Download today and got started. Looks very interesting however it lost me on the "type in 3" and the selling of land. How is the bar at the botton of the map to be used? I also get hit at the firist of each year with a warning about my balance or what ever and need to watch it in the future.
Is there a teacher or 3 in the house? Help!
Eb Zane
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Transcontinental
The yellow box in lower center of the map is your "bank" to borrow money and/or sell the land that the Federal Government has given you. The little squares are teller windows where you get the money. You place a tiny bit of track in the square and that opens the window to the money and if you do the same thing in the help square, you get the terms and instructions on how to earn more bonds and land grants. You must have enough money and track to lay a piece of track in the square. Hope this is helpful.
Typing the number '3' will change the camera view to the yellow 'Operations' area at the south edge of the map.
There are four plus-shaped boxes. From left to right they are 'Sell Land', 'Issue Bonds', 'Repay Bonds' and 'Help'. To use these, lay a section of track in the box and then exit the track-laying menu. The money and track you used will be refunded.
In the ledger you can see how much land and bonds you curently have on hand. Connecting cities (see 'Help') will award you more land and bonds.
If this isn't clear, please let me know. :)
There are four plus-shaped boxes. From left to right they are 'Sell Land', 'Issue Bonds', 'Repay Bonds' and 'Help'. To use these, lay a section of track in the box and then exit the track-laying menu. The money and track you used will be refunded.
In the ledger you can see how much land and bonds you curently have on hand. Connecting cities (see 'Help') will award you more land and bonds.
If this isn't clear, please let me know. :)
The optimist proclaims we live in the best of all possible worlds; and the pessimist fears this is true." - James Branch Cabell
I recommend this scenario to all. The events are brilliantly coordinated and the historic information is top notch. Be patient as you begin the building process and stick to your goals. You have to build that railroad on schedule. After it is built then you can pursue the operation of it and the secondary goals to win a medal. And remember, everything that is borrowed must be repaid. Bottom line-Union Pacific is challenging, informative and FUN. So enjoy yourselves and please take the time to post your comments and thoughts. This forum means a great deal to all of us here and participation keeps it alive. One more thing about participating in the Forum here. Those that shed blood, sweat and tears to create a scenario for everyone really appreciate the feed back, compliments and constructive comments. I feel that if every one shared a community spirit by participating-that would inspire even more map making for all to enjoy. That's all folks.
Admin Note: This was posted by wsherrick in a thread started for Transcontinental Reviews, which is now deleted since a second thread was started on the same subject.
Admin Note: This was posted by wsherrick in a thread started for Transcontinental Reviews, which is now deleted since a second thread was started on the same subject.
Hawk
-
Wolverine@MSU
- CEO
- Posts: 1166
- Joined: Fri Nov 10, 2006 2:14 pm
- Location: East Lansing, MI
I agree with the above. It's a fun and challenging scenario. It encompasses all of the aspects of Tycooning; tracklaying, money management, stock market, takeovers and network expansion after finishing the Transcontinental. Stick to the immediate goal so you can get the railroad trak laid and rely on the "interest free" money to do it. I say "interest free" because you don't pay the interest until you pay off the bonds, and all the while, the bond money goes directly into your company's coffers.
As for accessing the "Ops" (View 3) section, you only need to place the track laying cursor on one of the boxes and click the mouse (no drag needed). This lays one piece of track (which gets returned to you) and when you exit out of track-laying mode, you're given the appropriate dialog.
Excellent job EPH for an interesting and historically accurate portrayal of one of the major milestones in US railroad history.
As for accessing the "Ops" (View 3) section, you only need to place the track laying cursor on one of the boxes and click the mouse (no drag needed). This lays one piece of track (which gets returned to you) and when you exit out of track-laying mode, you're given the appropriate dialog.
Excellent job EPH for an interesting and historically accurate portrayal of one of the major milestones in US railroad history.
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belbincolne
- Engineer
- Posts: 526
- Joined: Thu Nov 30, 2006 7:28 am
- Location: Colne, England
Transcontinental
The mechanics of this scenario are a little different from the usual RRT3 scenario, so I thought I would offer some tips. I would love to hear how other players are doing with this one. Let us hear your tips!
First, there is a yellow zone at the bottom of the map. Pressing '3' will take your camera view to it. These four boxes are the key to the early game. From left to right they are: Sell Land, Issue Bonds, Repay Bonds, and Help.
