Some notes on balancing:
Delivering goods from a goods factory to a shopping mall is a little difficult for long distances and high output. Production at the goods factory is reduced when too many goods are in the system. However this happens quite easily with a large number of trains required for the long distance. I'd suggest a slight increase of the capacity at the shopping mall (about 15%).
It seems all locos are a little underpowered. In the 1950s i have hardly a train without three or four heads (EMD-F7A 3 heads for 6 tile long goods train, 4 EMD-FT heads for a 10 tile goods train). It is much more of a problem however for passenger trains.
Hiawatha express can have only 4 carriages before geting slowed down, DB-MA-461 head, two carriages and tail car, Pioneer Zephyr can't build any consist small enough it could power.
I find the balance between engines quite well though, also costs and prices. The game really became challenging, not just right after starting it. This i very much appreciate.
It would be very nice to have the piece good cargo ships also as a cooled goods version, it is a little awkward to transport cooled goods that are not fish, with fishing boats.