                          A-TRAIN from MAXIS

ON BOARD TUTORING 
 
The following tutorial will get you up and running your trains and 
provide the groundwork for understanding some of the financial 
intricacies of the game. You'll find detailed explanations of menus, 
commands, investment suggestions and general game play advice 
in the Reference section of the manual. 
 
The tutorial assumes that you have a mouse. The left button is the 
default mouse button for selecting actions and commands, unless 
otherwise stated. If you're playing without a mouse, see the 
Addendum for keyboard procedures. 
 
Please refer to your Addendum for procedures to install and start 
A-Train. Once the program is running, you are ready to begin 
your training. 
 
After the title screen and credits for the game have been displayed, 
the SYSTEM menu will open. 
 
When the SYSTEM menu is opened, the game clock stops. The menu 
has a number of commands, but for tutorial purposes, just click on 
NEW GAME. A submenu will open. The six numbers represent the 
choices of map landscapes upon which you can build your train 
empire. Click on #1 and then click on LOAD. 
 
You will now see the lovely map of your new railroad operation, 
surrounded by the "picture frame" of menu choices. The running 
clock in the upper-right corner indicates the fiscal term (from April 
1 to the present), and the month, day and hour. The clock is the 
measure for train scheduling, which will be discussed later in this 
Tutorial. The passing of time is illustrated by the changing patterns 
of light as day fades and night falls (VGA only). The light changes can 
be turned off if you wish; see your Addendum for details. There will 
also be seasonal changes, such as the appearance of winter snow, as 
the game progresses. 
 
All of the maps provide you with at least one operating railroad, and 
some amount of cash. See the Cities chapter in the Reference section 
for amplification on the challenges each map presents. 
 
Map One is one of the most open and undeveloped of the six 
scenarios, providing space for experimentation and risk. One of the 
goals will be to develop the "bedroom community" of its new town. 
Take a few moments to "mouse around" on the map to get a sense of 
your territory. You can make incremental movements by clicking in 
the arrow boxes on the right side of the frame, which will cause the 
map to scroll a small amount in the direction of the arrow. 
You can orient yourself to the overall map boundaries by clicking on 
SATELLITE (on the right edge of the frame), which will display a 
small image of your complete map. (All picture frame menus will 
highlight when the mouse pointer is positioned on the menu title, 
and they then can be opened with a mouse click). The rectangle on 
the Satellite map captures the current territory displayed on the 
large map. You can drag the box on the Satellite map to any area and 
click, and the corresponding terrain will be displayed on the big map. 
Take careful note of the hills, rivers and lakes; terrain plays a 
significant part in your rail setup. The land is divided into small 
squares that we'll refer to as "blocks." The block is the measure for 
a number of A-Train procedures. 
 
Use the Satellite rectangle to return to the existing train station on 
the map, then leave the window by clicking on EXIT. There is both 
a freight and a passenger operation on your established lines, both 
running on the same track, both going off the map. Note that the 
freight train returns from its excursions outside laden with materials, 
which are deposited in the large pile at the station; if the storage place 
is full, it will pick up materials to be sold to the outside. Those are the 
construction materials from which commercial properties and other holdings 
are developed. Their placement and train transport play an integral part 
in your city development. 
 
And city development is one of your goals. Click on REPORT 4--the Urban 
Growth chart--and note the statistics on your city's status, particularly 
the population total. It is wise to periodically check these facts to see 
how rapidly your city is evolving. These figures give you quick feedback 
on how your moves affect the city scale. Click on EXIT to leave the report 
window. 
 
Track laying can be a trifle tricky at first, so we'll experiment a bit. 
Scroll to one of the undeveloped areas on the map, so that you can 
put down and remove some track without destroying existing 
development. Open the TRAINS menu. This menu provides you with 
the functions you'll need to build and schedule your railroad. Click 
the LAY TRACKS command. Make sure that LAY is highlighted. 
Click the mouse and you will see a terrain block highlight; these 
blocks are the units of measure in the survey of your terrain. 
 
Drag the mouse in any direction and you will see a highlighted line 
follow your movements. The highlight will reflect any curves when 
you deviate from a straight line. You can see that by slight 
maneuvering with the mouse, the display of your proposed line will 
change its angle and course. 
 
Drag a straight line from left to right about six blocks and then click. 
A strip of track will be put down in place of the highlight. Click on 
REMOVE (in the LAY TRACKS submenu), and click on either end of 
the track and drag to its other end. The beginning block will 
highlight, just as when you place track. Click again and the track will 
be removed and replaced by cleared land. 
 
You can see that the figure in the COST box changes with each block 
over which you lay track. This number reflects the purchase price of 
the land, and the track laying/removing charges. You will still own 
any land from which you remove track. 
 
Hint: If you are trying to put down some lines and your 
track tactics don't result in the desired direction, you can 
cancel the LAY command by clicking the right mouse 
button. Then try to lay the railroad by clicking first the 
destination point and then the beginning point. The railroad 
should turn to the opposite direction. 
 
For curved track, if you can't achieve the desired angle with a single 
drag of the mouse, you can lay piecewise segments of straight track, 
connect the curved joint, and then connect additional segments. Of 
course, it's more expensive if you mistakenly put some down, only 
to remove it later. 
                         
THROWING YOUR TRACK A CURVE 

Curving track can require some wily maneuvering, but it's a skill that 
will serve you well in future track laying. Try running a line from east 
to west and then have it veer sharply up or down. Also try a few wide, 
looping curves. If you haven't established a practical line position,  
you'll get a nasty message from the track layer or construction 
manager. You can see that controlling the curve isn't always easy, 
but small mouse motions can usually establish the desired angle in 
a highlighted planned line. If you have difficulty getting a curved 
length properly positioned, do it in short one- or two- block segments. 
Try removing curved track as well. 
 
Hint. When trying to place a line segment, its easier to get 
a block to highlight if you click directly in its center. 
 
If a track removal path won't follow any curves that might be on your 
line, you will have to remove piecemeal sections. It is expensive to rip 
track, so in the real game, plan carefully before you lay your line. 
Experiment with curved and straight track laying and removal until 
you have a more natural feel for it. 
 
GETTING BACK ON TRACK 
 
When you've untangled this track-tying rope, scroll the map so that 
your original station is near the top and center of your screen. We're 
going to run a new line from here to the east and then south, so that 
we can use the existing commercial market of the town, without 
having to schedule trains around the existing lines. 
 
We'll establish two new lines on a connected track near the established 
lines. These will provide us with a small passenger market, and let us 
acquire some construction materials to spur development around 
our new lines. The schedules and routes of the original line are fixed 
and can't be adjusted, but any additional trains can be laid down 
separately or integrated and controlled. 
 
Click at a spot a couple of blocks below and a couple blocks to the 
right of the station. Move the highlighted planned line from west to 
east about five or six blocks, and click to place the line. You can add 
to existing track by clicking the mouse at track end (the initial block 
will be highlighted), and dragging. Click at the eastern end of your 
line and move it east a block or two and then draw it down, straight 
south, to a few blocks from the bottom of the screen. 
 
The curve southward should be indicated in the highlighted planned 
line. You might have to do some wiggling to place it so that it "sets," 
but when you have positioned the line to your satisfaction, click at 
its end. This will establish the track (or you will get a message 
informing you if you have laid a line in an unsuitable position). 
 
When you are laying track you often have to make many adjust- 
ments for geography--avoid hills and try to use fairly straight 
segments, since curves are more costly. You can click the right 
mouse button to cancel a planned line if you haven't yet clicked the 
left button and placed it. 
 
Look at your new track in the Satellite view to see it in relation to the 
original map. (You must exit the LAY TRACKS submenu to use the 
Satellite view.) 
 
Let's lay a second line that connects on a spur from the first. It is 
actually easier at the beginning of games to lay two close-but- 
separate lines, freight and passenger, so that you don't have to be 
concerned with switches, but we'll get your switchin' feet wet early, 
so you won't be fearful of those complex waters later on. 
 
Connecting track must be first established on a diagonal line from 
existing track. Position your mouse so that it is about two-thirds of 
the way down the first section of your track. Highlight the first block 
and drag the mouse down so that your second line runs parallel and 
one or two blocks to the west of your first track. Drag until you reach 
the terminus of your first line and click to set your dual line. The 
result should look like the Second New Line diagram; minor var- 
iations in placement aren't important. 
 
TRAINING YOUR FIRST TRAIN 
 
There are a number of approaches you can take to or- 
ganizing your initial railroad, such as buying and plac- 
ing the stations first and then arranging your trains, but 
we'll get a train up and chugging right away so you'll 
have something to brag about. 
 
Exit the LAY TRACKS menu and click the BUY TRAIN 
command in the TRAINS menu. You will see a Rolling 
Stock Market display of all the available train models, a 
chart detailing the statistics of the chosen train, and a 
train registry showing what trains are already in oper- 
ation. Other maps that you develop will show all your 
purchased trains by their highlighting on the calendar chart, but you 
cannot adjust Map One's existing trains, and thus the entire chart is 
open. 
  
To buy a train for your new line you must first choose an unused train 
number from the registry(#1 has a lovely ring) by clicking on it, and 
then assign the number to a particular train chosen from the train 
chart. As you click on the various small pictures of the trains, a larger 
picture of the selected train will appear at the bottom of the window 
along with its vital statistics (model, capacity, cost, etc.). 
 
Your first line should be a freight line. We recommend the dashing 
GP 40, the bottom unit in the second column, with the crisp Maxis 
Lines logo. (You may want to start with a cheaper, lower-capacity 
freight in a real game. ) Once you have chosen a train, make sure the 
BUY command is highlighted and then click CONFIRM. The train is 
now yours, registered by its number, which is highlighted and 
underlined on the registry chart. 
 
Click EXIT to close the Rolling Stock Market. Then click the PLACE 
TRAIN command from TRAINS menu. You'll find that the new train 
number has already been chosen in the calendar chart, with its train 
stats displayed. (From this menu you can click other numbers if you 
want to make changes to future existing trains.) 
 
Make sure that #1 is highlighted and then place the train near the 
bottom edge of your eastern line by positioning the pointer over a 
spot on the track, which will display the highlighted box. The train 
will appear on the place clicked. If the place isn't appropriate, a 
message box will appear to scold you. The new train will have two 
arrows, one in front of the train and one at the back. The white arrow 
represents the train's direction. You can click on these arrows to 
toggle the direction; for now, point its travel up the line towards the 
original railway. The train starts moving after you click on EXIT. You 
got yourself a railroad! 
 
Hint: When expanding future lines, it might be convenient 
for you to place Several trains at one time--multiple track 
placements--using the SATELLITE view scrolling, which 
lets you move around the map very quickly. 
 
GIVE YOUR TRAIN A HOME 
 
You'll see your train making its merry path from north to south 
without relent, on the outside line. Let's give it a place to pull over 
and stretch its wheels. and also pick up some business in the 
meantime. 
 
All maps will start you with a least one station on a line. One solid 
approach for a line with only one station is to establish another on 
the same line some distance(at least 15 or 20 blocks) away preferably 
near some development--if there is any--so as to provide both 
materials transport and some passenger income. (Passenger fare 
increases with distance traveled.) We're dealing with freight right 
now, but we're going to put a passenger line down as well. 
 
There isn't a preset ideal" distance between stations for running 
passengers. Dependent on development factors, set the stations 
close early in the game to reduce track laying expenses, and when 
there is more passenger traffic, remove close stations to get the 
increased fare received for longer trips. There are many strategic 
gambits concerning station development; refer to the Trains chapter 
in your Reference section for details. 
 
For simplicity's sake. Let's establish a station at the southeast end of 
our new line. You can add additional stations to your original line 
later. The large stations, the ones with tall buildings attached, are 
more expensive, but their larger passenger processings provoke the 
simulation into faster city and urban road development. Scroll to the 
the southern end of your line and click on the BUILD STATION 
command on the TRAINS menu. Trains will stop running when this 
menu is opened. 
 
You are given a choice of four small and four large stations in various 
orientations. Click on a small station that will face the tracks from 
the west and then position the mouse at the southernmost edge of 
the track. (Station orientation is a factor in city development; see the 
Crossroads section in Reference.) Stations can only be placed on 
diagonal segments of track with no curves. You'll see the station 
outline in highlight, which will occupy at least three blocks. Click 
when the position is right, and the building will settle nicely into 
place. When lines are this close, they can share a single station. 
 
It's necessary to immediately make an area for materials storage near 
the station, so that your can pave your kingdom. You need to buy some 
land adjacent to your station for this storage. It's actually a very 
sound move to buy up a lot of land around your stations quite early 
in the game, because this land's value skyrockets in relation to later 
development. If you truly have an eye for the long-term, buy land in 
areas where you might concentrate development later; it's sure to 
bulge your future wallet. You probably shouldn't spend too much too 
soon, though. because startup rail costs are high. 
 
Open the subsidiaries menu. This menu provides the commands 
to buy and place your land, income properties and commercial 
developments. Click on REAL ESTATE. A submenu will open with 
buy and sell I commands. a figure revealing your current holdings 
and a cost figure that will tally the price of prospective land buys. The 
prices for the individual blocks of land will be revealed when you 
move your pointer over them. 
 
