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Set in the bustling and industrious Northwest of England during the 1950s, Spirit of Steam: Liverpool Lime Street - Crewe is home to plenty of interesting and varied rolling stock. We take a look at the what you will encounter as you explore this historic route.
Transporting you into a different era of railway history, Setting the scene, and creating a true-to-life experience often relies on the route's key locations, stations, and landmarks to immerse you in that snapshot of history. With Spirit of Steam an additional dimension was required to achieve this level of immersion.
Due to the route's proximity to the busy docks and heavy industry of the Northwest, and connecting to West Coast Mainline, freight services are a regular sight throughout the day, so an eclectic mix of era-appropriate freight stock was required. Of course, Liverpool being one of England’s most populous and thriving cities, both express and local passenger services terminate here. Let's take a closer look at the passenger and freight rolling stock that you will spot as you explore.
Freight Stock
Working hard and heading out across the open countryside, Stanier BR 8f number 48139 hauls a mixed freight service comprising of weathered Standard Vans, and laden 5 plank wagons. Stacked full of heavy cut timber it is no wonder the 8f is having to work hard to get across this embankment.
The multipurpose 5 plank wagon will be a common sight and a regular part of your timetabled freight services. This jack-of-all-trades wagon was used up and down the length and breadth of the United Kingdom so it was integral that we included it with the route. By including the empty, laden (with wood), and tarp-covered variants we have highlighted some of the unique loads you would have seen during that era and added some interesting variety to your freight trains.
Steaming into the station and passing a departing Stanier Jubilee class Locomotive, Stanier BR 8F number 48159 introduces us to the other featured freight stock on Liverpool Lime Street – Crewe. The Leading wagons of this freight train are a line of laden Conflats, synonymous with this era of railway history this iconic wagon features in BR Brown livery. Trailing behind these are several empty 16-ton Mineral wagons. The many coal-burning industries of this area require constant fuel, you will see innumerable chimneys belching smoke into the sky as you traverse the route. A Combination of this, and the endless stream of locomotives stored or travelling through the area, Mineral wagons are a vital part of keeping this industrial machine going.
The BR Conflats provided the country with easy access to goods and furniture. We have included several versions of this simple but effective wagon. In addition to empty Conflats, Container Type A and Type B both feature, and as you can see from the two images above we have modelled the Type A in its single and double load configuration. In much the same way as they were in real life these wagons also feature train brakes in order to protect their more delicate loads.
20-Ton Brake Van
Huddled in their van away from the grim Winter weather, this Guard capitalises on the warmth of the inbuilt furnace that this 20-ton Brake Van offers. Going that extra mile to add to the immersion of this route, we have Included the ability to light the furnace and various other subtle Brake van features, so make yourself comfortable and enjoy the ride from a different vantage point, or jump out and see the smoke gently drifting out of the Brake vans chimney.
British Railway constructed over 5000 Brake vans of different guises and inherited a plethora of uniquely designed Vans from the Big four and even the pre-grouping eras, so these were a very common sight across the country. A vital part of railway safety and logistics of that time, Brake vans sat on the back of nearly every freight train that travelled across the network, providing essential security for the driver and other line users.
Passenger Stock
Giving their passengers one of the most cinematic views of the entire route, the crew of BR Jubilee class Stanier locomotive “Swaziland” pass Stanier BR 8F number 48123 on their way to their next destination, Runcorn Station. Pulling a short rake of BR MK1 coaches this crew has most likely been assigned local service duties for that day.
The workhorses of British Railways passenger stock, the MK1 was made in coach works across the country and seen in a variety of liveries depending on the region. In the Northwest of England, both the Maroon, and Blood and Custard variants were commonplace. Although many rakes would comprise of the same-coloured coaches offering an impressive photo opportunity for trainspotters, a mix of each was quite common.
First introduced with the West Somerset Railway Add-On, the Spirit of Steam Mk1s have had some tweaks, The most apparent external differences are the replacement of the commonwealth bogies with the earlier BR1 bogie design, featuring large leaf springs rather than the coil suspension. The coaches lack the extruded window frames of more modern examples, and have no air brake equipment as this came later. Spirit of Steam: Liverpool Lime Street – Crewe features FK, TSO, BSO, and BG MK1’s in Maroon livery, and FK, TSO, and BG in Blood and Custard livery.
Train Sim World 2 gives you the freedom to leave the cab and ride as a passenger, Spirit of Steam is no different. These highly detailed coaches have been meticulously recreated, down to the correct fabric pattern on the upholstery and revised signage to match the era. Many railway enthusiasts of Britain are familiar with this view, as numerous coaches have survived into preservation. Liverpool Lime Street – Crewe gives you the opportunity to take a seat and enjoy a view you are sadly unable to experience in real life anymore. Alternatively, you may be familiar with this view from your childhood, so step back into the 1950s, gaze out the window, and reminisce about the age of steam gone by!
Spirit of Steam: Liverpool Lime Street – Crewe arrives on Train Sim World 2 on May 31st
Join us, Thursday, May 19th at 19:00 UTC, on Twitch, YouTube, or Facebook. RFTV’s Matt, Jamie, and JD will be taking the Jubilee for a spin as we show you the Liverpool Lime Street - Crewe route for the first time.