Lunar Rails Rulebook

Table of Contents

Game Parts
Playing Board
Crayons
Cards
Load Chips
Preparation for Play
How to Play
Building Railroads
Hauling Freight
Event Card Effects
How to Win
Courtesy in Play
Variations
Quick Reference

Game Parts

Lunar Rails contains:

1 puzzle-cut board
95 load chips
1 sheet of load labels
2 decks of cards, including:
- 130 Demand cards
- 20 Event cards
- 18 Locomotive (Loco) cards (2-sided)
6 wipe-off crayons
6 pawns
1 pack of money
1 rulebook (now in your hands!)

IMPORTANT: THE PLAYING BOARD IS COVERED BY A THIN PLASTIC COATING TO ALLOW FOR EASY CLEANUP BETWEEN GAMES.

DO NOT USE ABRASIVE CLEANERS to clean the board; use a dry paper napkin or paper towel. Using water will not speed cleanup.

DO NOT USE OTHER MARKERS than those recommended — pencils, pens, regular crayons, and dry markers will permanently color the playing surface and ruin the playing board.

Whenever using any marker other than those provided, first mark the board away from the playing surface and leave it overnight. If the mark can then be wiped off without leaving a stain, the marker is usable. Each individual color has to be tested. Keep crayons away from direct heat.

ALWAYS CLEAN THE BOARD IMMEDIATELY AFTER PLAY!

Playing Board

The playing board shows a map of the surface of the moon. The map is divided into two sections: a "near side" (facing towards the Earth) and a "far side" (away from the Earth). The map has a grid of round and triangular dots, called mileposts. The mileposts regulate rail building and train movement.

The two sections are surrounded by "Wrap Letters." Each letter is in a colored circle. There are matching letter-color combinations on both the near side and far side. These Wrap Letters are used to travel from one side of the moon to the other. Since the moon is a sphere, you can wrap around it in both directions!

The map shows 56 cities. Eight of them are "Major Cities," and are marked with a large red hexagon. Near each city are symbols representing the goods available for pickup in that city. The map also shows the approximate location of crater walls, lunar mares, and highlands. These are represented by different symbols, which are explained on the map key.

Crayons

The special wipe-off crayons supplied with the game let players draw on the playing board during play and clean the board afterwards. You should not use any marker other than those supplied unless you first carefully test the marker for erasability on a section of the board away from the playing area. The crayons in this game are plastic based, not wax based.

Cards

There are three types of cards: Demand cards, Event cards, and Loco cards. Before playing, the Loco cards should be separated from the others and kept with the money.

The remaining cards (the Demand cards and Event cards) are all shuffled together to make the card deck. The card deck is placed face down near the board, in easy reach of all players.

Demand Cards

Each Demand card shows three demands, and for each demand shows:

The city needing the goods. (Apollo)
The money payable on delivery of the goods to that city. (23 million)
The goods needed. (Artifacts)

Event Cards

The deck has 20 Event cards which can affect the play of the game. The effects of each Event card are described on pages 7 through 9. When drawn, Event cards are immediately placed face up and shown to all players. The event takes effect immediately when drawn. After the event is resolved, you must continue to draw until you have three Demand cards. You must always have three (3) Demand cards (especially before making any additional deliveries). If you find that you have fewer than three Demand cards, you must draw a replacement Demand card immediately, whether or not it is your turn. Any Event cards drawn become effective immediately. A new card must be drawn after the effects of any Event card(s) are resolved.

Loco Cards

Each player has one Loco card, showing the type of train, its maximum speed, and its load capacity. There are five different levels of trains. The level determines which trains are available for upgrades. Each player begins with a level I train, called the Von Braun. A Von Braun train may carry up to 2 loads, and may travel up to 10 mileposts per turn.

You may upgrade your train during the Building Phase of your turn (or during either of the initial building turns). When upgrading, choose any available Loco of the next level. There are two types of Locos at level II, III, and IV. There is only one type of level V Loco: the Saturn. If there are no trains of the type desired, then you can either upgrade to the other type of that level, or wait until one becomes available again. The old Loco card is returned to the bank.

It costs 10 million to upgrade a train to the next level. The cost to upgrade counts against the 20 million per turn that can be spent during the Building Phase. If you wish, you may upgrade two levels in the same turn, but this would cost all of the 20 million you could spend that turn.

