Best routes?

[DTA]

Having contributed to the top 5 routes, I would like to make a few comments.

Different people have different tastes. I would expect that that most people on this forum prefer English routes, some of them steam, some diesel or electric. American routes tend to be single line, which is not to everyones taste, while European routes tend to be all electric, again not for everybody.

But I doubt that anybody on this forum could have foreseen the great variety of routes produced when the original MSTS was released.

Pat Dalton gaves us the best Carlisle /Settle/ +Skipton route.
The Mideast route is still, IMHO, the best freeware route ever made, although I am not a great fan of the Severn Valley railway, which I believe is also mainly by Tim Court.
The Protrain series have all been a worthwhile purchase, as well as the LBE and its subsequent addon.

The only original route that I sometimes dust off and play is the Tokyo route, but only for later activities.

Lad491's activities show how good activities can be, and there are a couple of USA and German activity creators in the same league.

In the end, we all have more than enough to keep us simming for many years, even if new versions of MSTS surface in the future.

David

[ilovequo]

Hi Dave

When I started the Top 5 Routes post I never knew it would cause a big problem with people.

I only did it as a bit of fun.

I think I should of done 2 polls. A top 5 commercial poll and a top 5 freeware poll.

Most of the routes I have on msts are the freeware routes except London Brighton.

Dave

[dinmore]

Hi Dave

When I started the Top 5 Routes post I never knew it would cause a big problem with people.

I only did it as a bit of fun.

Dave

And a bit of fun it should have been, but yet it fell victim to the all to common over seriousness on this site I can understand where people are coming from with there views on upsetting route creators etc. I have many freeware and comercial routes and I'm massiveley impressed with all of them. I am extremely grateful that there are people out there that have both the huge amount of time and know how to be able to create such things and hope that they were not offended by my favourite 5 as posted. It all comes down to individual tastes and preferances etc. For example, the WSR is one of my favourite routes, not necesarily because it is an excellent route, which it is, but mostly because 7820 "Dinmore Manor" is on there and as a shareholder and active volunteer with Dinmore Manor Locomotive Ltd. this obviously appeals to me, it brings back memories of being on the loco on that line for which it worked extensively for nearly 10yrs. It is a bit like doing a poll on say, what is your favourite meat? Should a sheep get upset and stomp about just because somebody likes a chunk of steak ( hmmm.) more than a bit of lamb I'm sure I can speak for everybody on this forum in thanking all the contributors to the download libary etc. wether it be a wagon or a 300 mile route, MSTS would be pretty dull without them, I'm surely not the only one that was a little dissapointed with the default Scotsman and Settle-Carlisle route was I ???? This is a great forum but from time to time a bit of fun would do no harm.......

[dinmore]

Still in amazement that I havn't been shot down like a clay pigeon yet for my post above!!!!!!!!!!

[JohnKendrick]

My thought is that favourite routes are often those which are close to a person's home, a route frequently used or a favourite holiday destination. I suspect quality is often a secondary consideration.

I'm sure that if there was a good London Underground route it would have been high up in lists as it would qualify for all three for many even though scenery on it would be practically nil for much of it.

John

[jbilton]

Still in amazement that I havn't been shot down like a clay pigeon yet for my post above!!!!!!!!!!

Hi
Well having read your post...I can't see it says anything controversial.
You use the word favourite, and say your route is the WSR.
No one can argue with that, favourite is personal.
However if you use the word top, it leads people to think there is some kind of measure or league table and so competition and comparison.
And if you then said WSR was the top route, I for one would clearly disagree with you. As technically it is far inferior to a lot of other routes.
Cheers
Jon

[parsfan]

<<My thought is that favourite routes are often those which are close to a person's home, a route frequently used or a favourite holiday destination. I suspect quality is often a secondary consideration. >>

Not sure about that. I live right next to the Scottish central route, i can watch the trains from my house, I was brought up next to that line and know it of by heart but, it's not my favourite. It is an excellent route, the scenery is scarily close to the real thing and the author deserves the highest praise. My favourite route though is one i've never travelled in real life.

Thats said, I also like Mid East because in my late teens (17-20) I used to travel to London a lot. A freind moved there and so I used to travel down to London often. Fact is I love London as a city. So, in part what you say is true.