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Harzbahn 1873

Designer: Klaus Kiermeier

Mines and railways in the Harz mountains, in a two-player classic with explicit technological progress.

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Harzbahn 1873 Contents

How it works

Setup

No privates: railway concessions, mining company options and 15 mines are sold instead
Auction for the premium: the winner picks first
Draft: each lot costs its value plus the premium; if everyone passes, the premium drops by 10 ℳ
From 2,100 ℳ (2 players) to 840 ℳ (5); the bank never runs out
The [MHE] starts already running, with all its shares in the market

Concession auction ×1

Remaining concessions and options, from 100 ℳ
Bids in steps of 10 ℳ

Stock round ×1

Order: most cash to least
Sell first: down one space per share
Start a railway with its concession (price 120-300 ℳ)
Form a mining company with your own mines
Unused concessions are lost

Operating round ×1-3

Independent mines first, then companies by share price; the [MHE] last
1. Track (complete the concession route)
2. Station (100 ℳ)
3. Run; maintenance is deducted
4. Pay out, pay half or withhold
5. Buy mines and trains

↻ Repeats until the end

End

A share price reaches 1,000 ℳ: that operating round finishes
Phase 5 is reached: one more full set of operating rounds is played
Most cash plus shares wins

Components

Players

Cash, shares and independent mines
No certificate limit and no per-company share limit

Railways

7, with five 20% shares
Float at 60%; they collect each share they sell
Must complete their concession route
Shares in the IPO and pool earn no dividends

Mines

15 independent mines: earn according to machine size
Half to the owner, half to the mine
5 mining companies that group them (two 50% shares)

Bank

Unlimited
T trains (railway) and M trains (mine, cheaper)
Diesels in a shared pool

Map

The Harz: narrow and standard gauge
Factories that add revenue
A city without the company's own station is worth 10 ℳ

Where the money goes

Players Bank Premium and draft lots, concessions, pool shares
Players Railways IPO shares: the price goes to the treasury
Railways Players Dividends and half the mines' revenue
Railways Bank Trains, stations, terrain and maintenance
Mines Players Half the mine's revenue

Phases

Start

1T · 100 ℳ

1 [OR]; [HBE] and [GHE] concessions

1st 2T

2T · 250 ℳ / 2M · 150 ℳ

[NWE], [SHE] and [KEZ] can be activated

1st 3T

3T · 450 ℳ / 3M · 300 ℳ

2 ORs; maintenance level 1

1st 4T

4T · 750 ℳ / 4M · 500 ℳ

[WBE] and [QLB] concessions; maintenance level 2

1st 5T

5T · 1,200 ℳ / 5M · 800 ℳ

3 ORs; the endgame begins

Next stock round

D · 250 ℳ

Diesels can be bought

1st diesel

D · 250 ℳ

Maintenance level 3

Trains don't rust: from phase 3 the old ones pay ever higher maintenance.
A city only pays its printed value if the railway has a station there; otherwise it counts 10 ℳ.

A round, step by step

Illustrative example with the rules of the 18xx.games implementation, 4 players with 1,050 ℳ. We follow [P1] and the [HBE], between Halberstadt and Blankenburg, from the draft to the second operating round.

Before starting Lots on the table Phase 1

There are no privates. Up for sale are the concessions of the 7 railways, the options for the 5 mining companies and the 15 independent mines, each with its own value.

[P1] cash

1,050 ℳ

[HBE] treasury

—

[HBE] share price

—

[HBE] trains

—
Premium auction Buying the first turn Phase 1

The premium is auctioned. [P1] offers 30 ℳ and nobody raises: the premium is set at 30 ℳ and [P1] must buy the first lot.

The premium isn't paid now: it's added to the price of every lot in the draft.

[P1] cash

1,050 ℳ

[HBE] treasury

—

[HBE] share price

—

[HBE] trains

—
Draft The [HBE] concession Phase 1

[P1] picks the [HBE] concession, worth 100 ℳ: they pay 100 + 30 = 130 ℳ. The others buy mines or concessions the same way.

