Engineering Department

“	The needs of the train are more important than our own happiness. We're engineers... We keep the world alive.	”
	— Melanie to Miles before he enters the Engine in The Universe Is Indifferent.

The Engineers are a guild aboard Snowpiercer and Big Alice, with crucial responsibilities to the train for operating and driving the Eternal Engine as the main assignment.

Assignments[]

Engineers need to be skilled in mathematics and mechanical engineering, and they also need to be good with computers and electronics. They need to have extreme skill in driving the train and be able to spend hours a day whilst driving.

As Engineers have the most stressful jobs on the train, their jobs entail:

Piloting the train.
Monitoring, designing, and building life support systems.
Monitoring rail infrastructure, weather and train conditions.
Monitoring, repairing and operating The Eternal Engine or Big Alice.
Distributing electricity and keeping the train at speed so that electricity can be provided to all cars.
Designing and maintaining the train, sometimes even personally fixing the train, especially integral parts like the wheel assemblies or life support systems.

Up until the revolution the Engineers would also act as the leadership of the train.

Throughout the Series[]

This department is responsible for maintaining Snowpiercer's Eternal Engine and keeping life support systems working. Members of Engineering most likely enjoy unlimited and privileged access to the train, as the Engine Car access is bio-secure.

Chief Engineer and Head of Engineering Melanie Cavill is responsible for designing Snowpiercer. It is as much Wilford's project as it is hers. Following her departure, Bennett Knox took up this post, although he ceded it to Melanie each time that she return.

Engineers took part in the design process. They maintain the life support and energy systems aboard the train. On a daily basis, they monitor the weather conditions, seismic activity and state of the tracks the train circulates on. They are seen to be also responsible for conducting the train. Their living quarters are located within the Engine Car (C0001). Bennett Knox and Javier De La Torre seem to be the only two Senior Engineers to work full-time in the Engine Car. While the former seems to be closer to a Mechanical Engineer, the latter seems to be more of a Computer Engineer, responsible for hacking weather satellites and trying to prevent Big Alice from uplinking and taking control of the Engine, although Javi is more than capable of driving the train. Later, Alexandra Cavill, Melanie's long-lost daughter, joined the Engineers after defecting from Big Alice. The Engineers' uniform is a light grey jumpsuit.

After the death of Electrical Engineer Peter DiMarco during the Torretta Canyon Crisis, a new Engineering apprenticeship was opened and offered to Miles, a young Tailie. He was fast-tracked to the Engine itself and was let in on the secret of Mr. Wilford as a result. After the First Snowpiercer War, Miles' tenure in the Engine was ended and he instead worked on building life support systems for the new colony. Following the departure of Javi and Alex to New Eden, Miles returned to the Engine, apparently as the replacement third Engineer.

While Miles was talking with Josie, it was mentioned that he was in a class for young Engineers, and he was not the only apprentice, although Miles was at the top of the class. Even after he took over the train and turned it into Wilford's Rolling Gulag, Wilford kept the apprenticeships going.

In addition, Wilford's former head of security Sykes appeared to have some engineering expertise, and she was assigned by Bennett to help Javi in building life support systems.

Department Members[]

Snowpiercer Engineers[]

