Trains

Trains
Title screen of the game
Game No.	530
Voting	6.60 points, 5 votes
Developer	Jimmy Snyder, Ken Appleman, Mark W. Scott Grafik: Bob Svihovec, Jim Ehlers Produzent: Eric Podietz, Guy Nouri
Company	Interactive Picture Systems Inc.
Publisher	Spinnaker Software Corp., Maxion Software
Musician	Bill Mauchly
HVSC-File	/GAMES/S-Z/Trains.sid
Release	1983
Platform	Apple II, Atari 400/800, C64, IBM-PC
Genre	Simulation
Gamemode	Single player
Operation
Media
Language
Information	Republished in 1984 by Maxion under the name "Railroad Tycoon"

Description

In the game "Trains", the player controls a freight train pulled by a steam locomotive, transporting raw materials from producers to consumers. The faster the player completes this task and the less time consumers have to wait for the raw materials they need, the higher the profit. However, these earnings and the starting capital must be used to replenish the locomotive's coal supply and pay regular wages to the train crew. Therefore, the player must always ensure the shortest possible routes and high train occupancy to avoid wasting time and incurring unnecessary costs due to empty runs.

In the first round, crude oil must be transported from the drilling rigs to the refineries.

A legend explains the symbols used in the rail network.

Urgent transport orders rain down on the negligent train driver.

Backstory

The player is transported back to the time of steam locomotives, when a rapidly expanding rail network began connecting plains and mountains, deserts and cities. As the operator of a large railroad company, equipped with a starting capital of $1,000, they must drive a freight train, load it with raw materials at various producers, and transport them to the respective customers. The more punctually they complete these transport orders, the better they are paid. From the starting capital and ongoing income, the wages of the employees, the coal for the steam locomotive, and any necessary train repairs must then be paid.

Design

During the game, the screen displays the entire rail network from a bird's-eye view. Small but clearly visible are the producers of raw materials and their associated consumers, as well as the coal loading station. On the tracks, the player controls a freight train by using the joystick to determine the direction and speed of travel and to set the switches in front of the train in a timely manner.

At the top and bottom of the screen are displays showing the player's cash balance, coal reserves, and the current load of the train. A status bar with message text provides information about pending transport orders.

The railway employees' wages of $200 must be paid approximately every 3 minutes.

The spacebar toggles between the train and industry status displays.

In case of coal shortage or insolvency, the game ends with a few terse messages.

Graphics

The screen display is partly in monochrome bitmap mode (bitmap starting at address $4000, for text output) and partly in multicolor bitmap mode (bitmap starting at address $6000, for displaying the route and the side view of the train). The game switches between these graphics modes periodically via raster line interrupts. The video RAM containing the color information is always located at address $7C00. The legend (middle image in the gallery in the section "Description") is displayed entirely in multicolor bitmap mode.

The game does not use sprites at all; Even elements for which their use would have been appropriate (for example, the cloud that occasionally flies over the playing field) are incorporated into the bitmap graphics.

Sound

The title screen is accompanied by a pleasant melody that incorporates both the rattling of the train and the whistle of the locomotive as sound elements (see section "Theme"). During the actual gameplay, however, only individual events are underscored by short sound sequences and noises.

Sound sequence during the unloading of raw materials

Hints

The goal of the game is to control a freight train pulled by a steam locomotive and thus carry out transport orders. The train travels to various producers and loads the individual freight cars with the raw materials produced there, then delivers them to the respective customers and unloads the cars there. Since several transport orders are usually pending simultaneously, it is advisable to plan the route so that these orders are processed overlapping, thereby saving travel time and coal for the locomotive.

The player thus steers the freight train to a producer who has a sufficient supply of raw materials and brakes the train so that an empty wagon suitable for the corresponding raw material comes to a stop on the black-marked section of track. The wagon is then loaded by pressing the fire button. Afterward, the train must be taken to a customer who needs this raw material. Similarly, the train is braked again there, the appropriate wagon is correctly positioned, and unloaded by pressing the fire button.

Multiple transport orders can be executed simultaneously. An example of such a procedure would be the sequence "Load wagon 1/Load wagon 2/Unload wagon 2/Load wagon 3/Unload wagon 1/Unload wagon 3". When processing orders, all producers and consumers along the route should be taken into account to avoid unnecessary empty runs.

When the coal supply is running low, the warning message "TRAIN IS LOW ON COAL" appears. The train should then proceed to the coal depot as soon as possible and refuel the coal wagon. If this is not done and the train is left stranded on the track without fuel, an emergency coal service will arrive to replenish the locomotive's supply at twice the usual price.

