The Transport Fever 3 vehicles are the trains, trams, buses, trucks, ships, planes and helicopters that carry people and goods across the networks you build. Models range from horse-drawn carts to modern electric buses and high-speed trains, so the choices change a lot over the course of the game. Each vehicle suits a particular job, whether that's carrying passengers, cargo or both, and each type needs its own kind of route. Knowing those basics makes it much easier to pick the right vehicle for your network.
Showing 90 of 296 items.
Transport Type
Train
Prussian Class T 3
A locomotive for pulling passenger or freight trains.
- From Year
- 1882
- Retirement Starts
- 1920
- Purchase Price
- $1,094,868
- Top Speed
- 50 km/h
- Capacity
- No cargo capacity
- Compatible Cargo
- -
2-6-0 Mogul
A locomotive for pulling passenger or freight trains.
- From Year
- 1885
- Retirement Starts
- 1930
- Purchase Price
- $1,912,398
- Top Speed
- 75 km/h
- Capacity
- No cargo capacity
- Compatible Cargo
- -
Russian Class OB
A locomotive for pulling passenger or freight trains.
- From Year
- 1890
- Retirement Starts
- 1940
- Purchase Price
- $2,265,576
- Top Speed
- 60 km/h
- Capacity
- No cargo capacity
- Compatible Cargo
- -
4-4-2 Atlantic
A locomotive for pulling passenger or freight trains.
- From Year
- 1906
- Retirement Starts
- 1950
- Purchase Price
- $3,076,356
- Top Speed
- 100 km/h
- Capacity
- No cargo capacity
- Compatible Cargo
- -
Baden Class VI c
A locomotive for pulling passenger or freight trains.
- From Year
- 1914
- Retirement Starts
- 1960
- Purchase Price
- $2,626,134
- Top Speed
- 90 km/h
- Capacity
- No cargo capacity
- Compatible Cargo
- -
Chinese Class JF1
A locomotive for pulling passenger or freight trains.
- From Year
- 1918
- Retirement Starts
- 1965
- Purchase Price
- $5,390,976
- Top Speed
- 80 km/h
- Capacity
- No cargo capacity
- Compatible Cargo
- -
Ce 6/8 II Crocodile
A locomotive for pulling passenger or freight trains.
- From Year
- 1921
- Retirement Starts
- 1960
- Purchase Price
- $7,470,888
- Top Speed
- 90 km/h
- Capacity
- No cargo capacity
- Compatible Cargo
- -
ACF M-300
Carries passengers by rail.
- From Year
- 1924
- Retirement Starts
- 1965
- Purchase Price
- $1,582,128
- Top Speed
- 100 km/h
- Capacity
- 20
- Compatible Cargo
- Passengers
Russian Class SU
A locomotive for pulling passenger or freight trains.
- From Year
- 1927
- Retirement Starts
- 1970
- Purchase Price
- $5,132,868
- Top Speed
- 115 km/h
- Capacity
- No cargo capacity
- Compatible Cargo
- -
ALCO HH 600
A locomotive for pulling passenger or freight trains.
- From Year
- 1930
- Retirement Starts
- 1975
- Purchase Price
- $1,099,191
- Top Speed
- 70 km/h
- Capacity
- No cargo capacity
- Compatible Cargo
- -
Pennsylvanian Class GG1
A locomotive for pulling passenger or freight trains.
- From Year
- 1934
- Retirement Starts
- 1980
- Purchase Price
- $11,687,898
- Top Speed
- 160 km/h
- Capacity
- No cargo capacity
- Compatible Cargo
- -
British Class A4
A locomotive for pulling passenger or freight trains.
- From Year
- 1935
- Retirement Starts
- 1975
- Purchase Price
- $7,922,934
- Top Speed
- 145 km/h
- Capacity
- No cargo capacity
- Compatible Cargo
- -
CLe 2/4 Roter Pfeil
Carries passengers by rail.
