New RSC Route: Somewhere around Dawlish

[thetrainfan]

can't remember seing a 'skull' in the amusement park either

Apart from these ones?
http://ruthl.wordpress.com/2012/06/30/8 ... alk-devon/

[Merlin75]

Now those skulls look abit different to the RSC one

[749006]

I disagree about setting this route in steam era. The route is practically unchanged since then anyway with the exception of signalling and some extra track at Newton Abbot.

It would be easier for a steam fan to squint and make do than it would for modern fans. One of the great things about driving a route in Railworks is looking for real life landmarks and features. How many of us would remember what was on the site of the Dawlish Warren crazy golf course in 1952?

Whilst it does not need to be set in Steam days the modern route is soulless.
Newton Abbot
1987 - http://www.reallygoodtrains.co.uk/images/172.jpg
1990's - http://trainsferriesbuses.co.uk/44newton.jpg
More recently - http://trainsferriesbuses.co.uk/662116v70nab.jpg
In 1987 we had 45's, 47's, 50's, 52's and HST's with Semaphore Signals and old style signalboxes

I think your comment about "the Steam fan squinting" to see how it was is wrong - set the route in the late 70's early 80's and everyone is happy.

Peter

[marcusboon]

Sometimes it takes only a few pictures to tell a very sad story of retrenchment and destruction.... The links provided by Peter show clearly why a modern version of the proposed route from Exeter-to-wherever-RSC-decides-to-go can only be a shadow of what this route once was as recently as the eighties. So 1987 would be modern enough for me (and 25 years earlier would be even better...)!

Marcus

[ashgray]

Whilst it does not need to be set in Steam days the modern route is soulless.
Newton Abbot
1987 - http://www.reallygoodtrains.co.uk/images/172.jpg
1990's - http://trainsferriesbuses.co.uk/44newton.jpg
More recently - http://trainsferriesbuses.co.uk/662116v70nab.jpg
In 1987 we had 45's, 47's, 50's, 52's and HST's with Semaphore Signals and old style signalboxes

I think your comment about "the Steam fan squinting" to see how it was is wrong - set the route in the late 70's early 80's and everyone is happy.

Peter

I agree entirely, with the sole exception that you would most certainly not have seen a Class 52 at Newton Abbot in 1987...

Ash

[Kernow2]

can't remember seing a 'skull' in the amusement park either

Apart from these ones?
http://ruthl.wordpress.com/2012/06/30/8 ... alk-devon/

Haven't ever seen those either.. I'll ask the driver to slow down next time I'm passing through the Warren at 80mph
No denying their existence though. Probably last seasons' Grockles that couldn't find their way out of the car park after eating some dodgy pasties..
G.

[Kernow2]

I disagree about setting this route in steam era. The route is practically unchanged since then anyway with the exception of signalling and some extra track at Newton Abbot.

It would be easier for a steam fan to squint and make do than it would for modern fans. One of the great things about driving a route in Railworks is looking for real life landmarks and features. How many of us would remember what was on the site of the Dawlish Warren crazy golf course in 1952?

'Some extra track at Newton Abbot' has to be the understatement of the day.
Only 3 platforms, loss of the mpd and works and sidings, the motorail loading bay, Hackney Marsh now only a couple of engineers sidings. Have a look at some pictures from the 50's to the early 80's to see that todays railway is pretty featureless for interesting train operations but, will always have the wonderful views that are still enjoyed by many (including me!)

Kernow2

[jimmyshand]

I disagree about setting this route in steam era. The route is practically unchanged since then anyway with the exception of signalling and some extra track at Newton Abbot.

It would be easier for a steam fan to squint and make do than it would for modern fans. One of the great things about driving a route in Railworks is looking for real life landmarks and features. How many of us would remember what was on the site of the Dawlish Warren crazy golf course in 1952?

Whilst it does not need to be set in Steam days the modern route is soulless.
Newton Abbot
1987 - http://www.reallygoodtrains.co.uk/images/172.jpg
1990's - http://trainsferriesbuses.co.uk/44newton.jpg
More recently - http://trainsferriesbuses.co.uk/662116v70nab.jpg
In 1987 we had 45's, 47's, 50's, 52's and HST's with Semaphore Signals and old style signalboxes

I think your comment about "the Steam fan squinting" to see how it was is wrong - set the route in the late 70's early 80's and everyone is happy.

Peter

Please don't think I'm a modern fan because I'm not! I'm firmly a BR Blue man. I'd love a 1980's version but I'd rather have a modern version than steam so that we can easily pick out recognisable features.

Around stations then there are noticeable differences but out of the towns and cities this route is little different to how it was in steam times.

[jimmyshand]

I disagree about setting this route in steam era. The route is practically unchanged since then anyway with the exception of signalling and some extra track at Newton Abbot.

It would be easier for a steam fan to squint and make do than it would for modern fans. One of the great things about driving a route in Railworks is looking for real life landmarks and features. How many of us would remember what was on the site of the Dawlish Warren crazy golf course in 1952?

'Some extra track at Newton Abbot' has to be the understatement of the day.
Only 3 platforms, loss of the mpd and works and sidings, the motorail loading bay, Hackney Marsh now only a couple of engineers sidings. Have a look at some pictures from the 50's to the early 80's to see that todays railway is pretty featureless for interesting train operations but, will always have the wonderful views that are still enjoyed by many (including me!)

