How to Play Chicago Express: Narrow Gauge & Erie Railroad Company

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.