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1822: The Railways of Great Britain — North Regional Scenario

Designer: Simon Cutforth

North regional version of 1822: from Birmingham northward, the shortest scenario in the family.

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1822: The Railways of Great Britain — North Regional Scenario Contents

How it works

Setup
  • Northern map: Scotland, northern England and the Midlands
  • £12,000 bank; £375 per player with 4 (from £750 with 2 down to £215 with 7)
  • Three shuffled stacks: 6 concessions ([LNWR] on top), 16 minors and privates ([P1] on top)
  • Bid boxes: 4 minors, 3 concessions and 3 privates
  • Bid tokens (5 with 4 players) and a random turn order number
Stock round ×1
  • Turn: sell major shares, repay loans, then one of these:
  • · buy a share of a major
  • · convert a concession (from phase 2)
  • · place up to 3 bids in the bid boxes
  • At the end, each winning bidder pays and takes the certificate
  • Next order: most to least cash in hand
Operating round ×1-2
  • Private and concession income (£10)
  • Minors first, then majors, highest share price first:
  • 1. Acquire privates from a player
  • 2. Track: 1 yellow (minor) or 2 yellows / 1 upgrade (major)
  • 3. Destination and one station (£100), majors only
  • 4. Run trains: minors split 50/50
  • 5. Buy trains (mandatory if it has none)
  • 6. Absorb a minor and issue or redeem shares (majors)
↻ Repeats until the end
End
  • The bank runs out: the game ends after that set of operating rounds
  • A share reaches an "e" space (£500 to £600): the game ends after that operating round
  • If nothing sells in the first stock round, it ends immediately
  • Most cash plus shares at market value wins (privates and companies don't count)

Components

Players
  • Cash and bid tokens
  • Concessions, minor certificates (50%) and major shares
  • Privates (worth 0, but with income or a power)
  • Emergency loans at 50%
Minors
  • 16 minors, one station each
  • Start at £50 with £100 in phase 1
  • 1 yellow or green tile per turn
  • Revenue always split with the director
Majors
  • 6 majors, each with its own destination: [LNWR], [CR], [MR], [LYR], [NBR], [NER]
  • Born by converting the concession (phases 2-4) or by selling 50% (from phase 5)
  • Incremental capitalisation; full from phase 6
  • Absorb minors and inherit their cash, trains and station
Bank
  • £12,000
  • New trains and the used-train market
  • Pays private and concession income

Where the money goes

  • Players Bank Winning bids (until phase 2, the bank puts up the minor's capital)
  • Players Majors Converting a concession and buying shares from the treasury
  • Minors Players Half the minor's revenue
  • Majors Players Dividends and cash paid to absorb a minor
  • Majors Bank Trains, terrain and stations
  • Bank Players Private and concession income, and share sales

Phases

1
Start
L · £50 · 2 · £120
1 operating round; minors at £50 with £100
2
1st 2-train
L · 2
2 operating rounds; concessions can be converted; L → 2 for £70
3
1st 3-train
3 · £200
L trains rust; trains between companies
4
1st 4-train
4 · £300
2s rust; limit of 3 trains per major and 1 per minor
5
1st 5-train
5 · £500
Concessions are removed; majors float at 50%
6
1st 6-train
6 · £600
3s rust; full capitalisation
7
1st 7 / E train
7 · £750 or E · £1,000
4s rust
  • The same 1822 rules on the north of the map: no English Channel, and a small London on the southern edge, home of the [LNWR].
  • Minors are the seeds of the majors: absorbing them brings ready-made track, stations and cash.

A round, step by step

Illustrative example using 1822's rules (rulebook v2.0) and this scenario's numbers: 4 players with £375. We follow [PL1], who in the first auction wins minor [M7] in Warrington plus the [LYR] concession, home in Liverpool, the next city over.

  1. Before starting The bid boxes Phase 1

    The bid boxes hold 4 minors, 3 concessions ([LNWR] in the first) and 3 privates. Each player has 5 bid tokens and can look at the order of the stacks: you know what's coming up in the next auctions.

