185 across the Pennines.

I have always been surprised this extremely scenic route has long been overlooked in TS since the original MSTS franchise.  

The terminus station at Manchester aiport is beautiful and is always a welcome site for me as I leave the airport for the first time after flying over from the States.

Departing Manchester airport for Leeds means your change is going to change directions so choose your seat wisely.

Off to Manchester Picaddily we go...  A quick 16-20 minute ride on the beautiful 185.

Just a quick stop though, we have to cross the Pennines still...

Some of the most beautiful rail scenery cutting through the hills.

Just as beautiful in the winter...

But Leeds Station awaits!

Quite frankly the possibilities are extensive.  From Classic Steam to Diesel to recently announced Electrification works, a possible extension to York this route could provide numerous opportunities.  Not to mention it is about time Leeds got some love from the rail community.  It is time someone tackled Leeds station so we can connect so many other lines.  Leeds-Settle, Leeds-Scotland, Leeds-York and Newcastle, Leeds-London, so many lines run through Leeds.

For me personally, I am a cross simmer, Flight Sim and Train Sim.  This route plus the upcoming North Jersey Coast Line would mean I could drive a train from my home town of Long Branch to Newark Airport, fly from Newark to Manchester, get back on the train at Manchester aiport and get back off in Leeds to see my family. A route I have done more times than I can count in real life...  With the recent loss of both my grandparents re-living those memories even in simulation is something I will always cherish.

Thanks for Reading.

Yours Truly at Leeds!

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NS PR43C with flashing ditch lights. Photograph copyright Steve Smedley and reproduced courtesy of RailPictures.Net

Engine Driver Reader Alatreus suggests a new Progress Rail locomotive

The Progress Rail PR43C is a 4,300 hp diesel locomotive built by Progress Rail Services. It is the result of a conversion of existing EMD SD50 and SD60 locomotives. This involves replacing the original EMD 645 or 710 prime mover with a pair of Caterpillar engines, a 3,600 hp C175 engine and a 700 hp C18 engine. The locomotive was jointly designed by Progress Rail and Norfolk Southern Railway. Development began in 2008. These locomotives were built in Kentucky, the locomotive is very similar to an SD70ACe or an SD70M-2, there are 13 locomotives in the 4000-series for Norfolk Southern and has an extra one, a PRLX and NS 4300, The cab is very similar to an SD70ACe. The company had converted SD50 into PR43C which DTM made a DRGW SD50

Why should this be considered for Train Simulator

If DTG were to make this, it could have all of them including 4300 in the numbers 4000-4011, 4002-4011 that has wide-nose similar to the SD70ACe, All of them except 4300 have cab signals, the scenarios could be for Norfolk Southern Coal District, Miami-West Palm Beach, Northeast Corridor, Horseshoe Curve, and the NEC: New York to New Haven, Future marketplace items are: UP, BNSF to look like PR30C, NS PR43C with 130-141.

NS 4002. Photograph copyright Casey Thomason and reproduced courtesy of RailPictures.Net

NS or PRLX 4300. Photograph copyright JL Scott and reproduced courtesy of RailPictures.Net

NS 4000 crossing a bridge. Photograph copyright Frank Orona and reproduced courtesy of RailPictures.Net

These units meet EPA Tier 2 and Tier 3, they are built from SD50s and EMD SD60 parts, these units are for Norfolk Southern, NS started renumbering some units between September and October.

For more information visit progressrail.com

Thank you for reading and I welcome your suggestions and comments below.

This is what you will find on the route of the Train de l'Est:

Multilevel cars and dual-mode locomotives cross Mascouche online daily. AMT own 30 multilevel cars that are modern and well equiped, multilevel cars offer great comfort and a larger capacity. This will make it possible for a greater number of passengers to travel smoothly and comfortably to their destination. For motive power, AMT operate 5 dual-mode locomotives designed by Bombardier, the five locomotives will operate in either electric mode or in diesel mode. These two modes are absolutely necessary since the train will borrow two types of tracks: that of the Deux-Montagnes line, which is electrified and those of the St. Lawrence subdivision (CN) and AMT, which are not. Like the locos, the passenger cars meet environmental standards and strict security measures.

Photograph copyright and reproduced courtesy of Francois Jolin.





13 new stations.

16 daily departures.

A distance of 52 km.

Would come with the ALP45DP locomotive plus bimode and multilevel coaches.

Route is operated by 'Company of Agence Métropolitaine de transport' (AMT).

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The first scenarios are in and you can now start playing them and voting for them, you can click on the image to go directly to the Steam Workshop to Subscribe.

Remember you need to play scenarios through to completion to register a vote. If you feel the author has followed the rules, give them a thumbs up vote.

For a complete list of the rules and how you can get involved with the competition, click here.

REASON TO BUY TS2016

If you've not yet bought TS2016, this is a great time to climb aboard and take a journey through the extreme. With trains so advanced you'd swear they were the real thing, you can haul thousands of tons of freight over Sherman Hill with the legendary Union Pacific 8,500-horsepower gas-turbine, command the mighty Castle Class in the golden age of steam on the busy route of the famous Cornish Riviera, and beat the clock as a Deutsche Bahn driver on the challenging West Rhine Main Line. Why not get involved with a passionate community and join in the fun of Train Simulator's many forthcoming competitions.

TS2016 features the biggest package of exclusive content ever delivered in Train Simulator, click the image below for a complete overview of what's included or click here to buy.

Fastline Simulation, well known for their high quality wagon packs have released their first two wagon packs on the Steam Marketplace, the ZCA Sea Urchins and Re-bodied 21t HTV Hopper Wagon Packs.

Re-Bodied 21t HTV Hopper Wagon Pack

From 1949 to 1959, British Railways ordered over 24000 21t hoppers for various uses in the UK with a plethora of different diagrams, the HTV hoppers were built upon the former LNER design, with some early production models directly representing their Big Four era counterparts with long brake levers, single-sided brakes and all featured riveted bodywork.

As was the problem with all coal carrying wagons, the HTV hoppers were subject to extensive body rot, so as a result they went through a major re-bodying programme between 1971 and 1978, with all variants, fitted and unfitted, scheduled for re-bodying.

The Re-Bodied 21t HTV Hopper Wagon Pack for Train Simulator features the former Diagram 1/146 wagons that were fitted with roller bearing axleboxes and vacuum brakes along with the new body. Three different livery variations are included, all with clean and weathered options, empty and loaded options are also provided with different physics for each type, the loaded examples are full of 5 random coal loads and the lettering of the HTVs are also randomized to represent how they could have been in operation.

The Re-Bodied 21t HTV Hopper Wagon Pack is available now on the Steam Marketplace from Fastline Simulation.

ZCA Sea Urchins Wagon Pack

In the 1980s, general merchandise freight traffic on Britain’s Railways was on the decline, leaving a plentiful supply of redundant open and closed freight wagons across the network. By 1992, it was decided to convert around 400 VDA vans in to open ballast wagons for Network Southeast and West Coast Main Line operation.

