Railroading In Upper Canada from 1856

INDEX
Introduction 1
Playing 1856 8
Ending the Game 20
Winning the Game 21
Canadian Govt. Railways 22
Variants 26
Design Notes 26
Glossary 27
Tile Manifest 29

Rule Book
INTRODUCTION:
RAILWAYS IN UPPER CANADA
The first railway in what is now Canada was built in 1836. This was the
Champlain and St. Lawrence Railroad in Lower Canada (Quebec) that
linked Laprarie near Montreal with St. Johns on the Richelieu River.
After this initial endeavor, there was a pause of several years. The great
expansion occurred in the 1850s. 1856 starts in this era, focusing on
what was then Upper Canada (Southern Ontario).
The large number of railways that started during this period were
undercapitalized. However, to meet political objectives, the government
would often step in and loan the railways money. Eventually most of
these companies owed the government too much money to repay.
During the confederation of Canada, the government started to absorb
these bankrupt companies to form the Canadian Government Railways,
which, in turn, became the Canadian National Railway or CNR. 1856
simulates this limited government intervention and support that was
Canadian railroading.

OVERVIEW OF PLAY
1856 is a Stock Market and railroad building game with the players
taking the roles of railway investors and company presidents. The
object of the game is to have the most wealth at the end of the game.
Players’ wealth is accumulated through the ownership of shares of
stock in the railroad companies. Shares earn dividends that are paid
directly to the owning players and the shares may also increase in
value. Thus, the players’ wealth is the sum of their cash on hand, the
current value of their public company shares, and the face value of
any private companies they own.
Players may become shareholders in any company; the largest
shareholder in each company is the president and is responsible for
making all decisions on behalf of that company. These decisions need
not always be in the best interests of the company; they are almost
always in the best interests of the president. The presidency of a
company changes anytime there is a change in majority ownership.
Sometimes this occurs when a player manages to acquire more shares
than the current president; more often, the current president manages
to plunder a company and then dump it on another player.
The changes that occurred in Canadian railroading in the time
represented by this game are simulated by the six phases of 1856. The
beginning of each new phase is keyed to the purchase of successively
larger trains. Throughout the game, players alternate stock and
operating rounds. During each stock round, players try to improve
their financial positions by buying and selling shares of stock.
Between consecutive stock rounds there are one to three operating
rounds; during each operating round, the railroad companies lay or
upgrade track, build stations, run trains to produce revenue, and buy
additional or replacement trains.
A game played by players familiar with the rules should require about
four hours. If several players are playing for the first time, the game
will run somewhat longer. Players unfamiliar with the 18XX game style
may want to play several short games to become familiar with track
laying and running trains before playing the full game. The short
games should run about 60-90 minutes for new players.

GAME ETIQUETTE
Considerate players can speed the play of the game and make the
experience more fun for everyone. In a game of this length, players
should plan their stock purchases and company moves in advance of
their turns, including, when possible, tile lays or upgrades and the
routes their trains will run. The shares a player owns should be laid out
in an orderly manner so that all caneasily see them. All players are
allowed to know how much money others have and what certificates
they own. The trains, private companies, and loan stamps a company
has should be displayed on the company for all to see; thecompany
treasury should be stacked on the charter in clear sight, but the amount
in the treasury need not be made public. A
player wanting clarification of any of this
information, should time their request so as
to not interrupt another player’s turn.

GAME SET-UP
Physical Layout
You will need 12-16 square feet of table space
to play 1856. Place the Map within easy
reach of the players. The Map of the area on
which the game is played is overlaid with a
hex grid; it is on these hexes that track will
be laid. Also on the Map are the initial share
and new train displays. The Stock Market
should be placed adjacent to the Map. The
Stock Market features the grid which is used
to track the share prices of the companies.
It also contains the open market, which is
where shares sold by players are placed, and
the par value display, which indicate the
value of initial offering shares. The Bank
(the plastic tray containing the money used
in the game), track tiles, public company charters, station markers, par
value tokens, share price tokens, and private company tokens should be
placed on the table near the Map and Stock Market. You should plan
enough room in front of each player for 2-3 company charters, 15-30
certificates, and a pile of money.
Place the “ROUND” marker on the Operating Round space Operating Round
marked “Stock Round”.Stack each company’s share
Stock

certificates on the Map in the spaces provided with the
Round 1 2 3
president's certificate on top. Stack the trains by train type
on the Map in the spaces provided. The loan stamps should
be stacked on the Map in the box labeled “GOVERNMENT
LOANS”. Lay the private company certificates in the order
shown below in the center of the Map; they will be removed prior to the
placement of any tiles on the Map.

Flos Tramway Cost: $20

Waterloo & Saugeen Railway Co. Cost: $40

The Canada Company Cost: $50

Great Lakes Shipping Company Cost: $70

Niagara Falls Suspension Bridge Company Cost: $100

St. Clair Frontier Tunnel Company Cost: $100

THE BANK
The bank consists of $12,000 in the following denominations: 40 x $1
Do not add to this amount; when the Bank runs out of money, 20 x $5
the game ends.
26 x $10
TRAINS 30 x $20
The following trains should be placed in the appropriate boxes on 20 x $50
the map:
30 x $100
Type Cost Number 14 x $500
2 $ 100 6
3 $ 225 5
4 $ 350 4
5 $ 550 3 $
(750)
6
D
$ 700
$ 1100
2
($750) 6 (unlimited) D $
1100
The train type determines the maximum number of stations and
destinations a train may run to or through (e.g. a type 3 train
can run through or to three stations or destinations). Trains
purchased from the Bank must be purchased in numeric order.
Only when all 6 type 2 trains have been purchased from the
Bank, do type 3 trains become available; only when all 5 type 3
trains have been purchased from the Bank, do type 4 trains
become available; and so on. Type D trains (Diesels) are the single
exception to this rule: they become available after the purchase of the
first (not last) type 6 train. When available, Diesels can be purchased
for $1100 or $750 plus a trade-in of a type 4, type 5, or type 6 train. The
number of type 2 to type 6 trains listed above is the maximum number
available. Diesels, however, have no limit. Type 2 trains can be
used to represent additional Diesels, if more than the 6 Diesel
trains that are provided are needed. The 6 type 8 trains are
provided for use with one of the variants described later in
the rules; they are not used in the normal game.

STARTING ORDER
To determine the player’s starting order, place the starting order
tokens in a cup or hat and have each player take one without
looking. One player should volunteer to be the Banker and sit next to
the bank; the other players then arrange themselves clockwise in
ascending starting number order around the Banker. Should no one
volunteer to be banker, the player with the #1 starting order token
becomes the Banker and the other players arrange themselves as
described above.

PLAYER STARTING CAPITAL

Each player receives as
starting capital $1500 Number of players 3 4 5 6
divided by the number ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
of players in the game. Starting capital $500 $375 $300 $250

COMPANIES
In 1856, there are 6 private companies and 12 public companies. Private
companies are initially owned by one of the players, but beginning
with phase two may be sold to one of the public companies. They earn
fixed revenue for their owners, can imbue an owning public company
with special privileges, and close at a the beginning of phase four.
Public companies are owned by various players, represented by share
certificates purchased in the stock rounds. They lay track, place station
markers, operate trains, pay dividends or withhold earnings, and
purchase trains. A public company closes when its stock token enters
the “closed” section of the Stock Market or if it is merged into the CGR at
the start of phase five.

PRIVATE COMPANIES
All private companies produce revenue as indicated on their
certificates for their owners during each operating round. Three of
the private companies (Flos Tramway, Waterloo & Saugeen Railway Co.,
and The Canada Company) control the hex they occupy. While any of
these companies is owned by a player, public companies are prevented
from laying track in the hex the private company occupies, even if the
owning player is willing to allow track to be laid. When any of these
private companies is owned by a public company, track may be laid in
the hex the private company occupies by any public company wishing
to do so.
A public company may purchase a private company at any time during
that public company’s operating round in phase two or later. The price
paid, negotiated by the buyer and seller, is limited to one-half to double
the cost printed on the certificate, regardless of the price paid by the
owner. A player may purchase a private company from another player
in the place of their stock certificate purchase during a stock round for
any mutually agreed upon price. All private companies are closed at
the start of phase four. Each private company held by a player counts
as one certificate towards the player’s certificate limit. Other specific
attributes of each private company are listed below.

