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1862: Railway Mania in the Eastern Counties

Designer: Mike Hutton

British East Anglia flips classic 18xx conventions with three train types and subsidy maneuvers.

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1862: Railway Mania in the Eastern Counties Contents

How it works

Setup
  • 20 companies: 8 available from the start, 4 more in phase B, 4 in C and 4 out of play
  • Each company is randomly given a permit: freight, local or express
  • £15,000 bank; from £1,200 (2 players) to £300 (8)
  • The game starts with two Parliament rounds in a row
Parliament round ×1
  • Auctions for a company's charter
  • The winner pays the bid to the bank and chooses the par price
  • Buys the director's certificate (30%) and, if they like, 2 more shares
  • Has until the end of the stock round to float it or pays 5× the price
Stock round ×1
  • Sell first, in blocks: each share drops one space
  • Buy one share: from the [IPO], the pool or the treasury
  • Or start a company without a charter with the director's certificate
  • Floats at 50% sold
Operating round ×1-3
  • Each company, highest share price first:
  • 1. Merge with another
  • 2. Track: 2 yellows, 1 upgrade, a small station or a London link
  • 3. Place a station (already paid for)
  • 4. Run the trains of its permit
  • 5. Pay out (up) or withhold (down)
  • 6. Buy trains and guarantees
  • 7. Buy back a share from the pool
  • 8. Acquire another company
↻ Repeats until the end
End
  • A share price reaches the top of the market: that operating round finishes
  • The bank runs out: the set of operating rounds finishes
  • The first H train forms the [LNER]: the game ends with a last cycle where companies only run and buy trains
  • Most cash plus shares wins; treasuries don't count

Components

Players
  • Cash and shares
  • No per-company share limit
  • The 3-share director's certificate counts as a single certificate
Companies
  • Chartered: receives 10× par on floating; 3 stations at £60
  • Unchartered: collects for each share it sells; 2 to 7 stations at £40
  • Only run trains of their permit; they gain more by merging
  • Must own a train: if they can't afford one, they sell their own shares or refinance
Bank
  • £15,000
  • [IPO] and pool with no limit
  • Trains in bands A to H
  • £50 guarantees that delay rusting
Map
  • East Anglia; laying track costs nothing
  • Large stations (cities) and small ones (towns)
  • Ports and off-boards that rise with the phase
  • London: you need a token there to be able to reach it

Where the money goes

  • Players Bank Parliament bids, chartered company shares and pool shares
  • Players Companies Shares of an unchartered company: the price goes to the treasury
  • Bank Companies Charter capital (10× par), refinancing, local train subsidy
  • Companies Players Dividends
  • Companies Bank Trains, guarantees, stations and shares bought back from the pool
  • Players Companies Director's cash to pay for a train: doesn't exist

Phases

A
Start
1F · 2L · 2E · £100
Yellow, 1 [OR] per cycle, 3 trains of each type
B
1st B train
2F · 2/3L · 2/3E · £200
Green, 2 ORs, 4 more companies
C
1st C train
3F · 3L · 3E · £280
A trains rust; the last 4 companies
D
1st D train
5F · 4L · 4E · £360
Brown, 3 ORs per cycle
E
1st E train
6F · 4/5L · 4/5E · £500
B trains rust; 2 trains of each type
F
1st F train
7F · 5L · 5E · £600
C trains rust
G
1st G train
8F · 5/6L · 5/6E · £700
D trains rust; 3 trains in total
H
1st H train
9F · 6L · 6E · £800
The [LNER] will form: end of game
  • Each station only scores once even if several trains pass through it, and all runs must touch each other at a city.
  • George Hudson manoeuvre: if revenue doesn't reach the share price, the company can top it up from the treasury to make it rise, but then it must pay out.

A round, step by step

Illustrative example with the real rules, 4 players (£600 each). We follow [P1] and the [WVR], based in Beccles, which has an express train permit, from the Parliament rounds to its third operation.

  1. Before starting Eight companies on offer Phase A

    The director's certificates have been shuffled: the [WVR] is among the first 8 and can be started right away. Its permit is express: it can only run express trains, which count cities and off-boards and ignore towns.

    A company can buy trains of any type, but only earns from those matching its permit.

    [P1] cash
    £600
    [WVR] treasury
    —
    [WVR] share price
    —
    [WVR] trains
    —
  2. Parliament round 1 The charter auction Phase A

    [P1] opens an auction for the [WVR] at £0. [P3] bids £10, [P1] £15 and [P3] passes. [P1] wins and pays £15 to the bank: the price of persuading Parliament.

    You need at least £162 (3× the lowest par price) plus the bid to take part.

