1861: Railways of the Russian Empire & 1867: Railways of Canada
1861: Railways of the Russian Empire & 1867: Railways of Canada Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
- 1. Components (Double Sided)
- 2. Setup
- 3. Types of Companies
- 4. The Stock Market
- [ The Game Begins ]
- 5. Private Company Auction
- 6. Sequence of Play
- 7. Stock Round
- 8. Operating Round
- 8.1. Connectivity
- 8.2. Loans
- 8.3. Operating Order
- 8.4. Operating Steps for Companies
- 8.5. Redeem
- 8.6. Lay/Upgrade Tiles
- 8.7. Station Token
- 8.8. Run Trains
- 8.9. Distribute Earnings and Adjust Stock Price
- 8.10. Loan Operations
- 8.11. Purchase Trains
- 8.12. Purchase Private Companies
- 8.13. Operating the National Railway
- 8.14. End of the Operating Round
- 9. Merger Round
- 10. Nationalization
- 11. Game Phases
- 12. Ending the Game
- 13. Tips for New Players
- 14. Optional Rules
- 15. 1861 Short Variant
- 16. 1861S 2-Player Variants
- 17. Credits
- 18. Design Notes
- 19. Tile Manifest
- 20. Glossary
- [ Playing Reference ]
1. Components (Double Sided)
The box contains a double-sided game map (1861: Railways of the Russian Empire on one side, 1867: Railways of Canada on the other) and double-sided versions of every game-specific component, so only one set of components is needed to play either game:
- 1 Game Map (double-sided: 1861 / 1867)
- 1 Market Board (Column Market and Grid Market stock markets, plus an Earnings per Share chart)
- 1 Train Yard
- 2 Phase & Round Trackers
- 48 Stock Tokens
- 1 National Railway Charter (Russian State Railway / Canadian National)
- 8 Major Company Charters
- 16 Minor Company Charters
- 5 Private Company Certificates
- 8 National Railway Station Tokens
- 24 Major Company Station Tokens
- 16 Minor Company Station Tokens
- 24 Revenue Tracker Tokens
- 46 Train Cards
- 72 Major Company Share Certificates
- 16 Minor Company Share Certificates
- 400 Paper Money
- 189 Track Tiles
2. Setup
A. Board: Choose whether you will be playing 1861 or 1867 and place the board in the center of the play area with the chosen game face up.
B. Stock Market: Choose which side of the Stock Market board to use and place it next to the board.
❖ Tip for first play: We recommend players use the Column Market (labeled in top-left corner) if this is your first game of 1861 or 1867.
C. Trains & Train Yard: Flip both the Train Yard and Train Cards to the side that matches the chosen game. Sort the Train cards by the number in the upper-left corner. Place them next to their corresponding number around the Train Yard. Trains labeled "2+2" and "5+5E" are placed next to the "8" section of the Train Yard.
D. Round Marker: Place the Round Marker on the "SR" spot of the Round Tracker.
E. Phase Marker: Place the Phase Marker on the "2" spot of the Phase Tracker.
F. Tiles: Separate the Track tiles by type into piles and place them near the board.
G. Certificates & Charters: Flip to side that matches the chosen game. Separate these items into individual piles near the board.
H. Company Tokens: Set out tokens from the chosen game. Separate them by company and place them near the board.
🍁 1867 only: Place a Canadian National token on the reserved city spot in Toronto (F16).
I. Loan markers: Place in a pile near the board.
J. Private Companies: Flip to the side that matches the chosen game. Place Private Companies in ascending face value order with the lowest being at the top.
K. Bank: Prepare the bank of $15,000, ensuring all players have easy access to it.
L. Starting capital: Hand out starting player cash based on player count.
| Number of Players | Starting Capital |
|---|---|
| 3 Players | $420 |
| 4 Players | $315 |
| 5 Players | $252 |
| 6 Players | $210 |
M. Player order: Randomly determine the first player and give them the Priority Deal marker.
3. Types of Companies
These are the different types of companies that will act during the Operating Round.
3.1. Private Companies
These are small railway companies or projects that were active during the dawn of steam locomotives that had synergies with later railway companies.
Private Companies are auctioned off to players at the beginning of the game and are each represented by a single certificate. A Private Company pays a fixed revenue, printed on the certificate, to its owner at the start of each Operating Round, and has a minimum bid price.
A Major or Minor Company, during its operating turn starting from Phase 3 onward (11.1), may purchase a Private Company from the owning player for any mutually agreed amount from $1 to a maximum of the Private Company's face value. A Private Company may not be purchased once it is owned by a Minor Company, a Major Company, or the National Railway (8.12).
Private Companies are nationalized compulsorily at the start of Phase 6 (10.1).
Some Private Companies, indicated in the tables below, add $10 to the value of the indicated city or off-board location when the company that owns them runs its trains to generate earnings. This bonus applies to each train running to that city or off-board location.
Private Company Details
| 1861 Private Companies | City Bonus | 1867 Private Companies | City Bonus | Number | Min Bid | Face Value | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tsarskoye Selo Railway | — | Champlain & St. Lawrence | — | 1 | 20 | 30 | 10 |
| Black Sea Shipping Company | Odessa D20 | Niagara Falls Bridge | Buffalo F18 | 2 | 30 | 45 | 15 |
| Moscow-Yaroslavl Railway | Moscow H8 | Montreal Bridge | Montreal L12 | 3 | 40 | 60 | 20 |
| Moscow-Ryazan Railway | Moscow H8 | Quebec Bridge | Quebec O7 | 4 | 50 | 75 | 25 |
| Warsaw-Vienna Railway | Poland A9, A11, A13, A15 | St. Clair Tunnel | Detroit A17, A19 | 5 | 60 | 90 | 30 |
3.2. Minor Companies
These are railway companies subsidized by the government to develop railway networks for Russia or Canada in the latter half of the 19th century.
There are 16 Minor Companies in the game: 10 yellow Minors and 6 green Minors. The 10 yellow Minors are available to start from the beginning of the game while the 6 green Minors are only available to start beginning in Phase 3. A Minor Company is always 100% owned by one player.
From Phases 3 to 7, Minor Companies may Merge or Convert to form Major Companies (9.1).
At the start of Phases 4 and 6, all trainless Minor Companies that have operated at least once are nationalized. At the start of Phase 8, all Minor Companies are nationalized (10.1).
A Minor Company that has Converted or Merged into a Major Company or has nationalized is removed from play.
3.3. Major Companies
These are companies that formed at the dawn of the 20th century through the consolidation of smaller railway companies.
There are 8 Major Companies available in the game: Major Companies can be started in one of two ways, either when Minor Companies Merge or Convert in a Merger Round or by purchasing the President's Certificate in a Stock Round after the start of Phase 4 (11.1).
Each Major Company has a single 20% President's Certificate worth 2 shares, and eight 10% certificates worth 1 share each. The President is always the player with the most shares of a company and makes all decisions on behalf of the Major Company. At any time, if a player owns more shares of a Major Company than the current President, the President's Certificate is immediately transferred in exchange for two 10% shares from that player who then becomes the new President.
If a Major Company is nationalized, it is available to be restarted later in the game.
3.4. National Railway
This is the government's railway that subsidized early railway companies and bought them out when they became insolvent.
The National Railway acts as a repository for all nationalized assets including money, trains, station tokens, and Private Companies. The National Railway is represented by the Russian State Railway (RSR) in 1861 and the Canadian National (CN) in 1867.
It exists from the beginning of the game, but only commences operation after the start of Phase 4 and terminates operation after the start of Phase 8 (11.1). The National Railway's primary interaction with players is advancing the game by purchasing trains and absorbing insolvent companies.
4. The Stock Market
The Stock Market visually represents values of companies as the game progresses. Tokens from Minor and Major Companies will be placed on the Stock Market to display the value of each share in that company and those tokens will move on the market during the game as their share values change.
This game comes with two options to use as a Stock Market: the Column Market and the Grid Market. Previous editions of 1861 used the Grid Market, while 1867 used the Column Market, but in this edition players may use whichever of the two markets they wish for either game.
❖ Tip for first play: It is recommended to use the Column Market for a first play of either 1861 or 1867.
4.1. Stock Market Zones
- Orange: Only Minor Companies may start here.
- Pink: Any company may start here.
- Blue: Minor Companies may Convert here.
- Teal: Only Major Companies may start here.
4.2. Stock Price Order
When companies act, they will do so in order of their values as indicated by the tokens on the Stock Market starting with the highest priced company, followed by the others in descending price order.
Resolving ties: If multiple companies share the same stock price and their tokens are in the same space, start with the company whose token is on top and proceed downwards through all tokens in that space. If using the Grid Market, and multiple companies share the same stock price but tokens are in different spaces, start with the company whose token is farthest right.