Flos Tramway
Cost: $20; Revenue: $5 No other attributes.
KITCHENER
Waterloo & Saugeen Railway Co. OO
Cost: $40; Revenue: $10
The public company that owns this private company may place a
free station marker on either city on the Kitchener hex if a space is
available. The company may also place the Kitchener tile if it has not
Waterloo and Saugeen
already been placed. Both actions are in the place of the public Waterloo
Railway
and Saugeen
Company
Railway Company
company’s normal tile and/or station marker placement and are not
subject to the normal requirement that the company must be able to
trace a route to the hex to place the tile and/or the station marker. The
Waterloo & Saugeen Railway Co. is removed from play at the end of the
operating round that the owning company performs either action.
Th
Coe Ca
The Canada Company mp na
an da
Cost: $50; Revenue: $10 y
During its operating round, the public company owning this private
company may place a track tile in the hex occupied by this private
company. This track lay is in addition to the public company’s normal
track lay and is not subject to the normal requirement that the
company must be able to trace a route to the hex to place the tile.
This action does not close the private company. ST. THOMAS

Great Lakes Shipping Company LPS L

Cost: $70 Revenue: $15
At any time during its operating round, the owning public
company may place the port token in any one city or red
off-board location adjacent to Lake Erie, Lake Huron, or 
Georgian Bay. These cities or red off-board locations are
marked with an anchor symbol. The port raises the running
value of that city by $20 for the owning company only.
This port token may placed during any operating round

in phase two or three and is removed at the beginning of
phase five. Placement of this token closes the Great Lakes Shipping
Company. The port is not movable.

Niagara Falls Suspension Bridge Company

Cost: $100; Revenue: $20
The public company that owns this private company may add the +$10
bonus when running to the Buffalo red off-board location. Other
public companies may purchase the right to use this bonus by paying
$50 to the owning company. This right may not be purchased if this
private company is owned by a player and may be purchased from the
bank for $50 after the private company closes. Companies that have
gained this right never lose it. The Canadian Government Railways
gains this right if any of its forming companies had this right.

St. Clair Frontier Tunnel Company

Cost: $100; Revenue: $20
The public company that owns this private company may add the +$10
Port Huron bonus when running to the Sarnia red off-board location.
Other public companies may purchase the right to use this bonus by
paying $50 to the owning company. This right may not be purchased if
this private company is owned by a player and may be purchased from
the bank for $50 after the private company closes. Companies that have
gained this right never lose it. The Canadian Government Railways has
this right if any of its forming companies had this right.

Public Companies
There are twelve public companies including the Canadian Government
Railways which is a special case. Refer to the section detailing the
Canadian Government Railways for more information on this company.
These public companies are listed below.

Buffalo, Brantford & Goderich Railway - BB

Historical Start: 1854 Number of Station Markers: 3
Starting City: Brantford Destination: Welland
Canada Air Line Railway - CA
Historical Start: 1873 Number of Station Markers: 3
Starting City: Glencoe Destination: Woodstock
Canadian Pacific Railway - CPR
Historical Start: 1885 Number of Station Markers: 4
Starting City: Barrie Destination: Toronto
Credit Valley Railway - CVR
Historical Start: 1879 Number of Station Markers: 3
Starting City: South Toronto Destination: Drumbo
Grand Trunk Railway - GT
Historical Start: 1855 Number of Station Markers: 4
Starting City: Oshawa Destination: Orangeville
Great Western Railway - GW
Historical Start: 1854 Number of Station Markers: 4
Starting City: London Destination: Windsor
London & Port Sarnia Railway - LPS
Historical Start: 1858 Number of Station Markers: 2
Starting City: Maudaumin Destination: St. Thomas

Toronto, Grey & Bruce Railway - TGB

Historical Start: 1874 Number of Station Markers: 2
Starting City: Orangeville Destination: Lake Huron
Toronto, Hamilton and Buffalo Railway - THB
Historical Start: 1889 Number of Station Markers: 2
Starting City: Hamilton Destination: Guelph
Welland Railway - WR
Historical Start: 1856 Number of Station Markers: 3
Starting City: Niagara Falls Destination: Hamilton
Wellington, Grey and Bruce Railway - WGB
Historical Start: 1872 Number of Station Markers: 2
Starting City: Guelph Destination: Goderich
Canadian Government Railways - CGR
Historical Start: 1867 (1917) Number of Tokens: 10
Starting City: N/A Destination: N/A

STOCK MARKET
The Stock Market governs the buying, selling, and value of shares in
the public companies. This is represented in the game by a large grid of
colored sections. Each grid box has a number representing the value
per share of a company whose share value token is in that box. This
section covers movement of the share value token, purchase and sale of
shares, and share and certificate limits. Also included in the Stock
Market is the open market which represents shares available for
purchase at market price, and the par value chart which indicates the
cost of shares purchased from the initial offering. Public company
shares may not be bought, sold, or traded except through the Stock
Market. Only players may own shares in the public companies; public
companies may not own shares in any public company, even their own.

SHARE AND CERTIFICATE LIMITS

Much as with the New York Stock Exchange, certificates
are used in 1856 to represent each player’s ownership in
the private and public companies. For the private companies, a single
certificate represents 100% ownership in the company. For the public
companies, a single certificate can represent from 5%, 10%, or 20%
ownership. The president's certificate, whether 10% or 20%, is
considered a double share, but counts as a single certificate.
Players are normally limited to 60% ownership in a company. However,
the position of the company share value token on the Stock Market may
allow a player to exceed this limit, as described below.
Each player is limited to a specific number of certificates, including
private company certificates. During the first four phases, the limit is
based solely on the number of players. For phases five and six, the
limits vary based on the number of players and the number of
companies started or available to be started.
A change of company presidency, changes
in certificate limits, and movement of share Players 3 4 5 6
value tokens from the yellow and brown sec- Phases one-four 20 16 13 11
tions of the Stock Market can cause a player
to be in violation of the share or certificate C Phases five-six
limits. When this occurs, the player must sell o 11 28 22 18 15
sufficient shares/certificates at the first m 10 25 20 16 14
p 9 22 18 15 12
opportunity in the next stock round to a 8 20 16 13 11
conform to the limit. n 7 18 14 11 10
i 6 15 12 10 8
e 5 13 10 8 7
SECTIONS s 4 10 8 7 6
There are five sections to the Stock Market
grid.
CLOSED SECTION:
Any time a company’s share value token enters the ‘Closed’ section of
the Stock Market,that company is immediately removed from play. All
tokens and station markers of that company are removed from the Map
and Stock Market, and all share certificates are collected without
compensation to the owners. Any trains owned are placed on the open
market and any money in the company treasury is returned to the
bank. Companies closed in this fashion may not be restarted. The
Canadian Government Railways cannot be closed. If movement of the
CGR share value token would move it into this area, that token does not move.

BROWN SECTION:
Certificates of companies whose share value tokens are in this area do
not count towards a player’s certificate limit. Also, companies whose
tokens are in this area may be held in excess of the normal 60% share limits.
YELLOW SECTION:
Certificates of companies whose share value tokens are in this area do
not count towards a player’s certificate limit.
RED OUTLINED AREA:
These are the places where newly formed companies place their share
value token. The Red Outlined area has no further effect on play.
WHITE SECTION:
The gridded white section represents stocks in normal play, there are
no special rules associated with them.

MOVEMENT OF SHARE PRICES

The share value tokens move as indicated:
Move down one row for each full 10% share sold either during
a stock round or during a forced sale by a company
president. Sale of a single 5% share does not affect the
share value token. Sales of multiple 5% shares move the
share value token down one level for each full 10% sold.
Move up one row if no shares are available in the initial offering
or on the open market at the end of a stock round. (i.e. all
shares are in the hands of players.)
Move right one column if, during an operating round, a
operating company pays a non-zero dividend.
Move left one column if, during an operating round, an
operating company pays no dividend or a zero dividend.
There are several boxes on the Stock Market that contain arrows in
them. These arrows indicate the share value token’s direction of
movement if the token is required to move left or right and is unable
to do so because of the market edge.
If a share value token is moved into a box where there are one or more
tokens, the newly arriving token is placed below the other stock value
tokens that are already there.

