Games PC SID MEIER S-RAILROAD TYCOON DELUXE User Manual

Download

For IBM PC & compatible computers

◆◆

RAILROAD TYCOON DELUXE

TECHNICAL SUPPLEMENT

Sid Meier’s

Minimum System

Requirements

INSTALLATION

Computer: IBM, or fully compatible, 80386 16MHz Hard Drive: with at least 5 million bytes (5 meg) available Conventional Memory: a system with a base minimum of 640K of RAM Graphics: VGA graphics card and VGA monitor DOS: MS-DOS 5.0 or higher Controls: The simulation can be run entirely from the keyboard, or with a mouse

and a keyboard. A mouse is recommended as the interface has been designed to take advantage of the mouse. Railroad Tycoon Deluxe does not support a joystick.

The installation program checks your system for a number of conditions, and

advises you if your system does not meet the conditions.

The installation program decompresses and copies numerous files from the distribution disks onto your hard drive. The install program also auto-detects your computer’s configuration and provides recommendations for sound, speech, and control device (keyboard, mouse).

The entire installation procedure can take a variable amount of time depending on the speed of your computer and hard drive.

Technical Notes: This install program creates a sub directory on your hard disk titled “C:\MPS\RAILSDX” and copies all files into that sub directory. It then copies a runtime batch file into your root directory titled “RDX.BAT”, for your convenience. If you’re an experienced DOS user, feel free to modify or move “RDX.BAT”.

This assumes your machine runs under DOS 5.0 when it boots, which is true of most IBM and compatible machines with hard disks.

(1) Turn on your machine. If it is already on, exit all programs and return to the root directory with the “CD” (change directory) DOS command. For example, if your hard disk is C: then “CD C:\” does this.

(2) Set Speed: If you have a “turbo” or multi-speed computer, use your normal speed setting.

(3) Enter MPS directory: You can enter the MPS directory with the “CD” (change directory) DOS command. For example, if you are in your root directory C:, then “CD MPS” will take you to the MPS directory.

(4) Load Program: Type “RDX” and press return. The simulation will begin loading.

Sound Driver

Options

When Railroad Tycoon Deluxe loads it asks you to select a sound option. The current options include the following:

No Sound: This turns off all sound throughout the game.

IBM Internal Speaker: This default sound setting is appropriate to all IBM machines

with no special sound hardware.

Adlib or compatible: Use this option only if you have added an Adlib sound card or an Adlib compatible sound card to your computer.

Covox Sound Master: Use this option only if you have added a Covox Sound Master II sound card to your computer.

Sound Blaster (original): Use this option only if you have added an original Sound Blaster sound card to your computer.

Sound Blaster Pro (early): Use this option only if you have added a Sound Blaster Pro (early) sound card to your computer.

Sound Blaster Pro (new): Use this option only if you have added a Sound Blaster Pro (new) sound card to your computer.

Pro Audio Spectrum: Use this option only if you have added a Pro Audio Spectrum sound card to your computer.

Pro Audio Spectrum Plus or Sound Blaster 16: Use this option only if you have added a Pro Audio Spectrum Plus or Sound Blaster 16 to your computer. These cards have the new OPL-3 synthesizer chip.

Gold Sound Standard: Use this option only if you have added a Gold Sound Standard card to your computer.

Roland MT-32/LAPC-1/CM-32L MIDI Board: Use this option if you have one of these Roland instruments using an MPS-401 or compatible MIDI interface.

General MIDI: Use this option if you have a General MIDI compatible synthesizer and an MPU-401 or compatible MIDI interface.

Configuration

Music/Sound

Effects and

Digitized Spech

card selection

SAVED GAMES

As part of the installation process, you are required to designate selections for music, sound, and digitized speech. Fortunately, the install program auto-detects the majority of the possible options.

This configuration process is also utilized to change your selections if you add, delete or modify system equipment or just decide to change the selections.

From this panel, selections for music/sound effects and digitized speech are made. The installation program highlights all of the possible music options it detects; the nondetected options are grayed-out. You may, however, select grayed-out options as well as the highlighted options. If your card is not installed at the factory defaults, it will not be detected, though you can still use it by manually entering the correct parameters. IRQ and DRQ parameters are NOT auto detected.

Separate and distinct options are possible for music/sound effects and digitized speech. The same choice is not required for both. In some cases, the same options are not offered for both. For example, you may select Adlib for music/sound effects, but Adlib is not an option for digitized speech; in this case, you would need to select No Speech.

DMA type sound cards have configurable settings. These three settings, address, IRQ and DRQ, are user specified, and must be configured to match the settings on the cards. If the settings do not match, or there is an interrupt and/or DMA conflict in your computer, you will probably not get digitized sounds and your computer may lock up.

You may save games currently under way and continue them at a later date. Games may be saved onto your hard drive or onto a previously formatted saved game disk. You may not save games onto your original game disks or back-up game disks. To save a current game, open the Game menu and choose “Save Game”. This opens a window that asks you to name the drive to which you wish to save. You may only have four games saved on any disk.

Saving Games to a

Floppy Disk

1) Place your previously formatted save game disk in the floppy drive to which you

wish to save, normally either your A: or B: drive.

2) Enter the letter of the drive where you have previously placed your saved game

disk and press RETURN.

3) This opens the saved game files on your disk. Each disk can contain four saved games. Highlight the file into which you wish to save your game and press RETURN. This saves your game into this file.

4) If the game files are full on any disk, move the highlight to the existing saved game you wish to overwrite and press return. This writes the new saved game over the old one, erasing the old one. If you don’t want to erase any game on a full disk, press the ESCAPE key to return to the game, and start over. However, you cannot format a disk while the game is underway, so have additional formatted disks handy.

iii

Saving Games to a

Hard Drive

1) The letter of your hard drive is already shown in the window, just press RETURN.

2) This opens the saved game files on your hard drive. Move the highlight to the file into which you wish to save your game and press RETURN. This saves your game into this file.

Loading a

Saved Game

ADDITIONAL

IBM RAILROAD

TYCOON DELUXE

FEATURES

Saved games can only be loaded during the pre-game options. To load a saved game,

follow these instructions:

1) Choose the option “Load Saved RR” when you start the game.

2) Type the letter of the drive where the saved game disk is located, either your hard

drive or a floppy drive. Insert disk if necessary.

3) After selecting the drive, press RETURN.

4) Move the highlight down the list of saved games until the game you wish to load is .highlighted, and press RETURN. This loads the saved game.

All saved games consist of two files, a RRD#.SVE and a RRD.MAP. The number corresponds to the saved game on the disk, numbered 0 to 3. If you have several saved game disks, then you have several games named RRD1.SVE, etc. Saved game files are normal DOS files that can be moved and copied using standard DOS commands

Dissolving Railroads: If the share price of a competing railroad falls below $5 and stays there for too long, there is a chance that the railroad can be dissolved and disappear entirely from the game.

Bankruptcy Penalty: For each bankruptcy that you declare, the interest you must pay for selling new bonds increases by 1%. After enough bankruptcies, you will be unable to sell any bonds.

Rail Car Costs: Each car you place on your trains costs $5,000. When you make consist changes, you are only charged if the total number of cars on your railroad increases.

Menu Options: You may highlight any menu option by pressing the letter key of the first letter in the option. If more than one choice share the same first letter, additional letter key taps cycle through the options that start with the same letter.

Sound Effects: If you selected one of the sound driver options when you started your game, you may toggle the sound effects on or off later in the game. This is done from the Features option, found in the Game menu (in the same manner as animations are toggled on or off). If you selected No Sounds when beginning play, the sound effects option does not operate.

PROBLEMS?

The latest notes regarding this program and problems with “compatibles” can be found on disk, in an ASCII file named “READ.ME”. You can read this file by using a text editor or standard DOS commands such as “TYPE READ.ME”. (DOS 5.0 or better will allow you to enter “TYPE READ.ME|MORE”; this pages through the file, making it easier to read.)

If the program does not load or run correctly, turn off your entire machine and restart it. Make sure DOS and Railroad Tycoon Deluxe are the only programs loading into memory.

If you continue to have trouble, try reinstalling the game from scratch or installing the Railroad Tycoon Deluxe disks in another computer. If the disks work in another computer, then your computer has compatibility problems (ie: some aspect is not entirely IBM compatible). You may also try a different machine speed, keyboard, or sound option. Sometimes an alternate configuration works.

DISPLAY COLORS

Regional Display

Map Colors

COLOR INFORMATION DISPLAYED

Dark blue Oceans and lakes Light blue Rivers Dark cyan Woods Dark green Cleared land Light green Farmland Light gray Foothills Light cyan Hills White Mountains/Alps Brown Swamp/Desert Red Villages Yellow Cities Red/yellow Industries Dark red Harbors Black Coal, wood, chemicals, nitrates

Train Roster

COLOR INFORMATION DISPLAYED

Black line Stopped train Red line Paused train Green line Train speed indicator Black engine Normal loads Green engine Priority Shipment on board White car Mail car at least half full Light gray car Mail car less than half full Light cyan car Passenger car at least half full Dark cyan car Passenger car less than half full Yellow car Fast freight car at least half full Light green car Fast freight car less than half full Red car Slow freight car at least half full Dark red car Slow freight car less than half full Black car Bulk freight car at least half full Dark gray car Bulk freight car less than half full

Freight Classes

COLOR INFORMATION DISPLAYED

White Mail Light cyan Passengers Yellow Fast freight Red Slow freight Black Bulk freight

Financial Reports

Shipping Report

Borders

Train Report

Scheduled Stops

Station Reports

Construction Box

Colors

COLOR INFORMATION DISPLAYED

Red Losses or decreases Black Profits or increases

COLOR INFORMATION DISPLAYED

Gray Normal revenues Red Halved revenues White Doubled revenues

COLOR INFORMATION DISPLAYED

Light gray Scheduled stop Black Current destination

COLOR INFORMATION DISPLAYED

Dark green Cargo picked up this period or

Revenue earned for delivery Red Cargos removed by other transport Light green Cargos available now

16-COLOR INFORMATION DISPLAYED

White Build track Red Remove track and bridges

vii

CONTROLS

General

FUNCTION KEYBOARD MOUSE

Selector RETURN key Left button Selector 1 RETURN key Left button Selector 2 Right button Open menu First letter key Left button Move cursor, Numeric keypad keys Construction Box (Box) or menu highlight

Track

Construction/

Demolition Keys

Shortcut Keys

FUNCTION KEYBOARD COMMAND

North Shift and numeric keypad ‘8’ key Northeast Shift and numeric keypad ‘9’ key East Shift and numeric keypad ‘6’ key Southeast Shift and numeric keypad ‘3’ key South Shift and numeric keypad ‘2’ key Southwest Shift and numeric keypad ‘1’ key West Shift and numeric keypad ‘4’ key Northwest Shift and numeric keypad ‘7’ key

FUNCTION KEYBOARD COMMAND

Go to Regional Display ‘F1’ key Go to Area Display ‘F2’ key (centers on cursor or pointer) Go to Local Display ‘F3’ key (centers on cursor or pointer) Go to Detail Display ‘F4’ key (centers on cursor or pointer) Open Income Statement ‘F5’ key Open Train Income Report ‘F6’ key Build a new train ‘F7’ key (must own engine shop) Build station ‘F8’ key (Box on spot) Call broker ‘F9’ key (game not frozen) Survey elevations ‘F10’ key (from Detail Display only)

viii

Additional Keys

KEYBOARD

INTERFACE ONLY

General

FUNCTION KEYBOARD COMMAND

Double track a single track section Shift and ‘D’ key (Box must be on track section) Single track a double track section Shift and ‘S’ key (Box must be on track section) Get information ‘I’ key or Shift and ‘?’ key (for icon inside Box) Override signal ‘S’ key (for signal within Box or cursor) Center map on cursor or pointer ‘C’ key Quit game Alt and ‘Q’ key Exit menu without making choice ESC key

FUNCTION KEYBOARD COMMAND

Switch cursor TAB key (between map and Train Roster) Open Train Report RETURN key (train marked in roster by cursor) Pause Train ‘H’ key (train marked in roster by cursor)

FUNCTION KEYBOARD COMMAND

Go to priority row of Train Report ‘P’ key Highligh schedule stops 1, 2, 3, or 4 ‘1,’ ‘2,’ ‘3,’ or ‘4’ key Go to Route Map Shift and ‘S’ key Move highlight on Route Map Numeric keypad ‘1-9’ keys (not '5') Select highlighted stop on Route Map RETURN key Exit Route Map without any changes ESC key

SOUND CUES

SIGNAL

OVERRIDE

CHART

Normal Operation

Sound Caused By

Whistle/Horn Train passing through

station without stopping

Clink of coins Revenue earned (one

clink for each $25,000)

Existing Signal 4-color 16-color Effect

GO Cyan Green Indicates currently safe

to enter block

STOP Magenta Red Indicates currently not

safe to enter block

Overridden

Operation

PROCEED White Yellow Passes next train

and returns to NORMAL operation

HOLD Black Dark red Stops all trains

until overridden with NORMAL or PROCEED

Note: On the Area and Local Displays, normal signals appear in black boxes and overridden signals appear in white boxes.

Sid Meier's

RAILROAD TYCOON DELUXE

Computer Simulation

MICROPROSE

This book may not be reproduced in whole or in part by mimeograph or any other means without permission,

with the exception of quoting brief passages for the purposes of reviews.

IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Inc.

Hercules is a registered trademark of Hercules Computer Technology, Inc.

Commodore 64 and Amiga are registered trademarks of Commodore Business Machines, Inc.

Apple and Macintosh are registered trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc.

Printing: 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Tandy is a registered trademark of Tandy Corporation.

Atari is a registered trademark of Atari Corp.

INTRODUCTION

Railroad Tycoon is a game about the fascinating world of railroads: steel tracks stretching to the horizon, promising adventure and romance; steam, diesel, and electric locomotives, some of the largest machines man has ever built; nations transformed by the speed and strength that locomotives could achieve, eclipsing the puny power of man himself and the animals he could domesticate; the sounds of steam whistles, diesel horns, and clanging bells; a world of risk - natural disasters, poor economic times, and rival railroads; and a world of opportunity - money, prestige, and fame.

Railroad Tycoon puts you into this world as the president of a tiny railroad enterprise. Your railroad empire is only a dream, but you have a little money from investors and your own ability to start with. Your task is to carve your railroad empire out of this great world of opportunity.

In Railroad Tycoon, you, the player, construct and operate a complete railroad, from tracks and signals to locomotives and livestock cars. If you successfully manage your resources and make them grow, you can expect a long professional life of railroading achievement. However, you are not alone in the world and other men possess the same dream as you.

Your skills as a tycoon are tested by competing railroads run by men such as Commodore Vanderbilt, James Hill, and J. P. Morgan, determined to crush you or brush you from their path. Running your own railroad well is not going to be enough if your competitors do better, or raise the money to take you over.

You begin Railroad Tycoon by choosing one of six different world maps to play on: Northeastern America, Western North America,

INTRODUCTION

North America, South America, Africa or Central Europe. Some of these regions also offer a selection for the historical year in which the game starts. Each region has its own geography, economic opportunities, and locomotive technology.

These six worlds were chosen for their specific interest or railroad history. The Northeast United States witnessed the beginning of railroading in America, and fostered many of the world’s most famous railroads. The Western USA was the site of some of railroading’s greatest construction efforts, the building of transcontinental railroads. Europe remains very railroad oriented, and France is running some of the fastest trains in the world.

North America has been blessed with huge amounts of natural resources which, combined with a rapidly growing population, present opportunities which can not be found on any other continent. South America hosts some of the most rugged and challenging terrain in the world, including the Andes and the Amazon Rain Forest. In Africa there are vast amounts of natural resources, which are land locked by a weak industrial base and a turbulent political setting.