- From Year
- 1935
- Retirement Starts
- 1975
- Purchase Price
- $4,264,800
- Top Speed
- 125 km/h
- Capacity
- 20
- Compatible Cargo
- Passengers
German Class E 94
A locomotive for pulling passenger or freight trains.
- From Year
- 1940
- Retirement Starts
- 1985
- Purchase Price
- $13,583,436
- Top Speed
- 90 km/h
- Capacity
- No cargo capacity
- Compatible Cargo
- -
ALCO 4-8-8-4 Big Boy
A locomotive for pulling passenger or freight trains.
- From Year
- 1941
- Retirement Starts
- 1980
- Purchase Price
- $18,693,072
- Top Speed
- 130 km/h
- Capacity
- No cargo capacity
- Compatible Cargo
- -
Swiss Re 4/4 I
A locomotive for pulling passenger or freight trains.
- From Year
- 1946
- Retirement Starts
- 1990
- Purchase Price
- $7,660,104
- Top Speed
- 125 km/h
- Capacity
- No cargo capacity
- Compatible Cargo
- -
EMD F A-Unit
A locomotive for pulling passenger or freight trains.
- From Year
- 1949
- Retirement Starts
- 1990
- Purchase Price
- -
- Top Speed
- -
- Capacity
- -
- Compatible Cargo
- -
EMD F B-Unit
A locomotive for pulling passenger or freight trains.
- From Year
- 1949
- Retirement Starts
- 1990
- Purchase Price
- -
- Top Speed
- -
- Capacity
- -
- Compatible Cargo
- -
Uerdingen Railbus
Carries passengers by rail.
- From Year
- 1950
- Retirement Starts
- 1990
- Purchase Price
- $923,676
- Top Speed
- 90 km/h
- Capacity
- 15
- Compatible Cargo
- Passengers
Chinese Class RM
A locomotive for pulling passenger or freight trains.
- From Year
- 1958
- Retirement Starts
- 1985
- Purchase Price
- $4,453,194
- Top Speed
- 110 km/h
- Capacity
- No cargo capacity
- Compatible Cargo
- -
German Class V 100
A locomotive for pulling passenger or freight trains.
- From Year
- 1958
- Retirement Starts
- 2000
- Purchase Price
- $3,663,000
- Top Speed
- 90 km/h
- Capacity
- No cargo capacity
- Compatible Cargo
- -
Austrian Class 1042
A locomotive for pulling passenger or freight trains.
- From Year
- 1960
- Retirement Starts
- 2000
- Purchase Price
- $13,279,128
- Top Speed
- 140 km/h
- Capacity
- No cargo capacity
- Compatible Cargo
- -
Shinkansen 0 Series
Carries passengers by rail.
- From Year
- 1964
- Retirement Starts
- 2005
- Purchase Price
- $31,671,072
- Top Speed
- 220 km/h
- Capacity
- 160
- Compatible Cargo
- Passengers
Metroliner
Carries passengers by rail.
- From Year
- 1969
- Retirement Starts
- 2010
- Purchase Price
- $14,129,136
- Top Speed
- 193 km/h
- Capacity
- 38
- Compatible Cargo
- Passengers
EMD SD40-2
A locomotive for pulling passenger or freight trains.
- From Year
- 1972
- Retirement Starts
- 2010
- Purchase Price
- $13,008,504
- Top Speed
- 105 km/h
- Capacity
- No cargo capacity
- Compatible Cargo
- -
British Mark 3 Coach
Carries passengers by rail.
- From Year
- 1975
- Retirement Starts
- 2015
- Purchase Price
- $888,420
- Top Speed
- 200 km/h
- Capacity
- 15
- Compatible Cargo
- Passengers
Inter-City 125
Carries passengers by rail.