    [P1] cash
    £585
    [WVR] treasury
    —
    [WVR] share price
    —
    [WVR] trains
    —
  3. Parliament round 1 Start and float in one go Phase A

    They pick a £68 par price and buy the director's certificate (3 shares, £204). They add 2 more shares (£136) and reach 50%: the [WVR] floats. They've paid it all to the bank, and the bank gives the company 10× par: £680.

    Chartered company: full capitalisation, as in 1830.

    [P1] cash
    £245
    [WVR] treasury
    £680
    [WVR] share price
    £68
    [WVR] trains
    —
  4. Parliament round 1 Three stations up front Phase A

    On floating, the company pays for its stations in one go: a chartered company has 3 (home plus two more) at £60 each. £180 leaves the treasury.

    An unchartered company chooses 2 to 7 at £40. After that it can only gain more through mergers.

    [P1] cash
    £245
    [WVR] treasury
    £500
    [WVR] share price
    £68
    [WVR] trains
    —
  5. Stock round 1 One more share Phase A

    After the second Parliament round, where they pass, [P1] buys a [WVR] share from the [IPO] at par (£68), which goes to the bank. They now hold 60%. When everyone passes, the round ends.

    A share sold of a company with no train only fetches half price.

    [P1] cash
    £177
    [WVR] treasury
    £500
    [WVR] share price
    £68
    [WVR] trains
    —
  6. Operating round 1.1 Home and two yellows Phase A

    On its first operation, the [WVR] places its home station in Beccles. Since the hex is empty, the first tile must go there; the second goes in Lowestoft. Laying track costs nothing.

    You can lay 2 yellows, but only one if it's an "N" tile.

    [P1] cash
    £177
    [WVR] treasury
    £500
    [WVR] share price
    £68
    [WVR] trains
    —
  7. Operating round 1.1 A station in Lowestoft Phase A

    It places one of its already-paid stations in Lowestoft, which is on its route. It costs nothing.

    [P1] cash
    £177
    [WVR] treasury
    £500
    [WVR] share price
    £68
    [WVR] trains
    —
  8. Operating round 1.1 No train, price drops Phase A

    It has no train: no revenue, no payout, and the share price drops one space, from £68 to £65.

    [P1] cash
    £177
    [WVR] treasury
    £500
    [WVR] share price
    £65
    [WVR] trains
    —
  9. Operating round 1.1 An A train, as an express Phase A

    It buys a band A train for £100 and places it on its charter express side up: a 2E. A trains come with a free guarantee.

    Each guarantee (£50) keeps the train from rusting until the next operation. One is removed after each run.

    [P1] cash
    £177
    [WVR] treasury
    £400
    [WVR] share price
    £65
    [WVR] trains
    2E
  10. Parliament 3 and stock 2 Just one operation per cycle Phase A

    In phase A there's only one operating round per cycle. Parliament and the stock round come round again; [P1] passes in both to save money.

    [P1] cash
    £177
    [WVR] treasury
    £400
    [WVR] share price
    £65
    [WVR] trains
    2E
  11. Operating round 2.1 Towards Great Yarmouth Phase A

    The [WVR] lays a yellow at Great Yarmouth, a "Y" city already worth 30 in yellow. The 2E must pass through Beccles, its base, so it runs Beccles–Lowestoft: 20 + 20 = £40.

    One of the runs must always touch the home station.

    [P1] cash
    £177
    [WVR] treasury
    £400
    [WVR] share price
    £65
    [WVR] trains
    2E
  12. Operating round 2.1 The George Hudson manoeuvre Phase A

    £40 doesn't reach the share price (£65). The director adds £30 from the treasury, the smallest multiple of ten to get there: £70. Now it must pay out: £7 per share, and [P1] collects £42.

    Only allowed if revenue is £10 or more and below the share price.

    [P1] cash
    £219
    [WVR] treasury
    £370
    [WVR] share price
    £65
    [WVR] trains
    2E
  13. Operating round 2.1 Up one space Phase A

    It paid out at least the share price: up to £68. Then it buys a second A train for £100 and makes it an express too.

    Double the share price would move it up 2 spaces; 4 at most.

    [P1] cash
    £219
    [WVR] treasury
    £270
    [WVR] share price
    £68
    [WVR] trains
    2E + 2E
  14. Operating round 3.1 Two trains that touch Phase A

    One 2E runs Beccles–Lowestoft and the other Lowestoft–Great Yarmouth. They meet at Lowestoft, but each city only scores once: 20 + 20 + 30 = £70.

    Each train must pass through one of the company's stations: that's why it needed the one at Lowestoft.

