1846: The Race for the Midwest

1846 is an 18xx game that traces the westward expansion of railways across the Midwestern United States. In this game 3-5 tycoons compete to earn money and build the best stock portfolio by investing in and operating railroads within the mid-western United States during 1846-1935.

Five competing eastern railroads, in search of mid-western grain and markets, crossed the Appalachian mountains in the early 1850s: the New York Central, Erie, Pennsylvania, Baltimore & Ohio, and, via Canada, the Grand Trunk, backed by Boston merchants. In front of them were literally hundreds of failed local railroads, most existing only on paper, but a few of which had laid bits of track and acquired locomotives, before running out of capital and being sold to Eastern interests in 1846. Further west, the first land grant railroad, the Illinois Central, is being formed.

• 1 mounted mapboard
  
• 5 sheets with 120 track tiles
  
• 1 sheet with 70 counters
• 7 corporate mats
• 63 stock certificates
  
• 12 private company certificates
  
• 29 train cards
• 5 player cards
• 1 priority deal card
  
• 1 pack of play Money
• 1 rule brochure