Wrong Side of the Tracks: the right line for Big Smoke

Requirements and the real win condition

Start at Big Smoke’s Idlewood home after “Running Dog”. Drive him to Unity Station in El Corona and stop in the mission marker. Following the scene, four Vagos escape on the front portion of a train. Mount the supplied Sanchez and briefly allow Smoke to take the passenger seat. Your immediate job is to provide a usable firing angle. Every surviving target must be killed before the train reaches its escape point at Frederick Bridge. There is no requirement to collect a package from the roof. After the fighting, you must still take Smoke home to finish the mission.

Why riding close to the train can prevent hits

Your position along the train and your sideways separation are different things. You can ride level with the enemies and still be badly placed if the Sanchez hugs the carriage wall. Smoke sits lower than the Vagos, so an excessively steep firing angle makes his shots strike the train’s side rather than the people above. Ride to the right of the train, towards the outside edge of the adjacent track used by opposing traffic. Its outermost right rail, or the gravel immediately beside it, provides a useful reference. This does not mean the narrow gap directly beside the pursued train. Treat that line as a starting position and adjust according to the gunfire, rather than forcing an allegedly universal distance in metres.

Match speed and longitudinal position

Stay alongside the front section carrying the marked enemies. CJ can sit slightly ahead of the person Smoke is currently attacking: Smoke is seated behind him and needs a workable shooting angle. Do not race far ahead of the locomotive or remain behind the last carriage. Accelerate enough to catch up, then match the train with small throttle adjustments. A sustained window of useful fire is better than repeatedly overshooting and braking. Curves change the separation even without a large steering input. Alternate attention between the approaching track and the train’s relative position rather than staring exclusively at the people on its roof.

Step-by-step route through the hazards

This method stays on the Sanchez and leaves the shooting to Smoke. It requires neither a rooftop jump nor a previously positioned weapon.

1. Once Smoke is aboard, accelerate along the right of the train. Use the outer right rail of the neighbouring track as your initial reference and catch the front section.
2. Match speed to the target area. If Smoke fires without making useful progress, move a little further right first and maintain the corrected line for several moments.
3. After the red railway bridge, watch the crossing ahead: a Glendale gets onto the tracks. Ease off briefly before impact and leave space behind the front of the train. Let the explosion happen, then use a visibly clear line around the wreckage; moving blindly too far right can put you directly in front of the car.
4. After the obstruction, rebuild a steady parallel line. Do not drive directly through the explosion merely to remain level for every possible second.
5. An opposing train approaches on the other track before the tunnel. Leave its line early to the right and let it pass. A temporary loss of firing angle is preferable to a head-on crash.
6. Inside the tunnel, find a clear line to the right of the pursued train again. Stay beside the remaining marked targets without hitting the wall; maximum sideways separation cannot be maintained through solid rock.
7. If enemies survive, follow Smoke’s instruction after the tunnel to take the raised dirt path on the right. It briefly carries you away from the train before returning towards the railway. Follow the path rather than jumping unpredictably down the slope.
8. Re-establish speed and firing angle after the detour. Keep watching for opposing traffic: the route contains more than one train encounter. Frederick Bridge is the escape boundary, rather than a mission marker you need to reach.
9. Once all targets are dead, end the pursuit and return Smoke to the house marker in Idlewood. Drive home carefully so a late accident does not undo the successful chase.

Diagnose the problem before adding more throttle

The usual failures have recognisable symptoms. Change one factor at a time on the next attempt.

Edition differences and useful preparation

The same core method applies to the original and Definitive Edition: lateral clearance, the right position along the train and surviving the hazards. Old PS2 button lists, PC bindings and touch controls are not interchangeable. Check acceleration, braking and camera adjustment before starting. A particular aim-assist setting cannot give Smoke a clear shot through the carriage wall. Extra weapons for CJ and a fully maximised motorcycle skill are not prerequisites for this route. Avoid bringing unnecessary police attention or crash damage to the station approach.

FAQ: must CJ shoot, and is the tunnel the deadline?

In this method Smoke shoots and CJ drives. Boarding the train is an alternative strategy involving additional fall and timing risks, rather than a required mechanic. You may finish the combat before the tunnel, but that is not compulsory. If Vagos survive, the pursuit can continue until the escape boundary. After a failure, identify the section responsible for the largest loss: clear shooting, the crossing, opposing traffic or the raised path. This makes the next attempt a specific correction instead of a faster repetition of the same mistake.