GCR London Extension.

35005CP wrote:Looking really great! A really great few Routes in the Pipeline with this route, with Niall's and Danny's Routes!! I just hope someone someday does the Midhants Route...
Cheers
Andy

Martin (mjt222) was building the Midhants a good few years ago. Nothing ever came of it if I recall. Why don't you drop him a PM on UKTS in case he still has it on a drive somewhere.

mikehendle wrote:Hi Tim,

Looking good so far and Sundaypm's stations are 1st class,
are you still planing to meet up with Doc Martins route

Mike

Mike - thanks. The first decision point for me will be Woodford Halse, if there isn't any news then I shall carry on to Aylesbury at least...

Tim Mitchell.

Hi Tim,

I can remember going on 30\6d Starlight special in the 1950's from Marylebone to Edinburgh,one of the regular locomotives was A3 Enterprise,if I recolect rightly the train was made up of corridor coaches,it was quite a slow train stopping at Nottingham Victoria, Woodford Halse,(I wonder if that would be a loco change stop) also Sheffield, not sure where it went from there,but it was quicker than the Eastern Scottish over night coach service from Victoria to Princes St coach station,that took 10 hours.

Looking forward to the route how ever far south it goes,it will be another fine addition to the MSTS comunity.

Mike

NiallGray wrote:

35005CP wrote:Looking really great! A really great few Routes in the Pipeline with this route, with Niall's and Danny's Routes!! I just hope someone someday does the Midhants Route...
Cheers
Andy

Martin (mjt222) was building the Midhants a good few years ago. Nothing ever came of it if I recall. Why don't you drop him a PM on UKTS in case he still has it on a drive somewhere.

Hi Niall,
I had a good search for it last night and the only reference to the Midhants is using the other said Sim.... Do you have any details or a link please?
Thanks
Andy

I'll PM you so the thread can get back to discussion of this excellent route.

Brilliant work so far Tim. My new partner lives a stones throw from Leicester North Station (formerly Birstall & Belgrave). Loughborough looks very real in the screenshots. This route was definately lacking in MSTS and the last main line route to be completed in the UK. Pity Beeching axed it, or it would have been a good alternative to HS2.
Anyway keep up the good work, all those involved with it.

Thanks for all the positive comments folks.

Scenery (almost) done to Leicester Central, as per below:







Tim Mitchell.

Very impressive and really looks good. Thanks for the update.

Whilst there is more work to do for Leicester, I have in the meantime carried on track laying to the south, and am now almost at Lutterworth - for some considerable distance the route will be rural punctuated by the odd town/village and I am hoping to make good progress. I am struck by the change in character of the route, as if Edward Watkin and co. said 'right, that's enough coal and industry, let's get to London fast!'.

Appropriately, from the cab one can really appreciate how well-aligned the London Extension was for fast running, and I have tried to replicate this e.g. by the way the tracks diverge and converge around the island platform stations.

Rugby will however be complex! I am planning to do a mid-'60s electrified version there.

Culworth Junction (near Woodford Halse) to Banbury is also a distinct possibility e.g. for the through cross country passenger trains.

Tim Mitchell.

Your description gives us all a good idea of how this route is going to look! Superb methinks!

Looking brilliant Tim, thank you for keeping us updated.

Track laid to just north of Rugby Central (with WCML to do), but meanwhile I have set about making the signalling over Woodhead more prototypical, now I've found out how to use the indicator signals properly. This should however not take more than a few days.

I intend to carry on until Woodford Halse and upload that, with new activities both for the new route section and for existing.

Tim Mitchell.

Excellent news.

