This is the first in what I plan to be a series of posts about what to do in the first Operating Rounds of the companies in 1830. I was inspired to think about this after watching the 18XX Training video on early track builds in 18Chesapeake. Just as for Chesapeake, I wanted to explore the options in the first few ORs for each of the companies in 1830. In the first stock round, we’ve all (hopefully) floated a company, and are now faced with the prospect of laying a tile to set it on the path to making money now and in the future. I am unlikely to cover all possible options for all the companies, but I will try to capture as many as I can think of.
At the start of a game of 1830, companies that floated in the first stock round will (probably) lay one tile in the first Operating Round (OR), fall back in value as they didn’t pay revenue (they have no train!), and then (probably) buy one or more trains. They get a second tile lay in the next OR before running their trains for the first time. As such, I’ll consider the first two tile lays together and look at the possible revenue they can generate for each of the companies when they run trains for the first time in OR2. I’ll also point out some options beyond this as they show some interesting revenue.
A note of terminology. I’ll use the phrase “operating turn” to indicate the turn a corporation makes in an operating round. At the start, the first operating turn occurs in the first operating round. The second operating turn is in the second operating round too. But the third operating turn could be in the second operating round (OR2.2) if a 3T was bought in SR1, or in the third operating round (OR3) otherwise. It’s easier to talk in terms of turns, as each turn gives one tile lay plus an opportunity to run and buy trains.
The first corporation I’ll look at is the Chesapeake and Ohio (C&O). This is often one of the companies that starts up straight away in the first stock round, along with the PRR, NYNH and often B&O. It’s out West all on its own, which means it has to build its own path forward and consider how it connects into the track built by the companies on the Eastern side of the map.
Going West to Chicago
To the west of Cleveland is Chicago, with a $40 revenue. This is a large amount of money at the start of the game, equivalent to hitting New York at the same $40 whilst it is also yellow. One option for the C&O is to then head directly for Chicago. This means it can run a single 2 train (2T) for $70. It only has one route though, and without laying into the double small cities in another OR, can’t run a second train.
Looking ahead, we can expect $110 revenue in the third operating turn by connecting into the double cities with its third tile, assuming it bought a second train in its second time operating to run on its third. Note that the revenues are $0 in OR1, $70 in OR2 and only $110 in the third operating turn (OR2.2 or OR3 depending if a 3T was bought in OR1). We’ll talk some more about the double city tile later. In further turns, C&O must strive Eastwards, with the revenues static until it can reach another city.
A slower variation is to head to Chicago via Toledo. This consumes one of the precious #57 straight city tiles, but has an $80 terrain cost. The revenue is lower here, at only $50, and can still only run one train. However, with a token in Toledo and one more lay in turn three can connect into Chicago and run two 2Ts for $110 - in this case the C&O should buy one train each turn.
The C&O only has three tokens, so with one in Cleveland and another close by in Toledo, it only has one to help maintain routes to the East. The track there gets congested easily with many companies vying for access to New York. So with only one token remaining, it’s unlikely the C&O can guarantee access later.
The token in Toledo however does allow for some significant revenues in the Green phases, when Chicago can be counted multiple times. For example, running Chicago-Toledo twice plus Toledo-Cleveland nets $200 with three 2Ts (or two 2Ts and a 3T). This takes 4 operating turns (equiv. tile lays), and of course that the first 3T was bought prior to the C&Os 4th tile lay. Notice here that each operating turn increases the revenue as long as the 2Ts survive that long. Going forward, the C&O can head East into the double city.
In the previous cases, we’ve built track from the western exit to Cleveland and headed towards Chicago. We could of course head South towards Columbus and the Gulf off-board. With two 2Ts, it can run for $100 in the third operating turn. This is $10 less than heading to Toledo and Chicago, but establishes a hub that gives some access to the Eastern area avoiding those small cities. It’s possible the other companies will strive westwards into Columbus. In addition, it can start going East in its fourth turn, whereas the Toledo-Chicago route upgrades Toledo for the revenue on this turn, heading East later still.
So, by going West, we can see revenues of around $100 with 2 trains by the third turn.. But all this focus Westwards however delays its efforts towards the highest end game revenues in New York. Let’s look at heading East then.
Double ditting
The tiles with two small cities are often known as “double dit” tiles. The C&O starting in Cleveland often has its pick of these tiles (unless the NYNH takes one first). There are five of these tiles. We’ll show how each can be used, but won’t necessarily show all possible orientations for each.
The C&O can control tile #2, denying a connection from North and South New York1. That connection is often very lucrative for the companies in the East, so the C&O can destroy that opportunity at the start of the game. This tile has a straight and a tight curve, and so there is a choice of orientation.
The first option is to head South-East for Pittsburgh. The C&O can run a single train for $40. On its third turn, it will probably lay a #57 and token Pittsburgh, hopefully joining in to track built by the PRR and B&O, and also joining in the fight for access to New York. With two trains it could run for $70 or $80, depending on access to Lancaster, or up to $110 with three trains.
The tile could alternatively be laid in a different orientation. By laying the double dit in a way that it has a connection on the western side, and another on the north-western side2, This allows the C&O to run two trains in its second turn (it has to buy two 2Ts in its first turn). Laying any of the double dit tiles like this is the only way that is possible. They all will net $80 revenue with two trains. The options only differ in where the exits point for the third and future tile lays.
Laying #2 heading directly East will need the opportunity to upgrade into Pittsburg at green, or gets there first to lay in heading North-West-to-South-East - this probably need a PRR to focus on going East to happen. The C&O also needs to make sure it operates before the PRR or B&O get a chance to upgrade in a blocking manner. It is difficult to base a plan in 1830 on what you hope others won’t do! This orientation therefore carries the risk, but does deny the tile from others and gets an improved revenue out right from the start.
The #56, #69 and #55 tiles all cross over, giving the C&O opportunity to “turn around” in Cleveland. The #56 and #69 tiles both allow for a Westward run out from Pittsburgh, although it’s clear #56 gives a simpler connection to Pittsburgh assuming a PRR lay there.
Tile #1 and #55 give the same East and South-East exists. This gives easy access to Pittsburgh. For a long Diesel train run at the end of the game, the C&O could have to take care in connecting into Pittsburgh, keeping an eye on the green plain tracks to ensure it can turn the route around.
Summary
Using a double small city tile give a nice initial revenue for the C&O running two trains from the get go. It can still connect into the East and West with more or less similar inconvenience. The #2 tile, denied to the Eastern companies, is probably the most tricky to build connections from - there is definitely a choice to be made here on the cost of denying the tile to others vs benefit to the C&O.
Heading West to Chicago instead gives some very high value runs by the 3rd or 4th operating turn. The downsides are it takes time to get there, and isolates development into the shared infrastructure to the East. If development there is slow, with few companies floated such as in a 6-player game, I think this approach might be more viable. But in a faster game, I think heading for Chicago might be a trap.
It’s possible to connect these with just a single small city on the route, but it involves a very expensive detour around Scranton: in terms of both terrain cost and number of track lays.
These should belong to the distinct tracks on the tile. It’s no good to use the #2 to connect the north-west and western edges!
In the first figure of the double dit section, have you ever considered laying the #2 with the small curve on the other side, thus allowing a $80 run in the 2nd OR? Need to think again.