Each new world map is empty of railroads but full of the opportunity to earn money hauling freight and passengers. You must parlay one million dollars of loans and stockholder investments into a functioning, revenue earning business. If you dawdle or make too many mistakes, expect to be forcibly retired by irate stockholders or see your company gobbled up by a competitor.

You simultaneously wear the hats of construction superintendent, master of the road, dispatcher, chief financial officer, and chief executive officer. You decide where to lay tracks, what types of trains to put in service, when to schedule trains, where to change the types of cars in a train, when to upgrade equipment, where to add facilities, where to encourage industry, and how best to finance expansion and improvements.

At any moment in the game your attention can be directed to several places: to find the best route for expansion toward a new city, to examine the maintenance costs of your locomotives to see if any are getting too high, to scan Station Boxes to see if one cargo or another

is piling up enough to justify another train, to look for new industries springing up in areas where you can provide service.

To succeed you must balance the investment of your limited funds between more construction projects, adding more trains, adding more facilities, and stock purchases. Profitable investment decisions increase your revenue and make possible further expansion and service improvements. But keep your eye on the stock market to see what your competitors are up to and don’t let them ambush you.

Competing railroads are operated by their presidents in the style of their historical personality. Expect a road run by Jay Gould to look for stock market profits and take every opportunity to raid your stock. Jim Hill can be expected to build an extensive and profitable system. Beware of his propensity to quickly grab access to profitable areas, blocking you out if possible.

Competing railroads can be attacked operationally by building tracks into their stations and starting rate wars. The railroad that does the best job of providing service to the city is given a monopoly on local service by the city council. The loser must withdraw from the city, forfeiting his investment in track and stations. By this tactic you can reduce the earnings of competitors and continue your expansion.

Alternatively, you may invest in the stock of competing railroads and possibly take them over. If you get control of another railroad, you can direct its finances and expansion, using it to help your road or block competitors.

Your ultimate goal as a Railroad Tycoon is to run the most profitable railroad that you can and retire to a prestigious position, perhaps even becoming President of the United States. If your railroad is sufficiently profitable at your retirement you may be enshrined in the railroader’s Hall of Fame.

If you aren’t able to make the grade as a railroad president, you may be able to find work as a snake oil salesman or circus impresario.

Consider a railroad operating between Baltimore and Philadel-

phia. The railroad has laid a single track between these cities, setting up stations at each city where cargo can be put on trains and taken off. The railroad also purchases a locomotive and some freight cars. It advertises service between these cities leaving Baltimore at certain hours and arriving in Philadelphia roughly an hour after leaving Baltimore. Return trips are also scheduled from Philadelphia and take about an hour to reach Baltimore.

Businesses in either city have the ability to use the railroad to

ship goods back and forth. Whether the railroad is used for shipment or not depends on the relative cost, safety, and timeliness of railroad shipment versus alternative shippers (trucks, ships, airplanes, etc.). This Baltimore & Philadelphia Railroad (the B&P) can only draw business by providing the required service at attractive prices, and thereby staying competitive with other transport modes.

Once the B&P has started carrying cargos, it must balance its

expenses and revenues to remain in business. The start-up costs of the railroad are the land it had to purchase to place its tracks, the cost of track construction plus any bridges or tunnels required along the way, station facilities, maintenance facilities, its locomotive and freight cars. All of these items plus operating personnel must be in place before the first train can run.

After operations begin, the railroad has to provide fuel for the

locomotive, maintenance expenses for equipment, and salaries for the work force. The revenue earned by the railroad must be sufficient to cover the expense of construction, operation, and provision for the future.

For the B&P, the future may mean upgrading stations, buying

additional locomotives and cars to carry more freight, double tracking the line so trains can simultaneously run in both directions, building signal systems so that multiple trains can run on the same track without colliding, freight yards, new car types for special cargos, etc. Railroads must constantly evolve because technology and service demands are changing and they must adapt to remain competitive.

WHAT IS A RAILROAD

All railroads, regardless of their size, are composed of three elements linked together for one function. Track, locomotives, and cars are combined to move people and things from one place to another.

The strengths and efficiencies of a railroad come from the elements that make it up and how they work together. Tracks make it possible for enormous loads to be supported, guided, and moved at one time. The cars are designed to carry specific cargos, for ease of loading and unloading, and for safe movement in combination. The locomotives make the railroads go. Supported and guided by the tracks, they can pull long trains of loaded cars at relatively low cost.

A railroad train is made up of a locomotive, or source of motive power, and the cargo cars lined up behind it to be pulled. The types of engines and cars that make up the train are called the consist. For example, a train consist might be a single 1500 horsepower (hp) locomotive and 20 coal hopper cars.

In a typical railroad operation, a crew of three or more men (engineer, conductor, brakeman, etc.) are assigned a locomotive and a train to pull. The crew takes the locomotive from the engine house out to the departure yard and connects up to the waiting train previously assembled by the yard crew. The conductor checks the train against its manifest to be sure everything is in order and okays movement. Following train orders from the dispatcher, the crew begins its trip, pulling the train from the yard out onto the track of the mainline.

On the mainline the engineer takes over, controlling the speed of the train according to speed limits posted along the right-of-way, watching the signals that additionally govern movement and speed in each block, watching the track ahead for obstacles, making proper horn signals at crossings, and monitoring the performance of the locomotive. The brakeman’s duties on the road are mainly to watch the train itself, looking out for smoking wheel bearings or other conditions that might result in an accident.

At the end of its run, the train pulls into the receiving yard of another terminal and the crew uncouples the locomotive from the cars. They head to the engine house for maintenance and refueling of the locomotive, while the train is turned over to yard crews who break up the train and place the cars into other trains that take them on to their destinations.

Railroads earn their money by being paid to move things. In the case of freight goods, the railroad and shipper make arrangements for the cargo to be loaded into a freight car. The railroad then arranges for the car to be picked up and added to a passing train. This train pulls the car towards its destination, perhaps directly there, perhaps only to a rendezvous with another train which carries it on farther. Ultimately the railroad brings the car to its destination where the receiver of the cargo arranges to get the goods out of the carrying car.

The railroad is paid a fee for the delivery. This fee is normally prearranged and paid upon delivery within a reasonable period. Because a late or damaged delivery may reduce the fee or drive business to alternative transportation modes, railroads must be operated safely and according to schedules which assure timely service.

Railroads today generate most of their revenue and profits from hauling large, heavy trains over long distances. In this role they continue to be the most efficient carrier. The purpose of most railroad operations is to get freight into and out of these long trains quickly and safely.

Railroads came into existence because their technology offered transportation at speeds and costs previously unimagined. They continue to prosper today, despite competition from other transportation modes, because in certain situations they are clearly more efficient than any alternative.

BEFORE YOU

START

Sorting the Materials

This Manual provides detailed instructions on how to play and information on the background of railroad construction, operation, and finances. The manual text is printed in two main type faces, normal and italic. Text in normal type usually discusses specific instructions. Text in italic type is usually a commentary on the information discussed in normal type. When you are looking for specific information in a manual section, look first in the normal type parts. The manual applies to all computer systems.

The Technical Supplement gives specific instructions for loading and/or installing the game on your computer. It also provides a complete reference of all the graphics and keys used in the game.

The Player Aid Cards offer a handy reference for the economic relationships of the various industries and geographic features on the individual region maps.

Learning the Game

Study Method: You can study the actual controls and instructions in this manual. Begin by reading through the Interface Introduction, Pre-Game Options, Reading And Using The Displays. Now begin play and refer back to the instructions as needed.

Jump Right In Method: This is the most popular with experienced computer game players. We recommend you at least read through the Interface Introduction, Pre-Game Options, and Reading And Using The Displays, but even this is not necessary. Refer to the manual’s instructions for help with problems that arise.

The interface of Railroad Tycoon was primarily designed to take advantage of the mouse. A keyboard/mouse combination is recommended for play, as the keyboard functions do not operate as specified without a mouse.

Throughout this manual there are references to certain keys, the Selector, Selector 1, and Selector 2. Because the manual is written for all machine formats you need to refer to the Technical Supplement to learn what these keys or buttons are.

The interface relies heavily on menus. At every point where you can perform game functions there is a menu bar available from which menus can be accessed.

INTERFACE INTRODUCTION

Throughout the manual you are instructed to pull down menus to open them up and reveal the options they contain. To open a menu using the mouse, place the mouse pointer on the name of the menu in the menu bar and press Selector 1.

You can also pull down a menu by pressing the keyboard letter key for the first letter in the name of the menu. For example, the Game menu is opened by pressing the G key.

When a menu is opened, the choices it contains appear listed in a menu window.

In Railroad Tycoon there are generally two types of menus. The most common is simply a list of choices from which you choose the one desired. Making your selection usually closes the menu and implements your choice at the same time.

In the second type of menu, the options are either toggled on or

off. Options that are on are noted by a check mark. Options that are off have no check mark. To exit these menus press Selector 1 outside

and below the menu or press Selector 2.

Opening Menus

Menu Types

Menu Choices

To make your choice of the options available using the mouse,

place the mouse pointer on your selection and press Selector 1.

Alternatively, you can open a menu by placing the mouse pointer on the menu name, pressing and holding down Selector 1, and dragging the mouse pointer down from the menu name. As you drag the pointer down the length of the opened menu, its options are highlighted one by one. To select an option, drag the pointer down until the option of your choice is highlighted, and then release Selector 1.

The menus can also be accessed using the Hot Key, the first letter of the menu option, and then by using the Direction keys to move a highlight bar up and down the menu until the choice you want is highlighted. Then press the Selector 1 key to make your choice. Note that in most menus the highlight bar does not appear until you press a Direction key, usually the one that moves downward.

When you are using the mouse, if you have opened a menu and wish to make no choice, you can accomplish this by either moving the mouse pointer below the menu and pressing Selector 1, or just by pressing Selector 2.

Shortcut Keys

Even when using the mouse, there are places when one key can save several steps. Included in the interface are several of these shortcuts, described in the Technical Supplement. These keys are normally accessed with the left hand, leaving the right hand free to use the mouse.

When playing Railroad Tycoon, you spend most of your time viewing one map display or another. In order to be able to move around the various maps you need to understand how to scroll.

In order to scroll, move the mouse pointer to any part of the map visible, and press one of the following: Selector 2 or the shortcut key for the map display that you are on. The Center key (C) can also be used to redraw the map with the current cursor location centered. The map immediately centers on the position of the pointer.

Map Scrolling

PRE-GAME

OPTIONS

The beginning of a game of Railroad Tycoon requires you to make a number of choices regarding the parameters and location of the game you wish to play.

To begin a game of Railroad Tycoon, follow the instructions in the Technical Supplement for booting the game. After the title and credit screens, you may be required to answer a few technical questions regarding your hardware, depending on the machine format you are using. You then proceed to the selection of pre-game options.

Game/World

Options

Difficulty Levels

The first menu that appears asks you to choose which game to load:

“Start New RR” “Load Saved RR” “Load Tutorial”

Choose “Start New RR” to begin a new game. Choose “Load Saved RR” to load a previously saved game. A menu of your saved games appears and you choose the one you wish to load. Choose “Load Tutorial” to load the tutorial railroad. After you have completed one year of play, you will also be given the option to resume a game from the end of the last completed year.

The next menu asks you to choose the world you wish to play in:

“Eastern USA” “Western USA” “North America” “South America” “Africa” “Europe”

If there are multiple time periods for the world you have chosen, a box will pop up displaying the optional dates.

You are next asked to choose the level of difficulty at which you wish to play:

“Investor” “Financier” “Mogul” “Tycoon”

The Investor level is the easiest level to play and the difficulty increases as you move down the list. The level of difficulty affects how

much revenue is earned by each delivery. You may run your Railroad for 100 years unless forced into early retirement.

The level of difficulty chosen also affects your tycoon rating when

you retire, as explained below in the section on Difficulty Factors.

After you have chosen the difficulty level, you are then asked to set the level of reality at which you wish to play. A menu appears with three reality levels listed:

“No Collision Operation/Dispatcher Operation” “Friendly Competition/Cut-Throat Competition” “Basic Economy/Complex Economy”

This menu differs from most others in that each option is actually a toggle between two choices. The option that is shown in the menu is the active option of each pair. If you choose an option, that option is turned off and is replaced by the other one of the pair.

If the menu currently lists “No Collision Operation”, then the game is set to run in the No Collision Mode. If you choose the “No Collisions” option from the menu, that turns on the “Dispatcher Operation” option and the game is set to play with more complex train operations. In this case, the movement of trains is controlled by block signals, and collisions are possible (see Operating Trains, page 86). New players should choose No Collisions.

If the competition is friendly, they do not buy your stock, attempt to take you over (see Stock Market Takeovers), or start rate wars at your stations (see Rate Wars). If the competition is cut-throat, they aggressively buy your stock, try to take you over, and start rate wars to capture your stations. New players should keep the competition friendly.

In a basic economy every station serving a moderate size city demands all cargos. This makes it easier to make money, because any cargos that you can pick up can be delivered to any city station. In a complex economy the demand at a station is determined by demand of the industry and community it serves (see Railroad Stations). New players should play with a simple economy until comfortable with the concepts of supply and demand.

Reality Levels

For each of the reality levels, choosing the easier option makes the game easier to play by dropping out some concepts a new player then doesn’t have to think about. As you get more familiar with the mechanics of the game and the decisions that must be made, you can selectively increase the reality level of your games.

In addition to making the game more or less easier to play, setting the reality level has an effect on the difficulty factor explained below.

The Difficulty Factor

The difficulty factor is a measure of the degree of difficulty that you have set for your game. When you retire or are forcibly retired, the difficulty factor helps to determine your retirement bonus and tycoon ranking. The difficulty factor is a percentage, from 25% to 100%, and the higher the percentage, the higher your ranking is, other things being equal.

The difficulty factor has two general components, the levels of difficulty and reality that you have set for your game. Each level of difficulty has a difficulty factor value.

To these factors are added the factors from each of the reality levels. The easier levels of reality have a 0% difficulty factor. The difficult levels of reality are each assigned a number of difficulty factors that are added to your total when selected.

When you are setting the level of reality for your game, the Difficulty Factor window is also visible. Within this window is displayed the current difficulty factor of your game, ranging up to a maximum of 100%, and set at first by the level of difficulty that you have already chosen. As you adjust the reality levels, you can see the difficulty factor changing with each adjustment.

New players should start with a very modest reality level. A difficulty factor of 100% is achieved by playing at the tycoon level with all three of the difficult reality levels turned on. This is the ultimate Railroad Tycoon challenge.

The effect of your difficulty factor on your retirement bonus reflects the number of jobs you took on as president of your railroad. If you additionally acted as your railroad’s dispatcher, had to battle much fiercer competition, and acted as your railroad’s shipping agent, then your bonus is going to be larger.

When you are satisfied with the reality levels that you have chosen and the difficulty factor that results from your choices, press the Selector 1 key, or Selector 2 if using the mouse, to proceed.

This ends the pre-game choices you need to make to begin play. At this point the map is drawn and mountains, resources, and cities are added to complete the world for your game.

As prompted, press any key to begin play.

READING AND

USING THE

DISPLAYS

After you finish choosing the pre-game options, the game opens at the Regional Display. The main feature of this display is the world map chosen for this game shown in the display window. The other important features of this display are the Menu Bar, the Train Roster, the date, your railroad’s current cash, and the World View window. These features are found on the other displays as well.

You spend the majority of the game playing from the displays, and you need to understand what you are seeing and how you can perform game functions from these displays to play well.

Regional Display

Menu Bar

Regional Display

Track of the Johnstown & Williamsport RR

Track of the Charlottesville & Richmond RR

sider building your railroad. Normally this is an area where at least two good sized cities are close enough together to make building a railroad between them a reasonable proposition.