Just one question Tim, when you upload the update for the London Extension, does this mean that you have to have the Woodhouse Route 4, installed, for it to run?
If so which version of the Woodhouse Route is best to have installed. Only I am a bit confused, as there are the files with areal photos and the files without areal photos, or does it not make any difference. It's my age Tim, I feel a bit of senile dementia creeping in

steamnut44 wrote:Just one question Tim, when you upload the update for the London Extension, does this mean that you have to have the Woodhouse Route 4, installed, for it to run?
If so which version of the Woodhouse Route is best to have installed. Only I am a bit confused, as there are the files with areal photos and the files without areal photos, or does it not make any difference. It's my age Tim, I feel a bit of senile dementia creeping in

You will need V4.1 installed - either with or without aerial photos is fine.

Sheffield Victoria station manager: "Attention please, this is a special announcement for passengers to stations between Staveley Central and London Marylebone.  Owing to several factors including the following:
- number of users of MSTS; and therefore
- the anticipated life of MSTS;
- the anticipated size of the download (with aerial photos); and in the context of these
- Network Rail's ( ) concern over projected timescales for reopening,

I regret to inform you that the new train services going south from Sheffield will terminate at Rugby until further notice.  To enable this, an extension of the Woodhead V4 route will be made available to waiting passengers including the Staveley to Rugby section.  This will include timetabled services using steam and diesel traction, with additional services on the existing Woodhead section to enhance connections westward.  I have been advised that this will arrive at UKTS Download Victoria within the next few months.

Following arrival of the Woodhead Extension Express/Master Cutler ( ), will passengers to stations between Rugby and London Marylebone await further announcements at Rugby, following consideration of options for onward train simulator connections by the Department for Transport's Rail Executive (i.e. me   ).

For the benefit of any scenery and engineering contractors present on the station, their efforts continue to be appreciated by the Company and I hope all passengers as well.  Derek Wilde as Managing Director of Sundaypm Ltd is performing excellently in restoring the unique civil engineering and architecture of the Great Central.

For the benefit of any locomotive or rolling stock manufacturers present on the station, can those persons please note their contributions continue to be welcome, including steam traction for allocation to Annesley and other Traction Maintenance Depots.

Can all passengers please note that a consultation exercise is now being undertaken on an optional 1500vDC electrification of the London Extension, which would be easily switchable on and off by passengers.  Views are requested on this proposal, which would showcase just what could have been instead of BR hiving off the EM2s to the far more appreciative Dutch, and then scrapping the faithful Class 76s and 506s.

On behalf of Central Railway PLC, I apologise for any inconvenience caused to your journeys, and wish to thank our regular passengers and freight customers over the Pennines for their continuing custom, with a special mention for our old pals Fiddlers Ferry Power Station and UK Coal.  In the meantime, you could always travel to London via MidEast Plus to Kings Cross; the spotters on the end of Platform 2 say the Deltics are hellfire ."

Mmmm . . . whilst a little disappointing your decision is to some extent understandable. I acknowledge that active MSTS users are slowly decreasing but of course many of them are waiting in the wings for the infamous Open Rails. Bearing in mind the scope of the Great Central route on top of the already available Woodhead perhaps a period of lying fallow may be appropriate. However on a personal basis I will be very grateful for the route as it currently is, and of course the existing Thames-Mersey route allows us to complete the journey from Rugby to London!

Thank you in advance for this route and look forward to seeing it on UKTS.

That's a shame.
It would have been a good addition to MSTS.

On a positive note, engineers are busy upgrading the line from Rugby to Bedford/St Pancras via Northampton, in anticipation of increased passenger numbers .

Clive

I agree with Clive, it is a shame for all us dedicated MSTS user's  who have stuck it out with this sim. Yes dwindling numbers maybe, but I think we were all looking forward to being able to run the full route into Marylebone. Having said that Tim, I appreciate what you have done so far and look forward to downloading your progress with this route, when it becomes available from UKTrainsim. Thank you for all you have done so far!

Scenery now just about done to where the M6 breached the trackbed, just north of Rugby - which is the final hurdle.  I plan to upload before this Christmas.

Ashby Magna and Whetstone respectively:





Tim Mitchell.