Today, the ZCA Sea Urchins are used by DB Schenker, as all were delivered to EWS following privatisation, many represent the classic and familiar EWS red livery, however some have remained in a variety of different liveries throughout their operational history.

The ZCA Sea urchins Wagon Pack for Train Simulator features 40 different versions of the wagon, with variations in under-frame detail, clean and weathered liveries and multiple full and empty ballast loads (empty still contains remnants).

The ZCA Sea Urchins Wagon Pack is available now on the Steam Marketplace from Fastline Simulation.

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A southbound Metro-North sits at Hartsdale, NY

PennCentral670 who brought you the proposal of the Hudson Line will tell you why the Harlem Line should be added to Train Simulator as well.

A little story why I'm making this article, so I emailed my cousin Jonathan my Hudson Line article and he wrote back to me saying that I should propose the other Metro-North lines. Well I'm not proposing all the lines for various reasons. First of all, the New Haven Line already exists, second NJT Railfan is making the Pascack Valley Line and third, Minerman146 already made the Port Jervis Line to Harriman. So that is why I was inspired to propose the Harlem Line but right now, let's move on.

The Harlem Line is a Metro-North route running 82 mi (132 km) from Grand Central to Wassaic. This line was built by the New York and Harlem Railroad in 1848. The line starts at Grand Central Terminal then passes Harlem-125 Street, the Hudson Line diverges at Mott Haven Junction. Then past Woodlawn, the New Haven Line diverges. Then on to White Plains, the busiest station on the line is the end for some trains. (North White Plains is the actual terminal).

North White Plains is the end for some trains stopping at every station from GCT. The yard can be seen here.

On through Vahalla are a few crossings near the Taconic Parkway. Then at Southeast, (Formerly Brewster North)  it is the end for the electrics powered by third rail. 53 miles from GCT to Southeast is third-rail power. Then on north which the section of the line would be called the Wassaic Branch. The line use to end at Dover Plains until 1997. Shuttle trains do the work from Southeast to Wassaic. Express trains to Wassaic from New York City leave GCT every 30 minutes.

Southeast, the end for the third-rail services. Southeast Yard can be seen here with two M7A's and a BL20GH with shoreliner cars.

Wassaic, end of the Harlem Line!

Now time to explain about the rolling stock for this proposed route.

Metro-North Bombardier M7A

If the Hudson Line is made with the M7A, the line should be set in the 1990s with the Metro-North Budd M1/M3 series right below. (Excuse me that the M1 is on the Hudson Line). Above photograph copyright dnsommer and reproduced courtesy of RailPictures.Net

If set in present day, the Wassaic Shuttle roster should be the Brookville BL20GH with shoreliner cars.

If set in the 1990s, the Metro-North FL9 with shoreliner cars.

The Harlem Line is very scenic route with plenty of nature and historic things like the Beacon Line. The former line of NYCRR from Beacon to Danbury, service discontinued passenger serivce in 1927. Metro-North uses the line for special reasons like the image above with the FL9 on the truss bridge. I pass by this route literally all the time when I go out. I would love to see this route along with the Hudson Line as well.

Below: White Plains, the busiet station on the line.

That is all I have to say for this lovely railroad line.

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A picture of Sandown station. Drawing copyright and reproduced courtesy of David Glasspool.

Now, before you make a real world route, you obviously have to get some facts and information about it, because, lets face it, if you are doing a route that you may know very well there may be some key pointers that you may miss, so it is always good to find a place to start, as if you just get DEM data and turn google maps on, you miss some important aspects that go into the route, for example, speed limits. Below are some ideas on finding some of these key structures, including signalling, speed limits, access points and other bits you will need to start building your route.

Speed Limits

This is always catching people out, there is an easy and hard way of doing it, the easy way is to find out some information from the track maintainers or drivers, this may come in the form of some open PDF files, a cab view video or a database that someone has made themselves, some useful links for those in the UK are below.

Network Rail Website - Please note do not try and sign up, if you look to the left there are some open PDF's

Video125 Website - This is one of the in-cab videos that mark out line side views etc.

Track Access Website - This may be a harder one to get hold of, but it is a great source as seen here:

Meanwhile, the hard way would be walking along or driving along the side of the track and noting down speed limits, this is very accurate but will need a bit of kit and may take ages. There is also many apps on the app store that tell you your speed, but normally these use a lot of 3G and is not very accurate.

Signalling

Signalling may seem simple, but it is very much the same as speed limits, it is actually very similar but there are some very big knock outs, for example, above the method of using an app while travelling and using the network rail appendix have no use at all, there is very little they can help with, but with some routes, where there is a mix of 3 aspect, 4 aspect or semiphore, that's normally where you will have to visit the track, check out the links above for information on signalling.

Stations

Now, normally, these are not needed as much for routes set in the current day, but when you have to create a route set in the past, then you will need to get some information on the platforms and so forth, for example if you want to have sandown station on the Isle of Wight, today it is small, but previously, this had 3 platforms and dived of to Newport -

Kent Rail Website showing the old Sandown Station layout.

I really hope this helps in building routes.

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Following the release of the DB BR 261 ‘Voith Gravita’, we have received a lot of positive and constructive feedback in regards to the operation of this locomotive and as a result we have updated it to address some of the issues raised by members of the community.

Changelist

• Fixed locomotive brake control
• Added slow speed/shunt mode operation and switch control
• Improved handbrake control
• Added Eco button & functionality
• Fixed Tank Car physics
• Improve engine on/off control
• Improved PZB functionality
• Independent front and rear headlight control
• Fixed cab light

If you have purchased the DB BR 261 ‘Voith Gravita’, the update will download automatically from Steam. If you have any problems/queries regarding the update, leave a comment below or submit a ticket to our support site where we will be ready to help.

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The NJ Transit ALP-46 electric – fast, powerful and a true workhorse for NJT – is now available for service on Train Simulator’s popular North Jersey Coast Line route.

Now available for Train Simulator, the
ALP-46 electric is a powerful and speedy workhorse
for NJ Transit, as Gary Dolzall reports

For a railroad enterprise little more than three decades old, commuter carrier NJ Transit has a remarkable heritage of electric locomotion. It is a heritage that began with the final regular-service use of the iconic GG1s originally constructed for the Pennsylvania, that has included hand-me-down General Electric E60s and purpose-built Swedish ABB Traction ALP-44s – and now is entrusted to a fleet of 64 powerful and fast German-built Adtranz/Bombardier ALP-46 and ALP-46A electric locomotives.

With the release of the NJ Transit ALP-46 for Train Simulator, it seems a perfect time to take a closer look at this stylish locomotive, which, together with its sibling ALP-46A, is the current workhorse of NJT’s electric locomotive fleet.

