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GREAT EASTERN REVIEW

DO BRAINTREE REVIEW AND REMOVE "1" FROM PAGE NAME!!!!!!!!!!!!

Developer: Making Tracks,
Publisher: Contact Sales.

This route (of around 160 miles based around 1990) is the second commercial British release by Making Tracks and just like their first release, London & South East, it has been long awaited by many MSTS users who have followed progress very closely via the Making Tracks website and online support forum. The screenshots published by the team seemed to promise to deliver a level of detail not seen in train simulator before, with the team finding a way to use both electrified and non-electrified track pieces together (one of the well-known problem issues with Train Simulator), as well as using minor details in the scenery such as AWS ramps and CSR (cab secure radio) frequency change boards. In the last few months before the release progress seemed to really gain momentum following the unfortunate passing of team member Dale Stewart - a long term respected railwayman and trainsimmer. Because of the sheer detail included within this route, low-spec computers will suffer and the 'MSTS Bin' patch is highly recommended as this helps with MSTS memory management, as well as adding new features to the game.

Patches since initial release (available from the product author's website):
Activity Pack 1: Adds an additional seven activities for use with MSTS 'Bin'.
v1.1: Adds the 11 mile long Sudbury branchline and fixes a number of issues.
v1.2: Adds the short branchline to Upminster and some other fixes.
v1.3: Adds the 7 mile single-track branchline to from Witham to Braintree.

This review was written using the v1.3 upgrade. The Sudbury, Upminster and Braintree branches are not included in the base product. They are part of the free v1.1, v1.2 and v1.3 upgrades respectively. These three free upgrades are available for free download from the Making Tracks website and together they make up what was planned to be originally included in the base product.

STOCK

You may be wondering what rolling stock you get in the package. Here's a list:

Class 08 diesel shunting locomotive in BR Blue and special 'Liverpool Street Station Pilot' liveries.
Class 31 mainline diesel locomotive in BR Blue livery (2 versions with different running numbers).
Class 37 mainline diesel locomotive in BR Blue livery with both 'full' and 'split' headcode boxes.
Class 47 mainline diesel locomotive in BR Blue, BR Large Logo and Network SouthEast liveries.
Class 86 mainline electric locomotive in BR Intercity and Intercity Swallow liveries.
Class 150 diesel multiple unit in BR Regional Railways livery with 'Sprinter' branding.
Class 302 electric multiple unit in BR Blue/Grey, Network SouthEast and Royal Mail liveries.
Class 305 electric multiple unit in BR Blue/Grey livery.
Class 309 electric multiple unit in Network SouthEast and Essex Express branded 'Jaffa Cake' liveries.
Class 315 electric multiple unit in Network SouthEast livery.
Class 317 electric multiple unit in BR Blue/Grey and Network SouthEast liveries (2 differing styles of unit).
Class 321 electric multiple unit in Network SouthEast livery.
Three different rakes of Mk2 coaching stock - BR Blue/Grey, BR Intercity and Intercity Swallow liveries.
Mk2 Driving Brake Standard Open (DBSO) in Intercity Swallow livery (4 versions - 2 driving & 2 trailing).
Mk1 Restaurant Buffet (RBR) in BR Blue/Grey, BR Intercity and Intercity Swallow liveries.
Four different types of freight wagon - box vans, oil/petroleum tanks, ballast and containers.
London Transport Central line 1959 tube stock (for the London Underground platforms at Stratford).

PROS AND CONS

The pros for the product include:

A lot of detail has been included within the route including AWS magnets, CSR (cab secure radio) frequency change boards and a number of amusing advertising billboards. Other interesting items to see whilst driving include London Underground trains emerging at Stratford and flying planes at Southend.
The trains are crafted to a high standard with lots of care and attention to detail. A choice of up to three liveries is available for some trains including interesting ones such as the Royal Mail Class 302 and the 'celebrity' Liverpool Street Station Pilot. Stratford based locos feature the old depot's bird mascot.
Although access to most trains for cab and sound purposes were not possible the team have used high quality freeware cabviews by a respected cabview author in the freeware community (Kenji Kimura) and some have been edited to suit the trains they're used in. For example the Class 321's is based on the Class 455 cabview but has been heavily modified and suits the Class 321 perfectly. As for the sounds, some you will hear you may recognise from the London & South East add-on by Making Tracks (and some other commercial add-ons) however this isn't something to be overly disappointed about as they are suited to the trains using them and most soundsets appear to have been quite heavily modified anyway.
Signs such as speed reduction warnings and car stop markers on platforms (indicating where to stop with a train of x number of coaches) are correctly placed and signals display clear aspects so it is possible to drive this route without the 'Track Monitor' showing (F4 key) provided you know the timetable.
A custom 'ttype.dat' file is used by this route which creates an improved sound environment compared to those used by the base MSTS routes and most add-ons (both freeware and commercial).
Most passenger train timetables show when your train arrived at the terminus, therefore allowing you to work out the turnaround time. Although this isn't necessarily a 'pro', it is a nice, simple addition.
The headlights on some of the stock does not light up the route ahead. This is prototypical as in the period depicted in the add-on, high-intensity headlights were not fitted to all of the stock featured.
Some trains are set up for use with the MSTS Bin patch so the patch's features can be used.
The v1.1 patch and an additional 5 activities were released immediately and include the Sudbury branch.

The cons for the product include:

Should you require the emergency brake, a reset button is supplied however it will not reset the brakes on some of the stock. The brake gauge will show the correct values but you will remain unable to move.
The Class 47 diesel locomotive seems very underpowered and struggles with even the lightest loads.
On the longer activities you may find that MSTS will come into problems placing AI trains and scenery objects (due to it's memory management) therefore making the route crash. To overcome this I recommend that when driving the longer activities you save the game around every 30-40 minutes and reload. This is a very easy thing to do! All you need to do is to simply press 'F2' on your keyboard whilst driving and then in the main Train Sim menu click 'Load Saved Activity' and select the file you just saved.
When I tried out activity 05 (London to Clacton/Harwich) I found an AI train suddenly popped up from nowhere in the adjacent platform at Chelmsford.
In some activities (such as activity 15 - the non-stop Harwich to London 'Hook Continental') there is not a lot of frequent passing AI traffic. Although this may be prototypical north of Shenfield it can get rather tedious for the casual trainsimmer when running such long distances with a small number of stops. Also in some activities there is a noticeable lack of static AI stock in the depots at Ilford, Colchester, Clacton and Ipswich, as well a lack of trains in the carriage sidings at Southend, Colchester, Clacton and Ipswich.
In activity 04 your train has a brake coach up against the London Liverpool Street buffers which is un prototypical as it suggests nothing brought the train into the station other than the loco on the other end 10 coaches away! This train should have either another locomotive or the included Mk2 Driving Brake Standard Open (DBSO) on the rear against the buffers.
Ilford depot has overhead wires in place but the wires do not have any supporting gantries.
A number of signals in the area surrounding Liverpool Street do not have accompanying AWS magnets.

THE MAIN REVIEW

There are 15 activities included within the pack of varying lengths and traction. Because of the sheer size of this route (due to the 5 base branchlines as well as the main London to Ipswich stretch) I will use a selection of activities to cover each section of track. Detailed information about each activity is available in each one's briefing.

London Liverpool Street to Ipswich
Southend Victoria to Shenfield & the Southminster branch
Colchester to Clacton & the Walton-on-Naze branch
Manningtree to Harwich Town
Marks Tey to Sudbury (included in the free v1.1 upgrade)
Romford to Upminster (included in the free v1.2 upgrade)
Witham to Braintree (included in the free v1.3 upgrade)

LONDON LIVERPOOL STREET TO IPSWICH
Activity 04 - Class 86+10Mk2s - London Liverpool Street to Ipswich