Current Cash

Date

Destination of Train #1

Train #1

Pointer

Train Roster Window

Track of the Dover & Wilmington RR

The Regional Display

This display shows the entire world chosen for your game. In the case of the Tutorial Railroad, from which the above illustration comes, the game world is the Eastern USA. You should be able to recognize the rivers and coastlines. Refer to the Technical Supplement to learn what the different colors that are visible on land represent.

This display gives you the complete picture of the world. It shows the basic geography, including the location of mountains and rivers, and also indicates centers of population. If railroads have started operating, they are visible as well.

From the Regional Display you can pick out likely areas to con-

Across the top of the entire window is the menu bar. From here you gain access to a number of menus from which you can change game parameters, save games, jump to other displays, read railroad reports, build railroad equipment and structures, and perform other game functions. In the following sections, the individual menus that are found on the menu bar are described in detail.

The Menu Bar

When opened, the Game menu consists of 6 options:

“Game Speed” “Train Messages” “News Reports” “Features” “Repeat Message” “Save Game”

You can open this menu and make choices from it at any time during the game. The 5 possible options have these functions:

Game Speed: Choose this option to vary the speed of the game. A new menu opens listing the 5 game speed options:

“Frozen” “Slow” “Moderate” “Fast” “Turbo”

Choose “Frozen” to completely stop the passage of time. This allows you to examine geography, build track, place stations, etc., while all trains and activities of competing railroads are halted. In addition, although you may call your broker, he won’t answer until time starts moving again.

“Slow”, “Moderate”, and “Fast” are simply relative scales of time, each faster than the other with no additional effect.

“Turbo” speed is another special case, that not only triggers the fastest passage of time, but the game does not pause as is normal for any messages or end of year fiscal reports. The game just continues playing at top speed with no stops.

Train Messages: This option refers to the train arrival announcements that appear in the World View window at the top right of the

The Game Menu

display. Normally a report appears in this window each time a train arrives at a station. This report lists the number of the train, where it has arrived, the time of arrival, what cargos are delivered, and the revenues earned by the delivery. By choosing the “Train Messages” option, you open another menu that gives you the choice of turning off these messages, or having them go away fast or slowly.

News Reports: Choosing this option opens another menu from

which you can set the type of news reports you wish to receive. From this menu you control the presence of the reduced sized newspaper reports that appear from time to time. If you are getting the information, the option has a check mark next to it. If you have the option turned off, the check mark is missing. Your options are:

“Financial News” “Railroad News” “Local News”

•Financial News: These are mainly reports on the financial activities of competing railroads, specifically the stock that they are buying and selling. You do not receive news of their bond sales and purchases unless the competing railroad transacting bonds owns stock in your railroad.

•Railroad News: These are reports on the non-financial activities of the competing railroads, such as the start up of a new railroad, and the building of new stations and track.

•Local News: These reports refer to events on your railroad such as the presence of a Priority Shipment or a change in the local supply or demand due to the loss or addition of industry (only when playing with a Complex Economy).

Repeat Message: If you were not able to read the last message

that appeared, you can choose this option to have the message repeated.

Save Game: The game you are currently playing is saved at the

moment you make this choice. You are asked which of the 4 saved game files you wish to place the saved game in. Thereafter, this game can be called up again and play resumes from the exact moment when you saved it. If you choose to write the saved game into a file that holds a previously saved game, the older game is eliminated.

The Display menu consists of 6 choices:

“Regional Display” “Area Display” “Local Display” “Detail Display” “Options” “Find City”

This menu is used to zoom in or out among the displays, or to change the information shown on the displays. The Regional Display is the farthest zoom, and the Detail Display is the closest zoom. How best to zoom from this menu depends on whether you have a mouse or not.

If you have a mouse, pull down the Display menu and choose the display option you wish to see. You are prompted to “Click on map center”. Place the mouse pointer in the area of the current display to which you wish to zoom and press Selector 1. The new display centers on the mouse pointer.

Alternatively, the shortcut keys shown on the menu can be used with either the mouse or keyboard interface. To use the shortcut keys, center either the cursor or the mouse pointer in the area you wish to examine, and press the shortcut key specific for the display you wish to see. The new display centers on the area you marked.

Options: By choosing this option, you open another menu from which you may toggle on or off information reported on the displays. The information that can be toggled on or off are the Station Boxes and the Resource Map. If the information is on, the option has a check mark next to it. Information toggled off has no check mark.

The Display Menu

•Station Boxes: If checked, Station Boxes are visible from the

Area and Local Displays. If not checked these reports are removed.

•Resource Map: If checked, this option converts the Area and Local Display maps to Resource Maps to help you find nearby sources of cargo supply and demand. If not checked, the normal Area and Local displays appear.

The Reports Menu

The Reports menu consists of 7 choices:

“Balance Sheet” “Income Statement” “Train Income” “Stocks” “Accomplishments” “Efficiency” “History”

Choose the option you wish to examine, and the report opens. Each of these reports is explained in more detail elsewhere in this manual, but a short description is included below.

Balance Sheet: A financial statement from your railroad that shows its current condition in terms of assets, liabilities, and the retained earnings, or profits over its lifetime.

Income Statement: Another financial report showing your railroad’s revenues and expenses, both for the fiscal period to date, and lifetime of the railroad.

Train Income: A list of every train running on your railroad and information about that train, especially the revenue it has earned so far this period and in its lifetime.

Stocks: A graph that plots the prices of your stock and the stock of the competing railroads.

Accomplishments: A list of the major accomplishments by your railroad including when it was founded, new stations, record revenues, etc.

Efficiency: A report on how efficient your railroad is in picking

up cargos waiting at stations, how full your trains are kept, the revenue you are earning per car, etc.

History: A graphic recreation of the growth of your railroad and

your competitors on a year by year basis.

The Build menu can consist of up to 7 choices, depending on what already exists on your railroad and what display you are currently at:

“New Train” “Build Station” “Build Industry” “Remove Track “Build Track” “Improve Station” “Upgrade Bridge”

Each of these build options is explained in more detail elsewhere in this manual, but a short description is included below.

New Train: Available from any display, choose this option to build a new train.

Build Station: Available only from the Detail Display and only after at least one track section has been laid, choose this option to build a new station on your railroad.

Build Industry: Available only from the Detail Display, choose this option to attempt to build a new industrial site, such as a steel mill, factory, etc.

The Build Menu

Remove Track/Build Track: Available only from the Detail

Display, this option toggles between building track and demolishing track. When the “Build Track” option is active, it is marked by a ( ) check mark. Similarly, there is a check mark next to the "Remove Track", when this is the active option. In addition, the color of the Construction Box box changes to reflect the active option, as explained in the Technical Supplement.

Improve Station: Available only from the Detail Display and only

if the Construction Box is centered over an existing station, choose this option to build improvements at the selected station, such as an engine shop, maintenance shop, post office, restaurant, etc.

Upgrade Bridge: Available only from the Detail Display and only

if the Construction Box is centered over an existant bridge, choose this option to replace an existing bridge with a better one.

The Action Menu

The Action menu consists of 5 choices, or actions that you as

president of your railroad can undertake:

“Call Broker” “Survey” “Name RR” “Reality Levels” “Retire”

You can open this menu and make choices from it at any time

during the game. The 5 possible options have these functions:

Call Broker: Gets you in contact with your stock broker so that

you can buy and sell stocks and bonds. You can buy the stock of your own railroad or the stock of a competing railroad. Also through your broker you can direct the operations of any railroads that you control. (See Calling Your Broker and Controlling Other Railroads.) Your broker may not always be able to return your call because he is currently taking calls from competing railroads or because you have frozen time. If you have a call placed, a letter B appears to the left of your current cash indicating that your broker will get back to you as soon as he can, and that you don’t have to keep calling.

Survey: Available only from the Detail Display, choosing this option calls in your engineers to survey the area visible on the display map. The engineers mark the elevation of the area in order to help you plan where best to lay your tracks to minimize grades. (See Surveys And Grades.)

Name RR: Choosing this option allows you to give your railroad a new name. A window opens and prompts you to type in the name you desire. In addition to the full name, you are asked for a 3 letter handle for your railroad that is used in places where the full name would take too much space. For example, the handle of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad might be the B&O.

Reality Levels: Choosing this option opens a new menu of the game options that you selected when beginning play (see Pre-Game Options, page 16). You may turn these options on or off from this menu. The reality levels that can be changed are:

•No Collision Operations/Dispatcher Operation: New players

should choose No Collisions.

•Friendly Competition/Cut-Throat Competition: New players

should keep the competition friendly.

•Basic Economy/Complex Economy: New players should play

with the Basic Economy.

Retire: Choose this option to end the game or to see how you are doing at this time. By choosing this option, you receive a report on what your retirement bonus would be if you retired now, and what occupation your performance indicates that you are best suited for. Press Selector 1 to open a menu that gives you a chance to return to the game or really retire.

The World

View Window

This small window is most often used to show you at a glance the part of the world map that is currently shown in the display window. It is also used to display Train Arrival Announcements when one of your trains arrives at a station. (Note that how long Train Arrival Announcements linger in this window, or whether they appear at all can be determined by you from the Game menu.)

When the world map is shown within the World View window, a box is drawn around the part of the world that is currently shown in the display window. Since it would not make any sense to show this map when you are at the Regional Display, the Railroad Tycoon logo is shown in the window instead.

Current Cash

Date

The amount of money shown here is the cash your railroad currently has on hand to spend. The color of this number (as described in the Technical Supplement) indicates whether the balance is positive or negative. A negative cash balance is the current amount of short term loans that you have outstanding (see Short Term Loans).

This is the current month and year of your Railroad Tycoon game. Each game begins in the month of January of the starting year. For example, games in the Eastern USA begin as early as January of

1830. The end of December in each odd-numbered year ends a fiscal period in the game and you review the financial reports of your railroad at that time. At the end of December of each year, you are charged interest on your bonds and short term loans.

This roster is a list of your trains, in order, from Train #1 at the top, down to the last train on your railroad (see Train Roster, page 65). From this roster you can tell at a glance the cars currently in a train, whether they are loaded or empty, the train’s destination, whether it is currently paused or not, its relative speed, and whether or not it is carrying a Priority Shipment. If a Priority Shipment is available on your railroad, the current reward for its delivery is shown at the bottom of the Train Roster.

From the roster you can obtain more detailed information about each train and make changes to its route and consist by opening its Train Report (see Train Reports).

The Train Roster

The Area Display

Station Name

Station Boxes

Train #1

Track Station Signal

The Area Display

This is the next zoom down from the Regional Display and is a schematic display of your railroad. It shows no geography, but only the track, signals, trains, stations, and Station Boxes (if not toggled off) of your Railroad. For this display you may toggle off the Station Boxes (see Display Menu) and toggle on or off the Resource Map (see Resource Map).

This display is useful when you want to see more of your railroad at one time than you can at the Local Display. From here it is also easier to pick out the railroad features since the local geography is hidden.

The Local Display

This is the second zoom down from the Regional Display and shows not only your railroad’s features, but also the local geography and industry. From this display you can plan the expansion of your railroad into nearby areas with good population centers or industrial sites, while keeping the location of mountain and river obstacles in view.

On this display you may also toggle on or off the Station Boxes of your stations or the Resource Map.

Local Display

Coal Mine

Steel Mill

Local Display

Train #2

Cities Factory

Tracks of the Charlottesville & Richmond RR

Train #1

Regional Map Section

Detail Display

City of Charlottesville

Steel Mill

Detail Display

Charlottesville Station

Train #1

Tracks of the Charlottesville & Richmond RR

Construction Box

Regional Map Section

Factory

Richmond Station

River

City of Richmond

The Detail Display

This is the closest zoom possible, and is the display at which all railroad construction is done. This display shows in greatest detail the geography, population centers, and industrial sites on the map. From this display only, you may survey the local geography and plan in detail the laying of track (see Surveys and Grades).

This display is also the most useful when planning train movements that require the overriding of block signals (see Overriding A Block Signal), because you get the clearest view of the relative locations of your trains on your tracks.

A game of Railroad Tycoon can end in one of four ways. First, if you are thrown out of office and replaced as president of your railroad by irate stockholders (see Stockholder Happiness), the game ends immediately. Second, if another railroad manages to buy enough stock to gain control of your railroad, your services are no longer required and the game ends immediately (see Stock Market Takeovers). Third, the game will end after one hundred years. Fourth, you have the option of retiring at any time.

ENDING THE GAME

AND

Ending The Game

WINNING

Regardless of how the game ends, your performance is rated according to several factors, including the value of the railroad when you retired, the number of years that you were president, the difficulty factor of your game, the number of competing railroads, if any, that you control, and whether you were thrown out of office.

The resulting retirement rating is your retirement bonus and final rank as a tycoon, and indicates the job that you are most qualified for after retirement. Post retirement jobs range from Snake Oil Peddler, the worst, to Secretary of the Treasury, the best. In the final scene of each game you are shown a picture of yourself in your new position.

Throughout play, as you reach new levels of achievement you may receive offers of other jobs. These offers give you a general idea of how you are doing in the tycoon rankings.

If you do an exceptional job as railroad president, upon your retirement you may be elected into the Railroader’s Hall Of Fame. This is a select group of the 5 greatest Railroad Tycoons. If your tycoon ranking is high enough, you are given the opportunity to add your name to the list.

Tycoon Rankings

Railroader’s Hall Of Fame

TUTORIAL RAILROAD

To help new players understand the major concepts of Railroad Tycoon, a working railroad has been started and is described in this section. Follow the instructions for loading this railroad and read through this section with the railroad on your screen. Before attempting to follow the tutorial you need to at least be familiar with the manual section Interface Introduction.

To load the tutorial railroad, follow the instructions for setting the Pre-Game Options up to the point where you have the option of starting a new railroad, loading a saved railroad, or loading the tutorial. Choose “Load Tutorial”. This action skips the remainder of the pre-game options and takes you into the tutorial railroad game. The first step is the drawing of the world map. When the map is complete, press any key to begin the game.

TUTORIAL RAILROAD

After you press any key from the previous step, the Regional Display opens. Before you do anything else, pull down the Game menu at the top left of the display on the menu bar and choose the option “Game Speed”. From the new menu that opens, choose “Frozen”. This action freezes time until you change game speed again, and allows you to look around your new railroad before resuming operation.

Looking Around

Regional Display

Menu Bar

Regional Display

Track of the Hagerstown & Harper’s Ferry

Track of the Charlottesville & Richmond RR

this world map. For a more detailed description of what you are seeing on these displays and how to use them, refer to the manual section Reading And Using The Displays, page 20.

For now, just pull down the menus listed across the menu bar, one at a time, to familiarize yourself with the options they contain. Note that some of the options have shortcut keys listed after them. You can use these keys to choose the corresponding option without having to use the menus.

After you have looked at the menus, open the next display down, the “Area Display”. There are several ways to do this, but for now open the Display menu by pressing “d” and use the Direction key to highlight “Area Display”. Press the Enter key to select “Area Display”

Current Cash

Date

Destination of Train #1

Train #1

Pointer

Train Roster Window

Track of the Salisbury & Dover

You are looking at the Regional Display. In the biggest window of the display is the map of the Eastern USA world, and you should be able to recognize the Great Lakes, rivers, and Atlantic coastline. In the bottom right area of the map, just north of one of the rivers, is an angled line that is a different color from the rivers. This is the track of your railroad, the Charlottesville and Richmond. Throughout this tutorial the Charlottesville and Richmond is referred to by its handle, the C&R.

When you play Railroad Tycoon, you spend the majority of your time at this display or one of the three other similar displays. The other three displays are similar in design, except that the maps they show are closer zooms of

and click on the screen just below the visible track of the C&R when

The Area Display

prompted.

This display is a schematic representation of your railroad, and shows no geography. The parts of your railroad that are visible are the tracks, stations, signals, trains, and Station Boxes. The Station Boxes graphically report which cargos are supplied

Station Name

Station Boxes

and/or demanded at each of your stations, and are described in more detail in the manual section

Train #1

Station Boxes.

