Fallout 4: Tradecraft - Follow Deacon, Find the Deliverer

This guide will show you how to complete the Railroad Quest: Tradecraft. This quest becomes available soon after discovering the Railroad faction’s hideout. Follow through with each objective of Deacon’s mission to earn the Railroad’s trust.

After following the Freedom Trail in Fallout 4: Road to Freedom, you will arrive upon the Railroad’s doorstep. The Railroad faction leader, Desdemona, tends to be wary of newcomers. Perhaps working with Deacon on a mission will help you earn Desdemona’s trust.

Talk with Deacon

Thanks to Deacon, you are tentatively allowed to work with the Railroad after unexpectedly discovering their hideout. Speak with Deacon at the Railroad HQ to continue your progress with the faction. Depending on your Charisma ranking, you can attempt to inquire about why he vouched for you during your initial encounter with Desdemona.

Meet Deacon at the Old Highway

Deacon explains that you will be temporarily deemed a Railroad “tourist”, or someone that helps with odd jobs for the Railroad. Deacon has arranged for you to meet him at the old highway just outside of Lexington. Head northwest to the location marked on your Pip-Boy map to begin your first task for the Railroad.

Follow Deacon and Find the “Tourist”

Your mission is to retrieve an item from the former Railroad base of operations. However, Deacon needs you to meet up with another mysterious Railroad “tourist” to learn more about the old base. Follow the trail of signs pointing you to the tourist's location. Continue along the ruined freeway with Deacon, taking out the Feral Ghouls that emerge from the debris.

Speak with Ricky Dalton near the end of the freeway, and reply with the password that Deacon gave you earlier. Otherwise, Deacon will have to step in. After your initial conversation with the tourist, you can speak with him again and attempt to persuade him with various dialogue options if you wish.

Talk to Deacon

After talking to Ricky, speak with Deacon once more to discuss how to proceed. The front entrance of the old base is littered with mines and a heavy Synth presence, so it’s wise to infiltrate through an alternate route instead.

Get Inside the Escape Tunnel

• Optional: Enter base through front entrance

Deacon mentions a hidden sewer entrance that the Railroad once used as an escape tunnel. Take point and head east toward the objective marker on your map. Locate a rusted sewer pipe covered in foliage, and enter the door to the sewers. You can optionally enter through the front of the base if you wish, just be prepared to dodge mines and fight off a ton of Synths.

Get Carrington’s Prototype

Hack the computer terminal to unlock the door, and begin to make your way through the sewers. There’s a ton of old generation Synth models roaming around down here, so be prepared to neutralize them as you continue forward. Use the terminals to activate the turrets for a surprise sneak attack on unsuspecting groups of Synths to make your trek a bit easier.

Along the way, Deacon will fill you in on the details of the mission. He also informs you of the various Railroad chalk signs and their meanings. Some indicate hidden caches of ammunition, while others warn of the dangerous path ahead. Consult the chalkboard at the Railroad HQ for a full list of each sign type.

Pass through a pipe that leads to a locked metal door. Hack the terminal to unlock the door, and enter the next room. The goal is to reach the Defence Intelligence Agency research lab, also known as the Switchboard. Continue through the facility, and watch out for the laser tripwires that line the hallways.

Once you reach the safe, wait for Deacon to unlock it using the terminal, then enter the safe. If you use VATS often, consider accepting the Deliverer when Deacon offers it to you. The Deliverer is a Legendary silenced pistol that boasts an improved VATS hit chance at a 25% reduced Action Point cost. Afterward, grab Carrington’s Prototype off the back shelf, and prepare to leave.

Leave the Switchboard

Leave the safe, and loot the area one last time before departing. Head up the stairs in the east hallway, and prepare to gun down a couple Synths as you enter the door. Access the terminal to power the elevator, then ride the elevator to the top floor. When the elevator stops, push the bookcase out of the way and head up the staircase to exit to the Commonwealth.

You will emerge in the back room of the old Railroad base. Remember those mines and Synths that the “tourist” warned you about? Those are still here. Be ready to quickly destroy several Synths and a couple machine gun turrets at the entrance, and be careful not to set off too many mines on your way out.

Meet Deacon at the Old North Church

Part ways with Deacon, and return to the Railroad HQ. Deacon is generously talking you up to Desdemona. You must have made a really good impression.

Talk to Desdemona

Speak with Desdemona, and if your Charisma is decent, go with Deacon’s lie. You’ve proven yourself to be Railroad material, and have even earned a codename. Accept the offer to join the Railroad, and select one of the codename options. If you let Desdemona decide your codename, you’ll be deemed “The Wanderer”. Welcome to the Railroad, agent!

Follow Desdemona

After your conversation, walk with Desdemona to meet the other Railroad members. The Tradecraft quest concludes, and the Miscellaneous Quest: Boston After Dark becomes available. Deacon is also now a viable companion option.

Continue on to the next Railroad Quest: Underground Undercover, or return to USGamer’s Fallout 4 Walkthrough and Guide.