# Chicago Express: Narrow Gauge & Erie Railroad Company ## General Info - **Year Published**: 2009 - **BGG Rating**: 7.1 - **BGG Rank**: — - **Players**: 2-6 (Best with: 4, 5) - **Duration**: 60 min - **Weight**: 2.51 / 5 - **Designers**: John Bohrer - **Publishers**: Queen Games, Winsome Games, G3 - **Categories**: Economic, Expansion for Base-game, Trains, Transportation - **Mechanics**: Auction / Bidding, Network and Route Building, Stock Holding ## Verdict For those who already love Chicago Express and want more fuel for the fire, this box is a gem! It combines two top expansions into one, giving that extra boost to route building and auctions. If you want more depth and replayability without overcomplicating things, dive in!Expands original gameplayMore strategic optionsHigh replayabilityQuality componentsRequires base gameExtra learning curveFOR GENRE FANS ## Description If you're already a fan of the classic Chicago Express and want more options to extend the fun, this box is for you! It brings together two of the game's most beloved expansions, Narrow Gauge and Erie Railroad, into a single package. Get ready to expand your railroads and dominate the transportation market in a new way. With the extra components, you'll have new routes to build, more actions to bid on, and more companies to invest in. The core gameplay remains that wonderful auction and route-building experience we love, but with the addition of these expansions, the board becomes denser, and the decisions more strategic. It's an opportunity to give your favorite copy a refresh, adding more depth and replayability without overcomplicating things. Perfect for those who want to explore new dynamics and challenges within the Chicago Express universe. If you're looking for more variety and want to test new tactics, this combination of expansions is a perfect fit for those who are already fans of the base game and want to go further. ## How to Play Objective of the Game The industrial boom in 19th-century America continues, and with it, the struggle to become the most successful railroad in the country! Players assume the role of investors, attempting to achieve dividends that are as high as possible. The more companies there are, the more difficult this becomes! The goal is to demonstrate the greatest skill as an investor. Preparation (Setup) Erie Railroad Company [ERIE] The ERIE charter is laid out next to the game board. The locomotives and share are positioned on the corresponding fields of the charter. The graphical indicator is placed over the title space on the game board. The city hexes are placed on the cities of New York and Buffalo respectively. Narrow Gauge Railroads An orange locomotive is placed on each of the following fields: Altoona, Ashland, Charleston, Clarksburg, Harrisburg, Martinsburg, Pittsburgh, Roanoke, and Wheeling. The repository is laid out next to the game board. Fluxo do Jogo The rules of the basic game apply with the following amendments: Opening of the ERIE Once any railroad company reaches one of the following cities: Cleveland, Youngstown, Wheeling, or Charleston, the ERIE thereafter may be opened by any player during an Auction. Narrow Gauge Railroads Become Available If a railroad company expands its route into one of the cities in which an orange locomotive is located, the locomotive is removed from that city and placed on the repository. This locomotive is now available for the construction of a narrow gauge railroad. Ações e Como Jogar Opening of the ERIE During the auction, the brown ERIE counter piece is placed on the income track. The ERIE’s starting income is either $3 or $5 if Buffalo has already been developed. The starting bid must at least equal the ERIE’s starting income. As soon as the share has been auctioned, an ERIE locomotive is placed on the Buffalo hex. Building into New York with ERIE The ERIE is the only company that can build into New York, the start city of the New York Central. The construction cost is $6. The income generated for the ERIE from building into New York is $8. Aside from that, standard building rules apply. Construct a Narrow Gauge Railroad While there exist orange locomotives on the repository, players may select a new Action: Construct a narrow gauge railroad. Constructing a narrow gauge railroad doesn’t cost any money, but it doesn’t generate any income either. It does block other railroads from Forest and Mine hexes. It does increase the cost of building into a Plain hex. Once a player has chosen the option “Construct a narrow gauge railroad”, the player initially moves the indicator of any desired activity (Auction, Route Expansion or Development) one space further. If the action is actually implemented, the player may take one of the locomotives on the repository and place it on the map, building a narrow gauge railroad in a hex. The locomotive must be placed on an empty non-city hex immediately adjacent to a hex containing one of the 5 companies from the standard game (PRR, NYC, B&O, C&O and Wabash) and the ERIE if that expansion is being used. Fim de Jogo e Pontuação Of the four ending conditions of the standard game, one is changed: The game ends as soon as all shares from 4 or more railroad companies have been auctioned (previously from 3 or more companies). If the Erie expansion is also used, these conditions apply. Dicas para Vencer Consider opening the ERIE strategically during an Auction, especially if Buffalo has already been developed, as this increases its starting income. Leverage the ERIE's unique ability to build into New York, as it provides a significant income of $8 for a construction cost of $6, which can be a profitable move. Utilize narrow gauge railroads to block opponents from valuable Forest and Mine hexes, or to increase the cost of building into Plain hexes for other companies, even though they don't generate income themselves. ## FAQ ### Do I need the base Chicago Express game to play with this box? Yes, absolutely! This is a box that combines two expansions, so you need to own the base Chicago Express game to use it. ### How many players does this expansion support? The expansion maintains the player count of the base game, which is 2 to 6 players. The new options add more dynamic gameplay for all player counts. ### Does the game become much more complicated with these expansions? They add more depth and some new rules, but the essence of Chicago Express is maintained. If you already master the base game, adapting is quite smooth. ### What are the main new components included in this box? The box includes more train pieces (orange and brown), repository and company boards, hex markers, and other components for the new routes and companies introduced by the Erie Railroad and Narrow Gauge expansions. ### Is this box worth it for someone who already has the expansions separately? No, this box is a compilation of the two expansions into a single package. If you already own the Erie Railroad and Narrow Gauge expansions, you do not need this version. ### Does the playtime increase significantly with this expansion? The playtime might increase slightly due to new decisions and the board's increased complexity, but it generally stays within the 60-minute range, especially with familiar players. ## Price Comparison ### Best International Offers - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 16.93 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=1657791&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 21.95 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=149488&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 38.61 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=2211993&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - See all on BoardGamePrices: https://boardgameprices.com/item/show/1967/chicago-express-narrow-gauge-erie-railroad-company?utm_source=boardgamesbot.com