Iron Horse

1. Download Iron Horse

Iron Horse is available from the OpenTTD online content service ('Bananas').

If you are new to using the OpenTTD online content service, check out this guide (OpenTTD wiki).

2. Setting up a game with Iron Horse

A few things to know before setting up a Iron Horse game...

Iron Horse includes additional railtypes, for example Narrow Gauge and Metro rails.

For players who want even more railtypes, Iron Horse will also work with many grfs that add further railtypes.

Because Iron Horse provides a lot of trains, it's recommended that the OpenTTD setting 'Vehicles never expire' is set to off. This helps avoid over-crowding in the OpenTTD buy menu.

Iron Horse is not compatible with Inflation in OpenTTD. Please ensure Inflation is turned off.

Parameter settings (optional)

Players can choose advanced options via parameter settings. It's also fine to ignore these. Parameter options include:

• Adjustable train cargo capacity
• Simplified gameplay with fewer trains
• Turn off Iron Horse extra railtypes
• Advanced control over freight wagon colour choices and colour randomisation

3. What next?

Find out more about Iron Horse. Or try it out in OpenTTD!

4. Tips, tricks and secret features

Company colour choices

• Iron Horse has full support for 2 company colours. White is a recommended choice for the 2nd company colour (except for wagons), but it's fun to experiment with other combinations.
• Most wagons will switch between 1st and 2nd company colours if flipped in depot (use ctrl-click on the wagon). Most wagons will also select random colour variations when built.
• Passenger coaches, mail vans and railcars often switch to a 2nd alternative colour scheme if flipped in depot (use ctrl-click on the vehicle).
• Some vehicles will adapt their colour scheme to the engine, or to suit the cargo they're refitted to.
• Some engines have alternative colour scheme which can be selected by changing company colours. The settings for engines that support this can be found on the details page for each engine. For example, Bone details page.

Cargo support

Iron Horse provides vehicles for a wide range of cargos, and should be compatible with all industry and cargo grfs.

Many wagons show cargo when loaded, and again a wide range of cargos are supported.

Autorefit (refit-at-stations) is supported for almost all vehicles.

Secret features and other details

Haulage bonus: some electric railcars are allowed to increase their maximum speed when hauled by another engine that has a higher speed (or a faster express railcar).

Tail lights: trains will show a rear light.

Magic appearance: some vehicles will adapt their appearance depending on their position in the train, including passenger coaches, mail vans and intermodal wagons.

Integer length trains: Iron Horse vehicles have consistent length and it's very easy to make integer length trains (length will show in depot as 4.0, 6.0, 8.0 etc). This has minimal gameplay effect, but is good for people who have tidy-mind problems.

Bi-mode trains: electro-diesel or similar engines will work with or without electricity. Power is generally increased on electrified rails, and smoke or sparks will be show appropriately for current power type.

Brake vans / cabooses: are just for eye-candy, and have no gameplay effect ;).

5. Changes in Iron Horse

Iron Horse is updated and improved quite often.

The Iron Horse changelog keeps track of changes, including new features, bug fixes and updates to translations.

6. Source code / modifying Iron Horse

Checkout source code on GitHub and compile your own Iron Horse (requires git and various python dependencies).

Iron Horse is licensed under the GPL v2.