Begin the first leg of your trek by fast-traveling back to the NH&M Freight Depot and head south-west towards the houses icon (just to the right of the radio icon). This will end up turning into the “Fairline Hill Estates”.

Fairline Hill Estates¶

As you approach the houses here, be careful for wildlife nearby, as quite often Stunted Yao Gaui are near the playground in the middle.

Once the area is clear let’s go ahead and explore the houses here. You’ll start at the west / northwest house first and work your way counter-clockwise.

The west house is unique as you have to climb up a ramp of wood and cars to get inside it (the outside door is locked). As you make your way inside, watch out for Ghouls (open the door inside to find two at least) and take them out. There is a Steamer Trunk inside the house and an ammo box upstairs. As you head downstairs, disarm the two gun traps aiming at the door and then unlock the chains for easy access. Check the kitchen area for a First Aid Box as well.

Continue to the second house and search it for another First Aid Box. Move onto the third house now and check the “laundry room” off to the side for a safe on the floor (an open safe, how rare!). Continue onto the fourth house now and head upstairs to find yet another First Aid Box. Finally finish up with the fifth house where you can find a chem station and a [Novice] locked Toolbox. Head upstairs as well and search the floor for another open safe. That’s all there is here, so let’s continue to the east, north-east slightly to your next destination, the radio tower.

Relay Tower 0SC-527¶

This Relay Tower is much like any other relay tower: head to the terminal nearby and use it to extend the range of your radio. You may run into Mole Rats around the tower, so be ready for them. Once you have the tower extended, you should pick up the “Distress Signal” (which doesn’t do anything for now), the “Miller Family Radio Signal” (which you’re about to take care of), and the “Super Mutant Radio Broadcast” which will just lead you back to Shaw High School. With the relay tower extended, it’s time to move on to the north-east. Head for the car icon and save before you get there. Soon you will be at “Big John’s Salvage”.

Big Johns Salvage¶

Now, this area is going to be fun! This salvage area used to be taken over by Raiders, but Super Mutants have killed them all and are now in charge (meaning you can find Raider corpses here and there). Try to get in some sneak attacks to start the fight as the enemies here are leveled, but the “boss” of the area will be found at the top of the tall structure in the middle of the scrapyard: likely a Super Mutant

with a Minigun. Get in as many sneak attacks as you can, focusing on the boss of the area if you can and move in, using the scrap and cars as cover. From here you can pop out of cover and focus on one enemy at a time for safety, but note there are mutated mongrels here as well so watch your back as they will try to rush you.

Clear out the scrapyard and you will have plenty to explore afterward. Let’s start with the giant structure in the middle. Walk around it to find the path upwards (grabbing the ammo crate and the First Aid Box on the way up) and at the very top you will find a Steamer Trunk and a pair of“Super Mutant Armguards“. The big prize here though is the skill magazine Tales of a Junktown Jerky Vendor . Not bad at all!

Nearby this big structure is a pit area, where you will find a hound trapped in the middle (kill it from above). There is a First Aid Box above the pit. Once you have that, make your way to the to the south-east, around some boxcars, where you can find two buildings, one brick and one wood. On the wall of the smaller, wooden structure, between the two building, you can find a circuit breaker (where the wires end) that you can turn on. Go ahead and do that now (this is part of the “Miller Family Radio Signal” instructions). Now… follow the power wires as they lead to a tipped train car nearby. Get on top of it (use the fridge leaning against it) and drop down into the car to find a hatch. Go ahead and open it up to enter the shelter.

In here you will find Big John’s family who… didn’t make it. Well, there’s no telling how late you are to their rescue, but there was no helping them. Inside the shelter though, you can search around for “Big John’s Safe Key” (which will prove useful in a bit) and a “Railway Rifle”, which shoots spikes instead of bullets (you may have already seen ammo for this weapon by now). After gathering whatever you want here, head back out.

Head back to the circuit breaker now and enter the building here. This used to be Big John’s Hardware Store, apparently. Behind the counter though you can find an [Advanced] locked Safe and a [Novice] locked door. Pick both and loot whatever you find. Head upstairs now and you can find a [Novice] locked toolbox. Up here there is also a Duffel Bag with goodies and a ton of ammo crates. There is a wooden walkway nearby with a button on it that you can press to open the front scrap gate, but the place is so run down that is hardly needed.

Finally, you have the house nearby to search (John’s house). Upstairs you can find “John Miller’s Terminal”, which gives you a hint on how to find his shelter (which you’ve already done of course), but there is also a [Master] locked safe here. You can use the key you picked up earlier to open it though. And with that you are done with the salvage yard. Your next landmark is the Army Star to the east, but just note that to the north-east is a Red Rocket gas station where a random encounter may occur. From here head south-east to the next landmark, the “South Boston Military Checkpoint”.

