Review of The Cheshire by Lama

[wsherrick]

Here is a challenging map if you like to run high speed trains. The win is gotten by the scoring system. You get points for hauling X amount of passengers from certain cities. Points are also awarded if you connect the principal cities within a certain time frame. There are AI's in the game but they can't survive for very long and they are easy to absorb. In fact, you must aborb at least one of them to get entry into New Hampshire. The scenario is set in the depression and it is hard to earn a living from the sparse economy provided. The real challenge is to get passengers to begin with and move them swiftly out of Fitchburg, Keene, and Bellows Falls.
I elected to start in 1920 and get the railroad built before the great crash of '29 I managed to connect Fitchburg and Bellows Falls VT in eight years, but it took all of the 25 years to win gold on medium. I elected to build service tracks and it is a major job to schedule your trains to visit them in regular order. It is necessary in order to keep up your express speed to get the extra points needed to win. You can not build any water tanks or lubritoriums between cities or your trains will make undesired stops. This is the first time I have used service tracks and despite the extra cost and effort they did the trick. Speed is also hampered by the many steep grades and curves one has to build in this hilly terrain. I also elected to use steam power (sorry Lama) to pull my trains. I will go to my grave, a steam man! With carefull planning I managed to keep my average express speed well above 40 thoughout the game.

I had to wait about five or six years into the game to begin passenger service because there was not enough passengers to fool with for awhile.

The map is beautiful of course, like all of Lama's maps. The only gripe I have is that the areas around Fitchburg and Bellows Falls are too hilly to get a decent gradient of track into those places. A little smoothing out would be in order :D
This is an entertaining scenario and I recommend it highly

[wsherrick]

Here is a picture of a service track for those who are unfamiliar with them.

[Lama]

Thank you for the review! I'm glad you liked it.

The hillyness is a big factor, of course, and I'm sorry that you found track building so difficult.
I decided against making it any easier, because I was afraid players might start building multiple stations in these places.

One of the benefits of using the Zephyrs is that they never stop for water, and you can put in fewer sanding towers.
But of course I understand your desire to stick with the steam trains.

The area is still very beautiful today. Keene does not have an interstate, just two-lane highways in all directions. That has kept the strip-mall and the accompanying uglification of the landscape to a minimum. The RR ROW are bike/hiking paths today. Well worth taking.

[Wolverine@MSU]

There are two "Cheshire" maps, "Cheshire County NH" and "The Cheshire". Are there major differences between the two other than the start date?

[Cliff]

Hi Wolverine -

There are two "Cheshire" maps, "Cheshire County NH" and "The Cheshire". Are there major differences between the two other than the start date?

Two totally different maps/scenarios. I found Cheshire County to be the more difficult of the two when I Beta-tested both of these scenarios a year ago.

You can find a discussion of the Beta-testing of Cheshire County here.

You can find a discussion of The Cheshire here.


-- Cliff in Virginia