Here is a summary of the different trains available:

Level	Name	Max. Loads	Speed per turn
I	Von Braun	2	10
II	Redstone	2	12
II	Vostok	3	10
III	Atlas	2	14
III	Soyuz	3	12
IV	Titan	2	16
IV	Proton	3	14
V	Saturn	3	16

Load Chips

Before playing, the printed stickers must be applied to the plastic chips, one sticker per chip.

Each load chip represents a commodity which can be carried on your train. To show that a load is being carried, place the load chip on your Loco card.

The unused loads remain in the tray, where players can see what loads are available for pick up. When you deliver a load, drop a load without delivering it for payoff, or lose a load due to an Event card, the load chip is returned to the tray.

The load chips are limited to those provided in the game; additional loads should not be made (except as replacements). Charts showing the loads available and the cities where they can be picked up are included for player reference at the center of this book.

Preparation for Play

The players sit around the playing board. One player acts as banker; he gives each player 60 million to start the game. The banker manages the available Loco cards and load chips.

After shuffling, deal three Demand cards face up to each player. Any Event cards dealt are discarded and replaced until each player has three Demand cards (Event cards are discarded ONLY at the beginning of the game; Event cards drawn later are displayed and become effective immediately).

The player with the highest payoff goes first.

At the beginning of the game, each player should have:

3 Demand cards (face up)
1 Von Braun Loco card
60 million in cash
1 pawn and 1 crayon of the same color

The discarded Event cards are shuffled back into the deck, and the deck is placed on the board. Should the deck become exhausted during play, a player reshuffles the discard pile to form a new draw deck.

How to Play

Your turn is divided into two phases:

FIRST: Operation Phase: Operate your train, by moving, loading, and unloading, paying track use fees if necessary, and collecting payoffs;
SECOND: Building Phase: Spend up to 20 million per turn either to build track or to upgrade your train.

Instead of taking your turn, you may discard your entire hand and draw three new cards, resolving and replacing any Event cards drawn. Event cards drawn take effect immediately. If you lose your turn because of an Event card, you may not discard your hand during the lost turn.

After you have completed your turn, by giving the banker any money spent or declaring that no money will be spent in that building phase, the player to your left takes his turn.

Building Railroads

The board begins without any track on it. At the start of the game, players take two turns with no train movement to start building their rail empires. Each player may spend up to 20 million (of their initial 60) in each of these two turns to build track or upgrade his train. During the first turn, the first player takes his turn, and play progresses clockwise. After completing the first round, the player who played last during the first round goes first in the second round and the order of play is reversed (progressing counterclockwise) for the second building round. After the first two building turns, the original first player (the last player to have built track during the second building round) takes his turn, and play continues clockwise around the table. (This is known as the "Switchback Start".)

After looking at the nine demands listed on your Demand cards, you should find where the loads are located on the chart and relate each of them to the corresponding city on the board. Then you should plan a route for your railroad to connect up with the cities where the loads can be delivered for payoff. Then begin to build track.

To help locate the cities on the map, and where different loads are available for pick-up, quick reference sheets are included in the middle of this rulebook that can be removed for use during the game. The list of commodities is also on the back of the Von Braun Loco card. It can be used to help find the resources that you need to fulfill your demands.

Keep in mind that you will only be able to deliver one demand on each card! When you fill a demand, the Demand card is discarded and replaced. So, it is a good idea to try and fill demands on more than one card if possible.

You build your railroad by drawing a line from one milepost to the next. For each section of track, you must pay the cost for the milepost to which you are building. For example, building from a lunar mare milepost to a highland mountain milepost costs 2 million, building from a highland mountain milepost to a small city milepost costs 3 million.

Building Costs

The cost for building to each milepost is:

Milepost	Cost
Lunar Mare	1 million
Highland Mountain	2 million
Highland "Alpine"	5 million
Small or Medium City	3 million
Major City	5 million
Crater Rim or Valley Rille	1 million additional

The cost for building across a rim or rille is in addition to the regular cost for building to a milepost. Building across a rim to a mountain milepost thus costs 3 million.

Beginning Construction

A player may build track during his building turn from any milepost where he has already built track. In addition, during each Building Phase (including the first two building turns), a player may build one track segment from ANY two Major City mileposts per building turn, even if there is no track connected to that Major City. These mileposts can be in the same, or different Major Cities.