PLAYING 1856
INITIAL STOCK ROUND(S)
The six private companies in 1856 represent the small companies that
pioneered railroading in what was then Upper Canada before the great
expansion of the 1850s that is the foundation for this game. Before the
game can begin in earnest, these companies must be purchased by the
players. This is accomplished in the initial stock round(s). The six are
offered for sale in the order listed below:

Flos Tramway Cost: $20

Waterloo & Saugeen Railway Co. Cost: $40
The Canada Company Cost: $50
Great Lakes Shipping Company Cost: $70
Niagara Falls Suspension Bridge Company Cost: $100
St. Clair Frontier Tunnel Company Cost: $100

During the initial stock round, players may purchase, but not sell
certificates. The private companies are offered for sale in the order
indicated to each player, starting with the player with card #1 and
proceeding clockwise around the table to players #2, #3, etc. To keep
track of whose turn it is in the initial stock round and in the stock
rounds that follow, each player announces the completion of their
turn by passing the priority card to the player on their left. The
private companies must be sold in the order indicated (e.g. the
Canada Company cannot be purchased until the Flos Tramway and the
Waterloo & Saugeen Railway Co. have been purchased). Each player
may, in turn:
buy the private company currently being offered,
bid on a private company to be offered later, or pass.
When bidding on private companies, the first bid must exceed the cost
by at least $5; subsequent bids must exceed the current highest bid for
that private company by at least $5. Bidding players must set aside the
bid amounts and that bid money cannot be used to purchase or bid on
another company until that company is sold. A player with a bid on a
private company need not raise that bid on subsequent turns, but may
do so, adding the difference to the bid amount already set aside. The
original bid is sufficient to guarantee a player a spot in the eventual
auction. A player with sufficient money can place bids on other
private companies in subsequent turns.
If a company is bought and the next company that would normally be
offered for sale has one bid on it, that company is immediately sold to
the player who bid on it at the bid price. If two or more players have
bid on the next company being offered, an auction is held starting with
the bidding player to the left of the player with the highest bid. Only
players who have already bid on that company may participate. The
company for auction goes to the player with the highest bid after all
other participating players have passed. If the next company offered
also has bid(s) on it, the same procedure is followed for it. Normal play
then resumes with the player to the left of the player who bought the
company that initiated the auction(s).
If all players pass in order before the St. Clair Frontier Tunnel Company
is sold, the stock round ends and an operating round is runs. Because
only private companies may be held at this point, the only action that
can occur in the operating round is for the owners of the private
companies to be paid the operating revenue listed for those companies.
Once the operating round is complete, the Flos Tramway if still available
for sale, is reduced in cost by $5 and another initial stock round occurs
beginning with the player with the priority card. Should the price of
the Flos Tramway reach $0 as a result of these reductions, the player
with the priority card receives the company at no charge and the
initial stock round proceeds to the left as before.

After the last private company is sold, the public companies are
available for sale. The players may purchase or pass as per the rules for
a stock round (see page ), except that they may not sell any certificates
as this is still a initial stock round.

For example, in a five player game:

1) player #1 buys Flos Tramway for $20;
2) player #2 bids $105 for Niagara Falls Suspension Bridge
Company;
3) player #3 bids $55 for The Canada Company;
4) player #4 bids $75 for Great Lakes Shipping Company;
5) player #5 bids $80 for Great Lakes Shipping Company;
6) player #1 buys Waterloo & Saugeen Railway Co.;
7) as player #3 has the only bid outstanding on The Canada
Company, player #3 buys that company for $55;
8) as both player #4 and player #5 have bid on Great Lakes
Shipping Company, those two players only may continue
bidding in increments of at least $5 until one passes,
granting the other the opportunity to purchase Great
Lakes Shipping Company at the last bid;
9) as player #2 has the only bid outstanding on Niagara Falls
Suspension Bridge Company, that company goes to player
#3 for$105;
10) St. Clair Frontier Tunnel Company is offered to player #2, the
next player after player #1, who started the unraveling of
the auctions by buying Waterloo & Saugeen Railway Co.

GAME PHASES
The game progresses through six phases that simulate the changes that
occurred over time in Canada. The following summarizes the six phases
and the changes that occur with the onset of each.
Phase One
Phase one runs from the beginning of the game to the purchase of the
first type 3 train. During phase one, the following restrictions apply:
Only yellow track may be used.
Each public company may own up to four trains.
Public companies may not purchase private companies.
There is one operating round between each stock round.
Use the first value for running to red off-board locations.
Phase Two
Phase two starts with the purchase of the first type 3 train and runs
until the purchase of the first type 4 train. During phase two, the
following restrictions apply:
Yellow track and green upgrades may be used.
Each public company may own up to four trains.
Public companies may now purchase private companies.
There is one set of two operating rounds between stock rounds,
following the next stock round.
Use the first value for running to red off-board locations.
Phase Three
Phase three starts with the purchase of the first type 4 train and runs
until the purchase of the first type 5 train. During phase three, the
following restrictions apply:
Yellow track and green upgrades may be used.
Each public company may own up to three trains.
Public companies may purchase private companies.
There is one set of two operating rounds between stock rounds.
All type 2 trains are scrapped as obsolete.
Use the first value for running to red off-board locations.
Phase Four
Phase four starts with the purchase of the first type 5 train and runs
until the purchase of the first type 6 train. During phase four, the
following restrictions apply:
Yellow track, green upgrades and brown upgrades may be used.
Each public company may own up to two trains.
All private companies are closed. If the Great Lakes Shipping
Co’s port token is placed, it remains on the map.
There is one set of three operating rounds between stock rounds,
following the next stock round.
Use the second value for running to red off-board locations.
Phase Five
Phase five starts with the purchase of the first type 6 train and runs
until the purchase of the first Diesel train. During phase five the
following restrictions apply:
The Canadian Government Railways is started.
Adjust the certificate limit to reflect the number of
companies left.
Yellow track, green upgrades, brown upgrades and gray
upgrades may be used.
Small cities may be upgraded / downgraded.
Each public company may own up to two trains; the CGR may own
up to three trains.
Diesel trains are available for purchase.
The Great Lakes Shipping Co’s port token is removed.
All type 3 trains are scrapped as obsolete.
There is one set of three operating rounds between stock rounds.
Use the second value for running to red off-board locations.
Phase Six
Phase six starts with the purchase of the first Diesel train and
runs until the end of the game. During phase six the following
restrictions apply:
All track types are available.
Small cities may be upgraded / downgraded.
Each public company may own up to two trains, the CGR may own
up to three trains.
All type 4 trains are scrapped as obsolete.
There is a set of three operating rounds between stock rounds.
Use the third value for running to red off-board locations.

SEQUENCE OF PLAY
The game proceeds with a series of Stock Rounds separated by sets of
one, two or three operating rounds, depending on the phase of the game.
Stock Round.
In the Stock Round, the players take turns (starting with the
player with the priority card and moving clockwise around the
table) buying and/or sellingcertificates. During each stock
round turn, a player does one of:
sell one or more share certificates (optional),
buy one share certificate or one private company
(optional), pass the priority card to the left (required).
buy one share certificate or one private company
(optional), sell one or more share certificates (optional),
pass the priority card to the left (required).
 pass (neither buy or sell anything),
pass the priority card to the left (required).

Please note that a player may buy then sell or sell then buy, buy
may not sell then buy then sell again. A player buying and/or
selling anything in a stock round turn is guaranteed another
stock round turn. Each player usually gets several turns within
each stock round. The Stock Round ends when all players pass in
turn. When that occurs, the operating round marker is moved to
the first operating round position.
Operating Round.
Operate private companies (if they are still in existence).
Operate running public companies in share value order.
The company presidents perform the following on behalf
of each company in the order indicated:
Lay or upgrade track. (Optional)
Place a new station marker. (Optional)
Operate any trains and calculate income.
Pay interest on Government Loans.
Pay or withhold dividends.
Adjust company token on the Stock Market.
Buy one or more trains. (Optional)
Redeem Government loans. (Optional)
A company may secure one additional government
loan during any part of an operating round prior
to “Redeem Government loans”.
A company may buy a private company from any
player during any part of an operating round after the
start of phase two.
After all running companies have operated once, the operating
round marker is moved to the next round. This will be either
another operating round or a stock round.

