Alaska Narrow Gauge Railroads

[RayofSunshine]

There are 2 of these scenario maps, with different goals. But there are not any steel mills to produce "steel" which are the goal requirements. I tried initiating the scenarios a few times, with the hope that there might have been a glitch to suppress them in previous ones. However, after playing them to within a few years of the deadline, the steel mills have not appeared.

Anyone have a comment, as someone has put some time and energy into these creations?

Ray of Sunshine.

[Gwizz]

The AI railroads produce steel for you. Have one AI RR drop their steel cargos at a station that doesn't demand steel.

[RayofSunshine]

I should have known that there was some type of puzzle Gwizz,

However, on both those scenarios, all the ports only have produce, and checking the 'global commodity option', there isn't any 'steel' indicated, plus I have checked both the AI consists as well as their depots, and have not found any supply steel.

SO, where am I going wrong that I cannot find the source of the steel to haul it to Fairbanks?

Ray of Sunshine

[Gwizz]

Sorry Ray,

I thought I answered your last post. I guess I didn't.

Go to the terminal. Under both RT2 threads is a dialog cencerning these two maps.

[RayofSunshine]

Well Gwizz,

I went to the Terminal website and the thread on the Alaska Narrow Gauge.

The statement still leaves me hanging on the existense of a Steel Mill, which is supposed to be at Spokane. It doesn't appear on any of ""my"" boot ups, even though it seems that other members have had success.

There is a lumber mill at the site, but the hauling of iron-and-coal would not constitute a steel commodity. Not unless you can program such a feat.

Then is there any reason that you would select Spokane, rather than the a site in the upper right hand corner, which is farther, and usually the challenge with most scenarios?

Ray of Sunshine

[Gwizz]

The random nature of a steel mill or steel from the ports is strange at times.
I rarely fail to find steel to haul although the port steel does come near the end of the game.
And the mill doesn't start producing steel until later as well, although the AI RRs do get it earlier, when being run by a committee.

Historically a steel mill was at Spokane a major rail terminal in Washington State.

In later years there was also a mill built near Seattle. It still operates mostly as a remelt mill using electricity to heat the metal. It makes re-bar and bar stock.

It is quite an operation to see. From a high platform a person can see into the 3 melting vats. There are bright red spits of molten steel raining down on the workers that work around the vats. They wear only hats and what looked like a shoulder leather as it is too hot for any other heavy protective clothing. The molten steel is poured into about 50 or 60 ton ingots and 4 or 5 are set on a railroad car and moved outside to cool. The cooling could take a week when there is snow on the ground. But, normally after a day or two, the steel is sent red hot to be stretch and rolled into bars or re-bar.

We were told the diesel locomotive uses a couple of cars as spacers between it and the red hot ingot cars. Even then the paint on the nose of the diesel looked scorched on the day we visited.
I ask about grease in the truck bearings on the ingot cars. The person I asked said he did not think there was any grease in the bearings, that the cars were old and he never saw any repairs or service being done to them.

[RayofSunshine]

Hey Gwizz,

That is very interesting about the production of steel. A little history.

I was raised in Superior,WI, and there was a steel mill in the West End of Duluth,MN. However, it was closed to employees only. Too dangerous for any sight-seers. They may not have had an observation platform either.

As to the "random" steel mill in the scenario. I am in year 12 of the 15 year Scenario deadline. There isn't any steel mill, and the ports only show there to be "produce". Even if a steel mill was to appear, there isn't anyway that the required steel could be hauled to Fairbanks in time.

This scenario is just not cooperating with me, but hope that you continue to give us more challenges which your imagination can produce.

Ray of Sunshine

[Gwizz]

If the game generated a port near Fairbanks, haul coal and iron to a station near it and use the electric locomotive. When the steel become available haul the coal and iron to the port and the steel to Fairbanks. You should be close to getting steel at the ports. If necessary use two or three stations at Fairbanks to reduce congestion. I have rarely done this except when I didn't have enough money to buy all new locomotives to haul steel.

If ports are only around Seattle then stock pile coal and iron near these ports. Near the end of the game use the electric loco to haul no more then 2 cars of steel. I have scraped these locos just after they delivered their cargo to Fairbanks so they would not be in the way for a loco that was following. Remember an older locomotive will be slower than when it is new.
Make sure your steel trains have priority over all other trains. If the steel trains have to stop, they take a long time to get back up to speed.