- From Year
- 1975
- Retirement Starts
- 2015
- Purchase Price
- $19,530,336
- Top Speed
- 200 km/h
- Capacity
- 120
- Compatible Cargo
- Passengers
Chinese Class DF5
A locomotive for pulling passenger or freight trains.
- From Year
- 1976
- Retirement Starts
- 2015
- Purchase Price
- $5,625,366
- Top Speed
- 80 km/h
- Capacity
- No cargo capacity
- Compatible Cargo
- -
EMD AEM-7
A locomotive for pulling passenger or freight trains.
- From Year
- 1978
- Retirement Starts
- 2015
- Purchase Price
- $15,991,428
- Top Speed
- 200 km/h
- Capacity
- No cargo capacity
- Compatible Cargo
- -
Chinese Class SS4G
A locomotive for pulling passenger or freight trains.
- From Year
- 1980
- Retirement Starts
- 2020
- Purchase Price
- $38,234,712
- Top Speed
- 100 km/h
- Capacity
- No cargo capacity
- Compatible Cargo
- -
Chinese Class DF4B
A locomotive for pulling passenger or freight trains.
- From Year
- 1984
- Retirement Starts
- 2025
- Purchase Price
- $11,089,068
- Top Speed
- 120 km/h
- Capacity
- No cargo capacity
- Compatible Cargo
- -
Italian Class ETR 450
Carries passengers by rail.
- From Year
- 1985
- Retirement Starts
- 2015
- Purchase Price
- $26,162,706
- Top Speed
- 250 km/h
- Capacity
- 152
- Compatible Cargo
- Passengers
Japanese Class EF66
A locomotive for pulling passenger or freight trains.
- From Year
- 1989
- Retirement Starts
- 2025
- Purchase Price
- $16,319,760
- Top Speed
- 120 km/h
- Capacity
- No cargo capacity
- Compatible Cargo
- -
Swiss DPZ Cab Coach
Carries passengers by rail.
- From Year
- 1990
- Retirement Starts
- -
- Purchase Price
- -
- Top Speed
- -
- Capacity
- -
- Compatible Cargo
- Passengers
Swiss DPZ Coach
Carries passengers by rail.
- From Year
- 1990
- Retirement Starts
- -
- Purchase Price
- $1,464,732
- Top Speed
- 140 km/h
- Capacity
- 32.5
- Compatible Cargo
- Passengers
Swiss Re 450 DPZ
Carries passengers by rail.
- From Year
- 1990
- Retirement Starts
- -
- Purchase Price
- $16,634,436
- Top Speed
- 130 km/h
- Capacity
- 98
- Compatible Cargo
- Passengers
ICE 1
Carries passengers by rail.
- From Year
- 1991
- Retirement Starts
- 2020
- Purchase Price
- $46,149,732
- Top Speed
- 280 km/h
- Capacity
- 170
- Compatible Cargo
- Passengers
GE P42DC
A locomotive for pulling passenger or freight trains.
- From Year
- 1995
- Retirement Starts
- -
- Purchase Price
- $12,350,214
- Top Speed
- 160 km/h
- Capacity
- No cargo capacity
- Compatible Cargo
- -
TGV Duplex
Carries passengers by rail.
- From Year
- 1995
- Retirement Starts
- -
- Purchase Price
- $45,179,532
- Top Speed
- 300 km/h
- Capacity
- 275
- Compatible Cargo
- Passengers
Norwegian Class El 18
A locomotive for pulling passenger or freight trains.
- From Year
- 1996
- Retirement Starts
- -
- Purchase Price
- $39,978,576
- Top Speed
- 200 km/h
- Capacity
- No cargo capacity
- Compatible Cargo
- -
Talbot Talent 1
Carries passengers by rail.
- From Year
- 1996
- Retirement Starts
- -
- Purchase Price
- $4,337,856
- Top Speed
- 140 km/h
- Capacity
- 40
- Compatible Cargo
- Passengers
German Class 185
A locomotive for pulling passenger or freight trains.