South Boston Military Checkpoint¶

You may have already heard of this location thanks to various radio broadcasts. In fact, when you get near you will undoubtedly hear the military announcement about the site. Well, the military is far from in control here, as the site is under control by a group of Gunners, so sneak up on them and enter the outpost and take them out. These enemies are leveled of course, but the “boss” (or highest-leveled anyways) Gunner is inside the outpost so be ready to take him on. There aren’t many enemies here (only three Gunners), so take them out and lets loot this area.

The big prize in this area is inside the outpost, where you can find a copy of the Guns and Bullets skill magazine on a desk. You can also find a First Aid Box, a Trunk, and a wall Safe [Master] inside the outpost. There is an open terminal here you can read as well. Head back outside and search a truck bed to find a Fat Man near a bed. The only other thing to note here is that on the west side of the building is a magnetic-locked door that you can unlock with an [Expert] terminal to find a full suit of leveled Power Armor, perhaps even yet another suit of X-01. Very nice. Drop it back at one of your settlements if you don’t want it right now.

Andrew Station¶

With that last landmark looted it’s time to head to the next one. Head northeast to the metro-stop landmark and you will find “Andrew Station”.

Andrew Station is more of an outpost than a station… at least by looking at the exterior. The place has been taken over by Raiders, so save before you attack and get ready to take them out. Sneak Attack the enemies on the roof and ramparts to start the fight, then make your way left (to the north-west corner of the station) where you will find an open entrance to the main station area. If you can, continue to sneak attack but you will likely be in an all-out fight soon. Watch out for any attack dogs the Raiders might have and take out the Raiders inside. There is a turret in the middle area as well. Watch out for any Raiders up on the roof, as there is a ramp to the left that leads up there.

Once they are all quite dead, check the bathrooms here for a First Aid Box and various chems (or Bobby Pins) in the mirrors. There is another door between the bathrooms you can enter for a terminal that controls the turret you destroyed and a cash register. Search the wall near the cash register for an [Advanced] Safe. It is also worth noting that this station has a ton of crafting stations spread throughout it (every single one), so make use of them if you wish (the roof has the armor and weapon crafting stations). Once you’re done exploring the exterior it’ll be time to explore the Andrew Station Subway, so head down the stairs and enter the subway station proper.

Andrew Station Subway¶

As you may have guessed, there are Raiders in this subway so be ready to take them out. There are multiple Raiders here, so take them out with a sneak attack and watch out for the attack dog they may have. This entryway is a bit protected with various gates put up, but in the back you can loot the cash register, a nearby floor Safe [Advanced] and pick an [Expert] locked door to unleash a Protectron if you wish. To the left is the way further into the subway tunnel, but it is guarded by Frag Mines, so be sure to disarm them (there is also a bathroom with a Chem Box inside). Work your way downstairs while you disarm the mines and can traps along the way. There are more Raiders down here, along with more mines and even a bathroom scale at the bottom of the stairs you can disarm. Sneak attack the Raiders down here and as they come for you they will very likely run into the mines. Heh…

Once the enemies are dead, work your way down and you can check out a train on the right for a first aid kit. There is also a [Novice] Terminal on the support beam down here as well where you can turn off the search lights if you want (or you can just shoot them down). Head inward and take out a turret in the middle of the area down here, then check the train to the south for a Bobby Pin Box (by a skeleton in the back). To the right of that train is another [Novice] locked door

you can pick open to find another Bobby Pin Box, a caps stash, and a Stealth Boy (quite good for a novice lock!). Loot the area in the middle now to find the nicest Raider living area you’ll probably ever see. Seriously, pictures and vases! Impressive bit of culture there. There is also an [Expert] locked safe here you can pick for goodies.

Now to continue on, to the north are two more doorways. The left one is open and the right door has an [Advanced] locked door (they both lead up to the same area coming up). Check out the left door first though as there is a turret in the back that you should take out. Go pick the right door now and loot the living area, then head inwards further to fight more Raiders. There are several more Raiders back here you can take out with sneak attacks (they will often run at you if you use a Sniper Rifle, letting you take them out one at a time). The train on the right here has an explosive box with a [Novice] lock. Head to the back of the tunnel here and into the hole in the left-hand side to continue as you leave the subway area behind.

