The Train

Copyright 1996, Robb Miles

Sailor Kris pokes into interdimensional plotline physics:
>It looked as if the entire first car was a stable car.  The second car looks 
>as if it's taken up by primarily the "living room" area.  
>Then there's that little "armory/lab" room.  And they
>talk about a galley and a brig, too (are they ever shown?).  And are the
>sleeping accomodations ever shown?

Passenger cars, even in those days, are a lot longer than everything (except
a few speciality cars); plus the sets are an extra foot or two wider than
reality.  There's a nice discussion in Kesler's Bible about the sets.

I hypothesize the first car is divided into a small forward storage area, about
a 2/3 stable area, and a rear storage area; there is a plaque labelling the
car "The Wanderer" seen a very few times over the series.  And the second car:
 ________________________________________________________________
/                                /                               \^|
| /    Lab & Armory             /                                | |
|/ ______________________________|         Living Quarters      / Balcony
|                                |                             /   |
|      Sleeping Quarters         |                               | |
\________________________________|_______________________________/V|

AFAIK, there is no passage from one car to the next.  The brig is either one
of the storage areas in the first car or the Sleeping Quarters converted to the
purpose.  The galley could "easily" be hiding under the Lab benches.  There's 
plenty of interior decorating changes over the four years as well.  The cars
ownership is clearly Jim's (TNot Inferno and TNot Eccentrics make this
reference clear), but The Boys clearly believe that their Uncle Sam owns the
cars.

The biggest problem with this arrangement is the impossible closet shown in
TNot Inferno.  But I like to chalk that up to bad continuity :)  

The engines (there are at least five pictured though the series:  #3 #5 #8 #17
and #22) are 4-4-0s (an American, probably the most popular engine ever) and 
4-6-0s (good for the Rockies climb) and are correctly dated equipment.  These
engines are a mix of wood and coal fireboxes--look in the tenders to see what
fuel is being used--although I haven't checked to see the likelihood of what
fuels are used vs their location.  AFAIK, the ownership of the engines is never
clarified through the series.

I haven't done a lot of research into the appropriate wheelsets, detail work,
construction, etc.

That other Kris queries:
>I've often wondered about just who drives THE TRAIN.

The chances of the crews sleeping in the same cars of heroes is about nil,
especially since there is no caboose.  The crews are probably (again IMHO, but 
some research could clarify this) regular, but specially cleared, employees of 
the owners of the tracks.  A three person crew has been shown each time:  the
engineer, the brakeman, and the fireman.  Who doubles as the conductor is
beyond me.

The standard arrangement is to have the crews change at division borders 
(around 200 or 400 miles) or at interchanges with other railroads, then head
back on a return trip.

Return to Main Menu

Go to Volant TurnPike Home Page