- For other uses, see Snowpiercer (disambiguation).
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Snowpiercer's Eternal Engine.
Snowpiercer is a large train manufactured and run by Wilford Industries. It continually circles the globe with the remains of human civilization following the global freezing extinction event several years prior.
The train is comprised of "classes" towards the front of the train, with those without tickets at the back of the train — these are known as "Tailies".
In the TNT television series, the train is initially one-thousand-one carriages long and has been in operation for seven years.[1]
History
Originally a one-thousand-and-one carriage train, Snowpiercer was originally envisioned by Mr. Wilford as a luxury train, taking passengers around the world in style. This earned the train the nickname "Wilford's Dreamliner". When scientists tried to cool down the Earth to reverse global warming, Mr. Wilford foresaw that they will instead freeze Earth completely. He converted Snowpiercer into a 1001-cars-long Ark, which is destined to continually circle the originally exotic railway around the Earth.
Snowpiercer departs Chicago.
However, according to Melanie Cavill, one of the engineers who designed Snowpiercer, the truth is she built the Engine and the train while Mr. Wilford was a fraud who "sold tickets." Mr. Wilford's true intention in building Snowpiercer was not to save humanity but to spend his remaining days in luxury. As a result, Melanie abandoned Mr. Wilford to die at boarding in Chicago while she assumed his identity to maintain order on the train.
"Around and around the Earth we circle. We can never stop."
Snowpiercer circles the globe 2.7 times a year, and every "revolution" is about 133 days. 6 years and 10 months after it left Chicago, Snowpiercer already made 18 revolutions and was about to begin its 19th in episode 994 Cars Long.
Its track length is 318,000 km, much more than the circumference of the Earth, as it travels across every continent, originally conceived as a tourist train that would visit hundreds of cities around the world.
According to the intro, Snowpiercer would visit, among other cities:
Wilford Industries Global Express map. (warner brother logo)
|
When the first season begins, the train just left Alaska and entered the mountainous region of the Yukon Territory in former Canada, moving south along the western coast of North America. This stretch of tracks becomes more and more unstable after each revolution, with avalanches occurring as the train approaches. A few days later, after crossing the Rocky Mountains, the train is seen zooming through the Grand Canyon in Arizona towards former Mexico. After her climb of the Sierra Madre, the train crossed Central America and the Andes mountains before reaching the frozen rainforests of the Amazon on her way back to Northern America at the end of her revolution.
Timeline of Major Events
Unknown time - CW-7 is released into the atmosphere, beginning the freeze.
Year 0 - Departure: Snowpiercer leaves the station in Chicago, leaving Wilford behind.
Year 0 - Crew aboard Snowpiercer receive the last radio contact with survivors off-train only a matter of months after departure. It will be over six years before the crew pickup radio signals from other survivors aboard Big Alice.
Unknown time - Old Ivan is taken untrain to tune a piano, but is unable to tune one key due to lack of piano wire.
Unknown time - A cannibal cult is killed off in the tail, marking the end of cannibalism in the tail.
Unknown time - Zarah Ferami is taken uptrain to work in the Night Car.
Unknown time - Astrid is taken uptrain to work in Food Processing.
Year 3 - The year 3 rebellion takes place, the Tailies do not know exactly what each car is at the time, as they had never been far uptrain before.
Year 7 - The Snowpiercer second murder takes place, Andre Layton is taken uptrain to solve it, LJ Folger is proven guilty but is exempted from punishment due to her age.
Year 7 - The Snowpiercer war takes place between third class and the Tailies, and first and second class, with the former winning.
Year 7 - Big Alice catches up with Snowpiercer with Mr. Wilford aboard, Big Alice successfully docks with Snowpiercer.
Year 7 - Snowpiercer and Big Alice are permanently stuck together by Melanie.
Conflicts
Conflicts, particularly rebellions, were a common occurrence aboard Snowpiercer due to the drastic difference in treatment from that of Third Class and the Tailies.
Year Three Rebellion
The Year Three Rebellion occurred three years after Snowpiercer departed Chicago. According to Andre Layton, the Tailies fought like an army but had no idea what was in each car as they proceeded uptrain, as they had never been that far. It is unknown how successful this revolt was or how far exactly they made it uptrain, but they seem to know about the battery cars and sanitation due to sanitation duties/previous revolts.
Failed Insurrection
After Old Ivan hangs himself, Pike and several other Tailies lead a small insurrection, using the excuse of the dead body of Old Ivan to get the Jackboots to open the doors. The Tailies only made it one car, due to the jackboots responding to the situation quickly. The insurrection ended with Andre Layton talking down Pike and his fellow Tailies and Pike as well as two other Tailies being put in the drawers.
First Snowpiercer War
Following Pike's failed insurrection, Andre Layton began planning another one using his access as the new Train Detective to recruit others to their cause and gain access to other parts of the train. Layton was able to unite the Tailies and Third Class to overthrow Melanie Cavill's rule. The War exploded into a multifronted civil war when First Class's frustration with the disasters led to the discovery that Mr. Wilford was, in fact, a myth. Cavill was arrested and sentenced to death by lung of ice while the Jackboots, under the leadership of Commander Grey, Robert Folger and Lilah Folger worked to take full control of Snowpiercer for themselves.
The rebels, led by Layton infiltrated various sections of Snowpiercer for their weaknesses and managed to plant three of their own in the drawers to be resuscitated when the time was right while young Miles was in the Engine itself as an Engineer Apprentice. In this role, Miles helped to trigger the civil war by revealing the truth about Mr. Wilford's absence to LJ Folger. The Brakemen, under the command of Roche, chose to remain neutral and get out of the way of the rebel army when confronted with Layton and Bess Till, a Brakeman who had chosen to side with Layton fully.