Land without buildings on it is cheaper; buy accordingly. Click the 
BUY command; the mouse pointer will become a highlighted block. 
Click on several blocks of land in a line near your western station. You 
can buy more later if the traffic's hopping. You can also buy property 
in the general periphery of the station. Leave any residences and 
buildings be. You can see that when you purchase the land, its surface 
is cleared. Cleared land with a black highlight around it is owned by 
another company. Exit the subsidiaries menus. 
 
Scroll (if necessary) up north near the map's original station and 
open the BUILD STATION menu. Place a station at the northern end 
of your line, which should be just a few blocks below, parallel to, and 
a touch east of your original station. You will have to build over some 
existing buildings. This station's placement allows you to feed" off 
of some of the existing materials brought in from the outside and to 
transport them down to your southern stations for city develop- 
ment. Buy some land near this station for materials storage. 
 
Now your train's all dressed up with a place to go, but you need 
to tell it where and when. Exit the build STATION menu. 
 
DON'T FIGHT; SWITCH! 
 
Go back to the TRAINS menu and click on Schedule. You will see 
the calendar chart with your highlighted train number and a route 
map that displays the operating trains. their tracks and stations in 
miniature. Clicking on the number of each purchased train will 
highlight its image at its current position in a small white box on the 
route map. Info on the selected train is underneath this map. This 
map can he a particular asset when you have many trains running 
and their respective numbers are not so fresh in your mind. 
We'll set schedules when we place your passenger train, so ignore the 
DEPARTURE TIME command; click on SWITCH. A small diagram 
of a switch will be shown in the box below the command. 
 
Move the mouse so that the pointer is near the junction of your 
southwest line and click. A highlighted box appears on the map at the 
switch's location and the switch display shows its current position. 
Click on CHANGE SWITCH to direct your freight to your southwest 
track. The switch will be redirected on the route display and 
the game map. 
 
Click on the TEST RUN command and you will see the 
altered route on your route map, with your train represent- 
ed by a swiftly moving dot. You must click on END TEST to 
halt the manic pace of the test demonstration. 
 
Exit the SCHEDULE window and watch the movement of 
your train. You'll see that it will soon start transporting 
materials to your southern storage place, or dependent 
on availability of materials near your original station-- 
taking them away. You can redirect the course of your train 
through the PLACE TRAINS menu. Clicking on its number will 
scroll the screen to your train. which will display its directional 
arrows. Sometimes materials won't be available and your freight will 
begin to take materials away from your southern stations. You can 
use the arrows to send your freight back to deposit materials it was 
going to take away. 
 
Switches, scheduling and all their intrigues are discussed in more 
detail in the Trains chapter in the Reference section. You will need 
to become a competent switchmaster and scheduler when you place 
your passenger train. 
 
For now, let #l run freely, as long as it is depositing construction 
materials at your southern station. Those blocks are the flagstones 
on your road to fortune. 
 
This part of the tutorial will guide you through the basics of the 
building trade in A-Train. There are many stratagems regarding 
development around your stations and subsequent city expansion. 
All situations are variable according to the existing level of map 
development, your cash resources, and your approach to growth, be 
it devil-may-care or cautious. For tutorial purposes, we'll just give 
you some fundamentals on property development, its effect on the 
population, and how the simulation responds to your decisions. All 
of these matters, including a chart of development expenses for each 
subsidiary, are expounded upon in the Cities chapter of the Reference 
section. 
 
Of critical need now are those construction materials, the stuff your 
dreams--and buildings--are made of. Construction materials are 
the "flour and water" from which all buildings are constructed and 
from which the simulation builds. You will see them start piling up 
near your station not long after it's built(as long as your outside lines 
are bringing them in). The pile will shrink and grow dependent upon 
the movement of your new freight line and the materials use of your 
initial trains. When you've built up a storehold of materials you can 
do some property development. 
 
Of course, you can rather cleverly relieve some of these materials 
anxieties by making some of your own. Why not build a factory 
nearby to produce the little devils for you? ( It is better early on to rely 
on materials brought in from the outside and not to build an 
expensive, high-maintenance factory, but we'll do it here to 
demonstrate how they work.) 
 
Open the SUBSIDIARIES menu and click on FACTORY. A submenu 
will open that displays an image of the factory and BUILD and 
REMOVE commands. Click on BUILD and position your pointer in 
the territory south of your northern station, but within about eight 
blocks of the track. You will see the land costs change as you move 
your mouse. Click when you've found a spot to your liking. 
 
You can't utilize these materials unless they are first transported by 
your freights to your storage place, so keep that in mind--the 
direction of utilization is towards your southern stations. You can, 
however, use materials directly from the factory if you build within 
10 blocks of the factory storage place. You can remove the factory 
when you have sufficient materials; the maintenance costs are 
high, and are charged to you even when the factory isn't producing. 
Factories do, however, also provide employment for your citizens. 
 
If there are placement problems for any property development, you 
might have to face the Construction Manager, who will inform you 
of difficulties in a message window. Change the site selection if you 
can't immediately place the factory. It takes 
20 materials to build a factory, but that 
sacrifice is softened by your realizing that all 
A-Train factories are non-polluting. 
 
Right now, the only things your train is picking up are construction 
materials and flies, so let's do some developing--environmentally 
conscious, of course--with your passenger train in mind. 
 
Open the APARTMENTS submenu. There are no differences in 
operating expense or income among the three styles, but their initial 
purchase increases in expense from left to right. Choose one, and find 
a good site on the map near a station to house some hard-working 
families. All of your initial property developments should be close to 
the station, since it increases their value, surrounding property 
values, and centralizes initial development. 
 
You might want to place your first apartments near your eastern 
track, if you don't want them to have to see the factory out their front 
window. Click on a block to place their new homes. You will get 
advisory messages from the simulation if your placement is unsuit- 
able or if you don't have enough construction materials. (Apartments 
require eight materials.) 
 
Building apartments indirectly 'primes" the simulation to develop 
other buildings around yours. Early rapid buying and selling of 
apartment houses does not in itself provoke more rapid development 
by the simulation, though you can parlay the income from sales to 
buy more companies and land, which brings up population totals, 
which does provoke the simulation to build. Build a few apartment 
complexes near the station. 
 
You can see from the SUBSIDIARIES menu that you can truly fill the 
landscape with properties galore, but all these decisions must be 
made in the shrewd light of company benefit and profit, so don't go 
hog-wild. You should put down some commercial or rental property 
nearby so your residents will have someplace to work. Avoid building 
or buying land directly behind your station without later selling it, 
because that is where the simulation will build roads when your city 
expansion is really cooking (if you have built with large stations). 
 
Now that you have acquainted yourself with all of the TRAINS and 
SUBSIDIARIES menu functions, you can open the SYSTEM menu 
and click on QUICK MENU. This will display the icons for all of those 
menu functions without the large title windows, so that the display 
area is larger. Clicking on any of the icons will open the submenus 
you have already seen. You can toggle the QUICK MENU on and off 
through the SYSTEM menu. 
 
ESTATES AND THEIR REELINGS 

The simulation will produce additional residences as soon as you 
reach a certain developmental scale; you might see the program 
clear some land first, and then fill it with houses after a materials 
deposit. You can make this happen more rapidly by buying real estate 
near your stations and then selling it not long after. 
 
Clearing land by purchasing it removes one step in the simulation 
building process by making it easier for the program to build after 
you sell the land. 
 
The program can also be kick-started by selling all old subsidiaries 
and buying new, but don't buy anything like golf courses or sta- 
diums until you have an urban base. However, constant speculation 
in subsidiaries will eventually result in a "There are no buyers" 
message. Check the "Look At Your Report Card" section below for 
details on buying and selling assets. 
 
You might have to take an initial loss on these sales, but once you 
have developed the area around your station a bit, and there are 
available materials, the program will start popping out houses and 
small commercial buildings, often where you've just made a 
transaction, and you'll have that warm glow only a mother knows. 
You can't expect your new residents to walk to work, and what about 
when Grandma wants to visit from the Great Beyond outside the 
map's borders? It's time to be a prime mover in the ecologically 
conscious (and hopefully, logically profitable) world of mass transit. 
We'll place a train on the outer ribbon of your existing line so that 
your passenger train enjoys the same rights (and rites) of passage as 
your freight. 
 
Open the BUY TRAIN command and buy one of those sleek little 
numbers you've always coveted. The AR III, fourth from the top in 
the third column, is recommended for its efficiency, but it might be 
a touch expensive now, so you may want to buy a cheaper, lower 
capacity train (perhaps the handsome CF Lines FP 45 right above it) 
while your town's still in its infancy. You can always replace existing 
trains with faster, higher-capacity ones when the going's good. 
 
Anyway, risk some dough: name your risk #2, buy it, and place it on 
its line. Make sure the switch directs it down the eastern route. Now 
that you have two trains with a shared line, scheduling becomes a 
bit more dicey. Periodically check the number of passengers in the 
Satellite view by train number once your train is running. (The 
display will center on the selected train.) 
 
TIME AND CHANCE 
 
One of the central profit maxims of A-Train is that your 
departure time must be set at 8:00AM in the residential areas 
and at 6:00PM (18:00) in the urban areas in order to suck up 
those happy commuters and their happy dollars. As you can 
see from this map, it isn't exactly a bustling urban community 
yet, but let's plan for your future. Exit the PLACE TRAIN menu 
and click on SCHEDULE. 
 
Click on #2 in the chart and select DEPARTURE TIME under 
MODE. A chart of times will be displayed. Move the mouse 
toward the image of the southern station. Cross-hairs will 
converge near the station. Click to establish this as the initial 
departure site. Click on 8:00AM. 
 
Click on #1 and set your freight's southern departure time for 18:00. 
For now, leave the northern station at one-hour stops for both. These 
settings will make your trains travel to these stations, wait until the 
designated time (picking up or dropping off passengers and freight 
and not using expensive fuel for those down times) and then push 
their cargoes. 
 
Were you to run separate lines, it wouldn't be necessary to set a 
schedule for your freight, since it can perform constant pickup and 
drop off without losses in profitability. You might have to remove and 
replace your trains several times or set their directions differently so 
that the schedules are synchronized. You may experience a few 
collisions at first, but they only result in frozen trains and a delay in 
service, with nary an injury to worry about. 
 
Later, you can adjust schedules for more map-specific events, such 
as increased development in one area, which hikes passenger totals 
(or make the switch to a larger-capacity train). Check on running 
passenger totals in the train stats boxes in the Satellite window; 
you'll probably see many more passengers from your northern 
station if you also set it at 8:00 am, but you'll have to fuss with your 
freight's schedule in order to coordinate both. 
 
For now, this schedule just keeps the trains out of each other's way. 
Also, if your construction materials just begin piling up and you 
haven't the funds for much building, replace your freight train with 
another passenger train to try and pick up some extra passenger 
profit. Test different schedules and periodically check each train's 
capacity in the Satellite view at different station times to collar the 
biggest payload. 
 
Later, you can boost profits by increasing track length and adding 
another station on the line (larger stations stimulate greater urban 
expansion), and by pushing sound commercial development. Build 
a factory near your southern stations if materials movement is too 
slow and those houses aren't hatching. You must, of course, wait 
until your territory and budget can support pushing your frontiers. 
It's time to start attending to profits, losses, and that eternal 
bugaboo, the bottom line. A-Train has a host of financial chartings 
and investment possibilities: let's look at your rail operation and 
maybe even manipulate some markets. The "fine print" of all these 
money managings and manglings can he found in the Money And Its 
Management chapter in the Reference section; we'll just look at the 
elementary aspects here. 
 
As mentioned before, it's nice and useful--to know what the population 
of your city is and how rapidly it is growing before you even touch those 
nastier numbers. Click on REPORT 4 and you'll see a window that displays 
some city statistics, a graph of population change over time, and a radar
chart that reveals the industrial orientation of your city. The Primary 
Business is your rail operation, the Secondary is your city's main income 
subsidiaries (factories, buildings for rent). Other Business refers to 
things like amusement parks and hotels, and Residence is the ratio of your 
city area taken up by your residents. 
 
It is wise policy to check the population tally frequently to determine 
the pulse of development. You can see how the erection of certain 
buildings affects residential numbers, and how much internal build- 
ing by the simulation boosts these figures. Your city's successful 
expansion is how you win" in A-Train, so keep fiddling with your 
properties and trains--go West (and East, North and South), young 
engineer. 
 
THE RHYTHM OF THE RAILS 

You can get a station-to-station broadcast" of your railroad's fiscal 
health by clicking on REPORT I. The report's first level shows your 
cash on hand, your total debt and the estimated taxes (after March 
31) for your company. Clicking again brings up the report's second 
level. which displays the first figures and the constantly updated rail 
sales and subsidiaries income numbers for the day. the month and 
the fiscal term. The costs for these periods are calculated onscreen 
also, as well as the profit loss figures for those times. These costs 
include initial train purchases and initial track laying costs. which 
call he quite dear. 
 
Click yet again and you can see all this plus your station, switch. cars 
and track length totals, as well as a graph showing your money 
(vertical axis) over time (horizontal axis). You will undoubtedly see 
a negative ' spike"--the dreaded red--for your initial months. 
because of your operation's developmental costs. Naturally!, you 
want to try to keep those money lines a healthy black color. but it's 
typical not to see a profit in your daily operation for some time. 
Exit REPORT 1 and click on REPORT 2. This chart reflects your overall 
holdings: rail, subsidiaries, stocks, and real estate, and also provides 
you with the values of these properties and their associated taxes. There 
is a revenue column for all these holdings that includes market dividends 
and taxes on all the incomes. Your expenditures for all your holdings, 
including commission paid on real estate deals and interest on your 
loans, are found in the second column. 
 
