Annie's Virtual Pre-Grouping, Grouping and BR Layouts & Workbench

[Regularity]

Rookie mistake!

[sem34090]

Ah well, yer see...

 

Can't think of an excuse for that one, probably because one doesn't exist!

[Regularity]

Don’t need an excuse, just an honest explanation: “Whoops, made a mistake!” works for me.

[sem34090]

I made an inexcusable mistake! Now to research what form of disciplinary action I should face...

[Regularity]

Such honesty should be rewarded.

No further action required.

[sem34090]

Thank you, Sir.

 

So no being tied to a signal post for 5 hours then? 

[Regularity]

So no being tied to a signal post for 5 hours then?

 

If that’s how you enjoy your weekends, I’m not going to stop you...

[sem34090]

[Annie]

Hunted for the last coins down the back of the couch and purchased an ex-GCR J11 (Class 9 'Pom Pom') from Darlington Works which at $4.99 is a real bargain.  https://darlington-works.weebly.com/gcr-j11.html

 

 

Too heavy for crossing the wooden river bridge this loco isn't really for use on the NER dominated HUGE UK layout and will be ultimately going to my GER-GCR layout Valleyfields.  But until that happens I will be using it to help me conduct some locomotive trials so I can fit better engine spec files to my recent NER 0-6-0 purchases from Paulz Trainz.  Paul Hobbs (not the Paul from Paulz Trainz), - log in name paulhobbs on the DLS, - has made a good many nice digital locomotive models and they don't use 'one size does all' engine specs so I've downloaded a variety of his 0-6-0 engine spec files and I'm hoping to be able to match up some better engine specs for my new NER locos.

I knew there were going to be problems with the new Paulz Trainz NER locos when they just walked off with a 50+ wagon coal train without a murmur.  The ex-SECR R1 tank engines that had been doing this work before are based on Paul Hobb's digital model R1 and have his engine spec files and they always gave the strong impression that they were hauling a heavy train and having to work at it.  I'm happy enough to buy models from Paulz Trainz, but I do so in the knowledge that I'm going to have to fettle them a little to make them suitable for work on my layouts.

I've also got some sound files that were recorded on the footplate of the preserved NBR Class 'C' 0-6-0 'Maude' so I'll be using those too.  Hopefully after that the new arrivals will be 'really useful engines' and will be properly fun to drive instead of being generic steam powered roller skates.

 

The orphan McDonnell Class 59's will need more careful attention though since they were well known to be underpowered and I'd like them to have that quality just to make the running shed foreman at Seaside Magna tear his hair and invent new words to bless them with.  

[Annie]

So first test run with the usual 50 wagon coal train.  I decided to start off with the NER Class E's (J71) of which the GNJt.R owns three, Nos.13, 14 & 15.  Lighter axle weight made them an ideal choice for the Seaside branch and something I had to bear in mind was that they were not as powerful a locomotive as the Class E1's (J72).  The posh blue E1's have a GWR 97xx engine spec file as well as the nice steam sounds file recorded on 'Maude' and the only thing I had to do to them was change out the GWR whistle sound file for a genuine NER one.  Because they work reasonably well and sound like a two cylinder steam engine should they gave me a bench mark for adjusting things on the small Class E's.  I decided to give the Class E's a GWR 54xx engine spec file and on test this seemed to have been a good choice as the plain Jane unlined black Class E's were transformed.  They got the good steam sounds file and the proper NER whistle too; - I'm fussy about my engines having proper whistles.

 

Heading off to the wharf.  Just running light it was plain they weren't generic steam powered roller skates anymore.  And the sound of the three of them together was soooooo nice.

 

 

Risking being accused of cruelty to small engines I decided to just use No.13 and No.14 to work the coal train.  It's a tough test loading and taking a coal train off the wharf because the train gets heavier as the wagons are loaded.  There was no wandering off with the train anymore as if it wasn't there. Now the two Class E's sounded like they were working hard to shift the train and keep it moving.  As it happened I didn't need to worry as they were up to the task, but what an improvement.

 

 

When I came to move the two Class C's (J22) out of the way so No.13 and No.14 could take over the train I immediately noticed the difference.  Their steam sound file is pretty marginal so that was immediately apparent, but they were just a couple of roller skates with no sense of having any mass and weight to them.

 

 

No.13 and No.14 underway.

 

 

And no more pictures after that sorry because my overtaxed video card decided to crash and spit its driver which is something it's doing more often lately.