If a player wishes to further connect Major Cities on the same turn, then that player will have to build into the milepost and pay the 5 million. With careful planning, however, most players will be able to avoid building track into Major Cities (and the 5 million expense!).

Right to Enter Major Cities

Every player has the right to build at least one track to each Major City. No track may be built which blocks any player from connecting all the Major Cities.

No track may be built in the red area of a Major City.

Limited Entry into Medium and Small Cities

Only three players may build track into a medium city (squares), and only two players may build track into a small city (circles). No player may build more than three track sections to a medium or small city. No track may be built which would prevent a second player from building at least one segment of track into a small or medium city, or which would prevent a third player from building track into a medium city.

Right of Way

Only one section of track may be built between any two mileposts.

No Credit/No Loans

You may not build track unless you have enough to pay for it. Track drawn which cannot be paid for is immediately erased. You must also be able to pay for the rental of other players' track prior to using them.

Crater Rims and Valley Rilles

The cost for building track across a crater rim or a valley rille (the dark gray lines) is in addition to the regular cost for building to the milepost.

Wrap Letters

Because the moon is a sphere, it is possible to "wrap around" from one side to the other. This movement is controlled through the use of the Wrap Letters around the outside of each side of the moon. Every Wrap Letter circle is given a color and a letter. This circle corresponds with the identical color-letter combination on the other side. Note that the letters may be + or -, and they may or may not have a "prime" mark ('). The colors match these differences (so all orange circles are "+ letter, not prime").

Routes between the two sides of the moon can only connect through identical Wrap Letters. These Wrap Letters will always be the same color. These connections are always east-west, never north-south.

There is no cost for building track to a Wrap Letter. When you connect track to one of the circles, your route is automatically connected to the matching Wrap Letter on the other side of the moon, also for no cost. Then, you can build track onto the other side. You must pay the normal costs for building from the Wrap Letter back onto the map.

When you connect to a Wrap Letter, you must also build track onto the other side of the moon. You cannot simply "claim" a Wrap Letter by building track to it for free.

You may not build to the same Wrap Letter from opposite directions to avoid construction costs. Only one track segment may connect to, from, or between a given pair of Wrap Letters. Wrap Letters may not be used as a track "junction."

There are no movement point costs for moving to a Wrap Letter, but movement from a Wrap Letter costs the normal amount. A train may not end its movement for the turn on a Wrap Letter. When you move your train onto a Wrap Letter, you must immediately move your train onto the other side of the moon. Note that there is also no movement cost to move between matching Wrap Letters.

Scott and Peary

Because of their unique position at the poles, Scott and Peary allow a player to cross to the other side without the use of a Wrap Letter. The center milepost within Scott and the milepost within Peary are to be considered the same point as their counterparts on the opposite side. If a train is stopped on the common milepost on the near side it is also considered to be on that same milepost on the far side. In this case there is no movement cost to transfer from one milepost to the other.

Hauling Freight

You earn money by moving your train to a city where a load can be picked up, and then delivering that load to the appropriate city shown on one of your Demand cards.

Starting the Train

At the beginning of the game, each player may start his train (represented by his pawn) in any city on the map. (Note that you must begin building track from a Major City, but you may begin your train in any city.)

Running the Train

You move your train by traveling on track built on the board and counting the mileposts reached, up to the maximum movement of your train. The speed for each type of train is shown on the Loco card. The type of milepost does not matter, each milepost costs one movement point to move to regardless of terrain.

EXCEPTION: Movement to a Wrap Letter circle is always free.

There is no limit to the number of trains that may end a turn on one milepost or use the same track. One train may not block another train's movement; two trains may pass each other on the same track. A train may reverse direction only at a city (including all major city mileposts).

All players may treat the red areas of the Major Cities as if they had track there. This represents local belt or terminal rail systems. Trains may travel across the city using the red area as their own track. Loads may be picked up or dropped off at any milepost in the Major City. The center milepost is counted for movement.

You pay nothing to run your train on your own track. You may run on an opponent's track, but must pay 4 million per turn to each opponent whose track you have "rented" during your turn. You may not use an opponent's track unless you have the cash to pay before using it. These fees do not count toward the 20 million building limit in the second part of your turn.

Picking Up Loads

A load may be picked up by a train passing through a city where the load is available. If there is no load chip of that type available, then you may not pick up that load until one is returned to the bank.