4.3. Stock Price Token Movement
A company's Stock Token will move on the Stock Market. Below is how tokens will move on the two markets.
Column Market:
-
Right: When a Minor Company pays a dividend, a Major Company pays a dividend equal to or greater than its stock price, (8.9) or when a Major Company is sold out at the end of a Stock Round, move the stock token one space right (7.6).
❢ Exception: In the event the Minor Company token is in a space next to the thick black border, instead of moving right, it does not move.
-
Left: When a company fails to pay a dividend (8.9) or any number of shares of a Major Company are sold by its President, move the stock token one space left (7.3).
-
No movement: When a Major Company pays a dividend that is less than its current stock price, the stock token does not move.
Grid Market:
-
Up: When a Major Company is sold out at the end of a Stock Round, move the stock token one space up (7.6).
❢ Exception: If a Major Company's token cannot move up, it moves one space down and to the right. Note that the stock price does not change.
-
Right: When a Minor Company pays a dividend or when a Major Company pays a dividend equal to or greater than its stock price, move the stock token one space right (8.9). If the stock token is already in the rightmost space of the row, it moves up instead.
❢ Exception: Minor Companies' tokens cannot move past the thick, black border. Instead, they move up.
-
Down: When any number of shares of a Major Company are sold by its President, move one the stock token space down (7.3). If the stock token is already in the bottommost space of the column, it does not move.
-
Left: When a company fails to pay a dividend, move the stock token one space left (8.9). If the stock token is already in the leftmost space of the row, it moves down instead.
-
No movement: When a Major Company pays a dividend that is less than its current stock price, the stock token does not move.
4.4. Moving a Token into an Occupied Space
When placing or adjusting tokens on the Stock Market, a token entering a given space is placed below any tokens already present (stacking them if needed).
4.5. Revenue Tracker
Companies can keep track of their current earnings per share on this chart with a station token.
[ The Game Begins ]
5. Private Company Auction
At the start of the game, an auction is held for the Private Companies. Once the auction is finished, the game will proceed with a Stock Round and will follow the Sequence of Play.
5.1. The Private Companies are auctioned in ascending face value order. The player holding the Priority Deal marker puts up the first Private Company for auction. Bids must be made in multiples of $5. Players may not bid more than their current cash holding.
5.2. The active player may make an initial bid on the available Private Company that is at least its Minimum Bid (as printed on the Private Company certificate). Proceeding clockwise, players must raise the current bid or pass. A player who passes may not rejoin the auction for that Private Company. The last player in the bidding wins the auction and pays the winning bid to the bank. The player to the left of the winner is now the active player and starts the bid for the next Private Company.
5.3. After all Private Companies have been sold, the player to the left of the last winner receives the Priority Deal marker and will take the first action in the Stock Round.
Note: The active player may choose not to make an initial bid on a Private Company and instead pass. If all players consecutively pass this way, the minimum bid for the Private Company to be auctioned is reduced by $5 and is offered to the player who had the first opportunity to bid on it. If this continues and the minimum bid reaches $0, the player who had the first opportunity to bid on it receives that Private Company at no cost. This counts as winning an auction and play proceeds as usual with the player to the winner's left.
6. Sequence of Play
The game cycles through different rounds where players will get to act for themselves and act for companies they control. The rounds follow this order and repeat until a game end trigger is met:
Stock Round → Operating Round → Merger Round → Operating Round → Merger Round
6.1. Stock Round
Players take actions to buy shares, sell shares, or start companies until all players consecutively pass.
6.2. Operating Round
A. Private Companies pay revenue to their owners. B. Minor Companies operate in descending stock price order. C. Major Companies operate in descending stock price order. D. National Railway operates (Phases 4 to 7 only).
6.3. Merger Round
Only active from Phases 3 to 7. Eligible Minor Companies are given the opportunity to Merge or Convert to form into Major Companies.
7. Stock Round
Players act as investors by using personal capital to buy and sell shares in existing companies or to start new companies. Players continue to take actions until all consecutively pass.
7.1. Taking Stock Actions
Starting with the Priority Deal player and proceeding clockwise, each player may take a stock action. During a stock action, a player may:
- Sell one or more Major Company shares and then may,
- Auction a Minor Company or buy one Major Company stock certificate.
A player who takes none of these actions passes. A player who has passed may act again in the Stock Round if it does not end before their next turn.
❖ Tip for first play: At the start of the game and until Phase 3 begins, no Major Companies can be formed. Therefore, the only available action in Stock Rounds during Phase 2 is to auction a Minor Company.
7.2. Minor Company Auction
A player may choose an available Minor Company to be put up for auction. At the start of the game, only the 10 yellow Minor Companies are available to be auctioned. Once in Phase 3, the 6 green Minor Companies become available.
Note: This action may not be taken after Phase 5 has started.
7.2.1. Selecting a Minor Company to auction
🚂 1861: Reserved city spots of Minor Companies are assigned on the map. The Nikolaev must be the first Minor Company to be put up for auction.
🍁 1867: Minor Companies do not have assigned city spots on the map. Instead, a player nominates an available, unstarted Minor Company and places its station token in an unoccupied city. Some hexes like Toronto or Montreal have multiple unconnected cities on the same hex. A station token in one of these city spots does not prevent another Minor Company from forming in a separate city spot on the same hex. Two city spots are only available for a Minor Company auction starting in Phase 3. These city spots are filled in with green. (Montreal L12 and Timmins D2). One city spot is reserved for the Canadian National in Toronto (F16). A station token should already have been placed here during setup.
The active player places an initial bid on their chosen Minor Company. The minimum bid for a Minor Company is $100 and all bids are made in multiples of $5. There is no maximum bid, but a player may not bid more than their current cash holding.
Proceeding clockwise, players may raise the current bid or pass. A player who passes may not rejoin the auction for that Minor Company. The player who bids the highest wins the auction.
The winner receives the Minor Certificate and charter, then pays their entire winning bid to the Minor Company treasury. A stock token is placed on the Stock Market at an initial value which is equal to half the winning bid rounded down to the next available stock price. The token may only be placed on the orange or pink sections of the Stock Market which range from values 50 to 135. A token is placed in the "Revenue Tracker" section of the Stock Market. The player to the left of the winner is now the active player.
7.3. Selling Shares
A player may sell any number of shares on their turn, given none of those sales violate the restrictions in 7.3.3. The player receives the current stock price for each share sold and places the shares in the Bank Pool.
7.3.1. If the shares being sold belong to the company's President, adjust the stock price after collecting money from the sales. When using the Grid Market, adjust the stock price one space down. When using the Column Market, adjust the stock price one space left. The stock price only moves one space even if multiple shares were sold as part of one action.
7.3.2. Presidency Change: A sale by a Major Company's President that leaves them with fewer shares than another player (who holds at least 20% of that Major Company) results in a Presidency change. The player who now holds the most shares of that company (resolving ties clockwise) receives the President's Certificate in exchange for two 10% shares and becomes President of that Major Company.
7.3.3. Restrictions on selling shares:
- A sale may not result in more than 50% of a Major Company's shares being in the Bank Pool.
- A President's Certificate may never be sold to the Bank Pool. It must transfer to another player in exchange for two 10% shares, which may then be sold to the Bank Pool.
- Minor Certificates may not be sold.
- Private Companies may not be sold (as part of a stock action).
- Shares of a Major Company that has not yet completed a turn in an Operating Round may not be sold.
Example: The President of the GR holds 60% while one player holds 20% and two others 10% each. The President may sell up to 50%, which is the maximum amount that can be in the Bank Pool. They exchange the President's Certificate with the player who holds the two 10% shares and place five 10% shares in the Bank Pool, then takes money equal to the stock price for each share they sold. The stock price is adjusted one space left, since the shares were sold by the company's president and the Column Market is being used.
7.4. Purchasing Shares
A player may buy one stock certificate (subject to restrictions in 7.4.1). The certificate purchased can be:
- A share from the Bank Pool, or
- A share from a Major Company's treasury, or
- An available President's Certificate, starting that Major Company.
Buying from the Bank Pool: To buy a share from the Bank Pool, pay its current stock price to the bank and take a share from the Bank Pool.
Buying from a Major Company: To buy a share from a Major Company's treasury, pay its current stock price to its treasury and take a share from the charter.
Buying a President's Certificate: Starting in Phase 4, a player may start a Major Company as a stock action by purchasing a President's Certificate. To do this, follow these steps:
-
Place a company station token on a city spot that is unconnected (a city that cannot trace a legal route to another city). If no unconnected cities exist:
🚂 1861: A Major Company may not be started in this way.
🍁 1867: The player who started the Major Company may then place the station token in a connected city that is unoccupied. If no cities meet these criteria, a Major Company may not be started in this way.
-
Choose its initial stock price in the pink or teal zone of the Stock Market (70 to 200) and mark it with its stock token.
