{"product_id":"australian-railways","title":"Australian Railways","description":"\u003cp\u003eA harsh, forbidding land, Australia was a penal colony of the British Empire for decades. Only the far southeastern section had mountains and rivers and fertile land; when gold was discovered there in 1851, people rushed to this empty land in huge numbers.\n\nCommercial development boomed and the first railway was completed in 1854.\n\nWith the population explosion came huge sheep ranches, extensive gold and coal mines, immense wheat and dairy farms, sophisticated industries producing steel, ships and other manufactures.\n\nAn expanding railway network quickly grew in the three states shown on the game board.\n\nMany of Australia's early railways were built by the individual state governments to further the development of the boom. Australia did not become a single Federal entity until 1901; the game covers the development of  Australia's Railways  from 1850-1900.\n\nAustralian Railways is part of the Early Railways Series.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePlayers:\u003c\/strong\u003e 3–5\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePlay time:\u003c\/strong\u003e 120 min\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eComplexity:\u003c\/strong\u003e 3.20 \/ 5\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDesigner:\u003c\/strong\u003e Martin Wallace\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eYear:\u003c\/strong\u003e 2004\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Winsome Games","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51924725367000,"sku":"SB-0E9974D93C73-BOARD-GAMES-UNK-SEALED","price":0.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0734\/6271\/0488\/files\/dmt23mb3aqd6otoztfa4a12728i0.jpg?v=1785456633","url":"https:\/\/abbyboardwalkstore.com\/products\/australian-railways","provider":"Boardwalk Cafe \u0026 Games","version":"1.0","type":"link"}