Game Design Thoughts - Financial Shenanigans

If you are an 18XX player, especially 1830 and its variants, then you are aware of how volatile the financial part of the game can be. Between stock market manipulations and train rushes money can quickly run right through your hands in these games. And while Colin and I added even more, potential, madness to that in 1869 it doesn't begin to approach reality.

I'm still trying to figure out a good point in time for my version of 18CO to start, right now I'm focusing on 1870 or there about. I know for sure the Denver & Rio Grande Railway will be in the game and likely one of the public companies. I started jotting down notes about what was going on at the time. After a little light reading I don't even know how to go about recreating the kind of financial manipulations that were going on. Here are some quick notes that I took in about 15 minutes this morning:

1870     Articles of Incorporation filed in Colorado

1871    First Spike

1878    Loses the race to Raton Pass to the ATSF, both companies are in dire financial straits at this time. In an effort to stave off the creditors Palmer leases the D&RG to the ATSF. ATSF goes into a rate war with the UP which is controlled, at that time, by Jay Gould.

1879 Palmer files to break the lease of the ATSF due to poor management (true, ATSF is basically plundering the D&RG in the fight with Gould and the UP). The D&RG goes into receivership and Gould starts buying up stock to take control.

1880 In a deal brokered by Gould the D&RG cannot build south of Trinidad or Espanola NM. The ATSF cannot build into Denver or Leadville.

1882 the D&RGW (note that at this time the D&RGW and the D&RG are not the same railroad, Palmer created the D&RGW to build the Utah side of the empire that he envisioned) leased to the D&RG

1883 the D&RGW completes a through line to Salt Lake City, Palmer resigns from the D&RG but remains president of the D&RGW

1884 the D&RG goes into receivership again, trackage right agreement with the Denver, South Park & Pacific terminated since it has its own line to Leadville now.

1886 still under receivership the D&RG Railway is sold and reorganized as the D&RG Railroad, lease with the D&RGW is terminated

1890 D&RG completes standard gauging to Grand Junction via Tennessee Pass.

And these notes only are highlights and I didn't really get into depth with the financial maneuvering, like leasing your line to your biggest competitor, or Gould coming in and buying up stock to take control.

And I completely skipped the fight for the Royal Gorge, the ATSF used proxy railroads to build that line but the D&RG won the fight for the rights to the canon and acquired the ATSF proxy railroads. Pretty much makes the biggest 1830 shark look like a newbie at the game.