There are two income tax figures, one the taxes on your assets, and the 
second a tax on your profits. Refer to the income tax information in the 
Money And Its Management chapter in the Reference section for the 
maneuverings to escape the pinch of those prongs. You should refer 
to this chart periodically to get a fix on the areas of weakness in your 
empire, to decide whether you should dump subsidiaries if they are 
unprofitable or buy them up to avoid heavy profit taxes, and in a 
general way to oversee your real estate investments. There is a more 
detailed breakdown of this Balance Sheet in the Money section. 
                               
From this window you can buy and sell these assets. If you click on 
APARTMENTS and then on SELL, a window will emerge that pro- 
vides the stats on the term sales, profit/loss and market value of all 
of your apartments, plus the commission charged you for their sale. 
Click on one of the lines of information and the Apartment Manager 
will appear, giving you the opportunity to proceed by clicking on the 
YES or NO button. 
 
Select one of your apartments and sell it. You will see your cash figure 
rise and the ownership figures update. Selling and buying new 
subsidiaries increases population and employment opportunities, 
creating competition to propel development. The selling off of 
subsidiaries is also one of the game's best fund raisers for quick cash 
infusions. After you exit this menu, note that the properties that were 
once yours no longer have the little box on their roofs. This indicates 
that your company no longer owns them. (This is also one of the 
ways you can verify that new commercial properties have been built 
by the simulation.) 
 
Click on STOCK MARKET--open only from 9-5 and you will see a graph 
charting the fortunes of a selected stock over the past 30 weeks, along 
with the stock board, which can be scrolled to display the 24 stock 
brands. The two numbers after the company name represent its trading 
value and the amount by which it has dropped or risen since the day before. 
In addition, you'll often see a window with a securities advisor who will 
inform you about the current market conditions. 
 
You probably have a little spare time, since you're merely a CEO, 
engineer, property developer, and city planner--why not dabble in 
the market a bit? It's not necessary to do any stock trading to develop 
your city, but it is a means to diversify your holdings, give your 
income an occasional kick, and remind yourself of what a genius 
you are. 
 
When you click on any of the stocks, the graph will update to display that 
stock's trends. For now, search the board for a stock that seems to 
have a fairly consistent rising trend, but that currently is in a flat or 
lull state. Click on BUY and you'll see a chart that identifies the stock, 
its price per units chosen and the brokerage fee for the sale. You can 
increase or decrease your totals in units of 1, 10 or 100 by clicking 
on those buttons and using the plus or minus signs. Buy 100 units of your 
selection. You can return to your train operation, but be sure to 
periodically check the board for your stock's performance. If it shoots 
the moon, sell, or if you have a canny touch, wait out your hunches (but 
don't say I didn't warn you). When you click on the SELL command, your 
portfolio will appear, showing your stock type, number, original purchase 
price and current market value. Click again on SELL and your investment 
advisor will ask you to verify the transaction. 
 
Be advised that slumps can occur where the value of some stocks will 
bottom out rapidly, no matter how well the rest of the economy is doing.
Stay on top of your stocks; you can make some pretty coin this way, but you 
can also look like an absolute lunkhead at nosedive time. Stock investment 
is also a good means to channel your profits when the taxman comes 
around. Check the Money section in the Reference chapter for 
specifics about stock types and investment. 
 
BANK ON IT 

You might find that your visions of sugarplums will remain blurry unless 
you can do some developing right away, but every time you want to place 
a property or buy something nice, that sour old Accounting Officer pops up 
to tell you you can't afford it. There is a way to escape his tight fists: 
credit! 
 
Go to the BANK menu and click. You will see a window that reveals your 
credit limit and the current term rates from 1-3 years. Your limit is 30% 
of the company assets. You can adjust your loan amount by units of 1,000, 
10,000 or 100,000 by clicking on the plus or minus signs. Decide what 
amount would satisfy you and click on BORROW. You will see the CASH figure 
tally your fresh funds. 
 
Debts have an interest charge if they are not paid by the end of the loan 
term; the longer the term, the higher the interest. The management chief 
will warn you that your debt is due two weeks in advance. Debts are 
automatically deducted from your company funds on the appointed 
dates; you can go bankrupt if you don't have the cash on hand. Click 
on DEBT TOTAL to see your loan list and the repayment dates. 
 
Be sure to shop for the best interest rates. If you plan to take out a 
sizable loan, these charges can kill you over time. But then again, 
living dangerously can be rather stimulating. 
 
Now you are armed with the whys and wherefores to make your 
mark on a map. However, these procedures are but a single scamper- 
ing of your mouse across a room, barely looking at the furniture. The 
A-Train landscapes are fertile soil for many plantings--go dig in the 
Reference chapter for a while to get a sense of the program's depth, 
particularly the fiscal model, and then try to take over a territory. Or 
just jump right in and wing it. Each map has a thousand success 
stories waiting to happen. (Or a thousand bankrupt railroad owners, 
but hey, why be negative?) 

The following material will provide in-depth details about all aspects 
of the program, including specific situational strategies. Refer also 
to the Q&A section at the end of this section for answers to some 
broad overview questions and some detailed game play techniques. 
 
A mouse is recommended when playing A-Train. All instructions in 
this manual assume that you have a mouse. If you do not, see the 
section of the Addendum entitled, "Playing A-Train Without A 
Mouse." The slight variations for monochrome monitors will also 
be discussed in the Addendum. 
 
A-Train is a game that lets you wear several hats: you can 
simultaneously be a CEO, engineer, industrial magnate, city planner, 
stock market speculator and big-shot financier. And you have the 
opportunity to fail miserably or shoot the moon in all of these 
enterprises. Your goal, of course, is shrewd management of all of 
these linked components, which are constantly affected by the 
dynamic forces of the simulation, mimicking the roller coastering 
of forces in any developing landscape. 
 
Developing landscapes are the shapeable clay of A-Train. You 
are given six different maps, all of which present varied, 
demanding challenges to contend with--but the basic issues 
are identical. How do you operate and expand a successful 
railroad? Where do you build factories, apartments, offices? 
When is the best time to sell them? How do you balance out 
killing taxes and piling profits? What's a strategic approach to 
bank loans and the stock market? And of critical import, how 
do you manage the day-to-day (often hour-to-hour) details of 
all of these concerns, while asking your guardian angel to pull 
you up above it all to get a look at the big picture, and your 
company's future years down the line? 
 
And you thought this was just a game. 
 
"WINNING" THE GAME 

If you reach $50 million dollars in cash, you get the keys to the city 
and your favorite locomotive, and a chance to start all over again-- 
your game is won. But the money measure is just one of many targets 
of game success to aim for. One significant notch on the ladder is the 
upgrading" of the size of your city to the next notch on the city scale; 
see the Cities section for details. What you need to do is craftily 
develop your railroads and properties, jack up the population. and 
stack up some dough. 
 
LOSING 

Aside from winning, there is only one condition that stops the game 
play--if you go broke. If you don't have enough money to pay taxes 
or debts on the appointed dates (the game will inform you), or if your 
cash resources dwindle to a nub at any time. the game is over. To 
avoid a game-over, secure enough money for your immediate taxes 
and debts by getting bank loans or by selling off the company assets. 
 
THE MAIN WINDOW 

Most of A-Train takes place in the Main Window. This window is 
surrounded by a "picture frame" of menu choices. Click on any of 
these choices to open various menus, windows and reports. 
 
The central part of the Main Window is a display of the current map. 
This is where you view your city, as well as lay tracks, place train 
stations, and buy and sell land, buildings, businesses and resorts. The 
map is divided into squares, or blocks." In this manual, distances are 
often given in blocks, i.e., "You should build an apartment no more 
than 10 blocks from a station." 

System Menu 

In the lower right of the picture frame are scrolling arrows. Click on 
these to scroll the map in the display area. 
 
THE SATELLITE VIEW 

One of the most useful views of your city is the SATELLITE view, 
which is accessed by clicking on the SATELLITE section of the 
picture frame. 
 
The SATELLITE view opens up a small window with a small map of 
your total landscape. In the small map is a highlighted rectangle that 
demarks the area that is visible in the Main Window. Move the 
rectangle in the Satellite map with your mouse and click to quickly 
move to any place on the map. 
 
At the bottom of the Satellite window is a "calendar chart" for 
tracking the active trains in the current map. Each train is assigned 
a number from this chart. If no train is assigned to a number, it will 
be "ghosted" or greyed out. 
 
When you click on the number of a train, both the highlighted 
rectangle in the small map and the display area in the Main Window 
center on that train. Below the calendar chart is a display of the vital 
stats of the active train, including: train model, formation, current 
passenger total and operating status. 
 
THE MAPS 

There are six different maps you can develop, each of which consists 
of a mix of urban and rural landscapes and at least one operating rail 
line. It is a good idea to explore each landscape thoroughly; you'll 
need this working knowledge of your kingdom in order to rule over 
it with a deft touch. 
 
MENUS 

The A-Train interface provides you with a "picture frame" matrix to 
access the menu commands. The periphery (frame) of the display 
screen contains the main menu headings, which will highlight when 
the mouse pointer is positioned on them, and they then can be 
opened with a mouse click. The exposed commands can then be 
executed with your mouse. 
 
Most menus stay open until you click on the EXIT button. Many 
menu choices open submenus. When a submenu is open, you can 
cancel a command by clicking the EXIT button. 
 
After the credits for the game have been displayed, the SYSTEM 
menu will open. When this menu is opened, the game clock stops. 
The menu consists of the following commands: 
 
NEW GAME 

Lists available maps so you can begin a new game fresh or quit the 
present game for a "green" one. You can select the same map with 
which you began a game to play the same game from its beginning. 
 
Choose a number from 1-6. 
Click the LOAD command. 
Quits the present game and loads a saved file. See your Addendum for 
details. 
 
SAVE 

Saves the current map and game conditions. See your Addendum for 
details. 
 
QUICK MENU
 
Provides a small, icon-based menu strip along the left side of the 
picture frame that replaces the standard TRAINS and SUBSIDIARIES menu 
windows to provide more map display area. 
 
Click on QUICK MENU to toggle on and off the standard and Quick Menu 
windows. 
 
OPTIONS 

Lets you set some options for graphics, sound, and printing. See your 
Addendum for details. 

SPEED 

Adjusts the clock speed in the game. You may wish to set the speed 
according to your computer type. The speed rate can be increased 
when you want to jumpstart your city, and slowed when you are 
reflecting on city developments or doing some complex work like 
laying railroads 
 
There are 10 speeds that are set up or down one level at a time by 
clicking the corresponding box or the LAY switch. The clock goes 
fastest when all boxes are clicked. 
Click EXIT when you are done setting the speed. 
  
Quits the game. Be sure you save the game before quitting so that you 
can continue the game later. Executing the EXIT command does not 
save the game. 
 
This menu is composed of commands associated with the railroad 
construction operation, such as laying railroads and building stations. 
The clock doesn't stop when this menu is opened, but does as soon 
as a submenu is opened. 
 
LAY TRACKS
 
This command lets you lay or remove track using the LAY command 
and the REMOVE command. 
 
PLACE TRAIN 

Lets you put a purchased train on a track or removes a train that was 
in operation (using the PLACE, REMOVE, and TRAIN REGISTRY 
commands). There is a "calendar" chart for selecting a train number 
below the TRAIN REGISTRY heading. After you choose a train 
number, the model, the number of coaches and the seating capacity 
are displayed. If it's in operation, the map will center on the active 
train. 
 
To place a purchased train, first click the PLACE command. Next, use 
the calendar chart to select the number of the train that is to be put 
into service. Trains that are "in storage," i.e., not in service. can be 
returned to operation by selecting their number. Then click on the 
track where you want to place the train--it will appear there on 
the map. 
 
Your train will have a set of arrows on its roof, one dark and one light, 
pointing in opposite directions. The train travels the direction of the 
light arrow. You can toggle the direction of train movement by 
clicking on the arrows. Statistical information on the train and its 
current operating conditions will be displayed under the registry. 
 
To remove a train that is in operation, first click the REMOVE 
command. Next, select the train number. When the number is 
clicked, the map will scroll to display the train on the center of the 
map. Click on the train and it will be removed from the map, i.e., 
placed in storage. The train can be placed again, or if you choose, you 
can sell it. 
 
BUY TRAIN
 
Lets you purchase or sell a train using the BUY, SELL and CONFIRM 
commands. To purchase a train, click the BUY command, then 
choose a train number from the calendar chart. Click on CONFIRM 
to seal the purchase. 

To sell a train, click the SELL command. Next, choose the train 
number. Only the trains that have been put in storage can be sold. 
The model, statistics and value of a train in storage will be displayed 
after you click the train number. The train will be sold and its value 
added to your cash as soon as the CONFIRM command is clicked. 
 
BUILD STATION 

This command lets you build or remove stations using the BUILD 
and REMOVE commands. 
 
To build a station. click the BUILD STATION command, choose the 
station type. then click the place where you want to erect your 
station. 
 
A station can only be built adjacent to track lying on a straight, 
diagonal line. You can't place your station near vertical, horizontal 
or curved track. Also, keep in mind that if you build a station on land 
that you don't already own, you will be charged for the land when you 
build. 
 