The train used in this section of the review. We start at London Liverpool Street in our Class 86 with 10 Mk2 coaches. We leave via the infamous tunnels before passing the now-closed station at Bishopsgate and later Bethnal Green station which is only served by services on the line towards Cambridge. On the approach to Stratford the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) runs alongside us on the right. We pass the busy interchange station at Stratford which, as well as the DLR and our route, serves London Underground and North London Line services. Just beyond Stratford is Maryland station which is of a similar design to most stations between here and Shenfield with platforms serving all four lines. We are able to gain speed along here as we pass through Forest Gate before the gentle curve right into Manor Park. A flyover on the right takes the slow lines over us before descending to our left where we see a Class 305. Ilford station is immediately beyond the flyover where we pass a southbound Class 321 service. Ilford depot is passed on our left and after a gentle curve right we pass Severn Kings before a gentle curve left in to Goodmayes. The line straightens out as we thunder through Chadwell Heath (where we pass a Class 302 wearing smart NSE livery) and later Romford where the branchline to Upminster diverges to the right. Turning left the line takes us through Gidea Park with it's carriage sidings and the straight section that follows takes us through Harold Wood and Brentwood where we pass a couple of London-bound services. From here it is 2 miles to Shenfield (which is approximately 21 miles from London) where the line towards both Southend Victoria and Southminster diverges. Our line becomes double track here and the next station we pass is Ingatestone where we pass the signal box, level crossing and a Class 305. The next station along the line is around 6 miles from here and is our first station stop - Chelmsford. During this section of fast running we pass our first freight train which consists of some ballast wagons headed by a Class 31. We enter a built up area as we brake for Chelmsford and at the same time as we come to halt in the platform, two Class 321s arrive. As we depart we are limited to 65mph for around 1 mile before the speed limit increases to 85mph. A further 2 miles on, the linespeed is raised once again, this time to 100mph however this is short lived as we pass a temporary 40mph speed limit through Hatfield Peverel where we pass a southbound express working headed by a Class 86. A long straight follows as we increase speed back up to 100mph as we pass through Witham where the Braintree line branches off via a very tight curve left. Kelvedon is the next station we pass through and here we pass a Class 305 unit quickly followed by a Class 47 heading a rake of oil/petroleum tanks.

At 46 miles from London, and with 5 miles to go until our second station stop, we pass through the junction station of Marks Tey where the branchline from Sudbury swings in from the left. We get our first glimpse of the Class 150 diesel multiple unit here too. A mile from Colchester the linespeed drops to 90mph as we pass an eight-car Class 309 service in 'Jaffa Cake' livery. To our left is the extensive depot and stabling sidings. The layout of Colchester station is quite interesting and has been detailed in the Colchester to Clacton section below. As we depart Colchester a couple of Class 321s arrive on a southbound working. There is just one intermediate station between here and Ipswich and our express service will be calling there. We are scheduled to cover the 8/9 miles in 7 minutes and during this time we pass a Network SouthEast liveried Class 47 hauling a container train. A speed limit of 70mph leads us safely into Manningtree station where a southbound Class 87 working pauses alongside us. As we depart we cross the long level crossing that spans the junction with the Harwich line. A spur joins us a bit further on which links the Harwich line with our own, thus creating a triangle allowing trains to travel to/from Harwich from any direction without having to reverse. There are nine minutes scheduled to cover the final section of line to Ipswich. With 5 and a half miles left to go our Class 86 has reached 88mph as it passes a Class 321. At milepost 68 we enter a 45mph restriction and pass another Class 150 heading south. This train is most likely forming a Peterborough to Harwich Parkeston Quay service. The reverse of this journey from Harwich can be driven as far as Ipswich in activity 07. Shortly after passing some sidings on our right and a Class 31 heading a ballast working we enter a 30mph restriction just before Ipswich tunnel. Immediately beyond the northern portal of the tunnel is the station with it's three through platforms and bay. The sidings to our left are used for stabling locos, coaches and multiple units, as well as being used as a locomotive refuelling facility.

