What is "must have" DLC for new users?

[mkakta]

New to RW2 (just bought on Steam) and liking it so far. For someone with a fresh install of RW2, what is recommended for downloads both freeware and payware? Thanks.

[dejoh]

Do you prefer European or American railroading
Big difference. Old or new?

[mkakta]

Really don't have a preference at this point as I enjoy them all. I'm just looking for some good suggestions. thanks.

[ATSF3814]

These are some of my favorites.

Freeware:

Wagon sound pack by Walter Jaeschke
GP7/GP15-1 by David Brindley
Any freeware rolling stock by Michael Stephan
Double stack cars by G-Trax
Soo Line route by Ian Allen
Willamette Pass route
Bay of Quinte route by Jason Sills

Payware:

Armstrong Powerhouse Lighting Enhancement Pack
SD70 packs 1 & 2
EVERYTHING at Golden Age of Railroading
GP9 Pack by RSC
Any of Rich Garber's routes
3D trains Santa Fe F7

[steve_the_slim]

If you're a fan of North American steam locomotives, the G-Trax locomotives are pretty much required.

[mkakta]

good suggestions. I'll be sure to check them out. Thanks.

[arizonachris]

Welcome to the Forum and Railworks.

You are now gonna get suggestions for days. They left out two really good freeware routes:
Toripony's excellent "C&O Allegheny" http://alleghany.weebly.com/ And,
Lonewolfdon's King's Arm Highway: http://www.rryard.com/

Yes, get the F7 Santa Fe Chief.
Challenger and Big Boy, the Berkshires. You want an awesome logging steam loco, get the Shay from Britkits.

There's a lifetime of stuff here, both payware and freeware, and a great community. Glad to have you aboard!

[Chessie8638]

My personal favorite payware that I have are all the SD70 packs, GP9, SW1500, Dash 9 pack, WCML (West Coast Mainline), Edinburgh to Glasgow, G-Trax's SP4449, Fort Kent to Eagle Lake, Conrail Pack from Golden Age (if you like that late 1970's - 1993 era of railroading like I do).

Some of my favorite freeware, there are to many to list but here a few: C&O Allegheny, Willamette Pass, Tennessee Pass, Bay of Quinte (note needs a route from All Aboard for some buildings, but is not necessary to run), Norfolk Southern AND (Atlanta North District), Michael Stephan's freeware rollingstock. Wagon sound pack by Walter Jaeschke.

Slightly off topic:
Also, ATSF3814 (or anyone else who has it). How is that Light Enhancement Pack from Armstrong? Have been looking at it for some time.

[ATSF3814]

Slightly off topic:
Also, ATSF3814 (or anyone else who has it). How is that Light Enhancement Pack from Armstrong? Have been looking at it for some time.

That one gets my highest recommendation. The lighting effects are extremely realistic especially in the mornings and evenings. And for the price they're asking for it, it's pretty much a steal.

[Kali]

Payware DLC, huh.

GP9/SW1500 and Fort Kent ( comes with the CN pack too ) are a couple of my favourite combinations. G-trax Northern is possibly my favourite steam engine from anywhere, at the moment ( other than the 56xx and the Pannier tank that comes with Falmouth ). I tend to nibble away at the GoldenAge website, but really I tend to paint my own stuff mostly ( actually do way more fiddling around than driving, tbh ). While it's in the sale Ohio Steel is a nice buy to get the wagons from the highnose SD40, along with bonus SD40 and route :)

For a UK route, West Coast Main Line North, although you'd better hope your PC is fit & fresh. Update imminent for that to reduce the load somewhat though. If you want a push-the-envelope steamer then the 56xx is about where it's at right now ( not that you'd want to run it on WCML-N! ).

[JimM]

All the stuff from www.smittyslocomotiveshed.com (scenarios) are good!

Jim

[mkakta]

Great stuff, thanks again. This is exactly what I was looking for.

[thecanadianrail]

My personal additions would be the CN SD40-2W loco since it also comes with the bonus freightcar pack 1, and then the BN, and SF SD40-2 repaints, all of these are from steam.

SD40-2W is about $20
BN/SF SD40-2 about $3 each

oh and i would also recomend the BLLW bay window caboose.

[LoneWolfDon]

It all depends on what type of DLC you might be interested in.

Here's just some of my recommendations:

Payware:

The Big Boy (such an awesome powerful beast of a steam engine):
http://store.steampowered.com/app/24078/

Isle of Wight route (A classic route for RailWorks. Many other 3rd party made route addons out there reference assets from the Isle of Wight route):
http://store.steampowered.com/app/24021/

Fort Kent to Eagle Lake (One of my favorite routes by Rich Garber. But of course all of his work is great. This route also comes with Two Canadian National Locomotives, and being a Canadian I guess I have a weak spot for it.):
http://store.steampowered.com/app/24055/

Class 390 Electric High-Speed-Train (It's a sleek, sexy speed machine. I love the tilting action when it takes turns at high speed. Beautifully modeled. Unfortunately not many scenarios for it nor good proper route to run it on - Though I'm in the works of making a high-speed-route which should be good for trainsets like this.):
http://store.steampowered.com/app/24042/

RRYard's Scenario Expansion Pack 1 (Okay, I had to plug some of my own work. But, this low-priced pack adds a good variety of 14 new engaging scenarios and makes good use of the default routes & trains that come with default installations of RailWorks, so nothing extra required.)
http://www.rryard.com/rryard_s_pack01.html
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Freeware:

King's Arm Highway route (Hey, it's my first fully working route for RailWorks I made and released, so I had to mention it. Though it has a few "warts" about it, and I see several things that could be improved with it, overall I'm satisfied with how it turned out and it has a real charm about it. Get it, along with some other goodies at my site in the Routes & Scenarios section. BTW, the version on my site and the version here in the RWA Library is the same):
http://www.rryard.com/

Port Road route (A beautifully made scenic route with an old-fashioned look about it):
http://store.steampowered.com/app/24079/

ICE3 High-Speed-Train.
See more info about it from a post I mode over on the Steam forums:
http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/s ... ostcount=2

Port Ogden & Chicago Metro route (I think perhaps it's a bit of an overlooked route. But it's well made and fun to drive on.):
Go to the File Library at TrainSim.com ; http://www.trainsim.com/file.php?cm=SEARCH , in the choices select RailWorks RW Routes and enter in "Port Ogden" in the search field, then from the results it return find the most recent version.
You need to be a member of the site to download from there, but it's free to sign-up.
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Well, that's just a few recommendations and some personal favorites of mine. I could go on and on, but that's a good start for now.
Don't forget to have a look through the Library here on RailWorksAmerica.
See you on the trains.

[Kali]

I might point out that the 390s home route ( at least the top part anyway ) is available and much recommended. No point thrashing a tilting train down a straight line!