The Last Spike (1976)

The Last Spike (1976) Rulebook

Table of Contents

Gameboard

The gameboard has two areas of play. The outside path around which players move tokens to the throw of dice; and, the center of the gameboard where railway track is built to connect the nine cities.

(Canadian geography being what it is, some liberty has been taken with the location of cities.)

Railway Track

The 48 railway track sections fit into the slots in the gameboard. There are 12 routes (slots) connecting the cities and four track sections fit into each route.

Deeds

Each of the nine cities has five land deeds. Players buy, sell, and trade these deeds in the game.

Object

Players build the railway from Montreal to Vancouver and speculate in land seeking to make the most money before the last spike is laid.

Starting the Game

One player is chosen to be the banker. The banker gives each player (including himself) $70,000.
The 45 land deeds are well shuffled and placed face down off the board to form a land bank. The railway track sections are kept by the bank.
Each player chooses a coloured token and places it on the space marked CPR SUBSIDY.

Turns

The player acting as the banker has the first turn to play. Turns proceed to the left from player to player for the remainder of the game. In his turn, a player throws the two dice and advances his token the exact number of spaces (the sum of the dice) around the board in a clockwise direction.

Buying Property

When a player lands on one of the six yellow spaces marked land he has the option to buy property. If property is desired, pay the bank the amount indicated in the space and then draw the top card from the land bank. The property which a player receives can not be rejected for any reason.

Selling Property

Property can never be sold back to the bank. However, a player may sell or trade one or more deeds to any player or players for any agreed price or deal.

Building Railway

When a player lands on one of the six spaces illustrated with a locomotive he must build one railway track section. Pay the bank the amount indicated in the space and lay the track section in any available position of any route. A track section, once built, can never be moved. A player must build track. Should he not be able to pay the amount necessary, he must sell property to raise the money.

Land Grants

The first (only the first) section of railway track built in each of the 12 routes, entitles the builder to a free land grant. A player must first pay for and build the track section in a route which contains no track. The top card from the land bank may then be drawn. For example, the first track section built in the Vancouver to Calgary route, entitles the builder to a free land deed.

Property Income

Immediately all four track sections in any route have been built, every property owner of the two cities connected by the finished route, collects money from the bank. The amount of money each player receives depends on how many deeds of one or both cities he owns. The deed cards have five increasing payoffs. If a player held three deeds of one city he would receive the amount indicated by the number "3" on the deed. The amount shown is the total income received — a player does not receive this amount for each deed.

Example: the four railway sections between Montreal and Toronto have been built. Every player who owned Montreal and/or Toronto deeds would now receive money from the bank. If one player owned three (3) Montreal deeds he would receive $45,000. If he also owned two (2) Toronto deeds, he would receive $15,000 giving a total of $60,000.

NOTE: Some cities have the potential to pay income more times than other cities. Winnipeg has four routes connecting to it and can therefore earn income four times if all four routes into Winnipeg get built. On the other hand, Edmonton has only three routes connecting to it and can therefore pay income a maximum of three times. As players will discover, a city may not earn income as many times as is possible before the game ends. In fact, with the exception of Vancouver and Montreal, both of which must be connected at least once to end the game, a city may never earn income for its property owners.

When a city has paid its maximum revenue (all routes into the city have been built) the deeds of that city are returned to the bank. If a player draws a deed for such a city when buying land, the deed must be given to the bank. Another deed may not be drawn. That's life.!

CPR Subsidy

Collect $5000 when you land on the space — not when you pass it.

Indian Land Claims

A player landing here must throw the dice again and pay the bank $1000 x the number thrown. That is, if '8' was thrown, pay $8000.

Roadbed Costs

Pay $1000 for each deed you own to the bank.

Settler Rents

Collect $1000 for each deed you own from the bank.

Survey Fees

Collect $3000 from each player in the game.

Pacific Scandal

Pay the bank a 'bribe' of $10,000.

Northwest Rebellion

Remove one track section from any route containing two or three built sections. A player may not remove a track section from any route containing one or four track sections. If this forces him to remove a section of track from a route he has a property interest in he must do so.

No Money?

Players may not borrow money from the bank or from other players. If money is required, a player must sell property either by private sale or by auction to the highest bidder. A player who can not raise sufficient money to pay a debt is eliminated from the game.

The Last Spike

The game ends when the Last Spike is laid. The Last Spike is the track section which, when built, makes a continuous railway from Vancouver to Montreal. (see diagram below). A player is not forced to lay the Last Spike if he can play track elsewhere. The player who lays the Last Spike receives a bonus of $20,000 from the bank. When the Last Spike is laid, the property income for the two cities connected by the play is paid. All other property is worthless and is returned to the bank. The player with the most money wins the game.

[Diagram omitted: a pictorial example of one end-of-game situation, showing the nine cities (Vancouver, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Calgary, Regina, Toronto, Sudbury, Montreal) connected by track, with The Last Spike marked on the Edmonton to Winnipeg route.]

The diagram above is one end of game situation out of several thousand possibilities. If a track section is played in the Edmonton to Winnipeg route (where three track sections have been built) it would be the Last Spike because a continuous railway now exists from Vancouver to Montreal via Edmonton, Winnipeg, and Toronto. (The other routes shown are not part of this continuous track but were built before tha Last Spike was played). Note that every city had at least one payoff with Edmonton having its maximum of three and Montreal its maximum of two payoffs. In an actual game it is likely some track would have been built in every route but these have been omitted for clarity.