I think I shall play Aldwych. [Tuj] Nah, someone just needs to win the token race. I'm putting a fiver on the bob-tailed nag. Or do I mean token? Thank goodness you're here, Emergency Philosopher-Person!

Actually my initial post was intended as a query about the ruleset, but what the heck. Amersham.

[rab] I must have messed something up... I was expecting the box to appear and it never did (on my first move at least).
[SM] Taking the latest version of HP2K as standard, none of us is in a position to enter said token race, as no-one's declared a home station. And yet no-one can declare a home station due to the blockage of all flux having begun in the loop. At least that's what I thought. Can you see a way round it?
Oh, and Aldwych.

[Tuj] Well, a ten point token advantage is enough to win the race. Normally that would be +12 against +2 or something, but if no-one can pay any tokens in, -15 to -5 would also work. So a backwards token race would be one way. Another would be if either station becomes blocked. There are bound to be others.

Oh, and Aldwych, pegging Amersham.

I can't go... Twist.

[SM] Good thinking. I'm pretty sure the token race can't be backwards to the ramifications on the major coefficients, so we'll have to shed some first before any decisive race can get going. As such I'll play the pegged Amersham and Box myself, sacrificing 5 tokens.

It was behind the bike sheds at in the mid seventies when still at secondary school that I was first introduced to this loop. There had been four of us there, three boys and one girl, very nice but a bit of a tease. The school dinner which everyone had sitting on long benches and for pudding we had had semolina and raisins which were put round the outside of the bowl and play, she-loves-me-she-loves-me-not. The vicars daughter was always willing. So near the end of the summer term that notes were passed during maths to meet at lunch break to gather for one last game of MC before school broke up. The game had been going well and in good spirits till Evans introduced the Aldwych Loop into play. After a couple of plays she had that glint in her eye which made us three boys shuffle and look at our shoes she was about to break the Loop and there was me thinking it was going to be Baggy, cause I was in knip and Thomo well he had not a clue. So we were all suprised when she looked straight at Baggy poker faced and said "I'll show you mine if you'll show me yours" and like two conspiritors the two walked a couple of paces, as they whipered to each other I called out Amersham, at which she stormed off and the game was never finished.

Aldwych. Is that right?

Amersham pegging Aldwych. That fixes the token values at both stations. Heh heh.