Laying a section of track in a box and then exiting the track-laying menu will bring up messages or choices. You will not be charged money or track for using these boxes.
'Help' contains the list of cities to be connected. Note that in some cases you must complete two connections (Omaha to Laramie AND Sacramento to Reno) to reap the benefits.
Land can be sold for money... but it will be worth more if you sell it after the Transcontinental Railroad is finished. Bonds are issued to you by the government but must be repaid. (You are getting a bargain, here: the historical repayment rate would be $1 million per bond).
Finally, don't try to lay track from December to April in the first two years as the cost goes up 1000%! You can lay track in winter of the third year, and after you complete the Transcontinental RR you can lay track whenever you like at usual rates.
How to win:
Wait until September or October of the first year. Sell land and build out to North Platte. Sell all bonds (but not land) you receive for this. You can run a train or two but you won't make much - that's OK for now.
In February, give up a bond and take the California track. In April, build from Sacramento to the San Fran Rail Link (DESTROY the station in Sacramento and build a new, large one - do not upgrade it). Run trains over this track - they will make money.
From here the key is simple: always cash your bonds (NEVER let your cash go in the red). When offered track I usually take the middle choices on average. Once the railroad is finished you will get 500,000 units of track, so don't worry about the future.
Do as the UP and CP did: just get it built, as fast as possible. Each time you make a connection you will get more land and bonds. Always sell the bonds and PUSH ON FAST.
Once the Golden Spike is driven (Omaha - Ogden - Sacramento) you enter the second part of the race: making it pay.
You can make a lot of money shipping Sac to Omaha and vice versa but it will take a while for the cargos to arrive. In the short term, Omaha to the Rock Island RR (and the Chicago rail link) and Omaha to Kansas City will make money. Sell off all your land grants and BUILD. Rails to Minneapolis-St Paul, industries (textiles, lumber and steel pay well) or whatever. Just grow, grow, grow until the money is gone. Connections to the St Louis rail link and Memphis rail link will pay very nicely, and set you up to win the Gold. Once the cash starts rolling in you will be ready for stage three.
Part three is simple: link to Seattle. You can go north through Redding and Eureka or north of Ogden through Pocatello and Boise to Portland (the original 'Oregon Short Line' of the UP). You could even go west from Minneapolis, I suppose. Whatever route you choose, built it FAST and push on HARD. Shipping to and from Seattle will make $$$ and satisfy the last connection you need for Gold.
Fourthly, start paying off the bonds even before you finish the Seattle railway. I recommend paying off a few each year. But DO NOT leave this until the last minute: you are looking at almost $40 million dollars! Don't panic: in the last few years your railroad should be making buckets of money. If necessary you can take company bonds to repay some of the US bonds, but you should be able to pay off Uncle Sam in the mid-to-late 1880's.
I hope you enjoy this one. Special thanks to Mobius for the map and to wolverine and wsherrick for testing it; they are the reason it works at all. If you have any problems or questions please let me know.
First, there is a yellow zone at the bottom of the map. Pressing '3' will take your camera view to it. These four boxes are the key to the early game. From left to right they are: Sell Land, Issue Bonds, Repay Bonds, and Help.
Laying a section of track in a box and then exiting the track-laying menu will bring up messages or choices. You will not be charged money or track for using these boxes.
'Help' contains the list of cities to be connected. Note that in some cases you must complete two connections (Omaha to Laramie AND Sacramento to Reno) to reap the benefits.
Land can be sold for money... but it will be worth more if you sell it after the Transcontinental Railroad is finished. Bonds are issued to you by the government but must be repaid. (You are getting a bargain, here: the historical repayment rate would be $1 million per bond).
Finally, don't try to lay track from December to April in the first two years as the cost goes up 1000%! You can lay track in winter of the third year, and after you complete the Transcontinental RR you can lay track whenever you like at usual rates.
How to win:
Wait until September or October of the first year. Sell land and build out to North Platte. Sell all bonds (but not land) you receive for this. You can run a train or two but you won't make much - that's OK for now.
In February, give up a bond and take the California track. In April, build from Sacramento to the San Fran Rail Link (DESTROY the station in Sacramento and build a new, large one - do not upgrade it). Run trains over this track - they will make money.
