Originally serving as two of three tail Cargo Cars, these cars were overrun by stowaways, later named "Tailies", during Snowpiercer's departure from Chicago.
History[]
The Tail was kept very cold and dark because of limited power.
During the first couple of years, there were cannibal kill cults in the Tail (including Pike). One gang in particular, they would kill anyone, eat anyone. Having no choice, the rest of the Tail including Andre Layton ambushed and killed it’s leader and brought it to a end. Layton and a group of Tailies, then ate a piece of the leader’s heart, so that no one could say they were innocent and vowed never again. The rest of the train thought it (the cannibalism) was a myth.
During the Year Two Rebellion, the Sub-Train doors were sealed, but the Tailies compromised the hinges (locks) and managed to open them.
During the Year Three Rebellion the Tail revolted, but was blind at every door and was defeated, 62 were killed and 13 (including Old Ivan) lost a arm. During this revolution, the Tailies used fertilizer bombs created by Lights. Only the Tailie War Council knew of the existence of Lights’ cookbook containing recipes for bombs and other such weapons.
When Snowpiercer traveled through mountains, it consumed a lot of power, so power in the Tail (including heat) was sacrificed. The Year-Four Slowdown lasted a month. It started with darkness and water rations.
Seven years after departure, the Tail had their rations cut again and were being starved to extinction. The women were being sterilized and there had not been a child born in the Tail for five years.
After celebrating his 84th birthday, Old Ivan hung himself, causing the Tail to revolt. During the failed revolution, 14 Tailies and at least 13 Jackboots are killed. After the failed revolution, Suzanne has her arm frozen as punishment and later dies from an infection.
After the avalanche, Ruth Wardell announced to the Tail, the children chosen for Apprenticeship selection, were Mikala Mwanza, Mia Kaisheck and Miles. They were later removed.
After realizing they were a day behind climbing the Sierra Madre and consuming power, because of damage from the avalanche, the Tailies were afraid that their drain of resources, would eventually outweigh their value as labor and would be uncoupled from the train.
When the revolution came, Layton said they march for everyone that they have lost to hunger and sickness, to all the failed rebellions.
After Big Alice connected to Snowpiercer, the Tail became a border between the two trains that Layton had constantly monitored by the Tailies and their allies.
The Tailies all later returned to the Tail for Layton and Pike to settle their differences in Old Ivan's Way.
The Tail was a part of the 150 cars taken by Big Alice to New Eden. The Tailies all chose to hunker down in their old home for the dangerous trip before emerging into the outside world for the first time in years from the Tail.
The Tail was part of the four cars that Layton took with him after the hijacked Snowpiercer on Big Alice.
Technology[]
There is a Walkie-talkie and speakers, used by Ruth, whenever she addressed the Tail.
Interior[]
The Cargo Cars offer very little space and a tight environment, just big enough to survive in. Considering almost 400 sparks live in just these three cars (Docking Car included), there is an extreme lack of personal space, as noted by Old Ivan. The cars consist mostly of bunk beds (that were once shelfs) on each side, and some space for barrels of stored Protein Bars, water and medicine. There are 2 holes in the hull (on both sides of the Car), with a panel that slides up and opened with a lever, that are used by the Jackboots to freeze arms off Tailies as punishment.
2 extremely small tiny holes in the Bio-Security Car doors, (one in the left door high, one in the right door low) that are used by the Tailies to know when Jackboots are coming.
Appearances[]
Trivia[]
- The Tailies had informants in half a dozen different sectors and were building networks in First, the Weather Changed.
- Tailies would pretend to play bunk beds like a piano, with marked keys, such as when listening to Old Ivan’s music.
- Layton taught children how to breed rats so the Tail could eat them. They had a surplus of 42 rats in First, the Weather Changed.
- Winnie’s name, Winnipeg, came from an old tradition to name a baby after the nearest city.
- Whenever disagreements in the Tail got bad, the Tailies would settle it, "Old Ivan's Way". It consisted of the two parties, sitting eye to eye, in the Docking Car and weren’t allowed to leave until it was resolved (be it a handshake, punishment, or compensation). Once they come to terms, the whole Tail holds them to it. However, if the two feuding parties can’t come to terms, they fight to the death with knives, in which they would say, "We call for the knives" (both would have a knife, so it would be fair). Also the two parties, could only fight to the death, if both agreed. After killing a party, the survivor would stay with the deceased, to reflect and guide the deceased through whatever comes next.
- The drug Kronole had been in the Tail for two revolutions.
- 14 Tailies lost an arm. 13 during the Year Three Rebellion and Winnie's mother in Prepare to Brace.
- In the series, 3 people have been seen that died in the Tail: Old Ivan, Suzanne and Pike.
Gallery[]