If one ventures to NJ Transit’s multiple routes which stand under catenary alive with alternating current (A.C.) power – such as the Northeast Corridor or North Jersey Coast Line or Morristown-Boonton Line, odds are superb that the trackside experience will soon include an ALP-46 flashing past at speed. It was back in 1999 that NJT placed an order with Adtranz (now Bombardier) for construction of 29 electric locomotives at the company’s Kassel, Germany facility. Based on the design of the Deutsche-Bahn Class-101 electric locomotives that had been in service since 1996, NJ Transit’s new electrics were given the designation ALP-46 and began arriving in the U. S. in 2001.

Compared to that classic final handful of ex-Pennsylvania GG1s NJT had inherited and briefly employed at its formation in the early 1980s, the ALP-46 is, in technology and visual appearance, simply from another world. The ALP-46 drive system includes a transformer, two type GTO independent traction converters (which permit continuous dynamic regenerative braking), and squirrel-cage induction. The traction converters also include an integrated GTO inverter supplying auxiliary power (HEP). Riding atop two-axle (B-B) “Flexifloat trucks, the ALP-46 delivers 7,100-horsepower (with all that power controlled via MITRAC electronic controls) and is capable of 100-mph operations.

Externally, the ALP-46 certainly shares a close family resemblance to its European cousins, featuring a striking, 64-foot-long dual-cab carbody that in the case of the NJ Transit fleet is dressed in the flamboyant multi-color livery designed by Cesar Vergara. Regularly powering NJT’s push-pull consists in and out of New York Penn Station and Hoboken Terminal, the ALP-46s (NJT road numbers 4600-4628) quickly proved ideally suited to the commuter carrier’s demands, and, as a result, NJ Transit returned to Bombardier for an advanced version – designated the ALP-46A. In 2008-2011, NJT acquired 35 ALP-46As (NJT 4629-4664), which, aside from minor details, are visually similar to their slightly elder sisters, and offer both more horsepower (7,500) and a higher top speed (125 mph). Together, the ALP-46s and kindred ALP-46As are the electric workhorses that power a sizeable share of NJT’s 700+ daily train movements.

NJ Transit ALP-46s are regularly assigned to the North Jersey Coast Line, powering trains on the electrified portion of the line to Long Branch, and thus the newly released Train Simulator ALP-46 is an optimal fit for commuter services operating from either New York or Hoboken along “the Shore” to Long Branch. Featuring authentic operating features including combined throttle and brake control and NJT’s Speed Display Unit (SDU) system, the NJT ALP-46, available as DLC at the Steam Store, includes a trio of challenging career scenario for the NJCL, and the highly successful NJT electric will most surely soon be put to work by contributors to Steam Workshop. – Gary Dolzall

Snow is falling at classic Hoboken Terminal as NJ Transit ALP-46 4628 wends its way through the complex terminal trackage, beginning a journey that will conclude on the North Jersey Coast Line route at Long Branch. All screenshots by Gary Dolzall.

The “class unit” of NJT’s ALP-46 roster, NJT 4600, rests at the commuter railroad’s massive Meadows Maintenance Complex (MMC) in Kearny, New Jersey. Relatively diminutive and certainly stylish, the European-inspired electric packs 7,100 horsepower.

Manhattan bustle: At always busy New York Penn Station (above), trains line up for departures behind (left to right), NJT ALP-45DP 4514, NJT ALP-46 4620, and Amtrak ACS-64 609 (the latter model available with the New York-New Haven route). Moments after its departure from New York Penn, NJT ALP-46 4620 bursts from the Hudson River tubes just as the first hints of dawn brighten a winter landscape.

On Train Simulator’s recently released North Jersey Coast Line route, it’s train time on a rainy day as NJT ALP-46 4613 readies to depart Perth Amboy (above), then ducks through a road underpass (below). The locomotive is one of 29 such units serving NJT.

Hurrying commuters home along the northern portion of the Jersey Shore, NJ Transit ALP-46 4613 crosses Cheesequake Creek (above), then highballs along the NJT’s famed ex-New York & Long Branch double-track main line near Matawan (below).

Now available as DLC from the Steam Store, NJ Transit’s workhorse Adtranz/Bombardier ALP-46 electric is an ideal and highly authentic addition to Train Simulator’s recently released North Jersey Coast Line route.

A Class 170 seen operating the Cambridge - Norwich route, this one was taken at Ely!

I'm going to keep this nice and short and very simple although hopefully providing enough information to help everybody understand what I'm proposing here. The Cambridge to Norwich line is a popular route operated by Abellio Greater Anglia every hour between Cambridge and Norwich and vice versa. Trains tend to leave Cambridge from Platform 5 at every 12 minutes past the hour and Norwich from Platforms 1 and 3 at every 40 minutes past the hour.

The train tends to stop at the following stations, in this particular example it is inbound to Norwich from Cambridge:

"Platform 5 for the 13:12 Abellio Greater Anglia service to Norwich, calling at Ely, Brandon, Thetford, Attleborough, Wymondham and Norwich." - That is a fairly typical stopping pattern for the services.

So I hear you ask, why should this route be implemented into the game? First things first it is a decent length it's not too long or short with the service roughly lasting 1h and 15mins. The next reason why this route should be implemented is because it is very popular with both workers and students as well as tourists, visitors and shoppers. Also there is a chronic lack of routes in this part of the East of England considering the rich history of the railway in this area. On top of all of this it is an awesome route with plenty of awesome sights to see connecting two very vital cities in the region!

The route is nearly always operated with a 3 car Class 170 although on the odd occasion a 2 car Class 156 is used on the route. Both of these are already in the game so not that much work really needs to be done, we just need the actual route!

I'll leave you with some lovely images of the wonderful trains and line!

An Abellio Greater Anglia Class 170, this one is not on the Cambridge - Norwich line but its good to see the main train we are working with!

An Abellio Greater Anglia Class 170 operating the route seen on Platform 5! (A slightly older image!)

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The Electro-Motive SD60M in classic Union Pacific livery. UP’s SD60Ms introduced the “North American cab” design to the U. S. railroad scene in 1989.

The Union Pacific classic liveried Electro-Motive SD60M is the first of many great free pieces of content for all owners of TS2016!

Gary Dolzall takes a look at the Electro-Motive SD60M and shares the history of the locomotive

In 1984, Electro-Motive introduced a new line of diesel locomotives named the “60 Series, and with it came a new prime mover, EMD’s two-stroke 710-series diesel power plant offered in 12-, 16-, and 20-cylinder versions.

A keystone of new EMD’s “60 Series” was the six-axle (C-C), 3,800-horsepower SD60, which would utilize the 16-cylinder version of the 710G3 power plant. Construction of SD60s began in 1984 and the standard model featured EMD’s “Spartan” style angular cab design that had been in vogue on most EMD locomotives since the early 1960s. While U. S. railroads continued to purchase EMD locomotives with this cab design, in Canada a more streamlined cab with console controls – variously called the “safety cab” or “comfort cab” – was becoming the new standard. This enhanced cab design finally made its way to the U. S., in the late 1980s, and EMD first applied what it label as the “North American cab” to an SD60 order placed by Union Pacific. Reflecting the change in design from a standard SD60, the new Union Pacific units, first delivered in 1989, carried the designation SD60M.