- From Year
- 2000
- Retirement Starts
- -
- Purchase Price
- $16,363,056
- Top Speed
- 160 km/h
- Capacity
- No cargo capacity
- Compatible Cargo
- -
German Class 246
A locomotive for pulling passenger or freight trains.
- From Year
- 2008
- Retirement Starts
- -
- Purchase Price
- $8,571,126
- Top Speed
- 160 km/h
- Capacity
- No cargo capacity
- Compatible Cargo
- -
Chinese Class HXD3B
A locomotive for pulling passenger or freight trains.
- From Year
- 2009
- Retirement Starts
- -
- Purchase Price
- $40,171,710
- Top Speed
- 120 km/h
- Capacity
- No cargo capacity
- Compatible Cargo
- -
ES1 Lastochka
Carries passengers by rail.
- From Year
- 2013
- Retirement Starts
- -
- Purchase Price
- $15,669,510
- Top Speed
- 160 km/h
- Capacity
- 115
- Compatible Cargo
- Passengers
RABe 502 Twindexx
Carries passengers by rail.
- From Year
- 2014
- Retirement Starts
- -
- Purchase Price
- $25,023,684
- Top Speed
- 200 km/h
- Capacity
- 110
- Compatible Cargo
- Passengers
Fuxing Hao
Carries passengers by rail.
- From Year
- 2016
- Retirement Starts
- -
- Purchase Price
- $47,604,768
- Top Speed
- 350 km/h
- Capacity
- 144
- Compatible Cargo
- Passengers
Stadler Eurodual
A locomotive for pulling passenger or freight trains.
- From Year
- 2018
- Retirement Starts
- -
- Purchase Price
- $27,271,764
- Top Speed
- 160 km/h
- Capacity
- No cargo capacity
- Compatible Cargo
- -
Avelia Liberty
Carries passengers by rail.
- From Year
- 2025
- Retirement Starts
- -
- Purchase Price
- $39,320,364
- Top Speed
- 260 km/h
- Capacity
- 94
- Compatible Cargo
- Passengers
Transport Type
Wagon
Bavarian Passenger Coach
Carries passengers by rail.
- From Year
- 1880
- Retirement Starts
- 1950
- Purchase Price
- $175,182
- Top Speed
- 50 km/h
- Capacity
- 8
- Compatible Cargo
- Passengers
Compartment Car
Carries passengers by rail.
- From Year
- 1890
- Retirement Starts
- 1930
- Purchase Price
- $295,920
- Top Speed
- 60 km/h
- Capacity
- 12
- Compatible Cargo
- Passengers
Gondola Car 1891
Carries bulk cargo by rail.
- From Year
- 1891
- Retirement Starts
- 1970
- Purchase Price
- $175,182
- Top Speed
- 50 km/h
- Capacity
- 8
- Compatible Cargo
- Bulk
Stake Car 1895
Carries flatbed cargo by rail.
- From Year
- 1895
- Retirement Starts
- 1950
- Purchase Price
- $175,182
- Top Speed
- 50 km/h
- Capacity
- 8
- Compatible Cargo
- Flatbed
Box Car 1879
Carries goods by rail.
- From Year
- 1897
- Retirement Starts
- 1950
- Purchase Price
- $175,182
- Top Speed
- 50 km/h
- Capacity
- 8
- Compatible Cargo
- Goods
Cargo Car 1899
Carries any cargo type by rail.
- From Year
- 1899
- Retirement Starts
- 1950
- Purchase Price
- $175,182
- Top Speed
- 50 km/h
- Capacity
- 8
- Compatible Cargo
- Any Cargo Type
Tank Car 1899 (Rail)
Carries liquid cargo by rail.
- From Year
- 1899
- Retirement Starts
- 1950
- Purchase Price
- $175,182
- Top Speed
- 50 km/h
- Capacity
- 8
- Compatible Cargo
- Liquid
Box Car 1910
Carries goods by rail.