Trains may carry up to two or three loads, depending on the type of Loco. The maximum number of loads that can be carried at one time is shown on the Loco card. Trains may carry different types of loads, or multiples of the same type. Your train may carry loads whether or not you have a demand for that load. You may drop a load without payoff at any city.

Picking up or dropping off a load incurs no movement penalty and you may still travel your full movement. During the Operation Phase, you may load, unload, and move your train any number of times in any order. Movement is limited only by the type of train and any Event cards in play. A train may not move more than its maximum movement during the Operation Phase, regardless of the number of starts and stops it makes.

Delivering Loads

When you deliver a load to a city with a demand for that load on one of your Demand cards, you must:

Return the load chip to the stock of available loads.
Receive the amount stated on the Demand card from the bank.
Discard the Demand card. Only one load can be delivered for payoff with each Demand card.
Draw a new Demand card. If you draw an Event card, it takes effect immediately. You must resolve the event before you continue. The event may prevent you from making other deliveries. After resolving the Event card continue drawing cards resolving events until you have three Demand cards.
Continue your turn, including, if you can: delivering another load for payoff, dropping a load, picking up a load, and moving. You may continue until your movement allowance is used up. When making multiple deliveries to the same city each load must be treated separately. You must complete each of the above steps for each load delivered, before making the next delivery.

After finishing your movement, you then proceed to the Building Phase. You may then spend up to 20 million to build track or to upgrade your train.

Event Card Effects

An Event card takes effect immediately when drawn. Most Event cards remain in effect until the end of the drawing player's next turn (in the next round), then it is discarded. However, the Rail Tax and Meteor Strike cards act once and are then placed in the discard pile. All players must obey the directions on the Event card while it is in effect. Here are complete explanations of the effects of the various Event cards:

Taxes

When the Rail Tax card is drawn, all players must immediately count the money they have on hand. The value of tracks and Locos are not counted. You must pay taxes to the bank, based on the chart shown on the Rail Tax card. After all players have paid the tax, the Rail Tax card is discarded. After the Rail Tax card has taken effect, the amount of cash each player has on hand becomes "public information." Each player must show his cash at all times.

Meteor Showers

One of the greatest hazards on the moon is meteors. Since the moon has no atmosphere, there is little to protect rails and trains on the surface. When a Meteor Shower is drawn, dangerous meteors will strike the moon, possibly destroying track and disrupting rail traffic.

To resolve the Meteor Shower, follow these steps:

Turn over the next card in the deck. If the card is an Event, place it to the side (resolve these events in order after completing the Meteor Shower). If the card is a Demand card, place it face up where all players can see.
Find all three cities listed on the Demand card. The meteors will strike near these cities. The Meteor Shower card will indicate which direction and the distance from the city. Count the distance, just like moving a train. If the meteor strikes near a Major City, count from the center milepost.
Erase any track connected to that milepost, and any track connected to the six mileposts adjacent to it.
If there are any trains on any of those seven mileposts, then the owner loses his next turn, and must give ALL loads on his train back to the bank. He then places his train pawn on any city to which he has track already built.
Discard the Demand card. Keep the Meteor Shower card face up as a reminder to those players who lose their next turn.

If Peary or Scott are listed on the Demand card, then special care must be taken to determine which direction to count. A box is printed on the map near both poles that shows the direction that the meteor actually lands.

Note: it is possible that the meteor will land on a Wrap Letter, or miss the map entirely. If this happens, then the meteor has narrowly missed the moon! There is no further effect, and the meteor does not "wrap" to the other side of the moon.

Sample Meteor Showers card text: DRAW THE NEXT DEMAND CARD. METEORS STRIKE THREE MILEPOSTS NORTH OF ALL THREE CITIES LISTED. ALL TRACK WITHIN ONE MILEPOST OF EACH STRIKE IS DESTROYED, BUT MAY BE REBUILT. ALL TRAINS IN AFFECTED AREA LOSE ONE TURN AND ALL LOADS.

Strikes

Each Strike card indicates which major union has gone on strike. As long as the strike lasts, all players must obey the restriction on the card. Strikes always last until the END of the drawing player's NEXT turn. Keep the Event card face up in front of the drawing player as a reminder. At the end of his next turn, place the strike card into the discard pile.