The initial version of the SD60M – those built from 1989 until mid-1991 – used a three-piece windshield design (and are known as Phase I units). From mid-1991 onward, a two-piece windshield design (Phase II) was used. Union Pacific, as it turned out, was not only the first buyer of the SD60M but also the largest purchaser of the Phase I model, putting 184 such units (UP6085-6268) to work. Burlington Northern was also a buyer of the Phase I SD60M, with a fleet of 50 “white-faced” units, and the Soo Line added five SD60Ms to its large fleet of standard SD60s. All three owners put the SD60Ms to work on heavy-haul mainline freight duties, often lugging unit coal or grain trains.

The notable Phase I SD60M is available for Train Simulator wearing the colors of its largest owner, Union Pacific, and featuring freight-hauling career scenario on Sherman Hill out of Cheyenne and Laramie. Wearing the classic UP livery the units wore when delivered, the SD60M provides a perfect complement to the excellent range of other Union Pacific modern mainline diesels available, including the EMD SD70M, SD70Ace, and GE ES44AC.

In addition to being regulars on the Sherman Hill route, the Union Pacific SD60Ms are a perfect fit for other routes such as Cajon Pass and Donner Pass (Donner became a Union Pacific line in 1996 when Southern Pacific was merged into Union Pacific). You can find numerous scenarios at the Steam Workshop featuring the SD60M on those Train Simulator routes.

Historic in that they introduced the “North American cab” to U.S. railroading, and still on active mainline duty across Union Pacific’s massive rail system, the SD60M is an ideal locomotive to put to work in TS2016, whether your choice of route is Sherman, Cajon, or Donner – or better yet, all three! – Gary Dolzall

The EMD SD60M is a six-axle (C-C) diesel rated at 3,800 horsepower and features the three-piece windshield design of the Phase I SD60Ms. All photos and screenshots by the author.

The view ahead is both clear and somewhat unique from the SD60M North American cab, which features a console-style control stand and represented a transitional step between traditional diesel control stands and the advanced electronic displays of today.

Included scenarios for the UP SD60M are set on the Sherman Hill route, and in “Rest and Rehabilitation,” a trio of SD60Ms hurry stacks eastbound from Laramie.

The SD60M joins a variety of modern Union Pacific power ready for service on TS2016 routes, including the GE ES44AC and EMD SD70M.

In addition to being perfectly suited for duty on Sherman Hill, the Union Pacific SD60M will serve well on routes such as Cajon Pass and Donner Pass. UP 6141 (above) leads a covered hopper train on the east slope of Donner Pass; and SD60M 6153 (below) heads a Powder River coal unit train on Cajon Pass near Victorville.

East- and westbound freights meet at Hermosa Tunnel on TS2016’s Sherman Hill route, in just one example of the experiences that await when you take the throttle of the Union Pacific EMD SD60M.

For all owners of TS2016, Your free loco will automatically download through Steam and added to your library.

Here, the train (A 1973 tube stock) stands in the centre track of Cockfosters tube station, having only changed its destination less than a minute ago. Photograph copyright and reproduced courtesy of Streetlightonline.co.uk

Just recently, I have found a sudden love for the Piccadilly Line in London. It's vast and uses trains that you can use BR420 sounds on (I know you will, Dovetail, so I may as well make your job easier). I think it'd be great, seeing sub-surface trains creep up beside you as you just pull a total Knebworth at Ravenscourt Park as you roar towards Hammersmith, or in the other direction, flying away from D and S stock trains as they vanish off into the distance towards Ealing. Or you can join them, as you head towards Uxbridge. It just has a sense of "Wow" as all the taller, towering trains bomb past yours, only for you to pass them 75 metres onwards! Anyway, here is some pictures to prove it's a good route to do.

Here, the same train is seen at the same station. Note the board in the background reading "Deer on the line!" Photograph copyright and reproduced courtesy of Streetlightonline.co.uk

Yes, same train again, this time it's the interior that shows. Photograph copyright and reproduced courtesy of Streetlightonline.co.uk

The same train trundling along the viaduct near Southgate. Photograph copyright and reproduced courtesy of Streetlightonline.co.uk

I think that is enough pics, tell me if you think this route should be made for TS.

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6023 King Edward II is todays lucky locomotive to be hauling the famous Cornish Riviera Express, after a brief stop at Exeter St. Davids, it is time to continue this grand service towards Penzance.

Built as one of the most powerful locomotives of the steam age, the GWR 6000 King Class truly was a spectacle of Great Western traction, and plays a vital role in Train Simulator’s Riviera Line in the Fifties route, available exclusively with TS2016.

After the turn of the 20th Century, the Great Western Railway was looking to produce the most powerful steam locomotive in Britain, so C. B. Collett turned to designing a new express passenger locomotive of which would feature the boiler from the 2-8-0 4700 Class mounted on the standard 4-6-0 chassis, however this proved to be too heavy for several of the bridges along the GWR network and was unable to be produced. As a compromise, Collett enlarged G. J. Churchward’s Star Class to produce the ever-popular Castle Class.

The Castle Class ended up being titled the most powerful express passenger locomotive in Britain, which GWR were deservedly proud of, however in 1926, the Southern Railway produced their Lord Nelson class which stole the title off the Castle. This recent blow to GWR and the need for a loco which could meet future traffic requirements meant Collett began designing an even stronger locomotive.

Following the launch of the Lord Nelson Class, the Bridge Stress Committee relaxed the restrictions of locomotive weights across the GWR network following extensive testing, this meant that Collett could build a heavier, more powerful locomotive than was possible before. The King Class was not only designed to compete with the Southern Railway, but the locomotive would also be the answer to future traffic requirements as express passenger trains would only be getting longer and heavier in years to come.

Using the same initial design drawn up years before, the new locomotive was constructed and the result was an express passenger locomotive with an impressive 39,700 lbf tractive effort. The GWR’s General Manager, Sir Felix Pole requested that the King Class should be built to produce a tractive effort of 40,300 lbf, this would be a major achievement in steam locomotive production and so the Kings were fitted with enlarged cylinders to achieve this incredible power. The cylinders remained in place until the Kings first overhaul, which saw the original ones refitted, reverting them back to 39,700 lbf.

The King Class was considered a strange looking locomotive, as despite featuring the same sleek, classic GWR design, the enlarged boiler and cylinders on the standard 4-6-0 frame looked out of place, leaving a ‘powerful but slow’ look to the King. It was suggested that such a design would be much better suited to a 4-6-2 Pacific frame, but following GWR’s unsuccessful 111 The Great Bear, GWR wanted to stay clear of pacific designs.

