Southern Region

[abclare]

Thinking of getting this Route has it got many Freight Activities included on it please???

[prairie4566]

The locos and stock are worth getting if you're into Southern stuff, but the route and activities are rather basic. There are a few freight activities but as BATS tradition is to make a route and activities to show off the stock, they aren't really challenging.

[abclare]

Thanks Stephen, Think that i will stay with getting Northwest England 2.1 cant be bad for £4.40?

[johny]

The locos and stock are worth getting if you're into Southern stuff, but the route and activities are rather basic. There are a few freight activities but as BATS tradition is to make a route and activities to show off the stock, they aren't really challenging.

So the route is basic, is it? It is some 20 miles or so of the Southern four-track mainline (ex-LS&WR) Woking to Basingstoke and a good deal of hard work went into it as with stock. The route may not be absolutely accurate, what route commercial or freeware is?

John

[thenudehamster]

The locos and stock are worth getting if you're into Southern stuff, but the route and activities are rather basic. There are a few freight activities but as BATS tradition is to make a route and activities to show off the stock, they aren't really challenging.

So the route is basic, is it? It is some 20 miles or so of the Southern four-track mainline (ex-LS&WR) Woking to Basingstoke and a good deal of hard work went into it as with stock. The route may not be absolutely accurate, what route commercial or freeware is?

John

But the freeware Dorset Coast route covers that stretch and something like another two hundred miles, including Waterloo, Reading and much of the SouthWestern commuter lines as well as the main line right through to Weymouth, and the CD contains over a hundred activities, IIRC. On that basis, describing the Southern route as 'a bit basic' isn't exactly unfair. I don't for a moment suggest that there may not be a quality difference, but twenty miles against two hundred is pretty basic in my book.

[abclare]

Sorry Lads i did not intend to start an argument just thought of trying another Route because i enjoy freight activities like BD & CC sorry.

[jbilton]

Hi
Perhaps the word should have been 'short', as personally I thought the ambiance of the route to be superb.
John's signals in particular are gorgeous models.
I love Dorset Coast, but its too modern for steam.
Cheers
Jon

[prairie4566]

Yeah, that's what I meant by basic, a bit short compared to Dorset Coast, no offence intended though, it's a good SR mainline set in the steam era unlike Dorset Coast which is, more or less, modern.

I'll say it again though, the activities are rather simple, no complicated shunting like you desire. I thought the most creative one was probably a transfer goods starting outside Woking. What you did was leave the wagons you started with and drive to the yard to pick up a new set of wagons, then drive towards Alton, the Activity ending automatically at the junction for the Alton line.

The BD and CC CDs are the best for shunting. I have the BD V2 CD and the shunting activities on it are really enjoyable, the sort that sometimes require saves along the way. Even the passenger runs can be surprising with red signals and plenty of AI traffic.

I take it you like the UKTS CDs, if so the BD and CC ones are the best for steam shunting, know nothing about more modern stuff, but as the Dorset Coast CD has over 100 Activities there's bound to be something in there, but the route is a bit demanding on computer memory.

[SDtrains]

The BATS SR included route is not really representative of that section of the route in the steam era. I know this because I have been working on my own interpretation of that section of the route (based on the Dorset Coast Route scenery but making changes to the trackwork and doing my own buildings) and the representation in BATS SR does deviate. The DCR route (which incidently, Dave Corfield is going to release V6 for, hopefully in 2009) is based on the Quail and is, in my humble opinion, pleasingly representative. Many freight yards still exist in some form (Eastleigh, Southampton, Woking, Fawley) although all of the intermediate station Goods sheds and yards are no longer in existence ( Guidford, Fratton, Bournemouth, Weymouth) and there is much less freight in the modern era. However, Richard Stevenson has done a few Steam activities for Dorset and there are other freight activities included on the disc. DCR also includes nicely representative terrain (gradients) which do not appear on other SR routes ( LSC, LSE) which also bodes well for steam operation. Unreservedly, I would recommend using BATS SR stock with DCR, and the presently available steam activities will keep you busy for this winter, at least!