    If the minor in box 1 gets no bid, it leaves the game and takes a train from the bank with it.

    [PL1] cash
    £375
    [M7] treasury
    —
    [M7] share price
    —
    [LYR] treasury
    —
    [LYR] share price
    —
  2. Stock round 1 Two bids in one turn Phase 1

    [PL1] puts a token on [M7] (£100, face value) and another on the [LYR] concession (£100). They don't pay anything yet: bids only commit money, and never more than you have.

    A bid can't be withdrawn or moved to another lot, even if someone outbids it.

    [PL1] cash
    £375
    [M7] treasury
    —
    [M7] share price
    —
    [LYR] treasury
    —
    [LYR] share price
    —
  3. Stock round 1 The fight for Warrington Phase 1

    [PL2] raises [M7] to £115. On their next turn, [PL1] raises their token to £120. Nobody else joins in.

    You can only move a token you've already placed if another player has bid higher.

    [PL1] cash
    £375
    [M7] treasury
    —
    [M7] share price
    —
    [LYR] treasury
    —
    [LYR] share price
    —
  4. Stock round 1 End of round: time to pay Phase 1

    When everyone passes in a row, the auctions are resolved. [PL1] pays £120 for [M7] and £100 for the concession. In phase 1, whatever the bid, the minor starts at £50 with £100 put up by the bank.

    Order for the next stock round is most to least cash: spending big now means playing late later.

    [PL1] cash
    £155
    [M7] treasury
    £100
    [M7] share price
    £50
    [LYR] treasury
    —
    [LYR] share price
    —
  5. Operating round 1 Income and [M7]'s first turn Phase 1

    The concession pays [PL1] £10. [M7] places its station in Warrington and, as the first step of its first turn, buys an L train for £50.

    Only a minor on its first turn may buy an L before running.

    [PL1] cash
    £165
    [M7] treasury
    £50
    [M7] share price
    £50
    [LYR] treasury
    —
    [LYR] share price
    —
  6. Operating round 1 A city in Warrington Phase 1

    Warrington is an empty circle worth 0. [M7] lays a yellow city there (£40 terrain) that links up with the printed track to Liverpool and Manchester. The L train makes £20: £10 for [PL1] and £10 to the treasury. It moves up to £60.

    An L train only counts one city with its own station and, if it wants, one town.

    [PL1] cash
    £175
    [M7] treasury
    £20
    [M7] share price
    £60
    [LYR] treasury
    —
    [LYR] share price
    —
  7. Rounds 2 and 3 Two more laps in phase 1 Phase 1

    In stock rounds 2 and 3 [PL1] can't convert the concession (it's still phase 1) and passes. In each operating round the concession pays them £10 and [M7] makes £20 again, split in half. The minor reaches a £80 share price, with £40 in the treasury.

    In phase 1 there's just one operating round between stock rounds.

    [PL1] cash
    £215
    [M7] treasury
    £40
    [M7] share price
    £80
    [LYR] treasury
    —
    [LYR] share price
    —
  8. Operating round 3 Phase 2 arrives from Edinburgh Phase 2

    Another player's [M3], running in Edinburgh (£30), has saved up £80 and upgrades its L train to a 2. It's the first 2-train: phase 2 begins, concessions can now be converted and, after the next stock round, there'll be two operating rounds.

    Upgrading an L to a 2 counts as buying a train. In phase 2, in this scenario, it only costs £70.

    [PL1] cash
    £215
    [M7] treasury
    £40
    [M7] share price
    £80
    [LYR] treasury
    —
    [LYR] share price
    —
  9. Stock round 4 Converting the concession Phase 2

    [PL1] flips the concession and gets the [LYR] director's certificate (20%). They choose a £70 par. The bank puts in £100 and [PL1] the rest up to double the price: 2 × 70 − 100 = £40. The [LYR] floats with £140.

    Converting is the whole action for the turn: you can't buy a share on the same turn.

