The last Cedarpoint episode extends the industrial district: a geothermal power plant placed where the groundwater is already polluted, an elevated rail line over the factories, a mail sorting facility at the city entrance, warehouses by the highway, and a cargo terminal with extra loading tracks, parked trains and layered riverbed textures.
What happens in this episode
Episode 8 was the last of Cedarpoint County, although I didn’t know it yet: the save broke afterwards, and the format continued in Horizon Springs. This tile extends the industrial district from episode 3 with the county’s first power plant, a second rail yard and an industrial train terminal. Recording took about six and a half hours.
How it was built
A geothermal plant on polluted ground
The rail lines were removed and the terrain flattened before anything else. I picked the geothermal power plant: it’s very effective with little pollution, and it doesn’t need clean water. The groundwater here is already heavily polluted by the existing industry, so it’s the right spot. Concrete extends the plant’s visual footprint, concrete strips run under the pipes from the pumping stations, and fences close the site. I’m surprised it doesn’t come with a fence.
An elevated line over the factories
The road layout keeps changing as the district fills, but one decision stands: an elevated rail line runs straight through the industrial area. I love buildings that sit almost underneath the tracks. Parking lots get a concrete surface instead of the default one, with slightly dirty gravel footpaths for the workers. Industry is less creative to build than residential areas. It’s mostly filling space efficiently, and the demand barely drops however much you build, while office demand rises with it.
Mail sorting and warehouses at the entrance
The mail sorting facility goes where people arriving by highway or train will see it. It’s essentially a warehouse full of letters and parcels. Many players say it doesn’t really work, and I’m not convinced it does either. Small warehouses go next to a highway exit so trucks can get in and out easily. Every remaining green patch gets an industrial texture.
A cargo rail yard that looks used
The cargo terminal and rail yard are textured from dark to light: dark riverbed first, then gradually lighter textures to blend into the ground. A dark spot in the middle bothered me, so I fixed it before adding any plants. Three extra tracks extend the yard as a storage and loading area, with two trains placed by hand waiting on them. The loading tracks get extra dirt, piles of goods and a footpath.
There are so many good assets in the game now that I can only recommend decorating more. It doesn’t change the gameplay, but the city looks far more alive, as long as you enjoy doing it.
Decorating the power plant
Bushes line the fence, the default plants inside the plant go, and new ground textures, trees and tree patches go underneath the power lines. A custom parking lot is added, and large dirt patches spread over parking lots, roads and buildings, because an industrial district is never clean.
Video chapters
- 00:00Why geothermal, and why here
- 05:56Elevated rail through the industry
- 11:20Mail sorting facility and warehouses
- 15:21Texturing the cargo terminal
- 20:43Loading tracks and parked trains
- 28:10Why decoration is worth it
- 32:47Decorating the power plant
- 36:55Dirt patches across the district
Clicking a chapter starts the video above at that point.
FAQ
Why build a geothermal power plant in Cities: Skylines 2?
It's very effective with little pollution, and it doesn't need clean groundwater. That makes it a good fit next to an industrial district where the groundwater is already polluted.
Does the mail sorting facility work?
Many players report problems with it, and I'm not fully convinced it works as intended either. I placed it anyway at the city entrance, where its warehouse look fits the industrial area.
Can you place parked trains in Cities: Skylines 2?
Yes — trains can be placed manually as static objects. Two parked trains on extra loading tracks make a cargo rail yard look busy.