[morice1]

I think we're being a bit unfair on the late lamented BATS - Southern Region did include excellent although somewhat eccentric rolling stock and the route was well done - it was just a pity there wasn't more of it. Admittedy the activities were poor and the BATS habit of muddling up eras within consists annoying. Also they didn't seem to want you to actually drive from Woking to basingstoke as none of the activities did so.

Admittedly Dorset Coast is not steam era [would be wonderful if it was] but as far as the comment '...Can't run steam on Dorset Coast' goes I would reply 'Why ever not'? What better than all that BATS southern stock to make up activities together with some of the superb recent southern models? Only a little imagination is required - just ignore Waterloo international and remember the track plan at Woking is just an illusion passed at speed. Ignore that it's a cargo ship not the Queen Mary your boat train is departing from in what clearly isn't the ocean liner terminal etc etc. As express steam rather than freight activity was what the Bournemouth line pre '67 was mainly about my only slight gripe of Dorset coast is that the generally excellent gradient profile becomes slightly downhill before reaching mp31 and is also slightly inconstant between Eastleigh and Winchester but then it is only a game after all - although a jolly good one!

Robert

[bigvern]

As the primary route builder for the above the comments are...interesting.

It probably does look basic compared to "contemporary standards" (whatever that means!) but the remit was to build a route which was to showcase the rolling stock collection and give a route on which it could be "thrashed". In fact, it was originally going to be a fictional route but concensus was an approximation of a section of "real" main line would be less abstract and give it more identity. Considerable man hours went into it from all concerned, not least laying all those sections of conductor rail, individually.

It may well have been surpassed in length and/or quality since then but the original aim in creating the route was achieved. Never meant to be a 100% accurate/historic depiction.

However some of the views expressed do lend credence to my decision to be far more conservative in my approach to route building as there's just no pleasing some people - even when considering a rather old add-on for an ancient sim!

[ianmacmillan]

I have to defend Vern here.

The route is superb with lots of detail. Just zoom back the camera and you will see the detail hidden behind trees or on top of the cuttings.

The problem is that the real thing is pretty boring.

As has been said, the route is a stage for the rolling stock to perform on.

My only gripe is the wagons.
All turn of the centuary LSWR stock only a handful of which would survive WW2.
They were unlikely to recieve BR livery. - I know - I did the repaints.

I've since made up for it by uploading more appropriate SR wagons.
You can't model the southern without that distinctive van roof.

As for inappropriate stock on Dorset - The route is available on train-sim.
Right now there is probable 5 diesels hauling a mile long train thru the new forrest.

[NickG]

Just got this, the route does show its age a little, but is built to a high standard, not that I would expect anything else from Vern. Its fine when driven from the cab, but not quite so good when viewed from a distance, and the conductor rail looks perfect!
Stock, what I have seen so far is excelent, looking forward to trying it out on Lyme regis, steyning and LSE.
My one gripe is on the activities there is not a run down the fast lines for the whole route.

[steamnut44]

I bought the Bats Southern (CD version) mainly for the stock, which has a very good collection of Bulleid BB & WC Pacifics, rebuilt and spam can, plus one rebuilt MN. With the freeware add ons for these locos, which were available from the Bats site, almost every BB & WC class loco has been made available for MSTS. The Pullman Coach sets, both standard & Golden Arrow versions are excellent with lovely interior views to match, again these are a must for any Southern Steam Era fan.

I did use the route Woking to Basingstoke when I first bought the CD, but now use Dorset Coast V5, which enable me to run most of the steam services to the south coast from Waterloo and return. Even though the route is built for modern image, you can run steam just the same.

Geoff

[NickG]

Best thing about this add on is definitly the stock, am running the "home before the blitz" activity on LSE at the minute, malachite green everywhere, so wonderfuly atmospheric