Climing to the top of the mountain of the same name, the Mount Washington Railway was the world's first mountain-climbing rack-and-pinion railway. At 4.8km long, an average grade of 25% and a maximum grade of 37.41%, rising from 820m above sea-level to 1,917m at its summit, it is the second-steepest rack railway in the world.

The railway was built by Sylvester Marsh and opened to passengers on 14th August 1868, with the track reaching the summit in July 1869.

During its construction, the railway was noted for its "Devil's Shingles" - slide boards invented by its labourers to fit over the cog rack, with enough room for the worker and his tools, which would then slide down the mountain in around 15 minutes. After the death of an employee, however, the boards were banned.


Click to view route map

Track layout

Stations in detail

Marshfield Station

Located in the township of Thompson and Merserve's Purchase, this is the base station for the railway

Player count : ALL
Build spaces : 6
Surveyor pts : 11

2 rubble (excavation) - 3 points
2 rubble (excavation) - 2 points
4 stone - 10 points
3 stone - 7 points
1 steel bar - 9 points
1 steel bar - 8 points

Waumbek Siding

The original railway, as built, had no sidings, or switches - places at which trains could pass each other on the route. This made the trips slow because trains had to stop frequently to take on water and wood. In the 1930s the then owner introduced a shuttle system whereby one train ran from the base station at Marshfield up to Waumbek, another ran from Waumbek to Skyline, and another from Skyline to the summit, which sped things up considerably. This was then improved still further by the building of switches and sidings at both Waumbek and Skyline in the 1940s.

Player count : ALL
Build spaces : 5
Surveyor pts : 7

3 rubble (excavation) - 4 points
3 rubble (excavation) - 3 points
2 stone - 6 points
2 stone - 4 points
1 steel bar and 2 stone - 12 points

Skyline Siding

The second siding introduced to speed up journey times, plans by the railway's owners to build a huge hotel at this location met with fierce resistance.

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

3 rubble (excavation) - 4 points
3 rubble (excavation) - 3 points
2 stone - 6 points
2 stone - 4 points
2 coal - 6 points

Jacob's Ladder

This is the steepest section of the railway's trestle, with a grade of 37% (which means that there is an elevation difference of 13 feet between passengers in the front and the back of the coach).

Player count : ALL
Build spaces : 4
Surveyor pts : 2

4 rubble (excavation) - 6 points
4 rubble (excavation) - 5 points
1 steel bar - 10 points
1 steel bar - 11 points

Jacob's Ladder

Only used in 3 - 5 player games, this extra station extend Jacob's ladder with six additional construction spaces.

Player count : 3-5
Build spaces : 6
Surveyor pts : 1

4 rubble (excavation) - 6 points
4 rubble (excavation) - 5 points
1 steel bar - 9 points
1 steel bar - 8 points
1 steel bar - 7 points
1 steel bar - 6 points

Summit (Summit House)

The peak of Mount Washington, at 1,917m above sea-level, the railway reached here in July 1869. Shortly thereafter a 91 room hotel called the Summit House was opened, which burned down in 1908 and was replaced with a smaller building - in 1964 that smaller building was bought by the State and replaced with the visitor center that opened in 1980.

Player count : ALL
Build spaces : 6
Surveyor pts : 0

4 rubble (excavation) - 9 points
3 rubble (excavation) - 7 points
9 resource cubes - 12 points
7 resource cubes - 7 points
5 resource cubes - 4 points
3 resource cubes - 2 points

Devil's Shingle

Player count : ALL
Build spaces :
Surveyor pts :

Scenario train

Train in detail

No. 10 Old Peppersass

Originally named "Hero" but later renamed "Peppersass", this was the first locomotive to operate on the track (the "No. 10" in its name relates to its numbering within the Snowdonia board game, not the Mount Washington railway). It was nicknamed for its pepper-sauce bottle shape. Whenever the owner uses the Build action (E), the cost of building a non-excavation site with a Stone requirement is reduced by one Stone. This bonus may be combined with Contract card bonuses to further reduce costs down to a minimum of 0.

Scenario contract cards

Contract cards in detail

Contract no. 1

Contract terms
Move 5 of your ownership markers from completed excavation and/or non-excavation building sites.

Bonus effect
Whenever you take the Lay Track Action this Round, you do it at one more than the current Work Rate.

