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LONDON SOUTH EAST REVIEW

Developer: Making Tracks,
Publisher: Contact Sales.

This 1970s based route covers over 420 track miles originating at three London termini - Charing Cross, Cannon Street and London Bridge (Low Level). You can run from these termini down the South Eastern mainline to Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells or down the South Central mainline to Redhill, Caterham and Smitham. Included are the branches to Uckfield (double track!), East Grinstead (still as a diesel branchline), Bromley North, Crystal Palace, Redhill to Tonbridge (also still as a diesel branchline) and Eridge to Tunbridge Wells via Tunbridge Wells West (now the preserved 'Spa Valley Railway'). Of course, being based in the 1970s, the authors have included a wide variety stock. If you want to do some shunting, where better than Selhurst, Hither Green, Grove Park, Tonbridge Wells West, Tonbridge or even the commuter stabling sheds at Orpington! If you have some nice modern trains in your MSTS collection, they too look right at home on this superb, southern region route. There are also 15 activities included that are sure to keep you busy for many, many hours. Patches since initial release (available from the product author's website): v1.2: Fixes a number of issues and does some general 'housekeeping'. v1.3: Adds a couple of files that had previously been missed out. v1.3.1: Adds new and improved environment files. This patch is optional. Signals: Adds new and improved, brighter signals to the route.

STOCK

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

• Class 33 'Crompton' Bo-Bo diesel-electric locomotive.
• Class 71 Bo-Bo electric locomotive.
• Class 201 'Hastings' 6 car diesel-electric multiple unit.
• Class 205 'Hampshire' 3 car diesel-electric multiple unit.
• Class 207 'Oxted' 3 car diesel-electric multiple unit.
• Class 411 'CEP' 4 car electric multiple unit.
• Class 414 'HAP' 2 car electric multiple unit.
• Class 415 'EPB' 4 car electric multiple unit.
• Class 416 'EPB' 2 car electric multiple unit.
• Class 419 'MLV' single, electric, motor luggage van.
• Class 421 'CIG' 4 car electric multiple unit.
• Class 423 'VEP' 4 car electric multiple unit.
• Class 427 'VEG' 4 car electric multiple unit.
• NPV, CCT and GUV mail/parcels/newspapers vans.
• HTV coal-carrying vehicle and 15 ton ballast wagon.

PROS AND CONS

The pros for the product include:

• Outstanding scenery & textures combined with stunning track makes for a realistic drive.
• Superbly crafted stock with their own cabviews and sounds makes driving a pleasure.
• The attention to detail means that even the isolated settlements have detailed surroundings.
• There is a mix of electrified & non-electrified lines and high and low speed running.
• A mix of activities ranging from local stopping services to long pick-up/drop-off freight services.

• Because of the amount of detail Making Tracks have included, low-spec machines may struggle.
• Occasionally the point blades may appear to be incorrect when navigating pointwork.
• You sometimes get a loss of exterior train sounds when driving through busy areas.
• Because of the detail in the objects, the LODs (level of detail) can make certain objects distorted.
• It'd have been nice to see all stations populated instead of just a few on the LB to Norwood section.
• The textures on both the route and trains are very dull and dark and make London look very brown.

THE MAIN REVIEW

Depending on which of the 15 activities included you choose you start in many different places.
Information about each activity can be found in the manual.
Unlike the other reviews where I drive end to end, in this one I will have to drive the route in four sections.

• Charing Cross/Cannon Street to Eridge via the South Eastern Mainline (including Bromley North)
• London Bridge to Tonbridge via the South Central Mainline and Redhill (including Crystal Palace)
• South Croydon to Uckfield and East Grinstead
• Purley to Smitham and Caterham

LONDON TO ERIDGE (VIA TONBRIDGE) & THE BROMLEY NORTH BRANCH

When you leave the capital, you immediately cross the River Thames. If you look down into the deep, murky water, you can see it move. We now press on (albeit rather slowly) to Metropolitan Junction where the line from Blackfriars joins our formation (after passing through the four platform station of Waterloo East). To our left we see one side of the Cannon Street triangle used for positional operations. As we continue at the maximum permitted speed of 15mph the third side of the triangle joins our formation into London Bridge, with the Low Level station to our right. The line from Cannon Street is built on brick arches and is a tight curve throughout.

We can now do some decent speed past Bricklayers Arms (close to where the Dartford line diverges) and pass over London Underground's East London line. After passing the LU terminus of New Cross we plunge into a tunnel and rush through St John's with it's island platform serving the slow lines only. The Lewisham line diverges to our left forming the second line to Dartford. A short while later the Lewisham line rejoins our formation shortly before the third line to Dartford diverges at Hither Green. To our left we see the depot area which accompanies us all the way to Grove Park (in the form of some carriage sidings). To our right we can see the separate platform for the Bromley North branch, run mostly by a shuttle service. It's a short distance to the first station, Sundridge Park and about a mile to the single platform terminus of Bromley North. It's now a fast run through various suburbs, a clatter over the Chislehurst Junction complex and into Orpington with it's carriage sheds. Here, the line becomes two track all the way to Tonbridge with a few stations in between such as Sevenoaks - a large station along with a junction that leads to Bat & Ball station and the mainline into Victoria via Bromley South. At Tonbridge the un-electrified line from Redhill joins our formation from the right. As well as a track for that line, the station has four other tracks - two with platforms and two through lines. We now branch to the right through a tunnel for the run through the isolated High Brooms station and into Tunbridge Wells which has a tunnel each side of it's 11 coach long platform - no room for overshooting here!

