With the USA 250th Anniversary coming next year (2026), I think we need some new USA routes in Train Sim World 6 (also coming soon). I'd like to hear from other forum members. If you have new USA route ideas, let me know in the comments. Please include details of each route: locomotives, era, features of route, photos (if possible), etc. These routes can be tourist lines, short lines, or Class 1s. I'd also like to see some fallen flag railroad, loco, and route suggestions. In this post, we'll go state by state in alphabetical order. I'll post five states at a time. I will also include a few suggestions of my own. I may need some help with some of the states since I'm not familiar with some of the routes. Let's begin. Today's five states are: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, and California. I'm pretty familiar with Arizona and California routes, and Alaska has only two routes, so I will include those in this first post. -Alaska Route #1: Alaska RR: Anchorage-Seward: same route as TSC; 114 miles; modern-day route; include ARR SD70MAC (both standard and flared-radiator versions), GP40-2, GP38-2, and F40PH Cab Control Unit; also include freight cars and passenger equipment and rotary snowplow for snow-clearing operations; also needed: ARR Direct Traffic Control (DTC) system -Alaska Route #2: White Pass and Yukon RR: Skagway,-Whitehorse: narrow gauge line that runs from Alaska to Yukon Territory, Canada; 107 miles; modern-day route; include NRE NG diesel, GE Shovel Nose diesel, and Alco diesel; plus freight and passenger cars and rotary snowplow for snow-clearing operations; steam locos could also be included -Arizona Route #1: Grand Canyon RR: The ex-ATSF branch between Williams, AZ, and the South Rim of the Grand Canyon; 64 miles long; include GCRY EMD F40PHs, Alco FPA4s/FPB4s, EMD GP7u, and their steam locos: 2-8-2 Mikado #4960 and 2-8-0 Consolidation #29 -Arizona Route #2: BNSF Seligman Subdivision (Arizona Divide): Needles, CA-Winslow, AZ: the ex-ATSF mainline through northern AZ; 293.5 miles long (so we'd probably get the section of the route included in TSC); modern-day or 1990s route; BNSF and/or ATSF locomotives (from Cajon Pass Route or some new locos: C44-9W, SD75M/I, SD70MAC, B40-8/B40-8W, GP50, GP39-2, AC4400CW, ES44AC/DC/ACH, ET44C4/ACH, GP60/M/B, etc.); ATSF #3751 needed -California Route #1: WP Feather River Canyon: Oroville-Portola, CA: a famous section of the WP's mainline between Oakland, CA and Salt Lake City, UT; 130 miles long; 1960s-70s route; lots of bridges and tunnels; well-known locations on route, including the Keddie Wye; WP U30B, SW9, GP35, GP20, GP40/GP40-2, F7/FP7A/F7B w/ California Zephyr passenger train; GN or BN power maybe for Inside Gateway operations -California Route #2: Pacific Surfliner: LA-San Diego: Urban areas and great views of the Pacific Ocean in Southern CA; 128 miles long; modern-day route; PS SC44 Charger w/ PS and Superliner Coaches and PS Cab Car; BNSF freight locos: C44-9W, ET44C4, ES44DC, GP60/M/B, GP38-2
I would vote for option number 1 in Alaska. Forest, mountains, truck traffic. What I like. And snow, which is sorely lacking.
For Alabama, we could get a route in the Birmingham area. Perhaps Southern RR or NS. The Southern RR would give us high-hood Geeps (GP50s and GP38-2s, maybe) and SD40-2s. For NS, we could get some of their rebuilt units: AC44C6M, SD70ACU, SD70ACC, SD60E, SD40E, SD40-2 and other Admiral Cab units, and ECO units. For Arkansas, we could get a C&NW, MP, UP, or another midwest RR route. More routes with fallen flags would be awesome.
