No RF&P Collution

Several new rules were implemented this year in order to incorporate some of the changes that Boxcars implemented. This was done so that new players, who might not be able to obtain Rail Baron, could play by purchasing Boxcars which is in current distribution. The changes included

• Rolling your home region but then picking your home city
• Crossing over at any point where any Railroad lines cross, not necessarily at a dot
• Not paying the fee to the bank if you ride on your own rails
• Not enforcing the roll and move immediately rule

Everyone seemed to be able to get used to these new rules and the game Boxcars was actually played twice instead of Rail Baron.

Sixteen entered the semifinals but the four to emerge victorious and advance to the finals were Inger Henning, Olin Hentz, Mark Kennel and Sam Packwood.

This was a close game with no player having to go to a hostile destination early on. Sam was the first player to visit the hostile destination of Reno on his fourth run. The deeds were slow to be bought and Olin announced he had 150 before all of the deeds were sold. However, everyone was still fairly even at this point and Olin announced he wouldn’t buy the RF&P if everyone else agreed to not purchase it. Everyone agreed to not purchase it. Inger then announced 150 followed by Sam and Mark with the RF&P still unsold. The RF&P remained unsold during the entire game.

As a reminder, in order to declare for home, you have to be rolling for a destination. Therefore, if you roll your home city, you must get in on your first two dice in order to declare that turn, otherwise you will end up waiting until your next turn when you are rolling for your next destination to declare.

Sam was in Albany when he rolled his home city of Kansas City. He would have enough to win when he got home. Sam was 11 from Kansas City on his turn. If he rolled 11 on two dice then he could declare for home that turn. Unfortunately, Sam got in on his three dice and had to wait until the next turn to declare.

Knowing the game would be over the next turn, Olin decides to declare for home as he was sitting in Boston on the previous turn. He needed to roll a 14 in order to make it to his home of St. Louis. Luck was on Olin’s side and he made it to St. Louis leaving Sam in fourth place instead of first by a couple of pips on the die.

Olin’s railroads were NYNH&H, NP, CB&Q, SOU, PA and SP.

The winner in 16 of the 21 games (five games did not report the deeds) held the following railroads:

• 9 times – D&RGW and IC
• 8 times – AT&SF and PA
• 7 times – C&NW, NYNH&H, and WP
• 6 times – L&N, NP, SAL, and SOU
• 5 times – ACL, B&M, C&O, CB&Q, CRI&P, RF&P, and SP
• 4 times – CMSt.P&P, GN, N&W, SLSF, and UP
• 3 times – B&O, MP, NYC, and TP
• 2 times – GM&O