From here the key is simple: always cash your bonds (NEVER let your cash go in the red). When offered track I usually take the middle choices on average. Once the railroad is finished you will get 500,000 units of track, so don't worry about the future.
Do as the UP and CP did: just get it built, as fast as possible. Each time you make a connection you will get more land and bonds. Always sell the bonds and PUSH ON FAST.
Once the Golden Spike is driven (Omaha - Ogden - Sacramento) you enter the second part of the race: making it pay.
You can make a lot of money shipping Sac to Omaha and vice versa but it will take a while for the cargos to arrive. In the short term, Omaha to the Rock Island RR (and the Chicago rail link) and Omaha to Kansas City will make money. Sell off all your land grants and BUILD. Rails to Minneapolis-St Paul, industries (textiles, lumber and steel pay well) or whatever. Just grow, grow, grow until the money is gone. Connections to the St Louis rail link and Memphis rail link will pay very nicely, and set you up to win the Gold. Once the cash starts rolling in you will be ready for stage three.
Part three is simple: link to Seattle. You can go north through Redding and Eureka or north of Ogden through Pocatello and Boise to Portland (the original 'Oregon Short Line' of the UP). You could even go west from Minneapolis, I suppose. Whatever route you choose, built it FAST and push on HARD. Shipping to and from Seattle will make $$$ and satisfy the last connection you need for Gold.
Fourthly, start paying off the bonds even before you finish the Seattle railway. I recommend paying off a few each year. But DO NOT leave this until the last minute: you are looking at almost $40 million dollars! Don't panic: in the last few years your railroad should be making buckets of money. If necessary you can take company bonds to repay some of the US bonds, but you should be able to pay off Uncle Sam in the mid-to-late 1880's.
I hope you enjoy this one. Special thanks to Mobius for the map and to wolverine and wsherrick for testing it; they are the reason it works at all. If you have any problems or questions please let me know.
The optimist proclaims we live in the best of all possible worlds; and the pessimist fears this is true." - James Branch Cabell
It is very important that you follow the original route of the Union Pacific and Central Pacific. Here is why:
Theodore Judah surveyed the route east from Sacramento and found one good path. It didn't rise too quickly and it only crossed the Sierra Nevadas where the two mountain ranges ran together, so there was only one stretch over the peaks. He spent many months in the mountains and concluded there was only one really good route.
Of the routes surveyed from the east, one - through New Orleans and Texas - was unusable because the Civil War was still being fought. The northerly routes - west of Minneapolis through Yellowstone, or along the Canadian border in North Dakota - were not thought as useful as a route west of Omaha. Omaha was reachable via steamboat on the Missouri River, and the Rock Island Railroad was building west across Iowa headed for Council Bluffs. Grenville Dodge had surveyed the Omaha route, and he was the man Lincoln asked for advice. The Pacific Railroad Act gave Lincoln the right to set the starting point, and based on Dodge's survey he picked Omaha.
The Omaha route, west along the Platte River valley, was flat, rising gently up into the mountains. The Indians were mostly friendly. And the Platte River provided easy access to water. The valley itself is lush - some of the best farmland in America - so settlement would quickly follow (and help pay for) the railroad.
Once you go west from Omaha the best path is over Sherman Summit. The route out of Denver is steep and difficult; despite the advantages of linking to an existing town the engineers had to refuse to go through Denver. Once you head west from Omaha, the Cheyenne-Laramie-Rock Springs-Ogden route is so much the best way that it is still in use today.
Likewise, once the Central Pacific got over the mountains, the smoothest path with good access to water is through the valley of the Humboldt River, from Winnemucca to Wells. Despite the advantages of running the railroad through Salt Lake City neither UP or CP could afford to do it; the desert south of the Great Salt Lake is just too severe.
In game terms you have to built it on the historic path, not because I wanted to force you to recreate history, but because the civil engineers of the day had done surveys of the ground and were convinced it was far and away the cheapest, easiest and best way to go. Other than a dozen or so miles cut off by tunnels, the Sacramento to Omaha railroad uses the same path today and so does the Interstate highway.
Theodore Judah surveyed the route east from Sacramento and found one good path. It didn't rise too quickly and it only crossed the Sierra Nevadas where the two mountain ranges ran together, so there was only one stretch over the peaks. He spent many months in the mountains and concluded there was only one really good route.
