Flag Stop! Century of Steam Q&A Q1 2026

🇧🇷 im from brasil

Can we get a t-shirt that says “Keep Calm and touch Brass”.

yo when is the game coming out just asking

I love the idea of changing industry demands. It didn't get bored over time. I'm most worried about the scale of multiplayer. Having a lot of friends who interested in CoS too. Hope there is a lot to do for more people on track. Running multiple locomotives on a server and working together for a goal is most fun for me. And sometimes a long consist of cars is fun to haul to a yard to get switched for all industries.

Will there be a beginners explanation/tutorial? I am new to the train scene and would like to understand the lingo and logistics of it all!

Not an industry related question, but have y'all considered having a optional system that gates what whistles you can use depending on the years they were first available? Could be a neat educational addition to the game.

Are we getting vacuum brakes? I seem to remember seeing them in an options menu, but I don't think we've seen them in-game (we have seen a lot of other kinds of brakes tho).

Bonus game completion content idea. If the campaign completes in 1969 the player gets given an in-game version of Hyce's '69 GTO to play with as a retirement gift!

I loved the Q&A. I watched it while taking a break working inside an old stone roundhouse. 😏 Love the idea that each piece of rolling stock should have its place in one way or another, because they all do!

with the asset type loads, will demand for certain assets be greater than others, for example a mine might order a locomotive once in its entire history, skips occassionally, but pit props, piping and drill bits constantly? other than the costs associated with repairs and maintaince and failure to excercise due care and attention, will you also be simulating other costs to the company (which would scale with the 'size' of the operation for example admin, wages?

Thanks for taking the time to answer my question y'all! Very glad to hear that TT&TO will be supported, but not strictly enforced on players. I'm super hyped for the timetable UI; you're absolutely correct that they had way more information than just being train schedules, and knowing how much love and care you've put into the UI so far, I can't wait to see the final polished result.

The real (i.e., meme) question on everyone's mind: "How do you value your what you contribute of to at the workforce?" and "At which do you most can't the least?" #metalocalypse #timeisanillusion (Also, there was a lot of really interesting information in this Q&A...thanks as always for the work y'all put in on this game and keeping us updated with the progress!)

So excited for this. Is there plans to continue updates after the game comes out? I ask because I don’t know if you guys would have every locomotive you want made for release. Also is there any Rhode Island Locomotive works engines planned? When Alco merged with it they moved the complex to automotive construction so there is not much left to represent. It would be nice to have a locomotive like C&S 60 in game to represent a piece of my hometown

A clarification on multi-player, it's been made clear that the idea for multi-player is a group simulating one train crew (engineer, firemen, breakmen etc.) But will we be able to run multiple trains on the same server? Or will things be balanced for one train running at a time?

A wonderfully enlightening Q&A gentleman! I have a better view of what the game's going to be like and what to expect, thank you all for doing this. I was so looking forward to another q&A so that way we could get more answers and now we have it. And here's to whatever's next. Thanks guys! 🙂👍 I do have one question, so we do know the game will fight you when it comes to getting new parts for your locomotive. So what else will the game fight you on? Will important industries disappear as time goes on due to obsolescence and such. Will it be harder to take care of steam locomotive as you go into the '60s? Where else will the game fight you on? Something that has been nagging at me for a while now. 🙂🚂

I love the cause-and-effect chain..I’m curious about what actually happens if a train passes a red signal? What is the direct consequence of that action..I'm sure it does lead to a physical outcome (like a collision with another train or running through a switch set the wrong way)..but does also trigger an operational response, such as a penalty or intervention from the operations manager? Also, I really appreciate your stance on keeping the experience focused and intentional... especially avoiding AI-controlled trains to preserve the scale and hands-on nature of operations. That philosophy makes a lot of sense. That said, the only thing that personally feels slightly missing is the possibility of running multiple trains on the same map in a single-player context. I’m not much of a multiplayer gamer, and in the case of wanting to run a whole company solo, having another crew (even in a limited or abstracted form) would make the world feel more alive and operationally rich. Not necessarily AI in the full sense you want to avoid, but perhaps some future system that allows additional train movements under player oversight or indirect control (sort of cruise control and water/fire keeping). Of course, I completely understand the design direction.. just sharing this as a small hope for a possible future evolution. As it stands, everything else already looks incredibly strong I honestly can’t wait for this ... it looks absolutely fantastic! I’ve already told my boss I’m taking 10 days off between 2028 and 2029 just for this 😄

I haven't even watched the video yet but I just wanted to say when you guys drop a release date you may crash the Internet lol look at how much interest this game still has after all this time

4:23 The way that Tom describes the desire of the Studio 346 team to have the experience of running your trains be a little bit different and new every time the game is fired up gels very much with my professional and volunteer experiences. And what I would reasonably expect the experiences of all the real-world locomotive drivers and firemen observing this game's development to be. In my day job, I might run the same scheduled intermodal service or work train every day for a week, with the same wagon consist and locomotive. And every day it runs a little differently. Even more so in my volunteer steam ops, where I have some 11 years' familiarity with the same line, locos and coaching stock. And every day, I find something new to correct, finesse or just enjoy learning. To even begin to capture this changing 'feel' for the rolling stock and routes for a casual or experience naïve audience will be a huge step forward in train simulation.

Your “revolving door” system sounds like a simple solution to what I thought was a complex problem. Basically choosing what comes through the interchange. Now that the foundation for industries is laid, I’m really looking forward to seeing them fleshed out in future devlogs, especially Hobart Mills.

With engines that were exported internationally would you be able to have liveries and modifications that were made to them e.g. something like a USATC S118 having a QR livery and modifications

Very encouraging answers in this Q&A. I think most of the frustration with other train games are things that are specifically being avoided here. Though I would ask you to reconsider our ability to ride Baldwins into Mordor. If the grade is too steep perhaps a Shay? I always thought hobbits would like geared locomotives.

I’ve got an interesting question. Was there any electrified 3ft gauge railroads in the US? As someone who works with electric locomotives and also have ridden on an electric 3ft gauge line it would be fun to have electrics in game but if there were none in the US then there won’t be any.

W vlog, my favorite so far!

Yea figured the part about rum running was a little dumb. Sorry bout that.

“Touch brass. It’s good for you.” - Mark Huber, 2026

Awsome to see my question answered! I totally forgot that rotary dumpers only do one at a time, which for how you folks beautifully gamified the unloading systems, might be a bit tedious to unload if you force the poor player to move each individual car into the dumper lol. Thanks again for answering my question, very excited to see the game take shape in the coming years!

No y'all let's ride the Baldwin's into mordor I need artwork of this

When the time is right, say 1900 or so, can there be a model train shop that pops up in the towns? That could be a fun little decorative easter egg.

Would you consider a basic consequence for getting hit by trains, jumping from trestles, etc? Nothing extreme to a silly point that would make this a survival game, but even just having a painful bone cracking sound effect and a red vignette, then slowing the player down for a minute would make it feel a little less gamey, and maybe discourage players from acting like they're invincible.

Is there a way to build custom railways?

Will we have a map centered around alaska?