18MEX

Designer: Mark Derrick

Classic 18xx based on Tresham's 1829: mail contracts, a national railroad formed by merger, and delayed train obsolescence.

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18MEX Contents

How it works

Setup

$9,000 in the bank; each player gets $500 with 4 players
Privates and minors ([A], [B], [C]) in numerical order
The [MIR] comes with a free 10% of the [CHI]; the [MNR] with the [NdM] president's certificate
The game starts with a stock round

Stock round ×1

While any are left: buy the lowest-numbered private or minor, or bid on another
After that: sell and buy one certificate
Start a company: president's share (20%) at $60, $70, $75, $80 or $90
Floats once 50% is left in the initial offering
Company fully in players' hands: goes up

Operating round ×1-3

Privates, then minors [A], [B], [C]
Majors, highest share price first:
1. Home station (first turn)
2. Mail contract, if it has a train
3. Track: 1 or 2 yellows, or 1 upgrade
4. Station ($40, $60, $80)
5. Run trains
6. Pay out (up) or withhold (down)
7. Buy trains

↻ Repeats until the end

End

The bank runs out or a share price reaches $200
Only one more operating round is played
[A] bankruptcy ends the game at once
Count cash, shares at share price, and privates and minors at their value

Components

Players

Cash
Major shares (max. 60%)
Privates and minors, which can't be sold to the bank

Majors

10 shares; float at 50% and receive 10 × par
Mail contract: the value of the home city
Can buy privates from phase 3

Minors

Built-in 2-train, can't buy any
One yellow per turn
Half the revenue to the owner, half to the treasury
Close in phase 3½: [NdM] or [UdY] shares

Bank

$9,000
Initial offering and open market (max. 50%)
Trains, in order

Where the money goes

Players Bank Buying shares, privates and minors
Bank Majors On floating, 10 × par
Bank Players Dividends, private income, half the minors' revenue
Bank Majors Mail, withheld revenue, dividends on open market shares
Majors Bank Trains, terrain and stations
Players Majors The president tops up the cheapest train if the company is short

Phases

Start

2 · $100

One operating round; one train from the bank per turn

1st 3-train

3 · $180

Majors can buy privates; two operating rounds

3½

5th 3-train

3 · $180

Minors close; the [NdM] can now be bought

1st 4-train

4 · $300

2-trains removed; 2-train limit

1st 5-train

5 · $450

Privates close; [NdM] merger; three operating rounds

1st 6-train

6 · $600

3-trains removed

6½

2nd 6-train

6 · $600

4-trains become obsolete

1st 4D train

4D · $700

Doubles cities; grey tile

Initial offering shares earn nothing; open market shares earn for the company.
The mail contract gives the company money every turn just for owning a train.

A round, step by step

Illustrative example with the game's rules, 4-player game ($500 each). We follow [P1] and the [MC], based in Torreón, from the first stock round to the second operating round. The Torreón tile and the mail contract come from the rulebook's example.

Before starting Privates and minors in a row Phase 2

The privates and the three minors are laid out in numerical order. All of stock round 1 revolves around them: until they're all sold, nobody can start a major. [P1] has priority.

[P1] cash

$500

[MC] treasury

—

[MC] share price

—

[MC] trains

—
Stock round 1 The first private Phase 2

[P1] buys the lowest-numbered one, the Mexico City–Acapulco, at face value: $20. It pays $5 every operating round. Buying or bidding takes the whole turn.

Anyone wanting another private or minor bids on it (+$5 at least) and sets the money aside until its turn comes.

[P1] cash

$480

[MC] treasury

—

[MC] share price

—

[MC] trains

—
Stock round 1 Starting the [MC] Phase 2

Once they're all sold, normal turns begin. [P1] starts the [MC] at $75: the president's certificate (20%) costs $150.

[P1] cash

$330

[MC] treasury

—

[MC] share price

$75

[MC] trains

—
Stock round 1 Up to 50% Phase 2

Over three more turns they buy three 10% shares at $75. With 50% out of the initial offering, the [MC] floats and the bank pays it 10 × $75 = $750.

Nothing can be sold in the first stock round.

[P1] cash

$105

[MC] treasury

$750

[MC] share price

$75

[MC] trains

—
Stock round 1 End of round Phase 2

Everyone passes. Since the [MC] isn't sold out, the share price doesn't rise. In phase 2 there's just one operating round per stock round.

[P1] cash

$105

[MC] treasury

$750

[MC] share price

$75

[MC] trains

—
Operating round 1 Privates and minors Phase 2

Privates pay first: [P1] gets $5. Then minors [A], [B] and [C] operate; they belong to other players.