    [PL1] cash
    £175
    [M7] treasury
    £40
    [M7] share price
    £80
    [LYR] treasury
    £140
    [LYR] share price
    £70
  10. Stock round 4 One more share Phase 2

    On another turn, [PL1] buys a 10% share from the [LYR] treasury for £70, which goes to the company. They now hold 30%.

    Incremental capitalisation: every share sold from the treasury pays its price to the company.

    [PL1] cash
    £105
    [M7] treasury
    £40
    [M7] share price
    £80
    [LYR] treasury
    £210
    [LYR] share price
    £70
  11. Operating round 4.1 [M7] keeps going Phase 2

    The concession no longer pays: it's a company now. [M7] makes another £20, gives [PL1] £10 and moves up to £90.

    [PL1] cash
    £115
    [M7] treasury
    £50
    [M7] share price
    £90
    [LYR] treasury
    £210
    [LYR] share price
    £70
  12. Operating round 4.1 The [LYR] starts in Liverpool Phase 2

    The [LYR]'s first turn: it places its station in Liverpool and leaves its destination token (Manchester) on the charter. Track already runs there via Warrington, but that city is full with [M7]'s station and can't be passed through: it doesn't count as a connection yet.

    A train can end in a city full of other companies' stations, but not run through it.

    [PL1] cash
    £115
    [M7] treasury
    £50
    [M7] share price
    £90
    [LYR] treasury
    £210
    [LYR] share price
    £70
  13. Operating round 4.1 No train, move left Phase 2

    No train, no revenue: the share price moves one space left, to £60. Then it buys a 2-train for £120, because a company must end its turn owning a train.

    [PL1] cash
    £115
    [M7] treasury
    £50
    [M7] share price
    £90
    [LYR] treasury
    £90
    [LYR] share price
    £60
  14. Operating round 4.2 [M7] reaches £100 Phase 2

    [M7] makes another £20 and gives [PL1] £10. The share price reaches £100: the minor is now worth double that, £200.

    [PL1] cash
    £125
    [M7] treasury
    £60
    [M7] share price
    £100
    [LYR] treasury
    £90
    [LYR] share price
    £60
  15. Operating round 4.2 Liverpool–Warrington Phase 2

    The [LYR]'s 2-train runs from Liverpool to Warrington, where it stops: 30 + 20 = £50. It pays out: [PL1] gets £15 for their 30%, and the £35 for the 70% still in the treasury goes to the company. £50 doesn't reach the share price: no movement.

    If the dividend matches the share price it moves up one space; double, two.

    [PL1] cash
    £140
    [M7] treasury
    £60
    [M7] share price
    £100
    [LYR] treasury
    £125
    [LYR] share price
    £60
  16. Operating round 4.2 The [LYR] absorbs [M7] Phase 2

    Neither company is on its first turn and the [LYR] reaches [M7]'s station: it can absorb it. It pays the £200 with 2 shares (2 × £60 = £120) plus £80 in cash to [PL1]. It inherits [M7]'s £60 and its L train, and swaps the Warrington station for one of its own.

    The major can put in 0, 1 or 2 shares; if they're worth more than the minor, the director pays back the difference.

    [PL1] cash
    £220
    [M7] treasury
    —
    [M7] share price
    —
    [LYR] treasury
    £105
    [LYR] share price
    £60
  17. Towards stock round 5 What now? Phase 2

    [PL1] owns 50% of the [LYR]. Since Warrington is now theirs, next turn the line from Liverpool to Manchester is open: they'll place the destination token, and a train getting there from home will count Manchester double. Before that, though, the first 3-train will rust the L.

    [PL1] cash
    £220
    [M7] treasury
    —
    [M7] share price
    —
    [LYR] treasury
    £105
    [LYR] share price
    £60

1822NRS North Regional Scenario — Summary

Capitalization type

  • Incremental capitalization for all majors: each share pays its par price into the treasury at the moment it's actually sold, not all at once when floating.
  • Once the first 6-train is bought (phase 6), any major that hasn't floated yet switches to full capitalization (receiving its whole capital at once) for the rest of the game.