- From Year
- 1910
- Retirement Starts
- 1980
- Purchase Price
- $300,018
- Top Speed
- 80 km/h
- Capacity
- 10
- Compatible Cargo
- Goods
Russian Suburban Car
Carries passengers by rail.
- From Year
- 1910
- Retirement Starts
- 1960
- Purchase Price
- $668,016
- Top Speed
- 100 km/h
- Capacity
- 19
- Compatible Cargo
- Passengers
Tank Car 1912
Carries liquid cargo by rail.
- From Year
- 1912
- Retirement Starts
- 1980
- Purchase Price
- $300,018
- Top Speed
- 80 km/h
- Capacity
- 10
- Compatible Cargo
- Liquid
Cargo Car 1913
Carries any cargo type by rail.
- From Year
- 1913
- Retirement Starts
- 1980
- Purchase Price
- $420,024
- Top Speed
- 80 km/h
- Capacity
- 14
- Compatible Cargo
- Any Cargo Type
Gondola Car 1915
Carries bulk cargo by rail.
- From Year
- 1915
- Retirement Starts
- 1990
- Purchase Price
- $300,018
- Top Speed
- 80 km/h
- Capacity
- 10
- Compatible Cargo
- Bulk
Heavyweight 28-1 Parlor
Carries passengers by rail.
- From Year
- 1915
- Retirement Starts
- 1980
- Purchase Price
- $1,325,655
- Top Speed
- 120 km/h
- Capacity
- 22
- Compatible Cargo
- Passengers
Stake Car 1920
Carries flatbed cargo by rail.
- From Year
- 1920
- Retirement Starts
- 2000
- Purchase Price
- $420,024
- Top Speed
- 80 km/h
- Capacity
- 14
- Compatible Cargo
- Flatbed
German Donnerbuchse
Carries passengers by rail.
- From Year
- 1921
- Retirement Starts
- 1985
- Purchase Price
- $391,205
- Top Speed
- 90 km/h
- Capacity
- 15
- Compatible Cargo
- Passengers
Tank Car 1926
Carries liquid cargo by rail.
- From Year
- 1926
- Retirement Starts
- 2000
- Purchase Price
- $421,902
- Top Speed
- 100 km/h
- Capacity
- 12
- Compatible Cargo
- Liquid
Box Car 1930
Carries goods by rail.
- From Year
- 1930
- Retirement Starts
- 2000
- Purchase Price
- $562,536
- Top Speed
- 100 km/h
- Capacity
- 16
- Compatible Cargo
- Goods
Cargo Car 1930
Carries any cargo type by rail.
- From Year
- 1930
- Retirement Starts
- 2000
- Purchase Price
- $527,382
- Top Speed
- 100 km/h
- Capacity
- 15
- Compatible Cargo
- Any Cargo Type
Egorov 20 2
Carries passengers by rail.
- From Year
- 1930
- Retirement Starts
- 1980
- Purchase Price
- $703,170
- Top Speed
- 100 km/h
- Capacity
- 20
- Compatible Cargo
- Passengers
Streamlined Coach
Carries passengers by rail.
- From Year
- 1935
- Retirement Starts
- 2000
- Purchase Price
- $1,097,094
- Top Speed
- 160 km/h
- Capacity
- 22
- Compatible Cargo
- Passengers
Gondola Car 1940
Carries bulk cargo by rail.
- From Year
- 1940
- Retirement Starts
- 2000
- Purchase Price
- $492,222
- Top Speed
- 100 km/h
- Capacity
- 14
- Compatible Cargo
- Bulk
Stake Car 1945
Carries flatbed cargo by rail.
- From Year
- 1945
- Retirement Starts
- -
- Purchase Price
- $703,170
- Top Speed
- 100 km/h
- Capacity
- 20
- Compatible Cargo
- Flatbed
Chinese Type YZ 22
Carries passengers by rail.