Tim
Looking forward to adding this to my Routes folder. Based on the screenshots let me thank you in advance.

Great screenshots Tim and looking forward to seeing the finished product! Great work!
Hopefully you can help me out in future with a small route I plan on doing?
All the best
Andy

Hopefully a nice Christmas present Tim  Those last screen shots as well as all the others you have posted on this route, are really stunning. You have captured the busy Nottingham & Leicester sections just like the real GCR was before it's closure. Running trains along this route is going to be pure joy and I just want to thank you and all the team responsible, in the building of this magnificent addition for MSTS.
Like TM & MEP, this will provide another major route from the north, towards London, even though it will terminate at Rugby, instead of Marylebone  We will at least be able to carry on to London via Bedford & Northampton.
Again a BIG THANK YOU Tim!

Scenery now done, time for final activity testing.

Rugby Midland:



Tim Mitchell.

Looking good and something to strive for!

Wow - That is looking absolutely brilliant! I have to echo Alec's comments!
Cheers
Andy

The South Yorkshireman finally arrives at Rugby Central:





All activity testing is now complete and the route and activities will be packaged and uploaded as soon as I can..

Tim Mitchell.

Great news,I've been looking forward to this,Many Thanks to you and all the team that assisted you in what will be a great addition to MSTS.

The aerial photos version of the V4.2 route upgrade has been uploaded to UKTS for approval (750mb in 10 parts - original V4.01 was c. 854mb). You will need up to V4.1 installed before you start. The process for the aerial photos version is therefore install 4.01 (original), then 4.02 patch, then 4.03 patch, then V4.1 upgrade, then V4.2 upgrade.

This extends the route from Staveley Central (as in V4.1) down to Rugby Central. Only 83 miles to go to Marylebone...

A non-aerial version will follow in the none-too-distant future for those preferring a smaller download...

Please note that Nottingham Victoria station is currently a non-textured placeholder pending a completed model.  This does not affect the operational railway in any way; the trackwork and signalling are done.  I look forward to sundaypm working his magic on that; since the V4.1 update Derek has provided a number of new station and other structure models for the London Extension which I think really help to capture the distinctive feel of the GC.  I also wish to thank those who made some other additional objects incorporated in V4.2 who are credited in the Contributions spreadsheet in the route folder.

I have also uploaded three activity packs covering a) BR 1950s-60s Transition era, b) BR Blue, c) BR Sectors/Privatised era.  As previously, these will work on both the aerial and non-aerial versions - there are only cosmetic changes between the two.

"All change please, this is Rugby Central, all change and await further announcements for connections to London Marylebone."



Tim Mitchell.

Well done Tim, what a nice Christmas Present. I will be downloading shortly. What with this route and Niall's Glasgow/Carlisle V4, we will have plenty to keep us occupied during the New Year.

Thank you Tim for all the hard work you have done on this fabulous extension. I'm sure we will all get lot's of pleasure running it.

Merry Christmas and a Happy new Year to everyone at TSSH

Rugby Central stationmaster: "Attention please, this is a special announcement for passengers to stations between here and London Marylebone.

Following:
- An encouraging review of passenger demand for the route north of Rugby;
- photons66's recent opening of the section between Calvert and Marylebone in (ahem) 'that other simulator';
- docmartin's potential reconstruction of the route between Woodford Halse and Marylebone for MSTS passengers; and
- the anticipated simpler and quicker (than hitherto) reconstruction process for the largely rural route between Rugby and Aylesbury;

I am pleased to announce that the Rail Executive has instructed Network Rail to re-construct the route between Rugby and Woodford Halse, which we expect to be open later in 2015. Please await any further announcements at Woodford Halse regarding onward connections. Thank you."

Tim Mitchell.

Hi Tim,
That IS good news
Martin's not issued any updates on his Marylebone route for some time, but I believe it's still progressing.

Well done, sir!!

