What do non-Americans really think of USA assets and routes?

[GSkid]

I think you might be getting your Deltics mixed up with your Class 40s...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9awQZKc-y0I

(1:30 he finally gets it started)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CG91fYHcm-k

You are right. Boy did I get that one mixed up!!


I like the sounds of those class 40s, but have been intrigued by the very unique design of the Deltic's diesel engine. Deltics sound more like the diesel engines used in American fire trucks, but with a lot more of clagging sound to them.

[thecanadianrail]

I am Canadian. I rest my case.

[5292nate]

I am Canadian. I rest my case.

Well said!

[BNSFdude]

Booming is the right word for Deltics. A sound most people wouldn't assume is diesel at the first hearing of it.

[cilldroichid1]

As for the routes? Some are pretty, but they lack the visual landscape diversity that the USA has. That's more a simple issue of geography. We have forests, deserts, urban, rual, flatland, mountain grades, swamps, coastal routes etc. So we are pretty diverse.

??????????

The problem with the RW US routes is it is continuous forests, deserts, flatland, etc, that is the order of the day.

I purchased Donner Pass in a recent sale, thankfully, and i've run it once and won't be running it again. The most boring two hours i've spent in this sim, pottering along at 25mph looking at the same tree and rock over and over again. Life is just to short i'm afaird.

Then again Mrennies' excellent consolidation show's the interesting side of US railways, in my opinion. Thats probably because when driving the consolidation i don't have time to be looking around at the boring scenery.

Horses for courses as has already been pointed out and i'm sure to witness one of those extremely long freight trains going over The Donner Pass in real life is quite an experience.

Donal.

[CSX2057]

As for the routes? Some are pretty, but they lack the visual landscape diversity that the USA has. That's more a simple issue of geography. We have forests, deserts, urban, rual, flatland, mountain grades, swamps, coastal routes etc. So we are pretty diverse.

??????????

The problem with the RW US routes is it is continuous forests, deserts, flatland, etc, that is the order of the day.

I purchased Donner Pass in a recent sale, thankfully, and i've run it once and won't be running it again. The most boring two hours i've spent in this sim, pottering along at 25mph looking at the same tree and rock over and over again. Life is just to short i'm afaird.

Then again Mrennies' excellent consolidation show's the interesting side of US railways, in my opinion. Thats probably because when driving the consolidation i don't have time to be looking around at the boring scenery.

Horses for courses as has already been pointed out and i'm sure to witness one of those extremely long freight trains going over The Donner Pass in real life is quite an experience.

Donal.

OBJECTION!!! Mountains and forest are my personal favorite. Especially Donner Pass, horseshoe curve and maria pass. True rsc lack scenery, so don't tell me mountains and forest are terrible these days. I think these routes are awesome in the us.

[buzz456]

Foul CSX. You are in the US. The topic is what non-Americans think.

[Merlin75]

I happen to like trains from both the US and the UK. The thing with the big US locos is the striking liveries some of the companies use they seem to more pleasing to the eye than what the companies in the UK use. You also get a sense of sheer power with the US locos I mean some of the trains in the US are over amile long now that's a lot of train. But the trains in both countries are designed for the network they run on and big US locos that travel miles and miles to yards with turntables or if they are going somewhere without a turntable they have a loco facing backwards so they can run a return trip are suited to the wide open spaces, Big trains and massive yards of the USA. Where the British trains with the cab at both ends are well suited to Britain's small yards or with passenger trains the end of the line stations and can do very quick turn arounds. Route wise the US routes can be abit boring but that is more down to the slow speeds than anything else.

[GSkid]

I watched this video from our video section, but I'm re-posting it here cuz it shows side by side the difference between the small UK locos Vs. a big USA loco.

Go to the 0:38 mark to see the side by side......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WokCyQAs ... Q&index=71


That's just stunning how big we make out locos here in the USA! It's harder to gauge that in UK train videos alone. Now I know why all the brits are just amazed at how big ours are. In the USA..... it's all we've known, so it's not a big deal to us. But we love our apparent behemoths!

