rail baron [Updated October 2005]  

2005 WBC Report  

 2006 Status: pending 2006 GM commitment

William Duke, MD

2005 Champion


Offsite links:

AREA Ratings

boardgamegeek

Event History
1991    Chuck Foster        28
1992    Kevin Quirk        29
1993    Kevin Quirk        38
1994    Bill Fellin        37
1995    Heikki Thoen        63
1996    Heikki Thoen        46
1997    Kim Lemmons        94
1998    Eyal Mozes      100
1999    Heikki Thoen       58
2000    Steve Okonski       69
2001    Steve Okonski       56
2002    Ed Wrobel       75
2003    Mike Zorrer       59
2004     Doug Galullo       66
2005     William Duke       53

 Laurels

Rank  Name               From  Last  Total
  1.  Steve Okonski       MD    01    120
  2.  Doug Galullo        FL    05     80
  3.  Brian Conlon        OK    04     74
  4.  Mark McCandless     CA    01     72
  5.  Ed Wrobel           VA    02     60
  6.  Stan Buck           MD    02     60
  7.  Heikki Thoen        QC    99     60
  8.  Charles Davis       WV    02     54
  9.  Ron Secunda         MD    05     51
 10.  William Duke        MD    05     50
 11.  Mike Zorrer         DE    03     50
 12.  Bill Crenshaw       VA    03     30
 13.  Chuck Foster        TX    01     30
 14.  Larry Kratz         ID    04     24
 15.  David Weinstein     NY    02     24
 16.  Ed Rothenheber      MD    00     24
 17.  Donna Balkan        ON    99     24
 18.  Phil White          MD    04     18
 19.  James Wicht         NC    00     18
 20.  Mike Mullins        MD    05     15
 21.  Mike Brophy         NC    04     12
 22.  Mark Oldfield       CA    02     12
 23.  Paul van Bloem      MD    02     12
 24.  Eyal Mozes          NY    01     12
 25.  Dee Gehring         IN    99     12
 26.  Stephane Dorais     QC    05     10
 27.  Carl Walling Jr     PA    03     10
 28.  Inger Henning       CT    01      6
 29.  Malcolm Robinson    NY    00      6
 30.  Roderick Lee        CA    05      5
 31.  Charles Ellsworth   NY    03      5
           

2005 Laurelists

Ron Secunda, MD
2nd

Doug Galullo, FL
3rd

Mike Mullins, MD
4th

Stephane Dorais, QC
5th

Roderick Lee, CA
6th


Past Winners

Chuck Foster, TX
1991

Kevin Quirk, PA
1992-1993

Bill Fellin, CT
1994

Heiki Thoen, QC
1995-1996, 1999

Kimberly Lemmons, TX
1997

Eyal Mozes, NY
1998

Steve Okonski, MD
2000-2001

Ed Wrobel, VA
2002

Mike Zorrer, DE
2003

Doug Galullo, FL
2004


From one train to another...

53 players jumped aboard our train this year, dreaming of becoming THE Rail Baron. Perhaps more than a few of them took the Amtrak from the Philadelphia airport on their way to a more important train.

Some interesting facts about this tournament: No one player won all three first-round-heats. Three players did manage to win two of their Preliminary heats: T.J. Halperstadt, Eve Secunda (my wife), and myself. Eight committed players played in all three Preliminary heats as well as the Semifinal: Inger Henning, Stephane Dorais, Sue and Chester Lanham, Doug Richards, Eve and Ron Secunda, and Mike Zorrer. I would also like to recognize the three other players who played in all three first-round-heats: Charles Davis, Brian Smith, and the player who came the farthest: Morio Takatori, who travelled from Japan. The leading aternates for the Final who didn't get their chance were, in order: Eve Secunda, Eyal Mozes, and David Steiner.

The Final: At the time of the last RR purchase, the holdings were: Bill: PA, UP, NYNH&H, SLSF, GM&O, SAL, and N&W; Doug: AT&SF, WP, GN, C&NW, ACL, and RF&P; Mike: C&O, CB&Q, T&P, and SOU; Ron: SP, NYC, B&M, MP, D&RGW, and CMSTP&P; Rod: B&O and NP; Stephane: CRI&P, L&N, and IC. As often happens in a six-player game, one player, Roderick, was eliminated shortly after all RR's were purchased. As the game progressed, Stephane purchased the B&O at auction, and I purchased the NP and IC. The RF&P also changed hands, from Doug to Mike.

Summary of the end game: Bill Duke, with way over $200K, was en route to Detroit, near his home of Minneapolis. Yours truly, with 210K, and 11 spaces from my home in New Orleans, was the first to declare for home, in spite of the fact that two players, Mike and Stephane, were within rovering range. My decision to "go for it" was prompted by Bill's proximity to his home and the fact that Doug (who also would have more than $200K) was headed for a friendly West Coast (Oakland), with his home being Seattle and no other players west of the Mississippi. Unfortunately, I rolled a "10," and subsequently undeclared myself. Bill, who arrived in Detroit and needed a "10" to get to his home in Minneapolis, rolled a "10" to victory. As usual, the end game was very exciting. A more detailed version of the game will be posted on the Rail Baron Fanatics website listed below. Hope to see you all next year.

Many thanks to my two assistants, Paul Van Bloem and Chester Lanham. Thanks also to Steve Okonski of Intersystem Concepts, Inc. for providing this year's prize (the Rail Baron Ambassador Series CD) to the winner.

For pictures and year-round Rail Baron news see http://www.insystem.com/rbp/wbcrbn.htm

 GM      Ron Secunda  [2nd Year]   NA
    secundstar@erols.com   410-721-1225

2005 Preview Page | View the Icon Key | Return to main BPA page