- From Year
- 1950
- Retirement Starts
- 2000
- Purchase Price
- $964,110
- Top Speed
- 120 km/h
- Capacity
- 24
- Compatible Cargo
- Passengers
Tank Car 1950 (Rail)
Carries liquid cargo by rail.
- From Year
- 1950
- Retirement Starts
- -
- Purchase Price
- $602,568
- Top Speed
- 120 km/h
- Capacity
- 15
- Compatible Cargo
- Liquid
Box Car 1952
Carries goods by rail.
- From Year
- 1952
- Retirement Starts
- -
- Purchase Price
- $723,084
- Top Speed
- 120 km/h
- Capacity
- 18
- Compatible Cargo
- Goods
Cargo Car 1960
Carries any cargo type by rail.
- From Year
- 1960
- Retirement Starts
- -
- Purchase Price
- $712,200
- Top Speed
- 150 km/h
- Capacity
- 15
- Compatible Cargo
- Any Cargo Type
Swiss Einheitswagen II
Carries passengers by rail.
- From Year
- 1962
- Retirement Starts
- 2025
- Purchase Price
- $1,126,716
- Top Speed
- 140 km/h
- Capacity
- 25
- Compatible Cargo
- Passengers
Stake Car 1968
Carries flatbed cargo by rail.
- From Year
- 1968
- Retirement Starts
- -
- Purchase Price
- $811,236
- Top Speed
- 140 km/h
- Capacity
- 18
- Compatible Cargo
- Flatbed
Gondola Car 1971
Carries bulk cargo by rail.
- From Year
- 1971
- Retirement Starts
- -
- Purchase Price
- $901,374
- Top Speed
- 140 km/h
- Capacity
- 20
- Compatible Cargo
- Bulk
Box Car 1972
Carries goods by rail.
- From Year
- 1972
- Retirement Starts
- -
- Purchase Price
- $949,596
- Top Speed
- 150 km/h
- Capacity
- 20
- Compatible Cargo
- Goods
Bombardier BiLevel
Carries passengers by rail.
- From Year
- 1976
- Retirement Starts
- -
- Purchase Price
- $1,577,406
- Top Speed
- 140 km/h
- Capacity
- 35
- Compatible Cargo
- Passengers
Swiss Einheitswagen IV
Carries passengers by rail.
- From Year
- 1981
- Retirement Starts
- -
- Purchase Price
- $1,539,930
- Top Speed
- 200 km/h
- Capacity
- 26
- Compatible Cargo
- Passengers
Tank Car 1982
Carries liquid cargo by rail.
- From Year
- 1982
- Retirement Starts
- -
- Purchase Price
- $897,624
- Top Speed
- 160 km/h
- Capacity
- 18
- Compatible Cargo
- Liquid
Chinese Type 25C
Carries passengers by rail.
- From Year
- 1990
- Retirement Starts
- -
- Purchase Price
- $1,296,564
- Top Speed
- 160 km/h
- Capacity
- 26
- Compatible Cargo
- Passengers
Cargo Car 1999
Carries any cargo type by rail.
- From Year
- 1999
- Retirement Starts
- -
- Purchase Price
- $1,200,858
- Top Speed
- 180 km/h
- Capacity
- 22
- Compatible Cargo
- Any Cargo Type
Box Car 2000
Carries goods by rail.
- From Year
- 2000
- Retirement Starts
- -
- Purchase Price
- $1,364,610
- Top Speed
- 180 km/h
- Capacity
- 25
- Compatible Cargo
- Goods
Stake Car 2000
Carries flatbed cargo by rail.
- From Year
- 2000
- Retirement Starts
- -
- Purchase Price
- $1,200,858
- Top Speed
- 180 km/h
- Capacity
- 22
- Compatible Cargo
- Flatbed
Gondola Car 2001
Carries bulk cargo by rail.
