Railways Express
Railways Express Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Game Board
The game board shows a map of the full United States and parts of Canada and Mexico. There are 18 gray cities that do not belong to anyone and 4 cities in each player color. Each player has a Home City (outlined in darker black lines) in one of the 4 quadrants:
- The Blue player's home city is Monterrey in the South.
- The Yellow player's home city is Los Angeles in the West.
- The Red player's home city is Minneapolis in the North.
- The Purple player's home city is Montreal in the East.
Objective
Be the first player to build track which links, in any way possible, all four of the cities of your color. All players will have an equal number of turns to achieve this objective.
Components
- 64 locomotives in 4 player colors (16 x red, yellow, blue, purple)
- 231 track tiles
- 120 cubes in 4 player colors
- 2 track dice and 2 terrain dice
- 1 large (30" by 36") game board
- 42 cards (18 Service Bounties and 24 Railroad Operations)
Set up
Place the game board in the center of the table so it is accessible to everyone. Place the track tiles next to the game board. Choose a color and take the corresponding set of trains and cubes. Place one of your trains in your home city and two of your cubes in the other 3 cities of your color. Place one of your cubes in each of the gray cities on the game board. You will have two cubes remaining for use later when you decide to re-roll (see below). Each player will have 5 cubes left over to put in a common reserve pile. The Blue player goes first and gets all four dice. The Yellow player goes second; the Red player third; and the Purple player last. For two or three players you may choose whichever colors and whatever turn order you wish.
General Play
- Roll all 4 dice.
- Build track tiles on the game board towards the next city on your route.
- End your turn. Pass the dice to the player on your left.
1. Roll All 4 Dice
On your turn, roll all 4 dice and pair up 1 track die with 1 terrain die so you have 2 pairs of dice (1 track + 1 terrain).
Description of Dice:
Track Dice indicate which track tiles you may play on the game board.
- Double Straight Track – build two straight track tiles.
- Double Curved Track – build two curved track tiles.
- Straight & Curved Track – build one straight and one curved track tile.
Terrain Dice indicate the hexes on the game board where you may build track tiles.
- Plains Terrain = hexes on the board which are generally medium and light green, some have hints of brown and very faint blue—none have bright blue water or white dots (mountains).
- Mountain Terrain = hexes on the board which are brown and have white dots on them.
- Water Terrain = hexes on the board that have any bright—not faint—blue color on them.
- Mountain, Plains or Water = you may build on mountain or plains or water terrain hexes.
Example
You roll: Double Straight Track, Plains, Straight & Curved Track, Water.
You can pair them in two ways, EITHER:
- Double Straight Track with Plains: Build 2 straight track tiles over 2 plains.
- Straight & Curved Track with Water: Build 1 straight and 1 curved track tile over as many as 2 water spaces.
OR:
- Double Straight Track with Water: Build 2 straight track tiles over 2 water spaces.
- Straight & Curved Track with Plains: Build 1 straight and 1 curved track tile over as many as 2 plains spaces.
Note: You may only be able to build one track tile (or none) because of your position on the board or your dice roll.
2. Build Track Tiles on the Game Board
Depending on your dice results, build track tiles (end-to-end) to extend your track on the game board. Your first track tile must be played from your home city. Each subsequent track tile you play must touch: 1) another of your previously laid track tiles or 2) a city of your color that you have previously connected to. Once track tiles are placed, they may not be removed.
Each player is limited to only two connections to any gray city. This means that up to 3 players may enter and exit from any gray city, but a fourth player would not be able to do so if three other players have already entered that city.
You may cross over another player's track tiles by using the appropriate crossing tile (if one is available). Otherwise, you may stack your tile on top of another player's. However, while you may build over any tile which is entering a city, you may not also enter that city by building an entry over that tile.
You must still abide by the terrain type underneath the tile you are crossing over. The tile underneath is still usable by the original owner/player. Example: You place your tile on top of another player's track tile that is sitting on water. You must have a water terrain die in order to cross over the other player's track tile.