Of the routes surveyed from the east, one - through New Orleans and Texas - was unusable because the Civil War was still being fought. The northerly routes - west of Minneapolis through Yellowstone, or along the Canadian border in North Dakota - were not thought as useful as a route west of Omaha. Omaha was reachable via steamboat on the Missouri River, and the Rock Island Railroad was building west across Iowa headed for Council Bluffs. Grenville Dodge had surveyed the Omaha route, and he was the man Lincoln asked for advice. The Pacific Railroad Act gave Lincoln the right to set the starting point, and based on Dodge's survey he picked Omaha.
The Omaha route, west along the Platte River valley, was flat, rising gently up into the mountains. The Indians were mostly friendly. And the Platte River provided easy access to water. The valley itself is lush - some of the best farmland in America - so settlement would quickly follow (and help pay for) the railroad.
Once you go west from Omaha the best path is over Sherman Summit. The route out of Denver is steep and difficult; despite the advantages of linking to an existing town the engineers had to refuse to go through Denver. Once you head west from Omaha, the Cheyenne-Laramie-Rock Springs-Ogden route is so much the best way that it is still in use today.
Likewise, once the Central Pacific got over the mountains, the smoothest path with good access to water is through the valley of the Humboldt River, from Winnemucca to Wells. Despite the advantages of running the railroad through Salt Lake City neither UP or CP could afford to do it; the desert south of the Great Salt Lake is just too severe.
In game terms you have to built it on the historic path, not because I wanted to force you to recreate history, but because the civil engineers of the day had done surveys of the ground and were convinced it was far and away the cheapest, easiest and best way to go. Other than a dozen or so miles cut off by tunnels, the Sacramento to Omaha railroad uses the same path today and so does the Interstate highway.
The optimist proclaims we live in the best of all possible worlds; and the pessimist fears this is true." - James Branch Cabell
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bombardiere
- Dispatcher
- Posts: 425
- Joined: Tue Nov 14, 2006 9:07 am
- Location: Turku, Finland
I have had my first go into this interesting scenario. However everything went downhill. In fact I could say that my game sunk into a deep hole. Literally… 
Something weird happen with my game, which has never happened to me before. I had got the game going, albeit slowly, so I decided to upgrade Sacramento station to a large one. And to my horror a deep pit appeared and swallowed the station, track and train. See the attached picture, the words are not enough to describe it. I have heard California earthquakes, but hey this is a bit over the top, isn’t it. :D
Ok, I guess it is a bug and maybe not with the scenario itself. After restart, I tired again to upgrade the station, but again it sunk into the pit. So being frustrated, I begun a new game and immediately bulldozed the station and track This time new station and track stayed firmly on the ground and I was able to go with the game.
I really like the historical comments and events. These give extra flavour to the scenario and I like when the scenario has connection with historical situation. However, as I don’t know US railway history well, some things didn’t open to me. For example what (who) are the Big Four occasitionally mentioned in the events?
My process has been slow. I guess I don’t know how to effective use bonds and land selling and I had huge difficulties in making the route to Reno. My current one looks like a bunch of drunken surveyors had wandered aimlessly around the wilderness. When I get more money, I think I need to make a better route. Well understanding the history remarks, the Reno part was one difficult one.
Anyway, great scenario and I will keep play it, although I did miss the golden spike date already.
Something weird happen with my game, which has never happened to me before. I had got the game going, albeit slowly, so I decided to upgrade Sacramento station to a large one. And to my horror a deep pit appeared and swallowed the station, track and train. See the attached picture, the words are not enough to describe it. I have heard California earthquakes, but hey this is a bit over the top, isn’t it. :D
Ok, I guess it is a bug and maybe not with the scenario itself. After restart, I tired again to upgrade the station, but again it sunk into the pit. So being frustrated, I begun a new game and immediately bulldozed the station and track This time new station and track stayed firmly on the ground and I was able to go with the game.
I really like the historical comments and events. These give extra flavour to the scenario and I like when the scenario has connection with historical situation. However, as I don’t know US railway history well, some things didn’t open to me. For example what (who) are the Big Four occasitionally mentioned in the events?
My process has been slow. I guess I don’t know how to effective use bonds and land selling and I had huge difficulties in making the route to Reno. My current one looks like a bunch of drunken surveyors had wandered aimlessly around the wilderness. When I get more money, I think I need to make a better route. Well understanding the history remarks, the Reno part was one difficult one.