Type : Building bonus
Effect location : D
Points : 15

Contract no. 2

Contract terms
Move 4 of your ownership markers from completed excavation and/or non-excavation building sites.

Bonus effect
Whenever you take the Lay Track Action this Round, you do it at one more than the current Work Rate.

Type : Building bonus
Effect location : D
Points : 10

Contract no. 3

Contract terms
Move 3 of your ownership markers from completed excavation and/or non-excavation building sites.

Bonus effect
After all other Excavate Actions has been resolved you may excavate completely the next space with Rubble in it (Track card or BUilding site).

Type : Building bonus
Effect location : A
Points : 6

Contract no. 4

Contract terms
Move 2 of your ownership markers from completed excavation and/or non-excavation building sites and move 2 of your ownership markers from completed Track cards.

Bonus effect
Swap the Weather disc in the middle position on the Weather Track with one of your choice from the general supply. (This weather will be used at the start of the next Round)

Type : Building and Track bonus
Effect location : A
Points : 17

Contract no. 5

Contract terms
Move 2 of your ownership markers from completed excavation and/or non-excavation building sites, 1 of your ownership markers from a completed Track card, and 4 rubble pieces from your personal supply.

Bonus effect
Draw the top two cards from the Contract Card Deck. You may keep this card or one of the cardsyou have drawn. Discard the other two cards.

Type : Building, Track and Excavation bonus
Effect location : F
Points : 14

Contract no. 6

Contract terms
Move 12 rubble pieces from your personal supply and 1 of your ownership markers from a completed Track card.

Bonus effect
Whenever you take a Build Action (E) this Round you may use 3 Iron Ore as if it was a Steel Bar.

Type : Track and Excavation bonus
Effect location : E
Points : 22

Contract no. 7

Contract terms
Move 8 rubble pieces from your personal supply.

Bonus effect
Whenever you take a Stock Yard Action this Round, you may take two additional cubes (the one Coal per Labourer limit still applies).

Type : Excavation bonus
Effect location : E
Points : 11

Contract no. 8

Contract terms
Move 8 rubble pieces from your personal supply.

Bonus effect
After all other Lay Track Actions has been resolved you may take a Lay Track Action as if you had placed a Labourer here this Round.

Type : Excavation bonus
Effect location : D
Points : 11

Contract no. 9

Contract terms
Move 6 rubble pieces from your personal supply and 1 of your ownership markers from a completed Track card.

Bonus effect
Whenever you pay a Stone requirement for a Building site this Round, pay one Stone less.

Type : Track and Excavation bonus
Effect location : E
Points : 14

Contract no. 10

Contract terms
Move 4 rubble pieces from your personal supply.

Bonus effect
After all other Build Actions have been resolved, you may take a Build Action as if you had placed a Labourer here this Round.

Type : Excavation bonus
Effect location : E
Points : 5

Contract no. 11

Contract terms
Move 4 rubble pieces from your personal supply.

Bonus effect
Immediately convert 2 Rubble in your personal supply into 1 Stone up to 3 times. Take the Stone from the Supply Bag.

Type : Excavation bonus
Effect location : C
Points : 5

Contract no. 12

Contract terms
Move 12 rubble pieces from your personal supply.

Bonus effect
Immediately convert 2 Iron Ore from your personal supply into 1 Steel Bar once or twice. Put the Iron Ore into the Bag.

Type : Excavation bonus
Effect location : C
Points : 16

Contract no. 13

Contract terms
Move 4 rubble pieces from your personal supply and 2 of your ownership markers from completed Track cards.

Bonus effect
After this card has been played, no other Contract cards may be played for the rest of the Round

Type : Track and Excavation bonus
Effect location : A
Points : 18

Contract no. 14

Contract terms
Move 4 rubble pieces from your personal supply and 1 ownership marker from a completed Track card.

Bonus effect
Whenever you pay a Stone requirement for a Building site this Round, pay one Stone less.

Type : Track and Excavation bonus
Effect location : E
Points : 11

Contract no. 15

Contract terms
Move 8 rubble pieces from your personal supply and 1 ownership marker from a completed Track card.

Bonus effect
Whenever you pay a Stone requirement for a Building site this Round, pay one Stone less.