Kernow2

I've got a cab ride dvd of Exeter to Plymouth filmed in 2007 and out on the rural stretches (90% of this run) it looks surreal seeing a Voyager passing the other way because the route looks like steam era for large parts of it. There are no wires throughout and most of the trip is through undeveloped countryside over original and ancient bridges, tunnels and infrastructure.

Newton Abbot is the standout difference but that's only 0.001% of the route. The open stretches are timeless.

[jetstream]

Drat and Double Drat! Just as I was following in Brunel's footsteps to the south of Exeter, news of this route comes along.

I started extending the Bristol-Exeter and have reached (yet to be completed) Dawlish Warren - some screenies below:


Double-headed Warhsips head the 'Up Riviera' past Starcross Yacht Club


A Plymouth-bound HST passes under the M5 north of Exminster


A 'local' leaves Dawlish Warren for Exeter


The same HST crossing the Exe floodplain just south of Exminster


A 'Western' powers through Starcross


A Brush Type 4 enters the southern outskirts of Exeter with an 'Up' Parcels

The extension south of Exeter by JT was a logical move on their part which, alas, never came to fruition.

If the RSC offering only goes to Newton Abbot and on to Paignton it will be a great pity and opportunity missed; surely better to keep working a few months and get a 'classic' but I sense time is money in the RSC world and there's a lot of heavy engineering west of Newton Abbot - not the endless miles of flat terrain (= rapido countryside modelling) to plough through that the ECML and GEML. For we self-improvers taking the route on up over Dainton and on to Plymouth would provide years of endless fun .

I'd rather pay for the luxury of not having to build through to Plymouth If the end of the road is Paignton then I'll give it a miss.

[Merlin75]

Now that's two of you working on freeware versions. Why don't you talk to railermad and perhaps join forces.

[hitch840]

Only just stumbled across this! I will be waiting patiently as this is my neck of the woods.

[spellow3010]

Most of my thoughts on this one have already been stated by others.

Right line, wrong time.
Modern era lacks scope, variety and hence, for me at least, interest.
DTG appear uninterested in anything other than modern era.
There's a gap in the market, a niche within a niche, that the third-party and community sectors are well placed to cater for.
We know very little yet beyond that a it's a newly announced route, the screenshot is present day Dawlish and that there was a recent blog about Exeter to Paignton.

1S81

Pretty much where I am with it to be honest. I will watch development/announcements with interest.

I need to check my install of the Jetgriff South Devon Banks - the one I played seemed to have turnouts inside the tunnels between Teignmouth and Dawlish. But I will leave further discussion on that to the SDB thread.

Back to Riveria Line (lol), have Class 166s ever been based on the Exeter to Plymouth or Paigton area? I don't know if we should expect new traction or whether that is just us railfans being greedy. If they are pitching this as a modern route, it maybe that we get the 150/2 as the bundled DMU? I'm not sure the 166 is associated with this line and if not, surely DTG wouldn't palm that off as default stock here?

[92212]

Saying that steam era fans have South Devon Banks, so we don't need this route to be steam era, is missing the point! SDB is a fine piece of freeware. However, it doesn't have any custom scenery objects(apart from station signs). A lot of new route building tools and techniques have been learnt since it was built.

RSC(DTG) are clearly expert route builders(as far as using the route building tools is concerned). Imagine how well they could build a 'proper' steam era route!!

Sadly they're unlikely to do it because you can't just plonk decals and start adding scenery objects. A lot more research is required to built a 'railway age' route. As beautiful as the South Devon main line is, set in the modern era, it will not be very interesting! I love steam, but driving A to B steam-hauled railtours isn't very interesting, compared to running on a full steam network!

To conclude, South Devon Banks is a fine route. Jeff is clearly an excellent route builder. However, it isn't quite up to payware quality. A DTG 'classic' steam era route would be fantastic, but I don't think we're ever gonna see it.

Regards
Matt

[moose4675]

Saying that steam era fans have South Devon Banks, so we don't need this route to be steam era, is missing the point! SDB is a fine piece of freeware. However, it doesn't have any custom scenery objects(apart from station signs). A lot of new route building tools and techniques have been learnt since it was built.

RSC(DTG) are clearly expert route builders(as far as using the route building tools is concerned). Imagine how well they could build a 'proper' steam era route!!

Sadly they're unlikely to do it because you can't just plonk decals and start adding scenery objects. A lot more research is required to built a 'railway age' route. As beautiful as the South Devon main line is, set in the modern era, it will not be very interesting! I love steam, but driving A to B steam-hauled railtours isn't very interesting, compared to running on a full steam network!

To conclude, South Devon Banks is a fine route. Jeff is clearly an excellent route builder. However, it isn't quite up to payware quality. A DTG 'classic' steam era route would be fantastic, but I don't think we're ever gonna see it.

Regards
Matt

100% agree with this Matt, it seems as much of a missed opportunity not to create a steam/Green diesel route with this as it did with the Settle to carlisle route.

They did however send this reply to me on facebook last month when I asked if we would be having a new steam/Green diesel route in the near future -

'RailSimulator.com We will definitely be producing more Steam and diesel content next year.'

Make from that what you wish.

Oh well lets hope a skilled steam fan can have a dabble with a Steam workshop rendition when this is released, might then have some use for the King other than a modern railtour!