Berks and Hants to Bristol and Penzance V3
8th July 2021The Berks and Hants to Bristol and Penzance route (BHBP) merged High Speed Tracks’ The Railways of Devon and Cornwall (RDC) and Martin Masterson’s South Western Expressways to Reading (SWER), two well established TS routes. The route develops and vastly extends DTG’s ‘Riviera Line’ and Just Trains’ original ‘South Western Expressways’.
BHBP route has well over 300 miles of main, secondary and branch lines across southern and south west England:
• 219 miles of main line from Reading to Penzance along the Berks and Hants line via Newbury, Westbury, Taunton, Exeter, Plymouth and Truro.
• 37 miles of main line from Bristol to Taunton via Cogload Junction
• 21-miles of main and secondary line from Bristol to Bath and Westbury
• 28 miles of secondary line from Exeter to Axminster
• The secondary line from Newton Abbot to Paignton, and the Paignton and Dartmouth heritage railway onwards to Kingswear
• The Exeter to Exmouth branch
• The Exeter to Barnstaple branch, including the Dartmoor Railway from Coleford Junction to Okehampton and the currently disused line onwards to Meldon Quarry
• The Plymouth to Gunnislake branch
• The Liskeard to Looe branch
• The Totnes to Falmouth branch
• The St Erth to St Ives branch
• The South Devon Railway heritage line from Totnes to Buckfastleigh
BHBP will always be a work in progress. The aim is to reflect the up to date, contemporary railway. It will always need updating and will never be finished!
BHBP V3 has fully detailed scenery from
• Reading to just west of Bodmin Parkway
• Just east of Par to Burngullow (just west of St Austell)
• Just east of Truro to Penzance
• Taunton to Bristol, and from Bristol on to Westbury via Bath.
• Exeter to Honiton, Exmouth, Kingswear, Copplestone and Okehampton
• Plymouth to Gunnislake
• Liskeard to Looe
• St Erth to St Ives
• Totnes to Buckfastleigh
What’s new in V3:
• Scenery between Liskeard and Bodmin Parkway has been added in full.
• The South Devon Railway is now complete.
• The Dartmoor Line between Coleford Junction and Okehampton now has the correct new speed limits, and the revised foot crossings and GSMR equipment are now in place.
BHBP west of Whiteball Tunnel (Devon and Cornwall, basically) works with the AP track enhancement pack. UK Pro signals are used in large parts of the route and these will work with the AP signals enhancement pack if you own it. At present JT signals are also used in a number of areas and these will not work with the pack.
The future
The first priority is to complete the scenery on the Cornish Main Line. The next section to be completed will be Bodmin Parkway to Par. When the main line is finished we will complete the Falmouth and Barnstaple branches and the West of England Line to Axminster.
A first iteration of the line from Reading to Paddington has been completed and awaits merger with BHBP. Merging is a complex process and our merging expert is a very, very busy man! When he has time it will be done. The Reading to Paddington extension is based on Keith Ross’s 2011 improved version of Kuju’s original route from Paddington to Oxford. It has completely new scenery from Reading to Taplow and Old Oak to Paddington. In between it’s a wired version of Kuju’s original route and is really showing it’s age – we will steadily improve it to BHBP standards.
Required routes and assets
RDC and SWE-R used assets from a significant number of different sources between them, so BHBP’s required assets list is quite long. There’s no way around this for now, but the combined route offers hundreds of miles of main, secondary and branch line track, allowing lengthy, varied and totally immersive true to life scenarios.
BHBP just won’t work at all without your having:
Train Simulator 2020
DTG – The Riviera Line
DTG – The Riviera Line in the 50s
Just Trains – South Western Expressways (from the Aerosoft website – see important note below)
BHBP requires the first iteration of the South Western Expressways, NOT the current version on JT’s website that extends the route to Reading. The first iteration is still available at the Aerosoft website, here:
https://www.aerosoft.com/en/shop/train-bus-truck/dovetail-games-train-simulator/routes/2167/south-western-expressways
BHBP will not work with the later iteration on JT’s website.
BHBP may work – but only just in some cases – without your having the routes and assets shown below. BUT there will be milk bottles galore and big gaps in the scenery.
Payware:
Steam
Brighton Main Line
Town Scenery Pack
Platform Clutter Pack
West Somerset
North Somerset
WCML North
European Loco and Asset Pack (Not required if you had Train Simulator before Sept 2012)
Bristol to Cardiff
Just Trains:
Western Main Lines (none of the route extensions are needed)
Bristol to Exeter
Newcastle to Edinburgh
Alan Thomson Simulation (ATS)
ATS OHLE Pack
Freeware:
DP Simulation:
Barnstaple to Exeter
Chris Trains:
NS Station and Object Scenery
Vulcan Productions:
VP Grass Pack (Download V3 of the pack towards the bottom of this page)
Major Wales:
IET/EMU Stop Sign Pack
UKTS requirements are included in the installation zip.
