What is now known today as the Welsh Marches line first appeared in the 1850s, after the Newport, Abergavenny and Hereford Railway sought to connect these towns by rail, as well as unlocking access for mineral traffic. This was followed immediately with opening of the Shrewsbury and Hereford Railway, which extended reach further north, creating a 98-mile secondary mainline which danced across the English/Welsh border.
Over time, many of the freight-focused branch lines that served the route were closed, however the main route itself would prove to be successful, and a key connection between South and North Wales, as well as with towns in England.
Even today, much of the line’s character comes from its infrastructure, with stations that still echo days past of the GWR, as does Severn Bridge Junction signal box, which is the largest operational mechanical signal box in the world. All this, as well as the picturesque scenery throughout, provide a stark contrast with the modern and built-up Newport station on the South Wales Main Line.
Explore the Welsh Marches in all its historic and diverse beauty with Bossman Games’ Wels Marches route for Train Simulator!
The Steam Autumn Encore Sale is now live. Experience the Javelin on London-Faversham High Speed route at 60% off, enjoy the urban vistas of Hamburg S1 S-Bahn at 60% off, or choose Amtrak and save 70% on NEC: New York-New Haven route.
The Intercity 2 is the name of Deutsche Bahn’s long-distance passenger traffic formed with spacious “Twindexx” double-deck coaches and control car, an evolution of DE Regio’s doppelstock. Twinned with state-of-the-art traction such as the DB BR 146.5, and sporting DB’s striking intercity livery, the IC2 has been offering a comfortable mix of high speed and high capacity, taking passengers on inter-city services at speeds up to 160 km/h since its introduction in 2015.
In Train Simulator, you can climb aboard the iconic IC2 and take it for a drive yourself, from either the cab of the capable DB BR 146.5, or the DBpbzfa 668.2 control car, and race along the busy West Rhine route in bold white and red style!
Constructed at the turn of the century, and only a year after the original Albula Line was built, Bernina Line is arguably the most challenging of the existing Swiss routes, having to climb and fall within a set distance means many breath-taking hairpin turns and some of the steepest gradients ever attempted by conventional rail.
A unique and scenic route struggled to pay for itself after a costly construction, but despite the financial issues of the 1930’s – 1940’s, Bernina Line survived thanks to the acquisition by Rhaetian Railway (RhB). Thanks to the efforts of Rivet Games, you are now able to take the famed Bernina Express to its Italian terminus, all while traversing the iconic Brusio spiral viaduct and running through the streets of Tirano in Train Simulator!
Save big in the Steam Autumn Sale this week! Explore the busy railroads of the urban Hudson Line with 30% off, save 45% and conquer the steep peaks of mountainous Bernina Pass, or visit Britain’s South East with Chatham Main & Medway Valley Lines at 50% off. Sale ends 3 December! Browse the full range of discounts here:
North America’s large railroads have historically had an appetite for ever bigger and more powerful locomotives and in the mid-1990s, both Electro-Motive and General Electric attempted to satisfy that horsepower hunger with single-power-plant, six-axle, 6,000-horsepower diesel locomotives. GE’s entry into this 6,000-horsepower locomotive competition was the AC6000CW, while Electro-Motive cataloged the SD90MAC.
The Ennstalbahn was established in the 1870s as a railway link between Styria and Salzburg, with onward connections to Germany. The line was put to use as both a passenger and freight line, and despite the harsh terrain making it a slower-paced route, traffic and popularity soared.
Electrified throughout after World War 2, this mostly single-track line plays host to both modern and classic electric motive power, including the ÖBB 1042 complete with its historic traction control wheel.
Spanning around 100 scenic km, RSSLO’s Ennstalbahn, from Bischofshofen to Selzthal, is now ready to be explored in Train Simulator!