18XX
Updated 2/6/2012
2011 WBC Report  

 2012 Status: pending 2012 GM commitment
Bruce Beard, MD
2005-11 Champion

Links

 

Event History
1991    Mark Giddings      34
1992    Dave Harshbarger      46
1993    Robin Barbehenn      84
1994    Todd Vander Pluym      84
1995    Mark Giddings      51
1996    Christian Goetz      45
1997    Dan Vice      50
1998    Jon Kwiatkowski      45
1999    Barrington Beavis     32
2000    Barrington Beavis     28
2001    David Fritsch     33
2002    Jon Kwiatkowski     36
2003    Paul Hakken     32
2004    Richard Fox     37
2005    Bruce Beard     29
2006    Bruce Beard     37
2007    Bruce Beard     45
2008    Bruce Beard     35
2009    Bruce Beard     32
2010    Bruce Beard     40
2011    Bruce Beard     53
 Laurels

Rank Name                 From  Last Total
  1. Bruce Beard           MD    11   380
  2. Jim McDanold          TN    09   120
  3. Jon Kwiatkowski       NC    04   104
  4. Paul Hakken           NJ    07   103
  5. Barrington Beavis     uk    06    90
  6. Mark Neale            RI    09    72
  7. Jeremy Vipperman      TN    10    54
  8. Pierre LeBoeuf        MD    08    54
  9. Richard Fox           IL    04    50
 10. David Fritsch         VA    01    40
 11. Spencer Hamblen       MD    11    36
 12. Andrew Roosen         MD    11    36
 13. Chuck Krueger         MA    10    31
 14. Dave Metheny          PA    05    25
 15. Fabio Pellegrino      it    11    24
 16. Brian Mountford       NY    99    24
 17. Akihisa Tabei         jp    08    22
 18. Daniel Barnes         CA    11    21
 19. Mike Brophy           NC    05    20
 20. Paul Johnson          MD    03    20
 21. John Chung            CA    02    19
 22. Ken Gutermuth         NC    11    18
 23. Robin Barbehen        MD    00    18
 24. Jason Levine          NY    01    16
 25. Richard Martin        MD    99    16
 26. Michael Fox           IL    07    15
 27. Herbert Gratz         aa    06    15
 28. Lane Newbury          TX    05    15
 29. Rick Dutton           MD    09    13
 30. Johnny Hasay          PA    02    13
 31. Craig Reece           FL    01    12
 32. Harald Henning        CT    00    12
 33. Mark Geary            OH    10    10
 34. Anthony Daw           UT    02    10
 35. Mark Frueh            IL    00     9
 36. Jim Munson            UT    08     8
 37. Ben Foy               MD    99     8
 38. Joe Rushanan          MA    01     4
 39. Gerald Dudley         WI    00     3

2011 Laurelists                                          Repeating Laurelists 

Spencer Hamblen, MD
2nd

Fabio Pellegrino, it
3rd

Ken Gutermuth, NC
4th

Andrew Roosen, MD
5th

Daniel Barnes, CA
6th


Past Winners

Mark Giddings, NY
1991, 1995

Todd Vander Pluym, CA
1994

Christian Goetze, CA
1996

Dan Vice, VA
1997

Jon Kwiatkowski, NC
1998, 2002

Barrington Beavis, UK
1999, 2000

David Fritsch, VA
2001

Paul Hakken, NJ
2003

Richard Fox, IL
2004

Bruce Beard. MD
2005
-2011


Rails Across the Sea: Eric Brosius, Japan's Alihisa Tabei, Italy's Fabio Pellegrino, and Lane Newbury.
More Rails Across the Sea: Bob Strauss, Tom Browne, and Finland's Antero Kuusi bring WBC's reach to the far north.

 

 
Ken Gutermuth, Austria's Herbert Gratz, Andrew Roosen and Tom McCorry engage in more international railroading.
Global Economy be damned; Lane Newbury and Eric Brosius
are not inclined to give nationality discounts.

All Hail the Champ VII

53 railroad gamers came to the pre-convention to play 18xx series games, a 33% gain from last year, and the most in 17 years. 25 players entered their first 18xx tournament, with seven winning preliminary round games. None of which prevented Bruce Beard from continuing his mastery of the 18xx series, sweeping through the tournament unbeaten with six wins.

There were four preliminary rounds, with 18EU and 1846 added to the more widely available 1830, 1856, 1861, and 1870 in competition. 1830 was the most popular preliminary round game, by 15-6 over 1861. There were four games each of 1846 and 1856, and two games of 1870 and 18EU played. Four of the 1830 preliminary games ended in bankruptcies, as did an EU and a '56 game.

Nine tables of 38 players began play in the first round Saturday morning, with five 1830 games and two games each of 1861 and 1846. That number climbed to 11 in the second round, requiring expansion to another room. 43 players contested all six of the allowable games in this round, with returnees winning eight times. Sunday morning brought the third round, with seven 4-player tables playing all games but EU. The final prelim on Sunday afternoon was the last chance to win a semi-final slot. 26 players matched up in two games of 1830 and 1856, and one game of 18EU and 1861. The 33 preliminary games produced a quadruple winner, two triple winners, four double winners, and 15 single winners. Six of those victors did not appear for the Monday semi-final, leaving exactly 16 winners to compete. Only six of 2010's 16 returned for the semis. Players were allowed to pick which game to play in the semi-final, resulting in one game of 1856 and three of 1830.

The first 1830 semi featured perennial champion Bruce Beard against returnees Lane Newbury, Pierre LeBoeuf and newcomer Vien Bounma. Vien pushed the diesels early, forcing Pierre to sell stock in B&O, allowing Bruce to take over the highest-priced company with a 5-train. Bruce pulled away for an easy win from Lane as a result. At the second table, returnees Henry Dove, Ken Gutermuth, and Chris Hancock squared off against newcomer Bob Strauss. Bob's purchase of the last 4-train right before a stock round set up Ken's C&O for the first 5. This train, combined with the D&H private teleport and token placement, gave Ken access to both sides of New York. Ken also got a 6-train, and then held on another RR to get the 4-train trade for the first diesel. This train and station advantage was instrumental in creating his huge win. The third 1830 board pitted Italian newcomer Fabio Pellegrino against Japanese returnee Akihisa Tabei, Andy Roosen, and Craig Reece. Only two railroads started initially, but they bought all the 2-trains and the first 3 in the first operating round. Akihisa was later able to dump the C&O on Craig, leaving him with three railroads, no permanent trains, and no significant money. Fabio tried negotiations with several players to forestall the bankruptcy, but Craig ultimately went down. Fabio snuck past Andy by $4 for a berth in the Final. Only five RRs survived the CGR formation in the 1856 game, with Daniel Barnes's THB having the top stock price and best overall value. This stock advantage was unable to overcome Spencer Hamblen's cash lead, however, giving Spencer a narrow $163 win over Daniel, Finn Antero Kuusi, and Joshua Gottesman.

The Final thus matched (in turn order) Ken Gutermuth, Bruce Beard, Fabio Pellegrino, and Spencer Hamblen in 1830. This was Fabio's first WBC appearance in 18xx, and only the prohibitive favorite had breathed the rarified air of the Final previously. In the private auction, Bruce took the M&H for $145, Fabio the C&SL for $50 and the C&A for $215, Ken the SV and the B&O private at cost, and Spencer the D&H for $90. Ken set the share price of the B&O to $90, so he could float it in SR 1. Bruce then set the Penn's share price at $90 and opened it. Spencer opened the last of the first round companies, the C&O, at $67. Fabio waited until the second stock round to sell his Penn share and get his first company started, the NYNH at $67. Spencer bought the last three 2-trains and the first 3 in his C&O, then started the B&M, putting three 3-trains in that. Each of the other players bought only a single 2-train for their first company. Spencer started three RRs, adding the NYC to his first two companies. Fabio started the Erie and CanPac, in addition to the NYNH, and later took over the B&M as well. Bruce held twice with the Penn to buy a 5-train, but the stock price was able to recover due to a late lengthy train stall. The other permanent trains went to Spencer's NYC (5) & C&O (5); Fabio's B&M (6), Erie (6), NYNH (D), & CanPac (D); and Ken's B&O (D). Bruce's better stock value compensated for his fewer shares, allowing him to pull away late for an easy victory over Spencer - and thereby extend the WBC's longest current championship streak to seven years.

Daniel Barnes, the newest "sandman" and one of 16 players to compete in all four heats, watches with GM Pierre LeBoeuf as the Final unfolds in an empty Lampeter Hall before the auction gets underway with finalist auctioneer Ken Gutermuth.
Bruce Beard poses with his seventh straight 8XX shield to retain WBC's longest current winning streak. Settling for "loser" wood was Italy's Fabio Pellegrino (3rd) in only his second WBC and BPA's Chairman of the Board Ken Gutermuth (4th).
 GM      Pierre LeBoeuf  [11th Year]   3043 Telegraph Rd, Elkton, MD 21921-2333
    PierreLeBoeuf@verizon.net   443-553-4388

2011 Preview Page | View the Icon Key | Return to main BPA page