To remove a station, click the REMOVE STATION command and then click the 
station on the map. 
 
SCHEDULE
 
Use the schedule to determine the stopping time, the departure time, 
and the routes for your trains. After you click on SCHEDULE, a 
window opens that displays the Train Registry, along with a map 
showing the route for the currently selected train, with that train's 
information and some command choices. The selected train is 
displayed on the route map by a small highlighted box. 
 
First, choose a train number. Then, under MODE, choose SWITCH 
or DEPARTURE TIME. (It's possible to set both for each train from 
this window.) 
 
Set the SWITCH as follows: 

Click on SWITCH. You'll see a small diagram displaying one of the 
switches for the train you've selected. The diagram is above the 
CHANGE SWITCH, TEST RUN and END TEST commands. Move 
the cursor on the route map so that the crosshairs shift to the nearest 
switch. Click to choose the switch. The small diagram will update to 
the chosen switch. 
 
When the CHANGE SWITCH command is clicked, the switch 
diagram will reflect the new direction that your train will assume at 
that switch. 
 
Use the TEST RUN command to see a model representation run of 
the new route. The train (dot) will keep running until STOP TEST 
is clicked. You can repeat the switch-changing commands to make 
the train run the desired route. 
 
Choosing DEPARTURE TIME displays the window to set the depar- 
ture time. Move the cross on the route map to the desired station and 
click. Then click on one of the eight choices: choose either ONE- 
HOUR STOP, NON-STOP, or one of the six departure times. You 
must set the departure time for each train, so that each train has its 
own schedule. 
 
This menu includes the commands associated with the building 
construction and real estate businesses. Using these commands, you 
can construct buildings on your purchased land or destroy (sell) the 
buildings that are owned by your company. 
 
FACTORY 
 
With this command you can build or remove factories that produce 
construction materials to speed your building or to augment the 
importation of incoming materials from the outside. 
 
Click on FACTORY and the BUILD and REMOVE submenu will open. 
A highlight of the factory's outline will follow your mouse move- 
ment around the map. You can place the factory by clicking, as long 
as there are enough nearby construction materials and the site is 
feasible. You will be informed by a message window if there are any 
problems. Factories are good sources of employment for your 
population. 
 
COMMERCIAL 

These are enterprises like department stores and furniture stores. 
Use the BUILD and REMOVE command to site your companies. Be 
sure to locate them close to your stations in the early going. 
 
HOTEL 

Don't place hotels until you have a population base. They can be solid 
sources of income in flourishing cities, particularly during those 
seasonal periods when recreational facilities are operating. 
  
AMUSEMENT 
SKI RESORT 
STADIUM
 
None will be profitable until your city has enough traffic to support 
them. They are all subject to seasonal income variation as well as 
influenced by their proximity to stations. They are expensive--build 
them with caution, with the long-term in mind. 
 
APARTMENTS 
 
The placement of apartments at the early stages of the game is critical 
to city growth. The people who move into the apartments provide a 
labor force for local enterprise and passengers for your trains. You 
can place a number of apartments near your station and sell them 
fairly quickly, often at a profit, in order to produce funds to build 
more. Do recognize that your apartment dwellers need places to 
work as well. 
 
LEASE BUILDING 
 
You can adjust the number of stories in units of five for each type of 
lease building by clicking on the various building icons. It takes time 
to finish constructing a building for rent--you'll see a crane on top 
of the unfinished building that will disappear upon completion. The 
building can be opened for business only after the completion of 
construction. 
 
REAL ESTATE 
 
This command allows you to buy or sell land. When you click on 
REAL ESTATE, a submenu opens, showing the BUY and SELL 
commands. You will see a figure that tallies the number of blocks 
that you own, and an expense figure for land purchase or income 
figure for land sale that will update as you move the mouse from 
block to block. 
 
You can buy and sell (if company-owned) land where there are no 
buildings. Land owned by other companies is surrounded by a 
dotted line. 

This part of your display isn't really a menu, but a menu bar along 
the bottom of the screen that accesses all the business reports and 
financial information. 
 
REPORT 1 -- RAILROADS 

This window lets you read the financial status of your railroad and 
subsidiary operations--there are no commands in the menu. The 
clock keeps going even when the menu is opened. The window has 
a three-part display, which covers more of your screen display with 
each click on the Report 1 menu. 
 
REPORT 2 -- BALANCE SHEET 

This is an itemized report on the total assets and balances of the 
railroad branch, including real estate and stock investment. When 
the menu is opened, the clock stops. This window doesn't contain 
any commands. 
 
Assets 

Properties and real estate owned by the company. The taxes for each 
category are also displayed. 
 
Revenue 

Company sales and incomes as well as the one-year totals. 
 
Expenditures 

Company expenses are itemized, along with the yearly totals. 
 
Taxes 

All of your rail, real estate and subsidiary properties are taxed, as well 
as your profits. 
 
REPORT 3 -- SUBSIDIARIES 
 
Use this menu to buy or sell buildings and facilities. The clock stops 
when the menu is opened. 
 
The number of buildings and facilities owned by your company and 
the number of buildings and facilities on the map owned by the 
other companies are displayed. Choose the BUY command or the 
SELL command. Next, choose the building type. A list of buildings 
available for purchase or sale will be shown. Move the cursor to 
choose the building and then click. The building that is available for 
sale will blink on the display map. Fees will be taken from cash assets 
for purchases: income from sales will be, added to those assets. 
 
REPORT 4 -- URBAN GROWTH 
 
This menu displays information on the town's character and 
environment. (You can regard the display map as a part of a larger 
administrative district.) The clock stops when the menu is opened. 
 
Size reveals which of the following scales the city belongs to: a small 
town, a small city, a moderate city, a big city or a metropolitan area. 
One of the primary measures of A-Train success is the developmental 
upgrade of your city to the next scale, as defined by a combination of 
population and facilities development numbers. See the cities 
section for details. 
 
There are six Types of cities: agriculture-based, balanced, industrial- 
based, residential, tourist-based and underpopulated. The Budget is 
a measure of public investment: more funding results in faster city 
development. A growing Population figure results in more pass- 
engers and income for your railroad and faster development. The 
'RadarChart"graph displays the relative scope of the industry within 
the city. 
 
STOCK MARKET 
 
The menu lets you trade on the stock market. The business hours of the 
brokerage firm are 9AM-5PM, except Sundays and holidays. The menu can be 
opened only during business hours; the clock stops when the menu is opened. 
 
Click the up or down arrow to scroll the board that displays all the stock 
types. After you choose the company name, click the BUY command or the 
SELL command. 
 
When using the BUY command, decide the unit totals of stocks to be 
purchased by using +/- and the unit buttons, which allow you to buy in 
increments of 1, 10, or 100. You are restricted to buying 2,000 units at 
any one time. There is a fee for purchasing stocks. To sell stocks, choose 
SELL and click on the stocks from the brand list. Stocks are sold in the 
same units as they are purchased. 
 
The display will reveal your credit limit, adjustable loan amount, interest 
rates for the chosen term, and the due date for repayment. Current interest 
rates for the 1-3 year periods are displayed, as well as your available 
cash and updated liabilities. 
 
Use this menu for borrowing money from banks. The business hours 
of the bank are 9AM-5PM, excepting Sundays and holidays. The menu 
can be opened only during the business hours. The clock stops when 
the menu is opened. 
 
Choose a repayment period for the debt from 1-3 years. Adjust the 
loan amount using +/- and the unit buttons, which let you borrow 
in increments of 100,000, 10,000 and 1,000. After you click the 
BORROW command, the loan is added to your company funds. You 
cannot exceed the credit limit. The debt is paid automatically from 
the company funds on the appointed date; you can't pay the debt 
before that date. 
 
To see your debts and their respective payment dates, click the 
DEBT TOTAL command. 
 
Clicking on SATELLITE brings up a window with an aerial overview 
of your map showing the layout of railroads and a train chart that 
provides the status of train operations for all your trains. The clock 
does not stop when the window is opened. 
 
A rectangle enclosing the cursor on the reduced map shows the 
current territory of the larger display map. By moving the cursor on 
the reduced map and clicking, you can quickly move the display area 
to the cursor position. If you select a train number from the TRAIN 
REGISTRY, the display area will move so that the train is centered 
on the screen, and pertinent train info will be revealed. 

RAILROADS ON THE INITIAL MAP 

The railroads on the initial map are part of your company assets. It 
is OK to relay these railroads, to remove a station, or to build a new 
station. You will be given at least one passenger train and one freight 
train that are connected to places outside the map. They belong to 
the company, but their timetables can't be changed. They go straight 
at switches, and stop one hour at stations. 
 
GETTING ON THE RIGHT TRACK 

The most basic type of railroad is a single line between two stations. 
At the beginning, the line should be as straight and as short as 
possible, but long enough to be a reliable source of profit. Lay the 
track straight toward its destination. Stations should be built far 
away from each other (relative to the length of the line), because the 
fare you receive increases with the distance between stations. Make 
the distance at least 15 blocks. 
 
A "belt line" is suitable for running several trains in the same 
direction. A belt line is a closed loop of track. Using a belt line, with 
its frequent, regulated scheduling, you can put many trains into 
operation at the same time. At the beginning of the game, you 
probably won't be able to bear the construction and engine expenses. 
After several stations have been built, a belt line will seem more 
feasible. 
 
When shy of cash, play only on a single line. The shortcoming is that 
only one train can be put on the line, although it's conceivable to put 
a loop on each end of a developed single line so that several trains can 
be run at the same time. It's also possible to design a double line 
segment in the middle of the single line so that two trains can run 
in opposite directions, but it can be somewhat costly. The merit of a 
double-line railroad is that you can run passenger trains and freight 
trains on separated lines without conflict. 
 
RAILROAD ENGINEERING 

Laying a railroad is simple, but you should pay attention to your 
expenses. Just click on LAY and move the cursor in the desired 
direction. A line of track will highlight and will be placed on the map 
when you click your left mouse button. 
 
Normally you can lay a railroad on any cleared place (except on a hill 
or on the ocean). You can't lay a railroad on land that you don't own 
or that isn't available for purchase; thus when track is placed, you've 
bought the land. When there are large facilities--lease buildings, 
parks, or roads--in the way, the track will have to be curved around 
them. Bridges will have to be constructed over rivers. If you start to 
lay some tracks and then change your mind, click the right mouse 
button to cancel the operation. 

  Don't lay track any longer than necessary--the removal expense is two-
  thirds of the laying expense. 
 
  You cannot destroy your company buildings to lay a railroad. But you may 
  lay the railroad after the buildings have been removed through the REMOVE 
  command in their respective SUBSIDIARIES submenus. 
 
  When you want to lay a railroad on areas where other companies have 
  facilities, it's necessary to buy the facilities and then remove them 
  before proceeding. (They are not always available for purchase.) Keep in 
  mind that costs for projects such as these are tremendous. 
 
LINE-LAYING NO-NOS 

In summary, a line can't he built if: 

1.) A railroad is connected to an established railroad by a right angle. 

2.) A railroad crosses over an established railroad. 

3.) A railroad intersects a river in an improper way other than at a 
    right angle. 

4.) A railroad passes through a public place, like a park. 

5.) A railroad passes through a company building. 

6.) A railroad passes through buildings owned by the other companies. 

7.) You lack construction funds. 

8.) You place your cursor outside the map boundaries. 

9.) Facilities such as skyscrapers, factories and amusement parks are in 
    your path. 
 
CONNECTING RAILROADS TO EACH OTHER
 
Pay attention to the following issues when you connect one railroad 
to another: 
 
1.) When the railroads are connected end-to-end, you can't set a switch. 
 
2.) When a railroad is connected to the middle of an existing railroad, 
    you can establish a switch. 
 
3.) You can't build a railroad that crosses over an existing railroad. 
    Note the angle between a planned railroad and an established 
    railroad. You must lay track on a diagonal from existing track--you 
    can't make two railroads connect to each other on a right angle. A 
    track-laying advisor will pop up with a discouraging message when 
    your planned railroad can't he connected to an existing railroad. 
 
REMOVING A RAILROAD 

To remove a railroad, choose REMOVE, in the LAY TRACK submenu. 
Click the track's beginning point and follow the track to the desired 
removal point with the mouse. The line should be highlighted along 
its original path. Click the mouse button at your end point and the 
rail will be replaced with cleared land. Only the part over lapped by the 
highlighted line will be removed; any connected railroads traveling 
in different directions will remain. If there is a switch, only one line 
in a single direction is removed. 
 
To remove a curved railroad, make the highlighted removal line 
match the curve of the tracks, or, if the highlight won't follow the 
track direction, separately remove the straight segments that con- 
stitute the curve. The cleared land is still owned by your company. 
If you're not interested in keeping the land, you can sell it by using 
the REAL ESTATE command on the SUBSIDIARIES menu. The cost 
of removing railroads is not affected by the land price. 
 
When you click the beginning point of a railroad and then move 
the cursor over different blocks, you might find that the number 
showing the construction expense in the LAY menu varies. That 
figure represents the construction cost plus the purchase price 
of the land. Your construction expenses will be greatly increased if 
you choose to put in a switch or build a bridge across a river. 
 