Melanie Cavill - Former Head Engineer - ALIVE - Melanie had multiple jobs such as the head of hospitality up until the revolution. Melanie has final say in all engineering matters and can overrule a decision made by other engineers, also before the revolution she had supreme power over the train acting as a head of state type figure under the alias of Mr. Wilford. She rarely drives the train as she acts more as a maintenance worker, she performs hands on repairs inside and out of the train, has breach skills and a perfect understanding of every system on the train. But when she does drive the train she is very skilled at it, in Mr. Wilford's words she is the best driver he's ever seen. She has an ability she learned over time of how to "feel the train" where she can place her hand on a surface in the train and feel any anomalies in the train's mechanisms and track conditions. She designed the majority of the train and says it is as much her project as it is Mr. Wilford's. She was presumed to have perished in the Rocky Mountains near the Breslauer Weather Station and apparently gave up her life to save the data she collected. She is later found alive on a Track Scaler and resumes her duties as Head Engineer of Snowpiercer. Three months later, Melanie leaves the train to work with Dr. Nima Rousseau at the International Peacekeeping Forces bunker.
Bennett Knox - Head Engineer - DECEASED - Bennet Knox is one of the original designers and engineers of the train, he acts as the Mechanical Engineer on the team. He is the engineer who primarily drives the train and is also a stickler about the passing of command rule, he will always say "you have the train" or "I have the train" when switching engineers. But besides from that he also has duties much like Melanie, he makes hands on repairs on any train systems that need in-depth knowledge to repair, he also designed the train and is the second in command of Snowpiercer. He knows every line of track on the route and every piece of infrastructure in the train. He was on the Pirate Train making him one of the only two qualified engineers. When Snowpiercer and Big Alice separate, he remains on Snowpiercer. Three months later, Melanie leaves the train in Bennett's hands when she departs to work with Nima. Bennett later sacrifices himself to separate Snowpiercer and Big Alice via manual override. The passengers who Bennett had given his life to save later honor his sacrifice by carving an inscription -- a B surrounded by a circle -- over the helm of Big Alice's Engine, forever binding the Engineer to the Engine and its eternal light.
Javier De La Torre - Senior Engineer - ALIVE - Javier De La Torre acts as the Computer Engineer and has advanced know-how of how technology works, he can hack into government satellites, remotely switch track points, and program weather balloons. He is very skilled in weather predictions and calculating terrain and track conditions. He can properly predict whether the train will cause an avalanche and even calculate when a train car will reach a certain point in the track. He was later transferred to Big Alice as the Fifth Engineer and then later transferred back. When the trains separate again, he goes with Big Alice to New Eden. After the defeat of the International Peacekeeping Forces, Javi retakes Snowpiercer's helm to drive her back to New Eden. Javi later tells Sykes that as the train can't idle for too long yet, he will be taking her out for a few days at a time until Snowpiercer can be retrofitted, offering to give Sykes training in driving the train.
Alexandra Cavill - Senior Engineer - ALIVE - Once the second in command to Wilford, Alex has the same skill as her mother for driving the train, she knows the inner workings of the train and is skilled in precision driving. She is so precise in her driving of the train, to the point where she feels she is able to regulate speed and distance well enough, that that she was able to pull in behind Snowpiercer only inches from the Docking Car. She was able to accurately regulate speed to connect to Snowpiercer while driving the train in reverse without derailing. She defected from Wilford and became one of the two engineers on the Pirate Train and was one of two people on the Pirate Train qualified to drive the train. Wilford himself told Melanie that Alex's skills as an Engineer could eclipse both Wilford himself and Melanie. When the trains separate again, she goes with Big Alice to New Eden.
Peter DiMarco - Engineer - DECEASED - Not much is known about Peter, he was never seen driving the train and his only appearance was in Trouble Comes Sideways where he was killed by a bogie motor he was repairing. Melanie states in The Universe Is Indifferent that Peter was an Electrical Engineer.
Miles - Engineer Apprentice/Engineer - ALIVE - Miles is a unticketed passenger who worked his way up from the Tail to the Engine thanks to his superb intellect. Miles was promoted to Engineer Apprentice in The Universe Is Indifferent, following the death of Peter DiMarco. Miles has since driven the train several times, he aided the Tailies in the rebellion, and he, along with Bennett Knox performed the disconnection of 7 cars, killing 147 people. In the 4th episode of season 2 he stated that he was working as a Life Support Engineer, designing machines and mechanisms to make life outside the train more comfortable. In season 3, Miles mentions that his apprentice continued even on Wilford's Rolling Gulag. After the trains separate, Miles remains on Snowpiercer and works in the Engine with Melanie and Bennett once again, presumably replacing Javi and Alex who had departed with Big Alice. A year later, following Admiral Anton Milius' takeover of the train, Miles still working as an Engineer and is in a position close enough to Milius himself to overhear his plans to ambush New Eden. He's tasked with driving the train while Bennett is being punished for helping Miss Audrey escape, but is relieved of duty when Milius realizes that Miles is helping Layton and Josie to sneak onboard. Miles later escapes on Big Alice with a number of other Snowpiercer passengers, taking over as Engineer of the other train with Alex staying behind and Bennett's death.
Buffalo - Engineer - ALIVE - The Irish Engineer of Animal Squad who handles driving the train after it's hijacked by the International Peacekeeping Forces. Following the death of Doctor Nima Rousseau, Buffalo surrenders control of the train back to Melanie without a fight and moves to New Eden. It's subsequently discovered that Buffalo was just an Engineer and someone who was not a fan of Milius.
Engineer #347 is mentioned in Ruth’s Notebook however is never mentioned or seen throughout the series.

