Can you take a face-up locomotive as your second card in Ticket to Ride?
No. A face-up locomotive must be the first card you take on your turn, and taking it ends your draw. A locomotive you draw blind from the top of the deck counts as a normal card, so you still get a second draw.
The rule:
No, in Ticket to Ride a face-up locomotive can’t be your second card: it must be the first card you take, and taking it ends your draw. A locomotive drawn blind from the deck counts as a normal card, so you still draw a second.
On a draw turn you take 2 train cards, each from the 5 face-up cards or blind from the top of the deck.
- Face-up locomotive: it must be your first card that turn, and then you don’t take a second card.
- Second card: if your first card wasn’t a locomotive, your second card can’t be a face-up locomotive.
- Blind locomotive: a locomotive drawn from the top of the deck counts as 1 card. You still draw a second card.
After you take a face-up card, replace it right away from the top of the deck.
Example:
Mia takes a face-up red card. The replacement card turned up is a locomotive. She can't take it as her second card. She draws her second card from the face-up row or the deck instead.
Why players argue about it:
Locomotives are wild, so players want to grab two, or take one after a first card. The rule treats a face-up locomotive as worth two picks, and a blind one as worth one.