SOUTHEND VICTORIA TO SHENFIELD & THE SOUTHMINSTER BRANCH
Activity 13 - Class 321 - Southend Victoria to London Liverpool Street (as far as Shenfield)

The train used in this section of the review. Southend Victoria lays 41 miles from London Liverpool Street station however we will be travelling just half way for this section of this four-part review. We are scheduled 32 minutes to cover the 21 miles to Shenfield. A couple of Class 321s coupled together pull into the station alongside us shortly before we are given the right away. We slowly pass the carriage sidings to our left before arriving at the next station at Prittlewell. After our station stop here we curve right into the open countryside and in the distance we can see a large passenger plane descending rapidly as it approaches Southend airport. We gently curve right with the airport on out left where we can see a few light aircraft parked up alongside the railway on the other side of the fence. Further along this curve lays Rochford station with a housing estate on the right. Another eight car Class 321 set arrives, bound for Southend. As we leave the platform we immediately pass over a bridge which guides us over a main road. At this point there are houses on both sides of the railway and further up the line is a gentle curve left which leads back into the countryside. Further along, the line gently curves to the left and then to the right which leads us into Hockley station. There is a car park to the right and housing to the left. As we pass milepost 34 we know that we now have three miles to go before the next stop at Rayleigh. The straight we have just been travelling on becomes a long left curve which goes on for a lot of the way to Rayleigh with just a short straight section at around the half way point. A small bridge and a gentle right curve lead us into the town of Rayleigh (on the right) with the station just a small distance away.

As we depart this curved station, another two Class 321s in an eight car formation arrive. The curve straightens for approximately 1 mile before turning right as our train nears the maximum permitted line speed of 80mph. As the train starts to climb the gradient we catch a glimpse of what appears to be a small industrial estate at the bottom of the embankment. At the top of the hill is an advanced warning board telling us about the upcoming 50mph restriction at Wickford. At this point the line from Southminster joins our formation from the right creating a short stretch of three track railway. Wickford station has two island platforms serving three through tracks and one bay which is used for trains terminating from Southminster or Southend Victoria. Beyond the station the limit increases back up to 80mph and as we negotiate the curve another pair of Class 321s pass us bound for either Southminster or Southend. As the curve straightens out we are faced with a 70mph restriction before yet another curve takes us round to the right. Further up the line we curve left and receive advanced notice of a 30mph restriction. We are now just 1 mile from Billericay which is our final stop before Shenfield. A curve round to the right sees the start of the 30mph restriction. It leads us into the station which has a crossover just in front of the platforms which is in use when trains are required to take advantage of the line's bi-directional capability. During the station stop you may like to look at the adverts that are lined up on the right-hand side which were all made by the route's authors. Following yet another left curve the speed limit rises to 80mph at around 4 miles from Shenfield. After 2 and a half miles is a 60mph limit and an advanced speed restriction sign showing 30mph. To the right a substation can be seen and a small distance further on is the junction where we join the Great Eastern Mainline (GEML). We arrive into Shenfield station just as a Class 315 is departing, most likely forming an all stations service to London. This activity (number 13) continues for another 30 minutes (20 miles) to Liverpool Street calling at Stratford only.

Activity 02 (Part 2) - Class 302+Class 305 - Wickford to Southminster

The train used in this section of the review. We now backtrack to Wickford station (with it's two island platforms serving four tracks) for our 16 mile journey to Southminster. A Class 321 bound for Southend Victoria pulls up alongside us. A Network SouthEast liveried Class 302 can be seen stabled in platform 1 (bay platform). We closely follow the Class 321 out of the station and are signalled onto the Southminster line which creates a short three track formation before we swing off to the left. At this point we just catch a glimpse of a single Class 315 unit. We are now on the single line which has just one passing place a bit further on. The curve straightens out before a gentle right curve. The maximum speed limit here is 80mph however a trackside advanced speed warning sign tells us of a 60mph limit further up. The speed limit starts near the first station we pass through - Battlesbridge - which has a single platform on the right hand side. Our train is dwarfed by the lineside trees as we run alongside a minor road before the track starts to gently wind left and right. The final turn in this string of gentle curves leads into Woodham Ferrers station which has a level crossing immediately beyond the platforms. On the platform is a sign telling us to stop and obtain permission from the signalman before proceeding over the crossing and onwards towards Southminster. It's just a further two miles before our first (and only) scheduled stop before Southminster. To our left we pass a large house in the otherwise bare and peaceful countryside landscape. A short distance away we pass a 20mph advanced speed limit board reminding us of the 20mph restriction through the Fambridge station area. Approximately one mile later we pass a green signal giving us access into the station.