STOCK ROUND
The stock round starts with the player with the priority card and
continues until all players have passed in order.
Sell shares
When a player sells share(s), the player receives the current market
price for any shares sold as indicated on the Stock Market. After the
player receives money for the share(s), the share value token on the
Stock Market for that company is moved down one row for each full
10% sold. If a player sells a 5% share, the share value token remains
unchanged; if a player sells either 10% or 15%, the share value token
moves down 1 row.
The following rules apply to all share sales:
A certificate cannot be sold during the stock round turn it was
purchased, however, other certificates from the same
company can be sold.
There may be no more than 50% of a particular company on the
open market at any one time. Players may not sell shares
if by doing so they exceed this limit.
A player may not sell the president's certificate unless another
player holds at least 2 shares of the company (see transfer
of presidency below).
Buy shares
When buying, a player may purchase one share certificate from either
the original offering or the open market. Original offering share
certificates must be purchased in order (i.e. the president's certificate
is first) and are available at their original issue (par) price; shares on
the open market are available at their current market price. A player
may purchase a private company from another player instead of a
share certificate in a public company. This purchase moves the
priority card and, as with a share certificate purchase, guarantees
the player another stock round turn in this Stock Round.
The following rules apply to all share purchases:
A player may never make a purchase that would put the
player in violation of the share or certifi-
cate limits
described earlier.
Once a player has sold a share of a company, that player
may not buy another share in that company until
after the next set of operating rounds.
If a player is the first to purchase a share in a company,
that purchase must be the president's certificate
and starts the company (see below).
Starting a Company
The first certificate purchased for each company
must be the president's certificate. When a player
buys the president's
certificate, that player becomes the president of
the company and performs the following actions to
start the company:

Sets the share par value at one of the values in the

red outlined area ($65, $70, $75, $80, $90, $100) and
puts the square par value token in the correspond-
ing par value box on the stock market display.

Par Values

Places one of the company’s round tokens on the appropriate starting

value box in the red outlined area on the Stock Market
display; this becomes the company’s share value token. If one or more
share value tokens is already in this box, this new token is placed below
all the others.

Places the free station marker on the appropriate city dot in the
company’s starting city. Takes the company charter and the
remaining station markers and places them on the company
charter in the $40 and, if present, $100 circles.

The company charter is used to keep track of the various assets and lia-
bilities of the company. The number and type of trains and the number
of government loans the company is liable for is public knowledge and
must be easily discernible through casual visual inspection. The
amount of money in the corporate treasury may be kept secret by the
current president, but must be stacked on the company charter. Monies
in public companies’ treasuries must be kept separate from each other
and from monies in player’s hands. The charter and its contents are
given to the new president if the company should change hands.

The train type available for sale when a company is opened determines
what restrictions apply to that operating company. These restrictions
are outlined below.
Public Company Starting Treasury
The starting treasury and subsequent capitalization for a company is
determined at the time the president's certificate is purchased. This is
based on what type train is available for sale from The Bank at that
time. The subsequent availability of higher numbered trains does not
change the capitalization rules for a company once they are established
at the purchase of the president's certificate.
A public company started before the first type 5 train is available for
sale receives the monies paid for the first five shares bought from the
initial offering as they are sold. Monies paid for shares sold beyond the
first five are held in escrow in the bank until the company reaches its
destination. When a tile is laid that allows the company to reach its
destination, regardless of who placed that tile, the company
immediately receives all held payments for shares sold from the initial
offering. All further payments for initial offering shares are paid
directly to the company treasury as they are bought. The destinations
for public companies were listed with the companies earlier in this
document. A company is considered to have reached its destination
when it can trace a legal train route from its initial starting station
marker to its destination. For purposes of this rule only, ignore distance
and other company’s station markers when tracing a route.
When a type 5 train is available for sale when a company is opened, the
company receives the money for any and all shares sold from the
initial offering as those shares are sold, regardless of whether it can
reach its destination or not.
When a type 6 or Diesel train is available for sale when a company is
opened, the company receives 10 times the share par value in its first
operating round, providing six shares have been sold from the initial
offering. The company will receive no further monies from
subsequent share sales.

Initial Shares Needed to Operate

In order to participate in an operating round, a company must ful-
fill one of two conditions:
It must have operated in a previous round, or
it must have sold from the initial offering a number
of shares equal to or greater than the number of
the
current train type available for purchase from the
new
trains display at the time it attempts to operate.
Shares required to commence operations may be owned by
players or on the open market; they may not be in the initial offer-
ing. A non-operating company’s share value token is flipped over on
the Stock Market and is not adjusted. Diesels are regarded as type 6
trains for purposes of this rule.
For example, the Grand Trunk Railway (GT) is opened with a par share
price of $65. The only shares purchased from the initial offering are
the two shares from the president's certificate. The current train avail-
able for purchase is the last type 2 train. In the subsequent operating
round, the president of the Credit Valley Railway (CV), currently valued
at $70 and operating before the GT,
purchases the last type 2 train. The GT has the next opportunity to
operate, but, because only two shares have been sold and the current
new train for sale is a type 3 train, the GT fails to meet the operating
requirements and does not operate. Had the president of the CV not
purchased the last type 2 train, the GT would have operated normally
and continued to operate even if further trains had been bought.

Transfer of Presidency
If any player ever owns a larger percentage of a company than the
current president, that player becomes the new president and assumes
all responsibility for the company. This may occur either through
player purchases or presidential sales. The president of a company
may sell sufficient shares of the company to cause a transfer of the
presidency only if:
Another player owns two or more shares in that company, and
There is space on the open market (within the 50% limit) for
the shares necessary to effect the change.

If both these conditions are met, the president may sell share(s) up to
the open market limit. The president declares how many shares are
being sold. The player who will have the largest share holding in the
company after becomes the president elect. If two or more players will
hold equal numbers of shares, then the player closest to the left
(moving clockwise around the table) of the out-going president
becomes the president elect. As the president of a company must always
hold the two share certificate of that company, the president elect
trades two single share certificates with the out-going president for the
president's certificate. The out-going president then completes the
declared sale and the president elect becomes the new president of the
company, receiving the company charter with all trains, private
companies, and money belonging to the company.
Ending the Stock Round
The stock round ends when all players have passed in order. The
priority card will be in the hands of the player to the left of the last
player to buy or sell a share. Share value tokens of companies that
have all their shares in the hands of players at the end of the stock
round are adjusted up one row.

OPERATING ROUND
During an operating round all operating companies operate and
produce income. Private companies operate first, producing income for
their owners. Following the private companies, the public companies
operate in share value order. If two or more public companies have the
same share value, the company whose share value token is further to
the right operates first. If two or more share value tokens occupy the
same value box on the Stock Market, the company whose share value
token is uppermost in the stack operates before any lower unoperated
company(s). The only exception is during the operating round in
which the Canadian Government Railways is formed. The CGR operates
once immediately after it is formed, regardless of turn order,
providing that none of the forming companies has already operated
during that operating round. After this initial operating round, the
CGR follows its normal turn order.
The president of each public company
performs the following actions in order on behalf of the running com-
pany during the company’s operating turn.
Lay or Upgrade Track
The building of track in 1856 is represented by the placing of colored
hexagonal tiles on The Map. Initially, most of The Map is trackless with
only a few hexes having track in them. Each operating company may
place one track tile during its turn in each operating round. The track
tiles may be placed on any Map grid the player wishes as long as the
following guidelines are followed:

Tiles are placed in alignment with the Map grid, but may be
placed in any orientation the player desires.
Once laid, a tile becomes part of The Map and may only be moved
when it is removed to be replaced by another tile.
Once a track segment is built, it may not be removed. When a tile
is replaced, all track segments on the replaced tile must be
represented in the same orientations on the replacing tile.
Yellow tiles may only be placed on light green Map hexes.
Green tiles may only replace yellow tiles or
be placed on yellow or yellow-
edged Map hexes. The yellow Map hexes are
London, Barrie and Toronto and have spe-
20 20 20
cific green tiles for each. The yel-
low-edged hexes are Welland,
Hamilton and Kitchener; each may have the #59
green tile laid on it. 6 6 6
Brown tiles may only replace green tiles.
Gray tiles may only replace brown tiles. 24

Upgraded tiles are removed from the Map

and placed in the
tile pool.
The company placing (or replacing) a tile must 99 24
be able to trace a legal train route of any length
from one of its station markers to and along one
of the new track segments or increase (or
20 20 20
decrease in the case of a small city downgrade)
the value of a city it could run to
or through. The company need
Th
Coe Ca
not use the new track segment 57 57 57
mp na
an da
y
or the tile when it
KITCHENER operates, however.
OO There are two exceptions to this rule:
the Company(s) owning the Waterloo and
Saugeen Railway Company or The Canada
Waterloo and Saugeen
Railway Company
Company are allowed to place track in cer-
tain hexes that are not extensions of the
company’s existing track. The descriptions
of these two private companies provide complete details for these
exceptions.
When a tile is replaced, all station markers and other tokens on the tile
must be placed on the new tile in the same locations as before. No tile
may be placed so that any track ends against printed
terrain where tiles may not be placed unless there is existing track (for
example, Goderich) or a red off-board location
connection point on that terrain. Examples of such terraininclude
printed dark green hexes, major lakes, the map edge, and red off-board
locations without a connection point.

