Cheltenham

Yeah, right, I know - where the Irish flock to on Gold Cup day!
Well, that's true, but it's also the theme for a "past times" route that I'm making. Which was why I needed an old green DMU.
Apart from the Irish horse racing fans there's nothing actually "celtic" about this one, I have to confess to a bit of GWR nostalgia because all my early interest in choo-choos was growing up in Gloucestershire!

I just put a dozen screenie pics in the celtictrainsim Facebook page for anyone who's interested. Includes other unreleased work AND both of Leezer's fine "kettles" - I'll just post one sample here for now

That looks quite nice mate!

Mmmm. Doesn't it!
Anyway, after being diverted for several hours to make a BR green DMU external it's back to the route work. About 80% done at this stage. Needed to make a banner repeater for St James platforms as the short trains are a fair distance from the starter signal.
All the signals in this route are custom made .animated objects, no BRSigs or OpenBVESigs have been used this time. The BRSigs semaphores are upper quad, so unsuitable, and the OpenBVESigs are too modern.

Suitable diesel traction constructed for use in the route

Nice... [puts the route to the list of routes he will record a journey on...]

OK, can anyone guess what it is I'm making (apart from a "pig's ear" of it) 

Hymek?

Well, what ever it is and if it's a BR loco you don't have mainframes sticking out of the bufferbeam cowls.

Or the cowl running underneath the bufferbeam.

So something Irish?

Hymek it is.

Well, what ever it is and if it's a BR loco you don't have mainframes sticking out of the bufferbeam cowls.
Or the cowl running underneath the bufferbeam.

Well, Steve, I can lose the faces underneath the buffer beam easily enough.

Lets see, Chris has one in production as well.

So does that mean I should start one?

Join the bandwagon so to speak?

Maybe I already have............

The more the merrier, I guess!
Chris is working on a blue one - too "modern" for the route I need it for.
Mine's a green one with small yellow end panels.

The type 2/3 diesels don't seem to have been made, even though bvetmd has cabs for several of them. Though it's routes we seem to be short of even more than train items.

And that's pretty much it for the externals. Now where's me cab???

Just wait til you hear this one Gray, its getting closer by the day, some rigorous sound testing going on at present........

I'm starting to drool over it, Martin!! That 25 cab looks good, the sixties were interesting times on the railway.

Meanwhile, a "simplified" Class 35 has been put together. No frills, and no claims to authentic performance physics. No correct Maybach sound seither, but it's easy to drive so suitable for novices to use on the new route. It's "the dog's nuts" !

7076 stands at Malvern Road.

The new class 25 on Cheltenham - coming soon......



Class 25s in BR blue will be released a little later, still quite a bit left to do with them...

Will look something like this

This route and associated trains is now available to download from the website.



Special thanks to the testing team and to Martin Corbett at bvetmd who made the excellent cabs/for the Class 101 dmu and for the Class 25 Sulzer type 2.

I downloaded the routes and trains successfully. I drove the 10.00 service with the class 25 and only took 15 seconds to load. It's a very nice route with plenty of interesting details and the  scenery looks great. It was a bit tricky with the slow release of the brakes but it does make it more interesting. I will certainty give the other runs a go, it's a very enjoyable route.

Thanks for a very good route and trains the detail is great. !

It was a bit tricky with the slow release of the brakes. . . . . . . .

I know. The "proper" locomotives and the first generation dmus generally have vacuum brakes and they take a bit of getting used to. A bit more skill is needed to drive them than with the modern stuff!

Users will find driving the "Hymek" I made is easiest of the three options. The reason is that it was built for "the look" and I didn't bother to profile the train.dat physics accurately, therefore it behaves closer to a modern dmu. 
The Class 101 and the Class 25 cabs from bvetmd are prototypically realistic, what an experienced simmer would expect. So the Hymek is a good loco for novices to learn the route.

Strange but true: I've just realised this route is the only one I've made which doesn't have a level crossing on any public road!

I have driven the first generation dmu's before but I was bit rusty with the brakes and I have not driven much of the old locos. 

I have a question for you. What are "SW" signs along the route?

Sound Whistle

(Often misinterpreted as Slow, Whistle)

http://www.railsigns.uk/sect15page1/sect15page1.html

Cheers

Chris Lees

http://www.bvecornwall.co.uk

Thanks for that, interesting with the variety of signs for the whistle/horn.

Has a real GWR feel to it, lovely route.