Vern,
Creating canals and the general look of the water, which changes colour bye the way depending on where you are and what runs off the land in the way of pollutants, is really not that difficult
Rain fall, where the rock formation is mainly of sand stone produces a reddish brown canal water whilst the Northern Stratford-upon-Avon would be a heavy dark brown.
Chemical discharge from factories, around 1950's to 1990's coloured much of the Main Line through Birmingham an insipid green, although with the regeneration in and around Soho Loop going out towards Netherton Tunnel there has been vast improvements in water condition so much so that there is now, or so I'm told, good fishing to be had thereabouts.
On the DLS, there are no canal side banks or general waterway courses that adequately reflect the canal side, be it town or country.
Similarly, few and far between are decent canal bridges.
On the plus side there is a good Narrow beam lock that will take a 72' boat, thanks to Vulcan for that one.
And I've been recently been playing with brick relieving arches and brick construction for Canal Structures, and bridges with fire doors.
My Warwick and Birmingham Junction Canal, a scene that is part of my Snow Hill route out to Tyseley I'm afraid might be lost. Foolishly dropped my 2 Tet. portable memory, as a result my Trainz suffered a catastrophic loss, Like annihilated.
I can probably reconstruct a passable canal within a few days, along with tips on how to, if your interested, it will give me a break from Tyseley Double Roundhouse and Workshops.
Cheers for now
JP