Fambridge has two platforms allowing trains to pass each other. To our right is a waiting Class 305 heading for Liverpool Street. As soon as our rear coach clears the section the Class 305 departs. This is the halfway point meaning we have a further 8 miles to go before Southminster, having already covered 8 miles. The line from here is of single track all the way to Southminster with no passing loops. The speed limit rises from 20mph to 50mph and we continue down straight track for three miles all the way to the next station at Althorne. During this stretch we pass a 30mph warning board with the limit starting just outside Althorne station. We are also asked to blow our horn for the level crossing situated just beyond the platforms. This is because there are no lights or barriers - just a gate manually operated by the motorists wishing to cross the line. The limit increases from 30mph back up to 50mph and the straight track continues for another couple of miles until we turn gently to the left. This curve leads into the final station before Southminster which is named Burnham-on-Crouch. This station has a single platform in use nowadays with an overgrown platform under the shrubbery showing us that the line used to be of double track at some point. From this point there is just a further 2 miles to go and after the gentle left curve ends, that figure is halved with just 1 mile to go before Southminster. We then get a call from the signalman who tells us we have just two minutes at Southminster (07:43 - 07:45) to change ends before we are due to run back and beyond Wickford all the way to London Liverpool Street. The time now is almost 07:41. On the approach to Southminster is a small yard which contains a Class 31 and some wagons at the time of our passing. We arrive into the single platformed station bang on time. It is a small station with the buffer stop just yards from a busy road. To our left is a large housing estate. You can drive the return service to London Liverpool Street in part 3 of this trilogy of Southend/Southminster ECS based activities.

COLCHESTER TO CLACTON & THE WALTON-ON-NAZE BRANCH
Activity 05 - Class 309 - Liverpool Street to Clacton (from Colchester)

This activity starts at London Liverpool Street however this section of the review starts at Colchester as the line from London to Colchester was included in the first section (London-Ipswich). Our train from London consists of two Class 309s in 'Jaffa Cake' livery, however the train is scheduled to split at Colchester with the front four coaches travelling to Clacton and the rear four coaches proceeding further north to Harwich. The activity briefing explains how to do this. It is approximately 17 miles from Colchester to Clacton with a scheduled journey time of 27 minutes. There are 7 stations on the line however our only intermediate scheduled station stop is at Thorpe-le-Soken to provide a connection with the Walton-on-Naze services. Our 8 minutes at Colchester gives us time to look at the unusual layout of the station which has four through lines for up-&-down slow-&-fast trains, as well as a bay platform. Usually at a railway station all the platforms are situated alongside each other or are slightly staggered however at this station the up (to London) fast line's platform is situated to the south of the station. The up slow trains travel through two platforms as the slow line merges with the up fast between the up slow platform and the up fast platform. This means up slow trains have the choice of two platforms to stop at and have to pass through two platforms just to get from one end of the station to the other, as illustrated by an AI train on our right as we arrived here. If this is not clear enough then be sure to have a look around when you are at this station. The only piece of AI stock we see at Colchester is a Class 321 northbound service formed of 8 carriages. We depart just a couple of minutes behind this before turning off the Great Eastern Mainline (GEML) and curving round to pass below it so we can head east towards Clacton. The line to Clacton is of double track throughout with a varying maximum speed limit. To our right the branchline to Colchester Town curves away from us and a small distance away the line from Colchester Town joins our formation. These two curves combined with the line we are running over form a triangle allowing trains access to Colchester Town from any direction, or alternatively allowing express trains to avoid it altogether. The line to Colchester Town is a short single track line. In the era modelled this station is known as St Botolph's which is the name of a nearby street and church.