Notice that the display features surrounding the map window have remained unchanged, with one important exception. To the top right of the display where

Track Station Signal

the game’s logo previously appeared, there now appears a section of the world map. Within this map section a box appears. The area within the box is the area of the world map now visible within the display window.

This Area Display can be modified to change the information it reports. To see this, open the Display menu and choose “Options”. Notice on the menu that appears that Station Boxes are checked, indicating they are on, and that Resource Map is not checked, indicating that it is off. Take the time now to switch these features on and off, pressing Selector 2 after each change to see the effect.

As you play, you may find it helpful to have the Station Boxes turned off to see more of the surrounding area. The Resource Map shows you at a glance the location of industry and population that

Local Display

Coal Mine

Steel Mill

Local Display

Train #2

Train #1 Cities Factory

Tracks of the Charlottesville & Richmond RR

found on the Player Aid Cards. The parts of your railroad are represented in the same manner as they were on the Area Display.

Note that the display features surrounding the map window have remained unchanged from the Area Display. Also, on this display you may turn off the Shipping Reports or turn on the Resource Map, as was possible on the Area Display.

From this display, for the first time, you can obtain information about some of the map features. Using the mouse, place the pointer on the icon two squares below the Charlottesville station, and press Selector 1. The icon is revealed as a steel mill.

Regional Map Section

supply and demand goods. For more information, see Resource Map.

Before going on to the next display, reset the options to Station Boxes on and Resource Map off. To zoom in closer to the C&R, open the Display menu with the keyboard and choose "Local Display". Click just below the Charlottesville Station Box (the box marked "Cha") when prompted. Open the Display menu with the keyboard and choose “Local Display”.

This display is a closer look at your railroad and the nearby geography. Now you can see map icons that represent the different types of terrain, industry, and population centers. These icons are described in detail in the World Economies Chart

To zoom in as close as possible to the C&R, Open the Display menu with the keyboard and choose "Detail Display". Then

Detail Display

City of Charlottesville

Charlottesville Station

click on the track...half-way between the Charlottesville and Richmond stations... when prompted.

This display is the closest zoom you can achieve, and the most detailed view of the map and your railroad available. From this view you can see the trains

Steel Mill

moving in detail, including the smoke puffing from their stacks. Also visible in the greatest detail are the map icons for the geography and industries. The icons now visible are the ones shown in the World Economies Chart on the Player Aid Cards. Also visible for the first time are the names of

Detail Display

Tracks of the Charlottesville & Richmond

Train #1

the cities on the map.

From the Detail Display you can obtain information about the map features present, as you can from the Local Display. However, the Station Boxes are no longer visible and the Resource Map cannot be turned on.

The Detail Display is the display where all railroad construction is conducted. From this display you lay track and build stations. How to perform these functions is described later in the tutorial. Before beginning construction, you should examine a few reports to get a better idea of how your railroad is operating.

Regional Map Section

Factory

Richmond Station

River

City of Richmond

Construction Box

Station Report

Station Supply

Station Name

Station Construction Date

Engine Shop Icon

Station Reports

Station Demand

Station Size

Station Icon

for Richmond you see that it also supplies mail and passengers.

This presents you with an opportunity to run mail and/or passenger trains back and forth between the two cities, hauling mail and passengers between them. At each end you can pick up a cargo, take it to the other city for delivery, and then pick up a similar cargo for the return trip.

The information regarding the local cargo supply and demand is also available in the Station Boxes visible from the Area and Local Displays mentioned earlier. You use the Station Boxes and the more detailed Station Reports to help plan where you wish trains to run. For a more detailed discussion of how stations work, see Railroad Stations.

Move the Construction Box onto the Charlottesville Station icon and press the Information key or press Selector 1 on your mouse. Either way you open the Station Report for the station at Charlottesville. This report shows you how big the station is, what improvements have been made there (only an engine shop at this time), what cargos are waiting to be picked up (cargos that are supplied there), and what cargos the city will pay for (what cargos are in demand there).

This information helps you plan what trains to run where. You learn, for example, that you can sell anything here that you can carry, and that the city is supplying mail and passengers. If you look at the Station Report

The tutorial railroad is set up to run at the lowest difficulty and reality levels. One of the reality options is the basic economy, where a city icon generates demand for all cargos. To quickly see how a complex economy works, return to the Detail Display from the Station Report, and pull down the Action menu. Choose the option “Reality Levels”, and from the menu that opens choose “Complex Economy”. This places a check mark next to the option indicating that the complex economy is turned on.

Now return to the Station Report for the Charlottesville station to see the effect of changing to a complex economy. The station will no longer pay for (demand) everything. It will pay only for those cargos that the surrounding industry and population want. The city wants mail, passengers, and goods, the steel mill wants coal, and the paper mill wants wood. These are the only cargos now in demand.

Before continuing with the tutorial, you can turn off the complex economy or leave it on as you wish. Next, it is time to examine one of your trains.

From the Detail Display, turn your attention to the Train Roster at the bottom right of the display. In this area are shown in order the three trains that already exist on your railroad. For each train the roster shows the number and types of cars in the train, the train’s destination, and other information as explained in the section Train Roster. For now you want to use the roster to open the detailed Train Report of Train #2.

To open the report, place the mouse pointer on the locomotive icon of Train #2 and press Selector 1.

Train Reports

Train Report

Train Number

Train Icons

Current Cargo

Priority Orders

Wait Until Full Orders

Train Route

Train Type

The Train Report that is now visible provides you with detailed information about this particular train, including what it is carry-

Train Location

Maintenance Costs per Fiscal Period

ing and where it is headed. For a

Destination

more complete discussion of what you can see here and what you can do to make changes, see Trains.

Of particular interest right now is the part of the report titled Scheduled Stops at the

Priority Consist

bottom left. Listed here are the four stops planned for this train. To the right of the planned stops,

Planned Consist Changes

under New Consist, some freight cars are visible. The stops and consist changes for this train have been planned to take advantage of opportunities for profit along the C&R.

If you return to the Local Display of the C&R, you can see the reasons for the schedule and consist of Train #2. At Char-

lottesville Junction there is supply of coal and at Charlottesville is a steel mill that wants coal. The steel mill takes the coal and converts it into steel, creating a supply of steel. In Richmond there is a factory that wants steel. If it gets steel, it converts the steel into manufactured goods. The city of Charlottesville wants manufactured goods.

So Train #2 has been scheduled to load coal at Charlottesville Junction into a coal car. It then travels to Charlottesville, delivering the coal. The coal becomes steel. Train #2 takes off its coal car and puts on a steel car to carry away the steel. The steel is carried to Richmond and delivered to the factory. The factory converts the steel to manufactured goods, creating a supply of goods. Train #2 takes off its steel car and puts on a goods car to carry the goods back to

Charlottesville. After reaching Charlottesville a second time and delivering the goods, the train switches to a coal car again and starts the route over again.

Note that next to Charlottesville Junction on the list of Scheduled Stops there is a letter “W”. This indicates that this train is ordered to wait at this stop until it is fully loaded before leaving. How this order is placed and the advantage it offers is explained in Wait Until Full Orders.

Note that at this time, Train #2 is listed as a Fast Freight Local. Open the Train Type menu and select the choice “Limited”. This changes Train #2 to a Fast Freight Limited, and the train now only stops at the stations listed in its schedule, and only in the order listed. In the manual section on Routing Trains, the reasons for making this change are explained in detail.

The manual sections on Routing Trains and Train Consist explain how schedules such as this one for Train #2 are arranged. If you wish, read these sections now. For practice, take Train #3, now hauling coal to Charlottesville, and give it the same schedule and consist of Train #2. Before leaving this report, however, pull down the other menus across the top to see what options are available.

The first real step in getting a new railroad operating is laying track. Although the C&R is already operating, it is going to have to expand to grow and increase revenues. You are going to lay some track to the north of Charlottesville to connect up to the lumber mill on the map in that direction. Wood from the lumber mill can be carried to the paper mill and converted into paper, as noted on the World Economies Chart (see the Player Aid Cards).

To build some new track, return to the Detail Display and place the Construction Box on the track section directly below the paper mill that is to the east of the Charlottesville station. Now press the Track Construction key for laying track in a northeast direction. You see a new track section appear, branching off from the mainline to Richmond. Lay one more section in a northeast direction.

Because the terrain directly ahead is hills, it might pay to survey the local area to see what the best route is. Press the Center key to

Laying Track

center the map on the Construction Box, and then open the Action menu and choose “Survey”. The elevations of all the visible map squares are revealed and this makes it clear that laying straight ahead would mean a steep rise in the relative elevation. However, if you build north for a while and then curve around the hills, the elevation changes remain reasonable. You can leave the survey on if you like, or remove it by pressing the Center key again.

Lay four more track sections straight north, and then one more northeast. That brings your track adjacent to the lumber mill. Note that with the laying of each track section, your cash is reduced. Cash is being spent for the track and the land, or right-of-way, that the track takes up. You now have the track completed for the connection to the lumber mill, and it’s time to put a station there to load the wood.

Building A Station

To build a station for the lumber mill, place the Construction Box on the track section that ends next to the mill. Pull down the Build menu and choose “Build Station”. A new menu appears from which you choose the type of facility to build. Also, the economic radius of the types of stations available appears centered around the Construction Box.

The economic radius is explained in further detail in the manual section How to Build a Station, page 58. Basically it represents how far people and industry are willing to travel to each station type to pick up deliveries or drop off cargos to be shipped. The better the station, the farther they will come. Since your station is going right next to the lumber mill and there are no other likely customers nearby, you need only build the smallest station, a Depot with a radius of one square in every direction.

Choose “Depot” from the list of options, and a station report for the new station at Charlottesville Crossing appears. This report shows that the station can be expected to supply 6 cars per year with a normal economy, and that no cargos are in demand here. Now that the track and a station have been built to a supply of wood, you need to put on a train to carry the wood to the paper mill.

To build a new train to carry the wood, pull down the Build menu and choose “New Train”. A new window appears offering you the choice of locomotives to put on the train. However, at this time, only one locomotive is available,the John Bull.

You make your selection by placing the mouse pointer on the icon of the locomotive on the left side of the window and then pressing Selector 1.

Next, you are taken to the Charlottesville Station where the new locomotive is built. The engine appears here because the only engine shop on your railroad is at Charlottesville. (For more information about the engine shop and other facilities that can be built at your station, see Station Improvements.

The new locomotive drives out of the engine shop and stops to the left of the station platform. At this point you add the cars that you want on the train. You can put as many as 8 cars on any train, but this tiny locomotive is not capable of pulling that many. As time passes and better engines are developed, you can build much bigger trains, but for now just put on one wood hopper car. When the hopper is on, choose “Continue” to complete the train. You now go to the Train Report for your new train, Train #4.

Your train is ready to go except that its schedule sends it back and forth from Charlottesville to Richmond. You want this train to go to Charlottesville Crossing instead, to pick up wood. You need to make this schedule change before allowing the train to start out.

To change the schedule, place the mouse pointer on the city name “Richmond” and press Selector 1. This opens the Route Map. Move the mouse pointer to the small box beside Charlottesville Crossing and press Selector 1. Press Selector 2 to return to the Train Report. Charlottesville Crossing is now stop #2 on the list of scheduled stops for Train #4. This train is now scheduled to run back and forth carrying wood to the paper mill at Charlottesville. You can now leave the Train Report.

Building A Train

Restarting

The Railroad

You have now examined the major game functions that you must understand to play Railroad Tycoon. Pull down the Game menu again and choose “Game Speed”. Set the speed to “Slow” and let your railroad begin operating. Take the time now to examine some of the reports found in the Reports menu. They are explained in detail in the manual chapter, Railroad Business. Zoom in and out among the displays, and turn on the Resource Map for a while to look for likely areas to expand the C&R.

It may be useful to save the C&R at this point, and then experiment with new routes, trains, and the reality options. To save the game at this point, pull down the Game menu and choose “Save Game.” Your first experiments with Dispatcher Operations may result in some collisions, unless you have studied the manual section on Operating Trains and have broken up your railroad into signal blocks. If things go wrong, simply reload the C&R from where you last saved it and try again.

Reality Experiments

If you decide to experiment with Dispatcher Operation, consider placing a signal tower halfway between Charlottesville and Richmond, and two more just after the switch on the way to Charlottesville Crossing. Place one on the mainline east of the switch and one on the branch line on the north side of the switch. Experimentation and reading the section on Operating Trains should make it clear how these signals can speed the movement of your trains.

The track between the new signals at the Charlottesville Crossing switch and Charlottesville can be double tracked to allow two trains at a time to move through this block.

You may also consider changing over to a complex economy. The C&R as set up for you can operate perfectly well with a complex economy. Further profitable expansion, however, will require that you understand how stations work, and the relationship between industry and cargos.

When you have finished experimenting, it is time to restart the game, select your new railroad world, and build your own railroad from the beginning.

RAILROAD ENGINEERING

Where a railroad places its track can make a significant difference in its operations and profits. If track is laid up a hill, every train using the route must slow down or increase power to make the climb. If the track is sharply curved, trains must again slow down to prevent derailment. Poor track planning increases costs and reduces earnings.

The most desirable track is straight and level, allowing trains to maximize speed in both directions. The more curves and grades, the slower trains can move and thus, the slower deliveries are made. Since most revenue is tied to speedy delivery, slow trains may be the difference between profits and losses.

Once a railroad decides to lay track between two points, the construction process takes several steps. The first is to send engineers into the country to survey the geography. The surveyors select a route that minimizes grades, curves, and right-of-way expense. Railroads must buy the land, or right-of-way, over which their tracks are to be laid. The route selected should pass over undeveloped and less expensive real estate where possible, rather than expensive residential or industrial areas.

Once the route is selected and the right-of-way acquired, track laying begins with the leveling of the roadbed to as nearly level a grade as possible. This may require earth fills in depressions, cuts through ridges, and bridges and tunnels for more serious obstacles. Once the road bed is prepared, on goes the gravel ballast, the wooden crossties, and finally, the steel rails.

In Railroad Tycoon you may also survey the areas through which you wish to lay track. By conducting your survey you can plan how best to run your tracks so as to minimize grades, curves, tunnels and

LAYING TRACK

bridges. Building tunnels and bridges greatly increases the cost of your track, but may be a better alternative to long detours or steep grades.

Your trains will move more slowly up steep grades and through tight curves, so good planning before the trains start running will increase your average train speed and profits over the life of your road. As construction engineer of your railroad, you must carefully balance the cost of alternative routes vs. their effects on your train operations.

How To Lay Track

Track is constructed on the Detail Display only. It is built in sections, one section at a time. A track section connects the center of one map square to the center of an adjacent square.

To lay a section of track, center the Construction Box on the map in the square from which you wish the track piece to be constructed.

Press the correct Track Construction key to build a section of track in the direction you desire. Watch the new track piece appear and note that the cost of the right-of-way and track construction are subtracted from your cash.

Once your first section of track is laid, you can continue putting down more track in any of six directions: straight ahead or back, a 45 degree angle to the left or right, or a 90 degree angle to the left or right. However, once track building begins, you may only build new sections off of existing track. You cannot thereafter start a new section independent of existing track.

All track built into a new square is single track. (See Double Track.)

You may build switches by having track split off an existing track piece at a 45 degree angle (not a 90 degree angle), but either the switch or original track must be a straight section. You cannot build a “Y” track junction.

You may not lay track across another section of your track or a section of another railroad’s track.

Surveys And Grades

As you lay track you may receive a message reporting that the section you wish to lay has a grade of a certain size, 1.5% or higher. The higher the percentage, the steeper the grade and the slower trains can move here. You are given the choice of proceeding or not with construction. Before laying the track consider conducting a survey of the area to look for an easier route.

