Best Of Routes 2016

[LordBT]

Welcome To Best Of Routes 2016!

Welcome to my publication of my personal favorite routes of 2016.
Again this is purely personal taste, I'm sure everyone has their own taste of the best routes, but this is my top 3 routes that I favor for the year of 2016. I will be posting the kuid of the route, who the author is, and what the cost of it is. I will also be focusing on a basic overview, then details in the route, sessions, variety of places to service, and I'm sure most of us want this, the size of the route itself. I will also be posting screenshots of the route for you to get a idea of it.
Without further adue, lets get started.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mojave Subdivision

<kuid2:487560:69000:6> - by Jointed Rail - Steam DLC for $24.99

The Mojave Sub is a USA based route in California during the 80's-90's era with the then Southern Pacific (SP) and Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe (ATSF), or Santa Fe railroads. This route features the famous Tehatchapi Loop, where the train can go over or under itself in the typical South West desert terrain. Sections of the route feature straight-aways with 70 mph speed limits, and sections of a grueling grade at a 2.5% incline with speeds reduced to 25 mph (if you're lucky to achive going uphill) with winding curves.

What's it look like?
As for details, there is a high attention to detail along the tracks and near the tracks in the towns and country. With less and less objects as you travel away from the tracks, which is smart to save CPU usage.

Sessions! Everyone loves sessions, right?
Sessions I feel there could be way more with the amount of traffic this route actually sees in real life. The route includes 4 built in sessions, 2 of which are high-priority TOFC trains, both run by the ATSF. The other 2 are run by SP, one of which is a coal load up the hill (which is really fun if you love hearing locos in run 8 for a long time), and the other is a helper service session to assist a stalled freight off the loop and up the hill in the rain.

Places...
When it comes to the industries to service, this route is lacking. There is only one place to service, Monolith Cement, and its not coded to load cement even... But before this turns you away, do note that the route really does lack places to service in real life too, so the route is actually prototypical in this manner.

When it comes to route size, size doesn't always matter. But thats if you have places to service.
this route does have quite a good amount of trackage from end to end, it is a good 2 1/2 - 3 hour trip from one end to the other, and thats without having to meet anyone.

Screenshot time!
A shot of meeting someone on the loop-
http://steamcommunity.com/id/Btrainz2mcraft/screenshot/499147520063319539
And a custiom session screenshot-
http://steamcommunity.com/id/Btrainz2mcraft/screenshot/492393550286480707

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

UMR 2016 - TANE

<kuid:588063:100137> - by neilsmith749 - Download Station for Free

UMR 2016 is a 100% custom built route using only free for download props off the Download Station, there is no set era to this route, or any specific location on the globe its modeled after. The route features a hot-shot double mainline with speeds of 60 mph or more, with various branch lines to run on.

Details, details...
Details are impeccable, trackside to the farmland, and the towns. Simply stunning scenery to behold.

Sessions
The route alone does not come with any sessions, but there are ones on the Download Station to be found.

Industries
The number of places to service cannot be counted for, because there are so many to service! From autos, to grain, to coal, to lumber... The list goes on. This route also includes various diesel shops to even service your locos at!

Size
The size of the route is simply massive! (Thats what she said!) I have not been able to run end to end on this route yet, and I'm not going to from how huge it really is. I can bet you its probably going to take 4 or more hours to run on just the double track main alone.

Screenshots
On a massive bridge- http://steamcommunity.com/id/Btrainz2mcraft/screenshot/273985936227996661
Autos on the main- http://steamcommunity.com/id/Btrainz2mcraft/screenshot/273986028113552473

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Milwaukee Road Avery-Drexel
<kuid2:82412:104611:9> - by Tume - Steam DLC for $34.99

The Milwaukee Road Avery-Drexel route features a now non-existant route and non-existant railroad through Montana, USA during the 70's. As the route's name implies, it takes you from Avery to Drexel on The Milwaukee Road's electrified line, and part of Northern Pacific's Lookout Pass line from Mullan, Idaho to Haugan, Montana where these two lines interchange.
This route also features something not a lot of other routes offer, different seasons.

Details
Details are fairly good along the route with detailed cables above the tracks, towns, and mountains. Trees are sparsly packed for CPU usage, but is thick enough to give a full forested feel. Do note the route itself and the content that comes with it are both graphically lacking.

Sessions
Sessions are lacking I feel aswell, there are 4 total, but they're basically duplicates. One features a mixed freight on the Milwaukee Road (MILW) during the summer, and session 2 is the same, but during the winter. The same can be said for the other 2 sessions on the Burlington Northern's (BN) side, a local from Mulland to Haugan during the summer, and the same session during the winter.

Industries
Industries are also lacking with only a place to load logs at in Drexel. As for how accurate this is... I couldn't tell you for the route no longer exists in real life.

Size
What this route lacks for in everything else it makes up for in size, a good 3 hour, end to end run on the MILW, and a good 1 1/2 hour run on the Lookout Pass line too.

Screenshot
A set of "Little Joes" running a grain down the hill to Avery- http://steamcommunity.com/id/Btrainz2mcraft/screenshot/197426487625847716

Extras
I'm sure most of you are questioning now as to why this route made it onto my list if it sounds so negative... Well for one its my personal list, secondly seasons.. not many routes have this option to switch between seasons, a third reason is this line no longer exists, so theres historical value to it, and a 4th and final reason, the fact that its electric, this is the only route so far that I've found that has electric lines above the tracks and has the correct time period locomotives to go with it. As for a individual route purchase, I don't think its worth the value, if they cut the price in half it will be, or if you buy the Deluxe version of T:ANE, then its worth the value.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The End

This has been my personal pick of routes for 2016, I hope to come acrossed many new and exciting routes for a Best Of Routes 2017 edition.

[BuckingSeason]

This is a lovely idea! I think this should be put on the auran forums as well, as this is a great discussion starter and showcase.

I love the UMR, it is in fact an awesome route.

[LordBT]

I would post this on the forums, but I'm a little pissed off at them right now lol..
I posted asking for files assistance and they completely removed my thread, while another thread asking for file assistance on mac stayed and is still getting commented on.

[BuckingSeason]

hm.... strange. Well I wish you the best of luck!