Here's a link to the 2KGames page where the original Railroad Tycoon was released for free:

http://www.2kgames.com/railroads/downloads.html

Thanks! Can't wait to see if I can get it to work. I still have the laminated guides from the dos game, uh, some where..

Thanks for posting that link.

Not to be a nit-picker but the game that link leads to is Railroad Tycoon Deluxe and not the original Railroad Tycoon. 2K did something similar when it labeled Civilization for Windows as the original Civilization in the Sid Meier's Civilization Chronicles collection.