For the next several weeks we will be uncovering the secrets to conquer each of the 18 scenarios involved in the Railroad Tycoon II single player campaign. This week we will start with the first campaign scenario, The Iron Seed.

Difficulty Level and the Starting Bonus

As you start a new campaign, you must select the difficulty level at the outset. In the first scenario, The Iron Seed, the levels offer different amounts of starting cash. Easy begins with $399k and Normal and Hard begin with $299k. We could find no other obvious differences between the levels.

With all the scenarios you will be allowed to select a bonus before the game begins. Choose wisely, as each choice can have a dramatic impact on the game. With this scenario the options are: an extra $80,000 cash, a 10% reduction in track building cost or the early arrival of the John Bull 2-4-0 engine. Of these three options, a 10% lower track building cost appears to be the most beneficial. Certainly $80k can help us get off to a fast start, but to complete this game you will build around 2,000,000 in track, saving at $200,000. The 18 month early arrival of The John Bull can not be discounted. It is 60% faster than the Stephenson Rocket. However, as you will see, we won't be building the long lines until after the John Bull has arrived in June, 1931.

Pause the Game

Now that scenario has begun, pause the game -- use the pause key or the + and - keys to adjust the speed of the game. With the game halted we can survey the screen, lay track and change other options.

Since our task is to connect cities, we have no need to offer dividends to our investors -- we need cash! To change the dividend amount, double click on the company and turn the Finances Page. Change the dividend to $0.

The First Connection

We could easily connect to Ellicotts Mills, the track has been laid and Ellicotts Mills provides some freight. However, Relay provides both passengers and freight, and demands passengers and freight. Furthermore, Relay makes a great stepping stone to the big money maker, Washington. We cannot afford to a lay a double track to Relay, so a single track will have to suffice. Using the remaining cash, we can build the medium station, to encompass all of Relay. Do not add extra buildings to the Relay station, Baltimore has everything we need to start the game.

After we have built the first station, we should un-pause the game until cargo is available in Baltimore. Once cargo is available, we can purchase our first train. Add the available cars and get this first train moving. As the first set of cars completely crosses the bridge, west of Baltimore, buy another train. Although, we may only have one or two cars worth of cargo, each car represents potential income. As each train approaches the next station make sure to load it with the available cargo at each city.

Cargo Controls As a game progresses it becomes difficult to micromanage every load of cargo. The stoplight icon on the train detail screen can be used to control the allowable amount a cargo a train must have before leaving the station.
		Green: Load any available cargo and go. You may wind up with an empty line of cars. Yellow: Once the train is at least half loaded, go. Red: The train must be fully loaded before leaving the station.

The Next Milestone

Adding on to the Relay station track to reach Washington will require around $600,000. Therefore, our next goal should be to reach $600k using the two trains we have moving between Baltimore and Relay. If the economy is good, and if we have managed our loads properly, we should our target by 1833. During this time feel free to add double tracks to relieve any bottle necks along the route. However, since stone bridges are not yet available, we are stuck with a bottleneck across the river.

Once we have arrived in Washington, we should build the large station to include as much of Washington as possible. Upon completion of the station, we should purchase a train to run from Washington to Baltimore. As our other two trains reach their destinations, they should be re-directed to the Washington/Baltimore route as well to earn bigger payoffs.

The Four Keys to
Cargo Payoffs

Demand: Obviously, stations will pay more for the cargo they want. Desired cargo can be seen in the train detail screen or by viewing the station in question. Furthermore, some industries have natural partnerships (ie. textile mills use cotton and/or wool). Linking these partners together can sometimes lead to great profits. In these cases it may be beneficial to send a lone engine speeding down the tracks to pick up freight that is in heavy demand.
Distance: Cargo that travels longer distances tends to bring a higher payoff. Passenger and mail cargo appear to be the most influenced by distance.
Speed: Anyone who has watched the gold meter go down on a slow run, can appreciate the importance of delivery cargo quickly. As a general rule, give priority to your big money makers.
Cargo Type: Finished products, such as food or goods, when in demand draw larger revenues than unfinished cargo, such as grain or wool. However. without the unfinished goods it takes longer to produce finished products.

The Rest is Easy

The connection to Washington, should dramatically increase in revenues. With increase we should initially widen our tracks where needed and purchase a fourth train to run between Washington and Baltimore. Afterwards, it is time save our cash, for the last two major building projects.

To connect to Harpers Ferry requires around $600k and we should be able to complete this by 1834 or 1835. The final leg of our journey takes to us Philadelphia usually around 1836. This is our most expensive run of track and generally requires around $1,000k, plus $200k for a large station. Soon after this connection is complete, we shall receive the gold medal we worked so hard to achieve.