Mexican Train is a fairly recently developed variation of Dominoes train type games that has become extremely popular. Because of its simplicity and interaction, it can be played by nearly anyone, anywhere. Depending on the type of game you play, it can last from a single, 20-minute game to a 12 round game lasting hours.
Although Mexican Train can be played with a standard set of Dominoes, branded versions usually include a range of parts to facilitate play and highlight the theme, such as a train station, train pieces to mark players' trains and the "Mexican train", and a "woo woo!" train whistle. It is typically played with a set of double 12 dominoes (although double 6 and double 9 sets can be used with fewer players), and there are a variety of sets packaged by various manufactures as "Mexican Train Dominoes" that include all the necessary components to play.
The game uses a set of double-twelve dominoes. In all, there are 91 tiles. Its goal is for the players to get rid of their tiles. Starting with the highest double tile placed in the middle of the table, which is the station, each player creates a line of dominoes. This is their train. Another train, the "train at the station," can be played on by anyone if they cannot place a tile on their own train. In the event that a player cannot play at all, even after drawing a new tile, she must place a marker (little colored plastic trains come with the game) on their train which blocks the others from playing on her train temporarily.
Mexican Train includes some just for fun train-like features. Whenever a player starts his train, the whistle blows. When a double is played, hit two tiles together like the signal made by two trains passing on a double set of railroad tracks. As soon as one player is out of dominoes, the other players add up the value of their remaining tiles. At the end of the evening, the player with the lowest score is the winner.