-
Take the company charter, paying twice its stock price to the treasury receiving the President's Certificate. Place 2 tokens on the charter's spots that are not free, and put its eight 10% shares in the "Shares" space on the charter.
7.4.1. Restrictions on buying shares
- No more than 60% of one company may be owned by one player.
- A player may not purchase a share if they are already at the Certificate Limit.
- A player may not purchase a share of a company they have previously sold in the current Stock Round.
7.5. Certificate Limit
There is a limit to how many certificates a player may hold depending on how many players are in the game as listed in the chart below:
| Players | Certificate Limit |
|---|---|
| 3 | 21 |
| 4 | 16 |
| 5 | 13 |
| 6 | 11 |
A certificate is any component that signifies ownership in a company. Each Private Company, Minor Certificate, 10% share, and President's Certificate count as one certificate (even though a President's Certificate is worth 2 shares).
If there is a situation where a player holds more certificates than the limit (due to a change of presidency), that player must sell shares until they are within the limit before the end of their next turn in a Stock Round.
7.6. End of Stock Round
Reassigning Priority Deal: Once all players consecutively pass, give the Priority Deal marker to the player left of the last player to take an action this Stock Round. That player will act first in the next Stock Round.
Note: The Priority Deal marker does not move if no actions were taken during the Stock Round.
Adjust for Sold Out: Then, in stock price order, adjust each Major Company's stock price if it is sold out (i.e. 100% held by players) based on which Stock Market is being used (4.6).
-
Column Market: Move the stock token one space right.
-
Grid Market: Move the stock token one space up.
❢ Exception: If the stock token is already on the top row of the Grid Market, move it one space right and one space down.
Advance the game: Move the Round Marker to the Operating Round.
8. Operating Round
Players take actions for companies they control by following operating steps in order.
8.1. Connectivity
Companies and the National Railway are represented on the map by their station tokens. Minor Companies have 1 token, Major Companies have 3, and the National Railway has 8. These station tokens represent the origin point from where a company has a connection and therefore where it can interact with the map.
A company has connectivity to a point on the map if it can trace an unblocked path of any length from one of its tokens to its destination without reusing track or visiting the same city or town more than once. Reversing direction at a junction is considered to be reusing track (e.g. tiles #26, #31, #624). A path is blocked if it encounters a city whose spots are completely occupied by tokens belonging to other companies.
8.2. Loans
There are situations where a company or the National Railway may not have sufficient funds to take an action. For some actions, these entities may take loans to add capital to their respective treasuries to carry them out.
Loans are worth $50 with an interest of $5 each Operating Round. The interest is immediately paid when a new loan is taken. Therefore new loans add $45 to a company treasury. For each loan, the company places a loan marker on its charter.
A company may voluntarily take loans if it does not have sufficient funds for track building (e.g. terrain costs, connection costs, or a second tile lay) and MUST take loans for a compulsory train purchase or if it does not have sufficient funds to pay loan interest. Loans may never be taken to redeem shares, place a station token, or purchase a Private Company.
The National Railway will take out loans if it does not have sufficient funds for a compulsory train purchase or if it does not have sufficient funds to pay loan interest.
In all cases, these entities may only take out loans if they would otherwise be unable to afford such a payment and may only take out the minimum number of loans necessary to complete the transaction. Loans for a train purchase may only be taken if it is compulsory (8.11.3) and the train purchased is from the Train Yard or the Bank Pool (not another company).
Minor Companies may have up to 2 loans outstanding. Major Companies may have up to 5 loans outstanding. The National Railway has no loan limit.
8.3. Operating Order
A. Private Companies pay revenue to their owners. B. Minor Companies operate in descending stock price order. C. Major Companies operate in descending stock price order. D. National Railway operates (Phases 4 to 7 only).
8.4. Operating Steps for Companies
A. May Redeem shares from the Bank Pool B. May Lay/Upgrade tiles C. May Place a single Station Token D. Run trains E. Distribute earnings and adjust stock price F. Loan operations G. May Purchase trains (sometimes compulsorily) H. May Purchase Private Companies (Starting Phase 3)
Note: Steps A-G must be done in order. Step H may be done at any point during a company's operating turn once Phase 3 has started.
Not all operating steps apply to all companies:
| Operating Step | Minor | Major | Russian State Railway | Canadian National |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Redeem | • | |||
| Lay/Upgrade | • | • | ||
| Station token | • | Start of operation | ||
| Run trains | • | • | • | |
| Distribute earnings | Half Pay | Full Pay / Half Pay / Withhold | Withhold | |
| Loan operations | • | • | • | |
| Purchase trains | • | • | • | • |
| Purchase Private Companies | • | • |
8.5. Redeem
A Major Company may buy back any number of its own shares from the Bank Pool into the company's treasury, paying the current stock price for each share redeemed to the bank.
8.6. Lay/Upgrade Tiles
Track is represented by black lines on the map and tiles. It is used to create and improve routes for trains by laying new tiles or upgrading existing tiles.
Tile Lay: A tile is laid when a yellow tile is placed on the board in a hex space that does not already contain track.
Tile Upgrade: A tile (including one pre-printed on the map) is upgraded when it is replaced with a tile of a higher rank. The tile being replaced returns to the supply and is available to be used again.
Tiles are ranked by color in this order: yellow, green, brown, and gray. An upgrade may only improve a tile's rank by 1 step. Yellow upgrades to green, green to brown, and brown to gray. Gray tiles (including pre-printed ones) may never be upgraded.
Tile ranks are only available once the game phase allows it. Game phases will be addressed in detail later in the rulebook (11.1).
Track Actions: A company receives a free track action to either lay or upgrade a tile and may purchase one additional track action for $20 to lay a yellow tile. Loans may be taken if the company does not have sufficient funds to purchase this additional yellow tile lay. These actions may be done in any order but may not be done on the same hex (i.e. a company may not upgrade a tile it just laid).
Preservation: The tile being placed must preserve features present on the hex before its placement. This includes track, cities, towns, and hex letters but not printed costs.
❢ Exception: Kharkov (G15) on the 1861 map and Ottawa (J12) on the 1867 map upgrade as Y cities until they can be upgraded into their gray tiles (KH and O).
Locked hexes: A tile may not be laid in hexes marked with a lock symbol until Phase 3.
Upgrading green cities to brown: When upgrading a city tile from green to brown, the placing company must use as many track segments as legally able.
8.6.1. Restrictions
Tile Limits: With the exception of tiles #7, #8, and #9 (which are unlimited), all tiles are piece-limited. It is possible for a company to not have a legal track lay or upgrade on its turn.
Track may not connect to: the map's edge, a thick black border between hexes, an off-board location without connecting track, or a gray tile or area without connecting track.
8.6.2. Track Cost
Laying or upgrading track normally has no cost aside from paying for an additional track action. However, some tiles cost money when they are laid, upgraded, or connected to. If the cost is printed on the tile or hex itself, the cost is incurred when a tile is placed or upgraded in that hex. If the cost is printed on the border of two hexes, that cost is incurred when placing track that creates a connection across that border. Loans may be taken if the company does not have sufficient funds to pay for terrain costs as well.
❖ Tip for first play: Eligible tile lays and upgrades are indicated in the tile manifest (19.1).
🍁 1867 only: The small yellow triangles in G15, K13, or L10 represent track connections that must be made when yellow tiles are placed in those hexes.
Enhancing routes: A track lay or upgrade must either be a company's home hex, extend a company's route, or increase the revenue value of a city on a company's route. When extending a route, a company must have connectivity to at least one segment of new track on the placed tile.
Example: The KR would like to upgrade its home tile and lay an additional yellow track tile. Its home tile has segments of track coming out of the top and bottom-left and is labeled with the letter "Y". It upgrades this tile using a "Y" green city and ensures the original track is preserved. KR wants to lay an additional yellow tile, but laying an extra yellow tile costs $20 and the terrain will cost $40, and KR only has $50 in its treasury. KR takes a loan to add $45 ($50 minus an immediate $5 interest) to its treasury and pays $60 to lay a gentle curve.
8.7. Station Token
Station tokens represent where a company operates on the map. Major Companies place station tokens on the map to gain access to new routes, preserve their connectivity to sections of the map, or to block routes of other companies.
Once per Operating Round, a Major Company may place a station token on an open, unreserved city spot that it has connectivity to. The token labeled "20/hex" is used first. If it is already in play, use the "40/hex" token.
Note: Minor Companies skip this step as they only have 1 station token which was placed when they were auctioned.
Token Cost: The cost of a token is calculated by counting the shortest hex distance from one of its existing tokens to the new token location multiplied by the token's cost ($20 or $40) per hex distance. The distance measured need not follow track as it is calculated by counting the number of hex border crossings between the starting tile and the ending tile.
