Let’s Play Whistle Stop!

Whistle Stop is a captivating board game that will have you strategizing and planning to seize the opportunity and become the ultimate railroad tycoon! I’m here to guide you through the game rules and help you get started on your exciting journey.

Objective

The objective of Whistle Stop is to build an efficient railroad network that connects different cities. Your goal is to deliver goods and passengers to score points and earn money. The player with the most points at the end of the game wins!

Setting Up

To set up the game, you will need the game board, player tokens, action tiles, train cards, city tiles, coal cubes, and resources. Each player will receive a player token and some starting resources. Place the city tiles, action tiles, and train cards in their designated areas on the game board.

Gameplay

Whistle Stop is played over several rounds, and each round consists of two phases: the Planning Phase and the Movement Phase. Let’s break down each phase:

1. Planning Phase

In the Planning Phase, you will take turns selecting an action tile from the available options. Each action tile allows you to perform specific actions, such as building tracks, upgrading trains, or acquiring resources. Choose your actions wisely to maximize your strategy!

2. Movement Phase

In the Movement Phase, you will move your trains along the tracks you have built. Trains can only move from city to city using connected tracks. You can stop at cities to deliver goods and passengers, earning points and money. Plan your routes carefully to optimize your deliveries!

Scoring

You will earn points and money throughout the game based on your deliveries, upgrades, and resources. Points are awarded for delivering goods and passengers to cities, while money is earned by selling resources. Use your earnings to further expand your railroad network and improve your chances of winning!

Conclusion

Now that you understand the basic rules of Whistle Stop, grab your friends and embark on a thrilling adventure to conquer the railroad industry! Plan your actions, strategize your routes, and aim for victory. Remember, the key to success lies in building an efficient and profitable railroad network. Have a great time playing Whistle Stop!

When the golden spike was driven into the ground in 1869, it marked the completion of the first transcontinental railroad in the United States. But that was just the beginning. From that point on, railroads spread across the country, connecting towns and cities in a web of tracks.

Now it’s your turn to take control of a pioneer railroad company. Start on the East Coast and build routes to transport valuable cargo. Deliver goods to growing towns and watch your reputation grow with each successful delivery. Along the way, you can even invest in other railroads to expand your empire. But the real challenge lies in completing long hauls to the booming towns of the West.

How to Play

Your goal is to be the player with the most fame points for your railroad. To do this, you need to make strategic decisions and plan your routes carefully. Each turn, you’ll have the opportunity to build tracks, pick up cargo, and deliver goods. But be careful, your rivals are also trying to do the same.

Getting Started

Setting Up the Gameboard

First, we need to prepare the gameboard for an exciting game.

1. Place the gameboard in the middle of the table, right where everyone can reach it easily.

2. On the turn track, put 1 whistle token for each player on the whistle space. Now, let’s find the coal space that matches the number of players we have. Starting from that space and moving downwards, place 2 coal tokens for each player on every coal space.

3. On one side of the board, we need to gather all the gold tokens (make sure they’re shuffled with the numbers hidden), coal tokens, whistle tokens, and resource tokens.

4. We’re going to need stacks of each railroad share type. Place them on the side of the board, stacking them in numerical order with the number 1 share on the top.

5. Let’s shuffle the Upgrade cards. Draw 2 more cards than the number of players, and lay them faceup near the board, for everyone to see.

Once upon a time in a mystical land, there was a game called “Railroad Tycoon.” I’m about to share with you the secrets of setting up this fantastical board game.

First, shuffle the 10 end tiles with dark green backs. Then, take 8 of these tiles and place them faceup in the leftmost column on the game board. The remaining tiles can be put back in the box for safekeeping.

Now, it’s time to deal with the special tiles. There are 18 of them in total. Among them, you’ll find 10 Town tiles, 2 Coal Yard tiles, 2 Trading Post tiles, 2 Whistle Factory tiles, 1 General Store tile, and 1 Gold Mine tile. Separate these tiles from the rest.

Next, pick 1 Coal Yard tile, 1 Trading Post tile, and 2 random Town tiles. Along with these, grab 1 other random special tile that isn’t a Coal Yard, Trading Post, or Town. Finally, select 3 random ordinary train route tiles. Take these 8 tiles and place them faceup in the fourth column from the right on the game board.

Let’s start by shuffling 9 ordinary train route tiles and placing them randomly faceup in the rightmost column and in the topmost and bottommost positions of the second column. We can’t put the tiles in a way that forces the only ongoing route to go backward.

Next, we mix the remaining special and ordinary tiles together. We put the stack of tiles facedown near the board and reveal 3 tiles faceup next to the stack.

Now it’s time to get ready to play!

First, each player takes 1 whistle token and receives 3 random tiles from the stack. If you don’t have at least one tile with a stop on it, you’ll need to discard a tile and draw another until you have one with a stop in your hand.