If everyone passes in a row, the premium drops by 10 ℳ.

[P1] cash

920 ℳ

[HBE] treasury

—

[HBE] share price

—

[HBE] trains

—
Stock round 1 Starting the [HBE] Phase 1

With the concession, [P1] starts the [HBE] at 120 ℳ and buys the president's certificate (20%). Since capitalisation is incremental, the money goes to the [HBE].

Stock round order runs from most cash to least.

[P1] cash

800 ℳ

[HBE] treasury

120 ℳ

[HBE] share price

120 ℳ

[HBE] trains

—
Stock round 1 Floating at 60% Phase 1

Over two more turns they buy two 20% certificates. That's 60%: the [HBE] floats and places its home stations in Halberstadt and Blankenburg.

[P1] cash

560 ℳ

[HBE] treasury

360 ℳ

[HBE] share price

120 ℳ

[HBE] trains

—
Operating round 1 The concession route Phase 1

The [HBE] lays the missing tile between Halberstadt and Langenstein. With Langenstein's preprinted tile, the concession route is complete. For the [HBE], this track has no terrain cost.

Each concession has its own mandatory route and tile cost: the [NWE]'s costs 500 ℳ.

[P1] cash

560 ℳ

[HBE] treasury

360 ℳ

[HBE] share price

120 ℳ

[HBE] trains

—
Operating round 1 No train, price drops Phase 1

No train: zero revenue, and the share price drops one space, from 120 ℳ to 110 ℳ.

[P1] cash

560 ℳ

[HBE] treasury

360 ℳ

[HBE] share price

110 ℳ

[HBE] trains

—
Operating round 1 The first 2T Phase 2

The [GHE] has already taken both 1Ts. The [HBE] buys the first 2T for 250 ℳ and opens phase 2.

Mining companies buy the cheaper M version of the same train: a 2M costs 150 ℳ.

[P1] cash

560 ℳ

[HBE] treasury

110 ℳ

[HBE] share price

110 ℳ

[HBE] trains

2T
Concession auction Between sets Phase 2

After each set of operations, the remaining concessions and options are auctioned, starting at 100 ℳ. The [NWE], [SHE] and [KEZ] can now be activated. [P1] stays out.

[P1] cash

560 ℳ

[HBE] treasury

110 ℳ

[HBE] share price

110 ℳ

[HBE] trains

2T
Stock round 2 Waiting Phase 2

[P1] passes: they're saving up for a mining company.

At the end of the stock round, any concessions nobody has used are lost.

[P1] cash

560 ℳ

[HBE] treasury

110 ℳ

[HBE] share price

110 ℳ

[HBE] trains

2T
Operating round 2 The train runs Phase 2

The 2T runs Halberstadt – Langenstein. Halberstadt has an [HBE] station and is worth 60 ℳ; Langenstein has none and counts 10. Total: 70 ℳ. There's no maintenance yet in phase 2.

With a 3T it would reach Blankenburg, where it has a station: 60 + 10 + 40 = 110 ℳ.

[P1] cash

560 ℳ

[HBE] treasury

110 ℳ

[HBE] share price

110 ℳ

[HBE] trains

2T
Operating round 2 Paying out Phase 2

It pays 14 ℳ per 20%. [P1] holds three and collects 42 ℳ. The two certificates still in the IPO get nothing. Since 70 ℳ doesn't reach the share price, it doesn't move.

Each time the dividend matches the share price, it moves up one space (up to 3). If it earns nothing, it drops.

[P1] cash

602 ℳ

[HBE] treasury

110 ℳ

[HBE] share price

110 ℳ

[HBE] trains

2T
Towards phase 3 What now? Phase 2

When someone buys the first 3T, green arrives with two operations per set, but so does maintenance: each 1T and 1M will pay 50 ℳ per operation. The [HBE] needs a 3T to reach Blankenburg.

[P1] cash

602 ℳ

[HBE] treasury

110 ℳ

[HBE] share price

110 ℳ

[HBE] trains

2T

Harzbahn 1873 — Summary

Capitalization type

Incremental capitalization: the company doesn't receive its full capital at once when it floats; instead it collects the par price each time one of its shares is actually sold, both during the IPO and in later share issues.