    [P1] cash
    £219
    [WVR] treasury
    £270
    [WVR] share price
    £68
    [WVR] trains
    2E + 2E
  15. Operating round 3.1 Paying out unaided Phase A

    £70 now beats the share price: it pays £7 per share without touching the treasury. [P1] collects £42 and the [WVR] rises to £71.

    [P1] cash
    £261
    [WVR] treasury
    £270
    [WVR] share price
    £71
    [WVR] trains
    2E + 2E
  16. Towards phase B What now? Phase A

    When someone buys the first B train (£200), green arrives, with two operations per cycle and 4 new companies. The A trains will rust in phase C. To earn more, the [WVR] will need to merge with a company holding a different permit, or someone short of cash might offer it an acquisition.

    [P1] cash
    £261
    [WVR] treasury
    £270
    [WVR] share price
    £71
    [WVR] trains
    2E + 2E

1862 Railway Mania in the Eastern Counties — Summary

Capitalization type

  • Full capitalization (like 1830): when it floats, a corporation immediately receives the proceeds of all its shares at the par price. How this happens, though, is different: during the "Parliament round" (the equivalent of the initial auction), players bid to auction off the right to found each corporation (the "charter auction"). Whoever wins the bid pays that extra amount to the bank and becomes president with a "charter": the corporation automatically receives 3 tokens at £60 each (£180 total), and the president is obligated to complete this before the next stock round, on pain of a fine equal to 5 times the corporation's par price. If nobody bids on a corporation, it can still be founded without a "charter" (as "incremental cap" capitalization): in that case the corporation itself must buy between 2 and 7 tokens (8 with the "8 tokens" optional rule) at £40 each.

Floating percentage and per-player share limits

  • Floats once 50% of its shares are sold (same threshold for every corporation)
  • No real per-player ownership limit: the maximum ownership percentage per corporation is 100% of its shares (i.e., unrestricted)
  • Certificate limit per player: 2 players — 25; 3 players — 18; 4 players — 13; 5 players — 11; 6 players — 10; 7 players — 9; 8 players — 8

Starting cash by player count

  • 2 players: £1,200 starting cash
  • 3 players: £800 starting cash
  • 4 players: £600 starting cash
  • 5 players: £480 starting cash
  • 6 players: £400 starting cash
  • 7 players: £345 starting cash
  • 8 players: £300 starting cash
  • The bank always starts with £15,000, regardless of player count

End game triggers

  • A corporation reaches the end-game (orange) zone of the stock market: the game ends at the end of the current operating round
  • The bank runs out of money (and the LNER hasn't formed yet): the current full operating round set is finished
  • The LNER forms: buying the first H-type train (phase H) triggers the event; the LNER actually forms at the end of that operating round set, and one more stock round plus one more full set of operating rounds is played before the game ends
  • A player goes bankrupt: immediate end (the engine's default rule, not overridden by this game)

Number of phases

  • 8 phases (A through H): phase A is the starting phase, and each of the following ones (B, C, D, E, F, G, H) is triggered by the purchase of the first train of the matching type
  • Train limit: 3 per type (local/goods/express) in phases A-D, drops to 2 per type in phases E-F, and goes back to 3 in phases G-H but counted in total across the three types
  • Available tiles: yellow only in phase A; green from phase B onward; brown from phase D onward
  • The value used for off-board exits and ports changes with the phase: the first value is used in phases A-B, the middle value in phases C-D, and the last value in phases E-H
  • Phase H triggers the event that leads to the LNER forming at the end of that operating round set

Train list and prices

  • A train — £100 — rusts when phase C begins — 6 or 7 copies depending on the "Short Length" optional rule
  • B train — £200 — rusts when phase E begins — 5 or 6 copies
  • C train — £280 — rusts when phase F begins — 4 or 5 copies depending on the "Long Length" optional rule
  • D train — £360 — rusts when phase G begins — 3 or 4 copies
  • E train — £500 — never rusts — fixed at 3 copies
  • F train — £600 — never rusts — fixed at 2 copies
  • G train — £700 — never rusts — fixed at 1 copy
  • H train — £800 — never rusts — unlimited copies; buying the first one triggers the formation of the LNER
  • Each type (A-H) is sold in three variants at the same price, according to the "permit" randomly assigned to each corporation at the start of the game: local, goods or express; a corporation can only ever use the variant matching its own permit for the whole game

List of private companies

  • 1862 has no traditional private companies: there is no private with a purchase price or its own revenue.
  • Instead, every corporation automatically generates a "Parliamentary Obligation" marker, with no value or revenue of its own, representing the commitment taken on by the player who wins the Parliament round auction for that corporation.
  • This obligation sits with the winner until the corporation finishes buying its 3 starting tokens (£180 total); if the player doesn't do so in time, they pay a fine equal to 5 times the corporation's par price (or sell their own shares to cover it if they don't have enough cash).