- From Year
- 2001
- Retirement Starts
- -
- Purchase Price
- $982,518
- Top Speed
- 180 km/h
- Capacity
- 18
- Compatible Cargo
- Bulk
Tank Car 2005 (Rail)
Carries liquid cargo by rail.
- From Year
- 2005
- Retirement Starts
- -
- Purchase Price
- $1,303,014
- Top Speed
- 200 km/h
- Capacity
- 22
- Compatible Cargo
- Liquid
Russian Type 61-4447
Carries passengers by rail.
- From Year
- 2010
- Retirement Starts
- -
- Purchase Price
- $1,421,472
- Top Speed
- 200 km/h
- Capacity
- 24
- Compatible Cargo
- Passengers
Siemens Viaggio
Carries passengers by rail.
- From Year
- 2025
- Retirement Starts
- -
- Purchase Price
- $1,539,930
- Top Speed
- 200 km/h
- Capacity
- 26
- Compatible Cargo
- Passengers
Vehicle Types and the Routes They Need
Transport Fever 3 sorts its vehicles by type: trains, trams, buses, trucks, ships, planes and helicopters. Buses carry passengers only and trucks carry cargo only. Trams mostly carry passengers, though some are built for cargo, while trains, ships, planes and helicopters can carry people, goods or both depending on the model.
Each type runs on its own kind of route. Trains need railroad tracks, and electric trains need electrified track. Buses and trucks use streets and roads, trams need streets with tram tracks, ships travel on waterways, and planes take off and land at airports. Settle the route first, because a vehicle can only run where its route exists.
How Trains Work
A train is usually a locomotive pulling a set of wagons. The locomotive supplies the pulling power and carries no load of its own, while the wagons carry the goods or people. Locomotives run on steam, diesel or electric power.
Passenger wagons carry only passengers. Cargo wagons carry goods, and each suits a group of cargo such as bulk or liquid. A cargo wagon can be refitted at a station to change its load, but only within its own group, so an open wagon can switch between coal, iron ore, stone and grain but can't suddenly carry liquid.
Some models need no wagons at all. A single-unit railbus, for example, carries passengers on its own. Trains can stop at both passenger and cargo stations, but passengers only board at passenger stations and cargo only loads at cargo stations.
Train Speed and Power
A train runs as one unit, so the slowest vehicle in it sets the top speed for the whole train. That's why it helps to pair locomotives and wagons with similar top speeds, since a fast engine pulling slow wagons only goes as fast as the slowest one.
Each locomotive is judged on two main numbers. Power helps it go fast or haul heavy loads, while tractive effort is its pulling force at low speeds, which is what gets a train moving from a standstill. As a rule of thumb, freight locomotives favor tractive effort, while passenger and high-speed locomotives favor power. Freight trains are heavy and have to be started from stops, while fast passenger trains need power to keep their speed up.
Linking several locomotives together adds power to a train. That helps when the train is heavy or you want it to move faster.
Cargo, Passengers and Capacity
A vehicle's capacity depends on what it carries, so pick your cargo before you compare models. Cargo falls into groups: bulk, flatbed, goods, liquid, passengers and any cargo type. A model marked any cargo type isn't built for one load and can take many kinds of goods, while the other groups only take their own kind.
Read a vehicle's compartments as physical spaces. Separate compartments can carry their loads together, but choices within one compartment are alternatives, so you pick one rather than adding them up. A cargo maximum assumes every compatible compartment carries that cargo, which means several maximums can't always be reached at the same time.
The Piasecki H-21 Workhorse shows how much this matters. Its capacity changes depending on the cargo you load, while its purchase and running costs stay the same whichever load you pick.
How Trams Work
The game uses three kinds of tram vehicle, and it helps to know which is which. A railcar moves under its own power and has room of its own for passengers or cargo. A locomotive has no room of its own, since its job is to pull wagons.