We strongly recommend that you get hold of and install all of the above required routes and assets before you install BHBP
reached the scenario destination [GH] T.M to Merehead Quarry and found a guy in an orange attire in mid air.
Great update to the route. Appreciate the work you put it into keeping up to date for us all to enjoy. Thank you 🙂
are there any more updates being made yet as i am still missing some scenery in places and i have got all requirements
Hey I recently download this and I want to the 800 scenario but every time I load in it says scenario failed. I’m pretty sure I got everything that is needed but where do I find out what is needed?
Just drove Paignton to Paddington on Martin Masterson’s merge of this route. It’s a cracking route. Well done! The only issues I have are a bunch of missing assets around Newbury Racecourse (the overgrown bits of platforms at the end of the station and the footbridge stairs, and also some warehouses nearby) and Newbury (just footbridge stairs) stations. I don’t have the old SWEX, only the new SWEXR, which the description above made it sound like would be compatible with this route, but I fear not completely. For v3 it might be worth looking at this area and perhaps using some of the new JT assets? Their racecourse grandstand would also look nice in this route.
Hi can i ask what asset you have used for platforms 4 and 3 at Penzance Please has far as i know i got all requirements but they are invisible.
Sorry you are not seeing P3 and 4 but I can only suggest re downloading all the requirements again as it is a local problem on your system, let us know hope you get on please.
I’m a little confused, does this also merge with Western Mainlines or not?
BHBP does not merge or link to WML, it is a route out of Reading via Newbury onto Devon and Cornwall
I guess we currently live in the ‘age of entitlement’ which has prompted me to actually express my gratitude, rather than be part of the probable silent majority that really appreciates the endless hours of work that has gone into this fantastic ‘share’.
I don’t own the required OHLE so aside from a fair few of the ubiquitous milk bottles on the way from/to Newbury nothing has been ‘ruined’ as claimed earlier by a previous poster.
This share is clearly built with enthusiasm rather than being built to a deadline or within a commercial budget and it shows in some lovely touches and details rippled throughout the content. Sure there may be some jiggling about getting some scenarios and stuff to work how I want them to work and there may be gaps in coverage over the entire area, but looking at what is there, rather than moaning about what isn’t, this is some top notch route building by any standard, commercial or otherwise.
Route requirements is always a thing, sometimes as in this case for me I didn’t require extra purchases and sometimes there’s a whole list I’m lacking in which case I can politely decline the generous offer of a free route. I never however feel a compulsion to wipe my dirty bum on the sheet provided for discussing said share.
Bravo Spoerers and all those involved in this project as I can already see you’ve certainly given me hours more fun in Train Sim for weeks to come.
Can anyone tell me what add on i need for the following assets please.
BMG\RoyalScotPack02\RailVehicles\Passenger\Mark1_coaches\MK1BFK\BR Maroon\mk1BFK_Maroon.bin
BMG\RoyalScotPack02\RailVehicles\Steam\RoyalScot\BR\Engine\royalscot_br_aws.bin
BMG\RoyalScotPack02\RailVehicles\Steam\RoyalScot\BR\Tender\tender_stanier_4000_BR_early.bin
and also the following reskin
Kuju\RailSimulator\RailVehicles\Diesel\HST\FGWGWR\Mk3TSO\mk3tso_fgw_B_.bin
Kuju\RailSimulator\RailVehicles\Diesel\HST\FGWGWR\Mk3TSO\mk3tso_fgw_C_.bin
Kuju\RailSimulator\RailVehicles\Diesel\HST\FGWGWR\Mk3TSO\mk3tso_fgw_D_.bin
New concern. South Western Expressways, obviously, is a core component of this. But today, the original SWC – already pulled from Just Trains – left Steam as well, in both places now replaced with a SWE to Reading in full payware form. This might cause complications for your route. Either you change everything to require the new version, meaning existing users will be forced to buy the alternate version of the route to continue to use it, or you leave the original as the requirement and make it impossible for new users to play it. You might have to unfortunately start swapping track assets to other tracks to get rid of this complication.
That said, I don’t know if the original asset pack is actually included with the new SWE. If not, getting permission for your part to include any necessary assets from JT directly would be the best way to avoid this problem. You can then keep the Reading extension you designed instead of having to swap in everything for the new version of the route. How are you going to handle this?
This puzzled me too,luckily I had the original JT SWExpressway and by reinstalling it all the Assets I was missing – mainly the stations from Pewsey to Taunton – reappeared. One point we should all be aware of is that JT have stated that their latest update reflects how things were upto I think 2011 ie before electrification whereas BHBP quite clearly state that their route is up to the present day and will always be a work in progress.
I have been told that it will still be fine with the new SWEX-R as it contains the ols assets. Have not tested that.
