At The Railyard: Donner Pass for Railworks Review

...in the 1990s, Donner Pass was as busy as ever. The Southern Pacific was still in charge of this portion of the transcontinental route, using everything from Dash 9's to Tunnel Motors (SD40T-2's) to haul freight over the grade. Can this railroading landmark work in Railworks? We'll find out in this review...at the railyard!
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LINKS
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Official "At The Railyard" website:
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Donner Pass:
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[@MattChaffe]

I'm currently working on modernizing this route on TS2020! Would love for you to check the videos I have out on them, and maybe even do a video covering the route once I'm done!

[@theresecollins5719]

Man, good thing they updated it. Oh, and the first time I played it; my train went flying into the air, it freak me out so bad, I didn't play it for 5 months!!!!!

[@AshHill07]

I've been running my BNSF ACe's around Donner Pass today after the update yesterday. Even though my game is generally on low quality, it certainly looks and feels better than it did with my UP ACe's a few weeks ago.

[@trainknut]

after the big overhaul the map is great i never played the original, but the new one is GREAT(im a big southern pacific fan so anything with "donner pass" or "southern pacific" on it is just what i need)

[@GintaPPE1000]

Another excellent review-really highlights the quality of RW.

[@alphaking1994]

I have to correct on some of the information that you posted. The Dash 9s or C44-9Ws weren't used on the Overland Route. They were assigned to the Sunset Route and former Cotton Belt lines in Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois and Kansas. When they were first delivered they were used in the Midwest on the joint operated Taconite Service it ran with the Wisconsin Central Ltd. After the arrival of the AC4400CWs in 1995, they were reassigned to the Sunset and Ex-Cotton Belt routes. By the way, you forgot the SD45T-2.

[@trainknut]

although some P3's on those tunnel motors and sd40's would be nice

[@Napster9810]

Since so many complained about these exact issues you outlined, RSC FINALLY came out with an updated version of the SP Donner Pass route. Personally, Id say the major bugs have been worked out but frame rate is still really low in the yards (~14fps). Looking forward to a review of the updated Donner Pass!

[@pcaviator687]

Another excellent review Nick. Hopefully RSC will deliver on their promises and fix the issues you listed. I laughed so hard when I saw the train in the air...maybe they want this to be part flight simulator as well ;-)

[@superjesse64]

CRAP! I'M FALLING BEHIND IN WATCHING THESE WORKS OF ART!

[@CaliforniaZephyrProductions]

for Christmas, Railworks is giving a free update to this route that will fix some of the issues such as the sharp curves and the gradient changes. can you do another review of the route after this update has come out.

[@Stoker58]

I agree with you 100% but I hope this doesn't turn you away from RS.

[@GSkid2000]

I agree with the review overall. I own the route and don't think it's as horrible as some here claim. MSTS's biggest advantages are 11 years of content for it and has system requirements that even today's lowest spec laptop could run at 60fps in it's sleep. He is so right when it comes to the unrealistic acceleration in this sim. I've had an A.I. train end up on a collision course with me a few times and was even able to drive literally THROUGH one stopped at a red light like it wasn't there.

[@Blur4strike]

Sadly I agree with you trmania on Donner Pass for RW3/TS2012 as I purchased it myself last November. Hopefully RSC and the Railworks community will figure a way out to fix the route so that its full potential will be shown.

[@RobBroers]

So true, Nick. I got wheelslip at 10% throttle and stalled. This is the last item I purchase from Railworks, that's for sure. Poor sounds (same sound inside and outside the cab). I'll stick to MSTS.

[@samurai9845]

Overall, I find this route to be fun since I am a person who likes stuff just the operation. However, other than the problems noted, I found that the numberings on the Dash 9s/ AC4400s are inaccurate. On the prototype, the nos. were 100-378 and 8100s I believe.