You can survey an area by centering it in the Detail Display and choosing “Survey” from the Action menu. In each square of the map a number appears. These numbers represent the relative elevations of the squares. Grade percentages result from a complicated calculation of the differences between the elevations of two adjacent squares.

Trains are slowed down by even the tiniest grade, and are only unaffected when moving downhill or on a level. Grades of some sort are all but impossible to avoid, and in many cases you have no good alternative but to accept grades of 3% or even higher.

Track Examples

River Bridges

Bridging the gaps over rivers and other geographic features was a major engineering challenge for railroads. In the early days the material of choice was stone, but its expense often forced the compromise of wood. As technology and engineering science progressed, engineers turned to steel as the best structural material for their bridges. It was relatively cheap but still capable of supporting the growing weight of trains.

You may lay track across rivers by building bridges. To build a bridge, proceed as if you were laying a normal straight track section. Bridges cannot be built on curves. A menu appears showing you the cost of each bridge type now available. You have the option building any one of the bridge types, or of not building the bridge at all.

River bridges may only be built in a straight line over one river square. The bridge is built from the starting square to the first land square on the river’s other side. You may not build a bridge that crosses more than one river square.

Floods may wash out your bridges. Trains on bridges that wash out or that cannot be stopped or rerouted before going off of a washed out bridge are destroyed (see Train Wrecks). A washed out bridge is rebuilt after the passage of sufficient time. You cannot speed the rebuilding process, or build a bridge of a new type at this location while the washout remains.

You have a choice of up to three types of bridge to build. A wooden trestle costs $50,000 and is very susceptible to washouts. A steel girder bridge costs $200,000 and is much harder to wash out, but is not available until the technology for it is achieved. A stone masonry bridge costs $400,000 and is almost impervious to floods. Only steel and stone bridges may be double tracked, wooden trestles may not.

Ferryboats

It is possible for your trains to cross tidal estuaries, the ocean or large lakes with the help of ferryboats. To build a ferry, proceed as if you were laying track over the ocean or lake. In effect you build a ferry route, which may include curves but may not be double tracked.

Ocean ferries are built one square at a time. If the water to be crossed is several squares wide, you must continue building ferry sections to the other side of the water.

Trains move over ferries as if they were normal track sections,

except that train speed is very slow.

Ferries can not be sunk or otherwise damaged.

When a hill or mountain along a planned route was impossible to build around or slice through with a cut, the last resort was a tunnel. Despite their cost, tunnels were normally bargains that eliminated the need for long, tortuous switchbacks with steep grades or long detours.

In Railroad Tycoon you may have situations where your tracks cannot cross a mountainous area without building very steep grades. In these situations the increase in train speeds may justify the cost of a tunnel.

If you attempt to build a straight track section of sufficiently steep grade, your engineers inform you that building a tunnel may be an option here. To build it, choose the “Build Tunnel” option from the choices presented. The engineers then calculate how long the tunnel needs to be to come out at the same elevation it starts at. A second menu appears reporting the required length of the tunnel and its cost. To build the tunnel, again choose “Build Tunnel”. To not build the tunnel, choose “Never Mind”.

If you build the tunnel, it appears on the map and you can continue building track from its end. The track inside the tunnel is straight and level.

Tunnels are constructed at the elevation of the square from which they are built and therefore have no grade.

Tunnels may not be double tracked.

The value of having two tracks between stops, one for traffic in each direction, was recognized by railroads early on. With a flexible system of switching between the tracks and monitoring the relative position of trains, double tracking made train movement more efficient. Doubling track, even at a later date, was much less expensive than the cost of a second single track because the right-of-way was already owned and much of the preparation was already accomplished.

In Railroad Tycoon all of the track you lay is single track, but you may go back over existing sections and double track them. This immediately doubles the number of trains that can safely move over

Tunnels

Double Track

any section (see Operating Trains). However, doubling track is expensive and normally necessary on only your busiest sections. Monitor your train operations and double track those parts of your railroad where too often trains are kept idle waiting for tracks to clear.

To double a track section center the Detail Display over the area to be improved. Place the Construction Box on the section to be doubled and press the Double Track key. Note the change of the section to the map symbol for double track. Track is doubled one section at a time.

The following features may not be double tracked: 90 degree curves, tunnels, and wooden trestles.

All stations, including signal towers, are automatically double tracked.

Track And Bridge

Demolition

Railroads occasionally found it necessary to rebuild or remove track and other structures. The B&O for example, rebuilt its main line from Baltimore to Harpers Ferry several times to eliminate difficult curves and grades. As railroads have concentrated their business into long, mainline hauling, many branch lines have been abandoned and torn up. Many industries have gone over to truck transport, or entirely disappeared, eliminating the need for rail transport to communities.

In Railroad Tycoon you may find circumstances where a station no longer needs to be served because the local industry has gone out of business, or where a bridge that can be double tracked is a good investment, etc. In these cases it may be financially beneficial for your railroad to remove or realign your tracks. Note that track not being used stills costs you money for maintenance.

To demolish a track section or bridge from your railroad, go to the Detail Display and place the Construction Box at the end of the section or bridge to be removed. Pull down the Build menu and choose the “Remove Track” option. Note that the Construction Box changes color, signifying that your work crews are now prepared for demolition.

Press the Track Construction key for the direction in which you wish to tear up track and the section is removed. When track is removed, you receive cash for the value of the right-of-way that is sold.

When you have completed all desired demolitions, pull down the Build menu again and choose the “Build Track” option. This returns the Construction Box to its normal color signifying that track building is again possible.

RAILROAD

STATIONS

The first regularly operating railroad station in the United States is thought to have been built by the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad in the Mount Clare area of its home city. This station was used for many years until the passenger and freight traffic passing through it grew too large. Most of its functions were moved to a larger station in the Camden area that was better equipped to handle the traffic flow into and out of the expanding city.

The purpose of a railroad station, like those on the B&O, is to provide a place for people and goods to transfer to and from trains. A small platform by the trackside where farmers drop off their milk cans, the special sidings adjacent to a coal mine, or the New York Central’s Grand Central Station in Manhattan are all examples of stations or facilities functioning as stations.

In order to work efficiently, a railroad sets up a network of appropriately sized and equipped stations to provide reasonable service to its customers. Grand Central Station would be wasted in a small rural town, while a small commuter station would not begin to handle the needs of New Yorkers.

In Railroad Tycoon, you have a choice of three different sized stations to build. The larger the station you choose for a location, the larger the surrounding area it serves. However, larger stations cost more. Your challenge is to accurately assess the needs of the local community and provide a station that provides the most service for a reasonable investment. A station that is too large is a waste of money, and a station that is too small reduces the local supply and demand for cargos, lowering potential revenue.

Description

In Railroad Tycoon stations are the only places that trains can stop to pick up and deliver cargos. Building track into industrial sites or cities has no effect on creating supply and demand for cargos. The transfer facilities that automatically come with a station must be present for pickups and deliveries to take place.

There are three types of station: Depots ($50,000), Stations ($100,000), and Terminals ($200,000). They are differentiated by their cost, economic radius, and map icon.

The economic radius is a range in squares out from the station in all directions. The bet-

Station Economic Radius

ter the station, the farther people and industry can be expected to travel to do business with your

Terminal Radius

railroad. All industrial and population sites within the radius of a station send (supply) and receive (demand) business through the station. By adding together the

Station Radius

supply and demand for cargos from the industry and population within range, the supply and demand for the station is deter-

Depot Radius

mined. For example, assume each coal mine creates an average supply of two carloads of coal per year. A station with three coal mines within its economic radius then generates a supply of about

Construction Box

six carloads of coal per year.

A Depot has a radius of one square in all directions, a Station has a radius of two, and a Terminal has a radius of three. The square the station occupies also contributes. During the station construction process you are graphically shown the radius of each station type before you actually spend money to build. Examine this graphic to determine which station incorporates the area that you desire.

The section of track that any station occupies is automatically double tracked.

Each station comes automatically with a Signal Tower attached (see How Signals Work). Additional facilities can be built at any station location (see Station Improvements). An engine shop is automatically built at the first station that you build.

Build Station Menu

How To Build

A Station

Railroad stations are built on the Detail Display. Place the Construction Box on the track section square where you want the station. Pull down the Build menu and choose “Build Station”. A second menu appears offering four choices: “Signal Tower ($25,000)”, “Depot ($50,000)”, “Station ($100,000)”, or “Terminal ($200,000)”. For now, ignore the Signal Tower (see Signal Towers). Choose the station type you wish to build and press Selector 1. The icon for the station type you chose appears under the Construction Box.

Immediately thereafter a graphic appears describing the station you just built. The station is named, and its type is shown with the date of construction. In a window is displayed the average yearly supply of specific cargos this station can be expected to generate, if any, plus a list of cargos that are demanded here.

Stations may only be built on straight track sections, not curves. The straight section may end in the square chosen, thereby placing a station at the end of the line.

Stations may not be built if their economic radius overlaps the radius of a nearby station in any square.

To replace a station with a larger or smaller one, repeat the procedure for building a station and place the new station on top of the old one. For example, if you have a Depot that you wish to replace with a Terminal, center the Construction Box on the Depot and then follow the procedure for building a Terminal. The Depot is replaced by the Terminal.

Station Boxes

An operating railroad must be flexible in its ability to reroute trains, add or delete trains, and otherwise adjust its service in response to changes in the supply and demand of cargos along its system. The opening of new coal fields, the burning down of a factory, or the growth of a city’s population are the kinds of factors that are constantly affecting railroads. A nimble management quickly adjusts to increased supply of steel here and decreased demand for livestock there by switching livestock trains to steel. Otherwise, trains that could earn revenue in one area run mostly empty in another, while the maintenance costs pile up.

In Railroad Tycoon you monitor the supply and demand of cargos at your stations by checking their supply and demand reports. When you see supplies of cargos to be shipped piling up on one station’s report, you need to look at your other Station Reports to find places to deliver those cargos.

Supply and demand information for your stations is found in two places, Station Boxes, and their cousins, Station Reports. These two reports are available at all times for each station on your railroad.

To see a station’s Station Box, go to either an Area or Local Display of the part of your railroad containing the station. The Station Box is the window attached to the station icon by a line, and is also identified by a three letter abbreviation of the station’s name.

In addition to the name of the station, you can read the following information on the Station Box: what cargos are demanded here; what cargos are now available here to be shipped, and roughly how many cars of each; whether freight rates for deliveries here are halved, normal, or doubled; whether a priority shipment is available or demanded here (see Priority Shipments; and a relative measure of revenue earned for deliveries to this station.

A short line in a column of the box indicates that that cargo is demanded at this station. For example, a line in the first column of the second row indicates you can earn revenue for bringing passengers here.

One or more train car icons in a column indicates the number of carloads of the corresponding cargo now available here to be picked up by a train. No more than four car icons appear in a column, although more carloads than that may be available.

The border around the window indicates freight rates. There is a border color for normal rates, for half rates (only during rate wars), and double rates (see the Technical Supplement for the correct colors). Double rates exist for a new station from its opening until the end of the current fiscal period, and for one fiscal period after a successful rate war.

Station Box

Supply of Mail

City (Baltimore)

Revenue Earned to Date

Demand for Coal

Demand for Passengers

Supply of Steel

To indicate where you are making money, the bottom of the Station Box window fills in as revenue is earned for delivering cargos to this station. The fill is emptied at the end of the fiscal period.

The freight class cargos for Africa and Europe are slightly different from those in the Americas, as shown in the Station Boxes on the Player Aid Cards.

Station Reports

Station Report

Station Supply

Station Name

Station Construction Date

Engine Shop Icon

A Station Report provides supply and demand data in a different format from the Station Boxes, plus other information as well. Where

the Station Boxes can show a maximum of four carloads of a cargo waiting, the Station Report can

Station Demand

show a more accurate account using both car icons and actual numbers.

You can call up a Station Report from the Area or Local Displays in two ways. Place the

Station Size

mouse cursor on the Station Boxes and press Selector 1.

From the Detail Display, the Construction Box must be centered on the station for the Infor- mation key or Selector 1 to call up the Station Report. However, when using the mouse, if you position the pointer on the station and press Selector 1, the

Station Icon

Construction Box moves to the station square and then either Selector 1 or the Information key open the Station Report.

In addition to stations and track, railroads developed a need for additional facilities and structures to improve the efficiency of the road or bring in additional revenue. Railroads built shops at strategic spots along their lines for building and maintaining locomotives and rolling stock. Switching yards were required at major junctions and stops where trains could be quickly broken up and reassembled. Railroads that skimped on these facilities paid high maintenance costs or provided unsatisfactory service.

Railroads also found that they could earn money on additional services beyond transportation. They built railway hotels near their stations, and included restaurants in the stations themselves, such as those on the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe run by the Harvey Girls (the best food in the west!).

On your railroad you may build similar facilities to keep maintenance costs under control, store certain cargos to reduce wastage, and earn revenue. However, facilities are not cheap and you must carefully measure their benefit versus cost. Decide what facilities to add where based on the operating needs of your railroad and the traffic passing through individual stations.

At each station (but not signal towers) you may build any of the following improvements:

Engine Shop ............ $100,000

Switching Yard......... $50,000

Maintenance Shop ... $25,000

Cold Storage ............ $25,000

Livestock Pens ......... $25,000

Goods Storage .......... $25,000

Post Office................ $50,000

Restaurant ............... $25,000

Hotel ........................ $100,000

New trains may only be started at stations containing an engine shop. When you build a new train you are given the choice of which of your engine shops to place the locomotive. If you have only shop, the new train must start there. Having more than one engine shop makes placing trains on the far reaches of your railroad easier. Engine shops also act as maintenance shops. A switching yard

Station Improvements

reduces the time required to change the cars in a train by 75% (see Train Consist). Place switching yards at stations where trains regularly change their consists. The more trains you have changing at switching yards, the greater the distance your trains can travel in a year.

A maintenance shop reduces the maintenance cost of trains that pass through its station in a fiscal period by 75%. Trains that do not receive regular maintenance may pay very large maintenance bills and erode your railroad’s profits. In your role as master of the road, your staff informs you which trains are not receiving regular maintenance each year.

All supplies of cargos that are not picked up eventually waste away. In effect they are picked up by some alternative transport. Storage facilities prevent this wastage of cargos at the station where they are built. Post offices store mail. Cold storage warehouses store food. Livestock pens store livestock. Goods warehouses store manufactured goods. Other theaters have storage for cargos unique to their worlds.

Restaurants and hotels earn additional revenue from passengers delivered to their stations, with hotels earning two times the revenue of a restaurant. Rail travelers need to be fed and often require overnight lodging when arriving or departing. Railroads that provide these services fill the needs of their customers and earn extra revenue.

You build station improvements from the Detail Display. Center the Construction Box over the station to be improved, pull down the Build menu, and choose “Improve Station” from the options. From the list of improvements that appears, choose the one you wish to place.

At the station you see the improvement being built. Press Selector 1 to return to the game.

You may build each facility only once at a station. A facility that already exists at the station is shown in parentheses with no cost when you pull down the menu and cannot be purchased again.

You receive an engine shop with the first station you build. Its cost is automatically subtracted from your cash.

The function of a railroad is to transport people and freight from one place to another, and this is physically accomplished by trains. A train consists of two parts, an engine providing the power for motion and the carrying vehicles pulled by the engine. In the United States the engines and carrying vehicles are generally known as locomotives and cars.

Since the earliest days of railroading there has been a continual evolution in the technology of both locomotives and cars. Safety, efficiency, and reliability have increased.

For locomotives the evolutionary trend has generally been toward higher speed and greater pulling power. In addition, locomotive designs were adapted to the role they were to perform and to the geography the road ran through. For example, trains operating in mountain or plains areas required different gear ratios. Locomotives designed for express passenger trains had relatively less pulling power but generated higher speed. Where speed was of less importance, such as for bulk cargos like coal, gearing and wheel size emphasized pulling power.

