The Tara Explorer

[LeeEAS]

Hi,

I have decided to create a set of split activities which I hope to upload to UKTS (no garantees though).
This isn't my first attempt at Activity creation, but I lost all my past activities, so since then I haven't bothered to create any new ones.
And with my computer being full of MSTS stuff I couldn't get the editor to work until a few members on here helped me out.

First I'll give a description of the activities I wish to create, then I'll ask a few questions...

Right, well, these activities will be for Irish Enterprise (North & South), and will involve you taking over a railtour over the entire Dublin to Belfast line, including the Tara Mines branch, hence the title of the railtour being "The Tara Explorer". It will require MSTSBin. Original name was going to be "The Tara Mines & Belfast Explorer" but MSTS limited the amount of characters I could use...

Illustration to give you an Idea what it will be like:


The plan for the activities are as follows:

Part 1:
You start in Connolly Shed with 074 light engine at 07:48, and reverse to couple up with 084 and 078, then you pull fowards into the loop and then reverse onto the stock awaiting in the platform. Time for some photos me thinks as you wait for your 8am departure. When 8am comes you drive all the way to Tara Mines where the yard supervisor informs you to uncouple and pull forwards into the headshunt. Time is now 9:45 or so.

Part 2:
After the passengers are given the oppertunately to have a once-in-a-lifetime look around and some time to have something to eat, it is now 11am and you are now in 134 with 124 coupled up. You're required to reverse onto the stock, before waiting for an inbound Tara Freight to arrive where you then depart for you journey back to Drogheda. At Drogheda you will need to switch to the cab of 081 which has been on the rear since leaving Tara Mines along with 088. Now we continue upto Belfast Central.

Part 3:
Bonus activity if I decide to include it. It's now 2pm and In this activity you will drive the Hunslet diesel from the sidings at Belfast onto the coaching stock, then switch cab to drive 227 into the Fort William Care Centre, the switch cabs back to the Huslet where you wait for the 10 minutes before departing with the train back to Belfast Central (to pick up passengers who didn't want to go into the Fort William Care Centre) and then proceeding onto GVS. On arrival at GVS you should uncouple and pull upto the buffers.

Part 4:
You are at GVS (Belfast Central if Part 3 was not created), with 111 and another loco (yet to be decided) where you'll be required to drive out of the station and reverse onto the coaching stock. You must then wait for your 17:15 departure before driving the train direct back to Connolly non-stop. Booked arrival time around 19:15.

I'm just wondering (to give me an idea) how many people would be intrested in these activities?
Was there a railtour simular to this in the past that I may be able to get some detail from?

[chester025]

Hi,

I'll certainly download this activity when it's made! 3x071 imagine the thrash!

Was there a railtour similar to this in the past that I may be able to get some detail from?

Well there was this: http://www.irishtractiongroup.com/tours/tour_3.htm 111+113 from Belfast - Dublin on the way back.

And this: http://www.irishtractiongroup.com/tours/tour_5.htm 101+112 from Belfast - Dundalk for 112 forward to Dublin.

Cheers,

Chester025

[chester025]

And this tour ran along the tara branch: http://www.irishtractiongroup.com/tours/tour19.htm

[LeeEAS]

Cheers for the info.

[chester025]

Any more news on this act yet?

[sean53]

Yes I'm looking forward to driving this, any news.

[LeeEAS]

Still doing loads of tests to find out arrival times.

This is the timings I got so far:

==== PART 1 ====
Start Depart Arr
07:42 08:00 9:45

==== PART 2 ====
Start Depart Arr
10:50 11:00 12:45

==== PART 3 ====
Start Depart Arr
13:55 14:00 14:35

13:58 couple up to the railtour in 102 at Belfast Central, switch cabs
14:00 depart with 227 towards Fort William Care Depot
14:09 arr at Fort William Care Depot with 227
14:15 depart from FW Care Depot with 102
14:25 back at Belfast Central with 102
14:30 dep Belfast Central with 102
14:35 arr GVS

==== PART 4 ====
Start Depart Arr
15:55 16:00 17:35

As yet only Part 1 has Traffic, but it's still incomplete.

Will post a screenie later of Part 3 - Which I think is the best Part...

[LeeEAS]

Screenie of Part 2:



Screenie of Part 3:



Screenie of Part 4:

[gopher]

I might even give this one a go myself Lee, a full days driving too

Gordon

[chester025]

Thanks for the update!

[LeeEAS]

Thinking about getting a headboard created for the activities, but this is only an idea at the moment...

[chester025]

Any more news on these acts? Sorry to sound as if I'm pestering but I'm really looking forward to these acts!

[LeeEAS]

Unfortunately the activities have been halted - I'm rather busy at the moment, although when my college course finishes in June I should have plenty of time complete them if they haven't been done by then.

That's not to say they won't be touched until June, just that I might not be able to complete them by then.

[chester025]

Thanks for the update!

[LeeEAS]

Did a test run for all 4 parts to find out exact timings for the tour.

Confirmed timings for Part 1 (Duration 2 hours):

Code: Select all

Dublin Connolly Shed    dep 07:42  074 + 084 + 078
Dublin Connolly         arr 07:48
                        dep 08:00
Howth Jn               pass 08:08
Malahide               pass 08:11
Rush & Lusk            pass 08:14
Skerries               pass 08:17
Balbriggan             pass 08:19
Mosney Holiday Camp    pass 08:21
Laytown                pass 08:22
Drogheda Jn             arr 08:26
                        dep 08:30
Duleek                 pass 08:45
Beaupark               pass 09:00
Navan                  pass 09:25
Tara Mines Yard         arr 09:35
Tara Mines Headshunt    arr 09:40

Confirmed timings for Part 2 (Duration 2 hours, 40 minutes):

Code: Select all

Tara Mines Siding       dep 10:50  134 + 124
Tara Mines Yard         arr 11:00
Navan                  pass 11:15
Beaupark               pass 11:32
Duleek                 pass 11:48
Drogheda Jn             arr 12:00
                        dep 12:05
(Run Around Point)      arr 12:07
                        dep 12:09
Drogheda               pass 12:10
Dunleer                pass 12:18
Dundalk                pass 12:26
Newry                  pass 12:37
Poyntzpass             pass 12:44
Portadown              pass 12:52
Lurgan                 pass 12:58
Moira                  pass 13:02
Lisburn                pass 13:09
Adelaide               pass 13:14
Belfast Central         arr 13:20

Confirmed timings for Part 3 (Duration 40 minutes):

Code: Select all

Belfast Central Siding  dep 14:55  102
Belfast Central         arr 14:58  227
                        dep 15:00
Fort William Depot      arr 15:09
                        dep 15:15  102
Belfast Central         arr 15:25
                        dep 15:30 
Belfast GVS Platform 2  arr 15:35

Confirmed timings for Part 4 (Duration 1 hour 30 minutes):

Code: Select all

Belfast GVS Platform 1  dep 15:55 111 + 112 + 113
Belfast GVS Platform 2  arr 15:58
                        dep 16:00
Adelaide               pass 16:02
Lisburn                pass 16:08
Moira                  pass 16:15
Lurgan                 pass 16:19
Portadown              pass 16:23
Poyntzpass             pass 16:32
Newry                  pass 16:39
Dundalk                pass 16:50
Dunleer                pass 16:58
Drogheda               pass 17:05
Laytown                pass 17:08
Mosney Holiday Camp    pass 17:09
Balbriggan             pass 17:11
Skerries               pass 17:13
Rush & Lusk            pass 17:16
Malahide               pass 17:19
Howth Jn               pass 17:22
Dublin Connolly         arr 17:32