Rail Baron (1977)

Rail Baron

Rail Baron is a railroad board game for 3 to 6 players. It was initially published in the 1970s under the name Boxcars by the original designers R.S. Erickson and T.F. Erickson, Jr. It was soon acquired, renamed, and reissued by Avalon Hill. The game is played on a map of the United States on which the routes of 28 historic railroads, such as the Baltimore & Ohio and the Southern Pacific, have been marked. Major US cities that are connected by the railroads act as destinations for travel, and dots on the railroad routes represent small towns along the way and serve as distance markers for player movement.

Why is Rail Baron Popular?

Rail Baron is a classic board game that has been enjoyed by many players over the years. It is significant because it is a strategy game that requires players to make decisions about which railroads to purchase and how to move their trains in order to collect delivery payoffs and assemble a network of railroads. The game is also significant because it is based on the history of railroads in the United States, and players can learn about the different railroads and their routes as they play.

Game Components of Rail Baron

– Game board
– 6 train pawns
– 6 train cards
– 6 destination cards
– 6 player markers
– 2 dice
– Money
– Rail Baron cards

Game Setup of Rail Baron

Each player chooses a color and takes the corresponding train pawn, train card, destination card, and player marker. The game board is placed in the center of the table. Each player starts with $4,000. The Rail Baron cards are shuffled and placed face down on the table. The two dice are rolled to determine the starting player.

Gameplay Mechanics of Rail Baron

Players take turns rolling the dice and moving their train pawn along the railroad routes on the game board. When a player lands on a dot, they collect a delivery payoff from the bank. When a player lands on a city, they can purchase the railroad that serves that city. Players can also purchase railroads from other players. Players can use their train card to move their train faster or to block other players. The game ends when a player reaches their destination or when all of the Rail Baron cards have been drawn.

Game Objective of Rail Baron

The objective of the game is to become the Rail Baron by amassing the most money through the purchase of railroads and the collection of delivery payoffs.

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