Midwest Mega Route 2023

[BrandonS261]

I have decided to make a new thread for the Midwest Mega route as we have now gotten away from MSTS version and are now working with only Open Rails.

What a difference two years makes! This was taken exactly two years apart from each other. Currently Josh and I have decided that we would like more help with the route if anyone would like to jump in and help out with just about anything.

This includes but not limited to custom scenery objects, laying roads, trees and buildings, Signaling and speed limit signs along with other odds and ends that happen to come with route building. We have had the fortune to have help from a few like Eric, Travis and a couple of other route builders over the years that we know and trust over the years.

We would also prefer people from the Midwest that know the areas we are modeling along with some experience with route building. That way we can get the route done faster and be more efficient in our efforts to build a realistic and prototypical route for others to enjoy.

This project has been in the works for over 10 years and we do not plan on giving up on it yet. Yes we both know its ambitious but look forward to seeing what the potential of Open Rails has for this route!

We will try and keep everyone in the loop on what is going on with the route as we are still slowly working on it and making progress along with posting more photos when time allows.

Brandon

[Fish4890]

you and Josh both said youd pass with me but why now ?

[BrandonS261]

you and Josh both said youd pass with me but why now ?

We are looking for others that have experience in route building and know what they are doing. You have already said it yourself that you do not have much experiance with TSRE5 and just starting to learn.

It took myself months to finally figure out TSRE5 and how it all works.

This included reading the manual and forums for questions I had and I suggest you do that first before going off and asking others to help you or you to help others with route building.

It is very easy to mess up a route if you do not know what you are doing and backing up a route is key when it comes to working on any route.

Josh and I do not just give out our route to just anyone.

With other route builders that have helped us out in the past along with them being nice enough to include there own work into our route and seeing the vision we have for this route like Eric and Travis it only fair we ask them first as well if we can release it to others or have a beta forum of it out.

Right now our main focus is getting some scenery, roads and custom buildings in place but they need to be built first.

Like I said before this route has been over 10 years in the making and we have put a LOT of hard work to get to where we are today.

I hope you are able to learn how to do route building as well. I also wish you the best of luck in building your own route and hopefully then you will get why Josh and I are hesitant to give just anyone our route.

Brandon

[scfe_fan]

you and Josh both said youd pass with me but why now ?

I was the one who originally said no. Brandon and I have been working extremely hard on this route for years and are extremely grateful for all the others who contributed their work and their knowledge and expertise with it. Unfortunately, you bring NONE of that to the table. I have SEVERAL route projects that I’m working on by myself in addition to this one. Many of those I have had individuals be very enthusiastic about helping and as soon I sent them the route, they went MIA and even after repeated attempts to contact them, I’ve never heard from them again. Our route is not at a stage we are happy enough with to release a beta version, and honestly, people other than you, have proven to us in the past that they only claimed to want to help to get ahold of our route for themselves. Therefore, Brandon and I have had to make the difficult decision to be very strict and highly guarded about who we accept help from. Also, as Brandon mentioned above, we want this route to be the best that it can possibly be, as I know they’re a bunch of people that have been patiently waiting for the better part of a decade for us to make this project a reality and we owe it to them, and to ourselves to put our best foot forward and only release something that we can be proud of. If you want advice on how to create your own route, I know that many members are more than happy to offer guidance as they have on your other post about you wanting to create a route. But at this time, you are unfortunately not what we are looking for when it comes to route developers and testers. Sorry.

[eric]

To be fair, there's a certain degree of expertise needed to test someone else's work. It's one thing to say there's a defect, but you have to know how to recreate it.

[BrandonS261]

I completly agree with you Eric. We have just had so many issues with people just wanting to "HELP" with the route and then go ahead and just take the route without contacting us again after we give it to them so they can help out. That is why Josh and I are the way we are and only really trust you and a few others with the route.

Both Josh and I are very grateful for the help, guidance and the willingness to allow us to merge your routes into ours. Its people like you that give Josh and I hope for the future of this project and wanting to keep going with it even if it is more then we can chew at the moment.

So yes if anyone is willing to build custom buildings for our route like stations and other well known buildings that our route covers that would be a huge help.

