Card game set, 'Express' by Catsell Brothers Ltd., box, cards and booklet, printed card, England, 1950s

Design: printed card, in colours to show railway equipment and carriages; the reverse sides are printed in blues to show an illustration of the Flying Scotsman
No. of cards: 44
No. illustrated: all

This is a post 1947 card game which is very similar to Misc. 862-1986 except that the stations are now cards and the passes are marked BRITISH RAILWAYS (amalgamation in 1947). The game is part of Castell Brothers, Pepys Series.

Rewards: n/a
Forfeits: n/a
No. of Players: 2,3 or 4
Equipment required: 44 cards printed to show parts of a train, stations, signals and passes
rules leaflet
original box, printed in blues to show the title, makers details and an illustration of the Flying Scotsman; on one side is pasted a matching card

Rules:
RULES FOR EXPRESS A GAME FOR 2,3 OR 4 PLAYERS

DESCRIPTION
The game consists of a pack of 44 cards. The pictures on the cards are fine illustrations of railway engines, coaches, trucks and other rolling stock, accurately reproduced with the full co-operation of British Railways.
The cards are made up as follows:-
5 LONDON MIDLAND REGION, PASSENGER SET - engine, first class coach, third class coach, restaurant car, guard's van
5 EASTERN REGION, PASSENGER SET - engine, first class coach, third class cloach, restaurant car, guard's van
5 SOUTHERN REGION, GOODS SET - engine, gas cylinder wagon, grain wagon, high open wagon, brake van
5 WESTERN REGION, GOODS SET - engine, low open wagon, bodie bolster wagon, covered wagon, brake van
5 POOL, INTERCHANGE SET - engine, coach, wagon, guard's van, brake van
4 RED SIGNALS
4 GREEN SIGNALS 1
4 GREEN SIGNALS 2
3 PASS CARDS
4 STATIONS
There are, as set out above, 4 complete trains, one for each British Railways Region, each made up of 5 cards and a Pool train also of 5 cards. Cards of the Pool Train are for use in play as substitutes for engines, coaches, etc of the Regional Trains as follows:-
POOL ENGINE, may be used instead of any regional engine.
POOL COACH, may be used instead of any coach or restaurant card on Passenger Trains LMR or ER
POOL WAGON, may be used instead of any wagon on Goods Trains SR or WR.
POOL GUARD'S VAN may be used instead of either Guards' Van Goods Trains SR or WR
POOL BRAKE VAN, may be used instead of either Brake Van Passenger Trains LMR or ER.
*It is probable that these two van have had the instructions turned round as Brake Vans are used on Goods Trains and Guard's Vans on Passenger Trains. It does not make any difference to the acutally playing of the game.

OBJECT OF THE GAME
To be the first player to make up a complete train of any one Region by colledting the necessary five cards, and moving it out of the station by the use of the Signal card.

THE DEAL
Before dealing, each player takes a Station card and places it face up on the table in front of himself. If less than 4 players, the stations left over are put aside.
Now choose a dealer who shuffles and deals the cards, giving each player seven cards. A further card is place face-up in the centre of the table and the remainder of the pack is placed face-down beside it.