So, here’s what you need to do to get started playing this game. First, choose a color for your player. Then, depending on how many people are playing, take the appropriate number of trains in your chosen color. For a two or three-player game, take five trains. For a four-player game, take four trains. And for a five-player game, take three trains. Any extra trains go back in the box. Oh, and don’t forget to place your circular score marker on the zero on the score track on the edge of the board.

Next, it’s time to determine the start player. The start player will get two coal tokens. The second player gets two coal tokens as well. The third player gets three coal tokens, and the fourth player gets three. If there’s a fifth player, they get four coal tokens. It’s all based on the player order, so keep that in mind.

Starting Positions

Alright, starting with the player to the right of the start player, take turns going counterclockwise. Each player will place one train at a time on one of the sixteen stops along the east coast. Remember, each stop can only have one train on it.

Game Play

Hey there! Let me explain how to play Whistle Stop. It’s a fun game that’s played in rounds, and each round is marked by the turn track. When the start player gives out tokens from the turn track, a new round begins.

At the start of each of my turns, I’ll distribute all the tokens on the next filled space of the turn track to everyone, including myself. Each player gets either 1 whistle token or 2 coal tokens. After that, I can continue with my turn as usual.

On my turn, I have a few options:

1. I can use up to 4 tokens (coal or whistle) to move my train(s).
2. I can spend resources to get up to 2 upgrades.

I can choose to do any or all of these actions, and in any order I want. It’s important to note that I can only move my own trains, not someone else’s.

As I spend tokens, I’ll place them on my player board in the numbered spots to keep track of how many I’ve used. Then, at the end of my turn, I’ll return the spent tokens back to the supply.

Alright, here’s the deal: I’m going to explain how the game works. So, in the first round, the person who goes first takes the tokens off the coal space. How many tokens they take depends on how many players there are.

Using a Coal Token to Move a Train

Now, let’s talk about how you can use a coal token to move a train. It’s pretty simple, really. You just take one of your coal tokens and place it on the train you want to move. Each token moves the train forward by one space on the track.

Remember, though, you can only use one token per turn. So choose wisely! You don’t want to waste your tokens and miss out on a good opportunity.

Oh, and one more thing. Once you’ve used a token, it’s gone. You can’t use it again in the same round. So make sure you strategize and plan your moves carefully.

Alright, that’s all there is to it! Now you know how to use a coal token to move a train in the game. Have fun and good luck!

When you want to move one of your trains in the game, you can spend a coal token to do so. This allows you to move the train along the track to the west (left) to a new column or up and down within the same column. You must end your movement at the next stop along the track. However, it’s important to note that you cannot use coal to move your train back to a stop in a previous column.

It’s vital that your train follows the railway track on the tiles. You cannot move your train off the track.

There are some restrictions to where your train can move. Your train cannot move to a resource stop or an east coast stop where there is an opposing train. These stops are marked by small circles. However, you can have any number of trains on all other stops, which are represented by large hexagons.

When moving your train, it can travel across any number of tiles to reach the next stop. Your train can even pass through resource stops or east coast stops that are occupied by another one of your trains. Just remember that it cannot end its movement on those stops.

If your train reaches an end tile, you must place it on a resource track immediately. Once a train reaches an end tile, it cannot move out of it.

Another Way to Move Your Train: Using a Whistle Token

Hey there! Let me break it down for you. When you spend a whistle token, you can move one of your trains either one or two stops in any direction you want. You can even end up on a tile that’s to the right of where you started – pretty nifty, huh?

But here’s the catch: when you use your whistle token to skip a stop, you don’t get any resources or tokens for that skipped stop. And if there are other players on a stop, no worries, you can pass right by them. No traffic jams here!

Now, if you decide to use your whistle token to skip over an end tile, you’ll also skip all the effects of that tile. But don’t worry, you still get to place your train on a resource track space immediately. Just remember, once a train reaches an end tile, it can’t move out of it anymore – it’s there to stay!

Time to Play a Tile

Let’s say your train moves onto a track that has an empty space ahead. Don’t sweat it – just grab a tile from your trusty hand and plonk it right into that space. Your train will follow the track onto the newly placed tile. Now, if that tile doesn’t have a stop to end your train’s movement, no biggie! Just play a second tile from your hand, and your train can continue chugging along on that one.

If you can’t see a way to bring your train to a stop, try playing the third tile from your hand. Just make sure that the placement of the tile will stop your train.

Tiles

Hey there! So, when my train lands on one of those resource stops – you know, the circles with cubes in them – I get to snag one of those colorful resources. And get this – any resources I collect with my train can be used by all of my trains for all kinds of cool things like trading or delivering.