The Kings were the limit of 4-6-0 wheelbases, nothing could be built bigger whilst remaining on the same chassis, this made them the pinnacle of the Great Western Railway, they hauled famous specials such as the Bristolian or the Cornish Riviera Express at high speeds across the Great Western Network, however there were a few down sides that the King introduced to these and similar services during operation.

Firstly, the Kings were too heavy to cross the Royal Albert Bridge into Cornwall and so a Castle Class had to take over just before Cornwall whenever the Cornish Riviera Express was hauled by a King, the other problem was despite being able to haul more coaches than any other GWR train, most of the major platforms were not long enough to cope with such increases, so it was several years before the Kings could fully serve their potential on these special services.

Following nationalisation in 1948, it was common practice to exchange ex. Big Four locomotives across the various regions of the network, due to the King Class housing immense power and weight, the only other route it was authorised to operate on in the UK was from London Kings Cross to Leeds. The Kings were granted the same power output as the LNER A4, LMS Duchess and SR Merchant Navy Classes at a mighty 8P, The Kings did however struggle on this ‘foreign’ route, despite being able to make impressively fast starts out of Kings Cross and other awkward places when compared to LNER Pacifics, the Kings struggled to operate well on the South Yorkshire coal being used.

Luckily enough, Swindon Works had already began work on a fix for the less than satisfactory South Yorkshire coal, when William Stanier transferred from GWR to LMS in 1932, he quickly learnt that the quality difference in the coal necessitated the use of superheaters in locomotives and so since then, Swindon had been using 6022 King Edward III as a test bed for the addition of high-degree superheaters. Following the discovery on the East Coast Main Line, progress to amend the issue was accelerated and two other locomotives, 6001 King Edward VII and 6015 King Richard III, were fitted with other modifications to the draughting equipment and the addition of double blast pipes and chimneys.

The discovery from all the testing carried out lead to the upgrade of all the King Class locomotives, the result of the upgrade was a vastly superior King, operating the best they had ever done during their life span and their true glory days were in the last several years before withdrawal in 1962. Out of all 31 locomotives, only 3 survived into preservation, 6000 King George V, 6023 King Edward II and 6024 King Edward I.

King George V was lucky enough to be operating again as soon as 1971, operating the final leg of the Bulmer's Pullman in that October, putting to shame the short-lived diesels that barely lasted a third of 6000s operational life. King George V has now been put on display at the National Railway Museum in York, King Edward II is currently going under mainline certification at Didcot Railway Centre and King Edward I is being overhauled at the West Somerset Railway.

King Edward II is already up to speed as she passes Exminster, with no intention of stopping until she reaches Plymouth.

King Edward II is a thirsty beast after travelling some 200 miles from London Paddington, luckily these water troughs allow for a non-stop refill, drink up!

Rounding the curve toward Starcross, we see King Edward II looking as powerful as ever, putting that water to good use.

King Edward II races past Starcross with 12 Centenary coaches in-tow, the maximum ever allowed on the Cornish Riviera Express was 14, of which the King Class was more than capable of hauling.

King Edward II passes 6802 Bampton Grange hauling the local freight, a lot more freight was transported by rail in the fifties compared to today, members of the King Class managed to avoid such mundane duties.

Time to stoke the fire as King Edward II gives her best through Dawlish Warren, note the oddly designed front bogie trucks that allowed for easy turning clearance with the fitting of the 40,300 lbf capable cylinders.

As King Edward II turns towards Dawlish, it is shadowed by the Riviera Line’s famous ‘Red Rock’, a true icon of the Great Western coastline.

Just before thundering past Dawlish station, King Edward II passes one of the best trainspotting locations in the country, the Dawlish Sea Wall.

After darting in and out of several tunnels along the Dawlish coast, King Edward II finally emerges, the speed is back up to 75 and the safety valves are blowing.

There are some fantastic spots to view locomotives outside of Teignmouth, with this one showing the true nature of how many coaches a King Class can haul with ease.

On the approach to Newton Abbot, King Edward II passes an express passenger service hauled by 5093 Upton Castle, upon arrival in Cornwall, King Edward II will be replaced by another member of the Castle Class for the journey to Penzance.

King Edward II storms through Newton Abbot, the Cornish Riviera Express never stopped here until the late 1980s when the, back-then, modern High Speed Trains would be providing the service.

REASON TO BUY TS2016

If you've not yet bought TS2016, this is a great time to get on board and take a journey through the extreme. With trains so advanced you'd swear they were the real thing. Haul thousands of tons of cargo over Sherman Hill Summit in the legendary Union Pacific Gas Turbine, command the mighty Castle Class in the golden age of steam on the busy route of the famous Cornish Riviera and beat the clock as a Deutsche Bahn driver on the challenging West Rhine Main Line. Why not get involved with a passionate community and join in the fun of our many forthcoming competitions.

TS2016 features the biggest package of exclusive content ever delivered in Train Simulator, click the image below for a complete overview of what's included.

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We talk to Alex Shaw at Fastline Simulation Ltd about the series of fantastic wagon packs they are bringing to Steam

Welcome, Alex! Please introduce yourself and tell us a little more about Fastline Simulation.

Thank you Simon. Personally I have been involved in train simulation since pretty early on in the life of Microsoft Train Simulator. I started off tinkering with some activities (scenarios in Train Simulator parlance) before moving on to re-texturing work which eventually found me creating textures for commercial products developed by Making Tracks. Fastline Simulation was conceived as a publisher and was originally formed as a reaction to changing personal circumstances and a desire to offer a better deal to train simulator developers. As time has progressed we've morphed into full on developer in our own right with eight rolling stock expansions and one scenario pack and have published some items for third parties too.

You have developed a strong focus and expertise on BR-era British wagons. What drew you to this area in the first place?

Like most rail enthusiasts it has probably come from the personal formative train spotting age, in my case the later 1980s. It was the period where British Rail and the Government were working hard to modernise the freight business through promotion of Speedlink and the development of terminals and wagons through Section 8 grants. I grew up close to Whitemoor Yard at March in Cambridgeshire and was exposed to a wide range of then modern air braked wagons and international wagons arriving via the Harwich train ferry. Like most modellers in any format there's always the desire to recapture past memories but in my case it's being inflicted on the Train Simulator community! Now all we need is a nice 1980s route to make then models feel completely at home.

Many Engine Driver readers already familiar with your work will be pleased to see your add-ons coming to Steam. What prompted you to pursue the Steam publishing option?

More changes in personal circumstances were the catalyst to re-evaluate what we were doing and to explore turning Fastline into a full time option rather than a serious hobby. By the very nature of Steam being an intrinsic part of Train Simulator and Marketplace an integrated part of the game it became a fairly logical step to take if we wanted our expansions to be visible to the widest part of the Train Simulator user base as an official expansion. Couple this with Digital Rights Management (DRM) as a further tool in the struggle against software theft and the ability ask questions of the team at Dovetail Games it simply became the most sensible option. 

