speed vs load

[Citation48]

Hi everyone i'm a new member but have been playing RR a while. Has anyone tested on NE board between NY and Trenton or between any two cities in the very beginning whether a grasshopper with only one passenger car can make more money in the beginning with one two three four cars ect. What is best here speed or more cars and is there a breaking point on making moneybetweeen speed and load. I guess this would only apply to P&M Thanks for this site i have learned a lot.

[Kroguys]

That's a pretty specific question. Can't say that I have tested it. But from eye balling the map, I would use 2 passengers and 1 mail to start from NY to Trenton. There are other cities on that map which are closer to each other. With the cities closer, I would use 8 cars to cut down the turn around distance. When the passengers/mail run out. The train would only carry one of each anyways.

[Citation48]

I understand the theory of 8 cars for faster turn aroundbut understand what I'm saying here. This is the verybeginning of the game and I am building a level test track from NY to trenton starting in NY not upgrading the NY station not bidding on anygthing or buying anything else and seeing with starting money on Tycoon and 3 compeitors whether 1 2 3 ect cars pay more doing nothing else. If you buy 8 cars at the start you do get faster turn around I conceed but as those cars start to fill up your train slows down. So is speed pay more or load. So far I have ran one test but I don't have the figures here I am at the hosp with my wife in it and the figures at home. I remember when I went home short while from start to new engine Norris one car made more than two and after Norris but no upgrades mind you to Norris sticking with grasshopper one car made a little less than two. I check and post figures later. You understand what I'm doing. I keeping all the varibles the same except the number of cars.

[Greybriar]

Welcome to the Hooked on Railroads forums, Citation48.

I never use more than two cars (one mail and one passenger) early on in the game when the grasshopper is the only engine available. That engine is just too underpowered and slows the train too much when more cars than that are used. I have done the same thing since I purchased the original Railroad Tycoon and although I haven't tested it, but I believe my method to be acceptable.

Once the Norris is available, I increase the number of passenger cars to two. This brings the total to three cars (one mail and two passenger) and makes for faster trains with fuller cars. It is this composition I use for all my passenger trains except in those instances when there is one car load of a commodity that is needed at the train's destination--in that case I add an extra car to carry the freight. It is usually a temporary fix but at least there is enough extra income to offset the reduced speed of the train.

Sorry to hear your wife is in the hospital. I hope she is released soon and has a quick recovery.

[Citation48]

Thanks greybrier for the welcome just found out she's looking at surgery
You have the right idea there. These guys that think in the beginning of the game to start with eight cars is helping amke money are wrong.
Here is some stats jan 1830 NY..trenton...one car profit till Norris comes out 292,800 profit from start till american comes out 699,213 this is with one car.

!/1830 till Norris 2 cars 262,950 notice the dorp with 2 cars.....till american profit 764,213 a gain. Thing is you are probably right you need to buy the Norris soon as it comesx out. Haven't tested that yet. So running one car til the Norris does come out is more profitable.
I haven't testedone mail and one passenger car yet. Are mail cars lighter than pass. In Other words wouldoa train with 1 pass car or a train with one mail car which would win a race over the same distance with the same engine. I ask these things because getting an edge in the beginning is worth more than at any other time in the game I believe.

[Kroguys]

I don't mind if you think that I'm wrong. Everyone is entiltled to his/her opinions. But I wouldn't want people who come to these threads walk away with bad info/tips. So please read what I wrote and understand them.

[mikeyc]

Citation, Suggest you go to the Wiki and read Red Knights paper on speed of trains and its relation to passengers and freight. It is very informative and easy to digest. Eventually you will come to the conclusion that if you work the passengers correctly you will make more money than any other industry.

[Citation48]

Sorry to everyone here I'm not sure if anyone is wrong I'm still learning and trying to learn and the idea of a full train at the beginning I understand the concept that empty cars don't slow down the train. I was just wondering if if two are three full cars pay less over time than one full car??? Where in the wiki is the article about speed of trains and passengers??? I've read the wiki but I either missed it or it didn't register in my mind. Sometimes I have to read something twice to get it. I don't mean to come on here and claim I know more than anyone. I don't and just trying to learn and test theories. I did find this in the wiki and it might what you are talking about. Micromanaging which is what I am trying to do.

