Russian Railroads: American Railroads
Russian Railroads: American Railroads Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components and Setup
Should you play with this expansion, you use all the components listed below. Game setup is identical to the base game except for the following changes.
Player Boards
- 4 USA boards. Instead of the player board from the base game, each player takes the USA board in their color.
- 8 octagonal boulder-tokens. 4 of these tokens show a space with the number 8 on the back. Each player takes one of these and places it – as depicted – on space number 8 on the bottom track. The other 4 tokens show the space on the industry track with 15 points on the back. Each player takes one of these, too, and places it – as depicted – on the space of the industry track with the white outline and 15 points. As long as the boulder-token is laying there, you may not advance a track or industry marker onto the space or beyond it.
- 4 "Golden Spike" tiles. Each player takes one of these tiles and places it with the rest of their components.
- 12 "Done" markers. Each player takes 3 "Done" markers and places them with the rest of their components.
- 8 ?-tokens. Finally, each player takes one of each of the new ?-tokens pictured and places them with their other ?-tokens.
Industry Markers
- Industry marker (from the base game). You start the game with both industry markers from the base game. Place one of each on each of the "0" spaces of the two industry tracks.
The ?-token for the second industry marker is not used in this game. Put it back in the box.
Stock Market
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1 Stocks board. Place the stocks board next to the game board so that it is visible to all players.
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4 Stock price markers. Each player places the stock price marker in their color on the bottom of the stocks board.
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8 Dividend-tokens. Each of the dividend-tokens shows a white star on the front and an advantage on the back. Place the 8 dividend-tokens next to the stocks board with the advantages face up.
Translator's note on the source: the English text above reverses the sides relative to the printed illustration and to the German original, which read "white star on the back and an advantage on the front." The illustration labels the star side "back" and the advantage side "front", and the setup instruction ("advantages face up") matches that. The transcription keeps the printed English wording; the rules intent is the star side down and the advantage side up.
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3 Steelworks. Each of the 3 steelworks shows a certain locomotive and a $-symbol on the front. On the back, the steelworks looks similar to a factory. After game setup, place each of the steelworks right next to its corresponding locomotive pile that is pictured on the front of the steelworks (as shown below).
The locomotive piles, pictured in the source from left to right, are the piles for locomotives 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9.
Almost all of the components from this expansion have been marked with the USA symbol, except: the "Golden Spike" tile, the stock price markers and the USA player boards.
Player Boards
The USA boards have the same setup as the player boards from the base game. We will highlight only the changes for the USA board.
The Rocky Mountaineer
The main track is treated the same as in the base game except for a few new advantages which we will explain below.
Detonations. When you fulfill the prerequisites for one of these two spaces, you remove one of the two boulder-tokens immediately and place it back in the box. You score 10 points immediately. You will be able to advance a track or an industry marker onto the "freed" space as usual later.
When you fulfill the prerequisites for the other space, you remove the second boulder-token from the board, as described above.
Special spaces depicting coins. 3 spaces on the player board show – next to a track in a certain color – a coin as additional prerequisite. As soon as you reach one of these spaces with the track in the color shown, you may pay a coin and receive the depicted advantage. (In the example shown: one stocks advancement, see page 6.)
You may do this in a later turn. After you have paid the coin and have received the advantage, you place one of your 3 "Done"-markers onto the symbol of the advantage to show that you have already received it. As usual, you may only receive each advantage once.
The advantages are explained on page 6.
Attention: the "Done"-markers are only needed for the prerequisites including a coin. All other special spaces on the player board have to be resolved as soon as the depicted condition is met.
Transcontinental East and West
Building of the Transcontinental Railroad was started at the same time in the east and the west to meet in Utah. Where the two tracks joined, the "Golden Spike" was driven in.
Each of the two shorter tracks represents one part of this railroad.
Attention: this does not mean that the two tracks are connected. The Transcontinental East ends on space 7, the Transcontinental West on space 9. The black track cannot be moved beyond these spaces.
The space where the two tracks meet has a dashed outline and a +10 points advantage. When you fulfill the conditions of the last space for one of the two tracks you receive 10 additional points during each railroad scoring phase. When you fulfill the conditions of the last space for both tracks you also receive the advantage twice.
