Introduction

Rail Baron Tools is designed to be a quick reference app, that you can use while playing Rail Baron. It allows you to quickly lookup rolled Destinations and Payoffs and also provides reference information about Regions, Cities and Railroads. When you start the app you are presented with a Welcome/Home screen from which you can select the following options:

Rail Baron Tools Welcome Screen on iOS
Rail Baron Tools Welcome Screen on iOS
Rail Baron Tools Welcome Screen on Android
Rail Baron Tools Welcome Screen on Android

Destinations

When playing Rail Baron, your destination city is determined by rolling all three dice (two white and one black). The black die determines the Odd or Even value, and the sum of the two white dice determines the Roll value. Instead of using the chart to look up the results, use the app, by toggling the Odd/Even value, and using the slider to set the dice Roll; the destination value is then displayed.

Steps to Roll for a New Destination:

  1. From the Welcome Screen, tap on Destinations
  2. Roll all three dice to determine the Destination Region
  3. Set the Odd/Even selector based on the black die
  4. Move the Dice slider to the sum value of the two white dice
  5. The Destination Region is automatically selected in the Region picker
  6. If the 'Rolled' Region is the Region your pawn is already in, you can manually select any Region, using the Region picker
  7. Tap Next to determine the City of the rolled Region
  8. Roll all three dice for the Destination City
  9. Set the Odd/Even selector based on the black die
  10. Move the slider to the sum value of the two white dice
  11. Tap Next, to see the rolled Destination City
  12. At this point, you can optionally look up the Payoff to this Destination City, by selecting the City that your Pawn/Train is coming From
Roll for Region screen on iOS
Roll for Region screen on iOS
Roll for City Screen on iOS
Roll for City Screen on iOS
Destination Screen on iOS
Destination Screen on iOS
Roll for Region screen on Android
Roll for Region screen on Android
Roll for City Screen on Android
Roll for City Screen on Android
Destination Screen on Android
Destination Screen on Android

Payoffs

Payoffs are your main source of income in Rail Baron; you receive a Payoff once your Train/Pawn reaches its Destination. The amount of the Payoff is determined by the length of the trip (the longer the trip the higher the Payoff). Rail Baron Tools can be used to calculate the Payoff, between any two Cities.

Steps to Calculate a Payoff:

  1. From the Welcome Screen, tap on Payoff
  2. Select the City you are coming From
  3. Select the City you are going To (Destination)
  4. The Payoff amount is displayed at the bottom of the screen
Calculate Payoff Screen on iOS
Calculate Payoff Screen on iOS
Calculate Payoff Screen on Android
Calculate Payoff Screen on Android

Payoff Scaling Factor

There is an option, to change the scaling factor used to calculate payoffs. This could be done if you wanted to play a shorter version of the game, where each Payoff would be increased. The following Scaling Factors are available:

  • 1.00
  • 1.10
  • 1.25
  • 1.33
  • 1.50
  • 2.00

Steps to use a Payoff Scaling Factor:

  1. In Settings, select Payoff Scaling Factor
  2. Select the Scaling Factor you would like to use
Payoff Scaling Factor Settings on iOS
Payoff Scaling Factor Settings on iOS
Payoff Scaling Factor Settings on Android
Payoff Scaling Factor Settings on Android
Payoff with Scaling Factor on iOS
Payoff with Scaling Factor on iOS
Payoff with Scaling Factor on Android
Payoff with Scaling Factor on Android

Regions

In Rail Baron, the game map is divided into seven Regions. Each Region contains several Cities and has several Rail Lines that run through it. To view the Regions available, tap on Regions, from the Welcome Screen. A screen is displayed showing all of the Regions in the game, with colour backgrounds that match the game board map:

Region Screen on iOS
Region Screen on iOS
Region Screen on Android
Region Screen on Android

The Region's Name and Abbreviation are shown, as well as the probability of rolling that particular Region.

To view the details of a particular Region, tap on the Region's row. The Region details screen is then displayed, showing the Region's name, abbreviation and odds; shows a list of the Cities in the Region, and a list of the Rail Lines that run through the Region:

Region Details screen on iOS
Region Details screen on iOS
Region Details screen on Android
Region Details screen on Android

To view a City's details tap on the City row (see Cities, for more details). To view a Rail Line's details, tap on the Rail Line row (see Rail Lines, for more details).

Cities

Cities are the square "dots" on the map and are used as the starting and ending locations for your trips. Each city is in a Region and is connected to other Cities by Rail Lines. To view information about Cities, tap on Cities, from the Welcome Screen. A screen is displayed listing all of the Cities included in the game:

Cities grouped by Region on iOS
Cities grouped by Region on iOS
Alphabetical list of all Cities on iOS
Alphabetical list of all Cities on iOS
Cities grouped by Region on Android
Cities grouped by Region on Android
Alphabetical list of all Cities on Android
Alphabetical list of all Cities on Android

The Cities can either be viewed grouped by their Regions or listed in one Alphabetical list. When listed by Region, the probability of rolling that city, within its Regions is shown next to the City's name. When displayed in an Alphabetical list, the overall probability of rolling the City is shown. The overall probability is the probability of first rolling the Region that the City is in, and then rolling that particular City.

To view a City's details tap on a City row:

City Details screen on iOS
City Details screen on iOS
City Details screen on Android
City Details screen on Android

The City Details screen show information about the City including:

  • The Cities Name
  • The Region the City is in
  • Odds of rolling this City, within its Regions
  • Overall odds of rolling this city (odds of first rolling its Region and then rolling this City)
  • A list of the Rail Lines that connect to this City

There is also a More Info link, which opens your browser to the Wikipedia article for this City.