The third kind is rolling stock, meaning wagons. Rolling stock has room for passengers or cargo but can't move without a locomotive to pull it. So if you want wagons on a tram line, you need a locomotive, while a railcar can run on its own.
Passengers use tram stops to get on and off. When a street is upgraded with tram tracks, the bus stops on it turn into tram stops automatically.
Buses and Trucks on the Road
Buses carry passengers, who get on and off at bus stops or tram stops. A bus's power decides how quickly it speeds up and how fast it can go. Dedicated bus lanes help too, because buses are less held up by ordinary traffic.
Trucks carry cargo only. They can haul several kinds of cargo, though only one kind at a time, and a truck can be refitted at a station when you want to change its load. Cargo is loaded and unloaded at cargo terminals, and trucks use power in the same way buses do.
Older or slower buses and trucks can be passed by faster traffic when the road layout allows it. That means a slow model doesn't always hold up the vehicles behind it.
How Ships, Planes and Helicopters Work
Ships travel on waterways and can carry passengers or cargo. Some are limited to one cargo type at a time, and they can be refitted at a station when needed. Cargo only loads and unloads at cargo harbors, and large ships can only stop at large docks, so check the harbor before you choose a big ship.
Planes carry passengers or cargo and use airports for takeoff and landing. Passengers and cargo can only get on and off at airports. Larger planes need a large airport, while smaller ones can also use smaller airfields.
Helicopters are available from 1950 onward. Some carry passengers, some carry cargo, and some do both, much like the overlap you see among ships and planes.
When Vehicles Are Introduced and Retired
Vehicles arrive over time rather than all at once. Electric trams appear from the 1910s and planes from the 1920s, and newer models keep arriving through the rest of the timeline. Each model has an introduction year, which is when it first becomes available.
Many models also have a retirement year. It's the first year a model is no longer counted as available, so a model that retires in 1950 is available up to 1949. Once a model retires, it's no longer offered for purchase, which is why only part of the full range is on sale at any one time.
How to Choose a Vehicle for Your Route
Start with what you need to move, whether that's passengers or a certain cargo from one of the game's industries, and narrow your choices to models that can carry it. Then check the year, since a model has to be available in the period you're playing. Keep the whole route in mind too, because the vehicle's type, size and need for electricity must match the tracks, streets, stations, harbors and airports it uses. A model that doesn't fit one stop along the way won't serve the whole route.
Capacity is only part of the picture. Loading rate matters too, because a big vehicle that loads slowly can spend a long time at every stop. Read purchase cost, running cost and speed together, with the distance and load you plan to carry. Running costs rise as your maintenance level goes up, so factor that in when you compare prices.
Deluxe Upgrade Pack and Pre-order Vehicles
A small set of vehicles comes from the Deluxe Upgrade Pack rather than the base game, and TS Queen Mary, a passenger ship, is listed as a pre-order vehicle. The Deluxe group covers several types: a Handcar and the TEE VT 11.5 among the trains, four Peterbilt 359 trucks that carry goods, bulk, flatbed and liquid cargo, the AEC Routemaster, the Hong Kong Tram, the Sikorsky S-76 Spirit helicopter and the Aérospatiale-BAC Concorde plane.
FAQ
Can one train carry passengers and cargo at the same time?
Yes. Any wagon type can be linked with any other, so a single train can carry passengers and cargo together. That's usually not recommended, though.
Can any trams run on train tracks?
Yes. Trams with a Light Rail label can run onto train tracks as well as tram tracks, so one vehicle can serve both kinds of line.
Can you keep using a vehicle after it retires?
Yes. A retired model can't be bought anymore, but vehicles you already own can stay on your lines past their end year, and you can clone them. Thanks to maintenance changes, a vehicle can also last indefinitely instead of being replaced at a set lifespan.
Does passenger comfort change which route people take?
No. Passengers don't switch routes based on comfort. A more comfortable journey makes them happier, though, and that improves your reputation.