The 7 regional railways (HBE, GHE, NWE, SHE, KEZ, WBE, QLB) float at 60%; the 5 mining companies (U, HW, CO, SN, MO) float at 80%; the MHE (the large external company that appears later) starts already floated (0%)
No corporation has a real per-player ownership limit: the threshold is 100% for all of them
The certificate limit is effectively nonexistent: 999 regardless of player count (2 to 5)

Starting cash by player count

2 players: 2,100 ℳ starting cash
3 players: 1,400 ℳ starting cash
4 players: 1,050 ℳ starting cash
5 players: 840 ℳ starting cash
The bank has unlimited money: the game never ends because the bank runs out of funds
The certificate limit is effectively nonexistent (999, the same for any player count)

End game triggers

A share price reaches the top of the stock market track: the current operating round is finished and the game ends
Phase 5 is reached: one more full set of operating rounds is played before the game ends

Number of phases

7 phases: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 5a and D
Phase 1 — no train trigger (train limit 99, 1 operating round, yellow tiles only); the HBE and GHE concessions are already available from the start
Phase 2 — starts with the first 2T train; the NWE, SHE and KEZ concessions become available to activate
Phase 3 — starts with the first 3T train (2 operating rounds, green tiles are added); the NWE, SHE and KEZ concessions become active; level 1 maintenance begins; buying this train removes certain track locks
Phase 4 — starts with the first 4T train; the WBE and QLB concessions become active; maintenance rises to level 2
Phase 5 — starts with the first 5T train (3 operating rounds, brown tiles are added); triggers the end of game countdown
Phase 5a — a sub-phase with no new train triggering it; maintenance stays at level 2
Phase D — starts once diesel trains become purchasable; gray tiles are added and maintenance rises to level 3 (the maximum)

Train list and prices

1T — 100 ℳ, distance 1, 2 available — starter/switcher train
2T — 250 ℳ, distance 2, 10 available (cheaper mine variant: 2M — 150 ℳ)
3T — 450 ℳ, distance 3, 7 available (variant 3M — 300 ℳ); buying it removes certain track locks
4T — 750 ℳ, distance 4, 3 available (variant 4M — 500 ℳ)
5T — 1,200 ℳ, distance 5, up to 99 available (variant 5M — 800 ℳ)
D (diesel) — 250 ℳ, effectively unlimited distance, 7 available, only purchasable from phase 5a onward
"T" trains are for railways, while the cheaper "M" trains (same distance) are the equivalent variant for mines
Trains never rust in the classic 18xx sense: instead, railways pay rising maintenance on their built track, and diesel trains are managed through a trade-in pool system (high/low watermarks) rather than being replaced outright

List of private companies

There are no classic private companies: the game's list of privates is empty.
Instead, at the start of the game an auction (minimum bid 100 ℳ, increments of 10 ℳ) is held for a set of equivalent objects: each railway's concession (see the corporations section), the purchase option for each of the 5 public mining companies, and 15 individual minor mines (numbered 1 to 15, each tied to a specific map hex, valued between 110 ℳ and 300 ℳ) that can later be folded into a public mining company to generate machine and wagon revenue.