Now, there are two kinds of resources: common and rare. The common ones are cotton, gravel, and lumber, while the rare ones are cattle, whiskey, and steel. The thing is, the rare resources show up less often than the common ones, so they’re a bit harder to come by.

Oh, and here’s a heads up – I can only hold up to 10 resources at a time. If I already have 10, I’ll need to toss one out to make room for a new one. It’s all about keeping things tidy, you know?

When my train arrives at a Trading Post station, I can make up to 2 trades:

• For any one common resource, you can trade in either one whistle token or two coal tokens.
• Alternatively, you can exchange one rare resource for either two common resources or one rare resource.

When you arrive at a Coal Yard stop, you will receive 2 coal tokens.

Hey there! So, whenever you happen to land on a General Store stop, you’ll get to grab yourself 1 resource of your choosing. Sounds pretty cool, right? It’s like a little bonus for making it to that particular spot. And what’s even better is that you have the power to decide which resource you want. So whether you’re after some extra food, some shiny gold, or some other useful item, the choice is all yours. It’s like a little reward just for you!

When you arrive at a Town stop, you’ll need to use the resources shown on the tile to get the bonus fame point and the top card from the railroad share mentioned on the tile. If you don’t use the resources, you’ll lose the number of fame points listed and won’t get a railroad share.

If you have no fame points, a penalty won’t affect your score.

You can visit the same Town stop multiple times with the same or different trains. Each time, you’ll need to use resources to get the bonus or face the penalty.

A player can have multiple railroad shares of the same type.

If there are no more stocks available for a town tile, you can still go there and get points for using resources (or lose points if you don’t use them).

So, when I get to my final destination, I need to use the resources indicated on the tile. This will give me some extra fame points. If I decide not to use the resources, I’ll actually lose some fame points. After that, I remove my train from the board and place it on an empty spot on the resource track. The empty spot will give me more resources and/or tokens.

Now, here’s the interesting part! What happens when I land on a “?” space? Well, I get to choose any one resource or token: Coal, Whistle, or Gold. It’s like a little bonus!

So, picture this: You’re playing a game and you’re on a train, chugging along towards your destination. Suddenly, the train comes to a screeching halt at a place called Gold Mine. And guess what? You strike gold! Yep, you’ve hit the jackpot.

But here’s the thing – it’s a bit of a mystery. You don’t know exactly how much gold you’ve found. Is it worth 3 fame points? 4? Or maybe even 5? It’s a secret, and you can’t let anyone else know.

So, you keep that gold token hidden, face down. You don’t want anyone else to see it and try to steal your thunder. It’s like a surprise that’s waiting to be revealed at the end of the game.

And let me tell you, my friend, that surprise could be a game-changer. Those fame points could make all the difference between being a runner-up and a champion. They could be the golden ticket to victory.

So, remember, when you land on that Gold Mine stop, keep that gold token close and keep it a secret. You never know what riches it may bring.

Hey, when my train arrives at the Stock Market stop, I get fame points based on how many railroad shares I own. And here’s the catch – I have to give up one of my shares after that.

When your train arrives at a stop labeled Whistle Factory, you will receive 1 whistle token.

Your Turn

After you finish your turn, you can replenish your hand by selecting up to 3 tiles from the group of tiles face up or the stack of tiles face down. Make sure that there are always 3 face up tiles next to the stack of tiles. Then, it will be the next player’s turn. When it’s the start player’s turn again, they will distribute the tokens on the next space on the turn track before beginning their turn.

During the final round of the game, you can choose to skip refilling your hand.

No Available Moves

If you are unable or choose not to move on your turn, you will receive 1 whistle token and forfeit your movement for that turn. However, you can still choose to upgrade.

Purchasing an Upgrade

During your turn, you have the option to purchase up to 2 upgrade cards at any time.

When you want to buy a better upgrade from the supply, you need to use the resources that are listed at the top of the upgrade card. Once you have spent the required resources, you can take the upgrade and put it in front of you.

If you want to buy an upgrade card from another player, you have to spend the resources that are listed at the top of the card. In addition to that, you need to pay the player who owned the upgrade a rare resource of your choice, which can be red, green, or blue. Once you have done that, you can take the upgrade and place it in front of you. The number inside the star on the card represents the fame points that you will get at the end of the game if you have this upgrade.

All About Upgrades

Many upgrades allow you to use coal to do special actions. However, it’s important to note that during your turn, you can only spend up to 4 tokens, even if you have the option to use special actions with your upgrades.

Do you need more coal tokens? Well, I have great news for you! I’ve got a simple solution that will give you an extra boost. Drum roll, please… all you have to do is spend one coal token, and you’ll instantly receive two more coal tokens in return. Yes, you heard me right: one turns into two, just like that!