Brandon

[Fish4890]

so what other BNSF or UP routes are being Put in ?

idk if the UP Peoria Sub would be added ? cant find the Track map for that

[BrandonS261]

so what other BNSF or UP routes are being Put in ?

idk if the UP Peoria Sub would be added ? cant find the Track map for that

Here is the full list of routes that Josh and I plan on including in our Midwest Mega Route!

This is the Track work % only at the moment.

BNSF List

Hinckley Sub- 100%
Brainard Sub-100%
Monticello Sub- 100%
St Croix Sub- 100% rebuilt from Twin Cities to Chicago
Wayzata Sub- 100% rebuilt to Willmar
Morris Sub- 0%
Marshal Sub- 0%
Staples Sub- 25%

CP List

River Sub- 100% Done from Twin Cities to Chicago
MN&S spur- 50%
Paynesville Sub- 15%
Detroit Lakes Sub- 0%
Elbow Lakes Sub- 0%
Withrow Sub- 100%

CN List

Dresser Sub- 100%
CN to Chicago- 15%

Short Lines

Twin Cities and Western- 40%
St Croix Valley RR- 100%
North Shore Scenic Railroad- 50%

UP List

UP to Chicago- 25%
UP Mankato Sub- 0%
UP MIR Line- 100%

The full Twin Cities area including both BNSF Northtown and CP Pigs Eye yards.
The route will also include the yards of the Twin Ports of Duluth and Superior as well as BNSF and CP Yards from the Twin Cities to Chicago.

BNSF Wayzata Sub to Willmar.
BNSF Hinckley Sub to the Twin Ports of Duluth and Superior.
BNSF Brainard Sub
BNSF Staples Sub to St Cloud.
BNSF St Croix Sub to La Crosse, WI
BNSF Monti line to Monticello

UP to Altoona
UP MIR spur

CP Paynesville Sub to Glenwood, MN
CP River Sub to La Crosse, WI
CP Tomah Sub
CP Watertown Sub
CP C&M Sub

Minnesota Commercial lines
TC&W to Gleoncoe, MN
St Croix Valley Line in Hinckley, MN

CN to Chippawa Falls, WI
CN Dresser Sub in Dresser, WI

Chicago area will also include all of the Metra lines as well.

[qballbandit]

Upon completion, you're going to have to ship this monster out on it's own machine...

[BrandonS261]

Upon completion, you're going to have to ship this monster out on it's own machine...

Yeah really! That is if it ever gets done in the first place! We need more people to get involved with the project for it to become a success!

Brandon

[eric]

Good luck, I've been waiting for 12 years to get help on Packerland.

Sent from my SM-G981U using Tapatalk

[BrandonS261]

Seems about right!

Josh and I have been waiting for about the same amount of time with our route as well. We have had a few people help throughout the years but its very limited and we have also had some give me pigs along the way that have just taken the route and then take off after we hand them the route.

Thank you for all of your help and guidance over the years with our route Eric as Josh and I really appreciate it!

Brandon

[drelyea]

Just for informational purposes, Tristate has faired no better. Just me making the custom models for it now.

Seems to me, for someone to master one or more of the modelling programs. they already have an agenda. Otherwise they would not bother.

Doug

[BrandonS261]

Just for informational purposes, Tristate has faired no better. Just me making the custom models for it now.

Seems to me, for someone to master one or more of the modelling programs. they already have an agenda. Otherwise they would not bother.

Doug

Where does your route run from that you are working on Doug?

[drelyea]

The Anthracite Railroads of 1920 from NYC / Jersey City to Elmira, NY. Includes the entirety of the L&HR (with the Hudson Yard at Phillipsburg, NJ, the L&NE, and the NYS&W with it's Wilkes-Barre & Eastern extension. Erie Mainline and branches, DL&W Mainline and branches, CNJ Northern division to include the CRP, LV mainline to near Sayre. Pa. Various connections to the Reading RR along the Lehigh River. PRR main from New Brunswick, NJ to the east end of the Hudson Tubes. and it's Bel-Del above Riegelsville.