Anyway, great scenario and I will keep play it, although I did miss the golden spike date already.
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belbincolne
- Engineer
- Posts: 526
- Joined: Thu Nov 30, 2006 7:28 am
- Location: Colne, England
Well had my 2nd attempt with no more success. The $50k you lose each month for 2 yrs at the end of year 1 is a killer. As is the laying of track up to Reno. I can run a reasonably profitable railroad but after my initial bonds and land sales can't raise enough money to get anywhere on the west side to get any more so am absolutely stimied.
Three things to stop you working on your next scenario
very annoyingly very regularly ups comes a notice saying Indians have destroyed your track - fortunately they haven't. If they had life would be impossible. The second (and I hope I'm right) at the start it says that to get gold you must build the line within three years. Surely this is impossible. Thirdly from the Almanac you have to connect several other towns as well - but this isn't mentioned in the objectives - thank goodness o/w suicide would beckon :) :( 
Three things to stop you working on your next scenario
very annoyingly very regularly ups comes a notice saying Indians have destroyed your track - fortunately they haven't. If they had life would be impossible. The second (and I hope I'm right) at the start it says that to get gold you must build the line within three years. Surely this is impossible. Thirdly from the Almanac you have to connect several other towns as well - but this isn't mentioned in the objectives - thank goodness o/w suicide would beckon :) :( -
Wolverine@MSU
- CEO
- Posts: 1166
- Joined: Fri Nov 10, 2006 2:14 pm
- Location: East Lansing, MI
As a beta-tester of this scenario, I can assure you that it is not that difficult if you approach it in the right way:
Hint #3 - Get the Gov't. money into your coffers as soon as it's available. You'll need most of it anyway, and the longer it sits in your company's account, the more interest your company makes on it. It also leaves the door wide open to making a killing in the stock market, because the month after the money is taken, the stock price goes up based on the increase in Book Value. Likewise, at the end of the year, when the pencil pushers see that there are negative profits, the price will plummet, so sell off in December and buy back in the following January. It also helps to issue stock as often as possible, but timing it to get the most for your money.
Keep at it and you'll make the connections on time. The only extra track I took was the 250 pieces early in the game (to make the Cheyanne connection) and the 30 xtra pieces per month offered in 1868 (could have probably done it with 20/month but I wanted to minimize steep grades wherever possible.
I hope I haven't given too much away. EPH: if you think I'm letting on too much about how to win at this one, I won't say any more. I don't want to give a detailed step-by-step recipe for winning because it takes away all the joy (and frustration) of completing this monumental task.
Hint #1 - Forget about trying to run a profitable railroad. The initial task should be to complete the railroad. You must do it in stages, and use the Gov't bonds from the previous connection to finance the next one. Of course you have limited track, so the building tends to go in spurts.I can run a reasonably profitable railroad but after my initial bonds and land sales can't raise enough money to get anywhere on the west side to get any more so am absolutely stimied.
Hint #2 - It is entirely possible by using the strategy noted above. I have done it many times, solely on the Gov't. Bonds, but found that toward the end, I used some of the Land Sales to finance the last portion of the build. You have to pay back $750K for each $400K borrowed, which equates to the difference in land sale price (before vs. after Spike is driven) of 500 sections of land per bond ($250K/100 sections after spike vs. $200K/100 sections before spike).The second (and I hope I'm right) at the start it says that to get gold you must build the line within three years. Surely this is impossible.
Hint #3 - Get the Gov't. money into your coffers as soon as it's available. You'll need most of it anyway, and the longer it sits in your company's account, the more interest your company makes on it. It also leaves the door wide open to making a killing in the stock market, because the month after the money is taken, the stock price goes up based on the increase in Book Value. Likewise, at the end of the year, when the pencil pushers see that there are negative profits, the price will plummet, so sell off in December and buy back in the following January. It also helps to issue stock as often as possible, but timing it to get the most for your money.
Keep at it and you'll make the connections on time. The only extra track I took was the 250 pieces early in the game (to make the Cheyanne connection) and the 30 xtra pieces per month offered in 1868 (could have probably done it with 20/month but I wanted to minimize steep grades wherever possible.
You can't avoid the cost of snowsheds, but with careful track laying, you can get up to Reno with only a few sections above a 6% grade. Although I never did, it would be a good idea to start trains to Reno as soon as the connection to Sacramento is made. There are huge profits to be made shipping goods and people there.The $50k you lose each month for 2 yrs at the end of year 1 is a killer. As is the laying of track up to Reno.