< #16.1 small & large city graphic >

Hexes with one or two small cities may only have yellow tiles with the
corresponding number of small cities laid on them. Similarly,
vacant hexes with a large city indicated by large open dot may
only have yellow tiles with a corresponding large dot placed
on them.

< #16.2 difficult terrain graphic >

 30

15

26

Difficult terrain, represented on The Map by a ‘$’ followed 20

by an amount requires an extra expenditure to lay

the first tile there. This money is paid from the com 6

pany treasury and must be paid when the tile is laid

and not delayed until after train(s) have run. 7
Companies replacing tiles laid in such hexes do not
pay the difficult terrain cost.
In phases five and six, small single and double $10 city
tiles may be upgraded or downgraded. The small single
cities may be replaced with the appropriate yellow large city
tile (upgraded) or the appropriate simple track tile (down-
graded). The small double cities may be replaced with the corre- 99

sponding green double city tile. These tiles may be further

10
upgraded if the appropriate tiles are available. Refer
to Tiles & Upgrades for a list of legal 4

tile upgrades.
Brown #125 city tiles may be used to upgrade green #14 and #15 tiles in
map positions that will not take a brown #63 city tile; these hexes
are marked with an “L”. These tiles may not be placed in hexes
that could legally take a #63 tile if one were available.
Place station markers
When a company first starts operating, it places its first (free) station
marker on the appropriate large city dot in its starting city to represent
the station there. A company may pay to place an additional station
marker each operating round, including the first, to the
maximum number of station markers it is allowed.
The cost of each station marker is listed on each company’s charter. To
place a station marker, with one exception explained later, the company
must be able to trace a valid train route from any of its existing station
markers to the city it wishes to place the new station marker in. The
destination city must also have space for the station marker; only one
station marker is allowed per large city dot - station markers may not be
stacked. In the starting city for a company that has not yet started, a
company cannot use the last available space. As station marker place-
ment occurs after track upgrading, companies have the opportunity to
place a station marker in a city that has just been upgraded. The com-
pany that owns the Waterloo and Saugeen Railway Company may place
a token in the Kitchener hex without being able to trace a route to
another of its station markers. Once a station marker is placed it cannot
be moved or removed except by creation of the CGR. When a city has all
its station marker dots filled, only companies with station markers in
that city may pass though. Other companies may only use such cities as
a terminus of a route.

Operate Trains & Calculate Income

In order to generate income, a company operates its trains along routes
on the map according to the following:

A valid route for a train must include one of the company’s

station markers and two or more cities; small cities along the
route must be counted.

A train route may not reverse at a junction.

If a train’s route includes off-board destinations, they must be
used as the beginning or end of the run except for Goderich,
which may be included in the middle of a run.
 A single train may not run through or to the same city or off-
board destination twice, but it may run through and count two
different cities on the same tile.

A train may not use a specific section of track more than once,
but may use different sections on the same tile.

A train may run to and count a city that is

full of and blocked by other compa- GODERICH

ny’s station markers, but may not run through it. 30 WGB
The maximum number of cities and off- 50 5
40 D
board destinations a train can run to or through
is equal to the train number type (e.g. a N
RO
type 3 train may only run to or through 3 HU
places). A Diesel (D) may run to any KE
number of cities and off-board destinations, LA 99

providing it abides by the other running SARNIA

rules.

er
an nti
30
The value of a train’s run is equal to the total of 

+1 Comp Fro
y
PORT

15
50 5

el ir
HURON
LPS

nn la
the values of the cities and off-board destinations

0
Tu t. C
LPS L

9
9
it traces a route through or to. If a company is LONDON

30
MAUDAUMIN
running more than one train, each train must GW

7
30

conform to the above rules and may not use a

section of track that another train has already
used. It may, however, use and count cities used
by the other train(s). Where multiple trains are
run, the company’s earnings for this operating
round is the total of all the trains’ runs.
Normally, the president of the company decides
which route(s) to use. However, a stockholder in the operating compa-
ny may point out higher valued route(s), which the
president is then required to run.
In the example, LPS is running two trains,
a type 3 train and a type 4 train. The type 3
train runs from Sarnia (30) through
Maudaumin (30) to Glencoe (20) for a
total of 80; the type 4 train runs from
Goderich (30) through a small city (10)
and Maudaumin (30) to Sarnia (30) for a
total of 100. LPS’ earnings for this operating round would be
$180. If LPS had purchased the St Clair Frontier
Tunnel Co. (or the tunnel token from the owner of that company),
$10 would be added to each run as they both use
Sarnia for total
earnings of $200.

Pay Interest on Outstanding Government Loans

Each company must pay $10 interest to the bank for each outstanding
government loan it holds. Companies do not pay interest on loans
secured during the current operating round, as that interest was
deducted from the loan amount. If the company does not have
enough money to pay the interest, it pays as many increments of $
(750)
$10 as possible from the company treasury and then reduces the
total earnings by $10 for each unpaid interest payment to a mini-
mum of zero. If there are still outstanding interest payments, the
D $
1100
president must pay the remaining interest from the president’s
holdings. If the president does not have enough cash to pay the
interest, the president must sell shares to raise the necessary cash.
If the president cannot raise enough money through stock sales,
that player is bankrupt. The game is then over and the winner is
determined as usual. Note that if the game ends this way, the share
value of the company is not adjusted down for non-payment of divi-
dends as the game ended before this phase occurs.
Declare Dividends or Withhold Earnings
The president decides whether to pay dividends or withhold the compa-
ny earnings in the company treasury. If dividends are paid, each share
receives 10% of this round’s earnings, unless the company is the CGR
and 5% shares are being used (refer to the section on the CGR for
details). Dividends of shares on the open market are paid to the compa-
ny’s treasury. Shares still in the initial offering pay their dividends to
the bank. Adjust the share value token on the Stock Market one column
to the right if dividends are paid, or one column to the left if earnings
are withheld. Companies that declare a dividend of $0 are considered to
have withheld earnings.
Purchase Train(s)
At this point, a company has the option to purchase one or more trains,
provided it does not exceed the listed train number limits. Because the
purchase of a train may trigger a phase change, trains must be
purchased one at a time. Thus, if a company wishes to purchase more
than one train, it would purchase one, resolve any phase change,
purchase another one, and so on. If the purchase of a train triggers a
phase change and that change reduces the number of trains a company
may own, the company may not be able to purchase another train.
Trains may be purchased from the bank, the open market, or other
companies willing to sell them. The bank sells new trains and will only
sell them in numerical order. Thus, all type 2 trains must be sold before
the first type 3 train, all type 3 trains before the first type 4 train, and
so forth. Trains purchased from the bank, open market, or CGR are
always purchased at the price printed on the train card. Trains
purchased from companies other than the CGR may be bought at any
price (with a $1 minimum) that is mutually agreed to by the
president(s) of the two companies involved. Although the sale of a
train between two companies must be announced to all players, the
price need not be revealed. When a train is purchased from another
company, the entire transaction must be done during the purchasing
company’s turn. A company is not required to buy a train from
another company if it is offered, regardless of the price.
A company that does not have a valid run need not own a train.
However, an operating company with a legal run of any length (two or
more cities) must own a train and is forced to purchase one during this
phase if it does not possess one.
If the company must buy a train and does not have enough money to do
so, the president must make up the difference. When the president is
forced to contribute to the purchase of a train, the following special
rules will govern the transaction:
Only one train may be purchased.
The train purchased must be the cheapest available from the
open market or the bank.
The train must be purchased from the open market or the bank
and may not be purchased from another company.
The president must contribute only enough money for this
single purchase, thus the company’s treasury will be
empty after this purchase.
If the president does not have enough money to make up the shortfall,
the president must sell personal stock to make up the difference. If the
president is required to sell stock, the following rules apply:
The sales may not cause a change in ownership of the company
buying the train.
The sales may cause changes of presidency in other companies.
The president decides what to sell, in what order to sell it, and
how to sell the shares.
The president may only sell enough shares to buy the train.
If the president cannot raise enough money through stock sales,
that player is bankrupt and the game ends.
A company may not discard or scrap a train to make space for a new
train. If, however, buying a train initiates a phase change causing any
company to possess too many trains, the excess trains from these
companies are discarded into the open market without compensation.
A company may sell its last train, although it most certainly will need to
purchase another on its next operating round. If Diesels are available
for sale and the company has a type 4, type 5, or type 6 train, it may
trade this train in for a Diesel at the reduced price of $750, even if the
company is at its train limit. The traded-in train is placed on the open
market.
Redeem Government Loans
Government loans are redeemed as the last action of a company’s oper-
ating round. If a company has enough money in its treasury, it may
retire as many government loans as it wishes. For each loan it wishes
to redeem, the company pays $100 to the bank and returns the redeemed
stamp(s) to the Stock Market display.
If a company has more loan stamps than there are shares in the hands
of players, it must redeem the excess. If the company cannot repay the
debt from its treasury, the president must make up the shortfall. If the
president does not have enough money to make up the shortfall,
the president must sell personal stock to make up the difference.
If the president is required to sell stock, the following rules apply:
The sales may not cause a change in ownership of the com-
pany
needing to redeem the loans.
The sales may cause changes of presidency in other companies.
The president decides what to sell, in what order to sell it, and
how to sell the shares.
The president may only sell enough shares to repay the
necessary loans.
If the president cannot raise enough money through stock sales,
that player is bankrupt and the game ends.
The following two actions may be performed at any point during a com-
pany’s operating round prior to redeeming loans.