Floating percentage and per-player share limits

  • Floats at 20% of shares sold for most majors (CR, MR, LYR, NBR, NER), except LNWR, which floats at just 10%; minors float at 100% (they start operational right away)
  • No player may hold more than 60% (6 of 10 certificates) of a single major, except minors, which have no limit (100%)
  • Certificate limit per player: 2 players — 27; 3 players — 16; 4 players — 13; 5 players — 10; 6 players — 9; 7 players — 8

Starting cash by player count

  • 2 players: £750 starting cash — played with a reduced set of privates (only P1-P12, without P5 or P10)
  • 3 players: £500 starting cash
  • 4 players: £375 starting cash
  • 5 players: £300 starting cash
  • 6 players: £250 starting cash
  • 7 players: £215 starting cash
  • The bank always starts with £12,000, regardless of the number of players

End game triggers

  • The bank runs out of money: if it breaks during an operating round, the current full OR set is finished; if it breaks during a stock round, it ends at the next complete operating round set
  • A share price reaches one of the cells marked "e" at the top of the stock market grid: the game ends at the close of the current operating round
  • If nobody sells a share in the game's first stock round, that fact is locked in as the final trigger even if other conditions occur later
  • There's no bankruptcy end condition (unlike other 18xx titles): in 1822, company bankruptcy simply isn't enabled

Number of phases

  • 7 phases (1 through 7), triggered by the purchase of the first train of each type (2/L, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) respectively
  • From phase 2 onward, upgrading an L-train to a 2-train only costs £70 instead of the usual £80, a quirk specific to the NRS and MRS scenarios that doesn't exist in full 1822GB

Train list and prices

  • L / 2 train — the L-train costs £50 (14 available) and can be upgraded into a 2-train, or a 2-train can be bought directly for £120; the L rusts with the first 3-train, the 2 with the first 4-train
  • 3 train — £200 (6 available; rusts with the first 6-train)
  • 4 train — £300 (4 available; rusts with the first 7-train)
  • 5 train — £500 (2 available); buying it closes all remaining concessions without compensation
  • 6 train — £600 (3 available); buying it switches any major that hasn't floated yet to full capitalization
  • 7 train (or E variant, distance 99, price £1,000) — £750 (unlimited); buying it closes privates P15 and P20 if no major owns them yet
  • Special trains not bought from the depot: 2P (permanent 2-train, from P3/P4), LP (permanent L-train, from P19), and 5P (permanent 5-train, from P1); a "Pullman" (P+, from P13/P14) converts another train into a + train

List of private companies

  • All privates and concessions are distributed by auction through bidding boxes, not at a fixed price: they start with a minimum bid of £0 and each player has a limited number of bidding tokens
  • P1 (5-Train, phase 5) — grants a permanent 5-train
  • P2 (Remove Town, phase 2) — lets you remove a small station by laying a plain track tile directly on it
  • P3 and P4 (Permanent 2T, phase 2) — each grants a permanent 2-train that doesn't count against the train limit
  • P6 and P7 (Mail Contract, phase 3) — pay half the base value of the start and end stations of one of the trains operated
  • P8 (Hill Discount, phase 3) — gives a free discount token for one mountain/hill terrain tile, or a permanent flat discount
  • P9 (Double Cash, phase 3) — lets a player declare double their cash on hand to set turn order (if held by a player), or generates growing variable revenue (if held by a company)
  • P11 (Advanced Tile Lay, phase 2) — lets you lay a tile color one step ahead of when it becomes available by phase
  • P12 (Extra Tile Lay, phase 3) — grants an extra tile during the track-laying step
  • P13 and P14 (Pullman, phase 5) — convert a train into a + train able to include extra towns
  • P15 (£10x Phase, phase 2) — pays revenue and accrues treasury credit proportional to the current phase number
  • P16 (Tax Haven) — can't be acquired; lets a player buy extra shares that don't count against the 60% limit
  • P18 (Station Swap, phase 5) — lets you move a token between the company's exchange area and its available slot
  • P19 (Perm. L Train, phase 1) — grants a permanent L-train
  • P20 (£5x Phase, phase 3) — same as P15 but at half the value
  • P21 (Grimsby/Hull Bridge, phase 2) — lets you connect Grimsby and Hull with free tiles at no terrain cost
  • Six concessions (LNWR, CR, MR, LYR, NBR, NER) — £100 face value each; when converted, they become the 10% president's certificate of the corresponding major