In addition, locomotives have evolved from wood burning steam engines to coal and oil burning steam engines, diesel-electrics, dieselhydraulics, and electrics.

Cars have gotten larger, but mainly more specialized. The earliest cars were horse-pulled wagons fitted for use on rails. These evolved into specific cars for passengers, livestock, coal, liquids, etc.

The job of the master of the road is to provide suitable locomotives and cars for the service the railroad is providing. This mix of equipment and rolling stock must be maintained, upgraded when outmoded, and adjusted for changing service needs.

In Railroad Tycoon you must continuously monitor the equipment and rolling stock needs of your railroad so that the correct cars and trains are in operation. As time passes new locomotive designs become available for your railroad and correctly matching locomotives to tasks improves your road’s efficiency. For example, a fast Ten Wheeler locomotive pulls a two or three car passenger train much faster than a powerful Consolidation locomotive, but the Consolidation pulls a 6 car coal train much faster than the Ten Wheeler would.

In addition, you must be sure that the proper cars are available when trains arrive in a station to load cargos. A train of passenger cars

TRAINS

is not going to take on a load of oil. You arrange for the correct cars to be in the right place by setting the routes of your trains and/or changing the cars in an arriving train to provide the desired service. Incorrect routing or cars means cargos are not picked up and revenue is lost while the maintenance cost meter is running.

Building Trains

You place a new train on your railroad by first building a new locomotive and then buying cars to couple to it. In order to build a new locomotive, however, you must have previously built at least one railroad station. This is necessary because all new trains appear with their locomotive at an engine shop, and your first engine shop appears automatically with the building of your first station.

When at least one engine shop exists on your road, you may build new trains from any Display. To build a new train, pull down the Build menu and choose “New Train”. This opens the New Train window that shows a picture of the locomotive types available, their characteristics, and their cost. Place the pointer on the icon of the locomotive you wish to build and press Selector 1.

If you build a locomotive, another menu appears listing your choices of engine shops where the locomotive may be constructed. If you have only one engine shop this menu doesn’t appear. When necessary, choose the location for your new train by selecting the desired option.

Having chosen the location for the new train, you go to the station where it was built and watch the new locomotive driving out of the engine shop. The engine stops on the left side of the platform ready for you to add cars. Choose new cars one by one from the Car menu now present. When the train is finished to your satisfaction, choose the “Continue” option. This opens the Train Report discussed below.

A train may include up to 8 cars, of any combination of types. You may build a train containing no cars. (They can be added later on the Train Report.)

The Train Roster is a graphic display of the trains currently running on your railroad and is placed at the lower right of the display windows. When a new train is purchased, it is added to the roster. The oldest train on your railroad is at the top of the roster and the newer trains are added in order below it. The bottom train on the roster is the most recent train added.

Each train occupies one line on the roster, with a locomotive symbol at the left of the line and up to eight car symbols to its right. The car symbols are the same ones that appear in Station Boxes. From their shape and color you can tell at a glance what type of car each represents. In addition, the color of the cars changes slightly depending on whether the car is at least 50% full or not.

At the far right of the line is a three letter abbreviation for the name of the city that is the train’s next destination. In the above example, the first train is headed for RIC, the abbreviation for Richmond.

A colored line that appears below a train’s destination indicates the train’s relative speed. Right clicking on a train in the roster will cause it to stop at the next station.

Train Roster

Train #1

Cars

Destination

Speed Indicator

Train Report

Train Number

Train Icons

Current Cargo

Priority Orders

Wait Until Full Orders

Train Route

Train Type

Train Reports

As each new train is built on

Train Location

Maintenance Costs per Year

your railroad, a Train Report is created for it. This report is al-

Destination

ways available for consulting.

A Train Report provides in one place the important information concerning a train, and also is where changes in the train’s makeup, type, and schedule are

Priority Consist

made. Understanding how this report can be used, how you make changes in what your trains are

Planned Consist Changes

made up of, and how you change what they are doing is a key factor in playing Railroad Tycoon.

A Train Report appears immediately after a train is purchased, and thereafter the report for any train on your railroad can be accessed from any display.

The Train Report quickly pro-

vides the following detailed information about your train.

•Train #: Train 1 is at the top of the Train Roster, number 2 is the

second from the top, etc.

•Name/Class/Type: If this train has been awarded a name, it is shown (see Naming Trains). For trains that are not named, their freight class and type are shown instead. To change the train’s type, see Train Types.

•Location: The approximate location of the train on your railroad.

•Locomotive type: The locomotive type pulling the train. If you wish to see detailed information about the performance of the locomotive on your train pull down the Engine menu and choose the option “Engine Info”. To change the locomotive on the train see Changing Locomotives. To retire a train entirely, see Retiring Trains.

•Maintenance: The expected maintenance cost of this train per

fiscal period.

•Speed: The current speed of your train.

•Destination/Loading/Unloading: The destination is the name of the station to which this train is currently heading. To change the train’s destination see Changing Destinations below. If the train is stopped and either loading or unloading, this is noted and a destination is not listed.

•Consist: Graphic icons of the locomotive and car types that currently consist this train. To change the train’s consist, see Train Consist below.

•Cargo: Type or types of cargo on board.

•Priority Orders: If the train has priority movement orders, they are shown here. To give the train priority movement orders, see Priority Orders below.

•Priority Consist: If the train has priority consist change orders, they are shown here. To give the train priority consist orders, see Priority Consist below.

•Scheduled stops: Each train may have from 2 to 4 scheduled stops and they are listed here. To change the train’s scheduled stops, see Routing Trains below.

•Consist Changes: Any consist changes planned at scheduled stops are planned here. To change the train’s consist at stops, see Train Consist below.

•Wait Until Full Orders: If the train is to wait at a stop until fully loaded, that order is noted in this column. To place or remove this order, see Wait Until Full Orders below.

•Revenue Earned: This fiscal period to the left, and last fiscal period to the right.

To open a Train Report, place the mouse pointer on the locomotive of the train that you wish to examine, and press Selector 1. Alternatively, you can place the mouse pointer on a locomotive on any of the displays and press Selector 1.

Naming Trains

Railroads got into the habit of giving their fastest and best known scheduled trains distinctive names. Crack named trains gave the public a symbol by which to judge the railroad and improved the morale of railroad employees. Most names were practical or had some historical or geographic significance, but others promised or advertised something more than just transportation. Examples of the latter types are the Orient Express (adventure), Flying Scotsman (speed), and the 20th Century Limited (modernity).

Trains that received names were generally passenger trains, but in many cases the faster scheduled freight trains were named as well. Trains maintained their names over many years, regardless of changes in locomotives and cars. The name was applied to a scheduled service, such as the New York to Chicago express, not to the specific locomotive and cars that made up the train.

In Railroad Tycoon you may have the opportunity to name certain of your trains as well, and within the limits of length, you may choose any title you think suitable.

The only way you can name a train is if that train succeeds in setting a new speed record for service between any two stops on your road. If one of your trains sets such a record you may type in the name you choose. However, train names cannot exceed a length of 24 letters, including spaces. Thereafter, the train’s name appears on its Train Reports.

The passenger revenue earned by a train is increased by 25% if the train is named.

Once a train has been named, the name cannot be changed, unless the train sets a new speed record. If the train is retired, the name is also retired.

Railroads have to move a number of trains each day over a limited area. In order to help arrange these movements, they developed a system whereby trains are ranked, or classified, depending on the value of their cargos. When two or more trains want to move over the same track, the dispatchers controlling movements had a clear set of rules by which to determine the order of train movements. Generally, the higher classed trains moved first.

In Railroad Tycoon trains are classified as either mail, passenger, fast freight, slow freight, or bulk trains, with mail being the highest class, bulk being the lowest class, and the others ranked in between. Class is determined by the car types in the train. If only one type of car is in the train, then the class of that car type sets the class of the train. For example, a train made up entirely of coal cars is classified as a bulk train.

If more than one type of car is in the train, it is called a mixed freight, but its class is determined by the most common car type in the train. For example, a train containing a livestock car (fast freight), two grain cars (slow freight), and a petroleum car, is a mixed freight classified as a slow freight, because the most common car types were slow freights.

The class of the train is important when two or more trains are attempting to move over the same section of track. In this case the highest class train is given clearance by your dispatcher and moves first, and then the others move in descending class order.

Understanding and acting upon these relationships can improve the operation of your railroad. By keeping car types in trains of similar or adjacent classes, you can keep cargos moving at efficient speeds.

As explained later (see How Revenues Vary), for some cargos the time elapsed from pickup to delivery is more important than for others. It therefore pays to have similar cargos combined into trains and not mix all of the cargo types together.

For speed sensitive cargos such as mail and passengers, it pays to place them in smaller faster trains because the increased revenues more than pay for the increased cost per ton for the train operations.

For bulk and slow freight cargos that are much less speed sensitive, it pays to combine them into longer, slower trains. The bulk

Train Classes

or slow freight revenues are nearly the same whether delivered in several small fast trains or one long slow train. However, the long slow train has only one locomotive earning the revenue, while moving in several faster trains requires investing in several locomotives and crews.

Train Types

An additional method of defining trains was to assign them a type, such as local, through, express, or limited. The purpose of these types was to separate trains, not by what they were made up of, but by where they were intended to stop. By dividing its trains into types, a railroad made planning of movements easier, and also advertised to the public the various services these trains provided.

In Railroad Tycoon you also may define your trains by type. This is useful because the train type determines what stops the train makes, if any, in addition to those specifically scheduled.

You may make each of your trains a local, through, express, or limited train. The effects of these types are that they stop at more or less stations where they could possibly pick up or deliver cargo.

•Local: Stops at every possible station between scheduled

stops.

•Through: Stops at every possible station between scheduled

stops, except that it does not stop at Depots.

•Express: Stops at every possible station between scheduled stops, except that it stops only at Terminals between scheduled stops, not at Depots or Stations.

•Limited: Stops only where scheduled.

Regardless of type, a train always stops at those stations sched-

uled for it on its Train Report.

To change the type of a train, open its Train Report, pull down the Train Type menu, and choose the type you wish the train to be. The train’s type is changed on the Train Report, and thereafter, the train makes stops according to its new type. Note that when a train is first built, it is automatically made a local type train and remains a local unless you change it.

The advantage to be gained from changing a train’s type is that you can customize where it does or does not stop. In most cases you

are raising a train’s type to keep it from making unnecessary or unprofitable stops.

For example, a passenger train running from New York to Philadelphia could stop at several stations in between, all accepting delivery of passengers. But knowing that passenger revenues are higher for fast delivery over long distances, you change the type of the train to a limited type so that it skips all of the intervening stations.

Your passenger train now receives the revenue for a longer delivery, keeps its speed maximized by eliminating stops along the route, and remains full. If it made many stops at smaller stations along the way, the train would probably not be able to keep fully loaded.

Without this change, passengers may be picked up and delivered in several places along the route, slowing down the train’s passage between the two cities, and probably collecting less revenue because the passengers only travel a short distance before being delivered.

As the game continues, locomotives age and their maintenance costs begin to climb. In addition, new locomotive types are invented that offer better service. Every locomotive needs to be replaced at some point, either because it is too old or because a newer type can do a much better job. When you decide it is time to replace a locomotive, you make the change from the Train Report.

To change the locomotive on a train, open the Train Report, pull down the Engine menu, and select “Replace Engine”. From the list of locomotives available that appears, choose the engine you wish put on the train.

The change takes place immediately. The Train Report is updated to show the change, and the cost of the new locomotive is subtracted from your cash.

You may occasionally find that a train is no longer profitable, causing congestion on the line and slowing more important trains, or otherwise no longer worth maintaining. If you choose to do so, the entire train can be removed from your roster.

To remove a train from your railroad, open its Train Report, pull down the Engine menu, and choose the “Retire Train” option. The

Changing Locomotives

Retiring Trains

Routing Trains

train disappears from the roster, its report goes away, and the numbers of all trains adjust to reflect the new order in the Train Roster.

The routing, or scheduling, of trains is one of the most important parts of railroad management. An efficient schedule insures that cargos are picked up and delivered in a timely manner, and that the train operation costs for providing service are kept down. A great many extra trains insures timely service, but run up costs so much that railroad profits shrink.

In practice, the master of the road provides the locomotives and cars that the dispatcher requires to meet the demands for service. The dispatcher receives requests for service from industry and uses this information to plan what trains are required.

Railroads found that by regularly scheduling certain trains, or by arranging with important customers to provide service at specific times, passengers and shippers could make their plans to ship or receive according to the schedule. A regular schedule also made it easier to plan the movement of trains, as dispatchers along the line could expect certain trains to arrive in their divisions at scheduled times.

In Railroad Tycoon, the scheduling of your trains is also very important. By examining the Station Boxes, you learn what cargos are available for shipment, and where those cargos can be delivered. Your task is to build trains of the proper cars to carry the available cargo, and then rout the train so it moves from stations where cargos are supplied to stations where the cargo can be delivered.

For example, in our tutorial game both Richmond and Charlottesville supply and demand passengers. So, a train of passenger cars can run back and forth between these cities picking up passengers at either city and delivering them at the other. To do this, you must build a train of a locomotive and at least one passenger car, and then route the train to run from Charlottesville to Richmond. Having been scheduled, this train runs between the two cities forever, or until you step in to make changes.

When a new train is built, it is automatically given a route between the station at which it was built and another station on your railroad. This is shown on the Train Report. You are rarely going to

want your train to run this exact route, so the route needs to be changed, and this is done from the Train Report.

For example, assume you are running the Charlottesville & Richmond Railroad. You notice that the supply of coal is building up at Charlottesville Junction and that a train could take this coal to a Steel Mill in Charlottesville, pick up steel there and take it to a factory in Richmond, and pick up manufactured goods there for delivery to Charlottesville. You decide to change the route of Train #3, now scheduled to run back and forth from Charlottesville to Charlottesville Junction.

To change the route of Train #3, open its Train Report and

Train Route Orders

Station Name place the pointer on the open line below Charlottesville in the section marked Scheduled Stops. Press Selector 1, and the route diagram for this train opens.

Notice that the current route

of this train is marked. The num-

Stop Sequence

ber 1 next to Charlottesville Junction notes this station as the first station on the route, and the number 2 next to Charlottesville notes it as the second stop. Move the mouse pointer directly below the box marking the station at Richmond, and the information regarding supply and demand there appears to the right.

Train Route Diagram

With the pointer below the Richmond station box, press Se- lector 1 to make Richmond stop number 3. Notice that the station box turns to the color of scheduled stops, the track into the station turns the color of an active route, and that the number 3 appears next to

Station Supply & Demand

Remove Station Box

the station box. Richmond has now been added to this train’s route as scheduled stop #3. To check this, press Selector 2 which returns you to the Train Report. Notice that scheduled stop #3 is indeed listed as Richmond.

Since you want this train to return to Charlottesville from Richmond, you have to add Charlottesville to the route again as stop #4. Place the mouse pointer on the open line below Richmond in the Scheduled Stops section and press Selector 1 to open the route diagram. Move the mouse pointer under the box for the Charlottesville station and press Selector 1 again. The number 4 appears with the number 2 next to the Charlottesville station box, noting that this station is stop #4 as well as stop #2.

Return to the Train Report by pressing Selector 2 to be sure the four scheduled stops are arranged in order from 1 to 4 as Charlottesville Junction, Charlottesville, Richmond, and Charlottesville again.

Repeat this procedure to select Charlottesville as stop #4.

As the final step in arranging this route, pull down the Train Type menu and choose the “Limited” option. This makes Train #3 a Limited train and it stops only at stations on its route. This makes no difference now, but if more stations are added at a later time, it prevents needless or wasteful stops.

Train #2 is now scheduled to run its route between these four stations. After it completes its route, reaching Charlottesville for the second time coming back from Richmond, it returns to the first station on its route and begins the route all over again.