Though you may lay track adjacent to opponents' color cities, you may not enter into them. Players are never prevented in any way from entering and exiting cities of their color, but you may not enter and exit using the same tile, nor stack on top of your own previously played tile.
Connecting "Links"
Place track tiles so that you connect cities. Two or more tiles that connect one city to another are called a "link." You may build a link to any city on the board except cities of your opponents' colors. Place one of your locomotives on the connecting track to indicate completed links. You should also place locomotives on your farthest piece(s) of track to indicate your progress at the end of your turn. Pick up a cube of your color from the city you just linked to. Pick up two cubes if the city is one of your color.
After you have paired the dice in two terrain/track combinations, you can then use those combinations in any order to lay the indicated track. For example, you roll and pair:
[Diagram omitted: the printed example of one roll paired into two terrain/track combinations.]
Some examples of the order you can lay track include:
[Diagrams omitted: the printed examples of the order in which track may be laid.]
NOTE: The different background colors on the track tiles have no significance. Use whatever background colors on track tiles that pleases you. You do not need to put the potential four tiles that you are able to lay on one turn all in order next to each other as illustrated above. As stated previously, you may lay track tiles as a continuation of track that you have previously laid, and/or as an extension from a city of your color that you have built to. It is permissable to play new track as an extension of more than one line of track on the same turn.
Cubes
You begin the game with two cubes of your color in hand and five of your color in a common reserve pile. Cubes allow you to re-roll any one or two dice. To pick up a cube, you must connect (build a link) to one of your own cities (you get 2 cubes) or to a gray city (you get one cube). Pick up your matching colored cube(s) and place in your play area. The cube(s) may be used on any future turn.
To use a cube after you are finished rolling, turn in one and re-roll one or two dice. You may do this once for each cube you possess. You may use more than one cube on any given turn. Once used, cubes go back in the common reserve pile where they might become available because of (optional) cards that are acquired (see below).
3. End Your Turn
After you have rolled and placed your track tiles on the game board, your turn ends. Pass the dice to the player on your left. Play proceeds clockwise around the table.
Ending and Winning the Game
The end of the game is triggered when one player builds links which connect all four cities of their player color. Each player that has not had an equal number of turns (remember to designate the starting player at the beginning of the game) now gets a final turn. If only one player has managed to link all four of their cities after an equal number of turns have been taken, that player wins! If two players or more tie after equal turns are played, the tie is resolved in favor of the player that has the most cubes remaining. If there is still a tie, these players share the victory.
Rules for Cards (optional)
As you gain experience with Railways Express, you may find that you want to introduce the optional card decks that are enclosed with the game. There are two decks. Either one can be used separately, or both can be used together.
The Service Bounty Deck (18 cards). This deck has one Service Bounty for each of the 18 gray cities shown on the board. To use these, shuffle the deck before the game starts and deal four cards face up. All players compete to be the first to link to any of the four cities shown AFTER the Service Bounty card for that city is revealed. The first to link to any of these Service Bounty cities, after the card for that city is revealed, is awarded an extra re-roll cube of their color from the cube reserve. Each time a Service Bounty is filled and awarded, a new Service Bounty card from the deck is turned up, so that there are always four active Service Bounties to choose from.
The Railroad Operations Deck (24 cards, 3 each of 8 different types). This deck consists of various railroad operations which can come into play and be used by players to help themselves or possibly to interfere with other players. The text on the cards should be self-explanatory. Players draw a card from the Operations Deck when they link to a new city (in addition to the re-roll cube they gain from that new link). Players do not get a card when they link to a city of their color. However, they DO get two cubes. Cards cannot be used on the same turn that you gained them; you must wait until the following turn. Cards may be used when indicated and only once, but you may use as many cards as you can on a single turn. If they help you, they must be used on your turn. If they are used against an opponent, they must be used on that opponent's turn. Once used, these cards are returned to the bottom of the Operations Deck.