Example: GR would like to place a station token in St. Petersburg (brown "S" city). It has connectivity to it by track, but the shortest distance between GR's home token and St. Petersburg is 3 hex border crossings (denoted by the red lines). GR has its 20/hex token available, so it pays $60 and places a station token in St. Petersburg.
Reserved locations: Some city spots are reserved for either Minor Companies or the National Railway. A station token may not be placed in a city if it would prevent the reserved token from being placed.
Token limitations: No company may have more than 1 token on a single tile or hex.
8.8. Run Trains
If a company owns any trains, it operates them for revenue.
How trains make money: Each train will run a route which will connect different revenue centers like towns, cities, and off-board locations together. The values of the revenue centers counted on the route are then added up to find the earnings the train produced.
8.8.1. Route definition
Each train will run a route which is a continuous, unblocked length of track that meets the following conditions:
- Includes station token: One of the counted revenue centers has a station token from the operating company.
- No reusing track: No track or hex border crossing may be reused by any train during a company's operating turn.
- Revenue center limit: A route must contain at least 2 revenue centers, but may not count more revenue centers than the number printed on the train card used for the route (i.e. a 4-Train may count at most 4 revenue centers on its route).
- May not skip cities or off-board locations: Cities and off-board locations that are visited on a route must be counted. Towns visited on a route may be skipped when counting revenue centers.
- Reusing revenue centers: A revenue center may only be visited once on a train's route. However, a revenue center may be counted by multiple trains during the same operating turn provided no track is re-used.
- One revenue center per hex: Some hexes like Moscow or Toronto have multiple, unconnected cities. A train's route may not visit more than one revenue center from a hex.
- Blocked cities: A route may not pass through blocked cities but may include them at a route's beginning or end. A city is blocked when all of its spots are completely occupied by station tokens that do not belong to the operating company.
8.8.2. Calculating earnings
A train's revenue is the sum of all revenue center values that were counted on its route (adding any bonuses). A company's earnings is the sum of its train revenue(s).
- Private Company bonuses: If the operating company owns a Private Company with a revenue center bonus, add that bonus to each train visiting that revenue center on its route.
- Route bonuses: As indicated on the map, some cities provide a bonus for being included in the same route as other cities. This bonus applies to all trains that meet the route bonus requirement.
| 1861 | 1867 |
|---|---|
| If Ekaterinburg is counted in the same route as Moscow, Ekaterinburg's value is doubled. | If Timmins is counted in the same route as Toronto, Montreal, or Quebec, Timmins' value is doubled. |
8.8.3. Special trains
2+2: May only count 2 revenue centers on its route. The values of the 2 revenue centers are doubled.
5+5E: This is an "Express" train. It may skip cities it visits on its route but may only count 5 revenue centers when calculating revenue. The values of the 5 revenue centers being counted are doubled.
Example: KR has a 2-train and a 3-train. It runs a 2-train route from Kiev (D14) to Kharkov (G15) earning $80; it then runs a 3-train route from Kiev (D14) to Kharkov (G15) to Ekaterinoslav (F18) earning $100. Even though the 2-train visited the town between Kiev and Kharkov, it did not have to count it for its revenue. KR's total earnings for the round is $180.
8.9. Distribute Earnings and Adjust Stock Price
The operating company's President must now decide what to do with its earnings.
8.9.1. Earnings may be distributed in three ways
- Full Pay: 100% of the company's earnings are distributed to shareholders.
- Half Pay: First, 50% (rounded down to the nearest 10) of the company's earnings are placed in the treasury, and then the remainder is distributed to shareholders.
- Withhold: Place 100% of the company's earnings into its treasury.
Note: A company that has shares on its charter is considered to be a shareholder and therefore receives earnings.
Major Company Dividends: Divide distributed earnings by 10 and pay this amount per share to each shareholder. Shares in the Bank Pool do not receive dividends.
Minor Company Dividends: If a Minor Company produced any revenue, it must Half Pay. Split its earnings in half, giving 50% to the owner of the Minor Certificate then placing 50% in the Minor Company's treasury.
8.9.2. Adjusting Stock Price
Minor Company:
- Shift the stock token one space left if it did not pay dividends.
- Shift the stock token one space right if it paid out dividends.
- Flip the stock token over to show it has operated.
Major Company:
- Shift the stock token one space left if it did not pay dividends (it did not operate a train or Withheld dividends).
- Shift the stock token one space right if the total dividends paid were greater than or equal to its stock price.
- Do not shift the stock token if the total dividends paid were less than its stock price.
- Flip the stock token over to show it has operated.
Example: MKN has a stock price of 120 and earns $230 in revenue. It can either Full Pay, paying $23 out per share, Half Pay, retaining $110 and paying out $12 per share, or Withhold, retaining $230 into the company treasury. Below are the different distributions of money based on each payout and how the stock token would move.
| Shares Owned | Full Pay | Half Pay | Withhold | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MKN Charter | 3 | 69 | 146 | 230 |
| Player 1 | 5 | 115 | 60 | 0 |
| Player 2 | 1 | 23 | 12 | 0 |
| Player 3 | 1 | 23 | 12 | 0 |
| Stock token movement | → | → | ← |
8.10. Loan Operations
Paying loan interest: $5 interest must be paid for each loan taken on a previous operating turn. If the company treasury lacks sufficient funds to pay interest, it must take a loan and use that money to pay $5 interest for each of its loans (including the new one it just took). If it cannot take another loan because it is already at its maximum and therefore cannot pay loan interest, the company is immediately nationalized (10.1).
Repaying loans: After paying interest, a company that has at least $50 in its treasury and has one or more outstanding loans must repay as many loans as possible. Markers for repaid loans are removed from the company's charter.
8.11. Purchase Trains
Companies now may purchase trains that they will be able to run in future Operating Rounds.
A company may purchase one or more trains from the Train Yard or the Bank Pool at list price or from other companies at any agreed upon price with a minimum price of $1. Trains are purchased one at a time and all effects of each purchase are resolved before the next purchase.
Trains are ranked by number, with "2" being the lowest rank and "8" being the highest. A train purchased from the Train Yard must be from the lowest available rank (i.e. a 4-train may not be purchased until all 3-trains have been purchased). The 2+2 and 5+5E are special trains and become available after the first 8-train has been purchased.
🍁 1867 only: In Phase 8, Major Companies may exchange a train to get a 50% discount of its face value on another train.
8.11.1. Phase Change
The game phase advances when the first train of the next available rank is purchased. When this happens, advance the Phase Marker and all phase change effects happen immediately. This may reduce the train limit, rust trains, or nationalize companies during a company's operating turn. After resolving all phase change effects, the company that triggered the phase change resumes its operating turn.
8.11.2. Train Limit
The train limit is determined by the game phase. A company may not own more trains than the current train limit. A company at the train limit may not make any train purchases (even if such a purchase would cause its own trains to rust, keeping it within the train limit). If any company owns more trains than the limit as the result of a phase change, it must immediately discard excess trains to the Bank Pool (president's choice), without compensation.
Note: Trains may never be discarded voluntarily.
8.11.3. Compulsory train purchase
If a company or the National Railway does not own a train, it must purchase one.
Attempting a train purchase from another company: The company may purchase a train from another company by mutual consent. If no companies are willing to sell a train to the operating company, it must attempt to purchase an available train from the Train Yard or the Bank Pool.
Attempting a train purchase from the Train Yard or Bank Pool: The company may purchase any available train from the Train Yard or Bank Pool. (Multiple train types may be available due to discards and/or the game is in Phase 8 and the 8-train, 2+2, and 5+5E trains are available.)
If the company has enough money in its treasury to buy the train it wants, then follow the train buying rules as normal.
If there is not enough money to buy the train, the company must take a loan(s). Count the money in the company treasury and add $45 for each possible loan taken (up to the maximum the company is allowed) until there is enough money to buy the available train. A company making a compulsory train purchase is not required to purchase the cheapest available train and may take loans to purchase a more expensive train.
If a company would not be able to buy any available train, even if it took the maximum number of loans possible, the company instead takes no loans and is immediately nationalized.
If, after taking loans to conduct a compulsory train purchase, a company has money left in its treasury, it may purchase another train per normal train buying rules (for example, from another company by mutual consent).
8.12. Purchase Private Companies
From Phases 3 to 5, at any point during a company's operating turn it may purchase any number of Private Companies from owning players for mutually agreed upon prices. The price of a Private Company may range from $1 to its face value.
The purchased Private Company is placed on the company charter. Private Company revenue will be added to the owning company's treasury at the beginning of each Operating Round and any applicable city bonuses apply to that company's train revenue.
Private Companies may only be purchased from players and may not be purchased from any company.
8.13. Operating the National Railway
The National Railway advances the game by purchasing trains.
