I rode the California Zephyr about a month ago and all I have to say is that, that train was the best ride I’ve ever taken in years. Scenery was nice, the train ride was decent, the staff was nice even though that’s irrelevant… but there was times when I was able to see the locomotives of freight and Amtrak next to the mountains, and all I have to say is that people don’t lie when they say that the California zephyr is the most “scenic train”. Loved the super coach, sleeper, dining cars as well. I know it’s a big and long route, so I won’t be surprised if this would be a very controversial addition to the game.
Not controversial so much as the route being over 2400 miles long, so the development time and expense makes it unfeasible. Maybe once the creative tools get settled, a BIG user team will form and put it together. I'd play it. Definitely second the real-world ride, though. I've taken it end-to-end twice, and the scenery is staggering.
If we get the WP Feather River Canyon Route: Oroville-Portola in TSW4, hopefully we could see the CZ on the route pulled by a WP FP7/F7 A-B-B. A modern version of the Feather River Route could give us an Amtrak P42DC or ALC-42 Charger with the CZ. A D&RGW or CB&Q route could also give us the CZ with those railroads, too. I think that the Rio Grande route (maybe the one from TS Classic or a Denver area route) would be prefered since the scenery would be better. Of course, we could see Amtrak P42s or F40PHs on the CZ in the early to late 1990s on former D&RGW tracks, along side some UP or SP/D&RGW power.