[steamman]

OBJECTION!!! Mountains and forest are my personal favorite. Especially Donner Pass, horseshoe curve and maria pass. True rsc lack scenery, so don't tell me mountains and forest are terrible these days. I think these routes are awesome in the us.

Yeah they're nice, but we have enough mountains and desert routes. Some of which as mentioned are pretty boring (Donner pass is a prime example). I wish we'd see more "urban, rual, flatland, swamps, coastal routes etc". I've seen a few nice looking ones in WIP, but they rarely seem to make an appearance. I don't know if guys just give up on them, or are just keeping them for themselves or what. Would be nice to see a few of them though.

[GSkid]

OBJECTION!!! Mountains and forest are my personal favorite. Especially Donner Pass, horseshoe curve and maria pass. True rsc lack scenery, so don't tell me mountains and forest are terrible these days. I think these routes are awesome in the us.

Yeah they're nice, but we have enough mountains and desert routes. Some of which as mentioned are pretty boring (Donner pass is a prime example). I wish we'd see more "urban, rual, flatland, swamps, coastal routes etc". I've seen a few nice looking ones in WIP, but they rarely seem to make an appearance. I don't know if guys just give up on them, or are just keeping them for themselves or what. Would be nice to see a few of them though.

Well a big reason routes like Donner Pass, Sherman Hill and Cajon Pass can seem boring is because they go through long stretches of uninhabited areas with not a ton of landmarks to see. What would make them a lot less boring is if track side scenery was real-life accurate for the entire route.... not just a few highlights. That uniqueness of each mile of the route makes it more interesting to watch. But that would take a lot of time, money and photos to get right...and that's not likely to happen.

Most routes will get the points of interest and major geographical features right, but most of the rest of the route will get it's assets placed fairly randomly to fill in the gaps. It has more to do with time and money involved, not necessarily a lack of desire. Cuz the real Donner Pass isn't nearly as boring as it seems in the sim.

[FourEightFour]

That uniqueness of each mile of the route makes it more interesting to watch.

I take it you have never been to the area of Sherman Hill


I must be odd, or the fact that I run a steam engine may account for this, but I find Donner Pass to be enjoyable. People complain that the speed is too low; life is not about screaming down the track at 115 MPH. Although with the FEF coming out I may have to get used to that

[spartantrain32]

me, mountains are fine, but i enjoy the boring flatlands because thats where i moved to here in the u.s.

[robsonvix]

Well, I am Brazilian and what can I say ... Here the americans es44 rules! I grew up listening to the sound of them and sds right next to my house. The railways and locos from Brazil and USA are the most beautiful!

[JohnM1945]

Coming late to this...

(Story of my life...)

What I like about US routes and assets is that usually (usually) the documentation and 'finish' is excellent. There's obviously a lack of motive power variety - because you moved on from steam earlier, and were slow to adopt electric traction, possibly because of the freight bias. But the models are nice enough, even if diesels are a bit booooooring to drive. (Try steam on WLOS...). And although you have LOTS of variants of your freight vehicles, there seem to be very few basic types - and I'm not smart enough to appreciate the nuances.

Like others, I find mountain pass routes a little samey. And long. I do try to maintain an acquaintance with the world outside... I make an exception for Fraser and Cariboo but (um) that's the other guys, isn't it? The ones just to the north?

My own attention is turning more and more to Europe. There are interesting things happening in Scandinavia, Italian and Spanish routes can be beautiful, and assets and routes are now appearing in Croatia, Hungary and Slovenia. Very few long freight trains in lonely wildernesses, though.

So... it'll be the Christmas sales before I buy any US assets. Meanwhile, if there's a new website, better still a new nation/culture, to explore, I'll be in there, even if I have to work a lot harder to find the assets, fix the voids and eliminate the SBHHs. Talking of new cultures, Has anyone seen Railworks activity in countries without a Christian cultural base?

Kind regards,

John M