The National Railway in 1861 is the Russian State Railway (RSR) and in 1867 is the Canadian National (CN). From Phases 4 to 7, they will operate to advance the game, but will do so differently. At the start of Phase 8, the National Railways will cease operation.
1861: During Phases 4 to 7, at the end of each Operating Round, the RSR operates. The RSR only conducts a limited number of operating steps.
- Station Token: During its first operation, place an RSR token in the reserved St. Petersburg (E1) city spot if the RSR does not have a token in St. Petersburg already.
- Run Trains: If the RSR owns any trains, the player with the Priority Deal marker operates the RSR's trains for it, using the RSR tokens for its routes, and attempts to find the RSR's maximum possible revenue.
- Distribute Earnings: The RSR withholds all earnings, adding it to the RSR treasury.
- Loan Operations: The RSR pays interest and pays back loans per normal loan operations rules.
- Purchase Trains: The RSR always buys as many available trains as it can afford from the Train Yard (this may cause phase changes). If the RSR does not own a train, it conducts a compulsory train purchase. The RSR has no loan limit or train limit.
At the start of Phase 8, place the RSR's reserved station token on Moscow if it does not already have a station token placed there.
Example for 1861: The RSR begins its first operation. The RSR does not already have a token in St. Petersburg (i.e. SPW has not been nationalized) so the RSR places its reserved token in the designated city spot. The RSR does not yet own trains so it skips the Run Trains step. The RSR has $40 from previously nationalized companies and the only available train for purchase is a 4-train in the Train Yard. The RSR takes 7 loans and purchases a 4-train and has $5 remaining in its treasury.
The RSR begins its second operation. It runs a 4-train for $130 and Withholds all earnings. The RSR pays $35 interest on its 7 loans. It has $100 remaining and must repay 2 loans for $100.
1867: During Phases 4 to 7, at the end of each Operating Round, the CN exports the cheapest available train from the Train Yard and places it on its charter (this may cause phase changes).
The CN does not run trains, distribute earnings, take loans, or pay money for exported trains. All money from nationalizing companies should be placed back in the bank instead of on the CN charter.
At the start of Phase 8, place the CN's reserved station token on Montreal if it does not already have a station token placed there.
8.14. End of the Operating Round
Once all companies have operated, advance the Round Marker to the Merger Round and flip all stock tokens over (preserving their order if there are multiple stock tokens in one space).
Note: If the game is in either Phase 2 or Phase 8, skip the Merger Round spot and advance the Round Marker directly to either the next Operating Round or Stock Round.
9. Merger Round
Players turn Minor Companies into Major Companies.
During Phases 3 to 7, a Merger Round happens after each Operating Round. In a Merger Round, each eligible Minor Company in descending stock price order is given the opportunity to Convert or Merge.
9.1. Convert
A Minor Company is eligible to Convert to a Major Company if its stock token is in the blue zone of the stock market (100 to 165).
A. Price: The active player chooses an available unstarted Major Company and takes its charter. That player then sets its stock price to be the same as the converting Minor Company by removing the Minor Company stock token and placing the new Major Company stock token. If using the Column Market, place the stock in the same space in the Column Market. If using the Grid Market, place the stock token on the pink or teal space of the same value. In both cases, the stock token would be placed beneath any other tokens (if present).
B. Charter: All trains, treasury, loans, and Private Companies from the Minor Company are placed on the Major Company's charter in their respective areas. All 9 certificates of the Major Company are placed on the "Shares" area, with the President's Certificate on top.
C. Tokens: Replace the Minor Company's token on the map with the Major Company's "Free" token. Place the remaining two tokens on the "20/hex" and "40/hex" spots on the Major Company's charter. Place the last remaining token near the Revenue Tracker on the Stock Market board.
D. Shares: Exchange the Minor Certificate for the President's Certificate. The President of the newly formed Major Company may now purchase shares at the stock price up to the maximum allowed of 60%. Then, proceeding clockwise, each player may purchase one 10% share. All money from sold shares is added to the treasury.
E. Cleanup: All components from the Minor Company are removed from play.
Example: A player controls SPW and RO and would like to Merge them. All assets and loans from SPW and RO are placed onto a Major Company charter, in this case the merging player chose NW. The owning player exchanges both the SPW and RO Minor Certificates for the President's Certificate of the NW. SPW's stock price is 60 and RO's stock price is 50. NW's price is therefore 110. The new President may now purchase up to 60% of the NW at $110 a share and each other player is offered 1 share of NW at $110 in clockwise order from the President's left. SPW and RO station tokens are then replaced with tokens from NW and all components belonging to SPW and RO are removed from play.
9.2. Merge
Minor Companies are only eligible to Merge into a Major Company if they are connected (8.1). When checking for connectivity for a Merge, station tokens of Minor Companies involved in the Merge do not block. Additionally, Minor Companies are allowed to re-enter hexes previously visited when checking for merger connectivity.
A Merge requires at least 2 Minor Companies, but may include as many as 10 with no more than 6 being from one player. All owners of participating Minor Companies must agree to the Merge. One of the Minor Companies involved must be connected to all other Minor Companies. Separate cities in the same hex that do not have connected track (e.g. Moscow or Toronto) are not considered to be connected.
A. Price: The active player chooses an available unstarted Major Company and takes its charter. That player then calculates its stock price as the sum of the lowest and highest valued Minor Companies involved in the Merge (rounded down). The stock token is placed on the blue or teal section of the Stock Market which ranges from values 100 to 200.
B. Charter: All trains, treasuries, loans, and Private Companies from all involved Minor Companies are placed on the Major Company's charter in their respective areas. All nine certificates of the Major Company are placed on the "Shares" area, with the President's Certificate on top.
Note: This is the only scenario when a Major Company can have more than 5 loans.
C. Shares: Starting with the active player, exchange every Minor Certificate involved for a 10% share of the Major Company. The first player to hold two 10% shares exchanges them for the President's Certificate. Again starting with the owner of the active Minor, each player with at least one share may now purchase any number of additional shares at the stock price up to the maximum allowed 60% (if shares are available).
Note: If after this purchase phase no player holds 2 shares and therefore no player holds the President's Certificate, the Merge was not successful and all steps are reversed. Play continues with the next company to Convert or Merge.
D. After this initial purchasing phase, if any shares remain, all players may purchase one share, if available, starting with the President and proceeding clockwise. All money from sold shares is added to the company treasury.
E. Tokens: The President now chooses 2 station tokens from involved Minor Companies and replaces them with tokens from the Major Company. Place the remaining station token on the "40/hex" spot on the charter. Other station tokens from involved Minor Companies are removed from the board.
❢ Exception: If all Minor Company tokens are in the same hex, only keep one.
F. Cleanup: All components from the involved Minor Companies are removed from play. If the newly formed Major Company has more trains than the current limit, the President discards trains to the Bank Pool until it meets the train limit.
9.3. End of the Merger Round
Now that all eligible Minor Companies have had an opportunity to either Convert or Merge, advance the Round Marker.
10. Nationalization
The National Railway bails out insolvent companies.
Private Companies: These companies are nationalized at the start of Phase 6 if they have not done so already. The owner (player or company) receives face value from the bank for the Private Company and places the Private Company on the National Railway charter.
Minor and Major Companies are nationalized when:
- Cannot pay loan interest: A company that does not have sufficient funds in its treasury to pay loan interest must take loans if possible to cover the cost. If it is unable to do so, it is nationalized.
- Cannot afford a train: A company that does not own a train conducts a compulsory train purchase. If a company is not able to afford a train even if it were to take the maximum loans allowed, it takes no loans and is nationalized.
- Trainless at the start of Phases 4, 6, or 8:
- Minor Companies that have operated at least once and are trainless after rusting events from Phase 4 or Phase 6 are immediately nationalized in descending stock price order.
- Major Companies that have operated at least once and are trainless after any rusting event may be nationalized if its President chooses to in descending stock price order.
- Start of Phase 8: All Minor Companies are immediately nationalized at the start of Phase 8 in descending stock price order.
10.1. Steps to Nationalize Minor and Major Companies
A. The company pays off as many outstanding loans as possible.
B. Move the stock token one space left for being nationalized.
C. Move the stock token left for loans:
| 1861 | 1867 |
|---|---|
| Move the stock token 1 space left for each outstanding loan. | Move the stock token 2 spaces left for each outstanding loan. |
D. Players are paid the new stock price in exchange for each share they own. Minor Certificates count as 2 shares. Stock and revenue tracker tokens are removed from the board.
E. Outstanding loans are discarded, all assets (e.g. money, trains, Private Companies) are placed on the National Railway charter, station tokens are replaced with non-reserved tokens from the National Railway if any remain (max 8). Nationalized Minor Companies may not be restarted and are removed from play. However, nationalized Major Companies may be restarted.
Note: If a Major Company with multiple tokens is being nationalized and the National Railway does not have enough tokens available to place them all, place in order of decreasing city values (ties broken randomly).