The number and types of cars that make up a train are called its consist. The dispatcher plans the consist of a train to insure that the correct types of cars are available to carry waiting cargos. At stops along its route a train may change its consist several times as it makes pickups and deliveries.

In Railroad Tycoon, you may arrange for regularly scheduled consist changes to take place at stops along a train’s route so that the train contains correct cars for cargo pickups. You can coordinate the changes in the train’s consist with its scheduled stops, so that the train may carry several different types of cargos in one circuit of its route. If all the cars needed were put on at the same time, only some of the cars would be needed at one time, and the others would be just extra weight for the locomotive to pull.

For an example of planning a train’s consist changes, return to the Train Report for Train #3 of the Charlottesville & Richmond whose schedule was just rearranged in the section above.

Train #3 is now scheduled to run to four stops to take advantage of several related industries. Coal from Charlottesville Junction can be taken to the steel mill at Charlottesville and converted into steel. The steel from Charlottesville can be taken to the factory at Richmond and converted into manufactured goods which can be delivered to Charlottesville. But the train cannot take advantage of these industries if the consist remains one coal car because the coal car cannot carry steel or goods.

To change the consist of Train #3, open its Train Report. Place the mouse pointer on the line showing “no changes” to the right of the scheduled stop Charlottesville Junction under the heading “New Consist”. Press Selector 1 and choose “Coal Car” from the Add Car menu that appears. Note that a coal car icon appears on the line where “no changes” was previously showing.

You may also use the mouse to repeat the train's current consist from the top of the report in any row of the New Consist area. Place the mouse pointer on the row where you want the consist repeated and press Selector 2. This is useful if you want to add cars to the current consist without rebuilding the entire train.

Train Consist

The presence of the coal car indicates that the consist orders for this train are to remove all other cars on the train when it reaches this stop and put on one coal car. Repeat this process and place a steel car at the second stop, Charlottesville, and a goods car at the third stop, Richmond. Leave the consist at the fourth stop, Charlottesville again, unchanged.

You have now arranged the consist changes necessary for Train #3 to take advantage of the industry along its route. It is scheduled to carry coal from Charlottesville Junction to the steel mill at Charlottesville. The steel mill uses the coal to make steel and your train puts on steel cars there to carry the steel on the factory at Richmond. The factory takes the steel and converts it into manufactured goods. Your train again changes its consist to a goods car so it can carry the goods back to Charlottesville for delivery.

When your train reaches Charlottesville for the second time, it has completed its route and returns empty to Charlottesville Junction to start the route over. At the start of its route it replaces its goods car with a coal car and starts the cycle over again.

Changing

Destinations

As you monitor the operations of your trains, you may wish from time to time to change slightly the route of a train. This may be useful when a bridge is washed out on the route, or because a supply of a cargo further down the route has diminished, or for other reasons. By changing the destination of the train, you can have it skip a wasteful stop or avoid a wreck.

In the Train Orders section of the Train Report, under Scheduled Stops, the next city to which the train is moving, its destination, is highlighted. You may change this destination to another city on your railroad, regardless of whether the new destination is on the train’s list of scheduled stops or not. To temporarily change the destination to a city not on the current route list, see Priority Orders.

To change your destination to another scheduled stop, place the mouse pointer on the name of the stop you wish to make the new destination for the train and press Selector 2. The new station is highlighted, signifying that it is the next destination for this train.

You may find it occasionally useful to have one of your trains temporarily change its route to avoid a washed out bridge, to pick up a Priority Shipment, or to take advantage of a temporary change in the supply or demand of a cargo nearby.

For example, a train that was unable to fill up with coal to take on to a steel mill may be rerouted by a Priority Order to another nearby city where coal has been sitting unused. By rerouting your train to pick up this coal, you fill it with coal more quickly than having it wait at its first coal stop until full.

To temporarily change the destination for a train to a city not on its list of scheduled stops, you must give it Priority Orders. This change is made from the Train Report.

To give a train Priority Orders, place the mouse pointer on the space below Priority Orders to the right of the “P” symbol, and press Selector 1. On the route diagram that appears, move the mouse pointer to the station box for the city which you wish to be the new destination and press Selector 1. A “P” symbol appears next to the city you have selected, noting this station as a priority destination. Press Selector 2 to return to the Train Report.

Back on the Train Report, you see that under Priority Orders the new destination is listed, and the bottom part of the Train Orders section is screened out. This signifies that the normal train orders have been overridden. Once the train reaches its priority destination, it returns to its normal route, picking it up where it left off.

Priority Orders

Occasionally you may wish to temporarily change the consist of a train. This is especially useful when attempting to pick up a Priority Shipment. This type of change is made from the train’s Train Report.

To give a train a Priority Consist order, move the mouse pointer onto the line below Priority Consist marked “no changes”, and press Selector 1. This opens the Add Car menu from which you may choose a car to be added to the Priority Consist. When a car is selected, the menu goes away, but you can call it back by placing the pointer on the same line again and pressing Selector 1. To delete a car in the Priority Consist, place the pointer on it and press Selector 1, and it is removed.

Priority Consist

The cars of the Priority Consist are placed on the train at its next stop, overriding any previously scheduled consists. The train proceeds along its normal route (unless given Priority Orders) and at the second station it stops at, its normal consist orders again go into effect.

Wait Until

Full Orders

For sufficiently large customers, railroads put on unit trains, or trains dedicated to this one shipper. A common example are coal trains, sent to one mine to load coal and carry this cargo directly to a port, steel mill, etc. These trains were not scheduled to arrive and depart by timetable as other trains, but were sent to be loaded, and then moved when loading was complete. In this way the railroad could arrange for proper locomotives and crews knowing that they would be moving a full train.

In Railroad Tycoon you may also arrange that a train wait to move until fully loaded by giving it Wait Until Full Orders. Trains given this order do not move until every car in the train is fully loaded or until the order is lifted. Using these orders you can improve the efficiency of your railroad, especially when the train is to pick up a cargo to be converted and carried on to another stop on its route.

For example, consider Train #2 on the Charlottesville & Richmond Railroad of the tutorial. This train is scheduled to make four stops and change its consist three times. The coal it loads at the start of its route is converted to steel which is carried to a factory. At the factory the steel is converted to manufactured goods which are delivered back to Charlottesville.

As noted later in the section about cargo conversions, the conversion process is 100% efficient. If the train starts with 40 tons of coal, this converts to 40 tons of steel, and this converts to 40 tons of goods. For this reason, it is beneficial to begin with 40 tons of coal, thereby guaranteeing full loads at every stop.

For cargos where no conversion is to follow, or where the cargo is very speed sensitive, such as mail, waiting until full is less valuable or actually wasteful.

To order a train to wait at a stop until fully loaded, open its Train Report. Place the pointer in the space between the stop number and

the name of the stop under Scheduled Stops and press Selector 1. Use the same procedure to remove wait orders from a train that is already waiting.

A “W” appears to the right of the stop number signifying that this

train is ordered to wait until full at this stop.

The accidental wrecking of trains has been a part of railroading from its start. The severity of accidents ranged from commonplace derailments to spectacular head-on collisions. Wrecks resulted from mechanical failure and bad weather, but more often from human error.

The negative effects of a major wreck included not only the possible loss of passengers, crew, cargo, and equipment destroyed, but also a drop in demand for the railroad’s services. Passengers and shippers looked to alternative railroads or transport rather than risk the trains of a demonstrably incompetent railroad.

In Railroad Tycoon you can suffer train wrecks due to washed out bridges or to collisions. Trains that cannot be halted or rerouted in time plunge off of washed out bridges. When you override block signals, you run the risk of letting too many trains into a block and causing a collision.

If one of your trains goes over a washed out bridge or two or more of your trains collide, the result is a train wreck. When a train wrecks, the locomotive, cars, and cargos that make it up are destroyed and removed from your railroad. You receive no compensation.

In addition, all cargos of the same type as those lost on your train immediately disappear from every other train on your railroad. Shippers have their cargos taken off your trains immediately.

Also, all supply of these same cargos disappears from the stations on your railroad, as shippers find other ways of moving their goods.

Eventually calm is restored and the cargos once more become available, assuming you suffer no more wrecks.

Train Wrecks

REVENUE AND

CARGOS

Railroad revenue comes from two main sources, passenger fares and freight charges. A passenger boarding a train in Chicago pays a fare for being conveyed to Detroit. A steel mill in Pittsburgh pays a freight charge for delivery of a load of coal from Scranton.

In these examples the railroad is responding to the supply and demand for passengers and coal. The passenger in Chicago represents a supply of passengers there. The coal piled up in Scranton also represents a supply, this time of coal. The desire of the passenger to go to Detroit represents the demand for passengers in Detroit, just as the mill’s desire for coal represents demand for coal in Pittsburgh.

Since steel mills in Railroad Tycoon also demand coal, a steel mill within the radius of a Pittsburgh station on your railroad would be represented by the demand at that station for coal. If your railroad has track connections to a station near Scranton that has a coal mine within its radius, you can make money by having a train take coal cars to the Scranton station, load coal, and then deliver it to the Pittsburgh station.

The key to a good start and profitable existence in Railroad Tycoon is understanding the relationships between the industries that create the supply and demand for cargo, the stations that act as shipping and receiving points for industry, and the revenue you earn by having trains carry cargos from stations that are shipping to those that are receiving.

Earning Revenue

Revenue is earned by loading your trains at a station that is a supply source for a cargo and then routing the loaded train to a station that has demand for that cargo. When a train stops at a station to make a delivery, several things take place to mark the event.

First, in the World View window at the top right of your screen, an announcement appears describing the train’s arrival. The announcement lists the time of the arrival, the train’s type and number, the name of the station, the cargos delivered, and the revenue received.

Second, when the cargo is delivered, the car icons on the Train Roster switch from loaded to unloaded.

Third, your cash balance shown in the bottom of the Information window increases by the revenue received.

And fourth, the bottom of the Station Box fills in green proportionally to the revenue earned.

Some cargos are more valuable to railroads than others because some customers are willing to pay higher fees for faster service. For this reason railroads develop a hierarchy of trains offering different services and customers can select the type of service that suits them best.

In general, mail, passengers, and express packages attract the highest fares because they are given the best service. The fastest freight trains earn slightly lower fees for speedy delivery of important cargos such as perishable foods. Bulk cargos such as coal have the lowest rates but are still profitable because railroads can efficiently carry them in huge quantities.

On your railroad you can arrange some differentiation of service to improve profitability by making up trains of the same or neighboring freight classes, by carefully setting train types and routes, and by understanding how freight rates are determined.

The revenue earned for delivering cargos can vary between stations (see Station Boxes), cargo classes, worlds, and over time. For the Western United States, revenues are higher than normal for east-west deliveries and lower than normal for north-south deliveries. The other worlds use the normal rate structure. Over time, freight rates tend to fall. To compensate, you must run bigger, faster, and/or greater distance trains.

The revenue for mail is most sensitive to time and distance. The faster it is delivered once picked up and the farther it is carried, the higher the revenue per ton. Passengers are less sensitive to time and distance, fast freight is even less sensitive, and so on down to bulk cargos that are insensitive to time and distance. It doesn’t matter how far you carry bulk cargos or how fast. You are paid a strict fee by the ton.

How Revenues Vary

The economies of the various theatres are each represented by 11 cargos that can be carried by railroads. Some cargos are unique to one world, and some are available in all six. The 11 cargo types are separated into 5 freight classes, each with a distinctive color as described in the Technical Supplement: mail, passengers, fast freight, slow freight, and bulk.

Cargo Types

The cargo class determines the revenue earned for delivery (as explained in the section above), how long it takes to load or unload a car, the weight of a full car, and the weight of an empty car. Mail class cars take the least time to load or unload, then passenger cars, etc., down to bulk cars that take the longest time. Mail cars are the heaviest when empty, then passenger cars, down to bulk cars that are the lightest car type when empty. Conversely, bulk cars are the heaviest when full, then slow freight, up to mail cars that are the lightest when full.

By being aware of these differences in cargo types when loading, riding empty, etc., you can improve the efficiency of your railroad by carefully arranging the makeup of your trains. For example, a train made up entirely of mail cars or mail and passenger cars, loads and unloads much faster than the same train if a slow freight car is also in the consist. Thus a mail train moves faster.

The supply and demand for cargos is derived from cities, villages, and industries as shown on the World Economies Chart found on the Player Aid Card. Be aware, however, that it takes more than one village by itself to have any significant effect. The aggregate of supply and demand from several villages is needed to make rail service worthwhile.

Resource Map

To help you see where cargos are supplied and in demand, you can convert the Local Display into a Resource Map. When you do this, the geography of the map is removed, and new one-letter symbols appear to mark sources of cargo supply and demand. You can call up this Resource Map while planning and see at a glance the economic situation in your vicinity.

To access the Resource Map, center the Area or Local Display over the part of the map that you wish to examine and pull down the Display menu. Choose “Options” from this menu. From the Options menu, choose “Resource Map”, and a check mark appears next to that option. The check mark indicates that the Resource Map is now taking the place of the normal Area and Local Displays. Press any Selector to make the display change to the Resource Map.

The letter symbols that appear on the map indicate a source of supply for a cargo at the symbol’s location. For example, “C”

Resource Map

Supply of Passengers (City)

indicates a source of coal which must be a coal mine.

A letter symbol on a square background indicates a source of demand for a cargo. For example, a “W” on a square background indicates a source of demand for

Supply of Coal (coal mines)

wood, most likely a paper mill.

If your Station Boxes of are blocking your review of the map, you can turn them off from Option menu as well. When the Station Boxes are visible, their menu option is checked. Choose “Station Boxes” from the menu to turn off the check mark, and this makes them disappear from the display.

Charlottesville Station

Demand for Coal (Steel Mill)

To put the Resource Map away and return to the normal map displays, reverse the procedure for accessing the Resource Map and remove the check mark from the Option menu.

Demand for Wood (paper mill)

Train #1

Richmond Station

Certain industries developed a special relationship with railroads because raw materials brought to them by rail were converted into products that were in turn shipped out by rail. For example, cattle brought by train to packing plants was converted to frozen or canned meats and then shipped by rail to markets. In this case an important rail cargo, processed meat, does not exist as a naturally found resource.

In each world of Railroad Tycoon there are a number of cargos that come into being only after the conversion of another cargo at an industry. These types of cargos can offer special opportunities for revenues because the same cargo can be carried several times.

Cargo Conversions

As shown on the World Economies Chart found on the Player Aid

Cards, some industries demand one cargo and then convert it to another that they now supply. For example, a carload of coal brought to a station that serves a steel mill is converted into a carload of steel. A carload supply of steel is then available at the station. This steel could then be taken to a factory’s station, converted to manufactured goods, and then carried finally to a station demanding goods. In this case, one carload of coal is converted into two successive carloads, each earning revenue.

The majority of railroad trains are run according to timetables. In

this way the railroad can schedule its stops and equipment needs for efficiency, and its customers can confidently make travel and shipping plans. However, railroads are often requested to provide special trains for excursions, emergency shipments, etc. These special trains are usually quite profitable because the railroad would not disrupt its normal service to accommodate the specials if they weren’t.

Occasionally during play your railroad can receive requests for

delivery of Priority Shipments. When delivered quickly they can be very lucrative, but at other times the pickup and delivery points are placed such that the disruption to your regular service may be too great. When a priority shipment appears, take a few moments to decide whether the delivery is worth your trouble.

You are notified by a message window when a Priority Shipment

becomes available. The message tells you the cargo type to be delivered, where it must be picked up, and where it is to be delivered.

In addition, a letter P appears in the Station Box of the station

where the shipment is waiting, and a letter D appears in the Station Box of the destination station.

When a Priority Shipment appears, the fee for delivering it also

appears in the bottom of the Train Roster window. The amount shown is what your railroad would earn for delivery at that instant. Unfortunately, that fee continually shrinks in size as time passes, but many are so large as to be quite substantial even after much time has passed. If the delivery fee reaches $20,000 the shipment is cancelled and all further references to it are removed.