How many people are involved in production at Fastline Simulation? How do you divide the effort required to create each add-on?

We have a core team of two modellers, around five testers and are in the process of bringing additional scenario authors on board to allow more scenarios to be commissioned for upload to Workshop in support of our forthcoming Marketplace expansions. Much of the effort division is by skill and interest as there's nothing worse than flogging through something that doesn't really interest you, especially when what we were doing was a free time thing! Generally, we will discuss what we fancy doing and then hone and develop that into a final proposal to see through to creation. Obviously there can be changes along the way as we discover something new or find that we'd previously got something wrong. Usually each team member works on what they're doing and bounces ideas or support requests off other people they know to have the skills to help. As a team we're distributed around the world so we do use a wide range of software tools to ensure everyone knows where we're at and what is happening even if saying 'good evening' to someone when you've just got up doesn't stop feeling strange!

Fastline seems to have a solid reputation among the community. What sort of response do your add-ons tend to get from Train Simulator users?

Generally positive, although there are always the cases where things don't work as we'd hope. We pride ourselves in our support so usually manage to get positive outcomes from any issues that may have arisen. It's been encouraging to receive a number of messages of support from current customers since we announced our decision to go full time and to start using Steam to distribute our expansions. One thing that always manages to raise a wicked smile is when your products are used as the benchmark to compare other developers, we must be doing something right.

What is your own era and region of special interest? If you could go back with your flask of tea and camera and capture any location in any era, where would you set the coordinates on your time machine?

I think astute readers will have already guessed the answer. We'd be heading back to the late 1980's but with a can of Lilt and some Chewits! Location is much more difficult as there were so many great places at the time but I'd probably end up heading home to March and drifting between the Station, the footbridge over March West Junction and Norwood Road Bridge. If only to prove those slab sided Belgian Polybulks really did appear in trains like in so many photographs even though I cannot remember seeing them!

As seasoned add-on creators, you will have experienced a number of changes in the core code and of course the available route and train content. How have these changes influenced your choice of products and helped – or perhaps challenged – your plans along the way?

The transient nature of content that you don't control has always been the challenge. We've seen default content used for scenarios stop being default and huge chunks of stuff vanish from the market. It's one of the things you've just got to adapt to at the end of the day. Code changes have challenged us occasionally as it's introduced errors but fortunately they were easily corrected. The bigger challenges have come from attempting to integrate new features into expansions when the documentation hasn't been available leading to much problem solving and experimenting to get what we want.

What sort of add-ons do you have in the pipeline for Train Simulator? Are you looking at different eras and genres, or are your sights firmly on British wagons?

Wagons, wagons and more wagons at the moment... However, the date range is expanding and the next few months should see expansions suitable to use in scenarios from 1950 through to somewhere around last Thursday. Planning is already starting to take place for next year and there's a fairly strong chance we'll be applying RIV numbers to some wagons too! We also have an under-employed route builder on the team so we may need to find something for him to do too.

Thank you Alex – over to you for the last word to the Engine Driver readers…

Thank you for the opportunity to talk to you about Fastline Simulation. It's going to be an interesting few months with a number of (possibly surprising) expansions about to be announced and there are some quirky extra developments to accompany them. If readers would like to keep up-to-date with Fastline Simulation they should take a look at our website as a great starting point. It's been a pleasure getting to know some of the Dovetail team and once we get into a decent rhythm should be the basis of a productive and hopefully enduring partnership.

Keep an eye out for a range of high quality wagon packs coming soon to Steam Marketplace

In response to numerous comments and support tickets of TS2015 players who are having difficulty purchasing TS2016, we've prepared this handy step-by-step guide. Just follow the instructions below and you'll become an owner of TS2016. This includes the complete package of content as well as the free Union Pacific SD60M bonus locomotive given away last week.

Step 1: Load Steam and Type "Train Simulator 2016" in the Search Box

Step 2: Click the Add to Cart button.

Step 3: Click the Purchase for Myself button.

Step 4: Steam will warn you that you're repurchasing TS2016 but this is normal due to the way Steam handles products with the same product number. Click the Continue with purchase button.

Step 5: Enter your payment details.

Step 6: Check the box marked "I agree to the terms of the Steam Subscriber Agreement" and click Purchase.

Step 7: Click the Install games link.

Step 8: Wait for the additional content to download and install.

Step 9: You should now own the complete exclusive TS2016 package. Enjoy!

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The standard, or Einheitsdampflokomotive Class 86 was built between 1928 and 1943 by many of the German locomotive manufacturers of the time including MG Karlsruhe, Friedr, Krupp AG and Henschel & Sohn. It was a 2-8-2 goods train tank locomotive that was intended for branch line usage and 776 were built. The routes it worked on the most were the ones that traverse Germanys central mountains, therefore the first 10 Class 86s were fitted with Riggenbach counter-pressure brakes to reduce the wear on the wheels and brake blocks as they descended steeper than usual gradients.

As of 1942, the Class 86s were built as simplified ‘transitional war’ locomotives, or Übergangskriegslokomotive (ÜK), the changes included the removal of the second side windows in the cab and solid disc carrying wheels. The fleet of Class 86s was distributed across several railway companies such as the GDR railways who received 175, DB (Deutsche Bundesbahn) had 385, ÖBB (Austrian Federal Railways) who received 29, PKP in Poland who received 44 and reclassified them at Class TKt3s. Sadly, 20 locomotives were destroyed during the Second World War, there are also 2 86s, 016 and 469 which are still unaccounted for today.

ÖBB started to retire the locomotives as early as 1945 and their last example retired in 1972, however during their time with ÖBB, the Class 86s hauled some incredible trains, including heavy, empty, ore trains whilst double heading with a DRB Class 52. The DB retired their last Class 86 in 1974. The GDR railways had over 50 engines stored at Aue engine shed for the nearby Erzgebirge routes, there was some stationed at Heringsdorf shed on the island of Usedom and they were even fitted with smoke deflectors.

Officially, the Class 86s last year of service with DR was 1976, unofficially, several engines continued to run into the 1980s, one example, no. 86 001, was being used almost every day until it was finally taken from service in 1988. However, it was taken into scheduled service once again alongside 86 501 in 1989 for the centenary of the Schlettau to Crottendorf line, making it the longest serving of all the standard locomotives in a scheduled service by a national railway at an impressive 60 years old.

Today, several Class 86s have been preserved in various locations, some examples are, 86 001 in Chemnitz, 049 in VSE Schwarzenberg and 056, 333, 457 and 501 in ÖGEG (Austrian Society for Railway History). 86 457, a preserved DB example was badly damaged by a fire in the no. 1 shed at the Nuremberg Transport Museum. In all there are 12 examples of the Class 86 that are still around today, 9 of which are in Germany.

