For those not familiar with the Kano model of customer satisfaction, I think really you can split the different elements of a route into 4 distinct categories. (Sorry to go all technical, but this is how I see it
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kano_model )
Level 1 - Basic Features - These are things a route must have otherwise it's not a good route:
Under this category, for a prototypical route, I'd expect the landscape and scale to be done accurately. Especially if paying for a route, I wouldn't accept not using TransDEM to make the landscape, considering it's only £15 - 20 or so and DEM data is usually free. This makes economic sense anyway as if you're charging for a route, you should easily recoup the TransDEM money. In this category I'd also consider realistic scenery placement and trackwork. This isn't to say necessarily accurate placement and trackwork, that's in the next section, but it being realistic is a must. Vegetation and stuff comes under this part, because although it doesn't necessarily have to be accurate, there is lots of ground brush and loads of trees everywhere.
Summary: Make it look real.
Level 2 - Performance Features - These are things that the better they are done, the better the route.
Accuracy of Trackwork, Scenery and Signalling placement. Effectively, the more accurate these are, the better the route becomes. Good sources for these are Google Earth/Street View, although be warned about how Google Earth has a tendency not to update everything at the same time, so you might get some bits years apart. For the UK, a good source of signalling data is from simsig (google it) and the network rail website has a bit on speed limits. (I think nexusdj knows where it is).
Summary: The more accurate it is, the better it is.
Level 3 - Delighters - These are things which are not expected to be done in the route at all and as such, their inclusion "makes" the route.
Custom content is the best thing for here. By which I mean content specifically made for the route. The best example I can think of is angelah's WCL route, which had Reading station made especially for the route, which isn't something that you'd expect from a route (esp. not a freeware one). It's all great being clever with splines and things, but it shows that you've put that bit more effort in if you actually have custom content for your route.
Another thing to put here is an intuitive way of running AI along the route. If I want to use the route a lot, I generally want more than one train running on it at a time and it becomes a huge hassle when I have to create my own route map with platform numbers written on. It's not that hard to put compass directions or "Up/Down" on trackmarks and makes setting up AI much easier than figuring it out for yourself. An included route map wouldn't go amiss either.
Summary: Custom content and good AI capabilities.
Level -1 - Reversers - These are things which although done with good intentions, make the route worse.
These mostly don't apply to me anymore, as my computer's quite powerful these days, but anything that although makes a small graphical improvement, but could be done with fewer polygons etc. to alleviate the strain on the computer tend to mean that I don't use the route. There are levels of detail that just aren't required to make a route good and there's no point in excluding people with slightly slower machines. This is also a less prevalent problem with TS2010 onwards, but sometimes it's still possible to come across things which don't work very well because there's just too much detail.
I reckon I've given a pretty comprehensive opinion. Hope it helps.
