Recently, I've been wanting to create a route. I've toyed around with it in the past but I keep abandoning the idea as I quickly realize I have no idea what I'm doing. I've created some scenes in the past as well as some photo re-creations (I've posted them in the TS2019 screenshots thread if anyone's interested in seeing them), and it's given me somewhat of a better idea of how use the route builder, but I know that creating a fully functioning route is very different from creating a scene. My intent for right now is to create a fictional shortline railroad turned tourist operation set somewhere in central Indiana. I've already figured out how to import terrain data, and already I'm struggling. I've quickly discovered how hard it is to lay down track without having to terraform the ground so it meets with the track. I was wondering if I could get some advice on working with terrain as well as any other general do's and don'ts so I don't make any mistakes in the future. Thanks in advance!
If it's a fictional route, the first step would probably be to find something to base it off of. This could be a prototype, or you could look at other TS routes for inspiration - in your case, you might want to look at the Adriana County line for ideas. You will also want to consider what the line was originally designed for - was it a bridge line at one point that got cut back, a branch to a small town, or something else? This will probably dictate how the line is built - if it's a bridge line, the track will probably try and go the shortest distance it can, and if it's a branch, then tracks will probably go either around or over hills rather than through cuttings and embankments. As far as do's and don'ts go, try and keep DLC requirements down. One or two payware routes should give you all the assets you need. I would recommend the UKTS freeware packs for buildings and foliage, as those have the SAD scenery packs. These have a lot of great assets for the Midwest, because there's grain and corn assets - these are the only ones I can find. The RCAP from Railworks America has a lot of buildings as well, plus signals, grade crossings, and other scenic clutter. For payware dependencies, I would go with one of DTG's routes from the USA, and one of the G-Trax routes. Stevens Pass would be a good choice, but it's not available outside the US. The GN Cascadian from RWA has all the same assets as the original Stevens Pass, including track with concrete ties, which is not used anywhere in the route as far as I can tell. As far as terrain goes, don't worry about altering the ground somewhat. I wish you all the best in route building, and I hope to see your progress soon.
For basics you might find this series useful, it is from 2014 but still a good start. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=186305943 Also look for Matt Pedellsdens' tutorials on utube.
