JR's Coal Country or Tidewater Point RR?

chomz147

Just a Mercy Main.
I'm in the market for some new Payware additions/routes, and I've been looking at JR's payware routes. I'm honestly torn between Coal Country and Tidewater. They both look like amazing routes.
If some of you own either one or both, I'd like you get some of your recommendations for getting one.

In terms of:
Route length. (which of the two routes is longer)
Performance. (which of the two preforms better on most PC's)
Included payware: locomotives, rolling stock and scenery. (which of the two has more/better payware locos, rail cars and scenery items)
Included sessions. (if sessions are included, which one has more/better sessions)
Overall scenery. (how beautiful and well put-together the route is)

If the community can help me decide on which one to get it would be much appreciated!

-Cheers
 
I don't have Tidewater Point RR so I cannot answer most of your questions.

Coal Country is certainly well put together and the effort that has gone into the scenery and overall appearance is very impressive. My only criticisms of it are that for a route created specifically for TANE it uses billboard trees when SpeedTrees v6 are now the "standard" for TANE and it does not use procedural track.
 
Like Pware, I do not have "Tidewater" but have "Coal Country" and his opinion runs parallel to mine. Why JR is using "billboard trees" almost exclusively -is beyond me; when they had used realistic trees for their TS12 routes?! While yes, Coal Country is indeed a work of art and there can be no question it's their most realistic route since "Reading and Northern" DO REALIZE the price of the route is $39.99 for around 8 baseboards! Yes... eight or $5 a baseboard :confused:
 
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DO REALIZE the price of the route is $39.99 for around 8 baseboards! Yes... eight or $5 a baseboard :confused:
Or about $3 for every month of work ;)
@Pware, thanks for your feedback! I tried a few times to replace with speedtrees but thought they didn't quite have the right feel about them, that and they impacted performance slightly more and didnt fill there areas on the hillsides as well is why I chose 2d trees for the release.

There's a few good videos around to help you decide
https://youtu.be/Vr2mdd-btcE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6k2X1Ly6Kas
 
2D billboard trees only really work if you stick to fixed track camera positions and do not use tracking cameras. But even then you still can see the "thin wedge" of foliage on many of the trees.

Since SpeedTrees v6 came out, I have abandoned the use of billboard trees. Arguments about their effect on frame rates may have some weight on lower end machines but in my opinion, other factors will have a far greater effect on frame rates.
 
I bought the Jointed Rail version of Coal Country so I could modify it. I takes less than a minute to change the billboard for Ultra trees. The same for the track. I use Tane 1Trk Wood track and Clams CL- Ballast 02 as matching ballast. Then you can make whatever other changes that are attractive for you. $10 premium well worth it.

More routes with a $10 up-charge that allows modification would probably boost N3V revenues. Of course, some authors might adopt a "no messing with my creation", stance which is their right and N3V's right is to determine if it will publish the product.
Dick
 
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... i have both, because i don't want to choose ... both are beauties and carry the ambiance and the grade of the detailed JRstyle ...
my intention is to combine/merge/rip both jewels to my level: busy shortliners and realistic trees ...
that's the power of jointedrail: payware with the flexability and suppleness to change it into your own creativity ... and the endless inspiration by all the creators ....

have fun ... with whatever you choose ...
grtz
daveric
 
I bought the Jointed Rail version of Coal Country so I could modify it. I takes less than a minute to change the billboard for Ultra trees. The same for the track. I use Tane 1Trk Wood track and Clams CL- Ballast 02 as matching ballast. Then you can make whatever other changes that are attractive for you. $10 premium well worth it.

More routes with a $10 up-charge that allows modification would probably boost N3V revenues. Of course, some authors might adopt a "no messing with my creation", stance which is their right and N3V's right is to determine if it will publish the product.
Dick
I could not get J R to tell me how to go about the $10 up-charge. So i just got it this week on sale from Trainz Store. I understand you can't change route this way.
 
I enjoy both, but have an affection for Coal Country because it's very much like the central and eastern USA which I am familiar with. If anything, this coal country!

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.195...4!1sp5ICojEXKK3kWBmn6_37vA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

located in western PA.

I have both the original route, which I operate separately as well as merged in version that I included in Deremmy's East Kentucky. I changed the trees out and matched the track I usedon the rest of the route. I took the Simulatortrain coal track and replaced it with a clone I made from the LRW procedural track with the Adam's coal textures on it. For the yards, I replaced the same track with my really bad condition track so that the hoppers rock and roll about when they're switched. I replaced the trees with the Speed Trees and then had to fiddle around with those because they're so big.

I also like Tidewater for it's different feel, a more sunny open feeling much like the Carolina coastline. It's a great route to drive, and someday I hope to work out a merger between Coal Country, which will mean building in a whole new route in order to bring the two together because of the height difference. I was thinking of a DEM to use for that, which may come from Virginia or part of Maryland.
 
I own both routes and they are both beautifully detailed. The sessions are well thought out also.

I highly recommend picking up both.

Regards,
RailRoaderBob
 
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