When it comes to trading, I’ve got an exciting offer for you. Have you ever wanted to do multiple trades using the same rules as the Trading Post? Well, now you can! All you need to do is spend one little coal token, and you’ll have the power to make two trades.

Trading can be a bit tricky sometimes, but don’t worry, I’ve got you covered. With this special offer, you’ll be able to make two trades without any extra hassle. It’s like having your own mini Trading Post right at your fingertips.

Let me break it down for you. Normally, when you trade, you have to follow certain rules. But with this deal, you can make two trades and still use those same rules. It’s a total win-win situation.

Why is this such a big deal? Well, let me explain. When someone trades, they’re usually looking for something specific. Maybe you’re searching for that one card to complete your collection, or you need a particular item for a quest. Whatever it is, trading is a great way to get what you’re after.

But sometimes, it can be tough to find exactly what you’re looking for. That’s where this offer comes in. By using a coal token, you’ll have double the chance of finding what you need. It’s like having two shots instead of just one.

So, if you’re ready to take your trading game to the next level, this offer is for you. Just remember, you’ll need a coal token to unlock this special power. But trust me, it’s totally worth it.

By following these simple steps, you’ll be on your way to becoming a trading pro. So don’t miss out on this amazing opportunity. Take advantage of the double trades offer and get ready to level up your trading skills.

Hey there! I’m here to tell you about an awesome deal. Guess what? You can get a cool gold token just by spending a coal token. How awesome is that?

So here’s the deal – if you’ve got trains on a stop and I’ve also got trains on that stop, anyone who wants to leave has to cough up a resource of their choosing and give it to me. It’s like a toll or something. But here’s the twist – if they can’t pay, they’re stuck. Their trains ain’t goin’ nowhere. Tough luck!

When I need to refill my hand, I can take a look through the tile stack and pick out a tile that I want. Once I’ve chosen a tile, I just need to put it in my hand and then give the stack a good shuffle to mix things up.

Hey there! Let me break it down for you. So, if you spend a coal token, guess what? You get 4 fame points! And get this – for every 3 shares you own, you’ll score those 4 fame points. How cool is that? It’s like a little bonus for having shares. Now, I know it might sound a bit complicated, but trust me, it’s worth it. You’ll be raking in those fame points in no time! Just remember, you need to own shares first, and for every 3 shares, you’ll get 4 fame points. Easy peasy, right? So go ahead and start racking up those fame points!

If you own a train on a stop, no other player can move their train to that stop. But if someone else’s train is already there when you buy a Blocking Signal, it can stay.

If you want to stay on your train without getting off, you can use a coal token to make a stop. This applies to regular stops as well as special stops and deliveries.

Hey there! Isn’t it cool that you can use a coal token to trade one of your stocks for another stock on a Town tile? It’s like a game changer! When you make the swap, you have to take your old stock out of the game. Just so you know, you can only exchange for a stock that belongs to a Town that’s already on the board. No trading for a stock from a Town that’s not in play. So keep that in mind, and happy trading!

Hello there! I have an exciting offer for you. Would you like to exchange a coal token for any 1 resource token? It’s a pretty sweet deal, right?

Guess what? I’ve got a cool trick for you! It’s called increasing your hand size. When you do this, you can hold up to 5 tiles at once. That means you can play more tiles to move a train on the board – up to 4 or 5 tiles, to be exact. But don’t forget, the train has to stop when you play the 5th tile. Oh, and here’s a twist: if someone buys Extra Boiler from you, you have to get rid of 3 tiles from your hand by putting them at the bottom of the pile, face down.

Now for some more good news: having Town or special tiles in your hand won’t cost you any penalties at the end of the game. So you can keep them without any worries.

Hey there! Want to know a game secret? Spend a coal token, and you’ll get yourself a whistle token. It’s a nifty little trick that can come in handy.

Game Over

The game will end when we reach the last round or when someone manages to get their last train off the board. Either way, it’s time to wrap things up and see who’s the ultimate winner.

Scoring

Now it’s time to tally up those fame points. The player with the most shares of a particular type of stock gets a whopping 15 points in their pocket. In case of a tie, the player with the lowest stock number takes the crown.

Oh, and don’t forget to score points for any upgrades you’ve managed to collect along the way.

We can’t ignore those shiny gold tokens. Each one gives you fame points just for having it in your possession.

And here’s some bonus points for you: 1 fame point for every common resource token you didn’t use, and 3 fame points for each rare resource token you didn’t use. It pays off to save some for the end!

Oh! One more thing. For every two tokens you have, you’ll earn yourself a fame point. It’s a nice little incentive, isn’t it?

But hey, not everything’s gold and glory. You’ll lose 10 points for every special tile you still have in your hand. So try to get rid of those!

And finally, the big moment. The player with the highest score takes home the trophy. It’s time to see who played the best game!

Ties