North American mainlines: What hasn't been done?

[CSRX]

Honestly, if any route that needs to be updated to Open-Rails Status, it's the former CNW (UPRR) Clinton Subdivision. Every time I download this route and get ready to edit, there is a GREAT WHITE VOID on the Ole' Miss of Clinton IA.

I feel like this, the Marias Pass V5, the ATSF TransCon subs, and a few others all need upgrades, kind of like what we saw with the Pokey V2.0.

[dnewmanjr]

I feel like this, the Marias Pass V5, the ATSF TransCon subs, and a few others all need upgrades, kind of like what we saw with the Pokey V2.0.

I was thinking the same thing. Haven't heard much from the TransCon author himself, Bob Wirth.

[jbtower]

The railroad capital is not represented on OR very well other than the CNW which Eric is building. The following would make awesome route with massive switching opportunities as well as Amtrak, freight and suburban commuter traffic.

The Elgin Joliet and Eastern referred to as Chicago's outer belt and presently owned by CN, The J touches every railroad that enters Chicagoland
The BNSF racetrack which could actually go from Chicago to Galesburg
The Panhandle line from Chicago east through Indiana
There are so many routes out of Chicago that head south
Finally the Kankakee Beaverville and Southern shortline which runs from just south of Chicago to Indiana and central Illinois, This route which is about 150 miles is owned by a personal friend of mine and I can have access to everything but sadly I have no route building skills! (any takers)

[Fish4890]

NS Chicago Mainline Between Chicago,IL and Selkirk,NY

[Metra322]

PRR Ft. Wayne Line from Chicago to Pittsburgh
PRR Columbus Division from Columbus to Indianapolis
PRR St. Louis Division from Indianapolis to St Louis
Amtrak Michigan Lines
Chicago, Aurora & Elgin aka the Roarin' Elgin
C&O of Indiana
An upgrade of the GM&O Northern Lines
A backdate of the Conrail Indy route to the NYC Era
Erie Lackawanna from Chicago to Marion, OH
B&O St. Louis Division from Cincinnati to St. Louis
B&O Akron-Chicago Division
NYC Water Level Route from Chicago to Buffalo
Wabash Mainline from Chicago to St.Louis

[CSRX]

NS Chicago Mainline Between Chicago,IL and Selkirk,NY

Uh, that is damn near close to 1,000 miles for a single route... Let's be a little realistic here. Plus, a single crew would hardly ever travel that distance, let alone off the sub they are qualified on.

I'd dare say the Selkirk Subdivision would be a good start point at least, between Selkirk, NY and Amsterdam, NY.

[Fish4890]

Uh, that is damn near close to 1,000 miles for a single route... Let's be a little realistic here. Plus, a single crew would hardly ever travel that distance, let alone off the sub they are qualified on.

I'd dare say the Selkirk Subdivision would be a good start point at least, between Selkirk, NY and Amsterdam, NY.

id say that just for the 49/48/448Lake shore Trains but they dont run up to Amsterdam,NY

[ossie]

I've always been really happy using Seligman as a stand in for a UP desert sub, but for the sake of the list, a modern UP desert sub would be great. Lordsburg in particular if the Arizona Eastern was also able to be included would probably be top of the list. The mix of heavy mainline and shortline ops would make it a winner for me.

[geepster775]

PRR Ft. Wayne Line from Chicago to Pittsburgh

I recently came across this 2 hr video from a 1984 cab ride on the combined Capitol/Broadway train between Ft Wayne and Valparaiso. At the time the train carried the Broadway's numbers but the Capitol name. I think I counted only 8 or 9 mild curves in the track over the entire distance. Had to have been a fantastic, high speed, straight shot in the steam age. It also looked like a dearth of industry, very slim pickings. Route used to be 2-track ABS current of traffic, with a couple of 4-track 'wide spots' where there were both east and west sidings controlled by towers. At the time Conrail was busy lifting the north track (main 2) and the first hour and twenty minutes the rails are gone from main 2, just ties remain, and then you get closer to Valpo and the rail train hadn't gotten there yet. The Amtrak shared the track only with ELFW/FWEL (Elkhart/Ft Wayne) between Ft Wayne and Warsaw, beyond that there were no other scheduled freights and the Cap had the line all to itself. ELFW/FWEL ran with power on both ends because the connection in Warsaw was in the wrong quadrant (SE, and Elkhart needed a NE quadrant connection), so the freight crew had to change ends to the other power on the rear after making the turn at Warsaw. I can understand why, later on, NS was using the CFE rather than the NYC or NKP for the volatile crude trains for a spell. If they wrecked, very little civilization impacted.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUBiIBY3Cyk

[eric]

I've always been really happy using Seligman as a stand in for a UP desert sub, but for the sake of the list, a modern UP desert sub would be great.

I'm trying... Yuma to Tucson will be done one of these days. And I know someone else was working on the Yuma Sub from West Colton.

[eric]

I was thinking the same thing. Haven't heard much from the TransCon author himself, Bob Wirth.

Bob passed away about five years ago.

https://www.trainsim.com/forums/foru...0335-bob-wirth

[ossie]

I'm trying... Yuma to Tucson will be done one of these days. And I know someone else was working on the Yuma Sub from West Colton.

That sounds great Eric! Thank you very much.

[dnewmanjr]

Bob passed away about five years ago.

https://www.trainsim.com/forums/foru...0335-bob-wirth

Oh no!! I'm so sorry to hear about that, Eric. As much as I loved his routes, and I had no idea he's gone. 😓

[agentatascadero]

I'll add another vote for the former SP Cal-P lines from Oakland out to San Jose, Tracy, Sacramento, and Woodland....or further.

AA

[amtrakmattburb]

Michigan in general seems to be a bit underrepresented in OR. The only available routes are my Detroit-Toledo route, the Holly Subdivision, the half-fictional DT&I route and the payware LS&I Iron Ore route.

Just the Amtrak Michigan Services alone would open up many opportunities, including switching.