S&D Modern (The Fictional version!!)

[777fred]

If anyone wants to see what I have done soo far... Add me on msn freddhere[at]gmail.com.

[rickloader]

Hi Fred, It`s your route, so it is whatever you fancy to make it interesting. But I don`t think there was the slightest chance of any form of electrification even if the S&D had survived: the traffic density would never justify the expenditure. Look how long it took for BR to scrape up the money to extend the Bournemouth electrification to Weymouth.
You could work out the number of crossing loops to be retained by drawing up a timetable graph using say, 2 train units on a 2 hourly schedule. An interesting exercise.
I can`t help thinking the S&D is somewhat over glamourised partly due to Ivo Peters and some of the railway staff. As a result we enthusiasts think of it as a mighty trunk route cut off in its prime. Its closure was sad but an awful lot of North- South traffic was always routed away from the S&D via Salisbury or Basingstoke. The heavy gradients and single line told against it. Once the Somerset coalfields closed and milk traffic lost to roads, the freight potential must have been near zero.
There has been no huge residential growth, and even that hasn`t saved other deserving lines.
Sorry to be so negative, and go on a bit. Aren`t these "what if" scenarios fascinating?
Rick

[tango4262]

The OLE engineers I work with get really quite irritated when you add the pointless H

Trust me, I've made that error.

Over Head Line Electricity...

Isn't Overhead one word? and I always thought the L stood for "Live"?

Sorry if i seem picky, just curious


Cheers

Dave

[stuart666]

I thought it was double track all along the north south route?

As for traffic, Id agree it was inevitable the Burnham on Sea branch was going to get the chop. Even those who worked on it thought it was going to happen, but thought there was enough traffic to make the north south route viable. In actual fact if you look at Google today, you can see a large quarry (Foster Yeoman?) near Shepton Mallet. Whether it would have made the North South route viable is debateable, but if it had come along earlier it might have swung in its favor.

Incidentally, the S and D carried some freight for the first time in 40 odd years last month. Apparently the council cut down some trees, and the only way to carry it out was to use the S and D Railway trust to haul it out using a steam locomotive.

[777fred]

Well, from effort last night and this morning and with help from 'strudders' I have sucessfully made Templecombe-Bath 100% Double track. . The tunnel sections at Bath took me 2 hours to do, and now feature a 70mph speed along them. From Just south of Radstock to Bath it is now 70mph. (In Radstock its 100).

Would anyone like some screenshots?

[niclouse3]

Would anyone!!!

I would Love to!!

[smarty2]

Yes please Fred ta!

Mart

[777fred]

Here is some from Templecombe to Evercreech, I'll do the other two sections later on.





















The other sections could possibly appear soon...

[stuart666]

I think this is going to be a lot of fun to thrash the Class 25 on!

Looking forward to it.

[smarty2]

Cheers Fred, cool.

Mart

[47522]

The OLE engineers I work with get really quite irritated when you add the pointless H

Trust me, I've made that error.

Over Head Line Electricity...

Isn't Overhead one word? and I always thought the L stood for "Live"?

Sorry if i seem picky, just curious


Cheers

Dave

Im pretty sure its Overhead Line Equipment, either that or ive been calling it wrong for years!

[777fred]

I did a few updates;

[almark]

Why would there be a 3rd rail? The nearest 3rd rail to Templecombe is Worting Jnc!!

I think it should have one 4 track loop fred in my opinion?

Cheers,
Mark

[777fred]

Why would there be a 3rd rail? The nearest 3rd rail to Templecombe is Worting Jnc!!

I think it should have one 4 track loop fred in my opinion?

Cheers,
Mark

Too late it has 3 or 4 each signalled for 40mph.

[Oldpufferspotter]

Hi all,
As this line is a fictional one, based on the actual S&D, it doesn't really matter what sort of track or electrification is used. If you think of it as a Southern route then 3rd rail electrification would be okay, no matter how far the 3rd rail got to in the vicinity. If you can imagine it on the S&D why not imagine it reaching Templecombe?
If you think of it as a part of the London Midland, then overhead electrification would be acceptable. Imagine the wires reaching Bristol!
Personally if I assumed that the S&D survived until the present age, I would single most of it, with one or two long passing loops, and run it with DMUs and the odd loco hauled freight (not too many), much in the same way as the Highland line in Scotland. But that's only my favourite option, (as a high speed main line to me it loses its essential S&D character).
By the images in this thread though it's going to be an important main line. I would say electrify it with overhead wires and throw everything at it, including long distance through diesel workings!
As I say it's a fictional scenario, so don't be too pedantic about what should or shouldn't run on it. That's the fun of a fictional route, almost anything goes!
regards Ted.