FEATURES

The DB BR 86 for Train Simulator features our most up to date PZB system, an animated smokebox door which can be open and closed with the E key, realistic wheelslip and Driver Assist that provides real time assistance on how to drive this stunning locomotive.

Included with the DB BR 86 are Ucs wagons in DB white and DB black livery and Shimms wagons in DB Schenker red and Railion red livery, scenarios are for the Koln – Koblenz route and show off the true nature of the DB BR 86 as a mixed-traffic locomotive.

The DB BR 86 is available now on Steam

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More entries are in and available for you to play and vote for, you can click on the images to go directly to the Steam Workshop to Subscribe. More entries can be found at this link.

Remember you need to play the scenarios through to completion to register a vote. If you feel the author has followed the rules, give them a thumbs up vote.

For a complete list of the rules and how you can get involved with the competition, click here. Don't forget you only have until 6pm UK time on Friday, 23rd October, to write and submit your scenario entries for the competition. All scenarios submitted after the closing time will not be registered - don't delay, enter today!

REASON TO BUY TS2016

If you've not yet bought TS2016, this is a great time to climb aboard and take a journey through the extreme. With trains so advanced you'd swear they were the real thing, you can haul thousands of tons of freight over Sherman Hill with the legendary Union Pacific 8,500-horsepower gas-turbine, command the mighty Castle Class in the golden age of steam on the busy route of the famous Cornish Riviera, and beat the clock as a Deutsche Bahn driver on the challenging West Rhine Main Line. Why not get involved with a passionate community and join in the fun of Train Simulator's many forthcoming competitions.

TS2016 features the biggest package of exclusive content ever delivered in Train Simulator, click the image below for a complete overview of what's included or click here to buy.

A Boston & Maine "peddler freight" local rolls through Milford, NH in 1950.

Nestled deep in Southwest New Hampshire, in the shadow of majestic Mount Monadnock lies the old Boston & Maine Hillsboro Branch. Today it is not much to look at; a seldom used branch line owned by the state. And in 1950, when author R.M. Neal rode in the cab of a local freight, it didn't look like much then either. "On the Hillsboro Branch there won't be any following train; ours is the only up-train for the entire day. It was this way yesterday, the day before, the day before that, and back into the depression years when the Hillsboro, like many another branch is sparsely settled country, came into the shadows. This used to be railroad country, a long time ago. Very long ago." But as he would find out that day, it was far more than he could have imagined.

The Hillsboro Branch was indeed once railroad country. Part of a busy railroad arc between the cities of Nashua and Concord, the Hillsboro swung out into rural country and saw many passenger and freight trains daily. Over time things changed, leaving only a mixed train. Then one day the coach was dropped, leaving the remaining passengers the option to ride in the caboose. As Neal writes, two Boston women were astonished when a B&M conductor informed them of this:

"We were informed we could have all-rail service to Hillsboro," one of the women protested.

"It is all-rail", the conductor insisted.

"But a freight caboose...Why, we never heard of such a thing. We shall report this as soon as we return to Boston."

But by the time the two women reached Hillsboro, they were enjoying themselves. The train rolled past farms and streams, over two gorgeous covered bridges and over seldom-used backwoods crossings. They were even allowed to sit in the cupola and watch the train steam through the New Hampshire countryside. They later told the conductor they hadn't had such a good time in months.

These mighty and attractive B&M 2-6-0s, the work horses of the B&M's many rural branchlines, gave the area of southwest New Hampshire its affectionate nickname "Mogul Country".

Such was the uniqueness of the Hillsboro Branch. To many it was an afterthought, a twilight branch with weeds growing up between the ties. But to the communities it served, it was everything. The locals, often pulled by famous Boston & Maine 2-6-0 Moguls, were affectionately known as "peddler freights" for the vital goods they carred to the various freight depots along the line. "A wheelbarrow for a farmer in Deering. Two cans of Sears and Roebuck paint for a country store in Antrim. A crate of paper Halloween cups for the schoolchildren in Hillsboro. A shiny new firetruck for the town of Milford. We are carrying garden hose, too. A box of Hallmark greeting cards. A case of Kleenex. That we are outdating the old peddler may be truly good reson the Hillsboro Branch deserves to continue. The communities, few and mostly small, that cluster beside it need our local train. John J. carey needs his plumbing materials, and October evenings will be the merrier because of those paper Halloween cups from Pennsylvania" (Neal).

A B&M "peddler freight" passes through the famous covered bridge at Bennington, NH, just south of Hillsboro on the far end of the branch. This covered bridge burned down in 1965 due to the hot brake boxes on an EMD SW1. It was replaced by a regular steel span and today the Hillsboro Branch ends a few hundred yards beyond the trestle. The line from Bennington to Hillsboro was formally abandoned in 1979.

This is why the Hillsboro Branch, or any rural New England branchline, deserves to be represented in Train Simulator. We have and continue to receive a great many famous routes with famous trains, definitely important in the United States. However there is much more to American railroading than that. The rural branchlines that served these towns without major roads are arguably just as, if not more important than the grand mountain passes and intercity routes. We have seen rural branches in the United Kingdom represented, but the American routes have focused almost completely on mainline service. These branchlines were the lifeblood of rural America, which helped these towns to live more completely.

I propose the Boston & Maine Railroad's Hillsboro Branch in the early 1950s for Train Simulator, when 2-6-0s and "peddler freights" still plied the line. The Hillsboro Branch did see regular service until 1985, so any era up to then could be modeled. However, in the 1950s and 1960s the Hillsboro Branch still ran all the way to Hillsboro and still had its covered bridges, so this period would be the most engaging for users. A B&M 2-6-0 Mogul and even an early EMD SW1 could serve as good motive power for the route. The Hillsboro Branch's story may have been overlooked by some, but it is a story that demands to be told.

In later years diesels took over from the aging steam locomotives. Here we see a B&M SW1 (typical power for the line due to its light nature; the trestles on the line couldnt handle heavy locomotives) rolling thorough picturesque and calm South Lyndeboro in the 1970s. The train will serve the Monadnock Paper mill at Bennington, the lines largest customer. The bridges were replaced in the 1980s, allowing B&M GP7s and GP9s to service the line, but a strike on the B&M's successor Guilford Rail ultimately ended service on most of the Hillsboro branch. About half of it is still used today; the rails remain unused on the rest. Photograph copyright The General and reproduced courtesy of RailPictures.Net

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The original four Class 59s were ordered by Foster Yeoman in 1985 as a replacement to the increasingly unreliable Class 56s. For the design of the Class 59, Foster Yeoman turned to Electro-Motive Division. Derived from the American SD40-2, with a Class 58 style cab. The Class 59 is a Co-Co diesel-electric locomotive with a 3,300 horsepower engine, designed to haul heavy loads such as stone or coal across the UK.

The Class 59/2 was originally ordered by National Power as they wanted to test the idea of running their own trains, they ordered a pilot locomotive for trials. Once these trials were successful, National Power ordered another 5 Class 59/2s along with hoppers for their coal and limestone transportation.