When you are thinking of establishing a switch, consider the 
expense. An often-used line should be as straight as possible so that 
it's not necessary to make any directional change at switches, which 
can be expensive and impair efficiency. 
 
  The railroad construction cost includes the track laying 
  expenses and the purchase price of the land. The amount 
  of money is dependent upon your route--long, curving 
  tracks are obviously more costly. Some land may not be 
  suitable for railroad construction, or may not be available 
  for purchase. 

TRAIN "CALENDAR CHART" Facts 

The calendar chart (the TRAIN REGISTRY) is found in the Satellite 
view, the Place Trains window, the Buy Trains window and the 
Schedule window. If a number is highlighted black, there is a train 
assigned to that number. If the number is ghosted, there ain't no 
train assigned. 
 
The underline of the purchased train number is the same color as the 
train after its placement on the map. When a train is put on a line, 
the train number is enclosed within a frame (the same color as the 
number's underline), indicating that the train is in operation. The 
model and the coach number of the train can be confirmed by 
checking the data column at the chart bottom. 
 
Clicking on an existing train's number brings up that train on the 
map. If you have just placed a train, it will start moving as soon as the 
menu is closed and the clock starts. 
 
All work such as placing/removing, buying selling and adjusting 
timetables of trains is done based on the train number. The same 
number can't be assigned to more than one train. You can assign 
trains their numbers in any order, whatever your preference. 
 
FIRST-TIME TRAIN BUYERS 

To purchase a train, click the BUY command under the BUY TRAINS submenu, 
then choose a train number from the TRAIN REGISTRY. It's easy to recognize 
a registered train--the train number is underlined. To buy a train, click 
a number that is not underlined. Click on any train image in the train list 
on the top of the window. Detailed information on the selected train will 
be displayed below the list. There are two types of trains: passenger 
trains and freight trains. There are 15 models of passenger trains and 4 
models of freights. The high-speed trains move three blocks per hour and 
the low-speed trains two blocks per hour. After clicking the CONFIRM 
command, your train will be registered on the display by its underlined 
number. The train won't be put in operation until it is placed. 
 
To sell a train, click the SELL command. Next, choose the train number. 
Only the trains that have been put in storage can be sold. The model and 
statistics of a train in storage will be displayed after you click the 
train number. The train will be sold as soon as you click the CONFIRM 
command. 
 
  You are limited to ownership of 25 trains. whether they are in storage 
  or in operation; you can sell any of those in storage. The sale price 
  is half that of the purchase price. 
 
Note: AR III trains are a sound choice for a passenger train. 
They are a little expensive, but the investment can pay off. 
 
SMALL AND LARGE STATIONS 

There are two types of stations, a solitary station and a station with 
large buildings attached. The former is called a small station, and the 
latter a large station. 

Choose your place to build the station according to your budget. The 
game begins with an initial station on the map; a typical approach 
would be to lay a railroad from the initial station to a terminal station 
at the site of your choice (remembering that track laying isn't cheap, 
of course). However, this might mean integrating your new trains 
with the existing train's schedules, which can be a challenge. You can 
also lay independent lines near your initial station that will still 
collect passengers and freight without being connected to the 
original line. Your track must be within two blocks of the original 
station platform to pick up passengers, though you can build a new 
station near local development to share traffic. 
 
You can also site the station first and then lay a railroad to the new 
station. Of course, all construction decisions should be made to 
promote the future development of the city. Building a spate of 
stations early in the game before there are a lot of passengers might 
imperil your cash flow, your income and (shudder) your future. 
 
Both small and large stations are used for the boarding and departure 
of passengers, but they differ in construction expense, income and 
their effect on the city development. 
 
The construction charge is 120,000 dollars to build a large station, 
three times that of a small station. Both require the initial purchase 
price of three blocks of land. To remove a large station, it takes 12,000 
dollars, again three times that of a small station removal. 
 
The most important difference between the two types of stations is 
how they affect the city development. It is much easier to develop a 
large city by building large stations. The large stations can handle 
bigger passenger totals, whose movement is an agent in game 
development. The simulation will not build a large, centralized road 
from your station--around which development flourishes--unless 
there is a large station with plentiful passenger totals. 
 
Smaller, residential areas will be built around the smaller stations, 
with consequently fewer and smaller buildings built by the program. 
If you want to develop a big city, it's better to build a large station at 
the beginning of the game, provided there's no financial problem. 
 
You need at least three blocks of land to build a station, plus a num- 
ber of blocks for materials storage. It is wise to reserve some land for 
laying another line in the future that will utilize that station, and 
advisable to build your station in a place where no nearby hills or 
seas would hinder city development. 
 
You can use construction materials from any place on the map to 
build the station(as long as your company owns them), but you must 
provide a place for storing materials around the station for future 
construction by purchasing nearby land. If there are no available 
materials on the map, you can't build your station. 
 
STATION STOPS 

A train stops at a station when the head coach of the train arrives at 
the middle of the platform. If the line is not parallel to the platform, 
e.g., the line turns at a switch, trains will not stop at the station. 
 
Two separate lines of trains up to two blocks (track distance) away 
can make station stops. Trains on lines passing at the back of the 
station cannot stop at the station. The train on the left line has 
priority to stop at the station over the train on the right line if the two 
trains have the same distance remaining to the station stop. When 
both trains are far away from the station, the train closer to the 
station has the priority. A mix of freight and passenger trains can 
use the single station. 
 
  It's possible to build a station in a place where no railroad lines are 
  in operation. You will be charged for station construction expenses, but 
  the building will not function as a station until a line is laid. They 
  make rather expensive ornaments. 
 
THE END OF THE LINE 

Train length is important in relation to where tracks end at the 
station. Track ending at the middle of the station is suitable for two- 
coach trains, but not for three-coach trains. This is because the 
three-coach trains cannot stop at any station where tracks do not 
extend to the end of platforms. 
 
If the tracks at the station aren't the correct length, the construc- 
tion materials will not be unloaded, or the materials which have 
just been unloaded will be loaded again and carried away. 
 
When one of your trains reaches the end of the track, it will 
cleverly reverse its direction and set off back up the line. The 
direction of an operating train can be changed by choosing the 
train number via the PLACE TRAIN command and then clicking 
on its directional arrows. For trains that run on the wrong route, 
it's better to remove them and then rearrange them. 

When two trains have a possibility of colliding head-on, you'll 
probably have a traffic jam on your hands. The two trains will stop 
moving before they collide, gently stopping end-to-end. To prevent 
such occurrences, change the direction of a train or remove one train 
using the PLACE TRAIN command. 
 
When a train is removed from the line, the building materials on the 
train will disappear, but the passengers will go home--the popula- 
tion will not decrease. 
 
If a freight train is placed directly at the station, it will depart without 
loading materials. Place it just out of and toward the station if you 
want it to pick up freight. 
 
  It is all right to put a train on any area of the track. But 
  you can't put a train on a line that is shorter than the 
  length of the train. (Not that it would provide a dazzling 
  scenic excursion anyway.) 
 
  If your designated placement isn't displayed on the map, 
  click the scroll arrows on the right side of the frame or 
  use the Satellite view to scroll the map. 
 
TRAINS AND THEIR CARGOES 

Trains are divided into two main types: passenger trains and freight 
 
Passengers board and disembark when a passenger train stops at a 
station. The more buildings there are around the station, the more 
passengers. However, the total of station passengers near facilities 
like amusement parks or ski resorts varies with the seasons. The fare 
is based on the distance between the stations: longer distance, more 
dough. Train operating expenses are consistent regardless of these 
matters. 
 
Passenger totals will often exceed the train capacity because they 
reflect the common practice of cramming cars full of people at rush 
hour. Don't worry, there's never been a fatality in A-Train. The 
stated capacity figure in the Rolling Stock Market is intended to 
represent the suggested multi-car capacity. 
 
Freight trains are used to transport the construction materials from 
which all buildings are made. At the beginning of the game there will 
be at least one original place to store the materials on each map; you 
must buy the land for this storage for additional stations. Freight 
trains transport the construction materials from the storage place to 
the first station stop. If there are construction materials deposited at 
a station, any empty freight trains will pick up and transport the 
materials to the next station stop. 
 
  Construction materials can also be produced by the 
  factories on the map. If the company has a storage place 
  near the factory, the materials are piled up there by way 
  of your freight. If there is no station nearby, the materi- 
  als can't be carried away to build elsewhere. Obviously 
  this makes it a good idea to build factories near the 
  station, or to build a station near the factories. See the 
  Cities section for details on materials movement. 
 
SCHEDULING SHENANIGANS 

The trial-and-error method will instruct you in the most profitable 
means of running your railroads for the specific conditions of each 
map. Each train's operation is controlled by setting its switches and 
departure times. You'll be charged 10 dollars per setting. The income 
of a train depends greatly upon its departure scheduling. A departure 
time of 8:00 is very efficient: you can make the train depart at 
8:00 in the residential areas and at 6:00PM (18:00) in the office 
districts so passenger load is maximized. Belt lines require more 
closely scheduled stops so that multiple trains can "play tag" at a 
succession of station stops. 

However, if you're running trains on single lines into areas that 
seem to be of equal growth or building type, e.g., both residential 
with a similar population, you can set the schedule at 8:00AM at both 
stations. so that the train is on a 24-hour "loop" service. 
 
The train would leave one station on Sunday at 8:00 and go to the 
other station, where it would wait until Monday at 8:00 Am to depart. 
The success of this venture is dependent on variables like distance 
between stations, speeds of trains, and game speed setting: you 
might not be able to make the distance between stations in the 24- 
hour frame if conditions aren't right. 
 
Frequently checking the passenger totals in the Satellite view will 
give you a sense of what times are most favorable for filling your cars. 
Once your lines are established, be sure to check periodically in the 
expanded Report 1 to see if you are getting closer to turning a profit. 
Remove the freight trains from the tracks when you have a big 
materials buildup. They drain operating expenses when they're 
running. 
 
All switches are set initially so that the train moves on a straight 
course; the departure times are set for one-hour layovers. To run 
trains efficiently, exercise care regarding the distance in blocks 
between two stations. A long-distance excursion is more profitable 
than a short one. 
 
Note that it is this block distance that affects the fare, not the length 
of the track between the two stations. However, in the beginning, it's 
good economics not to build stations a great distance--30 or 40 
blocks or more--from each other because of track laying and 
operating expenses. They also can be so far away that you can't 
effectively use a 24-hour schedule. You can remove short-distance 
stations further along in the game when you're flush with cash. 
 
When the income from a station is small, let the trains have a long 
layover at the station so that the fuel costs can be economized and 
more passengers can be carried at one time. Conscientious sched- 
uling of freight trains might become necessary to insightfully 
control the amount of construction materials at a station, though 
they can often run simply on the one-hour stop schedule. Don't 
forget that personnel fees are charged when loading and unloading 
materials. 
 
When a train runs on a single line, a schedule is not absolutely 
necessary, though setting one can greatly increase income. When 
two trains run on a single line, schedule station departure and 
layover times so that trains can lead or follow each other without 
trouble. 
 
SCHEDULE MENU SPECIFICS 

  When several trains need scheduling for a specified switch or a station, 
  you can easily schedule them in succession by choosing the switch or 
  station and then the trains' respective numbers, setting the departure 
  time and then going on to the next train, without needing to leave the 
  Schedule window or return to the game map. You can schedule trains in 
  any order of their Train Registry numbers; you don't have to follow the 
  1-25 chart sequence. 
 
  Since the train number is used to control the switch setting, trains 
  coming from the same direction on the same line can be made to diverge in 
  different directions. It's also possible to let trains that move on 
  different lines stop at the same station by using the switch setting. 
 
  The execution of the TEST RUN command doesn't change the current position 
  of the train. The new direction for a switch setting is easily confirmed 
  by looking at the actual map. A train approaching the switch goes in the 
  direction the switch is set. The branch direction of a switch is set for 
  the chosen train--to have all trains turn in the same direction, 
  it's necessary to individually set all train numbers. 
 
  When ONE-HOUR STOP is chosen, the train departs by itself an 
  hour after it arrives at the station. During the layover, passengers 
  get on and off the train and goods are loaded and unloaded. 
 
  When NON-STOP is chosen, the train will pass by the station. 
  NON-STOP can't be chosen for a train that is not permitted to pass 
  by a station, as is the case for a number of train types. You can 
  verify the type in the Train Catalog section at the end of the 
  Reference section. 
 
  When a departure time is chosen, the train stops at the station 
  until that time. Multiple trains cannot be set to depart at the same 
  time if there is only one line. (However, with careful staggering of 
  train placement, multiple trains on a belt line can be set to the 
  same schedule.) 

SCENARIOS AND STRATEGIES 
 
Here are the map numbers and the type of challenge each 
represents. There are six maps that have varying geographic 
features and degrees of development. It is easier to get familiar 
with the relationships between railroad operation and town 
development using a map with a smaller number. Naturally, all 
of the counsel offered here constitutes merely one particular 
slant to interpreting the maps. This is one of A-Train's beauties: 
there are many fuels for the engine of commerce--experiment 
with the mixtures! 
 
MAP NAMES AND FACES 

       #1. New Town 
       #2. Bay Area 
       #3. Resort Development 
       #4. Multi-City Connection 
       #5. Reconstruction 
       #6. Downtown Reorganization 
 
There are also six basic types of cities: an agriculturally oriented city, 
an industrial city, a "balanced" city, a residential city, a tourist- 
oriented city and a "underpopulated" city. Plan your development 
or try some free-form experimentation to move from one type to 
another. 
 
