Gotta admit, I don't fancy trying to do that again unless I get a clearer run! Too much crawling at 35mph under 3-aspect signalling with blocks so long that even the Sutton Park line would look like it's set up for high-speed running!
Other problems I encountered:
Timetable failed to load. Granted, whilst it must have been my error when putting the files into BVE4, it made it nigh on impossible to tell where I was or how long I had to reach places.
I mentioned before about long signalling blocks. All fine and well except for the signalling before the first station stop. All of a sudden around the bend a single amber comes up with the station almost directly in front of it with a red at the other end. Having gotten up to line speed, with no warning whatsoever, you can tell the emergency brakes got slammed on. Even then I slid right past the red signal by some way...
On the subject of station stops, the lack of car stop signs did nothing to help. Back I went from the overshoot and SPAD, stopped. Got to go back again. OK, this time I saw the platform come into view. Stopped again, not good enough. Back even further, still not good enough. That was enough, the signal had gone green now anyway so I immediately changed my mind. Since I wasn't exactly seeing a timetable, I changed plans and turned it into an express run with no station stops.
On the subject still, when I reached Swanley I hit some sharp double bends before and after the platform. OK fine, I can't remember what the route looks like since I did it in September 2005 so I'll take it as right. What I didn't like was then seeing a PSR for 80mph and then hitting the same sort of double bends again for the next few stations. Suffice to say the amount of leaning it did put the ATP to shame and was a tad scary! My complaint there is there is absolutely no warning whatsoever of sharp double bends, no lower speed restrictions or anything.
Speaking of Swanley, I was annoyed severely by the quick succession of speed restriction changes. Down to 40mph for the junction, yes fine but to have it followed so very quickly by a 25mph limit (I'd only just gotten down to 40 after the brief amount of time allowed by the AWB to slow down!) was not appreciated.
I did like the opportunity to drive down a route I've travelled on, I should say that much. But the lack of AWBs, AWS and 3-aspect signalling (I find it hard to believe a mainline allowing 80mph running would run on 3-aspect signalling, especially non-UK signals!) annoyed me endlessly. Granted, after Maidstone East I did have a faster run but the constant speed up to slow right back down soon after and back through the cycle again kept me to 40mph for most of the last 15 miles.
Even with just fixing the lack of AWS and putting in UK signals would vastly improve the route to me. I do like the speed restriction signs that must have come from photographs for at least some of them, that's a nice touch.
Sadly I reckon this will be like the Barrow to Carlisle route for me (which I've never actually finished) and driven very rarely.