This is an absolute joke. Shed load of payware required after running through TS Tools. Not even mentioned in the manual. You have also ruined the original non-electrified JT part of the extension, by adding OHLE.
Free or not it is a poorly presented mess.
Quite harsh I think!
Had started using the railways of Devon & Cornwall to v11 until this merge, now progress seemes to have accerlated a little more with large sections now being complete which I was starting to lose hope of seeing.
I had all the payware listed on this and the ontrack site and this route runs fine without a hitch. Of course there are a bunch of coaches and skins that may require further payware but I think they are mentioned in the manual fully and do not affect the route working at all.
Hope to see the Cornish Mainline finished and that Falmouth branch line soon!
Agreed, quite harsh. The new Penzance – Truro section is stunning.
Unless I’m missing something obvious, this uses the original JT Southwestern Expressways and not the new extended to Reading version – please correct me if I’m wrong.
I have all of the DLC listed, but checking with TS Tools did bring up a pretty long list of missing assets. Some are from DTG’s North London Line, which I have, but the pathing “Assets\DTG\NorthLondonLine\NorthLondonLineAssets\Scenery” doesn’t find them – “Assets\DTG\NorthLondonLineAssets\Scenery” would – I replaced each asset individually, which was tedious and there’s probably a much better way – I’m not an expert!
“Assets\Community\ProjectPlatform\” – I assume that these are originally from the Phorum Peninsula (long since deleted), but most of these assets are still available via the DTG London Transport Heritage Collection route, which is sort of “Son of Phorum” – strangely to be found under “Assets\DTG\Phorum”.
There are other bits and pieces that I can’t find – the Oovee stuff is probably Hatchet Hill Quarry (deleted) and some JT stuff also has an extra step in the pathing like the North London line stuff. The UKTS Audio_Ambient and the Kuju OcclusionVolume stuff I can live without.
Hope this is helpful.
Project Phorum indeed is covered in the LTHC. The reason the assets are separated is very simple: the old pack at Assets\Community\ProjectPlatform\ includes some trains that were part of the package, but are NOT part of the LTHC. That means a bunch of steam trains, some electrified train, and a few diesels are left out, plus some rolling stock. You get a different set of trains including a rehashed Class 20 (similar perhaps to the separate DLC and probably not worth using if you have the JT one). Hatchet Hill Quarry can actually still be had, and I did download it fairly recently (you can still buy it, believe it or not).
Thanks for the info Cyclone – and yes, I’ve just tried Googling Hatchet Hill Quarry and there is a working link to buy it from Steam (Steam Search denies all knowledge of course), but not with 65% off quoted – not sure it’s worth £14.99 to me at the moment, but it’s good to know it’s there if I need it.
I don’t have Project Phorum so mentioned LTHC as an alternative – it includes all but 2 or 3 of the assets needed – including the donkeys, which I need to keep an eye open for!
Wait for the next big sale. It will get discounted.
How is it that bring the section, Reading to Newbury, up to how it is now with OHLE has ruined it for you??
Thank you Mike. I’ll remember your positive, helpful comments when I’m burning yet more late night oil over v3 and it’ll warm my heart to know how much you’ve appreciated my free labour.
It’s up to you whether you install or use the route – its not compulsory. It’s grown like topsy over the years. Some previously required routes are no longer available or required – any remining milk bottles from them will be well hidden and not spoil any enjoyment.
An absolute joke? Well, if you say so. Have a nice day.
he has not ruined nothing. this route is based today which is electrified.
when is axminster and Morchard Road to Barnstaple getting scenery along with the south devon railway
Does anyone know of the wagons needed for the Night Riviera train along with 57? There, the list is incomplete and there are not enough repaints for cars from the Class 67 pack, as well as some others, but others, not those indicated on the ATS. Here are the paths to these folders: \RSC\Class67Pack01\RailVehicles\Passenger\MK3SLEP\GWR
\Kuju\RailSimulator\RailVehicles\Diesel\HST\GWR_NightRiviera
If anyone knows where to get these repaints, I would be very grateful.
Hi, I’m struggling to find the class 66 green Reskin & Blue reskin. also the FGWGWR_ HST reskins aswell please
also class 08 Black and RES reskins aswell please
It depends on the scenario – if it’s for the 166 Cascade 1 and 2, the 66s and 08 look to be reskins of the original RSDL versions, long since deleted, your best bet is to use TSTools, if you have it, to swap them for newer RSC 66 and 08 reskins – not sure about the HST – again, if you can, then swap for maybe the AP versions.
Incidentally, I get an OOM with Class 166 Cascade Part 1 and had the same problem with the previous version of the route – has anyone managed to run it?
Always happy to see updates to a route such as this. Will all existing scenarios for the prior version of the route work with this one, and does it use the same route reference folder?
All old scenarios should work fine, the new download will just add the new ones included in V2 if you already have V1.5. I would always recommend backing up scenarios just in case you forgot that you changed stock or whatever on an original…