List of corporations

  • 20 corporations available in total, each with 8 shares (a 30% president's share plus seven 10% shares) and a fixed home city. Some are randomly removed before the game starts: 4 with 2-6 players, 3 with 7 players and 2 with 8 players.
  • Ely & Huntingdon (E&H) — C8
  • Eastern Counties Railway (ECR) — D13
  • East Norfolk Railway (ENR) — F3
  • East Suffolk Railway (ESR) — F11
  • Eastern Union Railway (EUR) — E12
  • Felixstowe Dock & Railway (FDR) — G12
  • Ipswich & Bury Railway (I&B) — D9
  • Lynn & Dereham Railway (L&D) — D5
  • Lynn & Ely Railway (L&E) — C6
  • Lynn & Hunstanton Railway (L&H) — C4
  • Norwich & Brandon Railway (N&B) — E8
  • Northern & Eastern Railway (N&E) — B13
  • Norfolk & Suffolk, Joint Railway (N&S) — H7
  • Yarmouth & Norwich Railway (Y&N) — H5
  • Newmarket and Great Chesterford Railway (NGC) — C10
  • Colchester, Stour Valley, Sudbury & Halstead (SVR) — D11
  • West Norfolk Railway (WNR) — E2
  • Wells & Fakenham Railway (W&F) — E4
  • Waveney Valley Railway (WVR) — G8
  • Wisbech, St Ives & Cambridge Junction Rwy (WStI) — B5

Game-specific mechanics

  • Parliament round with a "charter auction" to found each corporation: winning the auction isn't the only path, since a corporation can also be founded with no winning bid, using "incremental cap" capitalization.
  • Three train types (local, goods and express) randomly assigned to each corporation at the start of the game; goods trains must connect "end to end" with other goods trains in the same combined network.
  • "George Hudson maneuver": local trains generate a subsidy (£10 for every track hex not shared with another local train from the same corporation) that can be declared as revenue to push the share price up.
  • Optional mergers between corporations during the operating round.
  • Off-board exits to London require the corporation's own token at B15 or D15 before a train can reach them.
  • When the LNER forms, "chartered" corporations still holding IPO shares transfer them to the market and the LNER absorbs the whole group; corporations that never floated are simply removed from the game.

Emergency sell

A sharp departure from 1830: the president never spends personal cash and never sells personal shares. When a trainless corporation can't afford one, the acting player instead chooses between two corporate-level options — selling the corporation's own treasury shares onto the pool (dropping its own share price a step per share sold), or "refinancing" by folding the corporation into a larger one through the game's merger system. If neither raises enough, the corporation goes bankrupt outright: its cash reverts to the bank, its tokens come off the map, and shareholders get cash compensation from the bank based on a reduced "effective price."

Comparison with 1830

1. Setting and map
1830 covers the northeastern US with a fixed map. 1862 takes place in the English county of East Anglia, during the British "railway mania", and according to many experienced players it's one of the most different 18xx experiences of all, to the point of flipping many of the genre's usual assumptions.

2. Three train types, not just one
In 1830 all trains work the same: they visit cities and add up revenue. In 1862 each corporation gets a randomly assigned "permit" for one of three train types: local (which visit cities and towns and can use subsidies to inflate revenue), goods (which run "end to end", where each new train must continue from where the previous one finished) or express (which ignore towns, similar to the classic trains in 1830).

3. The "George Hudson maneuver": subsidies turned into revenue
A mechanic with no equivalent in 1830: corporations with local trains can declare part of their subsidy money as revenue, which can help push the share price up even if the actual network isn't generating that much money.

4. Founding by parliamentary auction, not a simple par price
In 1830 all companies capitalize the same way (×10 of the par price upon floating) and the founder simply picks the par price. In 1862, during the "Parliament round", each corporation is founded through an auction: whoever wins the bid becomes a "chartered" president with 3 tokens already paid for (£180) but must complete the process quickly on pain of a fine, while a corporation with no winning bid still floats as "incremental cap", and must buy its own 2 to 7 tokens itself.

5. Optional mergers
Unlike 1830, where companies never merge, 1862 allows optional mergers between corporations that want to combine their networks to grow faster.

6. Mandatory train purchase with no safety net
In 1830, if a company can't pay for a mandatory train, the president advances the money, or the company can go bankrupt with certain share-selling mechanisms as mitigation. In 1862, a forced train purchase can't be resolved by selling shares or putting in personal money: the corporation must face it with its own means, which makes treasury pressure even more direct.

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