Big Alice Engineers[]

Joseph Wilford - Head Engineer - Conductor - DECEASED - Mr. Wilford rarely drives the train or acts as an engineer should, he sits around all day and acts more like a King than a Driver. The idea for the train was his and he designed parts of the train, he affectionately calls Snowpeircer "my train". He taught Alexandrea how to drive and owned the train well before it was retrofitted to withstand extreme cold. After the Pirate Train was created, he was left behind on the main train, making him the only person qualified to drive the train aside from Javi. He is later exiled on the Track Scaler and ends up at the Silo. After being cornered by Andre Layton with no hope of escape, Wilford commits suicide.
Alexandra Cavill - Engineer - ALIVE - Once Wilford's protegee who often drove the train for him before she defects to Andre Layton's side and becomes one of his Engineers on the Pirate Train. When Snowpiercer and Big Alice separate, she returns to Big Alice as one Layton's Engineers. Alex later accompanies Layton on his rescue mission for Liana, but chooses to stay at the Silo rather than leave with the train.
Javier De La Torre - Fifth Engineer - ALIVE - One of Snowpiercer's Senior Engineers, who was transferred to Big Alice after Wilford took control of both trains and was given the title of Fifth Engineer. It was presumed that he died by a dog attack provoked by Wilford, after helping to take both trains back for Melanie. However, he was later revealed to have survived and was enslaved by Wilford as the Engineer on Big Alice. Aside from Wilford himself, Javi appears to be the only qualified Engineer left onboard following the departure of the Pirate Train. Javi was forced to help Wilford build an EMP weapon and he drove the train during the cat and mouse game with the Pirate Train. Still loyal to his friends, Javi secretly let Andre Layton onboard Big Alice so that he could take down Wilford. He then transferred back to the Eternal Engine. When Snowpiercer and Big Alice separate, he returns to Big Alice as one Layton's Engineers.
Bennett Knox - Temporary Engineer - DECEASED - During the conflict between Melanie and Layton over New Eden, Bennett temporarily acts as an Engineer on Big Alice before transferring back to Snowpiercer when matters are settled.
Miles - Engineer - ALIVE - With Bennett staying behind to disconnect Snowpiercer and Big Alice via manual override and Alex choosing to remain at the Silo, Miles is brought in to drive the train during the escape from the Silo, serving as the sole Engineer on Big Alice's return journey to New Eden.
Bess Till - Acting Engineer - ALIVE - Having received some Engineer training from Bennett and possibly Alex while they were on the Pirate Train, Till acts as Big Alice's Engineer on the final stretch of the return trip to New Eden, assisted by Ruth Wardell as he co-pilot.
Melanie Cavill - Engineer - ALIVE - Melanie briefly serves as an Engineer on Big Alice while helping Doctor Nima Rousseau and his forces to connect Snowpiercer and Big Alice.

Trivia[]

The Engineers of Snowpiercer sleep in the Eternal Engine so that they have immediate access to the train's controls if need be, whilst the Engineers of Big Alice sleep multiple cars away from the Engine.
There must be one Engineer driving Snowpiercer's Eternal Engine at all times with another Engineer on call. Big Alice is more lax about these rules with the locomotive going without a driver for hours on end.
When switching control of the train, Engineers of Snowpiercer must say this: the old acting driver says "you have the train" while the new acting driver says "I have the train". This protocol is used in real life trains and other vehicles, primarily used in the military. This protocol is sometimes skipped over, and it's only seen happening on Big Alice when Wilford surrenders both trains to Andre Layton.
- It also appears to be used as a way of surrendering control of the train from one faction to another as Melanie says it to Layton in The Train Demanded Blood after the successful revolution, Bennett says it to Wilford when he successfully gains control of Snowpiercer in The Eternal Engineer, and Layton forces Wilford to publicly say it in The First Blow when Layton retakes control of both trains. Notably, Layton himself is not an Engineer. In Last Stop, Buffalo tells Melanie that she has the train while surrendering Snowpiercer back to her control.
Although Bess Till and Josie Wellstead are not Engineers, they both received training from Bennett Knox and possibly Alexandra Cavill during their six months on the Pirate Train. Till was able to drive the train in an emergency in The Tortoise and the Hare and Bennett gives Josie some further training in A New Life.
- It's unknown if Layton received similar training, but it's possible.
- With the help of Ruth Wardell as her co-pilot, Till is able to drive Big Alice in A Moth to a Flame and By Weeping Cross.
In Bell the Cat, it's revealed that there is no established comforting tradition for the loss of an Engineer. As a result, Ruth Wardell and Bess Till come up with one to honor Bennett's sacrifice. It's subsequently seen in By Weeping Cross and Last Stop where Bennett's friends take a moment to honor their friend's sacrifice.
In Last Stop, Javi offers Sykes training on driving Snowpiercer which she accepts.
In Ruth’s Notebook it is mentioned that Engineer #347 has notified Ruth that car #804 has worn shocks that are in dire need of service.