Colton & Northern

[SooLine2714]

I haven't had this route for very long, but in the short time that I have, it has become one of my favorite routes.

It feels like a backwater shortline, in some areas, but in others it feels like you are just a stones throw away from a major city. I LOVE the two short branch lines that branch off from the main line. One near Westin that goes to a logging site and a coal mine, and another that branches to a coal mine and a limestone quarry. You gain a bit of elevation going from one end to the other, but it really doesn't feel like it, as the grades are kept very mild. I think the steepest grade you will encounter is 1% on the branch line to the mine and quarry.

Another thing I like abou this route is that it could easily be a steam-diesel transition era route by making your own free roam using the US freight car packs and some of the early diesel locomotives and steam locomotives in the store. I have done this already for myself, and I would post it to the workshop if a large amount of DLC was not needed. (I don't like posting things that need a massive amount of DLC to use, because that limits the number of people who will be able to enjoy it)

This route lends itself well to the Smokebox AT&N Consolidation, the GP7 pack, the SW1500 pack, and any of the 44 Tonners because the route feels like the kind of railroad that would use a small locomotive such as these as the main locomotive power, with the 44 tonners being used as yard switchers or assigned to move cars up and down the branch lines.
Heck, the branchlines could even be a separate railroad, with trackage rights between the sawmill, Westin, and the two branch lines with Westin being the interchange yard between the two.

Now, onto what I don't like about this route:

1. None of fueling points are interactive so you can't refuel a diesel or take on water in a steamer.
2. None of the mines/quarries/grain elevators are functional, meaning there are no loading or unloading points at the industries. All you can do is spot cars beneath the tipple, which is a shame, because there are several places where coal would be unloaded, (the textile mill, the foundries, and the saw mill, among others)and several places for limestone to be unloaded (lime and cement plants). It would be great to be able to load a car of coal or ore at one of the mines and unload it at one of the two foundries or the power plant for the textile mill or sawmill. The same applies for the cement plant and lime plant. it would be nice to be able to load a car of limestone at a quarry and unload it at the lime plant, or load a car at the cement plant or even one of the two grain elevators.
3. The tracks for the Colton Roundhouse dead end halfway into the building, leaving half of the locomotive sticking out of the doorway, which looks even more awkward considering the roundhouse stall doors are closed.

Don't get me wrong, you can still have a lot of fun with this route. I myself have cloned the route in the editor and added loading and unloading points at several of the industries, as well as fuel and water points for locomotives.This has taken the enjoyability of the route to the next level for me.

[goddrauG]

I see we got ourselves a route-rater!
I agree with this. I enjoy the Colton and Northern myself.

[SooLine2714]

I see we got ourselves a route-rater!
I agree with this. I enjoy the Colton and Northern myself.

Yep. I just wish the grades were a little stiffer in places.

[Chacal]

+1
One of the routes I've enjoyed the most.
Plenty of scenarios. I swapped in the Alco RS11 and it was a blast.

[SooLine2714]

+1
One of the routes I've enjoyed the most.
Plenty of scenarios. I swapped in the Alco RS11 and it was a blast.

I use the 44 tonners, the connie, a single GP9, and I am thinking of putting a pair of the RWA RS3's in Milwaukee Road colors in. I am going to delete my current free roam, and use only RWA rollingstock because the cars are so much better than what I have been using.

I'd love to create workshop scenarios and scenarios for here with the RW&A route, but I can't figure out how to set up AI traffic and set destinations. I've watched youtube videos, but they are very confusing.

[OldProf]

Vis-a-vis the Colton & Northern, don't fail to download and peruse Kevin Wilson-Smith's excellent Schematics booklet ( http://railworksamerica.com/index.php/d ... eous-files ). Having a similarly valuable documentation of each route would be a dream come true!

[ssbobz]

Vis-a-vis the Colton & Northern, don't fail to download and peruse Kevin Wilson-Smith's excellent Schematics booklet ( http://railworksamerica.com/index.php/d ... eous-files ). Having a similarly valuable documentation of each route would be a dream come true!

Had not seen that before, thanks for the tip.

[SooLine2714]

OOOH! Definitely going to print these out!