TRANSPORT TYCOON SEMI-FAQ
A FAQ for those who need more, more, more information and strategies about Transport Tycoon.

Part 8: The Climates

1. Temperate
2. Arctic
3. Tropical
4. Toyland

Temperate Climate

The temperate climate is the only climate in the original version. It represents the plains and woods in parts of the US and Europe.

Here is a chart of the different types of cargo in the temperate climate:

Cargo | From | To
--- | --- | ---
Goods | Factories | Towns
Mail | Towns | Towns
Grain | Farms | Factories
Livestock | Farms | Factories
Coal | Coal Mines | Power Stations
Iron Ore | Iron Ore Mines | Steel Mills
Steel | Steel Mills | Factories
Wood | Forests | Sawmills
Oil | Oil Wells, Rigs | Oil Refineries
Valuables | Banks | Banks
Passengers | Towns, Oil Rigs | Towns
Oil Rigs sometimes accept passengers and mail, and some squares of Coal Mines, Steel Mills, and Oil Refineries accept 1/8 passengers. A total of 8/8 of more is required for passengers, mail, or goods to be accepted.

Towns in the temperate climate tend to grow rapidly when you transport passengers to/from them. Therefore, it can be very profitable to set up numerous passenger (and mail) lines between cities fairly early in the game. Also profitable are coal, wood, livestock, and grain. Livestock and grain comes from the same source, so they can be transported efficiently on the same trains. Oil wells should be avoided because their production always drops, and eventually they all close down. However, oil rigs can be very profitable if utilized by efficient ship services. Iron ore mines don't put out much in the beginning (90 tons/month), so iron and steel lines may not be very profitable unless production increases. Banks aren't usually built until the 1980s, so valuables really aren't that valuable.

Here's my usual plan:

1. Build train lines between coal mines and power stations to make some quick profits
2. Start building extensive passenger/mail lines between the largest cities. This will provide for the backbone of your transportation empire later.
3. Build lines transporting other types of cargo, taking advantage of subsidies when possible.
4. Spend all the money you earn until you have more income than you can deal with!

Arctic Climate

The arctic climate contains fertile plains and snow-covered mountains. The tall mountains and slow growth of cities make this a challenging climate.

Here is a chart of the different types of cargo in the arctic climate:

Cargo | From | To
--- | --- | ---
Goods | Printing Works | Towns
Mail | Towns | Towns
Food | Food Processing Plants | Towns
Wheat | Farms | Food Processing Plants
Livestock | Farms | Food Processing Plants
Coal | Coal Mines | Power Stations
Paper | Lumber Mills | Printing Works
Wood | Forests | Lumber Mills
Oil | Oil Wells | Oil Refineries
Gold | Gold Mines | Banks
Passengers | Towns | Towns
A station will accept passengers, mail, goods, or food only if the nearby buildings add up to 8/8 or more for that type of cargo. A station that is next to 3 houses that accept 2/8 passengers, which adds up to 6/8, will not accept passengers.

Towns below the snow line grow moderately fast when you service passenger to/from them. Towns above the snow line must receive a steady flow of food before they will grow at all. Transporting food and passengers for several years can make the town grow rapidly.

Note that forests are always above the snow line. Unfortunately, it seems the game usually puts the lumber mills and paper works down in the valleys. This makes transporting wood and paper tricky early in the game when the horsepower of trains is low. However, setting up several trains transporting wood from several forests to a single lumber mill can be very profitable. Paper and then goods are profitable later in the game, but only if the lumber mill receives enough wood.

The best bet is to ship coal to power stations. Coal mines spit out quite a bit of coal, making them lucrative early in the game. Passenger lines aren't profitable early, but later in the game when the towns start growing they can be most profitable. Oil is also very lucrative. Unlike in the temperate climate, oil wells in the arctic often increase production. Wheat, livestock, and gold are also nice.

Tropical Climate

The tropical climate covers both dense rainforests and sparse deserts. The deserts provide for a flat place to build lots of straight train lines. The rainforests are expensive to cut down, but by building Sawmills you can cut down trees and turn a profit. The slow growth of cities in the desert and the hard-to-penetrate rainforests make this a challenging climate.

Here is a chart of the different types of cargo in the tropical climate:

Cargo | From | To
--- | --- | ---
Goods | Factories | Towns
Mail | Towns | Towns
Food | Food Processing Plants | Towns
Maize | Farms | Food Processing Plants
Fruit | Fruit Plantations | Food Processing Plants
Copper Ore | Copper Ore Mines | Factories
Rubber | Rubber Plantations | Factories
Wood | Lumber Mills | Factories
Oil | Oil Wells | Oil Refineries
Diamonds | Diamond Mines | Banks
Water | Water Supplies | Water Towers
Passengers | Towns | Towns

Towns in the desert require a steady supply of water and food to grow. Once receiving that, they require passengers for steady growth. Desert towns that do not have water towers will not grow at all unless you build a water tower yourself. Towns not in the desert do not have this requirement, and they tend to grow quickly after you set up a passenger line to them. A town is considered in the desert if the town's main square (where the town name is display) is a desert square. If unsure, use the Query tool to find out.

Early in the game, water, rubber, and oil are the most profitable cargoes. Wood is very lucrative, but it requires you to invest in a lumber mill, which can cost millions of dollars. Maize and fruit are not very profitable because farms and fruit plantations often decrease production.

Passengers, mail, and goods should be the backbone of your transportion empire after the towns' populations start increasing.

"Toyland" Climate

Created by the demented MicroProse programmers, the Toyland climate provides silliness in everything. Unlike the other three climates, this one is not realistic. Little kids may like this climate, but I certainly don't.

Here is a chart of the different types of cargo in the Toyland climate:

Cargo | From | To
--- | --- | ---
Toys | Toy Factories | Toy Shops
Sweets | Sweet Factories | Towns
Fizzy Drinks | Fizzy Drink Factories | Towns
Sugar | Sugar Mines | Sweet Factories
Toffee | Toffee Quarries | Sweet Factories
Candyfloss* | Candyfloss* Forests | Sweet Factories
Cola | Cola Wells | Fizzy Drink Factories
Bubbles | Bubble Generators | Fizzy Drink Factories
Plastic | Plastic Fountains | Toy Factories
Batteries | Battery Farms | Toy Factories
Passengers | Towns | Towns
Mail | Towns | Towns
*Candyfloss is called Cotton Candy in the US version.

The vehicles in this climate have hardly any horsepower. This makes transporting a lot of cargo very difficult. Sugar, toffee, candyfloss, and sweets seem to be very lucrative. Cola and plastics are also good cargoes.

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This page was last updated on December 17, 1998.