11. Game Phases
There is no "Phase 1" in 1861/1867. Game Phases are defined by train numbers. At the start of the game, only 2-Trains are available, therefore the game begins in Phase 2. Phase 3 is triggered by the purchase of the first 3-Train and Phase 4 by the first 4-Train etc.
Tile availability accumulates across phases (each new phase's tiles are available in addition to earlier ones): ▼ = Yellow tiles, ■ = Green tiles, ● = Brown tiles, ✱ = Gray tiles. Offboard value follows the same color-coded progression, using the same symbols to show the current payout tier for off-board locations.
| Phase | Available Tiles (1861) | Available Tiles (1867) | Train Limit | Offboard Value (1861) | Offboard Value (1867) | Rule Changes and Game Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | ▼ | ▼ | Minor: 2 | ▼ | ▼ | Merger Rounds are skipped; Private Companies may not be purchased; Tiles may not be laid on hexes with a lock symbol |
| 3 | ▼ ■ | ▼ ■ | Minor: 2, Major: 4 | ■ | ■ | Private Companies may be purchased from players by Minor or Major Companies; Tiles may be laid on hexes with a lock symbol; Merger Rounds active; Green Minor Companies may be auctioned |
| 4 | ▼ ■ | ▼ ■ | Minor: 1, Major: 3 | ■ | ■ | 2-Trains rust; Trainless Minor Companies that have operated are immediately nationalized; Trainless Major Companies that have operated may be nationalized; National Railway commences operation; Major Companies may be started |
| 5 | ▼ ■ ● | ▼ ■ ● | Minor: 1, Major: 3 | ● | ● | Minor Companies may no longer be auctioned |
| 6 | ▼ ■ ● ✱ (1861 gray) | ▼ ■ ● (1867 gray starts phase 7) | Minor: 1, Major: 2 | ✱ | ● | 3-Trains rust; Trainless Minor Companies that have operated are immediately nationalized; Trainless Major Companies that have operated may be nationalized; Private Companies are nationalized |
| 7 | ▼ ■ ● ✱ | ▼ ■ ● ✱ | Minor: 1, Major: 2 | ✱ | ✱ | — |
| 8 | ▼ ■ ● ✱ | ▼ ■ ● ✱ | Major: 2 | ✱ | ✱ | 4-Trains rust; All Minor Companies are nationalized; Trainless Major Companies that have operated may be nationalized; Special trains are available for purchase; National Railway ceases operation and places any reserved station tokens |
Note: In 1861, Gray tiles become available starting in Phase 6. In 1867, Gray tiles become available starting in Phase 7 — 1867's Phase 6 offboard value stays at Brown (●) rather than advancing to Gray (✱).
12. Ending the Game
12.1. Game End Triggers
Purchase of the first 8-train:
| 1861 | 1867 |
|---|---|
| If the first 8-train is purchased in the first Operating Round of a set, finish this Operating Round and play 2 more Operating Rounds without a Stock Round, and then the game ends. If the first 8-train is purchased in the second Operating Round of a set, finish this Operating Round, conduct a Stock Round, then play 3 consecutive Operating Rounds, and then the game ends. | After the first 8-train is purchased, finish this set of Operating Rounds, conduct a Stock Round, then play 3 consecutive Operating Rounds, and then the game ends. |
Breaking the bank: (uncommon)
- The bank "breaks" when it runs out of money – or rather, the combined money in player hands and in company treasuries meets or exceeds $15,000. Players still collect dividends which can be tracked on paper or by using extra poker chips if playing with them.
- If the bank breaks during a Stock Round, complete that Stock Round and play 1 more Operating Round, and then the game ends.
- If the bank breaks during an Operating Round, complete that Operating Round, and then the game ends.
12.2. Determining the Winner
- First move every company share value one space left for each outstanding loan it holds.
- The winner is the player with the highest net worth: combined cash and total value of all shares. Company treasuries do not count toward a player's net worth.
Note: While it is very rare, it is possible for the game to end before all Private Companies or Minor Companies have nationalized. In this case, each Private Company is worth its face value and each Minor Certificate is worth twice its Minor Company stock price.
13. Tips for New Players
- Group your certificates from each company in separate splayed stacks near you so that it is easy for you and other players to count how many shares of each company you own. As you receive payouts during an Operating Round from each company, place earnings on their respective shares to indicate you have already collected payment.
- If there will be no significant changes to company payouts during the final Operating Rounds, rather than play them out, you can save a lot of time by calculating these values by hand or spreadsheet (moving stock tokens accordingly).
- It is common to end a game early if players agree a clear winner has been established, though this may not be easy for you to determine in your first few games.
- Use poker chips. While paper money is provided, poker chips were designed to make handling large sums of money easy and, as they speed up almost any transaction, will also make the game play time shorter.
14. Optional Rules
- Special trains: Play with unlimited 2+2 and 5+5E trains (recommended). Alternatively, only include two 2+2 Trains and two 5+5E trains.
- No stock price floor: When nationalizing, a company's stock price may be reduced below 35. Each time the stock price would move left of the 35 space, the amount paid out per share is reduced by 5. The stock price cannot fall below 0.
- Long game: Ignore the game end triggers based on the 8-train's purchase and continue until the bank breaks. The Bank size remains $15,000.
- Left of auctioneer: At the end of the auction of a Private or Minor Company, the next turn in the Stock Round is the player to the left of the player who proposed the auction rather than the player to the left of the winner.
- 1861 train exports: Instead of running the Russian State Railway at the end of each Operating Round between Phases 4 to 7, export 1 train at the end of each set of Operating Rounds (just before the second Merger Round). It is recommended that players use this variant for their first full play of 1861. (This rule is already used for 1861S.)
15. 1861 Short Variant
There are three separate sets of rules you can use to shorten a game of 1861. These three can be played in any combination. If this is your first play of 1861, it is recommended to use all three rule changes.
15.1. Starting Bundles
- Instead of the usual auction of Privates and Minor Companies, the initial setup includes bundles of Private and Minor Companies for sale – one to each player during the first Stock Round. Once a player has acquired a bundle, they take no further part in the Stock Round. All bundles have the same Minimum Bid.
- During the first Stock Round, starting with the player with Priority Deal, a player without a bundle must nominate one and place a bid of at least its Minimum Bid. Bids must be made in multiples of $5 and the player left of the last winner becomes the active player. When a bundle is acquired, place the treasury amounts on their respective charters then set the stock price for each Minor Company equal to half the amount placed in each treasury (rounded down).
- Players may find it useful to set up the bundles with the appropriate amount of money in each Minor Company before beginning the auction. Some bundles come with some cash; give this to the acquirer with the Private and Minor Companies (this money may not be used to bid up on the bundle!).
15.1.1. 3-player
- Minimum Bid: $395
- Bundle 1: Private 1, Private 5, N with $165, KB with $100, Bonus Cash: $10
- Bundle 2: Private 3, Private 4, MNN with $130, SPW with $120
- Bundle 3: Private 2, MK with $140, KK with $110, KR with $100
15.1.2. 4-player
- Minimum Bid: $275
- Bundle 1: Private 5, N with $165, Bonus Cash: $20
- Bundle 2: Private 2, SPW with $120, RO with $100, Bonus Cash: $10
- Bundle 3: Private 1, MK with $140, KR with $100, Bonus Cash: $5
- Bundle 4: Private 3, Private 4, MNN with $130
15.1.3. 5-player
- Minimum Bid: $220
- Bundle 1: Private 2, N with $165, Bonus Cash: $10
- Bundle 2: Private 4, MK with $140
- Bundle 3: Private 5, MNN with $130
- Bundle 4: Private 1, Private 3, SPW with $120, Bonus Cash: $5
- Bundle 5: KK with $110, KR with $100, Bonus Cash: $10
15.2. Operating the Russian State Railway
- The Russian State Railway has no treasury and no loans, just trains and station markers.
- During Phases 4 to 7, at the end of each set of operating rounds, just before the second Merger Round, the Russian State Railway exports the next available train from the Train Yard.
15.3. Game End
The end of the game is triggered by the purchase of the first 6-train. Finish the Operating Round, and play two more Operating Rounds, with a Stock Round in the usual sequence.
16. 1861S 2-Player Variants
16.1. General Rules
- Starting capital for each player is $420
- Certificate Limit is 21
- Shareholding limit is 70%
16.1.1. Remove the following trains
- 3x 2-trains
- 2x 3-trains
- 1x 4-train
- 1x 5-train
- 1x 6-train
- 1x 7-train
16.2. 2-player Standard game
Randomly remove two Private Companies from the game before starting the auction. The remaining three are auctioned in ascending face value order. Continue play with the Stock Round as normal.