 

BUT the most important thing is that it does look like I can make my new NER locomotives from Paulz Trainz work a lot better.  Perhaps not up to the standard of a full bells and whistles simulator like TS, but certainly well enough that I can enjoy playing trains on my layout.  I'll sort out the earlier Class E1's (J72) I got from Paulz Trainz to have the same spec as the posh blue E1's 'Fly', 'Wasp' and 'Hornet', - which will certainly transform them and make them really useful engines; - which leaves me wondering what to do with the three NER Class L's (J73) that I've got.  Class L's are bigger and heavier with 18 tons axle weight as compared to the Class E's 13 ton axle weight and 21,320lbs tractive effort compared with 12,130lbs for a Class E and 16,760lbs for a Class E1, - soooooo I'll have to put my thinking cap on and see what suitable engine spec file I can find for them.

[Annie]

Of course moving coal trains off the wharf with these is no problem at all.  I got these from Paulz Trainz a while ago in the green Edinburgh Railway livery just because I liked the look of it.  He had them in the NBR's strange yellow brown livery as well, but the colour reminded me too much of a baby's nappy contents and I saw enough of that when my two now grown up adult children were small.

Engerth locomotives had very long lives in France with some still being used up until just before WW2.  So I have no problems at all with them still being in service with my imaginary little railway company in the grouping transition period.  Paul also has a 0-6-4WT Engerth locomotive, but it's a type with a powered rear bogie and they weren't so successful as their maintenance costs were fairly extreme due to the technology of the time not quite being up to realising the inventor's vision.

These are nice locomotives to drive, very slow and steady and they will just about move any train you care to couple up to them.  The articulation on the digital model isn't the same as the real thing, but it does the job and the difference is only noticeable on very tight curves.  The outside Stephenson's valve gear is beautifully and fully animated too and is a delight to watch in motion.

 

[sem34090]

Nice!

 

Some more scenic progress on the MHLR, mostly the addition of trees where google earth told me to put them, and a river.

A passenger, in the capable hands of No.2, descending the bank towards Durley

 

At Durley I decided to detach the loco to show you all the wharf area at the end of a relatively long, and winding, siding from Durley station. This is planned to be semi-derelict, and is fictional in any case:

 

Then I reattached the loco and headed back up the 1 in 64 (In some places) to Botley:

 

And somehow an S15 found its way onto light railway metals! Any explanation for this event is greatly appreciated...

 

[Annie]

Nice scenic work Sem.  I have a thing for leafy backwater railways too.  Ooooo 1 in 64 might make the Terriers complain a little on market days when the train is well laden,  - though like you I guess I much prefer to have railways with a few hills and difficult bits rather than it all being dead flat just to add some interest to running a train service.

Nice to see a wharf.  As you know from my own screenshots wharves are a big part of traffic movements on my own layout and with the HUGE UK layout having a lot of coastal landscape there's around five on the layout ranging from the quite small to very large like the one at Seaside Magna.

 

 I'm going to have to get my own Terriers out on the local passenger trains again as the posh blue E1's have been having it all their own way lately.  

[Annie]

Sparrowcam snap I took of the main station at Seaside Magna while playing testing the NER Class E tank engines yesterday.  The wooden station buildings are based on those that were at the NBR station at Markinch until British Railways knocked them down in the 1970's.  They are very much the kind of thing a small independent railway might have and are replacements for generic Big 4 station buildings which never really looked the part,

 

 

In other news work continues on making my various NER locomotives properly useful.  After checking real world weights and measures I was able to confirm that the engine spec files I've installed so far in the Class E and Class E1 tank engines are close matches so I'm happy about that.  It's onto the Class L's (J73) now which I think will be interesting as they are real bruisers.  There were only 10 in the class, so I don't know what I'm doing with three of them.  One would have been quite enough for the Seaside branch and then it most probably would have been only on loan from a depot somewhere and they want it back.

[Annie]

I see Dovetail have a canal pack on sale at the moment Sem.  https://store.dovetailgames.com/eu/product/429613/marketplace-canal-scenery-pack?utm_source=Trains+Franchise&utm_campaign=4d9431373d-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_02_21&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_e964f3a6f5-4d9431373d-39700653

 

I usually don't take any notice of the sale newsletters because they're mostly about silly looking dismals painted in silly colour schemes, but for once they actually had something that was interesting.

Edited April 14, 2018 by Annie

[sem34090]

I picked up the S15 in that sale... and (God Forbid!) the BR Livery Pack.