List of corporations

Railways (float at 60%, 5 shares of 20% each; each carries a concession with a mandatory route to complete):
Halberstadt-Blankenburger Eisenbahn (HBE) — home at B19/D15; concession available from phase 1, cost 0 ℳ
Gernrode-Harzgeroder Eisenbahn (GHE) — home at G20/I18; concession from phase 1, cost 150 ℳ
Nordhausen-Wernigeroder Eisenbahn (NWE) — home at J7/B9/G6; concession from phase 3, cost 500 ℳ
Südharzeisenbahn (SHE) — home at I2/E4; concession from phase 3, cost 300 ℳ
Kleinbahn Ellrich-Zorge (KEZ) — home at I4/G4; concession from phase 3, cost 100 ℳ
Wernigerode-Blankenburger Eisenbahn (WBE) — home at B9/D15; concession from phase 4, cost 0 ℳ
Quedlinburger Lokalbahn (QLB) — home at E20; concession from phase 4, cost 0 ℳ, with no mandatory route (already considered "complete")
Mines (float at 80%, 2 shares of 50% each, no home token; operate mine slots instead of track):
Union (U)
Harzer Werke (HW) — flagged "vor_harzer" (a special status, likely a historic priority mine)
Concordia (CO)
Schachtbau (SN)
Montania (MO)
External entity:
Magdeburg-Halberstädter Eisenbahn (MHE) — floats at 0%, 10 shares of 10%, no tokens; represents an outside railway that connects to the map but is neither founded nor operated like the others; it exists purely as a market-price reference

Game-specific mechanics

No classic private companies: each railway's concession and the rights to the individual mines are distributed through an auction/draft at the start of the game
Each railway must complete its concession route by a set phase, or it is left "incomplete" and penalized
Individual mines can be folded into a public mining company, which operates machines and wagons (bought as "M" trains) to generate revenue from ore extraction rather than from railway routes
Maintenance system: railways pay upkeep on their built track, and this cost rises through levels (1, 2 and 3) as the phases advance, adding an ongoing economic pressure distinct from classic train obsolescence
Diesel trains are managed through a trade-in pool (high watermark 40, low watermark 20) instead of rusting
The map distinguishes narrow-gauge track sections from standard-gauge sections
Optional "AAG" variant that changes the terrain cost of hex F7 (100 ℳ instead of 50 ℳ)

Emergency sell

There's no 1830-style mechanic at all here — the president's personal cash and personal shares are never touched. A railway that can afford at least one available train must buy it; if it can't afford any, it becomes insolvent instead: every player-held share is wiped out with zero compensation, remaining treasury shares are sold into the pool, and the corporation is then forcibly recapitalized — repeatedly restructuring and selling more shares — until it can cover the cost of reorganizing. It's a considerably harsher mechanic than 1830's, landing on the shareholders' certificates rather than the president's wallet.

Comparison with 1830

1. Full capitalization versus incremental
In 1830 a company receives its entire capital at once when founded (full capitalization). In Harzbahn 1873 capitalization is incremental: each share pays the par price only when it is actually sold, both during the IPO and in later share issues.

2. No classic private companies: concessions and mines up for auction
1830 has 6 classic private companies auctioned at the start of the game. Harzbahn 1873 has none at all: instead, at the start of the game each railway's concession and the rights to a set of individual mines are auctioned off.

3. Three company sizes versus a uniform size
In 1830 all 8 corporations have 10 shares. In Harzbahn 1873, 7 railways with 5 shares of 20% each coexist with 5 mining companies of 2 shares of 50% each and an external market entity (MHE) with 10 shares of 10%.

4. Founding a company requires completing a mandatory route
In 1830 founding a corporation only requires buying its first share at the chosen par price. In Harzbahn 1873, each railway carries a concession that obliges it to complete a predefined route by a specific phase, on pain of being left "incomplete" and penalized.

5. Rising maintenance and a diesel pool instead of rusting
In 1830 trains rust outright once a more advanced type appears. In Harzbahn 1873 trains never rust in that sense: railways pay maintenance on their built track that rises through levels as the phases advance, and diesel trains are managed through a trade-in pool system rather than being replaced outright.

6. Phases also unlock which concessions can be founded
In 1830 phases only affect which tile colors are available and the train limit. In Harzbahn 1873, phases also unlock which railway concessions can be activated (HBE and GHE from phase 1, NWE/SHE/KEZ from phase 3, WBE/QLB from phase 4).

7. Scale and setting: a small, regional narrow-gauge game
1830 recreates the northeastern United States with large corporations across a sprawling map. Harzbahn 1873 is a small, regional design for 2-5 players, set among the narrow-gauge railways of the Harz mountains in Germany.

A term you do not recognise? They are all explained in the 18xx glossary. Glossary →