[P1] cash

$110

[MC] treasury

$750

[MC] share price

$75

[MC] trains

—
Operating round 1 Two yellows Phase 2

The [MC] places its home station in Torreón for free. It has no train yet, so it doesn't collect mail. It lays a yellow in Torreón (a $20 city) and another in Monterrey ($20).

[P1] cash

$110

[MC] treasury

$750

[MC] share price

$75

[MC] trains

—
Operating round 1 No train, price drops Phase 2

No trains to run: the share price drops one space, from $75 to $70.

[P1] cash

$110

[MC] treasury

$750

[MC] share price

$70

[MC] trains

—
Operating round 1 [A] 2-train Phase 2

It buys a 2-train for $100. Until the first 4-train, each company can only buy one train from the bank per turn.

[P1] cash

$110

[MC] treasury

$650

[MC] share price

$70

[MC] trains

2
Stock round 2 Waiting Phase 2

[P1] buys nothing: with $110 they want some slack in case the [MC] needs help buying a train.

If a major must buy a train and can't afford it, the president makes up the difference on the cheapest one.

[P1] cash

$110

[MC] treasury

$650

[MC] share price

$70

[MC] trains

2
Operating round 2 The mail contract Phase 2

The private pays $5 again. Since the [MC] now owns a train, the bank pays Torreón's value straight into its treasury: $20.

Mail doesn't count as a dividend: it doesn't move the share price.

[P1] cash

$115

[MC] treasury

$670

[MC] share price

$70

[MC] trains

2
Operating round 2 The train runs Phase 2

The 2-train runs from Torreón to Monterrey: 20 + 20 = $40.

[P1] cash

$115

[MC] treasury

$670

[MC] share price

$70

[MC] trains

2
Operating round 2 Paying out Phase 2

It pays $4 per 10%. [P1], with 50%, collects $20. The 50% in the initial offering gets nothing. The share price moves up one space: from $70 to $75.

[P1] cash

$135

[MC] treasury

$670

[MC] share price

$75

[MC] trains

2
Operating round 2 [A] second train Phase 2

It buys another 2-train for $100. It can own up to 3.

[P1] cash

$135

[MC] treasury

$570

[MC] share price

$75

[MC] trains

2 + 2
Towards stock round 3 What now? Phase 2

Few 2-trains are left. When someone buys the first 3-train, phase 3 begins: green, two operating rounds per stock round, and the [MC] will be able to buy privates from players.

[P1] cash

$135

[MC] treasury

$570

[MC] share price

$75

[MC] trains

2 + 2

18MEX — Summary

Capitalization type

Full capitalization: on floating (50% sold), the company receives all its capital (par price × 10) at once into its treasury.

Major corporations float once 50% of shares are sold; the minors (A, B, C) have no shares and therefore never float
No player may hold more than 60% (the default cap) of a single major corporation
Certificate limit per player: 3 players — 19; 4 players — 14; 5 players — 11

Starting cash by player count

3 players: $625 starting cash (certificate limit: 19)
4 players: $500 starting cash (certificate limit: 14)
5 players: $450 starting cash (certificate limit: 11)
The bank always starts with $9,000, regardless of the number of players

End game triggers

The bank runs out of money: ends once the current operating round is finished
A share price reaches the marked end-game space ($200) on the stock chart: ends once the current operating round is finished
A company goes bankrupt: immediate end

Number of phases

8 phases (2, 3, 3½, 4, 5, 6, 6½, 4D), triggered by the purchase of the first train of each type
Phase 3: privates can now be bought in by corporations
Phase 3½ (triggered by the first "3'" train): all three minors close at once and their owners each receive a share of the corresponding major; the NdM becomes tradeable on the stock market
Phase 5: all remaining privates close and the possible "NdM Merger" is triggered

Train list and prices

2 train — $100 (9 available; rusts once the first 4-train is bought)
3 train — $180 (4 available; rusts once the first 6-train is bought) — buying it makes privates buyable by corporations
3' train — $180 (2 available, same price as the 3-train; rusts once the first 6-train is bought) — buying it closes all three minors and opens NdM trading on the stock market
4 train — $300 (3 available; becomes obsolete —but isn't removed yet— once the first 6' train is bought)
5 train — $450 (2 available) — buying it closes all remaining privates and can trigger the "NdM Merger" (an existing major may voluntarily merge into the NdM)
6 train — $600 (1 available)
6' train — $600 (1 available, same price as the 6-train)
4D train — $700 (7 available) — the last available type; pays double revenue for each city/off-board stop visited