 

Digital Traction also have, or maybe had a sale on, in which I got the LMS Compound. CR 123 was also reduced, as was the GWR 4300, but I already have those!

 

I don't really need the canal pack at the moment, the idea being (essentially) that the wharf will be overgrown and almost derelict, but functional (i.e. a goods train can pick up coal from the rather-too-modern loader) to add interest. Durley on the real Bishops Waltham branch (being about half a mile, a mile at most, from Botley) was only a halt, but I fancied something a bit more substantial with some goods facilities, as the MHLR only has one siding at Botley, and that is purely an exchange siding for the Southern. The idea with the wharf and the sidings at Durley is that this is where all goods not continuing onto Southern metals would be transhipped, and all goods not coming onto the line by rail would also be transhipped here, hence the wharf and road access.

 

The 1 in 64 section of the bank up to Botley is nice fun, an you're correct to say that gradients add interest. My first light railway was initially dead flat, and as such dead boring, until I added a 1 in 100 up to the middle station, and a 1 in 100 down to the terminus, essentially a peak, and even this was a bit boring.

 

As for my narrow-gauge route with its 1 in 12... it takes some careful management of a double fairlie to negotiate that one, even though it is only for about 40 yards, if that.

 

Actually, your mention of the sale prompted me to think what locos I have, and what may see use on the MHLR...

 

So, I have (in the way of British locos):

Train Simulator Academy (4F,Class 170) When Reskinned

Weardale & Teesdale Network (Class 25, Class 37, Class 08, Class 101)

Exeter to Kingswear - Riviera Line in the Fifties (Castle, King, Grange, Modified Hall, 5700)

Isle of Wight Route (Class 483/1938 Stock, Hawthorn Leslie 0-4-0ST 'Invincible')

LNER/BR Class J94

European Loco & Asset Pack (Black Five, S&DJR 7F, Class 37, Class 47, Class 166, Class 55, Class 43)

Doncaster Works (Class 03)

Falmouth Branch (Hall, 5700)

SR (BR Livery) Class N15 4-6-0

Woodhead Route (Black Five, 8F, EM1, Class 08)

London to Brighton (Class 377)

South Wales Coastal (Class 175, Class 70, Class 43)
Chatham Mainline (Class 375, Class 365)

BR Blue Diesel Electric Pack (Class 33, Class 73, Class 09, 2-EPB, 4-CIG)

Arriva Trains Wales DMU Pack (Class 143, Class 158)

Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway (Black Five, S&DJR 7F)

Western Hydraulics Pack (Class 42, Class 35, Class 52)

Return to Maerdy (Hunslet Austerity 0-6-0ST, EE Type 3B 4wBE)

Western Lines of Scotland (Black Five)

Portsmouth Direct Line (Class 37, Class 450)

North Somerset Railway (Class 117)

Corris Railway (Kerr, Stuart 'Tattoo' 0-4-2ST)

LNER Thompson Class B1 4-6-0

LNER Robinson O4 Class 2-8-0

Malmesbury Branch (5700)

GWR Steam Railmotor

Bulleid Class Q1 0-6-0

Settle to Carlisle (4F, Jubilee, Class 158, Class 66, Class 37)

Memories of Maerdy (Hunslet Austerity 0-6-0ST More Liveries and Variants)

West Coast Mainline North (Class 86, Class 47)

HST Buffer Pack

BR Class 402 2-HAL

West Somerset Railway (Modified Hall, S&DJR 7F, Class 33)

North Wales Coastal (Class 175, Class 158, Class 220)

SR Class S15 4-6-0

LBSCR Class A1/A1x 0-6-0T Terriers

LSWR Class O2 0-4-4T When Reskinned

LBSCR Class E2 0-6-0T When Reskinned

LSWR Class M7 0-4-4T When Reskinned

SR Bulleid Unrebuilt Light Pacific

SR Bulleid Rebuilt Light Pacific

BR Standard 2MT

BR Standard 4MT

BR Standard 5MT

BR Standard 6MT

BR Standard 7MT

BR Standard 9F 2-10-0

GWR Manor 4-6-0

GWR 4300 2-6-0

GWR 2251 0-6-0

GWR 4200 2-8-0T

LMS/Midland Compound 4-4-0

L&YR Aspinall 2-4-2T

Avonside 0-4-0ST

Barclay 0-4-0ST

Hawthorn Leslie 0-4-0ST

 

There's far too much modern stuff on that list, but there's a good little selection of tank engines there. The logic behind the ROD 2-8-0 is that they were sold off cheap post-WW1...

