Railways of the Western U.S. Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Goods Cube Reduction for 2 and 3 Players
• Fuel Depots Expansion
  • Example 1
  • Example 2
  • Example 3
• End of Game
• Card Symbols

Goods Cube Reduction for 2 and 3 Players

Cards in this expansion: 12 Baron cards and 38 Railroad Operations cards.

In a 2 or 3-player game, reduce the number of Goods Cubes placed in each City by 1. However, no City may begin the game without any Goods Cube in it.

Players may choose not to use the City Rotors and/or Fuel Depots expansions.

Fuel Depots Expansion

Each player receives 4 Fuel Depot markers (or 4 plastic miniatures if the dedicated expansion is available) in their player color.

During the Build Track action, a player may use the additional ability Build a Fuel Depot if they have a Fuel Depot available to place.

During the Build Track action, for an additional $5,000, the active player may place up to two Fuel Depots in a single City they are connected to that does not already contain other Fuel Depots (regardless of color). This City does not need to be connected to a link under construction.

A Fuel Depot can be used in two ways:

• When delivering a Goods Cube to a City where you have a Fuel Depot, you may ignore that City's color and continue the delivery through it by removing a Fuel Depot present in that City, which returns to the player's supply.

• A Fuel Depot may also be used to make a longer delivery using a lower-level Engine:

  • During a delivery, a player may "stop" in a City where they own a Fuel Depot and end their action there (keeping the cube next to the Depot if playing with the plastic miniatures, or on top of it if using cardboard markers).
  • In the next action, the delivery may continue by removing a Fuel Depot from the City, which returns to the player's supply.
  • If the delivery is not continued in the next action (for example, because the player has no actions left), the Goods Cube is discarded.

You may chain Fuel Depots. You must remove a Fuel Depot each time you ignore a City's color while passing through it, or when you "stop" in the City where your Fuel Depot is present in order to continue the delivery of the Goods Cube in the next action.

A single Fuel Depot will only allow you either to ignore the color of a City or to extend the delivery of the Goods Cube beyond the power of your Engine. But if you place two Fuel Depots, you can use them to do both during the same delivery (in two Rounds, naturally).

Example 1

Mike has a purple cube in City A, a Level 4 Engine, and 2 Fuel Depots in purple City B, which is 4 links from City A.

In Round 1 he delivers the purple Goods Cube from City A to his Fuel Depot in City B. He removes 1 (one) Fuel Depot to ignore the color of the City, and then removes the cube from the map because he plans to extend the delivery in his next Round (a Turn consists of three Rounds). (No points are awarded at this time.)

In Round 2, Mike removes the other Fuel Depot from City B to travel a further 3 links to City C, where he makes the final delivery.

Mike now earns a total of 7 points for the 4 links from City A to City B and the 3 links from City B to City C.

Transcriber's note: the example says the cube is removed from the map in Round 1, while the rule above says a stopped cube is kept beside or on the Depot. The text is transcribed as printed.

Example 2

You have a Level 8 Engine and want to deliver a blue Goods Cube to blue City X, which is 8 links away. But you must first pass through a blue City that is 3 links away... 3 points instead of 8! But if you place a Fuel Depot in the first blue City you pass through (the one 3 links away), you pass the cube through without delivering it there, remove the Fuel Depot, and deliver the cube to its destination in blue City X. You earn 8 points instead of 3 at the cost of $5,000, not bad!

Example 3

You have a Level 8 Engine. In Round 2 you move a blue Goods Cube 8 links to a yellow City where you have a Fuel Depot. In the next Round you remove the Fuel Depot and move the blue Goods Cube on to its destination. Imagine: you can theoretically score up to 16 points with a single delivery!

End of Game

The number of Empty City markers that trigger the end of the game depends on the number of players:

• 2 Players: 10 Empty City markers
• 3 Players: 12 Empty City markers
• 4 Players: 14 Empty City markers
• 5 Players: 16 Empty City markers
• 6 Players: 18 Empty City markers

Remember to subtract 1 Victory Point for each Bond Certificate issued.

The player with the most Victory Points is the winner. In case of a tie, the player with the most completed links wins. If there is still a tie, the player with more money wins.

Card Symbols

The sheet's card-symbol key has no printed heading; this heading was added by the transcriber.

• Green circle: These cards cannot be taken. They give a bonus to the first player who reaches the goal described on the card (after the card becomes available in the display). Once the goal is reached, the card is removed from the game and placed in a discard pile. Many of these are "Start" cards, marked with a yellow "S" icon.

• Purple diamond: Once chosen, this card is placed in front of the player for the rest of the game and is never discarded. The card provides a continuing bonus and can be used by the player who owns it only in one of the 3 Rounds of the Turn. Using this card does not count as an action.

• Red "X": These cards are used immediately when taken and then discarded.

• Hand of cards: This card may be kept in the player's hand until they decide to use it. Once used, the card is discarded. Using this card does not count as an action.

• Infinity symbol: The card remains face up in front of the player who receives the benefits described on it for the rest of the game.

• Black star: These cards are optional and may be used or replaced freely within the expansion in which they are included (e.g., the Mexico map).