Shortages and Booms

Sometimes, demand for certain loads will be so high that players will not need a Demand card in order to deliver them! While a Shortage or Boom event is in effect, ANY player may deliver one of the loads listed on the card. This load can be delivered to ANY Major City on the board. The first player to deliver the load receives a 20 million payout! Once any of the listed loads has been delivered, the Event card is discarded. The Event card is also discarded if three full turns pass and no one has filled the special demand. Keep the card face up in front of the drawing player as a reminder.

Seismic Events

The moon has a long history of geological activity. Unknown forces can trigger "Moon Quakes" and "Lava Flows." When these occur, the precision construction required to build Lunar Rails is impossible. These events will specify the types of terrain that are in danger. For the duration of the event, no train may move in (to, from, or through) the type of terrain listed. Also, no railbuilding is allowed in those areas.

Decompression

Since the moon has no atmosphere of its own, humans must create their own. Pressurized domes and buildings allow humans to live and work there. Sometimes, an accident can cause a loss of pressure, and the life-giving atmosphere can be lost. Even a minor decompression event can disrupt operations and put people in danger. If a player draws this card, then his Operations Center has suffered an accident that has caused a loss of pressure. This disruption prevents all players from moving any trains on track that belongs to this player. The required repairs last until the end of the drawing player's next turn, at which time his railroad can operate normally again.

Solar Flares and Cosmic Rays

The moon is under constant bombardment from hazardous radiation and other dangers of outer space. Sometimes, these Solar Flares and Cosmic Rays are so dangerous, that trains cannot safely operate on the surface. Each Flare or Ray card will indicate one half of the moon. Any trains in the affected area must seek cover in a city or by leaving the area. At the end of each player's turn, check and see if their train is still in the affected area, and not in a city. Any train caught in the open in the area hit by a Solar Flare loses one turn and one load (owner's choice). Cosmic Rays are even more dangerous. Any train in the affected area after its move will lose one turn and ALL loads. Cosmic Rays are so dangerous, that during the duration of that event, all track rental fees are waived, so players may use other players' tracks for free. But, the train crews will refuse to leave shelter. No trains in the area affected by Cosmic Rays can leave a city milepost until the storm is over. Also, no railbuilding is allowed in the area affected by Solar Flares or Cosmic Rays. You may still upgrade your train, or build track on the half of the moon that is not affected by the event.

NOTE: Remember that a train may only reverse direction at a city milepost! You may not move your train backwards to avoid Solar Flares or Cosmic Rays!

A Note on Losing Turns

If you lose your turn, you may not move or operate your train. You may not deliver or pick up any loads. You also may not build track or upgrade your Loco. You may not use your lost turn to discard all your Demand cards and draw new ones.

If it is your turn, and you draw an Event card that causes you to lose your turn, then you lose the rest of the current turn AND all of your next turn. For this reason, it is important to resolve any event drawn right away. If you were trying to deliver two loads to the same city, and an event caused you to lose your turn after you deliver the first load, then you would have to wait until after you lose your next turn before you could deliver the second load!

How to Win

The winner of the game will be the first player to complete these two requirements:

Connect seven of the eight Major Cities with a continuous line of track. This track can have any number of loops and branches, but must be unbroken.
Have at least 250 million in cash at the end of his turn. Only cash is counted; the money spent on building railroads or upgrading locomotives does not count toward winning.

Courtesy in Play

A player's Demand cards and Loco cards (together with the load chips on the Loco cards) must be face up in front of the player for all to see. A player need not show his money until after the Rail Tax Event card appears, after which the amount of each player's money is also public information.

Variations

Here are some optional rules that players might want to try when playing Lunar Rails. All players must agree to any optional rules that are used before the game begins.

Be Alert: Some of these optional rules radically alter the play of the game!

Special Tournament Rules

Time Limits

During tournament play, it may be necessary to enforce a time limit for each game. All players should be made aware of the time limit before the game begins. If any player wins before the time limit is reached, then he is the winner. Otherwise, play continues until the stated time limit passes. Once time has expired, play continues for one last round (so all players get an equal number of turns). The player who has a continuous line of track that connects seven of the Major Cities, and who has the most cash on hand is the winner. If no player's track connects seven Major Cities, the player with the most cash wins. If the tournament awards second or third place, then having a connection to all seven cities takes precedence over having the most money for those positions as well.

Equal Turns

When a player declares victory (by connecting seven of the eight Major Cities and having 250 million in cash), play continues until the current round ends (i.e. until each player has completed an equal number of turns). If two or more players declare victory in the same round, then the one with the most cash wins. In the event of a tie, the victory requirement becomes 300 million and play continues, with all players still eligible to win.