Beyond this is Hythe station with it's handful of sidings. This is also where the 45mph speed restriction increases to 60mph. The railway follows the course of the River Colne for a short distance and can be seen to our right between Hythe and the next station which is Wivenhoe which has before been described as "a drinking village with a fishing problem". Ahead of us is a red signal which changes to yellow just as we approach it. Something of interest on this line are the signals which mostly consist of single lenses which are capable of displaying a red, single yellow and green. You may remember seeing the two-lense signals on the GEML which are similar but have an extra light so they can display double yellows. Most British railway signals have separate lenses for each colour. We almost come to an unscheduled halt in Alresford station due to a red signal but again it changes just before we stop. After passing over a couple of gated level crossings we keep getting yellow and red signals which suggests we are following a slightly late-running stopping service. The next station we pass through is Great Bentley where we pass an 8 car Class 309 formation in the smart Network SouthEast livery. After negotiating yet more signals that are against us we pass two Class 321 multiple units at Weeley station. It is just two miles from here until our last station stop before Clacton, however due to the earlier signals we have just 1 minute to get there! We slow down for the 35mph speed restriction through the station then the 25mph restriction over the points before stopping in the platform alongside an 8 coach train of Network SouthEast liveried Class 309 stock on a stopping service from Colchester Town to Walton-on-Naze. This is the train that caused us to be two minutes late arriving here. We depart just seconds before this train which enables us to race it down the three track section before it curves away to the left towards Walton-on-Naze. It's not far now as we rush through the Essex countryside towards the seaside town of Clacton. Ahead we see a single aspect signal that is capable of showing more than one colour using one light. With around 1 mile left to go we pass over a level crossing with a building next to it which probably has some railway connection. An advanced speed restriction warning board tells us of the 15mph limit into Clacton station. Clacton station lies approximately 69 miles from London Liverpool Street. We arrive 2 minutes late into one of the 4 platforms, all of which are vacant. There is an EMU depot at Clacton as well as many carriage sidings for the stabling of rolling stock overnight.

Explore Mode - Class 150 - Walton-on-Naze to Thorpe-le-Soken
There is no activity that covers the short stretch of line (and it's three stations) between Walton-on-Naze and Thorpe-le-Soken so I have used the 'Explore Mode' and chose the Class 150 model to try it out. We start at Walton-on-Naze which lays just 5 miles from Thorpe-le-Soken. The immediate area around this single platform coastal station is full of houses. The route consists of single track however it is clear that in the past it had been of double track. As we depart the station we are permitted a maximum 30mph which our Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) reaches without a problem. We pass a semaphore signal on our right for trains heading in the opposite direction. The area we are travelling through is mostly fields until houses suddenly appear on each side of the track and at this point the track straightens out and we can see Frinton station up ahead. We pass another semaphore signal (this time for our direction) and proceed over the gated level crossing, pass the signalbox and come to a halt within the platform. To our right is more evidence of past double tracking in the form of an overgrown platform. Just beyond the level crossing is the first colour light that we encounter and is in the form of a double aspect signal. As we pass through the scenic countryside we take a gentle curve to the right and houses can be seen at the bottom of a small embankment. This is the village of Kirby Cross who's station is just a short distance away. We pass a warning board telling us of the 20mph restriction into the platform as we enter Kirby Cross station. This station is of two track with two platforms which allows trains to pass each other. As soon as we depart we rejoin the single line and the houses give way to more countryside. The speed limit is increased to 50mph and our Class 150 DMU manages to hold this speed perfectly. The line bears to the left over an occupational crossing and at milepost 66 (4 miles from Walton-on-Naze) we run alongside the two tracks of the Clacton line for the final mile to Thorpe-le-Soken. There are no crossovers at this point. As we approach Thorpe-le-Soken we pass a sign reminding us of the upcoming 20mph restriction into the station. We sway gently to the right and then to the left and we get a green signal showing a left-facing 'feather', indicating we will be crossing over some points to the left. We in fact cross over all tracks and travel into the station on the opposite side to where we have just been. Thorpe-le-Soken features three through platforms - 1 island and 1 traditional style platform.

MANNINGTREE TO HARWICH TOWN
Activity 06 - Class 317 - Manningtree to Harwich Town

