Maintenance costs must be paid for track and trains. Fuel costs also occupy a chunk of change. Management salaries, interest on bonds, and general overhead all require continuous cash outlay. Leftover money, if any, can accumulate in the company s bankroll or be paid as dividends to the stockholders. Dividends will automatically be scaled back by the Board of Directors if they are out of line with profits.
Personal finance is a game unto itself.
Some of the computer opponents will do just that, making money the old fashioned way off somebody else s hard work. Intermediate level allows investment in other railroads, some of which may in fact be preferable to own than yours. The advanced level allows all sorts of stock market tricks you can buy on margin, spending money you don t have, or sell short, selling stocks you don t own. All in all, the advanced financial model is most interesting to play. I can t say for sure that the computer doesn t play by the same rules as the player, but it is amazingly accurate when playing the market.