Open Rails now includes support for glTF graphics in the Unstable Version.
Open Rails users will see no benefits from glTF until models have been created (or re-created) in this format. This website will host a catalogue of glTF content for Open Rails.
To submit, just email Chris Jakeman

This comes from two sources. glTF supports Physically Based Rendering (PBR) technology to achieve high levels of realism with properties including roughness and shininess which are good at rendering machinery.
Also, because glTF requires Open Rails to move up from DirectX 9 to DirectX 10, that gives us access to more capable graphics shaders. We need these for better lighting and shadows.
glTF has been optimized for the web, making it lightweight and fast to load. Being an open ISO standard, compressor tools are available for further tuning.
glTF is now 10 years old and major 3D graphics programs can all use the format. Many free and commercial textures are available in glTF format.
Currently the animation support is disabled pending review, but the earlier performance issues have now been fixed.
The glTF format is in addition to support for our existing MSTS graphics formats.