ECML: Newcastle - York late 70s man! I say this every time someone brings this question up! East Coast Main Line: Newcastle - York Late 70s/early 80s | Dovetail Games Forums
Sydney Central to Berowra via Strathfield and Gordon. Plenty of variety, intercity trains and suburban ones. The core section around Central sees a whopping 120tph, or a train every 30 seconds.
Germany former West Germany Bochum-Dortmund/Hagen fills in the gap of HRR RRO RSN the international routes are Duisburg-Oberhausen-Arnhem & Aachen Liege UK Calder Valley Line
The Marshlink line in 2018 with the 171, BML 377, reworked 375 and 395 at Ashford. It will include all stations between Eastbourne and Ashford International with West St Leonard’s being a potential spur, the 73 with Network Rail MK2F’s would be nice as well, along with a Class 205 DEMU no. 1001 as potential DLC, with the 73 being available on CCL, SEHS and WSR as a substitute loco
Essex suburban network with geml. With classes 315, 345, 321, 360, 90 and mk3, 745. Set in early 2020.
If length no option then either Inverness to Wick or Glasgow to Mallaig. Both in Scotland. Set in the mid to late 1970’s when services were all diesel hauled. An also ran might be the Cambrian Lines from Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth and Pwllheli, again set in the 70’s. For total fantasy I would like to see some of the old Yugoslavian narrow gauge, either the 760mm route from Mostar to Dubrovnik, or the really quirky 600mm line from Gostivar to Ohrid.
It would be a fantasy route. It would be set into the future, not that far in the future because there are still rails but I would use concept design trains. The stations would be based in super modern cities like the ones they are building in the dessert. But the route would not be situated in the desert. I would probably use the USA as the setting as they don't have really nice trains at the moment but the cities would be made up.
BNSF (or ATSF) Seligman Sub, Cajon Pass, Tehachapi Pass, SP Peninsula Corridor, Pacific Surfliner, WP Feather River Canyon
Any route in Scotland, which I make the case for here: https://forums.dovetailgames.com/threads/scotland-lets-see-some-more.47870/
Birmingham to Leicester or Leicester to Peterborough, UK. A cross country route that's also essentially a branch line for most of it. I'd set it in the 1980s when Loco haulage (usually a class 31 and Mark 1 stock) was making way for second Generation DMUs like the 156. Stock would be 31 and Mark 1 stock Class 156 DMU Class 101 DMU And then as a later DCL release, 56 and 58 freight pack with the BR Blue 47 layered on.