Five passenger plus three mail trains (5:3) is the optimal ratio, as shown by looking at city output XMLs. For smaller trains, call it 2:1. There is a litte bit of variation in the ratio, depending on city size, but not much.
The exact best point for what any given train can haul, depends on its power and the distance to go. I never figured it all out.

I'm just wondering if the variation beween NY and Trenton at the beginning of the game at 1830 with the grasshopper is run just one car till the Norris comes out????

I have already learned so much on this site. before I camehere I couldn't winabove the 2nd level and today I won at Tycoon level.

Thanks to everyone for your posts.....

[WoodenSpoons]

i think load is better because i used to just have passneger trains going to a close city so they would get ther fast and to keep the passengers in a city low but i recently changed this as i found out going further = alot more money and i have been earning alot more from passengers now going as far as i could

however at the very start when money is low i would plan out a long rout but have it short but in the direction of where u want it to go at the start of the game,

carefull planning is needed for the future of your railway

[Jancsika]

Passenger traffic is important money maker early in the game. Upgrade your depots to Terminals will increase your passenger income and shorten the waiting time the train spend in the stations.
Jancsika

[captaintractor]

just more or less asking,, but if there is only say 2 carloads of passengers at each stop why would anyone run an 8 car train? do empty cars create a demand for passengers?? certainly a real railroad wouldn't do that. If I have say 4 passenger cars on a train and after the first couple trips i notice that the passenger supply isn't keeping up to my train loads and theres empty cars running back and forth I will cut empty cars untill the town grows. and if we could go with realism an empty passenger car weighs far more then half of a full car. As we all know the car makes up the majority of the weight....... so running empty cars should be a big no no if the game was designed that way.?.?

[Star Ranger4]

But the game ISNT designed that way. Empty cars weigh 0.

Not half, 0

That being said, I do agree that at least from an asthetics viewpoint it doesnt make sense to have a 5-3 train on a run where most stops only have 2-1.

[Citation48]

I first want to thank all of you who have posted since I have. I have been in a stall on playing the game because I was in the Western Kentucky ice storm. I agree with the carefull planning is nesessary in this game. I understand distance is a big factor in passanger delivery income. I think that speed or running one or two full cars between stations will make more money than load three or more full cars because you will deliver passangers faster and incur less maintance frees on the way? Does this seem logical to anyone???????? I'm talking about early in the game with the weaker engine the grasshopper.
Thanks

[Star Ranger4]

I dunno if its the smart way... but I've never hung more than 3 cars off the Grasshopper just because if for some reason the cars DID all fill up the extra weight basicly emasculates the poor thing.

[darthdroid]

Thanks greybrier for the welcome just found out she's looking at surgery
You have the right idea there. These guys that think in the beginning of the game to start with eight cars is helping amke money are wrong.
Here is some stats jan 1830 NY..trenton...one car profit till Norris comes out 292,800 profit from start till american comes out 699,213 this is with one car.

!/1830 till Norris 2 cars 262,950 notice the dorp with 2 cars.....till american profit 764,213 a gain. Thing is you are probably right you need to buy the Norris soon as it comesx out. Haven't tested that yet. So running one car til the Norris does come out is more profitable.
I haven't testedone mail and one passenger car yet. Are mail cars lighter than pass. In Other words wouldoa train with 1 pass car or a train with one mail car which would win a race over the same distance with the same engine. I ask these things because getting an edge in the beginning is worth more than at any other time in the game I believe.

While I understand the logic here and think I'd like to see the results of the test, I would make one strong point about this that settles it in my mind:

There is enough multi-tasking in this game without giving yourself more. I don't want to come back and add cars to that train later. I think there's an opportunity cost here. I could be using that time scouting a new route, building something else. This is a basic fundamental of economics, we don't just look at the issue itself. We also look at what we gave up to address the issue. Ultimately I want 8 cars on that train, no question. So that's how I'm going to set it up to begin with and now I am done with it for a while, I would come back to quickly upgrade to terminals but I need more routes elsewhere, that's what I should be doing with the time it would take to screw around with a 2 car train that I mess with as time goes on.

Hope that makes sense.