Cuppelup: The American Railway Game

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Cuppelup is a card game published in 1925.

The game consists of 64 game cards: 8 sets of cards, with 8 cards in each set; each set pertains to a different State. The cards of each set/State are numbered within the set (i.e., ##101-108, 201-208, etc.), and the first card (i.e., #101, #201, etc.) in each set is an engine, followed in order by cars that can be “attached” to the engine in the same order for each set, namely: baggage (##102, 202, etc.), day coach, tourist, diner, parlor, sleeper, and observation. Each of the 64 cards has a photograph of a specific railroad car that was manufactured at the time, and each is given a name applicable only to this card game.

For example, the set of cards numbered 101-108 pertains to the State of Minnesota. Card no. 101 is the engine, and pictured is a steam engine manufactured by Baldwin Locomotive. Within the game, this engine is given the name “Knute Nelson” (a prominent Minnesota political figure). The point is that Baldwin never made an engine that went by that name, and the name is simply one given to the engine for purposes of the game. This is true for all 64 cards. The car shown is identified by manufacturer and is historical; however, the car is then given a name which identifies it to the game only. The names given the cars within the game are necessary, because the cars are repeated from set to set. That is, the card numbered 107 in the Minnesota series (called, “Duluth”) shows the same railroad car that is shown as card 207 in the California series (called, “San Francisco”), card 307 in the Iowa series (called “Dubuque”), and so forth – a car made by Pullman. What this means is that there are actually photographs of 8 distinct railroad cars (including engine) in the game, repeated within each State set.

The cards are wide, measuring 90mm x 63mm. The maker of the cards is not known. The backs of the cards depict the “new” Union Station in Chicago – built in 1925, the same year as the game was published. The cards are accompanied by a paper insert that describes the game and how to play it.

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