Q & A WITH DARREN PORTER, DEVELOPER of NEWCASTLE TO YORK MODERN

Newcastle to York Modern has been one of the most talked about add-ons we've released recently for RailWorks and Rail Simulator. We were keen to find out a little bit more about the background to the project and its creator, Darren Porter, and Darren was kind enough to answer our questions.

Many thanks to Darren, and our apologies to the many fans of his work for keeping him away from his next project!


What inspired you to create a Modern version of the Newcastle to York route?

In early 2009 I had been busy browsing forums and came across a long abandoned thread featuring a screenshot of Durham which had been modernised. I decided to have a play around with the default route and so I placed a couple of “then and now” screenshots of the same area on two forums in the hope that someone would see the potential and take the project on. A week or so later I modified another area showing the differences between the two eras and it just snowballed from there with huge encouragement from the community.


Is Rail Simulation a hobby for you or did you get into this on an off-chance?

I have always had an interest in railways from a very young age due to my father being a trackwalker based in Ferryhill, and simulation seemed a natural extension of that interest. It all started with MSTS when I bought my first copy in 2001 for the princely sum of £49.99! Since then it has always been something I have done and I have always tinkered with route building in some shape or form on all platforms, whether it be MSTS, Trainz or Rail Simulator/RailWorks. Only in the past 12 months or so have I really started to actively show my work on forums; all other early attempts were for private use.


Can you give us a little background on how you went about the project?

The first few weeks of actually concentrating on building the route now seem a bit of a blur but I do recall having no sense of planning whatsoever. In hindsight, this probably jeopardised the project in several ways but it is something I can now learn from. The early stages provided a lot of ups and downs, relaying and electrifying what is probably 200-300 miles of track, andmaking countless trips out to gather research material. It was all a never-ending rollercoaster ride but at the same time it was very enjoyable to post progress for people to see, especially for people not familiar with the area who were very surprised to see just how much it had changed.


What was the biggest challenge you met when putting together the route?

There are too many to list! I suppose if I had to choose one it would be the laying of track as identical as possible to the current layout, because with that comes signal placement and speed limits. For me these were a huge challenge as one of my main goals was to be able to achieve service timings comparative to the modern timetable.


Was the project easier or harder than you envisaged at the beginning?

Much, much harder. When I started the project I probably didn’t know what I was letting myself in for and how difficult it would actually be. I probably had the idea that adding some wires and overhead gantries would transform the route, and to an extent it did, but once you are immersed in the project you see everything else in a whole different light. This is magnified when you have driven the route countless times and then you take your next research trip. All of a sudden, I found myself checking every last detail and seeing what else could be added to make the route better, so you go from an initial plan to add/change hundreds of assets and end up changing thousands, maybe even tens of thousands, who knows?


What’s been the biggest high during this whole process?

Community involvement. I always enjoyed putting screenshots up for people to see as they appreciate the work done and can provide feedback on what looks right and wrong. This was and will always be a huge help for me and many other route builders because, after all, whether it is a freeware or a payware project, these are the guys who are going to purchase or download your finished product.


Is there anything you’re not entirely happy with and wished you’d done differently as regards the route? And what areas are you happiest with?

If I said I was happy with everything I would be lying, but I am not going to list my mistakes for all to see; it is up to me to make sure I learn from them.
The main thing that I am happy with is the whole feel of the route. My aim was to make it feel different from the original in every aspect, and positive feedback from the community seems to back that up. This involves many things, whether it’s the scenery changes, the feeling of higher speed or the better setting for modern traction. At the end of the day, if people have bought the route and are happy, then I am happy.


What are your plans now?

That would be telling! The initial idea was to take a break from rail simulation altogether when the route was finished but that, as with everything else, didn’t go to plan! Since the route was released I have been producing several extra scenarios and working on my own side projects as well as talking to people about possible future projects. I aim to improve what I do in every aspect and make sure that whatever I produce is well received. All I can say is that 2010 and beyond is looking very bright for RailWorks fans!