[Annie]

I have Robinson RODs too because they ended up just about everywhere.  I can run them on both the HUGE UK layout and Valleyfields and if I fudge a little by coupling them to a GWR tender I can run them on my GWR layout too.  Being a bit of a tank engine enthusiast myself I like your list Sem, but the J94 Austerity saddle tanks are too modern image for me.  It would be nice if TS had more pre-group content as I'm sure it would have much wider appeal if it did.  I can't be the only one who gets put off by all their adverts promoting silly looking modern dismals.

[sem34090]

Well, I've proposed a few pre-grouping bits on the dovetail forum, but none have received any replies as of yet.

 

I agree that the Austerities are a bit modern, but they are particularly fun to drive (The 'Return to Maerdy' version being the best) and I swear the two individual locos modelled in that pack have slightly different quirks that make it all the more entertaining.

 

However, good news comes in the fact that Digital Traction is set to release the CR 812 0-6-0 Next Friday in 15 liveries! Price isn't confirmed yet, however. I will be buying it when I can, as 123 is only useful for fast passenger runs - I need a loco to pull the CR Wagons I purchased!

 

Trouble is, a search for "Pre Grouping Train Sim" Brings us round in circles...

[Annie]

Yes it's annoying that, - do a search and all you get are your own posts on the subject  

 

The CR Class 812 sounds like it would be worth having, - moreso since the Scottish companies seem to get ignored.  Or at least they did!  Quite a few new pre-group locomotives for the Caley and the NBR have been coming available for Trainz just lately which is nice to see.

 

I have one or two J94's, - one of them in K&ESR livery and I agree they are a nice loco, but even with my somewhat rubber timeframe I have to draw a line somewhere.

[sem34090]

You see, the Caley is the best-served pre-grouping company for TS, mainly thanks to the dedication of Caley enthusiast (and American!) Kris Wilson. 123 and the 812 are both his.

 

Currently for the CR in TS we have, or very soon will have:

 

No.123, 4-2-2 (Offered in all liveries carried)

Class 812 0-6-0 (Offered in 15 liveries)

Selection of Wagons.

Corridor Coaches (Available with 123)

Non-Corridor Coaches

 

Then, as freeware:

 

Class 80 4-4-0

Dunalastair I 4-4-0

Six-Wheeled Coaches (Generic)

[sem34090]

Actually... Let's do a listing of payware and freeware by company. * = Yet to be released, but in development, ** = In Post-Grouping or Rebuilt form only,

 

Caledonian Railway

• No.123 4-2-2 (Payware - Digital Traction)
• Class 812 0-6-0* (Payware - Digital Traction)
• 'Cardean' 4-6-0* (Payware - Digital Traction)
• Wagon Selection (Payware - Digital Traction)
• 54ft Bogie Corridor Coaches (Payware - Included with DT No.123)
• 45ft Bogie Non-Corridor Coaches (Payware - Matrix Trains)
• Class 80 4-4-0 (Freeware - UKtrainsim)
• Dunalastair I 4-4-0 (Freeware - UKtrainsim)
• Generic 6-Wheeled Coaches (Freeware - UKtrainsim)

London Brighton & South Coast Railway

• Class A1/A1x 0-6-0T (Payware - Victory Works)
• Class E2 0-6-0T (Payware - Steam Sounds Supreme)
• Stroudley 4-Wheeled Coaches (Payware - Included with VW A1/A1x)
• Class G 2-2-2 (Freeware - UKtrainsim)
• Class A1 0-6-0T (Freeware - UKtrainsim)
• Stroudley 4-Wheeled Coaches (Freeware - UKtrainsim)

London & South Western Railway

• Class A1 0-6-0T (Payware - Victory Works)
• Class M7 0-4-4T (Payware - Digital Traction)
• Class T9 4-4-0** (Payware - Steam Locomotive Collection)
• Class 0415 4-4-2T* (Payware - Digital Traction)
• Class B4 0-4-0T* (Payware - Digital Traction)
• (SR Maunsell) Class N15 4-6-0** (Payware - DTG)
• (SR Maunsell) Class N15 4-6-0** (Payware - Steam Locomotive Collection)
• (SR Maunsell) Class S15 4-6-0** (Payware - Bossman Games)
• 48ft Non-Corridor Bogie Coaches* (Payware - Due to be included with DT 0415)
• 10T 'Road Van' (Payware - Included in Steam Sounds Supreme WSR Wagon Pack)
• 10T 'Road Van' (Payware - DTG/RSC Former 'Default' Asset - SR Livery only)

