The Bayerische Zugspitze scenario is based on the railway of the same name, a 19km railway which is one of only four rack railways still working in Germany, running from Garmisch to the Zugspitze, the highest mountain in Germany. With its summit terminus at 2,650m above sea-level, it is the highest railway in Germany and the third highest railway in Europe.

The railway was built between 1928 and 1930 - the first stage, between Grainau and the Eibsee, opened on 19th February 1929. On 19th December in that year the second section, between Garmisch and Grainau opened. The third and final section between the Eibsee and the station at the summit of Schneefernerhaus was opened on 9th July 1930. From the Schneefernerhaus a cable car ascended to the summit - these days, however, the railway branches off the original tunnel and terminates on the Zugspitzplatt plateau instead.

This scenario was created as a thank you to Lookout Games for, in Tony's words, "being so awesome", and in consequence is only available in German, although English rules can be found on the BGG website here.


Click to view route map

Track layout

Stations in detail

Garmisch

Slightly separate to the main Garmisch-Partenkirchen station, the station at the lower terminus of the railway in Garmisch is unofficially called the 'Zugspitze' station, or 'Zugspitzbahnhof'. It consists of a single track, with platforms on each side,

Player count : ALL
Build spaces :
Surveyor pts :

2 rubble (excavation) - 3 points
2 rubble (excavation) - 3 points
4 stone - 8 points
3 stone - 5 points
1 coal - Coalbunker - you can retrieve your extra Labourer for free on the next Round

Grainau

A small town at the foot of the Zugspitze mountain.

Player count : ALL
Build spaces :
Surveyor pts :

4 rubble (excavation) - 6 points
4 rubble (excavation) - 5 points
4 stone - 4 points
1 steel bar - 5 points

Eibsee

This station serves the small lake of the same name which, at around 1,000m above sea-level, sits at the base of the Zugspitze mountain.

Player count : ALL
Build spaces :
Surveyor pts :

3 rubble (excavation) - 6 points
3 rubble (excavation) - 5 points
1 steel bar - 10 points
1 steel bar - 8 points
1 coal - Coalbunker - you can retrieve your extra Labourer for free on the next Round
1 coal - Coalbunker - you can retrieve your extra Labourer for free on the next Round

Riffelriss

A small halt immediately before the start of the Zugspitze Tunnel, at around 1640m above sea-level.

Player count : ALL
Build spaces :
Surveyor pts :

2 rubble (excavation) - 3 points
2 rubble (excavation) - 3 points
1 steel bar - 5 points
1 steel bar - 4 points

Schneefernerhaus

Originally a hotel, now used as an environmental research station, the Schneefernerhaus lies immediately below the summit of the Zugspitze. Opened on 20th June 1931, and connected to the summit by the Tyrolean Zugspitze Cable Car (which ran down to the Austrian town of Ehrwald), the hotel suffered a devastating avalanche in 1965 and was subsequently closed. The Zugspitzbahn was diverted via a new tunnel, to finish on the Zugspitzplatt, and whilst the tunnel to the Schneefernerhaus remains, it only serves to support the environmental research station and is not otherwise operational.

Player count : ALL
Build spaces :
Surveyor pts :

2 rubble (excavation) - 3 points
3 rubble (excavation) - 3 points
7 stone - 16 points
6 stone - 13 points
5 stone - 11 points
4 stone - 8 points

Seilbahn

This station represents the bottom stop of the cable car running from the Schneefernerhaus to the summit of Zugspitze.

Player count : 4 - 5
Build spaces :
Surveyor pts : 4

Zugspitzgipfel

Literally ' the summit of the Zugspitze', the station representst the top of the cable car, sitting on the highest peak in Germany, with the border between Germany and Austria running across its western summit.

Player count : ALL
Build spaces :
Surveyor pts : 7 - 16

2 rubble (excavation) - 4 points
2 rubble (excavation) - 2 points
1 steel bar - 1 track laying credit
1 steel bar - 1 track laying credit

Scenario train

Train in detail

No. 8a Berglok

Historically, the Zugspitzbahn would have two types of engine - the valley engine (the 'Tallok') and the mountain engine (the 'Berglok') and the train would be switched from one to the other in Grainau. Today, however, the engines work the entire line. The owner of this train may excavate at a rate of 1 above the current Work Rate, or 2 above the current Work Rate if the weather is Snow.

Scenario action space

Weather card

The weather is the same as for the base game except that fog is now snow. Snow is also triggered whenever a snow event is triggered (a space covered with one of the grey discs). Players can Excavate and / or Lay Track at all times. When it snows, find the highest partially or fully excavated Station space (without a player cube in it) or Track Card without any rubble on it (face up or face down). Look at the excavation rate for the round. Starting with the highest spot, add 2 rubble cubes to each empty or partially-filled spaces / track cards (up to the value noted on each). Skip over any full Track cards or stations spaces with player cubes in (they still count toward the work rate). In stations, you fill from bottom to top, right to left.

Event card

Overlays events 8, 9 and 10 on the base game.