The train used in this section of the review. Last but not certainly not least is the branchline to Harwich. The branch not only sees regular passenger shuttles to Manningtree (with some trains continuing to London in the peak hours) but it also sees a lot of freight use by various trains working to the port at Harwich - mainly container trains. We start off in the cab of our 4 car Class 317 (317353) on an evaluation run to Harwich Town. At Manningtree there are two through platforms and the bay that we are currently in. A Class 321 arrives heading towards Ipswich just before two Class 86s on a container train thunder through southwards. Shortly after the Class 321 completes it's station stop we get the right away and proceed accross the level crossing and turn off to the right. There is a low speed limit on the curve and just up ahead is a red signal. We get a message from the signalman who tells us he is letting a late running postal train proceed across our path. This train soon arrives, formed of a converted Class 302 unit in Royal Mail livery. We get a green light and proceed forwards and pass a small black and white sign with the number 33 on it. This is a Cab Secure Radio (CSR) marker board and tells us the CSR frequency is changing to channel 33. The next station is Mistley and when viewing the external camera we catch our first glimpse of the coastline which is to our left. The guard gives us the right away just as a Class 321 comes around the curve ahead of us and arrives in the station. We continue towards Harwich passing through the countryside. The section of track between Mistley and the next station at Wrabness sees some steep uphill and downhill gradients. As we come to a halt a smart BR blue liveried Class 47 rushes by with a rake of oil/petroleum tanks. We continue our journey eastwards through the countryside and pass over an occupational crossing used by farmers' vehicles when travelling between fields.

The maximum linespeed drops down to 40mph and we immediately curve left and see stacks of shipping containers to our right. We then get a warning board telling us of the 25mph limit up ahead that will take us safely into the next station. The line curves to the right at this point with containers to our left and the Liverpool Street Station Pilot Class 08 to our right, a long way from it's usual haunts. As we approach the station we pass a BR blue/grey liveried Class 305 heading back towards Manningtree. The three platform station is in a busy area with cranes towering high above to our left. In the era depicted in the Great Eastern package the station is named Parkeston Quay however nowadays it is named Harwich International. We get a message from the signalman who gives us a specific point to stop at in platform 2. As we depart Parkeston Quay we pass over a small level crossing and after a minute or so the speed limit increases from 25mph to 45mph. There are two tracks on this section however only one is available for use by passenger trains and is signalled for bi-directional working. As we approach Dovercourt station, with it's single platform, we pass a British Rail blue liveried Class 08 with some Railfreight box vans which is proceeding slowly in the opposite direction on the track that runs alongside ours. This small attractive station is just half a mile from the terminus at Harwich Town. As we leave the station the line to our left splits into two and a little further up they become sidings, hence why passenger trains do not use that line from Parkeston Quay. Just beyond the buffer stops of the sidings lays Harwich Town terminus station. We bring our train to a halt just in front of a concrete wall which forms our buffer stops.

MARKS TEY TO SUDBURY [INCLUDED IN THE V1.1 UPGRADE]
Activity 23 - Class 150 - St Botolph's to Sudbury (from Marks Tey)

The train used in this section of the review. Having come from St Botolph's via the mainline from Colchester, we slow down for the points which take us away from the mainline and over to the right hand side where the single track Sudbury branchline diverges. At this point the mainline to London proceeds in a straight direction whereas the platform serving the line to Sudbury is on a very tight right curve which even has a check rail. All platforms have unique yellow markings on the platform edging slabs. As we depart we pass a speed restriction sign with two numbers on it. The bottom number refers to ordinary passenger workings (us) and the top number refers to all other workings such as freight. Beyond the station we enter the countryside and our two car diesel multiple unit is dwarfed by the tall trees. To our left we pass a lineside building and a small level crossing before passing under two closely spaced, brick overbridges. A downhill grade is followed by a long curve to the right which takes us over the Chappel viaduct, consisting of 32 brick arches, which holds evidence of past double tracking. Immediately beyond the viaduct is the station of Chappel & Wakes Colne which is also home to the East Anglian Railway Museum which is situated on our right. The museum consists of a number of sidings and former railway buildings, as well as it's own platform and short demonstration line. The next station is Bures which is approximately three miles away. The section between these two stations is quite scenic and consists of many long winding curves left and right. One such curve left (which leads us over a level crossing) has a short 30mph restriction imposed upon it. From this point it is around just 1 mile to Bures station which is at the end of a long straight section of track. The station is built on the edge of a hill and the land on our right is at a lower level than us and the houses to our left. The final stretch of line between Bures and Sudbury is little under 5 miles and is surrounded by trees for a lot of it's length, with the odd short clear section allowing us views across the nearby fields which, in this activity, are very misty. A short curve to the right over another level crossing leads onto the sharp left curve that guides us into Sudbury. The curve is limited to 30mph for most of it's length, with a 20mph restriction towards the end where the curve gets even tighter. At the end of the curve is a 15mph limit leads us into the station which consists of a single straight platform. To our right is a housing estate and directly ahead of us is what appears to be a trading/industrial estate, with a small station car park and the countryside on our left.

