V1.03 released - 4 Aug 2012
The route is set at the end of the steam era and the beginning of the diesels. It covers the Cambridge main line from Royston through Cambridge up to Ely; the freight-only line between St Ives and Ely; the passenger line from St Ives to Cambridge and the route out to Newmarket. At present about 95 route miles - with a mixture of straight (and level !) main line, some classic branch line and some industrial mileage.
The line covers 28 stations - ranging from the tiny branch halts through to the 1.5 miles of Cambridge station itself - with loads of sidings and the tangled remnants of 4 major rail companies and their separate infrastructure (LMS (LNWR,MR), LNER (GNR,GER) - plus representation from the M&GN).
The traffic across the region’s lines is very varied – fast passenger trains like the Kings Cross “Beer train” and the old Great Eastern "Fenman" route up from Liverpool street; endless coal trains between Doncaster and the great marshalling yards at Temple Meads and Whitemoor; food shipments (especially fruit) from the fertile farms of the fens - and local stoppers and pick-up goods making their stately way across the fens.
This release is the first stage of this project - although all of the network is included the only bits that are considered 'finished' are those from Cambridge west to St Ives, east to 6 Mile Bottom and south to Meldreth. Future releases will extend the 'finished' area out to Newmarket, up to Ely and down to the junction with the ECML at Hitchin (where I hope to link up with the ECML route being created elsewhere). Feedback will be gratefully received - this is a long-term project aimed at constant improvement to provide a realistic, stimulating and accurate recreation of this fascinating area and era.