Hi Roger
Welcome to the forum and to the wonderful world of route creation! The thought of building or modifying a route can seem an overwhelming prospect at first, but prepare properly and it's not nearly as hard as you'd think. Like Chris said above, research is key.
Here's my two-pennies worth. Some of this has been covered elsewhere, but this is my take on it based on my route building experience...
What's your plan?
In my opinion, the very FIRST thing you need to do is decide whether you're going to build your own route from scratch or extend an existing one.
If you're extending an existing route, be it payware or freeware, and you want to distribute it on UKTS, or anywhere else for that matter, you need to know that's it's ok to do so. You can pretty much do what you like to any route you have installed, if it's for personal use, because nobody would be any the wiser. It's when you want to make it available to others that you need to be careful.
In the case of RSC pay-ware my understanding is, according to their EULA, that you can modify and re-distribute a
route as long as you do not re-package and distribute the
assets with it. Doing so would effectively be providing people with a free copy of a pay ware route!
As for as other pay-ware routes, such as those from Just Trains, it would be wise to check the individual licenses. With freeware routes, such as those in the UKTS libraries, you'd need to check with the relevant author. It's only polite! Some may let you, others will not. That's their perogative
Bear in mind of course, that what ever route you're modifying and/or using assets from, the end user will need to own that route, be it as part of the TS package, DLC or other medium, to be able to use it. The same goes for a scratch route. Unless you're using only the default assets, or indeed freeware assets, the fewer payware packages you use assets from, the more people can use your route properly.
As an example, I am currently in the process of extending the default Great Western London to Oxford route. Anybody who wants to drive it will need to either own the original TS2012 (now TS2014) with which the GWML was included, or TS2014 with the GWML DLC. Without these, all they would see is terraformed land, because they don't have the right assets.
Terraforming
The next decision should be how realistic you want your terrain to be. The easy option is a billiard table route with no gradients. If you're building a railway in Holland or Florida then this might suffice! But if you're after realism, then you're going need two things. DEM data (available free on UKTS) and gradient data.
The DEM is easy to import into the route builder and will provide you with accurate terrain elevation data. There are instructions included with the ZIP files as far as I can remember. Or just ask!
The best source for the gradient profiles is the Ian Allen British Mainline Gradient Profiles. I've just checked Amazon and they have 5 available for a tenner a piece. If you shop around you may find it cheaper. I got it for £3 delivered from ABE Books, but I think that was a lucky find! If you want accurate gradient data, you need this book, as this information is hard to come by any other way (believe me I've tried). Be aware though, that the book only has mainline data so make sure that it contains the route you want before you waste your money (ask me and I'll check for you). Also be aware that the book was compiled in the days of steam! The information is however still relevant today, and it's very detailed.
If you can't or don't want to make that investment, you might just get away with simply snapping your track to the terrain and having your railway follow the profile of your landscape, or of course building a flat railway line. It all boils down to the level of realism that you're after.
RW Decal or Google Overlay?
Just to expand on the subject above. RW Decal is a very powerful tool. It's also very involved and necessitates the use of RW Tools. It's main advantage over Google is that the decals stay put until you delete them, whereas Google continually generates and deletes the tiles in relation to where your camera view is.
However, in my opinion, Google is infinitely easier to use. Depending on your internet speed, RWDecal can take hours to generate the tiles for even just a small route. Also, the tiles need to be laid manually. Before the implementation of the Google overlay, RW was the weapon of choice for my route creation and I'm eternally grateful to the author for the usage I got from it . However, being able to hit CTRL-G and have the work done for you, is just TOO convenient! Just make sure you have generated you Google earth API and no further action should be required. Again, ask if in doubt. It's easy to do.
Tools of the Trade
Before you start building, familiarise yourself fully with the route editor. Google and Youtube are your friends here. You are likely to use each and every tool at some point so it's important you know what each one is for and how it works. Feel free to play around with them. A practice route is a good way to start; something that you don't mind messing up. That way you'll get used to the editor's little idiosyncrasies and its limitations. The more you know about each tool the better prepared you'll be to use them effectively when you start to build for real. And don't underestimate the usefulness of the UNDO button!
Other resources
Track Maps
You can find these on t'internet. They'll probably set you back anything up to £11-12 but depending on which railway line or lines you're building, one area (Western for example) might suffice. The books contain a lot of data useful to route builders, not least siding and junction names, the locations of level crossings, mileages, line directionality and of course line section names.
Route Sectional Appendicies
These PDFs can be downloaded from Network Rail. As far as I know, these are the only complete and reliable source of speed limits for the whole of the UK network. Better still, they're entirely free! Download here
http://www.networkrail.co.uk/aspx/10563.aspx on the right hand side of the page. You need these! Don't bother applying for unrestricted access to National Electronic Sectional Appendix though. Unless you work for a professional organisation with direct links to the rail network, they won't give it to you!
Google Street View
Be it a bridge over the line or a road nearby with unobscured views of the track, this has proved invaluable to me in the past. Google images and Flickr are also a good source, especially for station photography. There are a lot of enthusiasts out there taking a hell of a lot of photographs! And what better excuse for a day trip than taking your own...
DVDs
Driver's view / Cab Ride / Driver's Eye. What ever the title is these contain a wealth of information and are a worthy investment. They are especially useful, if not essential, for the placement of track infrastructure; signals, signs, junction boxes, line-side buildings. The list goes on! The downside is that they fill a very specialist niche and as a result can be quite pricey. So shop around. Or, check on the forum and you may find somebody with a used copy to sell...
If the cost of a DVD is too restricting you may be lucky enough to find a cab-ride for your route, or part thereof, on YouTube. They do exist!
I hope this has been of some help you you. One more important resource to remember is us. There are a lot of members on this forum more than willing and capable to help you out, with both route building and scenario writing.
Above all, have fun! The route builder can be frustrating and confusing at times, but don't let this put you off. The feeling of creating even just a station and a few miles of line in either direction is extremely satisfying and the more you practice, the more proficient you'll become.
If you need help any with anything, PM me.
Cheers and happy buidling!
T3R