Golden Spike. When you choose the ?-token "Golden Spike", you place the token within the dashed outline. You will then gain the additional advantage of +25 points during the railroad scoring phase for each of the two spaces for which you fulfill the conditions.
Track colors. You may build tracks of all colors on all the railroads on the USA board. You only have – like in the base game – 2 natural colored tracks and 1 white colored track available though. Thus you will have to choose on which railroads you want to build the natural colored tracks.
Doublers. The Transcontinental East and West railroads show 3 dashed spaces for doublers where you may place doublers, just like on the main railroad.
2 Industry Tracks
The USA board has two industry tracks. Advancements on the industry track can be made with an industry marker of choice and also split freely between both tracks. The industry track on the bottom has the same rules as the base game.
On the top industry track you may advance onto gaps and even skip them. Instead of advancing onto the factory as usual you move the industry marker onto the space above the gap. If the gap is occupied by a factory, you have to use the function of the factory immediately. Is the gap not occupied yet, nothing happens.
Attention: should you place a factory in a gap with a factory marker above it, you may not use the factory because the industry marker has reached it before the factory was placed.
Each industry marker belongs to its own track. You may not "change tracks".
Stock Market
Stocks Advancement
Each time you fulfill the prerequisite for a space with this symbol, you advance your stock price marker one level up.
When you are the first player to reach a new level, you move your stock price marker to the very left. Then you choose one of the displayed dividend-tokens and place it on this level onto the space showing the white star. Then you may receive the advantage this token shows immediately.
Attention: so the first player to reach a new level is the one who chooses the advantage for this level.
Should you reach a level where stock price markers from one or more players have been placed already, you place your stock price marker to the right of those. Then you may receive the advantage of the dividend-token of this level.
Special case. If you are on the top level already and receive a further advancement on the stock market, you leave your stock price marker in place. Instead you receive a personal payout immediately.
Personal Payout
You receive the advantages of the level where your stock price marker is and of all the levels below it. You may use them in any order and also decline to receive an advantage in parts or entirely.
Example: in the example shown above, blue scores 5 points and receives: 1 coin, 2 advancements on the industry track and 1 advancement each on the black track, the brown track and the natural track.
Steelworks
When you take the last locomotive from a pile next to a steelworks, you also take the steelworks.
You may flip the steelworks and place it like a regular factory in a gap in your industry track. Also, you may place it back in the box. In that case proceed with your turn as usual.
The steelworks is a slightly weaker factory. When you advance an industry marker onto the steelworks you then receive one black track advancement.
Attention: When you build a new factory, you may replace the steelworks with the new factory, even if not all 5 gaps of your industry track are filled yet. The steelworks is placed back in the box.
After you have finished this turn, you proceed with general payout.
General Payout
The player who took the steelworks goes first. They receive the same advantages they have already reached, just like for the personal payout.
After, all other players follow in turn order and receive all advantages they have reached with their stock price marker so far.
Example: Red takes the last no. 4-locomotive and the steelworks right next to it. After their turn they trigger a general payout. Red receives 1 coin and 1 advancement on the industry track. Green is first on the turn order track. They receive 1 advancement on the industry track. Blue is in second place and receives 1 coin and 1 advancement with the black track and with the industry marker each. Red is in third place. They received their payout already and are skipped. Lastly, Yellow receives their payout (1 coin and 1 advancement on the industry track).
The ?-Token
Should you choose this ?-token you first advance your stock price marker one level up and receive the advantage of the new level. Additionally you receive a personal payout as described on page 7.
Advantages of the Dividend Tokens
- You may immediately advance 1 black track by 1 space.
- You may immediately advance 1 brown track and 1 natural track by 1 space each.
- You may immediately advance 1 track of your choice by 1 space.
- You may immediately advance 1 of your industry markers by 1 space.
- Immediately receive 1 coin from the supply.
- Immediately score 5 points.
Game End Bonus
The player whose stock price marker is at the top of the board scores 20 points. The player in second place scores 10 points. In case of a tie, the player whose stock price marker is farther to the left scores the points.