THE PLAY
The first object of every player is to collect in their hands one of the 4 Region Trains, remembering that the cards of the Pool Train can be used instead of certain Region Train cards, as stated previously. EAch player therefore looks at his hand and decides which train he is going to collect. This is done by:-
1. Drawing and Discarding. The player on the left of the dealer begins by taking into his hand either the face up card beside the pack in the centre or if it is no use to him in making up his train, he takes the top card of the pack.
He then discards one card from his hand, placing it face up beside the centre pack.
The turn passes to the left, each player drawing and discarding. The discarded cards are placed one ontop of the other.
When the centre pack has been used up, shufle the discards, replace them face down and continue to play as before.
2. Pass Cards. The Pass Cards can be exchanged for other cards as follows:-
a. if a player has a pass card he can at his turn after he has picked up a card and before discarding, ask any player for any card he wants except Signal or Pool cards. this means that the pass card can only be used to obtain region cards for making up trains.
Cards for engines, guard's vans or brake vans must be aksed for by their regions and name, eg. Please give me the Eastern Region Guard's Van.
When asking for coaches, which include restauant cars, pr wagons, the Region and either the word coach or wagon must be mentioned. It is not necessary to specify the kind of coach, 1st, 3rd etc., or wagon, covered,open, etc.
If a player asked has the wanted card he hands it over and is given the pass card in exchange.
If the player asked has not the card demanded of him, the pass card must be discarded and that completes the turn.
The next player may not pick up this pass cuard from the discard stack but must draw the top card from the pack.
b. a pass card can also be used by a player when it is not his turn, to obtain a discarded region train card from the top of the discard pack. When any player at the end of his turn discards and the following player does not want that discard, any other player may obtain it if he holds a pass card.
He calls out Pass takes the discard and puts his pass card in its place on the top of the discard stack. This is not counted as a turn.
The player whose turn it was next now continues but he may not pick up the pass card from the discards but must take the top card from the pack.
The pass card may not be exchanged for Signal or Pool Cards.
3. Setting Out Complete Trains. As soon as a playaer has collected a complete train he lays it down as the table at his turn after drawing. It is arranged thus:-
STATION
ENGINE COACH/WAGON COACH/WAGON COACH/WAGON VAN (Gor B)
He then discards as usual. Play continues as before, but now the Signal cards take effect.
4. Exchaning Pool Cards for Correct Cards. If a player should lay out a train with Pool cards in it, any player who holds the correct card may when it is his turn to play and after drawing take into his hand the pool card from the train on the table and put the correct card in its place. He then discards normally and this completes his turn.
5. Signal Cards. When signal cards are discarded, a train or trains on the table are moved forward past the station or backward. Only one signal card may be discarded at a a time. If at his turn a player picks up a Signal card from the discard stack he may not discard it until his next turn.
a. Green Signals move the train foward and they bear the figure 1 or 2 in the green circle of their lamps. When a green signal is discarded only the train of the player who discarded it is moved forward and he moves it immediately after discarding. For example, if the train is in position as first set out and he discards a green signal bearing the figure 1 he moves his train one card's length forward into the station. That is the station stays where it is and the train is moved to the left so that the engine is alongside the station.
If he discards a green signal 2 he moves his train 2 card lengths forward to the left and the first coach or wagon will be alongside the station cards.
b. Red Signals shunt the trains backward, but no train can be moved further back than its position when firs set out. When a red signal is discarded ALL TRAINS WHICH HAVE MOVED FORWARD EXCEPT THAT OF THE PLAYER WHO DISCARDED IT ARE MOVED BACK ONE CARD'S LENGTH. Players move their own trains.
It will be seen that players who have themselves not train on the table can move other players' trains backward by discarding a red signla at their turn. This helps them to prevent players with trains moving them right out of their stations and so winning before other players have set out their own trains.
END OF GAME - THE WINNER
The winner is the first player to move his strain right out of the station that is to reach this position:-
engine coach/wagon coach/wagon coach/wagon brake/guard's van station
The game can end now or further hands may be played in which case points are given at the end of each hand as show below. The winner will then be the player with the highest score after an agreed number of hands.

SCORING
5 points to each player who has laid down a train
10 points extra to the player winning the hand
Cards held in hands, other than the winner's count against them and must be deducted from their scores as follows:- one point for each card left in the hand.

ALTERNATIVE SHORTER GAME
if a shorter game is desired the train can be made up of an engine and any 2 of the other 3 cards, plus Brake or Gaurd'svan.

FOR YOUNGER PLAYERS
It may be helpful to tell them which regions they have to collect. Each player then knows that he simply collects all cards with LMR or SR on them and so on.

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PEPYS PARTY GAMES Your stationer or Toy shop will be pleased to show you the new range of 12 Pepys Party Games which have the same originality and high quality at reasonable price as Pepys Card Games.

CASTELL BROTHERS LTD
14-17 St. Cross Street, hatton Garden, London, EC1
MANUFACTURED IN GREAT BRTAIN

Pepys series; Castell brothers ltd, 14-17 Cross Street, Hatton Garden, London, EC1

B.273:1to46-1996