GameTips
Tip: If you have a long scenario ahead of you, try to seek out cash cow routes that can help keep you in the black. Look for places to create miniroutes between two industries that can feed off of each other; set up two small stations and buy yourself the cheapest, most reliable engine possible (speed doesn't really matter on such a short route). Afterward, you should find yourself with a solid and steady flow of income as you work on your grander visions.

Tip: If you use the "auto" track-laying feature, be sure to turn the grid on (press the G key) and build in small sections to give yourself the most control over slopes and hills.

Tip: Once you get into high-tech locomotives such as the TGV and the Brenner, you need to evaluate maintenance, fuel, and start-up costs for these massive brutes. It's one thing to fork over $200,000 for a new engine in RTII, but now you can spend more than a million bucks on one of these new beauties. Make sure it'll pay off for you down the road!

Tip: In the Metra scenarios, build more small stations instead of fewer large ones. You still serve the same population, but the shorter distance between stops means a faster flowing income stream (and less real estate you have to bulldoze).