Built between 1994 and 1995, the Class 59/2s had different features compared to earlier variants of the class, these include a new advanced slow speed control for accurate merry-go-round power station coal trains, more modern batteries and fire safety systems and also yaw dampers to increase the top speed from the original 60mph to 75mph.

In April 1998, National Power rail operations were taken over by EWS, they then proceeded to use the Class 59/2s more widely over the network. The Class 59/2s are now operated by DB Schenker following them taking over EWS and they are maintained by Mendip Rail at Merehead.

FEATURES

The DB Schenker Class 59/2 for Train Simulator features:

• Eye-catching DB Schenker red livery
• Ex. EWS JHA wagons
• Accurate PBL 90 braking system
• Automatic wheelslip protection
• Slow speed control
• Multiple headlight variations including flashing hazard lights

The DB Schenker Class 59/2 is available as part of a twin pack with the North London Line, click the picture below to find out more about the North London Line.

The DB Schenker Class 59/2 is available now on Steam.

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The highly anticipated North London Line is available now for Train Simulator!

The North London Line spans about 17 miles between Richmond and Stratford and is part of the London Overground network, the route itself winds its way through the more rural areas of London, connecting major stations and main lines whilst avoiding the bustling City Centre.

Built for a total of 25 years in 5 connecting sections, the first portion of the line was opened as the Eastern Counties and Thames Junction Railway in 1846 and 1847 between Stratford and North Woolwich, other sections built between 1850 and 1865 include the North London Railway, North & South Western Junction Railway and the City Extension into Broad Street station. The last portion opened was between South Acton and Richmond in 1869 by the London & South Western Railway.

The North London Line first saw electrification in 1916 in the form of the DC fourth rail system, another change to the line included the cease of passenger services on the North London Railway Poplar branch in 1944, freight used the line until 1980 when it was fully closed, the track bed however still proved to be useful for the Poplar to Bow section of the Docklands Light Railway.

In the 1980s, the North London Line saw the closure of its terminus, Broad Street station, Broad Street’s passenger numbers were declining year after year and the station was eventually closed and demolished in 1986. Today, the Broadgate office and shopping complex takes up the space left by the station.

The line between North Woolwich and Dalston was electrified on the third rail system following the closure of Broad Street so the 2-EPBs used at the time could divert towards Woolwich. The 2 car trains eventually reached their capacity and were replaced by the Class 313, the new service to North Woolwich was named the North London Link by British Rail.

With the introduction of the dual-voltage Class 313s to the line, it was decided to re-electrify the section from Stratford to Willesden on the 25kV AC catenary system to allow for electric freight trains from locations such as Felixstowe on the Great Eastern Main Line to connect to the West Coast Main Line.

The North London Line nearly became a key section of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link (HS1) when in 1994 plans were drawn up which would have seen the new line elevated above ground whilst running alongside the NLL from St. Pancras to the proposed high speed lines in the East of London, this was eventually proven to be too difficult to construct and so the deep level tunnels from St. Pancras to Dagenham via Stratford that we know today were built instead.

The most recent closure on the North London Line was the section between Stratford and North Woolwich in 2006, this was to not only make way for the Canning Town to Stratford International extension of the DLR which opened in 2011, but also the track bed south of Canning Town will be used by the Abbey Wood branch of Crossrail, which is due to open in 2018.

Before the line was taken over by Transport for London, it was considered to have a very poor service, with overcrowded trains and unreliable services, the North London Line was considered unsafe. In 2007, Transport for London took over the North London, West London, Watford DC and Gospel Oak to Barking lines to form the London Overground. Extensive upgrades to the line happened immediately to make way for a modern, comfortable and reliable service.

Today, the line is electrified using the 25kV AC overhead catenary from Stratford to Action Central, with the Action Central to Richmond section being 750V DC third rail, there is also a fourth rail between Richmond and Gunnersbury as the North London Line and the London Underground’s District Line share this stretch of track.

The line is populated by the dual-voltage Class 378/2 ‘Capitalstar’ EMU which provides a service of at least 4 trains per hour, the line also sees a significant amount of freight traffic hauled by a variety of diesel and electric locomotives as it provides direct links between some of the main lines heading out of London including the Great Eastern, Great Western, East Coast and West Coast Main Lines. There is also a junction just north of St. Pancras International connecting HS1, Thameslink and the ECML to the North London Line, this hasn’t seen any conventional use since its construction but was designed to offer the potential of varied services connecting a multitude of railway lines.

London Overground Class 378 'Capitalstar'

Built by Bombardier as part of the Electrostar family and derived from the Class 376, the Class 378 was introduced to replace a variety of ageing multiple units (Class 313, 508, 456 and A60/62 stock) on the growing London Overground network. Originally delivered in September 2008 as 3 car units, the Class 378/0s cost some £223 million and were based at the recently built New Cross Gate depot.

After a 14 week test on the North London line, TfL ordered 36 more carriages at a cost of £36 million, this was to add 3 more 4 car units to the fleet and upgrade the original 24 Class 378/0s to 4 cars long. The addition of the fourth car saw the 378/0s reclassified as 378/2s. The Class 378s entered service on 29th July 2009, seven months later than originally intended. This was due to the recession causing some companies who were helping to build them go bankrupt.

Today, there are 57 Class 378s in service, there are 20 /1s which are 750V DC third rail only, and there are 37 /2s which are dual voltage, sporting the third rail shoe and a pantograph for the 25kV AC catenary. An ongoing extension to the fleet is underway with 57 new carriages, allowing for all the Class 378s to be increased to 5 cars, this is expected to be complete by the end of 2015.

With a top speed of 75mph, wide sliding doors instead of the typical plug style and open plan gangways much like an articulated bus, the Class 378 is perfect for start-stop commuter services in and around London.

Please note, all the updates made to the Class 378 will be rolled out to everyone who previously purchased the pack.

Twin Pack Available: DB Schenker Class 59/2

Click on the image below to find out more about the Class 59 available now for Train Simulator.

FEATURES

The North London Line for Train Simulator features:

• Highly detailed 17 mile route between Richmond in the South West of London and Stratford in the North East.
• Aid in the great effort to shift London's commuters across the city, connecting major stations while avoiding the city centre.
• Drive London’s finest commuter train, the Class 378 ‘Capitalstar’ in the smart London Overground livery with both AC and DC power. 
• 23 highly detailed stations across the route, complete with modern day TfL roundels and messageboards.
• Famous landmarks including the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, the BT Tower, Wembley Stadium, London St. Pancras and many more.
• Complex railway network around Willesden Junction including the London Overground Train Maintenance Depot, Ex. Eurostar North Pole Depot and the Royal Mail Sorting and Delivery Terminal.
• Hang up the Master Key and enjoy watching the action unfold in Railfan Mode.

The North London Line is available now on Steam.

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