[@robertbalazslorincz8218]

This route works anyway because Rail works

[@DenverRailfanHD]

Hey, you should do the Sherman Hill route for railworks. It looks really cool, and you might llike it, A LOT!!!

[@TheTrainFan]

None of those problems will really stop you from having a good time going around the railroad. And also we've already seen a lot of those problems in the regular maps in railworks 3. Looks like a cool add-on.

[@junkie0423]

railworks seems to have many issues. some are very small like you said. but i too have a thing or two about the entire simulator itself. i've tried to do a mile+ long coal drag down cajon pass, with 6 unit front, 3 mid, and 2 end. consisting of SD70ACE's, SD70MAC's, SD70M2, SD40-2's and ES44's the extended coupler caught my eye, then it came down to dynamic braking...... yeah i think you may know what happened next

[@ValleySubRailfan4643]

1:09 UM THE NUMBERS. EXPLAIN. look at the side of the cab

[@nkproad777]

Great video and review, really liked the music! Looks like 3DTS MSTS Donner Pass (w/ the awsome upgrades), yes. :D Msts rolls on...... :)

[@up4004]

I love The Music at The Begining its Larger Than Life by The Backstreet Boys.

[@GeorgeUKCFC]

Are you going to review the Horseshoe Curve route?

[@sirrliv]

Wow. ATR's first negative review. I knew it'd happen sooner or later, but was not expecting this to be it. At last, Strasburg has been knocked from its dishonorable throne. I must say though, thanks for the review, mate. I had been considering buying Donner Pass hoping it'd be something like its MSTS counterpart. Looks like I was so very wrong. Maybe I'll put that money toward Woodhead instead.

[@junkie0423]

i was debating on donner pass, and by the review, i'll probably wait until it either gets better or probably look into another route that will be better railworks is eh to me, it works splendidly with my new laptop. while i do enjoy the datailing, and with some sound patches and the dlc that slowly adds on, it will become the simulator that we would expect it to be they can probably fix the excess swaying, extended couplers, dynamic braking issue, and most importantly.... the horns/whistles

[@cameronjames7379]

actually there was a worse storm in 1881 but the line wasn't used much then so it wasn't a big issue the snow was 10 feet in some places in 52 but in 1881 it went up to 15 feet

[@PrayerCoach]

Isn't this the same pass which in 1952 there was a historic record blizzard which stranded trains with hundeds of passengers?

[@guildrich]

@NJTComet I agree big time! If RSC plans to compete for a spot in today's train simulator market, then they need to step up their game...LITERALLY!

[@ThatCanadianGuy-e1p]

There is a major update for the Donner Pass on Dec 20th.

[@nkproad777]

@RailwayBobbie Think about, all those awsome freeware things we get that are top notch quality.

[@superjesse64]

I was looking at that bridge at 4:09, and I saw cars popping out of thin air before racing away. Why didn't you cover that?

[@Spokker]

Portland Terminal is awesome. What's wrong with it?

[@chandlerbranchrailfanprodu5928]

Rail works and Trainz SD40-2s make the same sound.

[@jenjen906]

Mate can you tell me on this Donner Pass are there any actual railway stations on this 140 mile route please ? in other words can I in quick drive use a passenger train in my collection to drive this route ? any stations that would represent pulling into or out of these in a passenger set ? thanks Ian

[@bencutarelli8693]

whats the song that plays at 1:04

[@goonwichabigass1]

When is Donner Pass Part ii gonna go public?

[@cnw6871]

If you do make an update do you think you could compare it to 3D Trainstuff's version?

[@Trainman3985]

If this had been the only version of Donner Pass what rating wound you give it?

[@npadul30]

At 5:37 its starting to look like the santa fe railroad coming down the cajoun pass before emergency breaks...

[@LupusAries]

Well the biggest problem now is that the Career scenarios were unachieveable the last time i played them. The problem was that the timetable was made for faster trains, as one workshop user prooved by simply raising the line speed limit for the trains by 5 mph. Then they were easily achieveable. Overall I like the potential of the route, but RSC has once again shown poor workmanship. As so often during recent times.