List of private companies

Mexico City-Acapulco Railroad (MCAR) — $20, revenue $5 — no special abilities
Compagnie Du Boleo (CdB) — $30, revenue $5 — free extra token at Santa Rosalia; only present with the optional "Baja" variant; can be bought in for $15-$30 from phase 2
Kansas City, Mexico & Orient Railroad (KCMO) — $40, revenue $10 — allows laying the non-upgradeable Copper Canyon tile at F5 for $60 (instead of $120); closes once used
Interoceanic Railroad (A) — $50, revenue $0 — the owner controls minor A (starts at Tampico); can't be sold; at phase 3½ the minor closes and the owner receives a 5% NdM share
Sonora-Baja California Railway (B) — $50, revenue $0 — the owner controls minor B (starts at Mazatlán); can't be sold; at phase 3½ it closes and the owner receives a 5% NdM share
Southeastern Railway (C) — $50, revenue $0 — the owner controls minor C (starts at Oaxaca); can't be sold; at phase 3½ it closes and the owner receives a 10% UdY share
Mexican International Railroad (MIR) — $100, revenue $20 — comes with a 10% share of the Chihuahua Pacific Railway (CHI); blocks hexes K11 and J12
Mexican National Railroad (MNR) — $140, revenue $20 — comes with NdM's president's certificate; the owner sets its par price immediately; can't be sold to any corporation; closes once NdM buys its first train

List of corporations

Chihuahua Pacific Railway (CHI) — home at E6
National Railways of Mexico (NdM) — home at O10; special share split 20/10/10/10/10/10/10/5/5/10 (two 5% certificates reserved for minors A and B, plus a 10% reserved for a major's merger); +1 to train limit; can buy and sell trains with other corporations at face value
Mexican Central Railway (MC) — home at I8
Pacific Railroad (FCP) — home at B3; can never be merged into the NdM
Texas-Mexican Railway (TM) — home at I12; can never be merged into the NdM
Mexican Railway (MEX) — home at P13
Southern Pacific Railroad of Mexico (SPM) — home at O8
United Railways of Yucatan (UdY) — home at Q14
3 starting minors: Interoceanic Railroad (A) — Tampico/M12; Sonora-Baja Railway (B) — Mazatlán/K6; Southeastern Railway (C) — Oaxaca/S12 (all close and merge at phase 3½)

Game-specific mechanics

Mail contract: every major with at least one train automatically receives, at the start of its turn, the revenue of its home city, on top of whatever its routes earn
NdM Merger: buying the first 5-train may trigger an existing eligible major (all except FCP and TM) to voluntarily merge into the NdM, which inherits its stations, trains, and treasury
Simultaneous closure of all three minors at phase 3½, trading them in for shares of the corresponding major
Two-stage obsolescence: an obsolete train can still operate until after its owner's next dividend step
Dividends for shares still unsold (in the Initial Offering) go into the company's own treasury instead of being lost
Sequential purchase (with an option to bid) of privates and minors at the start of the game, instead of a classic auction
Final scoring values privates and minors at face value, not market value

Emergency sell

Matches the 1830 baseline closely: treasury, then the president's personal cash, then a forced sale of any shares the president holds, stopping once enough is raised. The one added restriction is that a corporation forced to buy during an emergency can only do so from the bank or depot, never from another corporation's train stock.

Comparison with 1830

1. Comes from 1829, not 1830
18MEX (Mark Derrick and John David Galt, 2001-2005) is explicitly based on Francis Tresham's 1829 system, not on 1830. It's for 3-5 players and always uses a fixed $9,000 bank.

2. Mail contract: a fixed income just for owning a train
Every major company has a "mail contract" with its home city: if it owns at least one train at the start of its turn, the bank automatically pays it the revenue value of its home city, on top of whatever its routes earn. This passive income doesn't exist in 1830.

3. A national railroad formed by merging existing majors
In 1830, public companies can never merge with each other. In 18MEX, buying the first 5-train triggers the "NdM Merger": players may voluntarily merge their major companies (only certain companies are eligible) into the NdM (National Railways of Mexico), which receives all of their stations, trains, and cash.

4. Delayed train obsolescence, not immediate
In 1830, a train is removed from the game the instant the train that makes it obsolete is bought. In 18MEX, once 4-trains become obsolete, they can still be used until after their owner's dividend step on their next turn — only then are they removed. It grants a buffer turn that doesn't exist in 1830.

5. Dividends for unowned shares go to the treasury instead of being lost
If a company pays dividends while it still has shares in the "Initial Offering" (unsold), that portion of the dividend isn't lost: it goes into the company's own treasury. In 1830, dividends for shares nobody owns simply aren't paid to anyone.

6. Sequential purchase of privates and minors, not a classic auction
At the start, each player may buy the cheapest available private or minor at face value, or bid on it; if anyone bids, an auction is triggered only among those who bid. 1830's initial private auction is simpler and doesn't allow this "buy directly at face value" option.

7. The winner is calculated using the face value of privates/minors, not market value
To determine the winner, major company shares count at market value, but the privates and minors a player owns count at their face (par) value, not what they'd cost on the market. 1830 has no such distinction in final scoring.

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