Receiving a Government Loan

The Canadian Government will loan any operating public company
money during any operating round in phases one through four. These
loans must be repaid when the Canadian Government Railways starts at
the beginning of phase five (refer to forming the CGR). Each company
may secure government loans in increments of $100 once per operat-
ing round. When the loan is secured, $100 is transferred from The Bank
to the company treasury and a loan stamp is placed on the company
charter. If a loan is secured after the “pay interest on outstanding gov-
ernment loans” segment of the operating round, the $10 interest
change is deducted from the loan and only $90 is transferred from The
Bank to the company treasury.
All loan stamps issued are placed in plain sight on the company’s oper-
ating charter in a manner so that they can be easily counted by other
players through visual inspection. A company may have one outstand-
ing loan for each share held by a player. A company may not take out a
loan if doing so would put it over its loan limit. Twenty-two loan stamps
are provided with 1856; if more are needed, please use pennies or some
other convenient token to represent additional loan stamps.

Purchasing Private Companies

At any time during the operating turn of a public company in phase
two or three, the company may purchase any private company in the
hands of a player. The price paid must be least half, but no more than
double, the listed cost of the private company. I.e. the Flos Tramway,
costing $20, could be sold to a company for $10 to $40. The payment is
made directly from the company’s treasury into the hand of the player.
Certain of these private companies confer special abilities on owning
public companies. Refer to the description of the private companies for
further information.

ENDING THE GAME

There are two possible ways to end the game. The first and most com-
mon is for the Bank to run out of money. If the bank runs out of
money during an operating round, complete that entire set of rounds
before determining the winner. If the Bank runs out of money during
a stock round, complete the stock round AND the subsequent set of
operating rounds before determining the winner. Add ten pennies (or
similar tokens) to the Bank to represent 10 $1000 bills to provide
sufficient money to complete the game.
The second way for the game to end is for a player to go bankrupt. A
player may not voluntarily declare bankruptcy, though the player may
engineer it. It is even possible for the bankrupt player to win the
game. Complete details on bankruptcy are described below.

BANKRUPTCY
As described elsewhere, there are three situations which require the
president of a company to make a purchase or payment on behalf of the
company. These are:
pay loan interest, redeem government loans because of players
holding too few shares, or buy a train
When the president has insufficient cash to make the required
purchase or payment, the player must attempt to raise the money
through the sale of shares of stock. The player chooses what shares to
sell and in what order to sell them; all sales must be legal stock tran
sactions and cannot cause the transfer of the presidency of the
company requiring this action.
If the player still does not have sufficient cash to make the required
purchase or payment after all shares that can be legally sold have
been, that player is bankrupt. The player’s cash is forfeited to the bank
and the game ends. Determine the winner as described below.
The following example details what can and cannot be sold when a
player is trying to raise cash to cover a company debt. The Grand Trunk
has no trains and the president, Ima Swindler, must sell shares to try to
raise the needed cash. Ima has $37 in cash and the Grand Trunk
treasury has $13 and cannot borrow (loans are now unavailable). The
only train available is a Diesel, priced at $1100. Ima must raise $1050 to
pay for the required train. Ima’s holdings are in the four companies as
shown below:
Grand Trunk Welland Credit Valley Great Western

Ima 40% 60% 30% 30%

Others 20%/20% 0% 50%/20% 20%/10%
Bank Pool 20% 40% 0% 30%
Initial Shares -- -- -- 10%
Current Price $90 $150 $125 $110
Ima can sell 20% 10% 30% 20%
Value $180 $150 $375 $220
Ima retains 20% 50% 0% 10%
Game end price $75 $125 $90 $90
Ima’s position $150 $625 $0 $90
at game end
Ima can raise only $925; adding this to Ima’s and the company’s cash
yields only $975, $125 short of the $1100 needed. Ima is bankrupt and
the game ends. Ima’s position at the end of the game would be $865, the
total value of the stocks he was not allowed to sell.

WINNING
The winner is the player with the highest combined total of cash, stock
valued at market value and private companies valued at cost price. If
the game ends before the CGR is formed, all companies with outstanding
government loans have their share values reduced by $10 per outstand-
ing loan owed by that company. It is possible for a bankrupt player to
win the game.

CANADIAN GOVERNMENT RAILWAY

The CGR was created during Canadian Confederation to control
several railways operated by the various colonial governments
that formed Canada. The colonial government of Upper Canada
had left the development of railways in private hands, only
offering limited government support. As these public railways
ran into financial difficulty, they were added to the CGR by the
Canadian government. The 1917 start date refers to the date that
railways in the area covered by the game start to be added to the
CGR. Refer to Design Notes for further information. The special
rules that apply to this company are described below:
The Canadian Government Railway (CGR) is not started like other public
companies. It is formed from insolvent public companies who are
unable to repay their government loans when the first type 6 train is
sold, triggering phase five.
Triggering Formation
The CGR is automatically started when the first type 6 train is sold. The
company that purchases this train finishes its operating turn and then
the CGR is started following the guide-lines below. If any of the compa-
nies forming the CGR have already operated during this round, the CGR
does not operate until the next operating round. If none of them have
operated, the CGR will operate immediately during the current operat-
ing round. This may cause the CGR to operate out of turn the first time it
operates. In subsequent operating rounds, the CGR operates in
normal turn order.
Absorbing Companies
Once the CGR starts, all companies holding government loans must
immediately repay them. Starting with the president of the company
that purchased the first type 6 train and following in clockwise player
order, the president of each company holding government loan(s):
Must pay off as many loans as possible out of the company’s
treasury. The loans are repaid in $100 increments from the
treasury. When the treasury drops below $100, no more loans
may be repaid from the treasury.
If there remain outstanding loans after the treasury is depleted,
the president may repay the remainder from cash on hand only.
No shares may be sold to raise money to repay the loans.
If a player is president of more than one company, the player chooses
the order of loan pay-offs. Any company that cannot completely repay
its debt has its assets seized and is absorbed by the Canadian
Government Railways.

Non-Formation
If all companies are able to pay off their loans, the Canadian
Government Railways does not form. Adjust the certificate limit (see
below) to reflect the fact that the CGR will never form (i.e the number
of companies available is 11 minus any that have already closed).