Type : Track and Excavation bonus
Effect location : E
Points : 17

Contract no. 16

Contract terms
Move 8 rubble pieces from your personal supply and 2 ownership markers from completed Track cards.

Bonus effect
You may discard this card instead of a Steel Bar when required to pay for train maintenance.

Type : Track and Excavation bonus
Effect location : Train Maintenance
Points : 23

Contract no. 17

Contract terms
Move 16 rubble pieces from your personal supply.

Bonus effect
Whenever you take a Build Action (E) this Round, you may use 2 Rubble as 1 Stone, or 4 Rubble as 2 Stone.

Type : Excavation bonus
Effect location : E
Points : 21

Contract no. 18

Contract terms
Move 11 rubble pieces from your personal supply.

Bonus effect
Immediately draw three cubs from the Supply Bag; return each Event cube drawn this way.

Type : Excavation bonus
Effect location : G
Points : 15

Contract no. 19

Contract terms
Move 7 rubble pieces from your personal supply.

Bonus effect
Immediately draw three cubs from the Supply Bag; return each Event cube drawn this way.

Type : Excavation bonus
Effect location : G
Points : 10

Contract no. 20

Contract terms
Move 5 of your ownership markers from completed Track cards.

Bonus effect
Immediately take any 2 cubes from the Stock Yard (one Coal maximum).

Type : Track bonus
Effect location : A
Points : 40

Contract no. 21

Contract terms
Move 3 of your ownership markers from completed Track cards.

Bonus effect
You may discard this card instead of a Steel Bar when required to pay for train maintenance.

Type : Track bonus
Effect location : Train Maintenance
Points : 24

Contract no. 22

Contract terms
Move 3 of your ownership markers from completed Track cards.

Bonus effect
Take the Start Player marker. The marker cannot move again this Round.

Type : Track bonus
Effect location : A
Points : 24

Contract no. 23

Contract terms
Move 4 of your ownership markers from completed Track cards.

Bonus effect
Immediately take any 2 cubes from the Stock Yard (one Coal maximum).

Type : Track bonus
Effect location : A
Points : 31

Contract no. 24

Contract terms
Move 1 of your ownership markers from a completed Track card.

Bonus effect
Immediately convert 2 Iron Ore from your personal supply into 1 Steel Bar once or twice. Put the Iron Ore into the Bag.

Type : Track bonus
Effect location : C
Points : 4

Contract no. 25

Contract terms
Move 1 of your ownership markers from a completed Track card.

Bonus effect
Whenever you take a Build Action (E) this Round you may use 3 Iron Ore as if it was a Steel Bar.

Type : Track bonus
Effect location : E
Points : 7

Contract no. 26

Contract terms
Move 2 of your ownership markers from completed Track cards.

Bonus effect
Whenever you take the Excavate Action this Round take double the number of Rubble Cubes (Work Rate plus any bonuses).

Type : Track bonus
Effect location : B
Points : 15

Contract no. 27

Contract terms
If the player has this Contract card, score 2 victory points per Coal cube in your personal supply at the end of the game.

Bonus effect
Immediately move your Surveyor 1 Station further along.

Type : Coal bonus
Effect location : G
Points : 15

Contract no. 28

Contract terms
Move 2 of your ownership markers from completed excavation and/or non-excavation building sites - this contact is complete if your Surveyor has reached at least Station 6.

Bonus effect
Immediately move one of your placed Labourers to any different, empty, Action space.

Type : Surveyor bonus
Effect location : G
Points : 23

Contract no. 29

Contract terms
This contract is complete if your Surveyor has reached at least Station 3.

Bonus effect
You may ignore the limit on taking Coal from the Stock Yard this Round.

Type : Surveyor bonus
Effect location : A
Points : 3 points if your Surveyor has reached Station 3, 6 if he has reached Station 2, 10 if he has reached Station 1

Contract no. 30

Contract terms
Move 2 of your ownership markers from completed Track cards.

Bonus effect
Whenever you take the Excavate Action this Round take double the number of Rubble Cubes (Work Rate plus any bonuses).

Type : Track bonus
Effect location : B
Points : 15

Scenario action spaces

Weather card

Weather remains the same as for the base game, except that fog becomes snow (snow is also triggered when a Snow event is encountered on the Event track).

Event card

In this Scenario, event no. 8 is a snow Event, and event no. 9 now does nothing.