The Lunar "Golden Spike" Award

The Lunar Authority has offered a 20 million prize to the first company that is able to complete a "circumlunar" railroad. The route must span the entire moon, from east to west, or north to south, and must cross both the near side and the far side. An east-west route must be connected between the Wrap Letters marked G. A north-south route must connect between the Wrap Letters marked Y. These restrictions are indicated on the map with a small golden spike. Except for passing between the spikes, the route may deviate from a straight line as much as the builder desires.

Easy Start

Deal four cards to each player at the beginning of the game instead of three. Each player must choose one of these four cards to discard before the first player begins building track. This will help players to get a solid start.

New Craters

Often, when a large meteor strikes the moon, it will create a new crater. This optional rule allows you to simulate this. When the Meteor Showers event is drawn, each impact site will become the center of a new crater. Using a crayon that is not in use by any player, draw a circle around the center milepost of each impact. Then, mark this milepost as "clear" (lunar mare). When rebuilding track destroyed by the meteor, the increased costs must be paid. It is possible that a city will suffer a direct hit by a meteor! That city milepost is also destroyed and converted to mare! If a small or medium city is struck by a meteor, then no player will be able to deliver or pick up loads at that city for the rest of the game!

Open Contracts

If a player has to "dump" all of his cards (to draw new ones), do not put these cards in the discard pile. Instead, place them face up next to the board. Any player (including the player that "dumped" the cards) may fill any of the demands shown on these cards. When any demand on one of these cards is filled, the card is discarded. Do not draw a replacement for this card. If there are ever more than four Open Contracts, randomly choose enough to discard to bring the total down to four.

"Light Engine" Moves

The low gravity of the moon makes it easy for trains to move fast. An empty train can move even faster! If your train is carrying fewer than the maximum number of loads for the whole Movement Phase, then you may move one additional milepost for each empty space. For example: A Saturn carrying one load has two empty spaces. It may move two extra spaces (for a total of 18). If the train picked up a load, at any point during the move, it would only get one bonus movement (for a total of 17). If the train delivers a load during the move, then it does not get to increase the movement that turn. If the train drops off a load, and picks up another one, then the movement allowance would not change.

Historic Landing and Impact Sites

Mankind's early exploration of the moon has been recorded on our map. All of the major sites have been marked with a small cross (+) and a letter/number combination that explains which mission landed there. The different letters represent these important efforts in Lunar exploration:

Letter	Mission
A	U.S. Apollo missions
L	U.S.S.R. Luna missions
LO	U.S. Lunar Orbitor
LP	U.S. Lunar Prospector
R	U.S. Ranger missions
S	U.S. Surveyor missions

Mercy

During play by beginners (but also by old hands), it occasionally happens that a player becomes trapped and unable to build or to move to get out of the predicament. Sometimes, the solution comes from merely discarding your hand and getting new cards; more often the position is untenable. To let the player continue enjoying the game, try one of these rules:

Loans

You may borrow up to 20 million from the bank and immediately spend it on building or hold it to pay other players' track use fee. You must repay the bank double the amount borrowed from all delivery payoffs until the doubled amount is completely repaid. (Optionally, if all players agree, the stuck player can be forced to discard his hand three times before he is allowed to take a loan.)

Late Payment of Use Fee

You may use another player's track and pay the track usage fee from delivery payoffs obtained by delivering loads while on the other player's track. Once leaving the track all fees must be paid in full.

Backtracking

You may reverse your train's direction on any milepost (not just a city milepost) at the cost of losing one full turn. A train which backtracks can move in any direction in its next turn. Your train may not backtrack on the same turn that you discard your cards; a train may backtrack if it cannot move for any other reason (e.g. Decompression, and Rail Strike). If you backtrack while on an opponent's track, you must pay the use fee for that turn.

Starting Over

You may choose to start over. All money, loads on your train, and tracks previously drawn are removed. Three new Demand cards are drawn (any Event cards take effect immediately). You once again start with 60 million and a Von Braun, and start by building 20 million worth of track on the restart turn. Normal start rules apply.

