Railroad

The Railroad is an exterior region located north of the Mountain. It becomes accessible after an earthquake clears the blocked pass on the 3rd of Summer in Year 1, and the player receives a message in the morning announcing that there was an earthquake during the night.

The area is centered around the train tracks and the train platform. On random days between 9:00 AM and 6:00 PM, a train may pass through. When the player is outdoors, a message appears and a train whistle can be heard. If a Railroad cutscene begins while a train is present, the train becomes invisible except for the smoke from the locomotive. Standing in front of an approaching train causes minor damage and knockback, and getting trapped between the train and the platform can repeatedly damage the player until all Health is lost. Opening the player menu can prevent damage in that situation, but pausing the game does not stop the train.

Trains are composed of a locomotive and several cars, usually between 8 and 24, with longer versions possible. Different train types can appear, including Joja trains, passenger trains, coal trains, prison trains, and a Christmas train during Winter. Resource cars may occasionally spill items onto the ground, but only if the farmer is at the Railroad and the train is visible. These cars can drop materials such as coal, metal bars, wood, rock, brick, and presents, and they can also rarely drop Leprechaun Shoes. Some resource cars may carry compartments, grass, hay, or packages instead of normal cargo.

The Railroad also contains several notable side areas and events. The Train Platform is north of the tracks and has an empty box used in The Mysterious Qi. Harvey’s 10-Heart Event takes place there. To the southwest is the Spa, where standing still in the pool rapidly restores Energy and Health; Penny’s 10-Heart Event also takes place there. A small pond outside the Spa can be fished for an Ornate Necklace after reading Secret Note #25, and the painting Vista can also be caught there. Neither can be obtained during Winter because the water freezes.

In the northeast cave beyond the train platform is the passage to the Witch’s Swamp. This route is unlocked through a quest series given by the Wizard, and the initiating cutscene begins the first time the player enters the Railroad after completing either the Community Center bundles or the Joja Community Development Form. Once finished, the cave can be used to travel to the Witch’s Swamp at any time. In the northwest area, a staircase leads to the Summit, but it is initially blocked by an immovable boulder and only becomes accessible after Perfection is achieved.

The Railroad is also a foraging and artifact-spawn area. Forageable items can appear on the ground there throughout the year, with only 31 possible spawn locations. These spots are often blocked at first by weeds, sticks, and rocks, and once cleared they generate new forage at a low nightly rate. Artifact Spots can also appear there, with a higher average spawn rate in Winter. Digging them up can yield several types of items, including one artifact found only at the Railroad, Lost Books, seasonal forage-related items, and, with the Magnifying Glass, a small chance to uncover a Secret Note.