16.3. 2-player Short game
16.3.1. Put Private/Minor Companies into bundles from the 1861S 3-player game.
16.3.2. Auction bundles per the 1861S rules. Minor Companies from the unbought bundle will be available to auction in later Stock Rounds. Private Companies from the unbought bundle are removed from play.
16.3.3. Use rules from the 1861S game, having the RSR export trains and triggering the game's end with the purchase of the first 6-train.
17. Credits
Game Design: Ian D. Wilson
Playtesting and prototyping: Steve Thomas, Mike Hutton
Game Inspiration: Francis Tresham's 1829 which brought forth Lonny Orgler's 1837 and Federico Vellani's 1841.
Graphic Design: Karim Chakroun
Illustration: Erik Frobom
Production: Joshua Starr
Editing: Frank Teplin, John Morrison, Garret Doe, Travis Hill, Justin Waugh
Insert design: Craig Trader
18. Design Notes
1861
1861 grew out of my love for 1837 and 1841. I liked the many minor companies at the start of 1837, and the relatively more flexible merging of 1841. Historically, most countries' railways started with many small companies, which then grew by merger, acquisition or recapitalisation. This is common to many industries. My thought was, "Why should the players be forced to evolve them the same as history?" This gives more variation from game to game.
I started with a play-test game called 18ME, and once the system worked, moved over to a Russian map (which I had created for another 18xx variant). Then I did some research—particularly useful was "A History of Russian Railways" by J.N.Westwood (1964)—and realised the importance of state intervention in Russia (even before the Revolution). The government was keen to encourage railway investment and happy to take over unprofitable lines, hence the generous nationalisation rules. The rule forcing nationalization of Minor Companies without a train ensures that the state railway does something vaguely historical. The game end is an attempt to simulate the Bolshevik Revolution. 1861 is a game where you are competing to be "first against the wall when the Revolution comes!"
The game is not generally won or lost during the initial auction (assuming the privates sell for sensible values). The crucial decisions tend to be associated with the shuffling of trains and how the minors convert to majors. In general, converting minors and buying paying shares is more profitable than starting fresh majors.
Railways came late to Russia. The Tsarskoye-Selo was an experiment which opened in 1837, and the Warsaw-Vienna opened in 1842 as a joint venture with the Austrians. The first proper railway in Russia wasn't opened until 1851—the state-financed Moscow-St. Petersburg (later renamed the Nikolaev). The Russian government was much more interested in waterways, and foreign investors were put off by the vast distances and weak economy. The Crimean War (1854-1855) changed many things. It was realised that railways were a vital military resource as well as an impetus for economic growth. The government raised capital by selling the Nikolaev and a large tract of worthless land (Alaska), and used this money to subsidise the construction of railways. The endemic corruption in Russia meant that a lot of this money ended up in the coffers of the railway barons, and scams akin to the Crédit Mobilier in the United States were commonplace. Nevertheless, by the Revolution, Russia was criss-crossed by many thousands of miles of railway. Indeed, the Revolution would not have occurred without the industrialisation which grew as a result of the rail network.
1867
When a variant of 1861 on a different map was suggested, I immediately thought of Canada. The parallels between Russian and Canadian railway history are significant: both countries were very large, with a harsh climate and weak economy. Both were more interested in water-borne transportation, so only a few short lines were opened in the early years; Canada's first was the Champlain & St. Lawrence (1837).
Both countries relied heavily on state aid to build, and later run, its railways. Both had a vast hinterland, which needed railways to open them up to colonisation and exploitation. By 1850, Great Britain had 6,621 miles of rail and the USA 9,021 miles. Canada had only 68 miles, but the Guarantee Act (1849) provided the government backing which led to considerable expansion. The first milestone was the completion of the St. Lawrence and Atlantic (1853), a joint venture with the Americans to link Montreal with Portland, Maine. This was followed by the Great Western (1855) which linked Niagara with Windsor, and the Grand Trunk (1856) which connected Montreal to Toronto.
The modern state of Canada was effectively created by the British North America Act of 1867. The Act required the building of a railway to connect the Maritime Provinces (New Brunswick & Nova Scotia) with the rest of Canada. The Intercolonial Railway (1872) was duly built to connect Quebec with Halifax.
In the 1880s, attention moved to connecting to the far west and the Pacific Ocean. The first such railway, the Canadian Pacific Railway (1886), connected to Vancouver. The Russians used this railway as the model for the Trans-Siberian Railway. Two more transcontinental systems were built: the Canadian Northern (1915), which also connected Vancouver to the east; and the joint venture between the National Transcontinental (1915) and the Grand Trunk Pacific (1914), which connected to Prince Rupert.
To improve the important trade with the USA, various river crossings were constructed. The Niagara Falls Suspension Bridge (1855) was the first such type of bridge built for a railway. Montreal's Victoria Bridge (1860) over the St. Lawrence, at 1.9 miles, was the longest bridge in the world when it opened. The Quebec Bridge (1919), also over the St. Lawrence, proved very costly to build; it still holds the world record for the longest single span of a cantilever bridge. In order to connect to Michigan, two tunnels were constructed: the St. Clair Tunnel (1891), between Sarnia and Port Huron; and the Michigan Central Tunnel (1910), between Windsor and Detroit.
Bibliography: Railways of Canada by Robert F. Legget (1973)
19. Tile Manifest
This section lists the count of each physical track tile included in the box and, for each tile, the tile numbers it may be upgraded into (standard 18xx tile numbering). The tiles' printed track patterns are graphical and are not reproduced here — consult the physical tiles or the map for the actual track layout of each number.
19.1. 1861 Tile Manifest
| Count | Tile # | Upgrades to |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 3 | 87, 88, 204 |
| 4 | 4 | 87, 88, 204 |
| 2 | 5 | 14, 15, 619 |
| 2 | 6 | 14, 15, 619 |
| 3 | 7 | 18, 21, 22, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 624, 625, 626 |
| 19 | 8 | 16, 17, 19, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 28, 29, 30, 31 |
| 24 | 9 | 18, 19, 20, 23, 24, 26, 27 |
| 2 | 57 | 14, 15, 619 |
| 4 | 58 | 87, 88, 204 |
| 3 | 201 | 207, 208, 622 |
| 3 | 202 | 207, 208, 622 |
| 2 | 621 | 207, 208, 622 |
| 2 | 14 | 63, 611 |
| 2 | 15 | 63, 611 |
| 2 | 16 | 43 |
| 2 | 17 | 47 |
| 2 | 18 | 43 |
| 2 | 19 | 45, 46 |
| 2 | 20 | 44, 47 |
| 2 | 21 | 46 |
| 2 | 22 | 45 |
| 5 | 23 | 41, 43, 45, 47 |
| 5 | 24 | 42, 43, 46, 47 |
| 4 | 25 | 40, 45, 46 |
| 2 | 26 | 42, 44, 45 |
| 2 | 27 | 41, 44, 46 |
| 2 | 28 | 39, 43, 46 |
| 2 | 29 | 39, 43, 45 |
| 2 | 30 | 42 |
| 2 | 31 | 41 |
| 2 | 87 | 911 |
| 2 | 88 | 911 |
| 2 | 204 | 911 |
| 5 | 207 | 623, 801 |
| 2 | 208 | 623 |
| 2 | 619 | 63, 611 |
| 2 | 622 | 623 |
| 1 | 624 | 39 |
| 1 | 625 | — |
| 1 | 626 | 44 |
| 1 | 635 | 636 |
| 1 | 637 | 638 |
| 2 | 39 | — |
| 2 | 40 | — |
| 2 | 41 | — |
| 2 | 42 | — |
| 2 | 43 | — |
| 2 | 44 | — |
| 2 | 45 | — |
| 2 | 46 | — |
| 2 | 47 | — |
| 3 | 63 | — |
| 3 | 611 | — |
| 3 | 623 | 640 (Kharkov only) |
| 1 | 636 | — |
| 1 | 638 | 639 |
| 1 | 641 | 642 |
| 2 | 801 | — |
| 3 | 911 | — |
| 1 | 639 | — |
| 1 | 640 | — |
| 1 | 642 | — |
19.2. 1867 Tile Manifest
| Count | Tile # | Upgrades to |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 3 | 87, 88, 204 |
| 4 | 4 | 87, 88, 204 |
| 2 | 5 | 14, 15, 619 |
| 2 | 6 | 14, 15, 619 |
| 3 | 7 | 18, 21, 22, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 624, 625, 626 |
| 19 | 8 | 16, 17, 19, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 28, 29, 30, 31 |
| 24 | 9 | 18, 19, 20, 23, 24, 26, 27 |
| 2 | 57 | 14, 15, 619 |
| 4 | 58 | 87, 88, 204 |
| 3 | 201 | 207, 208, 622 |
| 3 | 202 | 207, 208, 622 |
| 2 | 621 | 207, 208, 622 |
| 2 | 14 | 63, 611 |
| 4 | 15 | 63, 611 |
| 2 | 16 | 43 |
| 2 | 17 | 47 |
| 2 | 18 | 43 |
| 2 | 19 | 45, 46 |
| 2 | 20 | 44, 47 |
| 2 | 21 | 46 |
| 2 | 22 | 45 |
| 5 | 23 | 41, 43, 45 |
| 5 | 24 | 42, 43, 46, 47 |
| 4 | 25 | 40, 45, 46, 47 |
| 2 | 26 | 42, 44, 45 |
| 2 | 27 | 41, 44, 46 |
| 2 | 28 | 39, 43, 46 |
| 2 | 29 | 39, 43, 45, 70 |
| 2 | 30 | 42, 70 |
| 2 | 31 | 41, 70 |
| 2 | 87 | 911 |
| 2 | 88 | 911 |
| 1 | 120 | 122 |
| 2 | 204 | 911 |
| 5 | 207 | 623, 801 |
| 2 | 208 | 623 |
| 2 | 619 | 63, 611 |
| 2 | 622 | 623 |
| 1 | 624 | 39 |
| 1 | 625 | 70 |
| 1 | 626 | 44 |
| 1 | 637 | X6 |
| 1 | X1 | X5 |
| 1 | X2 | X5, X7 |
| 1 | X3 | X6, X7 |
| 1 | X4 | X5, X7 |
| 2 | 39 | — |
| 2 | 40 | — |
| 2 | 41 | — |
| 2 | 42 | — |
| 2 | 43 | — |
| 2 | 44 | — |
| 2 | 45 | — |
| 2 | 46 | — |
| 2 | 47 | — |
| 3 | 63 | — |
| 2 | 70 | — |
| 3 | 611 | — |
| 3 | 623 | X8 (Ottawa only) |
| 2 | 801 | — |
| 3 | 911 | — |
| 1 | 122 | 124 |
| 1 | X5 | 639 |
| 1 | X6 | 639 |
| 1 | X7 | 639 |
| 1 | 124 | — |
| 1 | 639 | — |
| 1 | X8 | — |
20. Glossary
Blocked: A city whose token spots are completely occupied by station tokens that do not belong to the operating company.
