Chicago Express - Condensed Rules Rev 4

Note: The term 'open' below refers to companies available for actions. All companies but Wabash are initially open.
Setup
Place all locomotives & shares on company charters, sorted by color. Place houses on designated area of the board.
Set all dials to green.
green Place company income markers on number of matching color on the income track. Place on each start hex a
locomotive of the same company. Place 3 house markers on beginning spots of City Track (Detroit=1,Wheeling=3, Pittsburgh=4).
Choose a player to be banker. Distribute $120 total to players, divided equally by number of players (2-6).
Player holdings (money & stock) are open. Players must display holdings clearly, and respond accurately to queries.
Auction one share each of PRR, PRR B&O,
B&O C&O,C&O and NYC,NYC in that order, for minimum bids of $7, $6, $5, and $8, respectively. See
Auction Action for details. Banker starts first auction. Buyer of the previous share starts each of the other three auctions.
Winner of the PRR auction starts the game. Turn order is clockwise.
Game Sequence
In turn, each player advances a needle of one of the action dials, and optionally performs that action. See action details below.
An action whose indicator needle is already on red may not be selected.
If a player's turn triggers a Dividend or Chicago phase, the phase is conducted after completion of the player's full turn. If both types
of phases are triggered by a player's turn, the Chicago Phase is conducted first, followed immediately by the Dividend Phase. After
completion of the phase(s), normal turn sequence resumes.
Auction Action:
Put one share from an open company's charter up for auction.
Minimum Bid = Company Income divided by # of outstanding Company shares (including share being auctioned), rounded up.
Auctioneer starts by either bidding at least the minimum bid or passing. Bidding moves clockwise.
Highest bidder pays bid amount to company charter and takes ownership of the share.
Each player must bid an amount higher than previous bid or pass. Once a player has passed, they may not re-enter the bidding.
If all players pass, return unsold share to company charter. (Exception: In initial setup auctions, auctioneer gets share for free.)
Players may not auction shares that they own. Once purchased, shares remain with the winning bidder for the duration of the game.
Expansion Action
Expand one open company for which player owns a share, up to three hexes, by placing one of company's locomotives in each hex.
Cost per hex is hex's red number multiplied by # of companies present (including one being placed).
Total cost is paid from charter of company being expanded to the bank. Players may not contribute their own money.
Increase company's income marker accordingly by each hex's income value. This is the black number in the hex's locomotive icon
plus any development value. If a house piece is present, development value is the number in the hex's house icon. If a hex is an
industrial city, development value is the city's current value on the City Track.
Only one company is allowed in each Forest/Mountain hex. Multiple companies are allowed in each City/Plain/Industrial hexes.
Expansion into Chicago triggers a Chicago Phase, which follows completion of the expansion action.
All hexes in a company's network must be connected via its locomotive routes to its start hex. Branching is permitted.
A company may expand only once into a hex. Start hexes may not be expanded into, with the exception of Fort Wayne.
Development Action
Develop one occupied hex by placing a house on it. Industrial city development is indicated by advancing city's marker on the City Track.
Development has no cost.
Development of a non-forest hex raises income of all companies present. Increase income of each company by number in hex's
house icon, or, for industrial hexes, by the increment of the associated City Track marker (Pittsburgh +2, Detroit/Wheeling +1).
Development of a forest hex results in $2 from bank being placed on company charter. Company income does not change.
Detroit may not be developed by players. Detroit is developed automatically after each Dividend Phase.
At least one locomotive must be present, but player need not own a share in it's company.
Plain hexes and company start hexes may not be developed, with the exception of the Wabash start hex (Fort Wayne).
Only industrial hexes may be developed more than once (Wheeling : 4 times, Pittsburgh : 3 times), but only once per action.
Dividend Phase
Dividend Phase begins after completion of action that moved a 2nd dial to red.
red Do following in order:
1. Bank pays dividends to all share owners of all companies.
Dividend per share = company income divided by all outstanding company shares, rounded up.
2. Check game end conditions (see below).
3. Reset all dials to green.
green
4. Advance Detroit marker one space on City Track and increase income of all companies in Detroit by one.
Chicago Phase
Chicago Phase begins after completion of an expansion action that builds a company into Chicago.
Shareholders of the company expanding into Chicago receive an extra dividend (calculated same as in dividend phase).
If this is the first company to expand into Chicago, open Wabash by placing one of its locomotives on Fort Wayne and it's
income marker on the income track ('3' if Fort Wayne is developed, '1' if undeveloped). Player whose action placed first locomotive
in Chicago puts first Wabash share up for auction (see Auction Action).
End of Game
Game ends immediately after payment step of the next Dividend Phase when at least one of the following conditions have been met:
3 or more companies have run out of locomotives
3 or more companies have run out or shares.
3 or fewer houses are left in general supply.
Detroit's income is at 8.
PLAYER WITH MOST CASH WINS! Shares owned and company cash are not a factor. Ties result in shared victory.