Producers

Oil Rig

Mine

Farm

Forestry Operation

Customers

Oil Refinery

Factory

Market

Sawmill

Wagons

Tank Car ()

Ore Car ()

Food Car ()

Log Car ()

Screen Layout

Typical Scene from the Game

Levels

Level 1 (Desert): Two oil rigs and two oil refineries

Level 2 (Mountains): One forest and one sawmill, one mine and one factory

Level Level 3 (Plains): Two farms and one market, two forestry operations and one sawmill

Level 4 (City): One farm and two markets, one oil derrick and two oil refineries

Level 5 (Desert): One oil derrick and one oil refinery, one forestry operation and one sawmill, one mine and one factory

Level 6 (Mountains): Two forestry operations and two sawmills, two mines and two factories

Level 7 (Plains): Two farms and two markets, one forestry operation and one sawmill, one mine and one factory

Level 8 (City): One oil derrick and one oil refinery, one farm and one market, one forestry operation and one sawmill, one mine and one factory

Controls

The train is controlled exclusively with the joystick:

• Accelerate the train forward, up to a maximum speed of 60 miles per hour (mph). If the train is traveling backward, it will first brake to a complete stop and then accelerate forward.
• Accelerate the train backward, up to a maximum speed of 6 miles per hour (mph). If the train is traveling forward, it will first brake completely and then accelerate backward.
• or : Set the next switch to the left or right. These directions usually — but unfortunately not always — refer to an observer looking at the switch from the train in the direction of travel.
• Load or unload a wagon at a loading station; buy coal at the coal depot; whistling on the open track

In addition, some keys are assigned special functions:

• F : Pause (resume with the spacebar)
• L : Show legend (return to the game with the spacebar)
• SPACE : Switch between the "Wagon Types and Train Load" and "Production and Consumer Inventories" views

Tips

• To load or unload, the train does not need to be brought to a complete stop. It is sufficient to approach the corresponding loading station slowly (at a maximum speed of 6 mph) and press the fire button as soon as the relevant wagon is on the black highlighted section of track. In particular, this allows loading or unloading to be started at any time while reversing, as soon as the wagon is correctly positioned.
• If the "coal emergency service" is used because the train has broken down on the track due to a lack of coal, the refueling should be stopped by pressing the fire button as soon as the locomotive has enough fuel to reach the coal depot under its own power.
• The coal consumption of a fully loaded train — for the same route and identical driving profile — is more than six times higher than for an empty train. Therefore, any cargo should be transported to the recipient as quickly as possible and should never be loaded "in advance" and carried for an extended period.

The coal emergency service should only be used until the train can reach the coal depot under its own power again.

A track is built up point by point (bottom left) leading to the next level.

Even in the case of an acute coal shortage, the coal depot should not be approached too quickly.

Solution

The sole objective of the game is to amass as much wealth as possible through skillful route planning and precise train control. Even after successfully completing the highest level, the player can only resume at the first level. With some practice, "Trains" can therefore be played endlessly without ever definitively "solving" any objective.

Cheats

No cheats are currently known.

Internal Data Structures

Knowledge of memory allocation and internal workings is helpful for developing custom trainer functions and for analyzing or manipulating the data used by the game. The following table therefore compiles a range of information about "Trains."

Address	Content	Comments
$8024-$8025	Coal supply	Starting value 8999, range 8999...0, least significant byte first (little endian), each 2 pixels in the display represent 125 units
$8031-$8034	Load	Wagon Level 1..4, starting value 0, range 0...10
$8049-$8050	Producer's stock/Customer demand	Starting value 31, value range 0...60, different assignment in the individual levels
$814E-$8150	Monetary assets	Starting value 1,000, range 0...999,999, most significant byte first (big endian format)
$80B2-$80B9	Cash reserves	ASCII representation of cash reserves

Votes

Voting of the C64-Wiki users (10=the best vote):
6.60 points at 5 votes (rank 643). You need to be logged in to cast a vote.
Lemon64	6	January 18, 2024 - 19 votes
Micro 7	Présentation: 5/6, Originalité: 6/6, Graphisme: 5/6, Durée de vie: 5/6, Qualité/Prix: 5/6	No. 15 (Aprile 1984)
Rombachs C64-Spieleführer	10	September 1984 - "Verdict 1"
Universal Videogame List	4.1/5	January 19, 2024
C64Games	5	August 7, 2024 - "befriedigend" - 1.953 downs

Critics

Stephan64: "Even though the player's task in 'Trains' is simply to accumulate as much money as possible, controlling the train, selecting the most urgent transport orders, and then cleverly planning routes is surprisingly enjoyable for a long time. Moreover, even without chasing records, an hour of train driving can be a relaxing way to end a tiring day. Therefore, 6 points for a game that isn't graphically outstanding, but is carefully programmed with attention to detail."

