Age of Steam Scoring & Income: Deliveries, Links, Shares and Expenses
Age of Steam’s economic score is built during play through deliveries, then converted into final value alongside the rail network and financial obligations.
Deliveries raise income
When a good reaches a destination city of its color, each eligible railroad link used contributes to income for its owner under the route-delivery rules. Your own delivery can therefore increase an opponent’s income if it uses their track.
Locomotive limits route length
A good cannot use more links than your current locomotive level permits, so longer deliveries require prior locomotive development.
Collect income, then pay expenses
The Income track determines cash earned during the income phase. Share count and locomotive level create recurring expenses that must be paid each turn.
Income reduction
Higher income levels are subject to the game’s income-reduction mechanism, preventing the track from simply rising without friction throughout the session.
Final railroad value
At game end, score completed railroad links/network value and the final Income position according to the Deluxe Edition/map scoring rules, then apply the share-related final adjustment.
Map rules can modify scoring
The Deluxe box contains multiple maps with map-specific rules. Always apply that map’s end-game modifications in addition to the core scoring system.