ROMFORD TO UPMINSTER [INCLUDED IN THE V1.2 UPGRADE]
Activity 24 - Class 302 - Springtime Romford to Upminster

The train used in this section of the review. Of the five activities included in the v1.2 patch for the branch I have gone for the Class 302's for this review. Our journey starts in the bay platform which is just a very short walk from the main four platforms as it is not directly adjacent to the other platforms of the station. The branchline to Upminster is approximately 3 and a quarter miles in length and trains are scheduled to take 10 minutes to traverse the route with the only intermediate station - Emerson Park - being around half way. Before departing from Romford a blue and grey liveried Class 317 speeds by heading towards London and in the opposite direction our connecting service from London arrives alongside a non-stop Class 321 in an 8 car formation. We then get the right away and rather slowly make our way over the points into the 'one train working' section. During our short run alongside the mainline we pass a couple of Jaffa Class 309s on an express working and a Class 305/Class 302 combo on a suburban service. As we branch off to the right the speed limit is raised to 30mph and the single track line becomes surrounded by large trees and bushes. Following a tight curve to the right and a gentle curve left we are just a mile from Emerson Park station where are scheduled a stop of 1 minute. This stretch of line is straight throughout until the station itself which is on a right hand bend. The platform here is very short and our four car unit is very tight fit, so an exact stop is required. Beyond the station we continue to round the curve with a further 1.5 miles to go. Following this the line curves a few times before the last curve on which we pass a warning board for a 15mph restriction ahead, as well as a fixed distant sign. As mentioned before, the branch does not have any signals along it and operates on the 'one engine in steam' principle which means that if one train is in operation on the line then no others are permitted to proceed until the train is on the London end of the Romford pointwork, whether it be in the bay platform or on the mainline. As we proceed further forward we join the formation of four tracks - two for London Underground's District line and two for the mainline from Fenchurch Street to Southend Central/Shoeburyness. We overtake a London Underground D-Stock unit which is stationary at a red signal whilst awaiting a clear run into a platform at Upminster where it will terminate. We pull into the bay platform at slow speed with the two LU tracks on our immediate right and further over we can see the two tracks on the mainline. There is no rail connection between the branchline and any other tracks at Upminster so we are therefore isolated from the rest of the network. Our platform is, however, part of the main station unlike Romford who's bay platform (where we started) is effectively separate from the other four. Before the activity ends we can see a few trains pass by including Class 305s and more LU D-Stock units. In front of us we can see the joint Upminster signal cabin and train crew depot which proudly displays the London Underground roundel on it's brickwork.

WITHAM TO BRAINTREE [INCLUDED IN THE V1.3 UPGRADE]

OTHER INTERESTING STUFF

Do I get any technical support?
You will be able to get support from the staff and generally chat at the Making Tracks online forum.

Do I get any extras?
A detailed manual detailing the route and rolling stock is included, as well as a Class 302 introductory train ride. Customers who purchase this product from the Making Tracks Online Store will also receive one months free 'premium access' to http://www.uktrainsim.com which hosts thousands of add-ons for Microsoft Train Simulator.

How do I register?
To register your product you should visit http://www.firstclass-simulations.com and follow the registration link.

SCREENSHOTS

Two Class 08s and a Class 302 at Ipswich. A Class 47 and a Class 31 at Parkeston Quay.
A Class 37 at Kelvedon. A Class 47 and a Class 309 at Colchester.
A Class 86 at London Liverpool Street. A Class 150 at Frinton.
A Class 302 at Ilford. A Class 305 and a Class 302 at Southminster.
A Class 309 at London Liverpool Street. A Class 315 at London Liverpool Street.
A Class 317 at Harwich Town. A Class 321 at Southend Victoria.
A Class 321 cab at Southend Victoria. A Mk2 Driving Brake Standard Open (DBSO) at Colchester.