This tunnel leads to (surprise!) more Raiders! There is an attack dog back here, so sneak up on them and take them all out. As you fight, you will find a boxing ring and a spectator area, as well as a ramp leading up outside the boxing ring area so be aware you may need to kill some Raiders up the slope and hanging out up on the spectator area. Once you’ve taken them out, you can loot the place. There is nothing but junk in the boxing ring area (you can check the lockers here for some boxing gloves), but the spectator area has some good booze and smoke-able items as well as a caps stash. Head further in the broken tunnels, past the spectator area (keep your eyes open for a chem box on the way) and search the side areas as you head up for a small cubby (on the left) with an “Inaccessible Door” and keypad.

Keep heading further in to reach a lounge area (the “Southie Speakeasy”) to find even more Raiders, including the boss of these Raiders, named Chancer, and a turret. Take them out (as usual, sneak attack sniping works wonders) and then head behind the counter after looting the area. Back here you will see a magnetic-lock door but you can actually check behind the cabinets here for a button which will release it. Beyond the door you will find a Steamer Trunk, which contains various goodies. Head up the stairs now and you will find the “Joe’s Spuckies Basement Key”. This unlocks the hatch nearby, which you should use to exit to the “Joe Spuckies Sandwich Shop”, which isn’t marked on your map.

Joe Spuckies Sandwich Shop¶

You are outside now, a bit north-east of Andrews Station in the “Joe Spuckies Sandwich Shop”. Despite this not being a marked location, there is a very nice prize nearby! Exit the shop and head to the house to the west. It is quite destroyed, but head to the very top and you will find the an issue of Grognak the Barbarian . A very welcome boost for melee and unarmed players!

Factory¶

There’s another unmarked location worth exploring while you’re out here:

a factory to the north-east. On the way over there, you will likely fight some bloodbugs or other annoying insects just hanging out, but you can find the door to the un-named factory fairly easily. Inside there are Radroaches and Bloodbugs to worry about. Take them all out and you can find a Fusion Core in the corner. There are also stairs leading up to a [Novice] locked door. Pick the lock here to discover an office (with a fully stocked bar, by the way) where you can try your hand at a [Master] safe. There is also the “Foreman’s Terminal” here you can use to release the mag-lock on the door down below so you can get at two First Aid Boxes for some healing goodies. Head back out to the open world once you’ve got all of that.

South Boston Police Department¶

The next stop on your trip is just to the south. Head towards the Police Department landmark to discover the “South Boston Police Department”. Here you will need to walk around the building to find the door leading inside. Shoot out the annoying search light above the door when you find it as well (Who doesn’t hate those things?) and enter. This will be a quick trip, as this police department is pretty small. Loot the junk you can find here (the yellow box usually has something worth taking) and then pick the [Expert] locked cell if you wish. Upstairs you can find some Mongrels and a Radroach. Wipe them out and loot the upstairs now for the “Eddie Winter Holotape 7” and various other junk. You can also find a [Novice] locked terminal here. That is really all there is to this building, so exit back to the Commonwealth now.

Parkers Proposition¶

Head east to find a road, then follow it south and you will meet… an NPC! This man is named “Parker Quinn” and has a proposition for you. He will tell you that he has been working with EVERY vendor in the Wasteland and is convincing them to give up Caps, instead using a Charge Card. He will offer to sell you one worth 100 Caps for 110 Caps (his fee), giving you an option to buy from him.

As you may have guessed, this guy is full of shit. For example, just try saying “No” here and listen to his reply, then talk to him again as his offer is still open. Quite the business man, right!? The Charge Card isn’t worth a darn thing, so if you wish feel free to put one into his head for trying to scam you. Depending on which companion you have with you though, that may not be a good idea!

Bobbi¶

From here, head south and turn west to find a gate to find a small Raider camp, which you can clear if you want to pick on some scrubs. This is but a mere diversion; however. When they’ve been splattered, continue south down a road past a truck, but keep your eyes west as you go until you see a stately red house - the unmarked Hawthorne Estate. Circle around to the western side to find the white front door and head inside you’ll find Bobbi, who is naturally curious about your intentions. You can either pass a moderate speech check to get Bobbie to hand over the Caps peacefully and go into hiding, or you can gun her - and her two turrets - down. In the former case she’ll give you 375 Caps, while in the latter case you can loot her for around 420 Caps. Either way, it should be more than enough to cover the 200 Caps Hancock wants (if you talked him down). Be sure to loot the place whatever you do, grabbing the obvious loot, the “Ladies Auxiliary Tape 5”, a Safe [Advanced] and a wall Safe [Advanced], then report back to Hancock, who will let things drop, and even offer to travel with you. Score.