Midland Railway

• Class 4F 0-6-0** (Payware - DTG)
• Class 4F 0-6-0 (Payware - Digital Traction)
• Class 3F 0-6-0** (Payware - Digital Traction)
• Class 4P 4-4-0** (Payware - Digital Traction)
• 'Spinner' 4-2-2 (Freeware - UKtrainsim)
• Johnson 4-4-0 (Freeware - UKtrainsim)
• Generic 6-Wheeled Coaches (Freeware - UKtrainsim)
• Basic Wagons (Freeware - UKtrainsim)

Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway

• Class 7F 2-8-0 (Payware - DTG)
• Class 4F 0-6-0** (Payware - DTG)
• 'Road Van' (Payware - Included in Steam Sounds Supreme WSR Wagon Pack)
• Johnson 4-4-0 (Freeware - UKtrainsim)
• Generic 6-Wheeled Coaches (Freeware - UKtrainsim)
• Basic Wagons (Freeware - UKtrainsim)

Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway

• Aspinall 2-4-2T (Freeware - UKtrainsim)
• 6-Wheeled Coaches (Freeware - UKtrainsim)

Great Central Railway

• Class 8K 2-8-0 (Payware - DTG)
• 'Barnum' Coaches (Payware - Matrix Trains)

South Eastern & Chatham Railway

• Class A1 0-6-0T (Payware - Victory Works)
• 60ft 'Birdcage' Coaches (Payware - Matrix Trains)
• Shunters Truck (Freeware - UKtrainsim)
• Machinery Truck (Freeware - UKtrainsim)

Great Eastern Railway

• Class Y14 0-6-0 (Payware - Steam Sounds Supreme)
• Class S69 4-6-0** (Payware - Digital Traction)
• Class S69 4-6-0* (Payware - Digital Traction)
• Class S46 4-4-0* (Payware - Digital Traction)
• Coaches? (Payware - Digital Traction? Coaches may be included.)

Great Northern Railway

• Class J50 0-6-0T (Payware - Meshtools)
• Class N2 0-6-2T (Payware - Digital Traction)
• Stirling Single 4-2-2* (Payware - Digital Traction)

North Eastern Railway

• Class T2 0-8-0 (Payware - Victory Works)
• Wagons (Payware - Included with T2)

London & North Western Railway

• Class G2 0-8-0 (Payware - Meshtools)
• 45ft Non-Corridor Bogie Coaches (Freeware - UKtrainsim)

 

I suspect there are others...

[Annie]

That is quite some list Sem.  In some way Trainz is only just now catching up with 4 and 6 wheel coaches and as for pre-group bogie coaches the choice was very limited for a long time.

As is usual the GCR is under represented, - there's very little available for the GCR for Trainz too which always struck me as odd.  The LSWR has all the usual suspects which is nice to see.  As always the ever useful G6 is missing thoigh.

 

I always thought the old S&D got unfairly shafted by Beeching.  Being interested in the Midland and the LSWR at various times I couldn't help, but take notice of the S&D, but unfortunately I never get around to trying to model any of it.  I hope those 7F 2-8-0's you've listed are painted blue.

 

With some of the Scottish pre-group models becoming available for Trainz I'm sorely tempted, but I really want to stick with the NER for now; - with a little GER and GCR to the side on Valleyfields.  I do have some 1860's NBR rolling stock, but I look on those as being second hand aged anachronisms that have somehow survived in the GNJt.R's keeping rather than being any frank effort to model the early period NBR.  With the new models being pictured in a steady stream on the Auran forums though it's difficult to keep my eyes averted.

[Annie]

Testing is still going on with my new NER engines.  I had to go into heavyweight 0-6-0 tender engine territory to find an engine spec file to match the NER Class L's (J73) weight and tractive effort.  After my research I've concluded that they should not be crossing the wooden river bridge, but I think I'll be mostly using them to shunt the steelworks sidings so it shouldn't be a problem.

 

The NER Class C's will most probably be getting engine spec files from a L&Y 0-6-0 tender engine since most of the physical real world specs seem to match.  Which just leaves the orphan McDonnell Class 59 with its poor tractive effort for a loco of it's weight and size.  At the moment it has a Terrier A1X engine spec file just so I can see how it works out with an engine spec file that's intended for a much smaller locomotive.  I want the McDonnell Class 59's assigned to the Seaside branch to be underpowered and troublesome and not able to do the work of the Worsdell Class C's which are close to being the same size and weight and I thought this might be the way to do it.  As you can see from the snap they will most probably get used on the local passenger trains and parcel trains since they shouldn't get into too much trouble doing that.

