This is my empire as of 1845

https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561197992703297/screenshots/

Basically:
- Mostly running Dunham 4-2-0s. I still have a few John Bulls for freight. They will be replaced when I get the first freight-designed loco in a year or so. Dunhams will be replaced by Reindeers 4-4-0

- Washington-Richmond-Norfolk double track corridor run by 8 trains, 2 small stations (Wash& Norf) and one standard station on Richmond. No freight on this line, just passengers, mail and finished products. This will be expanded once I can afford bigger stations (standard at Wash&Norfolk, biggest on Richmond) and four tracks, so then I will have fast express trains just for passengers + mail

- West Richmond big station connected to Charlotteville, sugar, cotton plantation and a Southern warehouse, this line takes care of all Charlotteville traffic (passengers, mail, wood) and sugar. an exclusive "northern" platform is used for Charlotte trains, the rest are all freight.
I have a direct connection to cotton, all other cargo is taken care by the warehouse, this currently means fruit, wheat, milk, corn. I will soon connect it to Norfolk so that it can also benefit from it, specially for wheat

- Money wise, I still haven't paid the 2 loans taken early game; I am cash strapped, which is what I like about this mod... decisions need to be made based on very limited resources, I can't just expand everything, everywhere like in vanilla