 07.31 wolverhampton to penzance being pulled by a class 47 pulling a dvt and mk 3 coaches. So by the looks of it we can get a dvt on WCL.
