Brown Streak Railroad

A Brown Streak passenger train leaving Los Santos for Las Venturas

The Brown Streak Railroad is a fictional railroad entity within Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, meant to mimic that of the Silver Streak Railroad, California's Metrolink, Coast Starlight, BART, Amtrak California, Amtrak Surfliner, Sounder, and CalTrain commuter railroads; and freight railroads being BNSF, Santa Fe (ATSF), Southern Pacific, and the Union Pacific. Its slogan is "Go for the Brown". The Brown Streak Railroad also shares its tracks with non-passenger freight services.

Overview

An advert, found in San Fierro

File:Freight1.jpg

A Brown Streak Freight Train leaving San Fierro for Los Santos

The Brown Streak Railroad is a combination of passenger and freight rail operating within the State of San Andreas. It is most likely named after both the Silver Streak Railroad and a brown spot of faeces on the underwear due to inadequate wiping of the buttocks. The service is based on California commuter railroads such as Caltrain and Metrolink and freight services BNSF and Santa Fe.

The passenger train is the Brown Streak, usually operating 24 hours a day with one locomotive and two passenger cars, with an occasional three-car set; these locomotives are based on the EMD F40PH and the cars are based on Amtrak Superliners. The freight train consists of a locomotive and three or four flatcars (really the frame of the locomotive), and is based on the EMD SD40-2. All locomotives are diesel powered, with no electrified tracks. The player also has the option of riding in passenger trains (at no charge), with the ability to de-train at any stop, or in between, if preferred.

Trains are totally indestructible for It is impossible to damage a train by any normal means, even attacking it with a Rhino. It is, however, possible to derail a train. This is done by hijacking the train and accelerating it until the train leaves the tracks, usually done while taking a turn too quickly. At this point the main locomotive will break apart from the cars and will slide until it finally comes to rest. If the player was in the process of a train mission, that mission is now considered a failure.

As in Grand Theft Auto 1, the player may hijack passenger (Brown Streak) and freight trains arriving at the station. While driving these trains, the player also has the option (assuming the entire map has been unlocked) of engaging in frieght missions, which require making deliveries to all the stops in San Andreas within the given time limits. A small reward is given after each successful stop, and a large reward is given after two complete loops of the state (mission levels 1 and 2). If one has successfully completed the freight train sub-missions, the player can take train rides free of charge.

Stations

Stationmap

Los Santos

• Unity Station in the El Corona district, a play on Union Station in Downtown Los Angeles. This station has two side platforms and vending machines.

• Market Station in the Market district, possibly referring to a station on the Metro Red Line. Also has a side platform, but only on Track 2. Ticket Machines are available.

San Fierro

• Cranberry Station, in the Doherty district, with 2 side platforms and 1 island platform. Features a glass atrium, ticket offices and vending machines. A San Fierro cable car line is located directly in front of the station's entrance. The station is right across the warehouse in San Fierro. Inside the station, in the bottom-right corner, is a camera.

Las Venturas

• Yellow Bell Station, in the Prickle Pine district, with side platforms. Ticket offices and vending machines are also available. Free parking is also available for those who wish to use the lots.
• Linden Station near the Linden Side district is very similar to Yellow Bell station.
• Sobell Rail Yards in eastern Las Venturas near Linden Station. It has a little platform which is not required in sub-missions.

Unity Station in Los Santos.

Cranberry Station in San Fierro.

Linden Station in Las Venturas.

YellowBellStation-GTA SA-northwing.jpg

Yellow Bell Station in Las Venturas

Market Station in Los Santos

Route

The Brown Streak Railroad is 18.2 kilometres long, runs a full circuit throughout the entire state of San Andreas, and has two tracks providing service. At two points, the rails combine into a single track and run for a mile or so before parting back into 2 tracks. Around 80% of the track is constructed on ground level, while the rest is either

Brown Streak Passing Los Santos

underground or elevated. In Los Santos, a track connects to the main circuit and is a more industrial line. This line cannot be driven on in the game and is merely for show. In San Fierro, a track connects to the main line and leads to the docks in Easter Basin. This is also an unusable track, although a path file for it exists within the game's programming. In general, all trains use the inner track, with a few exceptions: during the Introductory Mission, Wrong Side of the Tracks and Snail Trail.

Railroad Crossings

Main article: Railroad Crossings

A Railroad Crossing in Los Santos in open position.

There are several Railroad Crossings all around the state of San Andreas. All crossings have barriers and flashing red lights, with the exception of some in Los Santos. The barriers go down when a train is near the crossing, but many times, the train will be going too fast for the barriers to be fully down. In the desert, at times, the trains will be going at full speed, and there is only a split-second warning before a train crosses. A train strike at this speed may kill the player instantly. Civilian drivers will also attempt to cross after a few seconds anyway, and at times, they will attempt to cross as soon as the barriers go back up, knocking the barriers down. Pedestrians still walk across the crossings regardless if the barrier is d

File:640px-Railroad Crossing Closed Los Santos (GTA SA).jpg

A Railroad Crossing in Los Santos in clossing position.

own, and if the barrier is down for more than 15 seconds the cars will drive through the barrier anyway (causing it to fall off).

The trains do not stop for anything nor do they blow a horn, so there will be no warning of a crash. The trains are strong enough to even push aside a Rhino with ease. The barrier-less crossings in Los Santos may be very dangerous; there are no barriers, no lights, and the traffic lights will not signify a train either. Civilians will not stop for a train here, nor do pedestrians, and at times, when the drivers stop at a red light, they will be right on the tracks, making them very prone to being hit by a train. However, vehicles normally do not explode instantly upon impact, but this has been seen in the mission, Wrong Side of the Tracks.

Frequency of Service

The Sobell Rail Yards in Las Venturas

Trains will usually depart within thirty seconds of arriving on a station platform. Trains can also be spotted en route between stations.

Freight Missions

Main Article : Freight Train Challenge

[1]

After the Yay Ka-Boom-Boom mission, freight missions are activated. Completion of all freight missions is

GTA San Andreas Freight Side Mission (HD)

Freight side mission

rewarded with free train rides. To start a freight mission, simply hijack a train, either freight or passenger.

The Freight Train Mission is a side mission in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas that involves the player transporting freight around the state in a Brown Streak or a Freight under a time limit. The challenge is available after all three islands have been unlocked, since it needs delivery to all five stations scattered around the state, namely Unity Station, Market Station, Cranberry Station, Yellow Bell Station and Linden Station. Like most side missions, it is activated by pressing the submission button. The challenge is completed when both levels have been completed; it is failed when either the train is derailed, the time limit expires, a station is missed, if the vehicle is abandoned or if the submission button is pressed.

Even though the Brown Streak is a passenger train, the missions can be completed using it; Carl only needs to use one train for the two missions.

Trivia

• Another proof of Rockstar's risque humor, the name Brown Streak may refer to excrement, and the slogan "Go for the Brown" may imply that the passengers are riding on poor, crap trains.

• The Brown Streak Railroad goes through every city and county in San Andreas, except for Whetstone.
• None of the stations on the line are elevated.
• Outside of missions, only normal Freights and Brown Streak Trains spawn, but it seems that during their appearances in missions, train traffic comes in many forms. Some of these include: Three flatcars between two Freight Locomotives, five car Freights, one car Freights, trains spawning less than one minute away one the line, and just the locomotive appearing for the Brown Streak.