I hope I haven't given too much away. EPH: if you think I'm letting on too much about how to win at this one, I won't say any more. I don't want to give a detailed step-by-step recipe for winning because it takes away all the joy (and frustration) of completing this monumental task.
EPH has written a full breakdown of the strategy in the Senario Strategies section. So he won't mind any extra explanations I'm sure. Now everybody get this one point. You MUST-MUST-MUST forget about running the Union Pacific until after it is built. As you build, study the route necessary and you will get there. There is enough money in bonds available and in land grants to complete the railroad if YOU STICK TO THE HISTORICALLY CORRECT ROUTE. Hope this is clear. Anyhow, I am glad that people are playing and enjoying this game.
I am very happy that people are playing but less happy that I was not able to be clear enough in the instructions. I apologize, and I am sorry for the confusion. This really is a different scenario; if you play it like any other RRT3 scenario you will be very frustrated.
Point 1: you MUST built the railroad, FAST, and ignore everything else. For the first three years it doesn't matter if you run a train or make a cent. Cash the government bonds, and as Wolverine says with a few land sales you will have plenty of money. Each time you make a connection, you get more government bonds. Cash them and go on!
Cash the bonds! Build - Build - BUILD!
I usually take the 'middle' option of the two offerings of track but I also use the 'California' track to build from Sac to the SF rail link. That's a profitable run.
Point 2: Indian attacks and prairie fires 'destroy' your track by taking money and unlaid track units from your company. A labor strike can halt you for a month (no one can really afford to lay track at 1000% increase). These events are random, but 'serious' Indian raids on the Union Pacific could occur once a week or so. They cost the RR time, money and supplies.
Point 3: There are four objectives.
1) Complete Omaha to Sacramento in less than 30 months. This CAN be done. IF you keep making connections and cashing government bonds it is actually not very difficult, it is just backwards from usual RRT3 practice.
2) connect to the three rail links (Chicago, St Louis, Memphis). Pretty easy; also profitable. You don't have to connect to Minneapolis/St Paul or to Denver, Salt Lake or Kansas City, but all four of those are immediately profitable.
3) connect to Seattle. Takes money and patience; can be done by going north from Sacramento or northwest from Ogden through Pocatello and Boise. Straightforward construction in classic RRT3 style. I usually build a Seattle-Portland route and run trains on it, buying up or building lumber, paper and other industries. That helps pay for building the Seattle line.
4) Pay off the US bonds. Takes money, but the UP should be very profitable from 1870 on. Some investment in industry will pay well, too. In the last decade pay off 2 to 4 US bonds per year, increasing the number to 5 or 6 per year as you get close to the end. If you must, take out company bonds to pay off the US bonds. You don't care if the UP goes broke; it did in real life, several times.
None of these are as difficult as they sound. When you have to build the railroad fast the US government gives you $20 million dollars plus at least $8 million in land grants. $28 million will buy a lot of railroad. Then when you have to pay back the money you should, through expanding your railroad and building or buying industry, have a very profitable company.
In my last game I won in 1888 with revenues of $18 million and profits of $7.3 million. I had about 16 industries including 3 steel mills but not counting hotels (several hotels made more than $100k profit). I waited too late to start paying back the US bonds and had to hustle for the money, but I finished two years ahead of the deadline and had no company bonds outstanding. I'm not bragging here - that was on medium difficulty - just saying it can be done.
I realize this method goes against everything we've ever learned in RRT, but this is how the Union Pacific and Central Pacific actually did it. Cash the bonds, lay the track and worry about paying it off later.
Point 1: you MUST built the railroad, FAST, and ignore everything else. For the first three years it doesn't matter if you run a train or make a cent. Cash the government bonds, and as Wolverine says with a few land sales you will have plenty of money. Each time you make a connection, you get more government bonds. Cash them and go on!
Cash the bonds! Build - Build - BUILD!
I usually take the 'middle' option of the two offerings of track but I also use the 'California' track to build from Sac to the SF rail link. That's a profitable run.
Point 2: Indian attacks and prairie fires 'destroy' your track by taking money and unlaid track units from your company. A labor strike can halt you for a month (no one can really afford to lay track at 1000% increase). These events are random, but 'serious' Indian raids on the Union Pacific could occur once a week or so. They cost the RR time, money and supplies.