       There are five city scales; your map's current scale can be read in 
       Report 4 under "Size." They are Small Town, Small city, Medium 
       city, Big city, and Metropolis. These scales are determined by the 
       simulation, which assigns a point total to a combination of building 
       types and building totals plus the population figures. A block of 
       public buildings counts one point, and a block of lease buildings two 
       points. 
 
Broad development of your subsidiaries holdings and related 
expansion by the simulation should eventually boost you to the 
next scale, which is one of the signal benchmarks of A-Train success. 
 
The Small Town population is usually under 24,000; the Small city, 
from 24,000 to 64,000: the Medium city, from 64,000 to 88,000; the 
Big city, from 88,000 to 150,000; and the Metropolis, 150,000+. If 
you reach the population figures without a scale upgrade, you need 
to build more and larger property holdings. such as the large lease 
buildings. The Bullet Train (Shinkansen) will run through middle- 
sized or bigger cities when the population and building point totals 
have been attained. 
 
New Town 

Map One has the most basic geography. Besides an old railroad line and a 
station, there are only small residences and ranches. This "new town" is in 
the suburbs of a big city off the map, and its population needs increase. 
It can be built up as a"bedroom"community when it has a good 
transportation network. One problem is that there are no facilities (such 
as department stores and lease buildings) in the town. You can build 
practically anything. but to do well isn't so easy. 
 
You should absolutely master the technique of how to lay a profitable line. 
The simplest way to do so is pick a nice site, lay straight double lines, 
and buy two AR III trains. Build the large stations at each end of the 
lines, and set all the departure times for 8:00AM. 
 
After finishing the train scheduling, wait to see changes ensue. You'll 
find that the number of passengers increases to about 100. If you 
build two to three apartment houses around the station. passenger 
numbers will increase more rapidly. The key point is buying the 
AR IIIs and setting that old 8:00 AM departure time--and logical 
development thereafter. 
 
Bay Area 

Map Two isn't so difficult if you've mastered the basic technique of 
laying profitable lines. There is already a large population. Rapid 
development could be stimulated by active, broad expansion of the railroad 
company and its holdings. 
 
The problem here is how to effectively use the old railroad line at the 
top of the map and how to transport the materials to develop the bay area 
at the bottom of the map. (The harbor is used as a site to store the 
materials unloaded from ships at the end of the reclaimed land; the ship 
is the Bonhomme Richard. ) Doing nothing with the old line will land you 
a deficit because of the expenditures you face in leaving it unattended. 
To avoid the deficit, just apply the basic techniques: 
 
First, check the freight train near the factories on the upper-right 
part of the map. If there are only small amount of materials to be 
transported, remove it from the line for a while. 
 
Next, check the second train to see if the departure time is 8:00AM. 
Reset it if necessary. If passenger load increases to more than 1,000 
passengers, it's also OK to set the departure time at 6:00PM. You can 
also change the trains on the line into AR IIIs to spank some profits. 
 
Of course, experimentation is always fun. Try to make an industrial 
strip near the harbor. Bring the people amusement parks and hotels, 
and bread and circuses a little further away. Be the master mogul of 
the map. 
 
Resort Development 

There is nothing here in Map Three except the rich natural 
surroundings. Don't worry too much about the airport in the 
bottom-right corner of the map. (If you're interested, the 
airplane is a DC-10.)Like Map One, this map is wide open, 
but you haven 't much cash . Don't rush into development, 
or your company will go bankrupt soon. Because the old 
railroad line is very short and the materials-storage place 
is too easily filled with materials, the first recommendation 
is to extend the materials-storage place to keep more 
materials. 
 
Next, make your lines profitable. Buy AR IIIs and lay a 
railroad that can be expanded into double lines in the 
future. The departure time is, of course, set at 8:00 AM. 
After making some money, set up a double-line railroad. 
 
Choose a good site, and concentrate on its development. 
Don't forget that the best use of your money for this map 
is for resort development. Sculpt your city around the 
mountains and lakes to build a handsome, livable environment. 
Taking out some bank loans is one way to make quick cash. Try to 
work with one-year debts. From this map, you can learn the loan and 
payback process. Rising development will draw the population from 
outside the map. Keep in mind that the population will not increase 
suddenly. 
 
Multi-City Connection 

Map Four looks quite similar to Map One, but they are different. 
When you have a look at Report 4, you'll find that the scales of the 
industry and residences are very small. Besides, there's no cash. 
 
The first thing to do is to borrow money for laying railroads. 
Make as many three-year debts as possible. It's very important 
to concentrate on industrial development. Don't build 
commercial yet, but construct a factory in a proper place, and 
lay a short railroad with an AR III locomotive that serves it. 
 
Now it's time to encourage residential growth. Since there is 
little, pay attention to the whole balance:number of worksites, 
other buildings, etc. that develop the residential population. 
 
If the program is slow in building residences, sell the factory, 
even if at a loss, and build another factory. You can also sell the new 
factory and build only apartments. When the city has been developed 
to some scale, apply the techniques of profitable railroad operation 
to develop the land in front of the station. If everything goes 
smoothly, enlarge your apartment holdings to make some rental 
cash. To avoid a high profit tax, you can invest in trains. Don't forget 
that you'll have to pay back any debts. 
 
It's a good idea to connect the scattered cities and villages by rail- 
roads to stimulate growth. Focus on expanding types of businesses. 
But keep in mind that a rash of thoughtless development may bring 
a state of chaos to the local business community. 
 
Reconstruction 

Although Map Five already has an advanced city, its progress 
will stop if the transportation network lags behind the 
development. The railroad is now on a belt line, but it's 
running at a big deficit. Your company will go bankrupt if no 
action is taken. The first task is to reconstruct the railroad to 
reduce the deficit. Your expenses are now twice your income, 
and lack of cash is a big concern. 
 
To cut down on expenses, get in there and manage that 
railroad. Check the schedules. You'll find all trains have been 
set to one-hour stops. Reset the departure time of each train 
to 8 :00 AM. You'll want to buy the AR III engines (not that - 
we're trying to suggest anything), but cash flow is nil. 
What to do? Determine if there are any freight trains that aren 't doing 
a bang-up job. (Hint: You'll find there's such a culprit at the bottom- 
right corner of the map. Remove that train immediately.) By doing 
so, you'll find that your expenses and income begin to equalize, 
although there might still be a small deficit. From this point the real 
game starts. 
 
Make some loans and build apartment complexes. When you observe 
that the whole city is thriving, buy some good land and sell it soon 
after. Cash will increase, and so will the population. 
 
When you're flush with funds, change all the trains into AR IIIs step- 
by-step. After only AR IIIs are on your lines, your railroad operation 
should become profitable. The next stage would be to develop the 
area around the lake. People will leave the city if they have no 
alternative. Keep a balance between costs and progressive construc- 
tion to invigorate the city. 
 
Downtown Reorganization 

Map Six already has a fairly developed city. There are a lot of 
buildings, and the business is active. There isn't a lot of cash on hand, 
but it will increase. Your belt line is profitable and the city is already 
on a large scale. 
 
Where's the challenge? As time passes, you might see the industrial 
center deviating from the city center. Traffic jams--like a chronic 
disease in the transportation network--might appear. It's necessary 
to reconstruct the transportation network in order to keep the city 
active. Here you should carefully study the map and fine-tune the 
situations. Learn how to make a steadily profitable belt line. Develop 
the area in front of each station. 
 
Be playful: you might try repositioning a number of stations, try 
different types of recreational facilities, new track sidelines... enjoy 
your prosperity or create dangerous financial threats--it's all yours. 
 
DISTRICT DEVELOPMENT 

The basic process of the city development can be illustrated as 
follows: 
 
At the beginning of the game, you lay railroads, build a station and 
provide materials-storage places. Dependent on variable conditions, 
some residences may appear around the new station, but there will 
be few passengers for your startup rail operation. 
 
Then you construct apartments near the station to increase residents. 
The program will gradually respond by building residences, providing 
more passengers for the railroad. Repeat the procedure of purchasing 
and selling off lands to increase this building of lots and residences. 
 
Only the subsidiary companies of your railroad company can be 
directly constructed. Their purpose is to produce profits. (Commie 
insurgents are found off the maps.) Facilities around the station also 
lead to the development of the city. Choose the optimum sites to 
construct facilities that will produce the most profits. There is a list 
of building expenses for all properties--that includes advice for 
their utilization--at the end of this Cities section. 
 
MAKING HAY WHILE THE SUNSHINES 

The initial conditions vary with each map. It is to your advantage to 
learn the details of company capital and property and to examine the         
weak points of the company management.                                       
 
The debt limit, as well as your expenses and your tax owed, depends               
on the company assets. Study and confirm operating train incomes 
on the map. and pay attention to the town population and to the   
fluctuations of stock prices to find opportunities for growth.              
                                                   
On each map, there are lines connected to the outside areas. These 
lines play an important part in transporting construction materials 
from outside. At the beginning, schedule the train run once a day (for 
those trains that you can schedule), and increase the number of runs 
as the town grows. 
 
INDUSTRIES DEPEND ON YOUR INDUSTRY
 
If the population doesn't increase naturally any more, you have to 
create employment opportunities. You can build factories, depart- 
ment stores, etc. Stunted population growth is rare, but sometimes 
it may happen. 
 
The balance between supply and demand of the labor force has a great 
effect on the economy of the city. For example, if there is a surplus 
of labor force, factories will increase production, and consequently 
so will the incomes of other subsidiary companies increase. But the 
construction of new residences slows down. You should keep a 
sufficient labor force--by building of apartments and work sites to 
stimulate the program's building--to ensure the development of 
the city. 

Besides working, the residents carry on with their daily lives. They 
play golf and ski on holidays. The recreation facilities provide places 
for their leisure and their work. 
 
Secondary business 

You can check the concentrations of your city's industrial economy 
in the "radar chart" scale in the Urban Growth window. By secondary 
industry, we mean the fundamental infrastructure of the city, as 
opposed to your primary industry, the railroad. Factories and lease 
buildings are the basic elements of the secondary industry. The 
income of a lease building depends upon the number of tenants. The 
companies using the building will provide employment oppor- 
tunities for your residents. 
 
Factories produce materials that are essential to the city development. 
They are also large sources of employment. They don't pollute the 
surroundings. If there is no need for materials, the materials will pileup.
Your map's initial railroad will export them for sale if you don't use 
them. 
 
Other Business 

The elements of the Other Business consist of golf courses, amuse- 
ment parks, ski resorts, stadiums and hotels. The income of each 
depends on its location. Don't construct two large-scale facilities of 
the same type near each other. 
 
Different facilities can be built in each neighborhood. It's better to 
build hotels near recreation facilities. When you have a substantial 
level of development and ready cash, build each of the four leisure- 
type facilities and several hotels around a station. The entrance fees 
for the recreational facilities and the incomes of the hotels will 
symbiotically boost profits. 
 
At optimal sites, other companies will attempt to do the same 
business. In order to avoid competition, it is better to buy all the 
land around the station early in the game. Competition can spur 
development, however. 
 
Besides being a source of profits, these commercial developments 
supply the ornamentation for a colorful, scenic map as well--one 
vote for style. 
 
EFFECTS OF SPECIAL BUILDINGS 
 
Certain businesses produce high concentrations of people, which 
can increase the passenger totals of the station nearby. 
 
At the end of a year, customers of department stores (commercial 
buildings) greatly increase, while in winter, people crowd the ski 
resorts. People often visit amusement parks on Sundays and holidays. 
Take measures (such as reduced scheduling or longer station stops) 
to deal With the situations when there are few passengers. 
 
Most maps have a lot of facilities belonging to the other companies. 
Competition among the same types of businesses will contribute to 
the development of the city. When the city has several of the same 
types of enterprise, the city becomes larger. There's no limit on land 
purchase, but there is a restriction on the number of commercial 
properties that your company can erect. 
 
MATERIAL SUPPLY 
 
Materials are essential to the city development. All buildings are 
constructed with materials, whether by you or the hand of the 
A-Train simulation deity. When building a station, purchase the land 
that will be used as the materials-storage place when you build the 
station. As you expand your city, materials are gradually consumed, 
so you have to use your freight trains to carry in materials from 
factories or from the stations outside the map. 
 
The materials piled up at the factory sites need to be 
transported once by one of your trains before they can 
be used. You can, however, directly use the factory 
materials when you construct buildings adjacent to the 
factories. 
 
The materials-storage place should be located within 
eight blocks of the station--otherwise it can't be used 
to load or unload materials. When the factory materials 
are directly used, you can erect buildings within 10 
blocks of the factory storage place. 

BUILDING AN EMPIRE 
 
If there are construction materials available, you can construct 
buildings around the station within an eight-block radius. With 
materials available, residences will begin to appear a short distance 
away from the station. The residences should reach enough numbers 
to constitute a residential town--a bedroom community. 
 
These residential inhabitants are the labor force needed for the 
construction and operation of various facilities. If there are no more 
new building sites, the population won't increase, and residences 
won't be naturally constructed by the simulation. The reason that 
residences are rapidly built when there are only two stations right 
after the start of the game is that the cities outside the map need a 
labor force. The needed labor force varies from one map to the next. 
 