Share Exchange
Player-owned shares of companies that failed to completely pay off
their government loans are exchanged for shares of the CGR. The
exchange rate is two failing company shares for one CGR share. The
share exchange begins with the president of the company that
purchased the first type 6 train, then proceeds clockwise through all
other players. Shares exchanged may be shares of different forming
companies. Extra single shares are placed in the open market without
compensation to the owning player.
For example, if the GT, the TGB, and the CVR are being absorbed
by the CGR,a player could exchange one share of the GT, three
shares of the TCB, and one share of the CVR for two shares of the
CGR; the extra single share would be placed in the open market.
Once the players have exchanged their shares, shares in the open
market are exchanged for CGR shares at the rate of two for one. Any
single share left over is discarded. Any leftover CGR shares from the
current offering being distributed are placed in the initial offerings
section of the Stock Market. If more than 10 CGR shares are needed to
support this exchange, the second set of ten shares are issued. If the
CGR shares run out before all players have converted their shares,
excess unconverted shares are discarded without compensation to the
owning player(s).
Determining The CGR President
The president's certificate goes (temporarily) to the first player to have
two CGR shares. After the share exchange is complete, the president’s
certificate is then moved to the player with the most CGR shares. If
there is a tie, it goes to the first of the tied players beginning with the
temporary holder and moving to the left. If no player holds more than
one CGR share, the president is the first player who received a CGR
share. The player is given the president's certificate and must
purchase a second CGR share during the player’s first turn in the next
stock round. The player must purchase the second CGR share even if the
player must sell shares to afford the purchase. The player receives
nothing in return as the player already has the president's certificate.
The player is relieved of this burden if another player acquires two
shares prior to the player’s first stock round turn.
CGR Share Limits
If more than 10 CGR shares are issued, each CGR share counts as only
half a certificate. Players may then hold up to 12 CGR shares and the
open market may hold up to 10 shares. Players may hold one half
certificate above the current stock limits, but players may not purchase
a half share if they are currently at their limit. If the CGR starts with
more than 5 (10) shares in the open market, current CGR share holders
must purchase additional shares in player order starting from the
priority card until the open market is reduced to the legal limit, even if
this means selling other shares to do so.
Token Exchange
The CGR has 10 station markers. Up to 10 station markers of the
absorbed companies are exchanged for CGR tokens. All home station
markers must be replaced first; then the other station markers are
replaced as the president chooses. The CGR cannot have two or more
station markers on the same tile; the president of the CGR may choose
which one to use, except that exchanging a company’s home station
marker must take precedence. Further station markers may be placed
during regular operating rounds at a cost of $100 each.
Stock Value
The initial stock value of the CGR is $100 or the average of the share
values of the absorbed companies, whichever is higher. To determine
the average value, discard the lowest value company if there are three
or more companies, and take the average value of the rest of the
companies rounded down to the nearest $5 increment. If this average is
over $100, place the CGR share value token and the par value token on
the top row of the Stock Market in the position to the right of the $100
spot that is closest to the average value. If the value is $100, place both
tokens in the $100 starting value spot.
This share value is the value per 10% share if only the first 10 shares
were issued. However, if the second issue is distributed, the share value
token represents the value per 5% share. Initial shares will be
purchased at par value; shares from the open market will be purchased
at the price shown by the share value token.
Certificate Limit Adjustment
After the Canadian Government Railways has formed, but before the
next company operates, adjust the certificate limit, counting the
number of surviving companies (including the CGR) and the number of
unstarted companies.
Operation
Because of government involvement, there are several differences in
the operation of the CGR when compared to other public companies.
Aside from the exceptions mentioned below, the CGR operates as a
normal public company.
Trains
When the CGR starts, the president chooses which trains, if any, to keep
from the trains that were owned by the absorbed companies. The CGR
will keep all permanent (type 5 or higher) trains (up to three). The CGR
may hold up to three trains. Discarded trains are placed in the open
market and are available for purchase. If there were no trains left to
the CGR or the president chose to discard them, the CGR may borrow a
train (most likely a Diesel) from the trains available for sale. The
borrowed train is not moved to the CGR charter and may be purchased
by another company. Since phase changes are triggered by train
purchases, if the CGR borrows a Diesel, it will not trigger a phase
change. The CGR must withhold earnings until it can pay for the
borrowed train; it must pay for that train at its first opportunity to do so.
Until the CGR has a permanent train (a type 5, type 6 or Diesel), its
token on the Stock Market is not adjusted from its starting position for
any reason. Once the CGR acquires its first permanent train, it may no
longer borrow a train from the trains available for sale. The CGR will
only sell or buy trains at the printed cost on the train card. The CGR will
only buy type 5, type 6, and Diesel trains.
Treasury
The CGR acquires all money remaining in the treasuries of the
companies that it absorbs. This is the only initial capital it receives.
Subsequent sales of shares from the initial offering are paid directly to
the bank, and not to the CGR treasury. In other respects the CGR
treasury operates like any other public company’s treasury.
Dividends
When the CGR has a permanent train, it may, at the discretion of the
current president, pay dividends. If only 10 CGR shares are available,
the dividends are the normal 10% per share. If all 20 CGR shares are
available, the dividend is only 5% per share. In this case treat a pair of
5% shares as a full 10% share. For any single 5% shares, round dividend
amounts up to the nearest full dollar, if necessary.
Off Market
The CGR’s share value token may never move into the white ‘Closing’
area of the Stock Market. It always stops one square short as the
government pumps in more money, none of which ever makes it
into the company’s treasury, by the way.
TILES AND UPGRADES
Tile List
Yellow Green Brown Gray
#1 - 1 #14 - 4 #39 - 1 #123 - 1
#2 - 1 #15 - 4 #40 - 1 #124 - 1
#3 - 3 #16 - 1 #41 - 3 ---------
#4 - 3 #17 - 1 #42 - 3 2
#5 - 2 #18 - 1 #43 - 2
#6 - 2 #19 - 1 #44 - 1
#7 - 7 #20 - 1 #45 - 2 Yellow - 55
#8 - 13 #23 - 4 #46 - 2 Green - 31
#9 - 13 #24 - 4 #47 - 2 Brown - 34
#55 - 1 #25 - 1 #63 - 4 Gray - 2
#56 - 1 #26 - 1 #64 - 1 ————————-
#57 - 4 #27 - 1 #65 - 1 Total - 122
#58 - 3 #28 - 1 #66 - 1
#69 - 1 #29 - 1 #67 - 1
————--- #59 - 2 #68 - 1
55 #120 - 1 #70 - 1
#121 - 2 #122 - 1
—————--- #125 - 4
31 #126 - 1
#127 - 1
—————---
34

UPGRADE LIST
Yellow upgrades to Green in phase two or later.
#5 - #14 or #15.
#6 - #14 or #15.
#7 - #18, #26, #27, #28, #29.
#8 - #16, #17, #19, #23, #24, #25, #28, #29.
#9 - #18, #19, #20, #23, #24, #26, #27.
#57 - #14, #15.
#69 - Does not upgrade or down grade.
London/Barrie - #121.
Toronto - #120.
Hamilton/Welland/Kitchener - #59.

Green upgrades to Brown in phase four or later.

#14 - #63, #125 (on “L” hexes only).
#15 - #63, #125 (on “L” hexes only).
#16 - #43, #70.
#17 - #47.
#18 - #43.
#19 - #45, #46.
#20 - #44, #47.
#23 - #41, #43, #45, #47.
#24 - #42, #43, #46, #47.
#25 - #40, #45, #46.
#26 - #42, #44, #45.
#27 - #41, #44, #46.
#28 - #39, #46, #70.
#29 - #39, #45, #70.
#59 - #64, #65, #66, #67, #68.
#120 - #122 (Toronto).
#121 - #126 (London) or #127 (Barrie).

Brown upgrades to Gray in phase five or later.

#64, #65, #66, #67, #68 - upgrades to #123 in Hamilton only.
#122 - #124 (Toronto).

Yellow upgrades to green in phase five or later.

#1 - #14.
#2 - #15.
#55 - #14.
#56 - #15.

Yellow “upgrades” in phase five or later.

#3 - #5.
#4 - #57.
#58 - #6.

Downgrades from yellow in phase five or later.

#3 - #7.
#4 - #9.
#58 - # 8.

DESIGN NOTES
After many enjoyable(?) years playing Avalon Hill’s 1830*, Hartland’s
1829*, and 1853*, and Hans im Gluck’s 1835* as well as many ‘home-
brew’ variations to these games, we were on the look out for new ways
to play. The inspiration for a game in this specific area of Canada came
from a map published in 1987 by Rideau Graphics called “A
Compendium of Southern Ontario Rail Lines 1850-1984”. This map
showed that there were enough different companies in the area to
make an interesting game. Further reading in “A Statutory History of
Railways in Canada 1836-1986” published by the CIGGT and the two
volume history of the Canadian National Railway by G.R. Stevens,
provided information on when and where companies started. This added
to 3 months play testing and hundreds of hours of work on the
computer, have led to this game.
All of the rail tile games have a different emphasis. 1829 is the
competition for routes, 1830 is the robber baron game, 1835 the
formation of the Prussian State Railway and 1853 the building of tracks.
The emphasis in this game is the fight to keep your company out of the
Canadian Government Railways. The rules limiting how capital is paid
to the company, along with generous Government loans make this a
chancy proposition. The loans are easy to assume and often necessary,
but they must be repaid and all players must plan ahead or risk losing
their companies.
In this era in Canada, many railways were built more on hope than on a
solid financial basis. The belief that “Where a Railway is built,
prosperity will follow”, seldom proved to be true. Railways built because
“The city of Galt has a railway and we have to have one too,” seldom
repaid any of the monies invested in them. Bankruptcy and
reorganization was the norm for most companies, with the Colonial and
later Canadian government stepping in with loans to keep the
companies alive. Eventually it was realized that many of these
companies would never pay their loan interest let alone repay the loans
themselves, so the Government stepped in and merged the smaller
companies into the Canadian Government Railway in the 1910’s. A few
years after this, most of the transcontinental railways were dying (all
built under the belief that Where a railway is built, ...), so they and the
CGR were merged to form The Canadian National Railway. The CNR was
formed out of a total of 214 railways, some of whom are in this game. In
the area covered by the game map, there are now only two survivors
CNR and CPR. Until a few years ago there were two others; THB (CPR)
and the LPS(CNR). The rest are long gone and much of the track that
they laid has been abandoned.
In a curious reversal of history, new Short-Line railway companies are
now being formed in the area. These new short lines are in some places
operating branch lines that were at one time main lines of long dead
companies.