Priority Shipments

In order to pick up a Priority Shipment, a train containing a car capable of carrying the priority cargo must be routed to the station where it is waiting. When the train stops, the Priority Shipment is loaded on board. The color of this train’s locomotive icon on the Train Roster changes, to indicate the shipment is on board. Note that every train containing the correct type car that stops at this station picks up the shipment, not just the first.

Priority Shipments may be handed to other trains. Whenever a train carrying the shipment stops at another station, it “stocks” that station with the shipment. Thereafter, any train containing the correct type car and stopping at this “stocked” station, also picks up the shipment.

Building Industry

Recognizing the benefit to themselves and the economic regions they served, railroads often encouraged industry along their system.

You may find at times that your railroad could substantially benefit from new industry in the right area, such as placement of a steel mill near a large coal area, or a food processing plant near a grain area. A judicious investment such as these, or the provision of a missing link for a chain of cargo converting industries could provide a handsome return.

As an alternative to waiting for industries to grow, you may speed the natural process by attempting to invest in specific industries. You may try this at any time. The industries that may be built in each world are shown on the World Economies Chart, found on the Player Aid Cards.

To build a new industry, go the Detail Display. Center the Construction Box in the area where you want the industry to appear and pull down the Build menu. This menu lists the industries available to be built. Choose the industry you desire. If a suitable site was found in the area, the industry is built and the Construction Box moves to the site to point it out. If no suitable site is available, you are informed that the industry can not be built.

The search for a suitable site is carried out by your engineers. You cannot choose the square you desire. If a suitable site cannot be found within 3 squares of where you placed the Construction Box, the investment does not take place. In this case you may elect to move the Construction Box to another location and try again.

As with other industries in the game, ones you build may also go out of business or change type.

OPERATING

TRAINS

The operation of a train is in the hands of two people, the

locomotive engineer who sets the train’s speed, and a dispatcher who determines when and where the train moves.

Railroad locomotives only move straight ahead or in reverse, as

they have no steering wheel. The engineer, sitting in the cab and watching the track ahead, uses the throttle to adjust the train’s speed to reach points along the line as scheduled. He assumes that the tracks ahead are correctly arranged to guide the train to its end destination.

In Railroad Tycoon, all of your engineers drive like Casey Jones on

a good day. When the tracks are clear, they open the throttles wide on your locomotives and make the best possible time.

The dispatcher’s job is to be sure that the orders given the engineer

before the train pulls out put his train at the right place at the right time, that the tracks are properly arranged as needed, and that the movement of all trains is accomplished safely.

You perform the first two functions of the dispatcher on your

railroad (scheduling and switching) on the Train Report. When you set a train’s route on the Train Report, the division dispatchers on your road schedule departures and arrivals, and arrange for the necessary track switching.

The third function of the dispatcher, providing safe operation, is

more complicated. The safe movement of trains is controlled by the dispatcher on a large schematic diagram of the railroad. The location of each running train is continually updated on the board. The entire road is divided into blocks, and the movement of trains into blocks is controlled by signals, like traffic lights. A train is not allowed into a block until trains ahead of it are out of the block, thus preventing the chance of collision.

On your railroad, safety is assured by signals that are automati-

cally set up when stations are built. However, relying on these signals alone may result in very conservative, inefficient operation. In your roles as construction engineer and dispatcher, you may improve the efficiency of your road for minimum cost by selective placement of additional signals and double tracks. You may also step into the management of individual trains by pausing them or opening blocks that would normally be closed.

The rules for signals apply only when the reality option “Dispatcher

Operations” is in effect.

Each station or signal tower on your railroad comes equipped with a set of track signals, one signal on each side of the track that passes through the station. These signals control the movement of trains past them in either direction. A Go signal allows an approaching train to pass, while a Stop signal stops it. Refer to the Signals Chart on the Player Aid Card for a description of Go and Stop signals.

All of the track stretching from one signal to the next along the line is considered a block of track. Only one train at a time is allowed in a block of single track. When a train enters a block of single track, the signals at both ends of the block turn to Stop preventing any more trains from entering. When the train reaches the end of the block, the signals at both ends turn to Go and once again allow entry.

Note that the boundaries of a block are set by the placement of signals. In cases where tracks split at a switch, the tracks that continue on from the switch remain part of the original block unless a signal is placed after the switch.

For example, assume your railroad lays track between Richmond and Charlottesville. You then place a switch between these two and run another track section north to Washington, D.C. If you don’t add any more signals, all of the track between the three cities exists as one block, and only one train can normally run on all of this track at a time.

Block Signals

Block Signal

Train #1

Block

How Signals Work

Block Signal

By placing another signal just past the switch on the way to Washington, you separate the old block into two blocks, one that runs between Richmond and Charlottesville, and one that runs between the switch and Washington.

If all of the track in a block is double track, the signal system allows two trains at a time to be in the block, regardless of their relative position.

Every set of signals on your railroad comes with a signalman in a tower. If a train approaches a tower and the block ahead is empty, the signal is set to Go. When the train enters the block, the signalman telegraphs the dispatcher and the dispatcher marks the train in the new block on his board. The dispatcher telegraphs the signalman and his counterpart at the other end of the block to close the block. Both signalmen set their block signals to Stop and no further trains are allowed in. When the train inside reaches the other end of the block, the signalman at that end telegraphs the dispatcher, and he gives the okay to reopen the block.

Recognizing what track constitutes a block can become complicated when tracks begin branching out. Signals do not come with switches. All track that extends off of your mainline from a switch remains part of your mainline block unless you add a signal tower to the branch to separate it.

Signal Towers

A block that separates two stations a great distance apart may be so long that trains are running very inefficiently between them. While one train is traveling across the block, the second is sitting at a Stop signal at one end.

One thing you can do to speed the relative movement of trains in this situation is divide the big block into smaller blocks by adding signal towers along the line. The mathematics of calculus say that the more blocks you divide the big block into, the faster two or more trains can move between the ends of the original block. But signal towers are expensive. You must find an economical compromise between the number of towers to add and the increase in train speed that would follow, versus the cost of the those towers.

To build a signal tower, go to the Detail Display and place the Construction Box on the track section where you want the tower to appear. Pull down the Build menu, choose the option “Build Station”, and then choose the option “Signal Tower” from the menu of station choices. The new tower appears within the Construction Box on the display and the signals immediately begin affecting the movement of trains.

A signal tower consists of a set of signals and a section of double track. An unlimited number of trains may wait adjacent to a signal with no risk of collision.

Signal towers cost $25,000 and may only be built on existing straight track sections. They may not be built on curved, switch, bridge, or tunnel sections.

The dispatchers on your railroad never make mistakes, but they are also very conservative. There may be times on your railroad when more liberal train operations can result in faster, yet safe, service. In your role as chief dispatcher, you may open blocks that are normally closed to get stopped trains moving. This action is useful when a fast train is already in a block and a slower train is waiting stopped behind it, or when one train is inside a complicated block of switching tracks and a train that is waiting has a route that doesn’t interfere with the moving train.

You may override a signal from any display except the Regional Display. On the Detail Display, the Construction Box must be centered on the signal you plan to change.

Using the mouse, place the pointer on the signal you wish to override and press Selector 1. A Signal window opens showing the track, tower/station, and the two signals, one in each direction. The two signals are at either end of the building and control the blocks that they are adjacent to. Inside the Signal window, place the mouse pointer on the signal you wish to override and again press Selector 1.

Overriding A Block Signal

Another menu opens offering you the choices “Normal”, “Hold”,

or “Proceed”.

Choosing “Normal” restores normal signal operation: stop if the

block is full, go if the block is empty.

You may override existing signals with either menu choices “Hold” or “Proceed”. How these overrides are graphically displayed is shown on the Signal Override Chart in the Technical Supplement.

A signal overridden with “Hold” stops all trains until the signal is overridden again back to “Normal” operation.

A signal overridden with “Proceed” allows the next train through, but then automatically returns to normal operation.

The menu choice “Normal” returns a currently overridden signal back to normal operation.

Pausing Trains

Railroads find it desirable on occasion to hold up the movement of a train. A train could be held to prevent an accident or to allow a following train to pass.

On your railroad you may also find it desirable to temporarily halt a train. In addition to the above reasons, you may wish for a train to wait outside a station until a supply of cargo has built up for the train to carry away.

You may pause a train by either changing the signal that it is approaching (as explained in the section immediately above, Overriding Signals), or by ordering the train itself to pause. Changing a signal to “Hold”, however, stops all trains that reach this signal. Pausing an individual train stops it alone.

You pause an individual train from the Train Roster.

Move the mouse pointer to the line below the train you wish to pause, and press Selector 2. The line below the train changes color or pattern to indicate that the train is ordered to pause.

The change in the line below the train indicates that this train is going to stop moving at the next signal it reaches and move no farther until you remove the pause order.

To remove the pause order, repeat the procedure for pausing. The line reverts to its normal appearance and the train resumes normal operation.

When you are first learning to play Railroad Tycoon, it may be useful to play without having to worry about signals and collisions. This may allow you to concentrate on learning other aspects of the game.

To play without the possibility of collisions and be able to ignore the system of blocks and signals, choose the "No Collision" option when you are setting the parameters of your railroad.

The effects of the No Collision Mode are that trains can never wreck. Even though the signal system does not work, trains do not collide. When two trains meet or pass each other, the lower class train pulls over to a siding and halts. This is handled automatically by your dispatchers and you don't have to make any preparations. When the higher class train has passed, the halted train gradually begins moving again. A disadvantage to this mode is that a low class train may be halted many times when trying to complete its route.

No Collisions Mode

THE RAILROAD BUSINESS

Railroads were one of the great capital enterprises of the industrial

age, requiring huge investments in the global construction projects that they became. Before the first train could run, costly and extensive preparation was required: miles of roadbed prepared, bridges built where necessary, rails purchased and laid down, minimum station facilities built, locomotives and rolling stock made ready.

The money that made railroads possible came from several

sources, including investors subscribing to stock shares and thereby becoming partial owners of the enterprise, investors buying long term bonds, short term bank loans, and profits generated by the railroad once operations started.

When a new game of Railroad Tycoon begins, you have already sold

part of the public on your dream and attracted investors who have bought enough of your stock and bonds to give you a start. As play continues you may have the opportunity to sell additional stock, borrow more money, buy back stock into the treasury, and buy back bonds.

RAILROAD CAPITALIZATION

The initial capitalization of your railroad is $1,000,000, $500,000

obtained from selling bonds and $500,000 obtained from investors who have bought 100,000 shares of your stock at $5 per share. This is the money you begin your railroad with.

As time passes and your railroad grows, new stock, in addition

to the 100,000 outstanding at the start, may come into existence in two ways: new stock issues or stock splits.

New stock may be issued only when you build a station into a new

city. As a bonus for the new railroad connection, the local city leaders may offer to buy 10,000 new shares from you at the current market

Initial Capital

Additional Stock

price. If this occurs, you have the option of making the sale or not. Choose the option you wish from the menu that appears. The stock sold consists of newly authorized and registered shares that previously did not exist. The sale increases the outstanding shares in the public’s hands by 10,000.

A 2 : 1 stock split occurs at the end of any fiscal period in which your stock price reaches $100 per share or higher. At the beginning of the next year, the number of shares is doubled and the price of the new shares is halved from the price of the old. For example, if the price at the end of the year of 140,000 shares is calculated to be $110, the stock splits resulting in 280,000 shares priced at $55 per share.

Stockholder

Happiness

Bonds

Regardless of the fact that the railroad you are running is your dream and that your decisions have made it the great enterprise that it is, you nevertheless work for the stockholders and they are a cynical bunch. Your stockholders are only happy if the stock price is higher than last year and headed higher. If the stock price doesn’t increase they become unhappy, and they can become quite angry if by some shocking circumstance the stock price should actually fall.

You retain office as president of your railroad so long as the stockholders are at least content with the job you are doing. Their happiness is measured at the end of each fiscal period when the stockholders calculate their return on investment (ROI) averaged over the last 5 years. The higher this number, the happier they are. If for several periods in a row this number doesn’t increase, or actually decreases, the stockholders become progressively angrier.

If stockholder patience runs out, they may throw you out of office and replace you as railroad president. You are forcibly retired and your management of the railroad ends. Owning 50% of your stock can reduce the likelihood of being kicked out of office.

Your railroad starts with an outstanding 4% bond of $500,000. Further bonds are sold and bought back in $500,000 increments.

Each bond sold has an annual interest rate which is subtracted from your railroad’s cash at the end of every December. The interest rate on any new bond you wish to sell depends on the economy and the number of bonds you have outstanding as in the table below.

Once the current interest rate reaches 9%, you may not sell any further bonds, regardless of how many you already have outstanding or the current state of the economy. If the economy improves and interest rates fall, you may sell further bonds until the rate reaches 9% again.

Bond rates are lower in the Western USA due to government subsidies.

To sell bonds or buy them back, call your broker.

Interest Rate Table

Calling Your Broker

To conduct most financial transactions involving stocks and bonds, you call your broker and gain access to the financial activity menus. Pull down the Action menu and choose the option “Call Broker”. This opens the Financial Summaries window. From here you can obtain certain financial information about your railroad and your competitors, sell or buy back bonds, buy and sell treasury stock, buy and sell competing railroad stock (see Stock Market Takeovers), and operate competing railroads (see Controlling Other Railroads).

To sell or buy back a bond, pull down the Cash menu. If you choose the option “Sell $500,000 Bond”, that amount of money is added to your cash and to the size of your bonds. Choosing the option “Buy Back $500,000 Bond” subtracts that amount from your cash and bonds.

To buy stock in your railroad and put it in your treasury, pull down the Buy Stock menu and choose the option “Buy Treasury Stock”. The cost of the stock is subtracted from your cash and 10,000 shares are added to your treasury. Treasury stock is sold in the same manner as it is bought, except from the Sell Stock menu. Note that you cannot buy treasury stock if the public doesn’t own any, and that you cannot sell treasury stock if there isn’t any in the treasury.

The price of stock is determined by normal buying and selling on the stock market. When a very large order to buy or sell is placed, the price is forced up or down in order to find enough sellers or buyers on the other side to complete the transaction.

All stock transactions in Railroad Tycoon are extraordinary orders involving relatively large amounts of the outstanding shares. For this reason, expect to actually pay 10% more than the quoted price when buying, and receive 10% less than the quoted price when selling.

Short Term Loans

Declaring

Bankruptcy

During play you may spend more money than you have. When you engage in deficit spending, the color of your current cash in the display window changes color. If at the end of a year you have a negative cash position, you are charged 12% on the negative balance.

Like any business, railroads can get so deeply in debt that protection from debtors and court supervised reorganization is the only alternative to utter ruin. The normal result of a bankruptcy is that the previous owners (stockholders) are wiped out, the bonds outstanding are reduced to a manageable level, and the remaining lenders receive new stock in exchange for their money that was lost. If the business returns to health, the rising stock price may someday equal or exceed the money lost when part of the bankrupt company’s bonds were converted to stock.

If economic conditions, accidents, and other circumstances work against your railroad to the extent that it appears headed for ruin, you have the option of declaring bankruptcy at any time. This step can partially relieve your debt burden and perhaps get your railroad back on its feet. There may be times when it’s good defensive strategy as well.

To declare bankruptcy, call your broker, pull down the Cash menu, and choose the option “Declare Bankruptcy”. All bonds that can be repaid from your cash are paid off, half of your outstanding bonds are eliminated (rounded down), all of your treasury stock is eliminated, all of your stock held by competing railroads is eliminated, and the public is left with 100,000 shares.

After declaring bankruptcy, you may not lay any more track until your cash balance is positive and all remaining bonds have been repaid.

Games PC SID MEIER S-RAILROAD TYCOON DELUXE User Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual