(Insert immediately before "Phases of the Game" as a new top-level section. Format as required for consistency with the rest of the rules.)

Setting Up The Game

Lay out the map and the stock market.
Lay out a bank of $8,000.
Put all the charters except for the NYC somewhere convenient to hand. The NYC charter should be separated from the rest.
Place the 4-train marked "Reserved for NYC" in the "Trains" section of the NYC charter.
Place the remaining train cards in the labeled spaces on the map. The 5-train card marked "First" should be placed on top of the stack of 5/3D trains. 
For each of the stock companies other than the NYC, place their stock certificates in the labeled spaces on the Stock Market as follows:
- Stack the five single share certificates marked "10%" upside-down in the appropriate space as a reminder that all stock companies other than the NYC start as 5-share companies.
- Stack the three remaiing single share certificates (marked "Preferred Stock - 10/20%") right side up on top of the five upside-down single share certificates.
- Place the President's Certificate (marked Preferred Stock - 20/40%") on top of the other share certificates.
For the NYC, stack the five single-share certificates right side up in the NYC space on the Stock Market. Place the NYC President's Certificate with the NYC charter as it can only be acquired by exchange rather than purchase.
Place a station token marker from each company other than the NYC on the map in the city circle labeled with the company's number (for pre-NYC and local companies) or herald (for stock companies).
Place the four doubling ("x2") station tokens in the city or off-map area circles with the corresponding company herald.
Place the two mining rights tokens in the Scranton hex.
Place the NYC's current market value token in the space on the stock market labeled with the NYC herald.
Place the remaining station token markers on the respective company charters, along with the six current market value tokens corresponding to the six stock companies other than the NYC.
Lay out the nine numbered pre-NYC and local cards with the company side face-up.
Distribute cash to each player as shown on the Stock Market.
Randomly determine the initial player order for the auctioning of the start packet using the numbered place cards or some other suitable system.

Distribute the numbered player cards by some mutually-agreed system. If there is no unanimous agreement, shufffle the player cards face down and then deal them face down to the players. The players should reveal their player card number and (if desired) reseat in order. The player with player card #1 receives the priority deal card. Players may now enter the first phase of the game, "Auctioning the Start Packet and Initial Stock Round".