VARIANTS
ALTERNATE DESTINATIONS.
To change the nature of the game a little, you can chose a different set
of destinations for the railways. These different destinations will
change the way the game evolves.
BB Toronto
CA Connect Detroit to London
CPR Oshawa
CVR Barrie
GT Burlington
GW Brantford
LPS London
TGB Canadian West
THB Woodstock
WR Hamilton
WGB Lake Huron

ALTERNATE TRAINS
The era represented by the game does not really extend to the time
when Diesels became popular. To change this, replace the Diesels with
type 8 trains costing $1000 ($650). The sale of a type 8 train now trig-
gers phase six.

GLOSSARY
All Sold - A company is considered to be 'All Sold' when all of
the shares of that company are owned by players.
Bank - The Bank holds all of the money at the start of the game.
Payments of dividends to players are made from the bank.
Payments for new trains and terrain costs are made to the
bank. Payments for shares purchased from the initial
offering or from the open market, are made to the bank.
Bankruptcy - A player can be bankrupt for one of three reasons: the
inability to pay loan interest, the inability to redeem a
loan when the redemption is required, or the inability to
raise the money necessary to buy a train when required.
Brown Tile - A brown tile contains more complex track than a green
tile. A brown tile is placed as an upgrade of a green tile
already on the map.
Certificate - A certificate represents either a private company or a
share (or two shares if it is the president's certificate) of a
public company.
Certificate Limit - The number of certificates a player may hold. These
include company shares and private companies.
CGR - Abbreviation for Canadian Government Railways.
City - A large city is represented on the map by a large white
circle. Cities that are named are usually company destina-
tions. A small city is represented on the map by a single
small dot; a small city is represented on the tiles by a short
crosshatch across the track. Some hexes have two small
city dots in them.
Closing Section - This is the white zone in the lower left corner of the
stock market. A company whose share price token enters
this zone is closed. The CGR cannot close and, therefore,
cannot enter this zone.
Destination - Each company has a semi-historical destination to reach.
This is either a large city or a red off-board location. The
requirement to be connected to a destination is a
simulation of early day financial practices. A town would
offer to buy shares in a company to aid construction, but
would only pay for them when the railway reached the
town. In earlier times towns bought shares without
specifying the need for connection. This resulted in a lot
of paper companies selling shares and then never starting
construction.
Dividend - A company runs its trains for income and then may pay
this money to shareholders of that company as a dividend.
Down - A company share price token is moved 'down' on the stock
market when 10% of the company shares are sold.
Game - A complete game consists of a series of game turns.
Game Turn - A game turn is a complete set of a stock round and one or
more operating rounds.
Game Phase - The change of phase indicates (roughly) the passage of
time.
Gray Tile - Gray tiles are used to upgrade specific brown city tiles.
Green Tile - Green tiles are used to upgrade yellow tiles. Green tiles
have more complex track on them than yellow tiles.
Home Station Marker - This free station marker is placed on the
company starting city.
Initial Offering - All shares of all companies are placed in the initial
offering.
Left - A company share price token is moved left on the stock
market if it pays no dividend. If it is at the left edge of the
stock market, it is instead moved down one space in the
direction of the arrow.
Legal Run - A legal run for a company includes a city with one of its sta-
tion markers and one or more additional cities or red off-
board locations.
Loan (Government Loan) - The government will lend a company money
in $100 increments. Of course, it eventually wants the
loan repaid. Failure to do so will cost you your company,
but this may be a good thing.
Open Market - This part of the stock market holds shares sold by
players.
Operating Round - The part of the game turn where company
operations occur. There will be one, two or three
operating rounds per game turn.
Operating Company - A company that has operated before or has sold
enough shares to operate this round. Note that the
rules require from two to six shares be sold to commence
operations.
Pass - A player action during a stock round. The player declines
to do any buying or selling during his stock round turn.
Passed In Order - All players, in order, have passed during the stock
round. This signals the end of the stock round.
President - The president is the player who is responsible for
running the company. The president decides what track to
lay, how to run the company trains, whether to take out or
pay off loans, and whether to pay dividends. The president
is also responsible for making up any shortfall in
company finances during forced purchases or payments.
This player holds the president’s certificate.
President's Certificate - The two share certificate of a public company.
This is normally a 20% share, but may be 10% for the CGR.
Priority - The holder of the priority card, is the player who has the
next action in the stock round. The priority card is moved
 during the stock round by players buying or selling
shares or performing actions for their companies.
Priority Card - This card shows who has the next action in the stock
round.
Private Company - A company with only one certificate. This company
is initially owned by a player. In later phases of the game
most private companies may be sold to operating
companies. It is called a private company because it can
only have one owner. All private companies close at the
beginning of phase four.

Public Company - A company with nine share certificates. This game

has eleven public companies plus the Canadian
Government Railways, which has 9 or 19 share
certificates.
Right - A company share price token is moved one space 'right'
on the stock market if it declares a dividend. If it is at the
right edge, it is instead moved up one space in the direc-
tion of the arrow.
Route - The path on the track on the Map that a train runs to col-
lect income.
Share Certificate - A piece of cardstock that represents a private
company or a share (or shares) in a company.
Share Limit - The number of shares in a company a player may hold.
Share Price Order - When something is done in 'share price order' the
companies are checked in order of price from highest to
lowest. When several companies have the same price, the
one in the right most box is checked first. If several
tokens are in the same share price box, they are checked
from top to bottom.
Station Marker - A token with the railway logo on it that represents a
railroad station of that company.
Stock Round - That part of the game turn that is devoted to stock actions.
Stock Market - The display that represents the stock market that rail-
road shares are traded on. This is a simplified simulation
of the real stock market.
Terrain Costs - Cost printed on the map that represents difficult terrain.
Tile - A colored (yellow, green, brown, or gray) hexagonal piece
of cardstock that companies lay on the map to represent
track.
Token - A button with the company logo on it. Each company uses
one as their share value token to represent the share
price of that company. The others become Station
Markers.
Track - The black lines on the colored tiles (yellow, green, brown,
and gray) laid on the map represent the railroad track laid
by the railways. Also used to mean tile.
Train - This is a certificate that represents a train. The train
number represents the number of cities or red off-board
locations that the train can count for income when it
runs.
Up - When a company token is adjusted on the stock market for
all sold', it is moved up one space. When this token is at
the top of the stock market, it is not moved.
Upgrade - Replacing a track tile on the map with a different tile.
Yellow Tile - A yellow tile is the simplest type of track tile used in 1856.

CREDITS
This game has been created by:

Designer: Bill Dixon

Claims full responsibility for this (per)version of the Hartland
 Rail Tile Game. Inspiration from 1829*, 1830*, 1835*, 1853* and
the fevered minds of members of the UBC Wargaming Society is
freely admitted.
Rules Development: Bill Dixon and John Puddifoot
Play testing:
Mike ‘I’m one dollar short’ Massullo (Mr. Government)
Greg ‘WHAT!’ Jones
Gordon ‘Have I won yet’ Waddington
Bill ‘but if you do this...’ Dixon
‘Evil’ Al Pedersen
John ‘What to start’ Puddifoot
Grant ‘I’ve got the idea now’ Elgaard
Ian ‘I don’t care!’ McCandlish
‘Random’ Robert Taylor-Smith
Anicent ‘Your roached now!’
Gus ‘I’ll be back in a minute’
Trevor
Neil
Wayne
Other assorted UBC Wargamers
Graphics and Layout:
Map, Stock Market Display, Money and Game Components: Bill
Dixon
Cover Art and Rules: John Puddifoot
All graphics, including the map, Stock Market and money, were pro-
duced using CorelDRAW! 3.0.

The rules were produced using Microsoft* Word 5.0 and WordPerfect
for Windows.

1830 is a trademark of Avalon Hill.

1829 and 1853 are trademarks of Hartland who are to be thanked for
originating this rail
tile system.

1835 is a trademark of Hans im Glück

1856 is a trademark of Mayfair Games Inc.

Version 2.2d, Update June 27, 1994.

© 1992 by Bill Dixon