Good deduction, there Matt! You 'da MAN!
All:
I think I started this thread by sharing my attempt at doing my own version of the Alpine Tunnel region. When I think of Colorado Narrow Gauge, the South Park is it. Love the fabled history of the South Park, love almost all of the regions it ran through... loved their locomotives and equipment, etc. etc. The South Park is to me what the "RGS" is to many narrow gauge enthusiasts.
Of course, I also like the Colorado Central (the terrain/locale mainly). Cool thing is, the CC came under the DSP&P flag during the 1880's... so by modeling it at that time, any equipment that happens to be created for the South Park of that era, can be used on either route effort. (A huge plus to me.) That's one of the reasons I chose 1884 for my CC effort: The line was finished past Silver Plume AND (very importantly), DSP&P equipment was being used on it... including the Bogies. Win, win. (So, yes, I think the CC effort is a "keeper".)
Now, how far will I take this Alpine region effort? Who knows? (Least of all, me!)
Right now I'm trying to get down to, and around, Woodstock Loop. It's been a struggle, for given the radical terrain, the known gradient data isn't working out with the NED terrain. Hmmm.
So, I'm going to have to make some decisions on what will be my best set of compromises.
It's never easy, is it?
However, the Alpine Tunnel, Woodstock Loop, on down to Pitkin, is THE region that I like most about the South Park... so I want to end up with something that I personally can be satisified with over the long haul. You see, I hope this will be one of my "hobby routes" (if not THE "hobby route")... in that I often pick it up again and make further progress on it, instead of just exploring it and then moving on to another idea/theme. Exploring is fun, too... but that aspect of indulging in MSTS leaves me with routes that never gets scenery installed in significant portions and thus can't be visually enjoyed in-game. Spoken from experience: Running trains on a raw route gets old quickly.
Ah well... enough for this post.
Later!