List of corporations

  • London and North Western Railway (LNWR) — home at N29 (specific to NRS; it's London in full 1822GB), with destination I22 and 4 exchange tokens
  • Caledonian Railway (CR) — home at E6 (Glasgow), destination G12, 3 exchange tokens
  • Midland Railway (MR) — home at J29, destination L19, 3 exchange tokens
  • Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway (LYR) — home at G22, destination I22, 3 exchange tokens
  • North British Railway (NBR) — home at H5 (Edinburgh), destination H1 (Aberdeen), 3 exchange tokens
  • North Eastern Railway (NER) — home at L19, destination H5 (Edinburgh), 3 exchange tokens
  • 16 single-token minors (50% director's certificate): 1 Aberdeen (H1), 2 Highlands (E2), 3 Edinburgh (H5), 4 Newcastle (K10), 5 Darlington (J15), 6 Barrow (G16), 7 Warrington (H23), 8 Sheffield (K24), 9 Grimsby (N23), 10 Birmingham (I30), 15 and 16 (NRS-specific homes, N29 and M30), 26 Hull (N21), 27 Glasgow (E6), 28 Carlisle (G12), and 29 (NRS-specific home, E26)

Game-specific mechanics

  • Simultaneous auction of privates, minors, and concessions, with bidding tokens limited per player (between 7 and 3 depending on player count, 3 tokens spent per action)
  • Minors float at a fixed price of 50 in phase 1, between 50 and 100 based on the bid in phase 2, and at the full winning bid value from phase 3 onward
  • Minors merge into any major that traces an unblocked route to them; concessions convert directly into the corresponding major's president's certificate
  • Stock round buying priority by cash on hand, not a cyclical turn order
  • Certificate limit varies by player count: from 27 (2 players) down to 8 (7 players)
  • With exactly 2 players, a reduced set of privates is used (only P1-P12, without P5 or P10)
  • Map trimmed to the northern half of 1822GB, with Wales and London treated as off-map destinations; the English Channel mechanic isn't used

Emergency sell

Shares the same rule sheet as 1822MRS, and by extension the same four-tier Emergency Money Raising system as 1822GB, entirely unchanged.

Comparison with 1830

1. The full 1822 engine, not a simplified one
The NRS uses exactly the same engine as full 1822GB (auctions, minors, concessions, L-trains), none of which exist in 1830. What changes compared to 1822GB isn't the engine, just the scope of the map: the northern half, with Wales and London off-map.

2. Simultaneous auction of three categories, not a sequential single-lot auction
In 1830 privates go up one at a time in a classic open-bidding auction. In the NRS, privates, minors, and concessions are all auctioned simultaneously through bidding boxes, and each player only has a limited number of bidding tokens to spend.

3. Mergeable minors, a concept 1830 doesn't have
1830 only has major companies, born and grown independently. In the NRS, minors float early at a low price and, at any point, can merge into any major that traces an unblocked route to them, handing over their track and treasury.

4. Initial L-trains instead of the standard 2-city train
In 1830 the first generation of trains is already the standard 2-city train. In the NRS the game starts with "L" trains (essentially 1(+1) city/town trains) that must be upgraded into 2-trains for a fee, reduced to £70 from phase 2 onward.

5. Priority by cash on hand, not cyclical turn order
In 1830 stock round turn order is always cyclical. In the NRS, as in the rest of the 1822 system, whoever has the most cash on hand goes first in each new stock round, which rewards holding cash instead of spending it all.

6. Designed to match 1830's length, not full 1822GB's
A complete 1822GB game usually runs past 5 hours. The NRS trims the map and the number of active companies specifically to offer a length (3.5-4.5 hours) comparable to an 1830 game among experienced players, without giving up the full 1822 engine.

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