18Rhl: The Railways of the Rhineland

1. Setting, map and number of players
1830 covers the northeastern USA for 2-6 players. 18Rhl moves the action to the former Prussian province of Rhineland, along the Rhine (Cologne, Düsseldorf, Duisburg, Aachen...), designed for 3-5 players and games of 3-4 hours — a somewhat shorter format for smaller groups than 1830.

2. Privates that never change hands, and that almost all move tokens on the map
In 1830, private companies can be bought and sold between players during the game. In 18Rhl, once bought, a private can never be resold or voluntarily closed: it stays tied to the same player for the whole game, until it closes when the first type 5 train is bought. On top of that, four of the five privates grant, in addition to their revenue, an active power on the map (blocking a hex, laying an extra tile, or placing a free station) that can only be used once, while the owner is acting as director of an operating company.

3. The sixth card of the opening auction is, literally, the president's certificate of a large company
It isn't really a private: the sixth slot of the opening auction is the Director Certificate of the Rheinische Eisenbahngesellschaft (RhE), with a minimum bid of 140 Mark. It's the same concept as 1830's B&O (an opening purchase directly tied to an operating company's president certificate), applied here to the biggest company in the game, which also starts with a treasury already funded by three shares placed directly in the bank pool.

4. Companies with irregular share splits
In 1830 every company has 10 shares of 10% each. In 18Rhl most companies follow this pattern (1 certificate at 20% + 8 at 10%), but the MKB is split into 3 certificates at 20% and 4 at 10%, and needs 60% sold (not the usual 50%) to float.

5. Lower float threshold, and capitalization that depends on the phase
In 1830 every company floats when founded and always receives 100% of the par value of its shares (full capitalization). In 18Rhl most companies float once 50% of their shares are sold (not 1830's 60%), and the capitalization model depends on when they float: if that happens before the brown phase, the treasury receives only the money players actually paid for the shares bought (incremental capitalization); if a company floats in the brown phase or later, it does receive 100% of the par value of all its shares.

6. The Rhine as a physical barrier with a toll ferry
Something with no equivalent in 1830: the Rhine can only be crossed at four specific points (the three Rhine Metropolis hexes — Cologne, Düsseldorf, Duisburg — and hex C8). At the Metropolis hexes, the crossing is made via a ferry (Trajekt) that reduces the value of any route crossing it, until a brown tile replaces the ferry with a bridge and removes that penalty.

7. Route bonuses stacked on top of city and town revenue
In 1830, a route's revenue is simply the sum of the values of the cities and towns it runs through. 18Rhl adds specific bonuses on top: +20/+40 Mark for a route touching coal mines and steel mills (industry bonus), 20 to 50 Mark for growing connections into the Eastern Ruhr, and +80 Mark for the Eisern Rhein (Iron Rhine) route between two specific hexes.

8. A unique final train: the Rheingold-Express
1830 ends its train progression with the Diesel, a bigger train but conceptually the same as the others. In 18Rhl the type 8 train (Rheingold-Express) is a class of its own: it must always start at Nijmegen or Arnhem, towns don't count toward its revenue, it doesn't qualify for the industry bonus, but it doubles the value of every Rhine Metropolis it runs through when the route goes from the Nijmegen/Arnhem area to the Basel/Frankfurt area.

9. Bankruptcy resolved first with company resources, not the president's pocket
In 1830, if a company can't pay for a mandatory train, the burden falls straight onto the president's personal money. In 18Rhl, the company must first sell its own stock certificates to the pool, then the director contributes their private cash, and only as a last resort do they sell personal shares or take a bank loan (which is deducted doubled from their wealth at game end).

10. Game end only through a broken bank, with no "last train" option
In 1830 the game can end either because the bank runs dry or because the last available train of the last type is bought. In 18Rhl the only trigger is the bank running out of money (during an operating round or a stock round); there's no alternate ending tied to depleting the train supply.

18Rhl — Schematic summary (vs 1830)

SETTING

• The Prussian province of Rhineland, along the Rhine: Cologne, Düsseldorf, Duisburg, Aachen...
• 3-5 players, games of 3-4 hours

COMPANIES AND PRIVATES

• 5 privates that are never resold or voluntarily closed; 4 of 5 grant an active power on the map, usable once while the owner is a director
• Sixth auction card = Director Certificate of the RhE (140 Mark minimum bid), like 1830's B&O
• 8 operating companies; most with 1 certificate at 20% + 8 at 10%, but the MKB uses 3x20%+4x10% and floats at 60%

FLOATING AND CAPITALIZATION

• General float threshold at 50% of shares sold (vs 60% in 1830)
• Incremental capitalization if floating before the brown phase; full capitalization (100%) if floating in the brown phase or later

THE RHINE AND BONUSES

• The Rhine can only be crossed at 4 points; a ferry (Trajekt) with reduced value until a brown-phase bridge arrives
• Industry bonus (mines + steel mills): +20/+40 Mark
• Eastern Ruhr bonus: +20 to +50 Mark depending on connections
• Eisern Rhein bonus: +80 Mark between two specific hexes

TRAINS AND GAME END

• Trains 2/3/4/5/6/8; the type 8 train is the Rheingold-Express, with its own rules (ignores towns, doubles the Rhine Metropolis hexes from Nijmegen/Arnhem to Basel/Frankfurt)
• Bankruptcy: company shares first, then the director's private cash, and only as a last resort personal shares or a bank loan (doubled at game end)
• Single end-game trigger: the bank runs out of money (no "last train" ending)