After awhile, when a number of residences and public buildings have 
been built, the construction speed will slow down. When it does, 
build department stores and other commercial income property to 
increase employment. If you develop these kind of building lots, the 
construction of new residences by the simulation will continue. It's 
all right to develop property outside the town if you have a strategic 
overview of future connectivity. You can also construct leisure 
facilities such as stadiums and amusement parks if your population 
can support them. Other companies will also build hotels and 
commercial properties around stations. 
 
Residences and public buildings are constructed more quickly by the 
simulation on land that you have sold after purchase. There is no fee 
for purchasing/selling land, but there are expenses for the develop- 
ment of building lots if it is necessary to clear the land. 
 
Residences are rapidly built by the simulation if the blocks are vacant 
lots. If there are farms, ranches or woods on the blocks, the blocks 
are first changed into vacant lots, and then residences will appear. 
This can take a good deal of time. When farms and ranches are 
destroyed by the program, that agricultural industry is on its gradual 
decline, and won't recover. When woods are destroyed, they cannot 
be planted again. Thus it's important to make a good city plan that 
recognizes these contingencies and allows for them--if you want to 
retain an agricultural flavor, for instance--before you begin the 
development of building lots. 
 
After awhile, a street begins to extend from the rear of the big stations 
at a right angle from the track. Buildings will be constructed along 
the street by the simulation. (The street will not be built up by the 
program with skyscrapers and big buildings unless you build the 
large stations.) 
 
Buildings naturally constructed by the simulation are usually about 
10 blocks from the station. After the residential development around 
the station has been completed, the demand for materials decreases. 
The simulation will then begin the street construction, and local 
rentable buildings will become taller, all of which may consume a lot 
of materials. Building-expansion by the simulation will occur if 
there are materials within 12 blocks. 
 
PUBLIC FACILITIES 

Besides the residences and the urban street, the simulation will also 
build small office buildings, stores, schools, hospitals and public parks. 
 
All of the facilities built by the simulation are a natural consequence 
of growth. The roads and parks belong to the public, so you can't buy 
them or construct facilities on them. 
 
Occasionally, depending on how you develop the map, the town will 
not naturally grow to become more than a bedroom community. If 
this is the case, it's necessary to create additional opportunities for 
employment by building factories, etc. However, make sure that you 
have enough cash flow to cover new and old debts. 
 
When the land in back of a station is owned by other companies and 
they have erected large buildings, or there are buildings other than 
residences and public buildings on the land, the urban road can't be 
built by the simulation--it won't appear. You can buy the land in 
back of the station, but don't develop it with any facilities; if 
conditions are right, the road should appear soon after you sell the 
land. When a road appears, big commercial projects and lease 
buildings of considerable size can be constructed by the program. 

CROSSROADS-- 
 
THE ULTIMATE SHAPE OF A CITY 
 
In the map below, there is a crossroads where two roads intersect. 
Designing your city center around a crossroads like this has a great 
effect on the city development. The city center will move from the 
station to the crossroads. Around the crossroads, various buildings 
will be built by the simulation, just as they are around the station. If 
the station materials-storage place is also near the crossroads, those 
materials can be used for this development. 
 
The price of the land around the crossroads will greatly increase. 
High-rise buildings are easily constructed by the simulation under 
these prospering conditions. To develop a big city with many large 
offices, the crossroads is essential. 
 
The city outline shown in the bottom figure displays an optimum 
shape for successful expansion. There are four stations around the 
belt line. If there are materials at one station, they can be used to 
construct buildings almost everywhere in the area. Your rail 
passengers will increase as you develop the city. 
 
If you have built according to these suggestions, you should be able 
to jump to the next city scale goal. After the development around 
your first stations has been settled, repeat the above procedure in a 
new place. You can build flourishing cities--your empire-- 
everywhere on the map! 
 
GENERAL BUILDING GUIDELINES
 
  The BUILD and REMOVE commands are on all the menus. 
  The building area varies with the type and the scale of the build- 
  ing to be constructed. 
  To construct a building on land not owned by the company, you 
  must have the money for both land purchase and the construction 
  expenses. Sometimes the land may not be for sale. In such a case, 
  you can't build. 
  The buildings that don't belong to your company can't be 
  removed unless you buy them. 
  A signboard (small square) representing ownership by your 
  railroad company is put on the top of each building. It will be 
  removed if you sell the property. 
  The building materials must be near the construction site for 
  successful erection. 
 
Residence 
Materials: 2 
Expense: 0 
Labor force: N/A 
 
The player cannot build residences--they are a natural consequence 
of certain game conditions. There are 8 families in one block, each 
family having 7.5 members. There are 16 types of residences, but 
every residence has the same number of members and a similar 
economic state. There are about 60 people living on one block. 
 
Apartments 
Materials: 8 
Expense: 340,000 dollars 
Labor force: 10 people 
 
There are 150 families in one apartment complex, each family having 
3.5 members. The operating expense of a complex is 1,500 dollars to 
2,000 dollars per day. Income is over 3,000 dollars if it is in front of 
a station, but apartments will produce a deficit if they are located far 
away from the station. If there are lease buildings or amusement 
parks nearby, income will moderately increase. There are three types 
of apartment complexes, and there are no differences between them 
in operating expenses and income. 
 
Factory 
Materials: 20 
Expense: 250,000 dollars 
Labor force: 500 people 
 
Factories produce construction materials, which should be 
transported from the factory by freight trains to areas outside the 
map if you don't use the materials yourself. The operating expense 
is 2,000 dollars a day, even when the factory stops working(after your 
materials-storage place has been filled with materials). Each material 
is sold for 2,500 dollars, and a three-coach freight train can carry four 
materials in a time. If you need a lot of materials, factories can be 
linked together to increase production. 
 
Public Buildings 
Materials: 4 
Expense: 0 
Labor force: 60 people 
 
Built by the simulation in the residential areas, public buildings 
may represent schools, hospitals or shops. There are eight types, 
which vary with your city's development process. The more public 
buildings, the bigger the city. 
 
Lease Buildings 
Materials: 10 for the first 5 stories; 
8 for each additional 5 up to 40 
Expense: 240,000 dollars 
Labor force: 120 people and up 
 
The tallest lease building can be up to 40 stories; every five stories 
takes up a block. There can be 1,000 people working in one building. 
The operating expense is 400 dollars to 450 dollars per day. The 
income is from 800 dollars to 900 dollars a day for a building near a 
station, and 500 dollars to 600 dollars if the building is far away from 
the station. The income may increase when there are hotels in the 
neighborhood. 
 
Commercial Buildings 
Materials: 12 
Expense: 1,200,000 dollars 
Labor force: 550 people 
 
To gain a profit, build your department stores and offices near a 
station. The operating expense is 23,000 dollars to 26,000 dollars per 
day, increased by 30% for holidays. The income is 22,000 dollars to 
27,000 dollars if the store is near a station, and less than half that if 
the station is far away. Income increases by 50% on holidays. If there 
are many residences, apartments, lease buildings and hotels nearby, 
the income can increase by at most 5,000 dollars a day. Income rises 
by 20% to 30% in December, and decreases by 10% to 20% in 
February and August. Income will also decrease by 20% to 40% when 
there is a rival store. 
 
Hotel 
Materials: 12 
Expense: 1,000,000 dollars 
Labor force: 550 people 
 
The income of a hotel varies greatly with the location. The operating 
expense per day is 17,000 dollars to 19,000 dollars. The income per 
day is about 14,000 dollars if the hotel isn't close to a station. and 
16,000 dollars to 18,500 dollars when near a station. The income can 
be increased by at most 2,000 dollars a day on working days if there 
are factories and lease buildings nearby, and to 5,000 dollars at most 
on holidays if there are residences and apartments nearby. The 
presence of recreational facilities can also boost income. Your 
income can decline by 10 % to 30 % when other competitive 
hotels open. 
 
Stadium 
Materials: 20 
Expense: 1,000,000 dollars 
Labor force: 150 people 
 
The operating expense of a stadium is 2,400 dollars to 2,600 dollars 
per day. The income per day is 800 dollars when it is not close to a 
station, and 1,400 dollars when a station is nearby. Income will rise 
by 10 dollars per 1,000 stadium occupants, and increases by 50% on 
holidays. If there are residences, apartments, lease buildings and 
hotels nearby, your income may rise by up to 5,000 dollars daily. But 
income will decline by 20% to 30% when there is a competing 
stadium within 14 blocks.
 
Ski Resort 
Materials: 8 
Expense: 900,000 dollars 
Labor force: seasonally dependent    
 
To construct a ski resort, you need a mountain that has a wide slope. 
(Map Four has no such mountains.)The opening period is December 
through February. The operating expense per day is 500 dollars in 
the off-season, about 9,600 dollars when open, and double on 
holidays. The income is 13,000 dollars when the resort is not close 
to a station, 16,600 dollars when it is close to a station, and three 
times that on holidays. The income increases by 1,600 dollars for 
each hotel nearby, and drops by 20 % to 40 % when a rival resort 
opens nearby. 
 
Amusement Park 
Materials: 24 
Expense: 1,900,000 dollars 
Labor force: 200 people 
 
The operating expense per day is 7.50() dollars to 10,000 dollars. The 
income is 3,900 dollars when it is not close to a station, 5,500 dollars 
to 7.200 dollars otherwise. The income rises 10 dollars for each 1,00() 
patrons, and rises by 50% on holidays. If there are residences, 
apartments and hotels nearby, the income increases by up to 2,000 
dollars daily. Revenues decrease by 20% to 40% when arrival appears. 
There are fireworks shows on Saturday nights. 
 
Golf Course 
Materials: 8 
Expense: 2,050,000 dollars 
Labor force: 200 people 
 
The operating expense of a golf course doesn't depend much upon 
the station. It takes 22,210 dollars to 24,420 dollars per day, and 
increases by 50% on holidays. The income per day is 23,100 dollars 
on working days and double on holidays. If there are hotels, resi- 
dences and apartments nearby, the income increases. If the course 
is near a station, the income is up by 10% . When there is another golf 
course, the income can be reduced by 20% to 30%. The course 
doesn't open in winter. 
 
Small station 
Materials: 4 
Expense: 40,000 dollars 
Labor force: 150 people 
 
The small stations have red roofs. Residential areas with up to eight 
apartment complexes and two hotels will be built by the simulation 
near the station if development conditions are right. Of course, you 
can construct as many buildings as you like in proximity to the 
station. The operating expense per day is 50 dollars. The income is 
zero when there are less than 100 passengers, 20 dollars for 101 to 
300 passengers, 40 dollars for 301 to 500 passengers, and 60 dollars 
for more than 500 passengers (per trainload, station-to-station). 
Fares are calculated separately as part of rail company income. Both 
small and large stations receive additional income from gift shops 
and other tenant sales dependent on passenger numbers. 
 
Big station 
Materials: 8 
Expense: 120,00 dollars 
Labor force: 150 people 
 
Urban roads and skyscrapers can be built by the simulation only 
behind big stations. The operating expense of a big station is 90 
dollars per day. The income is zero for less than 100 passengers, 70 
dollars for 101 to 300 passengers, 100 dollars for 301 to 500 
passengers and 120 dollars for more than 500 passengers. 
 
Park 
Materials: 4 
Expense: 0 
Labor force: 0 
 
Parks are built by the simulation according to the local budget. But 
they cannot be built when the figure representing the local budget 
in Report Four is less than 20,000. They are usually built at the final 
stage of city development. When a road extends though a park, the 
park will be destroyed. 

Road 
Materials: 2 
Expense: 0 
Labor force: 0 
 
The conditions for which a road is built (by the simulation) vary with 
the number of apartments, hotels, lease buildings, railroad passengers 
and station size. For each block, two materials are needed for the road 
and six materials for a bridge. 
 
LAND CLEARING EXPENSES AND TERRAIN INFORMATION 
 
Cleared Land 

Blocks encircled by dashed lines represent the 
plain land on which residences and public buildings 
can be constructed directly without land-clearing 
expenses. The land is owned by somebody besides 
you until you shell out the dough. 
 
Wood 

Blocks with only a single tree as well as true forestlands are called 
"woods." (It's a sign of our optimism.) To turn a wood into cleared land 
takes 100 dollars. 
 
Farm 

To turn a farm I into cleared land takes 200 dollars. 
 
Ranch
 
To turn a ranch into cleared land takes 200 dollars. 
 
Hill
 
There are some hills where ski areas can be built on slopes. 
 
River 

A river has little effect on the city development, but a railroad or a 
road can't go through the river without a bridge being built. 
 
Sea and Lake 

Nothing except Shinkansen can be built on a sea or a lake. 
 
MYSTERIOUS FLYING OBJECTS 
 
You might occasionally see some the migratory birds flying in group 
formation on your map: they are red-crowned cranes. They fly south 
October 1-2, north April 5 6. They appear at 5:00AM and take about 
one day to cross the map. 
 
HOW TO MAINTAIN THE COMPANY 
 
At the beginning, it's foolish to build long, lavish railroads with the 
initial company assets. For some maps you will need to secure some 
bank loans to open business lines based on the original holdings. It 
is a good idea to lay short, cheap railroads in your initial phases of 
development. 
 