If removal of your track will prove to be a hardship on any other player, because they were planning on renting your track on an upcoming turn, then this track remains on the board until that run has been made, and is then removed. The player's 4 million for renting the track is given to the bank instead of you. By the player declaring this, you may be able to continue the game without restarting. Under this circumstance, you may choose not to restart and the other player is now committed to using the track as declared. Play would continue as normal, while you wait for the other player to actually rent the track.

Honeymoon Game

This is an optional two player version of the game. The following adjustments are made:

Reduce the commodities available by one for every type of load.
Only two players may build track into a medium city (squares), and only one player may build track into a small city (circles). No player may build more than three track sections to a medium or small city.
A player who intends to build to a small city must have a Demand card for that city or for a commodity available at that city. Once you build the track, the delivery or pickup must be performed.
Any loads may be dropped at any city. If the load is available in the city, it is returned to the tray. If the load is not available there, then it remains in that city. If there is already a load chip at the city, the first load chip is then returned to the tray and the newly dropped load remains. This load is now available to be picked up by either player at a later point.

Challenge Game

To create a more challenging game for experienced players, use any or all of the following rule changes:

Operating Expenses

Each player must pay 1 million per turn that his train moves on its own track. The 4 million cost for moving on the other players' track remains the same.

Cost to Load

Each player uses one milepost of movement to pick up or drop off one load. For example, if a player both picks up 1 load and drops off 1 load or if a player picks up 2 loads, the player has used 2 mileposts of movement.

Selling and Trading Track

Instead of building track, a player may purchase track from another player for whatever price both players agree to. The purchase may take place only in the purchasing player's turn. Players can agree to trade track for track, with no money involved. In both trading and selling, the selling player replaces his colored lines with lines of the new owner's color.

Field Warehousing

Loads dropped off in a city without a payoff remain at that city for 4 turns. During that time, any player may pick up that load by passing through the city and picking it up normally. At the end of the dropping player's fourth subsequent turn, the load is returned to the tray.

Field Warehousing (Wordelmann Variant)

Loads dropped off in a city without a payoff remain at that city indefinitely. During that time, any player may pick up that load by passing through the city and picking it up normally. There are two exceptions to how long the load may stay in the city:

If the load is produced by the city normally, then the load is just returned to the tray becoming available normally.
If a player arrives in a city which normally provides the commodity, but the tray is empty, the player may choose any commodity of this type from any field warehouse on the board. The player must stay in the city for the complete next turn as the load is retrieved.
When a disaster occurs which affects a city with stored loads all of these loads are returned to the tray. The disasters in effect destroy all field warehouses in the area named.

Private Warehousing

A player may build one private warehouse on the board at any mare milepost. This costs 10 million, and is considered part of the building turn. Only one warehouse may occupy any one milepost. To signify its location, the player draws a square around that milepost. To all other players, this milepost is still treated as a mare milepost.

The player owning this warehouse may drop off up to two loads at this location. They remain there under his control until one of the following occurs:

The player picks up the load at a later time. (Possibly replacing it with a new load.)
A player arrives in a city, which normally provides the commodity, but the tray is empty, the player may choose to take the commodity from any private warehouse on the board. The player must stay in the city for the complete next turn as the load is retrieved.
The player may exchange the commodity with any other player passing through at no additional cost.
The player may sell the commodity to another passing train for 5 million.
When a disaster occurs which affects a warehouse with stored loads, all of these loads are returned to the tray. The disaster destroys loads in private warehouses in the area named. The warehouse remains for future use by the player. If the warehouse is struck by a meteor during a Meteor Showers event, then it is destroyed but may be rebuilt (for the normal cost).

Additional Trains

Each player starts with two trains, a Von Braun and a Level II train of his choice, which may be upgraded in the usual way. Each player may move both of his trains every turn. Players may (by mutual agreement) have four Demand cards instead of three.

Branching

Players may build track from mileposts connected to other player's track. No junction charge is paid. User fees are charged in the usual manner.

New Loads & Demands

A multitude of new loads have been proposed. To create new loads, mark them on the map (using a new color of crayon) and use the extra chips to make new load chips. Demand cards may be made, and issued a card number. When that card number is drawn, the new card is used in replacement. Try your hand at it. Our favorite one is:

The Circus

At the start of the game, put one of the two Circus load chips in Hertzsprung, and the other in Mare Nectaris. The Circus remains in that city until they are picked up by a train (see the rules for "Field Warehousing").