Rail Lines

Rails Lines connect the various Cities and are what you use to move your "Train", from one City to your Destination City, in order to earn your Payoff. Rail Lines can be bought and sold, and when you own a Rail Line, it allows for cheaper movement when you travel along it. Different Rail Lines have different costs and values, based on the number of Cities it connects. To find out more information about a Rail Line, and to help you in making decisions as to which Rail Line to buy, tap on Rail Lines, on the Welcome Screen. A screen is displayed listing all of the Rail Lines available in the game:

Rail Lines on iOS
Rail Lines on iOS
Rail Lines on Android
Rail Lines on Android

The list shows the Rail Line abbreviation, full name, price, and a value called the "City Odds per $1,000" (see below for more details). To view more details about the Rail Line, tap on the Rail Line row:

Rail Line details screen on iOS
Rail Line details screen on iOS
Rail Line details screen on Android
Rail Line details screen on Android

The Rail Line details screen shows similar information as what is shown on the Rail Line Title card that comes with the game. The screen shows:

  • The full name of the Rail Line
  • The price
  • Odds of rolling a City that is on the Rail Line
  • City Odds per $1,000 (see below for more details)
  • The Rail Line Logo
  • The list of Regions that the Rail Line passes through
  • The list of Cities that are connected to the Rail Line

There is also a More Info link, which opens your browser to the Wikipedia article for this Rail Line.

The cost of Rail Lines ranges from $4,000 to $42,000. The cost depends on the size/length of the Rail Line, with larger Rail Lines costing more. When deciding to buy a Rail Line, cost is not the only factor, in addition, you should consider buying Rail Lines that will connect to each other allowing you to travel, as much as possible, to all parts of the game board. When comparing two similar Rail Lines (lines that travel in the same general area), Rail Baron Tools has included a metric that allows you not only to compare the cost but to compare their value. For each Rail Line, the app lists its City Odds per $1,000.

City Odds per $1,000

City Odds per $1,000
Odds of rolling a City that lies on the Rail Line, divided by Cost of Rail Line (in thousands of dollars). Rail Lines with a higher "City Odds per $1,000" are a better value since there is a better chance of rolling a city on the Rail Line, for a lower price

Examples:

Southern Pacific (SP) has 14 Cities. The odds of rolling one of those cities is 22.4%. The price for SP is $42,000.

City Odds per $1,000 = 22.4/42 = 0.53

Seaboard Air Line (SAL) has 8 Cities. The odds of rolling one of those cities is 9.7%. The price for SAL is $14,000

City Odds per $1,000 = 9.7/14 = 0.69

These examples show that although SP is a great Rail Line that takes you across most of the Western and Southern parts of the map, in some ways, SAL is a better value since there is a better likelihood of rolling a City on that Rail Line per amount spent on the Rail Line.

Misc References

Rail Baron Tools also includes some miscellaneous reference information, which may be useful while playing the game. Currently, you can look up:

  • The amount of cash, each player starts with
  • The cost of an Express Train.
  • The cost of a Superchief Train (including optional variants for the number of players)
  • The amount of cash needed to win (including optional variants)
Miscellaneou Reference Info screen on iOS
Miscellaneous Reference Info screen on iOS
Miscellaneou Reference Info screen on Android
Miscellaneou Reference Info screen on Android

This information can also be found on the Reference Charts page on a site.

Players

Rail Baron allows from 3 to 6 players, to play the game. Each has a colour, for pawns and tokens and also has a Home City. The player must return to their Home City, to win the game. Rail Baron Tools, allows you to add players and include their Name, Token Color and Home City.

Steps to Add a Player:

  1. From the Welcome Screen, tap on Players
  2. Tap on the Add Player Icon
  3. Enter a Name
  4. Select a Color
  5. Select a Home City
  6. Tap on Save
Add a new Player on iOS
Add a new Player on iOS
Add Player Information on iOS
Add Player Information on iOS
Add a new Player on Android
Add a new Player on Android
Add Player Information on Android
Add Player Information on Android

Steps to Edit a Player:

  1. From the Welcome Screen, tap on Players
  2. Tap on the row of the player you want to edit
  3. Update the Name, Color and/or Home City
  4. Tap on Save
Select Player to Edit on iOS
Select Player to Edit on iOS
Save Player Changes on iOS
Save Player Changes on iOS
Select Player to Edit on Android
Select Player to Edit on Android
Save Player Changes on Android
Save Player Changes on Android

Steps to Delete a Player:

  1. From the Welcome Screen, tap on Players
  2. Left swipe on the row of the player you want to delete on iOS, or long-press the row on Android
  3. Tap Delete
  4. Tap to confirm
Swipe Left to Delete on iOS
Swipe Left to Delete on iOS
Tap Delete Button on iOS
Tap Delete Button on iOS"
Long Press to Delete on Android
Long Press to Delete on Android
Tap Delete Button on Android
Tap Delete Button on Android

Steps to Delete All Players:

  1. From the Welcome Screen, tap on Players
  2. Tap on the Delete All Icon
  3. Tap to confirm
Delete All Players on iOS
Delete All Players on iOS
Confirm Delete All Players on iOS
Confirm Delete All Players on iOS
Delete All Players on Android
Delete All Players on Android
Confirm Delete All Players on Android
Confirm Delete All Players on Android
Land Acknowledgement

With gratitude, Ewert Technologies acknowledges that we are based on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the Skwxwú7mesh-ulh Temíx̱w (Squamish), səl̓ilwətaɁɬ təməxʷ(Tsleil-Waututh), and šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmaɁɬ təməxʷ (Musqueam) Nations.