Cheers,
Ged

Couldn't agree more! Look forward to seeing how it progresses.

slipperman12 wrote:
Martin's not issued any updates on his Marylebone route for some time, but I believe it's still progressing.

Martin posted an appeal for GWR/BR trackplans covering the yard at Didcot as recently as 31st December on the UKTS site, so it looks as if it is
still work in progress.
Cheers
Andy
P S Great news Tim

UPDATE: Martin has had his "Chiltern route" thread unlocked on UKTS 13/01/2015

Between Rugby and Braunston & Willoughby:



Track laying and signalling has been completed to Woodford Halse (including all yards, the wagon and engine sheds and the station).  I am now scenerising from there to Rugby which will be uploaded as a v4.3 update along with upgrading some of the activities to use the new section.  

I think that'll be as far as I take MSTS route building.

Tim Mitchell.

. . and very nice too. Look forward to the V4.3.

Thank you.

Hi Tim,

This latest version looks really good and I will definatly be down loading it when released,I hope you have a change of mind and will carry on with a few more MSTS routes in the future

Thanks for all you have done for MSTS your work is appreciated.

Mike

Scenery mostly done to Woodford Halse, however a late change of plan has led to extending the line from Silkstone Common down to Barnsley Exchange, including applying the correct gradients to the existing section, now that I've found the profile...

This will be late 70s-early 80s to allow local trip coal workings, diverted through passenger trains, and the local passenger service that re-commenced in 1983.

Tim Mitchell.

Good to hear that you continue to progress your route. Look forward to more screenshots.

All now complete to Woodford Halse.....







The 'operational railway' is complete from Silkstone Common to Barnsley Exchange, now for the final scenery.

Tim Mitchell.

Very Nice Tim! Looks really good! Amazing how scenery items change the whole feel of how a route first starts off!

I see you might have a slight bend on the Platforms?? How do you achieve this? I need to do this for Ropley Platform for the Route that I am working on.

Cheers

Andy

35005CP wrote:I see you might have a slight bend on the Platforms?? How do you achieve this? I need to do this for Ropley Platform for the Route that I am working on.

Cheers

Andy

Depends on what objects you use, the L&Y platforms can be laid in 5m/30m lengths so you can rotate them individually which can look a bit like a 50p coin. Some others like the IJ ones are 100/150m which makes this more difficult.

Of course the GCR-specific stations were custom-built as single shapes for me, which can be fitted to the track once that is laid.

Regards,
Tim.

Andy.
Try sending Rick Loader a PM, The New Forest route has several stations with curved platforms including Southampton, Brockenhurst Lymington town and Pier.
Rick has been posting on the open rails forum over the last few days,  so he is still active.
Cheers
Andy

Nearly there now, just scenerising M1 underbridge-Barnsley Exchange which is only a couple of miles.

It is 1984 and a Sheffield-Huddersfield DMU passes Dodworth and Silkstone Common. The Worsborough Incline electrified route can be seen in the distance above the DMU in the third shot:







Tim Mitchell.

Continues to impress!

Looks absolutely brilliant! Good job Tim!

After 4 years, the job is, as far as MSTS is concerned, done. It has been a long journey, and I could not have done it without the many contributors to UKTS/MSTS over the years. I only wish I had started earlier.

Now complete to Barnsley Exchange/Interchange, and now packaging for upload. I am considering how to bridge the remaining train simulator 20 mile gap between Woodford Halse and Calvert.





Tim Mitchell.

a214sli wrote:After 4 years, the job is, as far as MSTS is concerned, done.  

Tim Mitchell.

I'd like to think that all fellow train simulators are very grateful that you have offered us the chance to share your route, and I for one would take this opportunity to express my personal thanks and appreciation for the time and effort you have devoted to this excellent route.

V4.3 update (aerial photos version) now uploaded to UKTS for approval, as are the three activity packs (same eras as 4.2, with a few additions and some existing ones made longer).

Tim Mitchell.