After a tight curve to the right we join the un-electrified line to Eridge. We pass through Tunbridge Wells West with it's large yard and continue onwards onto what is nowadays the preserved 'Spa Valley Railway'. It's fairly isolated all the way into an enlarged Eridge station on the Uckfield branch - more of which later!

LONDON BRIDGE TO TONBRIDGE (VIA REDHILL) & CRYSTAL PALACE

As we leave the low level platforms of London Bridge we first climb a small gradient to be level with the South Eastern Mainline (covered above) and after a mile or so we diverge to the right and pass the yards of New Cross Gate. This area can sometimes suffer a severe drop in frame rates due it being on the edge on an MSTS 'tile'. The East London line joins from the left and terminates in an old bay platform, as we speed onwards. The stations around here are populated with various passengers. We pass a few stations on our four track formation, all of which between New Cross Gate and Norwood Junction only have platforms on the outer two tracks - the slow lines. We wind through various suburbs until the straight at Sydenham. If we were going to Crystal Palace we would use the points facility here. The Crystal Palace branch rises here on our left before crossing above us. We now pass through two more stations before the Crystal Palace line re-joins us shortly before Norwood Junction station with it's large yard. As we pass this busy interchange we see Selhurst depot to our right with it's many buildings and sidings. We now dive under the Brighton Mainline and curve to the left before finally joining it a mile or two outside of East Croydon station - a very busy interchange with it's own reversible line!

We now have a speeding run through South Croydon (where the East Grinstead and Uckfield lines diverge) and Purley Oaks before slowing for Purley (where the Smitham and Caterham lines diverge). We now negotiate some pointwork to get onto the slow Redhill lines after passing the Purley training centre and the Smitham line. It's now a fast run all the way to Redhill, after passing two more stations with a long tunnel between them. On the approach to Redhill is a small single line spur. The station is similar to Tonbridge in having two through lines, two mainline platforms and an extra through platform in which some trains terminate. We now branch left and pass through some remote villages such as Penshurst, Edenbridge and Leigh (to name a few) before passing alongside Tonbridge yard (for about 1 mile) before arriving into Tonbridge station.

SOUTH CROYDON TO UCKFIELD AND EAST GRINSTEAD

Having covered the line as far as South Croydon above, we now branch to the left onto the line to Oxted. South Croydon has a fairly complex junction, despite it being only accessible from the slow lines. This is because of the reversible line. It's all fairly rural from here on through some small villages and a closed station all the way to Oxted - the place of which gave it's name to the Class 207 fleet. After passing through a tunnel we enter Hurst Green. To the right we see the line that passes through Lingfield and Dormans into East Grinstead, where as we continue forward towards Uckfield. I said it was rural and this proves my point superbly - not a city or large town in sight! Nowadays the line is worked by a shuttle service which runs between Oxted and Uckfield with a few services running from Victoria and London Bridge low level. Since the departure of the 'Thumpers' the line is now operated by 2/4 car Class 171s, chosen because of their compatibility with the existing electric stock - as was the case when the 'Thumpers' were first introduced! The route today is all single track based around the old down line south of Eridge and the old up line north with a few two track passing sections around some of the stations - but in this 1970s representation it is still two track throughout. Upon arrival at Uckfield you can see where the line used to proceed over the road and river onwards towards Lewes.

PURLEY TO CATERHAM & THE SMITHAM BRANCH

Upon departure from Purley we immediately swing to the left and onto a junction. Trains that diverge to the right either continue all the way to Tattenham Corner or two stations up the line to Smitham via Reedham, both of which are adjacent to the four track Brighton mainline. We are off to Caterham so are therefore going to branch to the left at the junction and continue at the full 70mph to our first stop at Kenley. There isn't an awful lot to say about this scenic branchline until we reach the two closely spaced Whyteleafe stations - Whyteleafe and Whyteleafe South. Not only do they show the cheapest way of making platforms - out of a concrete mix - but Whyteleafe South used to be called Woldingham, hence the station on the Uckfield line was called Upper Woldingham. Despite Woldingham station being re-named the Uckfield line station has kept the 'Upper' prefix. It's now a short burst of running into Caterham which has a single island platform and a couple of sidings. The old redundant platforms are still in place.

OTHER INTERESTING STUFF

Do I get any technical support?
You can talk to the friendly staff who make up the Making Tracks team through their online forum.

Do I get any extras?
You get an Introductory Train Ride that takes you from Norwood Junction to Charing Cross in an 8 car CIG.

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

SCREENSHOTS

THE FINAL SCORE

This score takes all things mentioned above into account. This product has been given an overall rating of:

95%

Reviewed by Damon Cox (Webmaster),
4th December 2005.