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1847: Pfalz

Designer: Wolfram Janich

The German Palatinate (Pfalz) on one of the smallest 18xx maps (52 hexes), in the 25th-anniversary edition of Wolfram Janich's original design — the same designer behind 18Rhl.

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1. Setting, map and number of players
1830 covers the northeastern USA for 2-6 players. 1847 AE moves the action to the Palatinate (Pfalz), in southwestern Germany, a territory the historical 1847 divided among three states (Bavaria — the so-called "Pfalzbahnen" — Prussia, and Hessen-Darmstadt). It's one of the smallest maps in the genre: the original 1990 edition was for 3 players only, and this 25th-anniversary edition adds a seventh corporation to bring it up to 5.

2. Nine privates instead of six, in three clearly distinct types
In 1830 there are six privates, all behaving the same basic way. 1847 AE has nine, split into three very different families: four "Quarries," Krauss & Co., the Saarbrücken Private Railway, and three further privates that convert into investor certificates. None of these categories behaves like a classic 1830 private.

3. Krauss & Co., a private that trades like a share
This is the game's strangest exception: Krauss & Co. has its own marker on the stock market (starting at 100 Mark), and every time a corporation buys its first train, it pays the owner of Krauss & Co. a dividend worth 10% of that train's purchase price, moving its marker up or down just like an operating company's. Nothing like this exists among 1830's privates.

4. The Saarbrücken Private Railway, tied to the director's certificate
This private is always sold bundled with the 20% director's certificate of the Saarbrücker Eisenbahn, can never be resold to another player or a corporation, and closes when the Saarbrücker Eisenbahn buys its first train. It's the same concept as 1830's B&O (a private inseparable from the president's certificate). Interestingly, Wolfram Janich, this edition's designer, reused the same idea years later in 18Rhl, already featured in this catalogue.

5. Quarries with active powers that close themselves once used
In 1830 privates only pay a fixed revenue. In 1847 AE, three of the four Quarries grant an active power on the map — laying a free tile on a mountain hex (Königsbach, Hochstätten) or placing a station token at half price (Weidenthal) — that closes the Quarry once used. Until then, Quarries can be bought and sold freely between players during the stock round (never to the bank or a corporation), and from the green phase onward they can also be sold to an operating company for the price printed on the back of the certificate.

6. Floating at 50% with incremental capitalization and "investor certificates"
In 1830 a company floats once 60% of its shares are sold and always receives 100% of par value. In 1847 AE it floats with only 50% sold, and the treasury receives only the money actually paid so far (incremental capitalization, not full capitalization). Some companies also include "investor certificates" that count as sold for floating purposes even though no player owns them, until they're exchanged (mandatorily, after the first 5+5 train is bought).

7. You can own 100% of a company, but nationalization is a risk
In 1830 no player can exceed 60% ownership of a company. In 1847 AE there's no such cap: a player can reach 100%. But if anyone reaches 70% or more, they can "nationalize" the company and force any other shareholder to sell them their shares at 150% of the current market price — a forced buyout that doesn't exist in 1830.

8. Eight train types, with no classic 2-train
In 1830 the progression is 2/3/4/5/6/Diesel. 1847 AE has no 2-train at all: the progression starts directly at type 3 and continues with 3+3, 4, 4+4, 5, 5+5, 6E, and 6+6. The "+" trains carry two numbers: the first is the maximum number of cities/off-board destinations, the second how many extra towns the route can add.

9. Flat route bonuses that don't exist in 1830
Beyond the value of cities and towns, 1847 AE adds flat bonuses: +40 Mark if the route connects destinations A and B (long-distance bonus) and +70 Mark if it connects coal hexes F7 or G6 to destination Z (coal bonus). The 6E train only counts the value of cities and off-board destinations, but it can still receive the long-distance bonus (not the coal one).

10. A single player's bankruptcy ends the game instantly, and up to three ways it can end
If a company can't afford a mandatory train, it first tries to buy one from another company using only its own treasury; failing that, the director must put in personal cash and, if that's still not enough, sell just enough of their own shares to cover it. If the debt still can't be covered, the player goes bankrupt and the game ends immediately, no exceptions. On top of that, if the bank runs dry during an operating round, the current OR set is simply completed; if it runs dry during a stock round, the round continues normally and a full extra OR set is played afterward. 1830's "last train bought" ending doesn't exist here at all.

1847 AE — Schematic summary (vs 1830)

SETTING

PRIVATES

FLOATING AND OWNERSHIP

TRAINS AND BONUSES

BANKRUPTCY AND GAME END