Classic Campaign - Any% Guide

Work in progress - slowly updating as I have time.

# The Iron Seed

## Goal: Gold Metal

Connect Baltimore to **Washington**, **Harpers Ferry**, and **Philadelphia** and haul **12 loads** total.

## Strategy

Of the three starting options, getting the John Bull early provides the most benefit:

https://i.imgur.com/E3Qlsc1.png

Begin by issuing a bond for $500k.  You should now have around $890k with a starting station in Baltimore.

https://i.imgur.com/JsusfGo.png

Create a Single Track connection to Washington with a Large Station.

https://i.imgur.com/9EDijPv.png

Purchase a John Bull train.  Fill the cargo with 5 passenger and 1 mail car, and set the train to wait for full cargo.

https://i.imgur.com/msWbcR1.png

Purchase a second John Bull, starting in Washington.  When the trains arrive, you will have enough money to complete the connections to Harper's Ferry and Philadelphia, using Small Stations for each.

https://i.imgur.com/QvNFbbZ.png

https://i.imgur.com/pmSpjZy.png

The end results should be a Gold metal in around 1 minute.

# Handle on the Breadbasket

# Bridging a Nation

## Goal: Silver Metal

Connect **New Orleans** to **Los Angeles** and haul **12 loads** between them.  

Have a **company equity** of **$10 million**.

## Strategy

New Orleans is located near several large cities, allowing us to generate money quickly to cross the desert to LA in one go.

https://i.imgur.com/9KMqoQZ.png

Start your company with maximum player and outside investments.

Place a Large Station overlapping New Orleans and Baton Rouge, but connected to New Orleans.

https://i.imgur.com/7uMVrJj.png

Similarly, place a second Large Station overlapping Houston and Beaumont. 

https://i.imgur.com/AaPefEj.png

Purchase a Water Tower, Sanding Tower, and Roundhouse at the Houston station.  

Then connect the two stations and purchase trains carrying passengers and mail.  These trains will supply us money as we build the primary New Orleans - LA line.

https://i.imgur.com/qUj4jGh.png

Place a Medium Station in Los Angeles.  This will prevent the AI players from competing for LA resources as we build our lines and allow Passengers to build up in the station.

https://i.imgur.com/Cz1OFt1.png

Wait until you have $2500k, then build the line from LA to Houston.

https://i.imgur.com/W6tLiT4.png

Follow the Saltone Sea near LA, then try to route to keep grade low.

https://i.imgur.com/ely512h.png

Place Small Stations at regular intervals with Sanding and Water towers, especially before/after steep slopes.

Purchase multiple trains between LA and New Orleans set to wait for full cargo.

https://i.imgur.com/kxVD3lI.png

Wait until the Gold Metal time passes, then we should immediately get the Silver Metal.

# Silver Booms and the Market Busts

## Goal: Gold Metal

Have a **personal net worth** of at least **$20 million**.

## Strategy

Start with the option for increased security, reducing the number of train robberies.

https://i.imgur.com/ccluOi0.png

You may need to restart the map multiple times to get favorable cargo spawns.  Specifically, you want good groupings of Cattle Yards in the midwest, a Meat Packing plant in Kansas City and/or Tulsa, and preferably access to one or more Gain Silos.  Here is an example of a good start:

https://i.imgur.com/D8QyR78.png

From here, start by making a Single Track connection from Kansas City to Denver for the quick $700k bonus and a 30% increase in security.

With the money you get from Denver, create stations to haul Cattle to your Meat Packing plants in Kansas City / Tulsa.  If possible, create train connections in the following order:

Grain -> Cattle -> Food

If you also have access to Sheep Farms and a Textile Mill, you can make the connection:

Grain -> Wool -> Goods

As soon as you have enough money, purchase the Grain Silos, Cattle Yards, Meat Packing Plants, Sheep Farms, and Textile Mills you're using in your production lines to gain additional profits.  You can also upgrade to Double Tracks eventually and continue adding trains.

With profits flowing, you can start purchasing company stock and raising the dividend.  BE CAREFUL to not completely exhaust your purchasing power, as the stock price tends to drop in the months after buying.

With the high dividend and high profits, we should be able to achieve the target $20,000k net worth before 1895.

# Whistle Stops and Promises

## Goal: Gold Metal

Visit at least **16 stations**.

## Strategy

Start with the option for the Atlantic, the fastest available train:

https://i.imgur.com/JEqaR70.png

Once the scenario begins, start by opening the train loadout and using the Cargo Mode screen switch to empty the train cars.

https://i.imgur.com/5E9TQbC.png

Create a route of at least 16 cities, again with empty cargo.  You should be able to achieve the gold metal well before the scenario time limit.

# Crossing the Great Divide

## Goal: Bronze Metal

Connect **Vancouver** to **Halifax** and haul **6 loads** between them by 1896.

## Strategy

Begin with the option for reduced track building costs.

https://i.imgur.com/hWRMEiK.png

Begin by issuing a bond, then build a section of track between Quebec and Montreal.  Set up trains between the two to start making money.

https://i.imgur.com/eKKfCVe.png

Once you've earned around $1,000k, expand to Ottawa and Toronto.

https://i.imgur.com/dZ9RwQY.png

Wait until you have $4,000k, then create a station at Vancouver and build a Single Track line.



# Birth of the Iron Horse

# Excess on the Orient Express

# Knitting with Iron

# Next Stop the 20th Century

# The Brenner Pass

# When Walls Come Down

# Croissants or Crumpets

# The Samurai Rides and Iron Horse

# Which Way to the Coast?

# The People's Train

# Dilemma Down Under

# Cape to Cairo