Breaking the bank: Game end trigger when all money from the bank is held by companies or players.
Certificate: A piece of paper signifying ownership in a company.
Certificate Limit: The limit for how many certificates (President's Certificate, Minor Certificate, Private Company, 10% share) a player may own at the end of their Stock Round turn.
Column Market: A 1-dimensional Stock Market where tokens can only move left or right.
Compulsory train purchase: A mandatory train purchase when a company does not own a train.
Connectivity: Being able to trace an unblocked path of any length from a company's token to its destination without reusing track or reversing direction at a junction.
Convert: When a Minor Company forms into a Major Company on its own.
Dividends: Company revenue that is given out to shareholders.
Export: When the National Railway takes a train instead of purchasing one. Exported trains are removed from the game.
Full Pay: When a Major Company distributes all earnings to its shareholders.
Game Phase: Current game conditions based on the most recently purchased train.
Grid Market: A 2-dimensional Stock Market where tokens can move up, down, left, or right.
Half Pay: When a Minor or Major Company places half of its earnings into its treasury and distributes the remainder to its shareholders.
Interest: $5 paid for each new and outstanding loan each Operating Round.
Insolvent: A company is insolvent when it either cannot afford to pay loan interest or it cannot afford to purchase a train.
Loan: Capital a company may receive when it has insufficient funds for a track action, an interest payment, or a compulsory train purchase.
Major Company: A 10-share company that can either be formed by merging/converting Minor Companies in a Merger Round or by purchasing its President's Certificate in a Stock Round.
Merge: When 2 to 10 Minor Companies form into a Major Company.
Merger Round: Opportunity for Minor Companies to Convert or Merge into Major Companies.
Minor Certificate: A piece of paper signifying ownership of a Minor Company.
Minor Company: A company that is 100% owned by one player. Minor Companies are started by auction during a Stock Round.
Nationalization: The process by which the National Railway purchases/absorbs insolvent companies from players.
Off-board location: A red-colored revenue center that may only be counted at the beginning or end of a route.
Operating Round: Round where companies act in sequence to expand on the map and generate earnings.
Phase: Stage in the game based on the highest-ranked train purchased train from the Train Yard.
Preservation: Tile lays or upgrades must respect all features and track present on the tile before placing.
President's Certificate: A 20% share of a Major Company. The holder of this certificate makes all decisions on behalf of the Major Company.
Priority Deal: The player who holds this marker will act first in the next Stock Round.
Private Company: A single certificate company that pays a fixed revenue to its owner. Provides route bonuses if owned by a company.
Revenue Center: City, town, or off-board location.
Route: What a train runs to generate revenue.
Rust: Remove obsolete trains from play.
Sold Out: When all shares of a Major Company are held by players.
Stock Price Order: Companies act in order of highest stock price to lowest.
Stock Round: Round where players act to buy or sell shares and to start companies.
Tile Lay: Placing a yellow tile on a hex that did not previously have any track.
Tile Upgrade: Replacing a tile with a tile of one color rank higher, returning the old tile to the supply if possible.
Train limit: The maximum number of trains a company may hold.
Treasury: Where company assets like money, trains, or shares are kept.
Unconnected: When a city cannot trace a legal route to another city.
Unoccupied: A city that has no station tokens in it.
Withhold: When a company places all of its earnings into its treasury.
[ Playing Reference ]
A quick-reference summary card. Consult the full rulebook for complete steps and edge cases.
Available tile ranks, and which actions are active, by Phase (shaded/marked cells indicate "available" or "active" in the original chart):
| Phase | Yellow Tiles | Green Tiles | Brown Tiles | Gray Tiles | May auction Minors | May sell Privates | Merger Rounds active | National Railway Operates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | ✓ | ✓ | ||||||
| 3 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| 4 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| 5 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| 6 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 1861 | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| 7 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 1867 | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| 8 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
— Auctioning a Minor Company —
- Select available Minor Company to auction.
- 1861: Nikolaev must be auctioned first.
- 1867: Select a city that is unoccupied and place a station token from any available, unstarted Minor Company in it.
- Minimum bid is $100, bids are in multiples of $5.
- Pay the winning bid to the Minor Company treasury.
- Set the Minor Company's stock price to half of the winning bid rounded down to the nearest stock market value. Place its stock token on the orange or pink section of the Stock Market.
- Place a station token near the "Revenue Tracker" area of the Stock Market.
— Steps to Convert —
- Check for eligibility: A Minor Company is eligible to convert to a Major Company if its stock token is in the blue zone of the stock market (100 to 165).
- Choose: Pick a Major Company to form into.
- Price: Replace Minor Company stock token with Major Company stock token.
- Charter: Place all assets from the Minor Company onto Major Company charter. Place all 9 certificates on the "Shares" area.
- Tokens: Replace the Minor Company's token on the map with the Major Company's "Free" token. Place the remaining two tokens on the "20/hex" and "40/hex" spots on the Major Company's charter. Place the last remaining token on the "Revenue Tracker" chart on the Stock Market board.
- Shares: Exchange the Minor Certificate for the President's Certificate. The President of the newly formed Major Company may now purchase more of its shares at the stock price, up to the maximum allowed of 60%. Then, proceeding clockwise, each player in turn may purchase one 10% share at a time.
- Cleanup: All components from the Minor Company are removed from play.
— Steps to Nationalize —
- Move stock token one space left for nationalizing.
- If playing 1861, move stock token one additional space left for each outstanding loan.
- If playing 1867, move stock token two additional spaces left for each outstanding loan.
- Pay new stock price to shareholders for each share held.
- Move all company assets onto the National Railway charter, exchange token(s) for National Railway tokens (if available).
- Remove components from nationalized company from play.
— Steps to Merge —
- Check for eligibility: Minor Companies must have connectivity to Merge.
- Choose: Pick a Major Company to form into.
- Price: Calculate the Major Company stock price by adding the lowest + highest Minor Company values (rounded down). The stock token is placed on the blue or teal section of the Stock Market which ranges from values 100 to 200.
- Charter: Place all assets from involved Minor Companies on the Major Company charter. All nine certificates of the Major Company are placed on the "Shares" area.
- Shares: Starting with the active player, exchange every Minor Certificate involved for a 10% share of the Major Company. The first player to get 20% exchanges those shares with the President's Certificate. The President is now able to purchase up to 60% and each other player may purchase 1 share.
- Tokens: The President now chooses 2 station tokens from involved Minor Companies and replaces them with tokens from the Major Company. Place the remaining station token on the "40/hex" spot on the charter. Other station tokens from involved Minor Companies are removed from the board.
- Cleanup: All components from the involved Minor Companies are removed from play.