You can take out a loan anytime. Your loan limit is about 30% of the 
company assets-- The greater the company and its assets, the greater the 
limit. There are one-year, two-year and three-year loans; the rates rise 
with the term length. The management chief will inform you in a message 
window when to pay the debts two weeks in advance, but you can see dates 
anytime by clicking the DEBT TOTAL button in the BANK window. If you 
can't pay at that time, your company will go bankrupt. You are 
limited to 8 loans outstanding. 
 
Large loans should be made when the interest rates are low. The 
rates are variant according to the terms. The lowest rates are 2% 
for one-year debts, 3% for two-year debts and 4% for three-year 
debts. 
 
Frequently check the sales of your rail operation. Extended rail 
lines have increased expenses, and require a longer time period 
to turn a profit. Make sure that you have enough insurance capital 
in case expenses become greater than your income. 
 
The land prices rise as the city grows. Be aware that land previously 
purchased is taxable. Keep in mind the dates when your taxes and 
other debts are due. If the company operating funds are negative, the 
company will go bankrupt and your trains will run no more. 

STOCKING UP 
 
Watch the current (and constantly changing) financial circumstances 
of the city to seize every good opportunity to make a killing by getting 
good bank loans or by selling off stocks. You can play the game 
without doing any stock trading. but if you're careful, it can be a 
valuable source of surplus funds. However, as many sad traders 
know, it's not an absolutely reliable way. 
 
There are 24 stock brands. You can scroll the board to view them all. 
The two numbers after the company name represent its trading 
value and the amount by which it has dropped or risen since the day 
before. After you select a particular stock name, a graph appears to 
show the price variations of the stock over the past 30 weeks. You may 
find that the stock prices change considerably over two-month 
periods for many brands. There are also brands whose stock price 
won't change much over several months. The fluctuations don't 
depend on the brands, but vary with each game. 
 
Try to discern a fluctuation pattern for stocks you're interested in 
and buy when the price is at the bottom of the curve and sell when 
the price at the top of the curve. (Mama didn't raise no fool.) Of 
course, it can be difficult to know just when the top of the curve has 
occurred. 
 
The stock price of a brand might display a trend of increasing value 
over a six-month to one-year period. But a stock slump may also 
happen once every year and a half or so. Be alert to trends by checking 
the stock board frequently and paying attention to the advisors in the 
message windows. If a slump occurs, the stock price will drop to one- 
half or one-third of its past price in a day. 
 
STOCK BRANDS 
 
Do-Beeus Trading: a worldwide general trading company. 
Twisstad Metal: a company that manufactures metal materials used 
for cars, trains and ships. 
Pickupstik Construction: a construction firm skilled at building 
skyscrapers, halls and domed stadiums. 
Whozit & Whatzit Export: a general trading company that imports 
and exports various materials such as foods and chemicals. 
Mjollnir Products: a company that makes iron and steel products for 
building construction. 
Aahp-Yurs Building: a construction company that builds residen- 
ces, factories, etc. 
Tricks o' Trade: a general trading company. 
Big Iron: a big iron company. 
Radon Realty: a big real estate company that owns most office 
buildings in the big cities. 
Anything Goes Trading: a general trading company. 
Taffy Steel: an iron company. 
Brauny Construction: a construction company that builds mainly 
residences. 
Heavy Water Chemistry:a company that produces chemical fertilizers 
and chemicals. 
Raxsoft Lighting: a general household electric appliance company 
that produces lighting equipment, audio-visual equipment and 
computers. 
Artdink Estates: a real estate company that deals with residences 
and apartment complexes. 
Tesla Electric: an electrical company that makes wires and electrical 
equipment used in factories and buildings. 
Maxis Motors: a general electrical company that makes household 
appliances and motors. 
Slippery Stuff Chemical: a chemical company that produces lubri- 
cants, detergents and wax, etc. 
Sticky Disks: a company that produces various magnetic media such 
as cassette tapes and floppy disks. 
Spinnin' Wheels Auto: a big automobile company. 
IoeCo Gas: a city gas company. 
I.B.B.M.: a big communication company that has the second- 
largest share of the world market. 
JSmgmt: a company that is known for developing a new material 
with wide applications. 
JenSuz Power: an electric power company that supplies electricity 
to generators for big cities. 
TRACKING YOUR TRAIN COSTS 
 
The running expenses of the railroad company are your prime 
expenditures. Naturally, you can't get income without incurring 
some development expenses. Your profit, obtained by subtracting 
the expenses from the income, is added to the cash figure you see on 
your financial reports. If you have a minus profit, your cash is 
reduced by that figure. 
 
The expenses of the railroad branch are calculated by hours. A 
running train costs 90 dollars per hour. When passengers get on a 
train, the operations charge is lO dollars for each 10 persons. The 
train's income is relative to the travel distance, fare and the number 
of passengers. 
 
Use REPORT 1 to see your company's profit and loss figures. If the 
balance is a negative figure, your company has a deficit. The menu 
has a three-part display that covers more of your screen display with 
each click. 
 
Level One 

This display charts the information on your available cash, debts and 
the estimated amount of tax for your company. 
 
Cash is the money used for purchasing and construction. Your 
company will go bankrupt--and your game lost--if your cash be- 
comes a negative figure. Debts are the total monies borrowed from 
banks. They must be paid on the appointed dates. 
 
The amount of tax is estimated on March 31, and is due on June 1. 
It's essential that you have a cash reserve to cover your tax expenses. 
 
Level Two 

The status of the railroad and subsidiary sales and expenses as well 
as Level One information is displayed. A figure will appear in the 
Taxes column after estimation. 
 
Today: sales, expenses and income for today are displayed. 
 
This Month: the business report from the first day of this month to 
yesterday is displayed. 
 
This Term: the business report from April 1 to yesterday is displayed. 

Level Three 

The railroad branch data as well as well as Level Two information is 
displayed. 
 
Stations: the total number of stations on the map. 
 
Switches: the total number of switches on the map. 
 
Trains: the total number of trains owned by the company. 
 
Rail Length: the total length of railroads (in blocks). 
 
Balance Graph 

The strips in the graph show the difference between the income and 
the expenditures. If the color is red, the expenditure is greater than 
the income. If the color is black, the income is greater than the 
expenditure. The vertical axis represents money, and the horizontal 
axis time--the changes are recorded in one-month blocks. 
 
The income and expenses of the nine subsidiary companies can be 
viewed in Report 1 from 11:00AM to 7:00PM. At 9:00PM, each station 
reports its daily business. 
 
All of your company funds are deposited in banks paying an interest 
rate of at least 0.1% . The company collects the interest once a month . 
Stock dividends are paid once a year on July 1. You will get an on- 
screen message: "You have received a dividend." Don't forget that 
you pay taxes on June 1--you MUST have enough money set aside 
for this purpose or the game is kaput. 
 
The most critical factor in your commercial success is the income of 
the railroad branch--it's the base of the company. The second most 
important is the income from subsidiary companies. You might find 
it useful to always display the first level of Report 1 on the screen 
during game play. Check your cash when you want to purchase 
something. 
 
BUSINESS FLUCTUATIONS 
 
The macro-economics of the game are complex. It's hard to antici- 
pate all business fluctuations, because some of the business condi- 
tions have random elements built in. When the business conditions 
deteriorate, the number of railroad passengers decreases by 10%. 
 
In April and December, when there is a great demand, your business 
is sure to be in good shape. But if there is a stock market slump, a 
recession will follow. Your income changes also have a small effect 
on business successes, and so does the balance between supply and 
demand of the labor force. 
 
There are two dominant expenses: temporary or fluid ones, such as the 
railroad construction/removing costs, the cost for purchasing lands and 
the fee for purchasing trains; the on going expenses consist of personnel 
expenditures and everyday fuel costs. 
 
Your subsidiary companies, like factories and department stores, also incur 
expenses. To see the expenses of subsidiary companies, use REPORT 2. 
The subsidiary companies can make profits by expanding the city and helping 
to develop new stations and railroads. When the profits of a subsidiary 
company are poor, you should consider selling it. 
 
SETTLEMENT OF ACCOUNTS 
 
The simulation will settle your accounts for the year by calculating 
the final income and expenses. The amount of taxes is also estimated. 
You must take measures to ensure that your cash figure isn't lower 
than your tax due. The tax and debts are paid on the following 
weekday if the corresponding due date is a holiday. 
 
Your term profits will be taxed at 50% and your assets at 5%. Thus 
the principal way to save on your tax bill is to spend your profits to 
purchase assets--subsidiary companies, lands, stocks, railroad 
facilities, etc.-before the March 31 tax estimate. (You can see the 
figure in the Taxes column in Report 1 and Report 2.) 
 
You can turn any profit into newly purchased subsidiary companies 
before the settlement of accounts, and sell them in the new year. 
since a subsidiary company can gain a profit by itself, in many cases 
it won't be a "loss" to purchase it. Besides, the appraised value of the 
subsidiary company may grow. But the money you get from selling 
the subsidiary companies will add to the profit of the new year, so the 
cycle of buying and selling might have to be repeated every year. It 
is sound--and necessary--policy to consider the development and/ 
or sale of subsidiary companies as an integral facet of your overall 
financial flowering. You are restricted to a total of 15 subsidiary sales 
for a single year. 
 
Within a limit of 18 for each category and 60 total, you can choose 
the following buildings and facilities for your company develop- 
ment: factories, commercial properties, hotels, golf courses, 
amusement parks, stadiums, ski resorts, apartments, and lease 
buildings. 
 
Your railroad company logo, in the form of a small box, will 
appear on top of the building or facility after purchase. (The 
logo will be removed after it has been sold.) Some buildings 
and facilities can't be bought or sold depending on how much 
speculating you have done and the development state of the 
game. 
 
Purchasing land is also a reasonable method of investing profit, hut 
it saves you less than buying a subsidiary company. because the price 
of one block of land is far cheaper. Purchasing stocks is probably the 
easiest way to divert the profit tax. But keep in mind that there may 
be a stock market slump. It's also possible to save taxes by laying 
railroads or purchasing trains. If you don't have enough time (or 
money) to make a plan for laying railroads, it is better simply to 
purchase trains and hold them for the future. 
 
READING THE BALANCE SHEET AND CALCULATING YOUR TAXES 
 
Use the Balance Sheet (Report 2) to learn about the current financial 
management of the company, your assets, and as a basis for planning. 
You can find itemized information on assets, their appraised values 
and the corresponding taxes. 
 
There are three main parts: assets, revenue and expenditures. As 
mentioned, there are two types of tax: asset tax and profit tax. For 
assets, such as subsidiary companies, stocks and lands, the tax is 5% 
of their appraised value. The tax does not vary with the overall 
business balance of the company. 
 
The profit tax is 50% of the company profits, which are obtained by
subtracting the expenses from the whole incomes. The minimum 
amount is 100 dollars, even when the company is operating at a 
deficit. 
 
The tax amount is calculated on March 31 , and paid on June 1 . Keep 
in mind the company will go bankrupt and the game will end if there 
is not enough money to pay your taxes on June 1. 
Railroad Assets 
 
The railroad track in one block is worth about 1,500 dollars, the 
switch 1,550 dollars. A small station is worth 48,000 dollars, and a 
large station 196,000 dollars. This is in addition to the valuation of 
purchased trains. 
 
Subsidiaries 

The appraised value is the total amount of market values of all 
subsidiary companies. Each appraised value varies with the income 
of each separate subsidiary company. 
 
Stocks 

The appraised value is the total market amount of the stocks you 
have at the time. 
 
Real Estate 

The appraised value is the total amount of the current market prices 
of your land holdings. 
 
Revenue 
 
Railroad Operation 
The total amount of the sales of the railroad branch from April 1 to 
the present. 
 
Subsidiaries 

The total amount of sales of all subsidiary companies from April 1 to 
present. You can find the sales of each subsidiary company in Report 3. 
 
Selling Subsidiaries 

The total amount obtained from selling subsidiary companies. 
 
Selling Stocks 

The total amount obtained by selling stocks. 
 
Selling Real Estate 

The total amount obtained by selling lands. 
 
Stock Dividends 

The dividends of all the stocks on July 1. 
 
Interest Income 

The total interest of this term (from April 1 to present). 
Expenditures 
 
Railroad Operation 

The sum of operating expenses of trains and stations. 
 
Subsidiaries 

The total operating expenses of all subsidiary companies. 
 
Acquisition of Subsidiaries 

The total price of purchased subsidiary companies. 
 
Stock Purchase 

The total price of purchased stocks. 
 
Real Estate 

The total price of purchased land. 
 
Commission 

The fee totals of this term. When buying stocks, there is a charge of 
10 dollars for each stock and a basic fee of 50 dollars. To sell a 
subsidiary company, the basic fee is 500 dollars, in addition to a 
commission taking 2% of the appraised value of the company. 
 
Interest Paid 

The interest totals paid on all debts. 
 
Balance 

The difference between the total income and the expenses. 
 
Income Tax 

This tax takes 50% of the profits. When there is no profit, it takes 100 
dollars. 
 
Cash 

The total cash at present. 
 
Total Tax 

The sum of the profit tax and the asset tax. It is estimated on March 
31 and due on June 1. 
 
Railroad operation figures are calculated hourly. The consolidated 
figures of your subsidiaries for the hours between 11:00 and 7:00 are 
calculated daily, along with the station sales at 9:00PM. Interest 
income on your cash balance is the sum of your lowest balance 
multiplied by 0.1% once monthly. Stock dividends are distributed 
on July 1.