I think the fact that there are many high-quality routes available on the workshop is something that many people do not know about. I thought that I would share some of my personal favourites, based on both quality and number of DLC required, since they are a great way to get a lot more play-time out of other routes you have bought, without going through the hassle of downloading third party freeware stuff. https://steamcommunity.com/workshop/browse/?appid=24010&browsesort=toprated§ion=readytouseitems&requiredtags[]=route - this is a link to a list of all the routes on the workshop. They vary in quality, but there are some absolute gems in there, some even further back through the pages. 1. IDC Route Map - Lenton on Sea Branchline https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=781311393 A huge steam era network of lines, to me looking like they are set in the Southern Region, and has some of the best scenery detail I’ve ever seen in a TS route. Yet somehow weirdly runs rather well on my lower-end PC. Only requires a few, rather cheap routes, and a couple of very cheap scenery packs. 2. The Seaside Line https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1252897162 A wonderfully idyllic coastal branch/heritage line, and only requires one DLC, the riviera line. What more is there to say? 3. Dyffryn Llechi Light Railway https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1342576229 A lovely welsh narrow gauge route, only 5 miles long but packed with detail throughout. Does require a lot of DLC, but has the quality of a high-end payware route. I thought I would share it anyway, since any route by this author, Trolley Fodder, is always a good one. I would advise having a look through the numerous other routes they have put together. 4. Old Coast Line (modernised) https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=842741739 An Australian style route, varying from a busy triple track mainline to a single track coastal branch line. Good length, great detail, not too many DLCs. Again, I would recommend looking at the rest of the works of this author. 5. Danny’s Route Merges https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=341255096 (Note: this link is to the entire collection of routes by this author, since there is no specific collection for the route merges. The collection is largely composed of route merges) These are probably more well-known. A collection of train sim routes merged together, so you can drive from journeys that you would not before have been able to drive, such as London Bridge to Brighton. DLC is usually only the routes that have been merged together. 6. Nessland Lough https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1760158032 One of my favourite overall routes for the game. A British branch line route based in the Northeast, I could definitely believe it was a real route. It has amazing scenery quality and only requires three DLC, I have run this route many times. It was originally available as a donation-ware route on UKTS I believe. I find it’s a nice route to run the 37 + short set from Wherry Lines on. I think I’ll leave that there, there are many more routes I could recommend but I don’t want this post to be too long. Feel free to leave your own recommendations as replies to this thread.
I watched the video of the Old Coast Line (modernised) and the route looks strange The 143 Matt drove passed thru a number of platforms and there is a stupid gap from the train to the platform. And the Signalling looks very poor with too many signals on top of each other. Scenery wise the route looks very good but Railway wise it does not seem to know what stock to use Peter
I think I’ve seen that video. It is meant to be Australian so there is no immediate stock that jumps out to you. I think the platforms are from the NJCL, and personally I think the NJT stock from that route works quite well.
That’s what I mean, I think the scenarios for the route on workshop use US NJT stock Edit: here we are, https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1193375971
If you like US routes, I'd have to say Minerman's Bergen Line (https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=265923409&searchtext=bergen+line) hands down.
Those links will be handy for Workshop Wednesday wanted to show some more community routes, thank you for sharing them.
No problem DTG Jamie, if it helps, I’ll post a few more of my favourites a little later. If you’re going to show any of these, my personal preference would Nessland Lough, maybe with the 37 and short set. (and if you’re going to do that, then I would advise going anti-clockwise so you can get some good thrash up the gradient after Chase Junction. It also works well with a nice sprinter, like the old Oovee 156 or the AP 150 that was released on steam a couple of years back)
Here we go then, some more really good ones. 1. All routes by DPSimulations https://steamcommunity.com/workshop/filedetails/?id=213008183 Most of these I was considering putting in here for different reasons, so I thought I would just stick in the collection. The ECML Northeast is a modernisation of the original ECML, which has been upgraded to include the Middlesbrough branch and the spur to Heaton depot. Great for a pacer! (Note: I know DTG can’t show anything outside of steam, but for anyone else, DPSimulations have an updated version of this route on their website: https://www.dpsimulation.org.uk/northeastengland.html). There are multiple scenarios for the route on workshop. The ECML South extends the original ECML South to Letchworth from Hitchin. The Edinburgh - Glasgow scenery extension extends the original E & G route from Larbert to Stirling and from Haymarket to Carstairs. The City Lines Route is a little suburban network. I had a look at it, it’s got nice scenery, maybe worth a look at. 2. CSX RF&P Subdivision https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=501249075 The route from Washington DC to Richmond Virginia, a fairly accurate representation of the real thing. The good thing about this route, as well as it being a very nice route in general, is that TS has a lot of suitable stock. There are multiple CSX locos, and also for Amtrak both the Silver Star and Silver Meteor run this route, along with the Auto Train along the southern part, the Silver Star and Meteor Consists are found in the Miami - WPB Route and the Amtrak Dash 8 can often be found switching at Lorton for the Auto Train. Even for local Virginia Railway Express Trains, I’ve found the unbranded MP36 from Washington - Baltimore with the unbranded bilevels from Chicago racetrack work really well. 3. Penryn Bay Steam Railway Version 2 https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=586186780 A heritage railway by the coast, what more can you ask for. Reminds me somewhat of the St Ives Branch, and works very well with a GWR tank engine. Beautiful scenery to enjoy as you take a leisurely ride by the seaside. Finally, I wholly agree with Brickrail782’s earlier post about the Bergen Line, completely forgot to mention it. It was recently finalised as well, so there should be some scenarios starting to pop up on the workshop soon enough.
And just a couple more that happened to come to mind, promise I’ll stop after this... Maybe 4. The Lakes End Branch (Modern) https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2263742327 Basically a modernised version of what was shown in this week’s workshop Wednesday. However, it’s definitely worth taking a look at. The author has done a great job bringing the route up to date, both the railway line and scenery look like they’ve had a total do-over, it could almost be a new route. Again, the 37 and short set would work well, you’d get some real good thrash up the constant gradients. 5. The Isle of Wight Extension https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=579708754 A fictional extension of an old classic route, the Isle of Wight. The route runs along the track bed of much of the old network that criss-crossed the Island, set in an alternative future.
Anybody know the author of the 375 fictional reskin or know if it's available anywhere else to download?
It was on Train Sim Designs but since that's gone I don't think it's anywhere else. It's nothing special though, just the original 377 model.
Sorry to bump this thread a bit, I thought I would do so rather than starting a new one, but I happened to come across a lovely little narrow gauge workshop route this morning. It’s called the Dolbadarn Lake Light Railway, (https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1207628951) and it seems to be a bit of a mix of the Ffestiniog and Llanberis Lake Railways to me. It’s 13 miles long, so you can get a really good run out of your narrow gauge engines, up to 25mph. The gradients aren’t too taxing so you can leave the loco on a low throttle setting and enjoy the scenery. It’s a beautiful route along lakesides and twisty mountainsides, definitely worth a look.