[@aaronlippincott7385]

does the song come with the route too?

[@SouthernKansasRailfan]

Aaron Lippincott lol

[@CaliforniaZephyrProductions]

the update has come out now

[@andrewbirt2834]

i had the same problem where the cars fly up in the air and i did not evan touch it it was on another track :O

[@Trainlover247]

Amuch better Train Simulator out there then other becuase of the high graphics and amazing texture and much much more i highly recomend getting this game!

[@BanditFlashpoint]

They're upgrading the route. Better than this, I derailed like 2 times and decided to wait till I can run it again.

[@spacewizard1]

Maybe it was just me, but alot of the scenery beyond the yard wasn't there and the locomotive sounds sounded really weak compared other addons and the stock game. the bridge that is just beyond the yard was non-existant. It was literally just a set of tracks hovering over the water.

[@spdaylight1]

where are the cab fowerds like in msts at least an ac-12

[@Thisuserhasntaname]

honestly i dont get your computer, from what you have described my computer has half the specs but runs donner pass perfectly

[@MrCrazylocoman]

have the mistakes been fixed yet

[@The_Duggler25]

anyone know of any free complete routes are to download

[@Surfliner486]

At 1:33 how us that double stack

[@Metal9040]

1:33

[@spacewizard1]

I'll admit Donner pass is bad, but I've seen alot worse on Railworks. The Portland Terminal route and anything by G-trax simulations are horrid. The GS-4 sound appears to have been recorded by taking a really bad microphone and recording a model of it with sound effects on the model in question. The Portland Terminal doesn't seem to be completly done from what I've played.

[@NJTCOMET]

What do you mean it looks like crap, the newest MSTS addons look fantastic, if you have a good card, force the AA ALL the way up, have an HD display, turn up anisotropic filtering up, crank up the texture filtering and WOW, it not be some "FANCY" graphics engine that produces some over exaggerated bloom and shadow that likes to suck out the living daylights out of your rig, but its no push over, oh and u should check out Open Rails, once it debuts, MSTS will be unstoppable

[@lennyos]

I purchased Railworks in a bargin bin and figured I'd try it out. The physics are horrible and the sound sucks. The graphics are great though. Still, with all that said and this disgrce to Southern Pacific, me being a huge fan, worst $20 ever spent.

[@mikepericolosi9386]

I do not remember the route being that bright

[@mdgfb05]

i have the new one and i still think its bad

[@AlaskanTrain21]

...Sure, bro.

[@lennyos]

wow...a route that didn't get an approval. That's got to be a first.

[@Stoker58]

First time ive seen you wreck a train.

[@cameronjames7379]

im 13 and i could do a better route in trainz

[@crispy9542]

youre 22 now

[@NJTCOMET]

12 frames in the yards eh, TOTALLY what i expected when i bought this game aswell :P , the graphics engine that this game uses is garbage, it uses WAY to much memory to produce a rather unimpressive graphical imagine, i have a quad core with a Zotac GTX 570, and i still have a hard time, i think i might just email them about the problem, but if they tell me to upgrade when i can play Skyrim and Battlefield 3 with ease, i might just uninstall it, and play Trainz and MSTS, screw RW and there DLCs

[@cebayne]

wow, this route must be horrid, glad i didnt buy it lol

[@AlaskanTrain21]

First off, I need you all so shut up. Yes, I agree, the game and add-ons use WAY to much power, but the trains it produces look amazing compared to those of only a few years ago. If you have seen this guy's video of MSTS's Donner Pass, sure, the concept is good, but everything looks like crap. I would give MSTS a 5/10 while this a 7 or 8.

[@Logan912]

Railworks looks nice (well, at least for its time,) but train handling and operations isn’t nearly as good as MSTS or especially if you use Open Rails. Even the Searchlight Simulations enhancement packs can’t fix everything.