The Brenner Pass

**The Brenner Pass** is the eleventh mission in the classic campaign of the game Railroad Tycoon II. It is the fifth mission of the European act of the classic campaign. The premise of the scenario is the construction of a railroad across the alps during the mid-1800s. The map used in this mission is a representation of Alps in Central Europe.

## Overview

### Introduction Spiel

> *Now, the Alps, they're a natural barrier between the Mediterranean and Central Europe. Centuries ago, the Romans found the area of the Brenner Pass to be the lowest passage through these peaks. There maybe a better way, though. The Alps are unforgiving, but, if you manage to tame them enough to get your lines through, a bountiful and beautiful passage to the Mediterranean will be yours. And, all of Europe will be eternally greatful. Oh, by the way, bring your earmuffs and your mittens.*
>
>

### Victory Conditions

* **Bronze:** Connect Munich and Verona and haul 12 loads between them by 1878.
* **Silver:** Same as above, but haul 24 loads by 1875
* **Gold:** Same as above, but haul 36 loads by 1872

A loss will be triggered if the player has not hauled 12 loads between Munich and Verona by the end of 1878.

### Available Bonuses

* **Choice 1:** Manager Robert Gerwig, -30% steam fuel costs
* **Choice 2:** +25% Engine Speed.
* **Choice 3:** +$80,000, -10% Mountain track building costs.

There are two good choices here. Choice 1 is arguably the best choice. Manager Robert Gerwig provides 40% cheaper bridges, and 50% cheaper mountainous track. Considering that the focus of this scenario is to connect two cities through mountainous terrain, this manager definitely proves to be useful, a massive cost saver. It can take several years and some luck to gain the services of this manager normally, so to get him right away is a strong bonus. 30% lower steam fuel costs is also a decent bonus as well, although fuel costs in the mid 1800s are fairly low in the first place. Choice 2 is also good. A 25% bonus in speed is huge, and will lead a profit increase of up to 25%. However, since many of the starting towns are quite small, it may be difficult for production to keep up with the increased speed. It also becomes more difficult to micromanage loads in the beginning. Choice 3 isn't very useful. In terms of Mountainous Track Building, the first bonus is much stronger, and $80K is hardly a game changer.

### Starting Situation

* **Starting Year:** 1853
* **Player Name:** Henckel Von Donnersmarck
	+ **Starting Player Cash:** $100K personal cash

The player starts with no existing company.

### Ending Spiel

> *And now that you've made your way successfully through the Alps, take a step foward in time to Russia, and witness a great human achievement. Then, like the good industrialist you are, take full advantage of the situation.*
>
>

## Strategy

The goal of this scenario is to connect two cities and haul a certain number of loads between them. This is similar to some of the early campaign missions such as Handle on the Bread Basket and Bridging a Nation. However, the terrain in this scenario is far more difficult to deal with in this scenario, and there aren't a lot of profitable starting places on the map. Once the player gets past the difficult start, the rest of the scenario is pretty straightforward.

### Starting Out

As mentioned earlier, the hardest part of this scenario is the beginning. There are only a few large cities (such as Milan and Munich) that will provide a consistent supply of passengers, and are spread too far from each other to connect right away. Since Munich is one of the two required cities, it makes sense to start there. Milan is too far out of the way of the route that is required to be built. Start by connecting Munich to Augsburg and Ulm. Even though these two other cities are small (usually only 4 houses), they are far enough away that there is enough time for supply to completely replenish for trains to not need to wait for full cargo. Furthermore, the long distance between these cities means that any load will generate a profit based on distance alone. In order to connect all three cities at once, one will need to issue a bond. With the bond, there is enough money to build the line with double track, and also purchase sanding and water towers in each station. A large station can also be built in Munich if required. To start off, purchase two locomotives to run passengers between Augsburg and Munich, and two locomotives to carry passengers between Munich and Ulm. Set all journeys from Munich to wait for full cargo. Choice of locomotive for now should obviously be the 4-2-0 Prussian, although the much more powerful Iron Duke will be available in 2 years.

Within a year, the first loads should be arriving and money will begin to pour in. For now, it's a good idea just micromanage the loads of the trains. The player will receive a message suggesting that if the player can connect to Innsbruck before 1855, they will receive a 75% bonus to Food revenue for 2 years. This is worth going for. Innsbruck is on the way anyways. Munich will always have a Meat Packing Plant and Bakery, and there are plentiful Cattle Yards and Grain Silos to make the most of this. For now, the player should begin to connect these industries up. On occasion, Ulm and Augsburg will have cattle and grain available in their city. The player should purchase locomotives to haul cattle and grain to Munich, and food back to the other cities. The player should save money until near the end of 1854, and bonds should be issued as needed, so the player can afford the connection to Innsbruck (minimum $1,000K required). The player should use single track to save money. The cheapest and flattest route is via Rosenheim, wrapping around the Inn river. It is possible to actually never exceed the grade of 2% with this connection. The player should cross the river at Innsbruck and place the station on the other side of the river, because the valley to the south of Innsbruck is the ideal route to build the route to Verona. Once the station is placed at Innsbruck, the food revenue bonus will begin.

### Getting the Gold

When the Iron Duke becomes available, it is recommended to upgrade all locomotives to this type. It is much better than the Prussian locomotive in every fashion. With the food bonus, all cattle and grain runs should become extremely profitable, money should be flowing in. The next step for the player should be just to express build the route to Verona as fast as possible, so that the player can start hauling the loads between Verona and Munich. There are many routes to choose from that are relatively flat, but the best one that is balances between direct and flat, is the pass directly south of Innsbruck, through to Bolzano, Trento, following the Adige River all the way to Verona. It's generally possible to keep the grade entirely below 5%. Building single track, with intermediate stations will cost roughly $4,000K. In order to afford it, bonds should be issued as necessary. As soon as the connection is made, the player should start pumping out locomotives to run direct between Munich and Verona starting in both directions. It's best to use the Iron Duke locomotive, and have it haul no more than 3 cars, considering the grades being faced. Also, cars need to be full to count, so the player should definitely ensure that all trains leave stations full. After that, it's just waiting game until 36 loads have been hauled between Verona and Munich, and the gold will be won.