A question about rails

[AznWarlord]

Whenever I get rails, I usually build one long stretch across my Empire, where every city is connected. When I'm done, I leave it at that. But is it a good idea to Rail every square after you are finished with your transcontinental? Is there a bonus like another +1 Commerce for Railing a road? Because if that's the case, I need to do that.

 

[Tasslehoff]

Railing squares adds all kinds of bonuses. I'm not sure, but I believe it adds +1SPT for mines, +1FPT for farms.

 

[Optional]

I did that as well in the beginning, thinking of rails as just a quick transport link. And I looked at those AI empires with every single square railed and I thought: 'How silly, and ugly as well!'
I know better now. It's like Tasslehoff said. Rails add a shield to an already mined tile, and it adds 1 food to an already irrigated tile. This means the effect of rails on your empire is a big one. You want to make sure you have plenty of workers available for the task!
Then still, I think it's a good idea to start with a link from one side of your empire to the other, at least that's what I do. Mobility first. But when a few main links have been put in, then the core first gets the full treatment, and then my workers gradually work their way to the more corrupt areas of the empire.

 

[Aabraxan]

Tasslehoff is correct in this:

Railing squares adds all kinds of bonuses. I'm not sure, but I believe it adds +1SPT for mines, +1FPT for farms.

Because of the +1spt and +1 fpt, this is pretty much what I do, as well:

Then still, I think it's a good idea to start with a link from one side of your empire to the other, at least that's what I do. Mobility first. But when a few main links have been put in, then the core first gets the full treatment, and then my workers gradually work their way to the more corrupt areas of the empire.

First, I lay the "strategic railnet," linking my cities and make sure my stack of defenders is on the railnet. Then I begin railing the core and work my way out into the more corrupt areas. Then, of course, I go through and adjust my cities. In particular, the specialist farms always have to be adjusted post-rails to account for the extra food.

 

[aldousdj]

If building a Wonder or Forbidden Palace, and not expecting a war, then use first few turns with rails to put rails on all mines in that city to increase shield production there. This has benefit with essentially no cost (aside from time to move workers to city) because it also serves to start your network growing out from that city.

 

[AutomatedTeller]

What I generally do with rails is:

1) Rail my wonder city if it's a 20K game.
2) Rail from end to end in a high level game.
3) Rail worker factories - it's not all that hard to make a 1 turn worker factory with rails
4) Rail other important cities - capitol/core/forbidden palace cities.

 

[scoutsout]

One thing to note - rails make it possible to do all sorts of subtle terrain trimming and adjustments to your cities. Some examples:

• That city surrounded by irrigated plains will go long on food if the plains are simply railed. Some of those railed plains tiles can be mined to increase the city's production.
• A city with a lot of mountains and hills can get extra food from irrigated/railed grass tiles... allowing you to reap the benefits of working a few mined/railed mountain gems...
• Floodplains all over the place? Build a hospital, and grow a size 35 metro! Even if the city is woefully corrupt you'll get the benefit of all the specialists...
• Speaking of specialists... railed and irrigated food-rich towns are a cornerstone of specialist farming. Read Bede's article for more info.

 

[D0NIMATRIX]

Rails are always a good idea to make, no matter when or where. Their effects are incontestably useful anywhere.

 

[AznWarlord]

So there are bonuses. And great bonuses too. Well railing's pretty easy for me. As soon as I get Steam Power, I build continuous workers in all my cities, keeping them at City status (7 Pop). With all the cities I have, many of them at twelve, that's 5 workers per city. You need 4 workers to produce 1 set of rails on flat land to I have a transcontinental railroad in about 10 turns. The rest can go by slowly.