 

[Annie]

Further testing with the McDonnell Class '59'.  As an experiment I gave it an engine spec file from an A1X Terrier which might seem daft since the Terrier is a much smaller locomotive, but the end result is that the locomotive now works as if it is from an older  generation of locomotives that' are a bit on the underpowered.side.  I changed the data for the wheel diameter and cylinder sizes & etc, but didn't change anything else to do with steam rates and grate area and all that stuff that makes my brain go 'tilt' because it's all lists of long numbers to decimal places.  Being a loco intended for mixed traffic use the Class '59' has larger diameter wheels than the Worsdell Class 'C' locomotives so it can run a bit on the brisk side, but the top speed is throttled back by my use of the Terrier specs.  The test loco No.1490 was happy enough with a lightweight local passenger train, but I think it would have trouble when faced with rice pudding with a stouter made skin on top.  I'm planning on mostly using the Class 59's on local passenger work anyway so I think they'll be fine doing that.  In their final years before the axe fell they were used for basic work shunting carriage sidings and similar tasks since they were considered to be not much use for anything else.  It's highly likely that if there was somewhere like the GNJt.R to palm them off to then that would have been what was done with some of them.

 

Misty morning at the GNJt.R station at Debton.  The sun has cleared away most of it, but the mist is still hanging on in odd hollows and along the river.

 

Arrival at Stanley Farm Halt.  The train is composed of an odd collection of aged coaches and luggage vans this morning.

 

Crossing the river bridge.

 

And a quick snap taken at Ironbridge station.

My video card is really struggling and spits its driver software without warning so screenshots are few and far between at the moment.  The problem is that it can't handle the data volume and bottlenecks.  I could buy a better card on the second hand market at a fairly economical price, but I would also need to upgrade to Windows 7 as well.  I may just have to go ahead and back everything up and make the change because it's not much fun with how things are at the moment.  

Edited April 15, 2018 by Annie

[sem34090]

No more progress on the MHLR, but I thought I'd show off some of Digital Traction's pre-grouping offerings that are either released or are in the works. I may do a few more posts detailing what different producers offer for the pre-grouping sector of TS.

Now, there are many products in DT's virtual workshop currently, so I have highlighted those recorded on the facebook page in the past 18 months.

 

Next to be released is the CR Class 812 on Friday:

The 812 is the second in a series of Caledonian engines being developed by American Caley enthusiast Kris Wilson. Models also under development by Kris include a CR (739?) 0-4-4T, as shown coupled to the 812 below, and a Cardean 4-6-0.

 

Kris' first release through Digital Traction was the famous CR 4-2-2 No.123, a superb model available in all liveries carried during the prototype's career:

The model is available in as-built form (shown above) and in its 1923 form, as rebuilt by the LMS and subsequently preserved:

The loco also includes this rake of CR Bogie stock:

Kris also developed a CR wagon pack to go with the 812 and the locos which are to follow it:

 

Previously, Digital Traction has released a range of other addons suitable for the pre-grouping period, including:

 

The GNR Class N2 0-6-2T

 

The GWR 4300 Class 2-6-0:

 

The MR Class 3F 0-6-0:

 

The MR Class 4F 0-6-0:

 

And the LSWR Class M7 0-4-4T:

 

There are several other locos available that are descended from pre-grouping prototypes, but are themselves post-grouping.

 

That said, DT has taken a strong move towards mostly pre-grouping locos with rolling stock to match. In the works currently, amongst a myriad of other projects, are:

The next one after the 812 is supposed to be the LSWR Class 0415:

This loco is to be released alongside a 1920's-era Lyme Regis branch route, and some of the shots above are from this route.

 

 

Also under development is the GER 'Claud Hamilton':

 

And, from the same railway, the G58 (LNER J17):

 

What, for me, is even more exciting than these locos being developed (Along with others, such as the GNR Stirling Single) is the fact that appropriate stock is to be included, or made available alongside, each of them, and not just front-line express stock.

 

The pre-grouping scene for train sim is looking up, with (it seems) DT and Kris being the main driving force here. They are providing the chicken for the pre-grouping route egg...Kris has done a vast amount of modelling, and not just for Caledonian locos, but for LBSCR and LSWR ones too, amongst others (The G58 being one of his), so we can hope to see more in the future. They are all payware, but this ensures a certain degree of quality.