Solo Gaming
Let us now consider some ideas for solo gaming a train robbery. I’ll assume that you have a model railroad layout, some cowboy figures and a set of rules for Old West gunfights. I’ll use Donald Featherstone’s “Old West 1888" rules in Skirmish Wargaming. These ideas are intended to make things go wrong as the player runs the holdup gang. Victory conditions include, nobody killed on either side, loot $3,000.00 or more, and a clean getaway. Decisions made early will have repercussions later. You may decide these yourself or delegate the decision to a coin toss or die roll.
Selecting the gang. How many? Roll D-6 1-2=5 in gang; 3-4=6 in gang; 5-6=7 in gang. What skills will be represented? Toss a coin for each skill listed. A “heads” means one gang member has the sill. A tails nobody in the gang has it. You are limited to one skill per gang member. All are veterans.
- a killer quick tempered tends to anger easily and shoot people
- a steady leader, calm, a good shot, tries to keep cool and avoid shooting
- an explosives expert if needed to blow the safe
- an expert on locks and safes who can open a safe with little fuss
- a man who is very good with horses
- an agile man who can climb on overturned cars, etc.
- a coward who will run at the first shot from either side
What weapons will they have? In 1873, nearly all revolvers would be percussion (cap and ball). These sometimes misfire. Roll D-6. If it comes up 1,3, or 5, then roll again. A 6 is a misfire. Otherwise shooting is by single action revolver rule. Each member of the gang will carry at least one revolver (heads) or two (tails). You may also assign three men to carry a lever action rifle (Henry), a double barrel shot gun, and explosives to blow the safe. Next you need to plan the robbery. There are a variety of ways to stop trains. I’ll list some alternatives, but most of this assumes you will use the first option. You could roll among the options with high dice selecting.
- pull up a rail on a curve and wreck the train
- take over a remote station and flag down the train
- same as above and switch the train to a side track and trap it there
- put a member of the gang on the train as a passenger and force the conductor to stop the train.
Assuming you decided to pull up the rail, what happened to the train? Roll a D-6.
- 1 ~ locomotive derailed, engineer is killed, the rest of the train is on the tracks
2 ~ locomotive derailed, crew is injured, some cars are derailed and upset. Coin toss “tails” means the car is on its side
3 ~ locomotive derailed nobody hurt all cars upright
4,5,6 ~ locomotive derailed most cars are derailed some passengers and train crew are hurt nobody killed
If you were planning to rob the passengers, be sure to check the condition of the passenger car. You may decide how many men and what weapons will be used to enter the car. Roll a D-6 and see what you find.
- 1 ~ thirty Chinese students who don’t understand English well
2 ~ a Pinkerton agent who will open fire.
3 ~ a U.S. Senator
4 ~ a well-dressed woman carrying $1000.00 in jewelry
5 ~ an army officer who will resist and shoot if there is firing outside the train
6 ~ a young lady who wants you to take her with you
You may dice for total loot exclusive of the jewelry above. D-6 roll 1-2, about $100.00; 3-4, about $250.00; 5-6, about $500.00.
Now for the express car. Roll a D-6. Assuming the car is upright etc.:
- 1 ~ guard is cooperative; will open safe
2 ~ guard is armed with a revolver and won’t open the door
3 ~ guard has a shotgun and will not open the door of the cars
4 ~ guard is wounded and helpless, but safe is locked
5 ~ there are two guards armed and defending the car
6 ~ the car behind the express car contains six Pinkerton guards who will come boiling out shooting. They have rifles and horses.
Let’s assume you are able to get into the car and reach the safe. If you blast the safe, roll a D-6 for results: 1 ~ safe is not opened; 2,3,4,5 ~ safe opens, 6 ~ safe opens but contents are blown high into the air. If you use a lock expert roll D-6: 1,2,3,4,5 ~ he is able to open the safe; 6 ~ he is not. If the safe is opened the contents are: Roll a D-6: 1-2 =$2000.00; 3-4=$5000.00; 5-6 = jackpot $75,000.00.
Did you bring enough horses to pack it all? Do you have an extra horse for a hostage or a prisoner for ransom, the Senator perhaps? Now all you have to do is saddle up and ride for Missouri. You didn’t assign the coward to hold the horses, I hope. If there was shooting both he and the horses are long gone. If you ever left a horse untied, it will likely stray. Roll a D-6 with 3,4,5,6 indicating the horse strayed. A horse tied up will shy at gunfire. Roll a 1 and it’s gone. One last problem, Turkey Creek is south of the tracks. It probably is just a trickle but might be flooding. Roll a 1 and you can’t cross it.
Bibliography
The Adair News special edition special edition summer (2000).
Christensen, Maxine (ed). Centennial History Book of Anita, Iowa (1975)
Croy, Homer. Jesse James Was My Neighbor (1949).
Dalton, Emmett. Beyond the Law (1918).
Featherstone, Donald. Skirmish Wargaming (1975).
Trachtman, Paul. The Gunfighters (1974).
Note:
There is a monument on the spot 1½ miles west of Adair on county road G30. It is nearest exit 75 on Interstate 80. I was born in Anita and worked on the Rock Island for a few months in the 1950s. The track has been rerouted since 1873, but it’s only a few yards from the original track.
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