Each Demand card with a number divisible by 10 (e.g., 20, 30, ..., 110, 120, 130) is modified by changing the lowest-payoff demand(s); that demand becomes 20 million to deliver the Circus to that city.

The Demand card then works normally, but when the Circus is delivered to a city, it remains there until picked up and delivered again. A player may not pick up the Circus unless he has a Demand card for the Circus; however it may be dropped without payoff at any city, and if it is lost due to an Event card, it is placed at the nearest city.

Quick Reference

The Start

Starting Cash: 60 million
Number of Building Turns: 2 Turns
Switchback Start

The Finish

Ending Cash: 250 million
Number of Major Cities Connected: 7 of 8

Building Costs

Milepost	Cost
Lunar Mare	1 million
Highland Mountain	2 million
Highland Alpine	5 million
Small City	3 million
Large City	3 million
Major City	5 million
Crater Rim or Valley Rille	1 million add'l

The cost for building across a rim or rille (1 million) is in addition to the regular cost for building to the milepost. Building across a rim to a mountain milepost thus costs 3 million.

Special Note: You may build out of any Major City twice during your Building Phase. When drawing out of a Major City, the cost is the milepost being drawn. If you decide to connect to three Major City mileposts in the same turn, then the cost to build into the third milepost is 5 million.

Available Loads

The number in parentheses is the number of loads available.

Load	Available at
Artifacts (3)	Tycho
Aluminum (3)	Apollo, Australe
Bauxite (4)	Barrow, Biela, Fleming, Lyman, Mendel
Beer (3)	Hayn, Linne
Chemicals (4)	Archimedes, Copernicus, Plato
Comp. Chips (3)	Clavius, Kulik
Con. Mats. (3)	Australe, Orientale
Diamonds (3)	Tsiolkovskiy
Fish (3)	Gauss, Joliot, Verne
Fruit (3)	Grimaldi
Grain (4)	Lorentz, Plank, Schickard
Haz. Mat. (4)	Archimedes, Mare Humorum, Mare Ingenii
Helium-3 (3)	Aristarchus, Messier
Hydroponics (3)	Aristoteles, Clavius, Pavlov
Imports (3)	Hertzsprung, Mare Nectaris
Iron (4)	Arzachel, Gagarin, Helmholtz, Pythagoras
KREEP Ore (3)	Russell, Van de Graaff
Machinery (4)	Hayn, Mach, Sinus Roris, Wells
Recyclables (4)	Hertzsprung, Mare Crisium, Mare Moscoviense, Mare Nectaris, Sinus Iridum
Robots (3)	D'Alembert
Scientists (3)	Mare Crisium, Sinus Iridum
Solar Coll. (3)	Apollo, Kulik
Steel (4)	Oceanus, Sinus Roris, Tsiolkovskiy
Titanium (4)	Balmer, Lowell, Schickard
Tourists (3)	Mare Crisium, Sinus Iridum
Water (3)	Scott
Wine (3)	Becvar, Michelson
Workers (3)	Mare Humorum, Mare Moscoviense

Cities

City	Location	Loads
Apollo	Far-SE	Aluminum, Solar Collectors
Archimedes	Near-NW	Chemicals, Hazardous Materials
Aristarchus	Near-NW	Helium-3
Aristoteles	Near-NE	Hydroponics
Arzachel	Near-S. Central	Iron
Australe	Near-SE	Aluminum, Construction Materials
Balmer	Near-SE	Titanium
Barrow	Near-N. Central	Bauxite
Becvar	Far-W. Equator	Wine
Biela	Near-SE	Bauxite
Carnot	Far-NE	—
Clavius	Near-SW	Computer Chips, Hydroponics
Copernicus	Near-NW	Chemicals
Daedalus	Far-Central	—
D'Alembert	Far-NW	Robots
Fleming	Far-NW	Bauxite
Gagarin	Far-SW	Iron
Gauss	Near-NE	Fish
Grimaldi	Near-W. Equator	Fruit
Hayn	Near-NE	Beer, Machinery
Helmholtz	Near-SE	Iron
Hertzsprung	Far-E. Equator	Imports, Recyclables
Joliot	Far-NW	Fish
Kulik	Far-NE	Computer Chips, Solar Collectors
Linné	Near-NE	Beer
Lorentz	Far-NE	Grain
Lowell	Far-SE	Titanium
Lyman	Far-SE	Bauxite
Mach	Far-NE	Machinery
Mare Crisium