Rockford: "I like games like this, and this COULD be the relaxing end to a long day if switching the points weren't so frustratingly implemented. Sometimes you push in the direction of travel, sometimes not, and I tried one point five times before concluding that it either didn't work or was somehow forgotten. Nevertheless, I'm giving it 6 points, with the mitigating circumstances of its release year, 1983. :)"

Rombachs C64-Spieleführer: "In this program, a good game idea has been executed very nicely and with great attention to detail. To be successful, the player needs not only skill in handling the joystick but also a good degree of foresight (Judgment 1)."

Miscellaneous

Cover

An image of the cover can be found at Lemon64 (see section "Weblinks").

Theme

The following illustration shows the title melody in standard musical notation. Sliding transitions occur between tied notes, so that the first voice sounds like a steam locomotive whistle in these sections. The third voice of the SID simultaneously uses a noise generator to produce the sound of the train rattling in time with the music. For creative reuse, the sheet music is also available as a PDF document (File:Trains Theme PDF.pdf) and in ABC musical notation (File:Trains Theme.abc.txt).

Sheet music of the title theme, reconstructed by logging all write accesses to the SID

Trivia

The modeling of the freight train deliberately ignores the laws of physics. Although categorized as "Simulation", the game does not attempt to replicate the real-world behavior of a freight train. For example, if the train runs out of coal while traveling at full speed, it comes to an abrupt stop instead of coasting slowly to a halt using kinetic energy and remaining steam.

The relationship between speed and coal consumption also does not meet expectations. The most economical way to cover a given distance is to first accelerate to the midpoint of the route, or at most to the maximum speed of 60 mph. The time and distance required for acceleration are then factored in for braking during the approach to the destination.

The following table illustrates this paradoxical relationship. The entries were determined in the first level by accelerating the locomotive to the speed listed in the first column, then driving at a constant speed, and finally braking to a standstill, with the distance traveled being exactly one full circuit (or, if necessary, slightly more). Coal consumption refers to the value of the internal counter (see section "Internal Data Structures"), which is initialized at 8,999 at the start of the game and then steadily decreases until the locomotive takes on more coal.

Höchstgeschwindigkeit	Dauer Beschleunigung	Dauer Bremsung	Rundenzeit	Kohleverbrauch
3 mph	0,62 s	0,32 s	97,90 s	778
6 mph	1,00 s	0,46 s	43,26 s	555
9 mph	1,36 s	1,00 s	33,34 s	526
12 mph	1,62 s	1,26 s	27,24 s	502
15 mph	2,02 s	1,58 s	23,04 s	497
30 mph	3,56 s	3,16 s	15,06 s	453
60 mph	6,76 s	6,50 s	13,50 s	453

Screenshot Comparison

The 1983 (under the name "Trains") and 1984 (under the name "Railroad Tycoon") releases of the game differ only in the first loading screen:

Loading screen of the initial release under the name "Trains" (1983)

Loading screen of the re-release as "Railroad Tycoon" (1984)

Video Recording

Longplay of the game

Highscore

The following list invites you to immortalize yourself with the highest amount of your accumulated wealth, shown in a screenshot taken during gameplay. Since the game can only end when the player's money drops to $0 and they become insolvent, the usual practice of documenting the final game state is not relevant here.

Placement in the high score list is determined solely by the amount of money available. Since the game can be started at any level and it is then possible to switch to the next higher or lower level, the last played level can be indicated, but it is not a measure of the player's performance.

Topscore of Rockford

1. Rockford - 11.966 (06.04.2024)
2. Stephan64 - 8.457 - 8 (23.01.2024)
3. Niemand - 0 (tt.mm.jjjj)

	#2 Stephan64		#3 Niemand

Links

Trains

• Gamebase64.com - Game No. 8087
• ready64 - Game No. 4998
• Lemon64 - Game No. 2697
• Atarimania
• CSDb All entries
• Universal Videogame List
• Manual of the game
• The SixtyFour Originals DataBase - Game No. 514
• Trains at MobyGames

Railroad Tycoon

• C64Games.de - Game No. 7252
• Gamebase64.com - Game No. 17006
• CSDb

Magazine

• Antic test report (p. 91)
• Micro 7 test report (p. 115)
• Commodore Time test report (pp. 71)
• Ahoy! test report (pp. 65)
• InfoWorld test report (p. 74)