These are pictures from my Cape Ann Transit.
I agree with much that has been said here. There is nothing like having a fictional world where we can model what we want, in what era we want. There is nothing wrong with people using Thomas stuff if they want, it's their game and their world. If however, someone has posted a thread pertaining to a realistic-looking fictional route, then the pictures that follow should be the same and not some cartoonish item.
My routes are fictional, and as many know here are backed by a backstory of some kind. In a couple of cases, the story is quite detailed as I thought about the operations and interaction with the outside world. This helps set the tone, era, and consistency for the route and helps me choose the buildings and other assets to suit. It can be quite a challenge selecting the proper buildings and keeping things consistent.
Another aspect of the fictional route building, which I mentioned some time ago, is taking a DEM and putting in track where no other track has been placed before. Currently I'm working on a greater Gloucester Mass route for which I give George Fisher credit for inspiring me with his own similar route. In my route, however, I have expanded the track out to Annisquam via Riverside, Rivers Edge, Riverdale, and Riverdale Station with branches to Wheeler Point and Annisquam. This undertaking means placing track where there either hasn't been track in 100-plus years, as there used to be old quarry railroads in North Gloucester, or surveying at eyelevel to choose a properly graded line. In my fictional world, this line has been electrified and works as a commuter railroad run by Cape Ann Transit which is a real company that provides buses and shuttle service out on the North Shore and Cape Ann. One of the challenges is keeping the landscape true, by which I mean altering the terrain minimally, and keeping the roads where they are on the map. In some cases I've had to move roads a bit, or eliminate them due to being too close to the track. In the real world this area is jam packed with houses and tight roads, so this aspect is quite a challenge in its self.
John
