1869: The Golden Spike (1998)

This is a game in the 18xx system, set in the Western United States, and dealing with the building of the first transcontinental railroad and its aftermath. It has many special features: 1. Bonds to encourage the first transcontinental railroads to build track along historical routes. 2. Land grants to add extra income. 3. Connection bonuses. 4. Special city tiles that add extra length to trains that run through a token there. 5. Refurbished trains. 6. Palace cars (trains that double the value of one city run through with another train) 7. Mergers (some forced, some optional) Overall, an interesting attempt, but the bonds seem quite out of balance, so that victory in the game seems determined by who owns the most Union Pacific and Central Pacific shares after the first stock round.