Point 3: There are four objectives.
1) Complete Omaha to Sacramento in less than 30 months. This CAN be done. IF you keep making connections and cashing government bonds it is actually not very difficult, it is just backwards from usual RRT3 practice.
2) connect to the three rail links (Chicago, St Louis, Memphis). Pretty easy; also profitable. You don't have to connect to Minneapolis/St Paul or to Denver, Salt Lake or Kansas City, but all four of those are immediately profitable.
3) connect to Seattle. Takes money and patience; can be done by going north from Sacramento or northwest from Ogden through Pocatello and Boise. Straightforward construction in classic RRT3 style. I usually build a Seattle-Portland route and run trains on it, buying up or building lumber, paper and other industries. That helps pay for building the Seattle line.
4) Pay off the US bonds. Takes money, but the UP should be very profitable from 1870 on. Some investment in industry will pay well, too. In the last decade pay off 2 to 4 US bonds per year, increasing the number to 5 or 6 per year as you get close to the end. If you must, take out company bonds to pay off the US bonds. You don't care if the UP goes broke; it did in real life, several times.
None of these are as difficult as they sound. When you have to build the railroad fast the US government gives you $20 million dollars plus at least $8 million in land grants. $28 million will buy a lot of railroad. Then when you have to pay back the money you should, through expanding your railroad and building or buying industry, have a very profitable company.
In my last game I won in 1888 with revenues of $18 million and profits of $7.3 million. I had about 16 industries including 3 steel mills but not counting hotels (several hotels made more than $100k profit). I waited too late to start paying back the US bonds and had to hustle for the money, but I finished two years ahead of the deadline and had no company bonds outstanding. I'm not bragging here - that was on medium difficulty - just saying it can be done.
I realize this method goes against everything we've ever learned in RRT, but this is how the Union Pacific and Central Pacific actually did it. Cash the bonds, lay the track and worry about paying it off later.
Last edited by EPH on Mon Apr 02, 2007 4:00 am, edited 1 time in total.
The optimist proclaims we live in the best of all possible worlds; and the pessimist fears this is true." - James Branch Cabell
Great scenario. Really transmits some of the tension that the real companies must have been under - how the heck am I going to get there in time? how are all these bonds going to be paid? - yet doesn't skimp on the humor. Apparently I got lucky: didn't see any Indians or suffer a strike, though I did have my bridges washed out once. It also helped that Rock Island connected Chicago to Ogden for me.
Drove the Golden Spike April 1869, connected the three eastern links, looked at what was next - SEATTLE!? Getting to that goldurn city from Sac was probably harder than Ogden... didn't even think about the Pocatello route.
Couple minor issues:
- My bond purchases got cut off right at the final warning message in late 1868, rather than after the Ogden connection as it warned.
- I seemed to have the option to pay off more than 50 bonds, though I didn't try it.
- Might want to put in some minor sort of shipping requirement to keep players from laying burn track between Sac and Reno or up to Seattle.
This was with 1.06, so equal probabilities of a problem with it as with the scenario. Not one CtD, though.
Unusual:
- This may be the first scenario in which I actually used a Fairlie. Couldn't get from Sacramento to Reno without going grade 6 almost all the way, and there simply wasn't another engine that could make that climb without scattering boiler chunks across the mountainside.
Very cool. Thanks, EPH!
Drove the Golden Spike April 1869, connected the three eastern links, looked at what was next - SEATTLE!? Getting to that goldurn city from Sac was probably harder than Ogden... didn't even think about the Pocatello route.
Couple minor issues:
- My bond purchases got cut off right at the final warning message in late 1868, rather than after the Ogden connection as it warned.
- I seemed to have the option to pay off more than 50 bonds, though I didn't try it.
- Might want to put in some minor sort of shipping requirement to keep players from laying burn track between Sac and Reno or up to Seattle.
This was with 1.06, so equal probabilities of a problem with it as with the scenario. Not one CtD, though.
Unusual:
- This may be the first scenario in which I actually used a Fairlie. Couldn't get from Sacramento to Reno without going grade 6 almost all the way, and there simply wasn't another engine that could make that climb without scattering boiler chunks across the mountainside.
Very cool. Thanks, EPH!
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belbincolne
- Engineer
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