The savvy Robber Barons of 1830 America are building the railroads of the Eastern US and getting richer every day. Who will be the financial wizard in this economic battle? With no luck or randomness in this fight, the shrewdest will come out on top. Expand a railroad? Develop cities to increase railroad income? Invest in another, competing railroad? Vast wealth is possible to the sharp player, it is time to choose wisely and reap the benefits of opportunities missed by those less discerning.

Players vie for dominance in the creation of America's seminal railroads: The Pennsylvania, the Baltimore & Ohio, the Chesapeake & Ohio and the New York Central. They also increase their wealth and stock value by developing cities along the right-of-way.