What are the Must Have addons?

[Griphos]

Thanks for that thoroughgoing answer, John, and all the others as well. The list is certainly taking shape! And that's a great video! UK rail fans have it sweet!

[Marleyman]

Before you buy, it is nearly time for the Steam Xmas Sale. So just wait and buy at half price.

[Griphos]

Yep. That's why the timing of this message. Wanted to get my wish list ready!

[Kali]

The Challenger and Big Boy packs are very nice indeed and I think essential purchases.

They are indeed; I'm not sure they have the grunt they're meant to though.

I was born near Reading (the English one) and my family moved to just outside Glasgow when I was a child, so I am also very familiar with the Edinburgh-Glasgow and WCML(N) routes in real life.
...

The class 60 is a very well modelled modern freight loco.

I actually know the Bristol-Exeter route IRL quite well, having grown up at the west end of it. I would recommend it, but not for one of the first ones you pick up. While it's well done the route itself is a bit dull ( which is no fault of the RW version! ).

For such an old model the 60 is fantastic; looks good, sounds good. Just a pity they're a bit sidelined these days, it's by far a better model than the much more common 66. The RSC 101 DMU is also a lovely model, ran everywhere in the UK at some point and lots of variations included ( and it's more involving to drive than the average diesel ).

I like the Falmouth branch route a lot for some reason, has much character. The signals are all wrong, but if you're not familiar with them then you're not going to care :)

[Griphos]

I actually picked up the 111 DMU a week or so ago to run on some scenarios I got for the Port Road (see how they suckered me in with their freeware ) I like it a lot.

So, I just bought Ohio Steel, and will install the SOO line, Bay of Quinte, and Eagle Ridge (one I found myself), since all of those use assets from Garber's routes and the 3DTrains scale stuff I bought. The C&O Allegheny is also intriguing and I'll check that out as well.

My wishlist now has Portland Terminal, Ft. Kent (perhaps C&N also), Challenger, Big Boy, GTrax Northern, possibly their Genesis, WCML (perhaps E-G also), SD70M-2, GP-9, and Seattle and King's Arm Deluxe when they come out. That seems to be a great list. I'll pick up UK Locos as I need them for routes and scenarios as was suggested. If some "must have" bit is missing, let me know. And thanks for all the responses! Should keep me busy for quite a while, once I get it all bought! I hope to make a real dent on the list when the big sale comes.

I hope this thread has been helpful for others as well, if I'm not the only noob out there that doesn't know this stuff yet. Even with the problems, I'm sure enjoying this sim.

[Kali]

The default 101/111 is a little... enthusiastic, shall we say :) I will attempt to dig out the edited physics, it's just a drop-in replacement file.

[dazzharvey]

I just bought the WCML and Edinburgh to Glasgow packs today, download from steam is really slow today for some reason, not played it yet, just waiting patiently *whistles*

[Griphos]

Well, I got everything installed and fired the game up and thought I'd just go down the list trying out the new routes. So, first up was Bay of Quinte. Excellent route! Just as was said, the atmosphere is great! The narrow ROW with beautiful trees so close, all the great 3DTrains rural landscape fields, hay fields, and meadows, and Scale roads. I ran the little Cement hopper scenario. Just a wonderful route. I'm going to have to find some more scenarios for this one, or learn how to make those myself, I guess. Put a big smile on my face. Everything seemed to play well with 2012.

[Kali]

One thing BoQ badly needs is rough track; I'm investigating how to do that easily at present, but it might involve some major surgery - it seems to use default trackrules which aren't impossible to change, but definitely awkward.

[robbit]

Check http://www.trains-and-drivers.net/epages/63266424.sf/en_GB/?ViewObjectID=14738033 For scenario packs as well

[Griphos]

Excellent! Hope those come out soon.