The first battle of the War in the Nightcar turned into a stalemate with both sides taking heavy losses and being forced to retreat. Pike was removed from the Drawers by Commander Grey and the Folgers and suggested that with enough pressure, Layton would fold which came in the form of a threat that Grey and the Folgers would kill everyone if they didn't surrender. After learning that Zarah was pregnant with his baby, Layton decided to surrender.
The War came to a head when Melanie managed to escape execution with the help of the Notary, Jinju Seong and Javier De La Torre. Melanie then defected to Layton's side, knowing that the train wouldn't survive in the hands of the Folgers and believing that Layton might do a better job of leading the survivors of humanity than she ever did. Melanie presented the rebel army with a plan: as the Jackboot army was all in one place, separating part of the train would send them all to die in the Freeze. However, the plan required two safety switches to be flipped, one on each side of the separation, while Miles and Bennett Knox would handle the rest from the Engine. Melanie would be able to handle the switch downtrain while Layton agreed to go behind enemy lines in order to get the other switch. Martin Colvin, not wanting the Folgers to be in power, secretly supplied Miss Gillies with a gun which she managed to hide in the subtrain. Till then recruited Roche to help Layton get behind enemy lines by taking him to the Folgers under the guise of a surrender.
In the Classroom car, the Folgers held a ceremony where Layton officially surrendered to them before Roche, Grey and two Jackboots took him towards First to broadcast his surrender over the train's PA system. As they left, the Folgers made it clear to Grey that they were going to be in charge once the War was over. Once in the subtrain, Roche locked the door and confronted the Jackboots with the gun smuggled in by Miss Giles. At the same time, Melanie pulled the safety switch and Miles detached the rear half of the train from the seven cars. Seeing this, the Folgers realized that Third had never been the rebel army's target. In the subtrain, a fight broke out between Roche, Layton and the three Jackboots, but the two rebels were overpowered and Roche was knocked unconscious. Before Grey could execute Layton, the Last Australian arrived with Strong Boy and Z-Wreck whom he had rescued from the Drawers. The three overpowered Grey and his men, but Layton had them leave the Jackboots unconscious and flee with Roche uptrain for safety.
Emerging on the other side of the seven cars, Layton discovered that the last car in the seven held the revolution prisoners. Layton attempted to free his friends, but couldn't in time and was forced to abandon them to die with the Jackboot army. After Layton pulled the safety switch, Miles disconnected the seven cars and Bennett send them away onto a switch track, leaving the Folgers, minus LJ who had remained in First, Grey and the Jackboot army to freeze to death. Miles and Bennett then reconnected the rest of the train.
In the aftermath of the Jackboot defeat, Melanie officially handed over control of Snowpiercer to Andre Layton, ending the war. Melanie subsequently made a train wide announcement of the handover of power and Layton began planning for a new democratic government. Free of the Tail, the Tailies began running wild enjoying their new freedom with the Brakemen struggling to maintain some semblance of order. The War left 147 people dead in the detached section of the train, a number of others dead from the Nightcar battle and over a hundred wounded. Snowpiercer itself also suffered damage from the separation which left 37 Battery Cars offline even after the train was reconnected. The only known survivors on First's side were LJ Folger, Ruth Wardell and at least a dozen Jackboots who were in First when the Jackboot army was eliminated. After the fall of their leaders, the surviving Jackboots were no longer a problem and were disbanded by Layton.
The Tailies victory in the War and the overthrow of the old government was short-lived due to the arrival of Big Alice and the real Mr. Wilford shortly thereafter.
Snowpiercer—Big Alice War
| “ | It's gonna be a long, cold war. | ” |
| — Layton at the beginning of the war | ||
Shortly after the victory in the First Snowpiercer War, the supply train Big Alice arrived while Snowpiercer approached its starting point of Chicago. Believing that they desperately needed the supplies on Big Alice, Bennett Knox hid its arrival from Melanie Cavill who knew that the train likely contained the real Mr. Wilford who would want Snowpiercer back. Despite an attempt to outrun Big Alice, the other train latched onto Snowpiercer hacked into its systems and began bringing it to a stop. Melanie headed outside in an effort to break Wilford's control over Snowpiercer, but was thrown from the train when Wilford shut down its systems and brought it to a halt in the middle of Chicago.
Cutting into the tail of Snowpiercer, Alexandra "Alex" Cavill, Melanie's believed-dead daughter, emerged to demand Snowpiercer's surrender on Wilford's behalf. The passengers reluctantly provided Big Alice with a list of items demanded by Wilford while Melanie, after recovering from her fall, used a small axe to cut Wilford's uplink into Snowpiercer's systems, restoring system control to the Engine. However, Melanie had drained Snowpiercer's batteries too much trying to outrun Big Alice, meaning that Snowpiercer could never move on its own again. Melanie planted a bomb on the connecting mechanism of Big Alice and before boarding the other train, noticed that it was snowing outside despite the planet being too cold for snow.
Onboard Big Alice, Wilford demanded that Melanie surrender Snowpiercer to him, but she refused as it was now Andre Layton's train. On Snowpiercer, Layton had the rebel army set up a border in the Tail and reluctantly declared martial law. Layton authorized Ruth Wardell to work on diplomacy, but later led a failed incursion into Big Alice to rescue Melanie, capturing Kevin as a hostage. In retaliation, Wilford stopped the trains and attempted to disconnect from Snowpiercer, leave the passengers to die and then return to retrieve the train afterwards. However, the bomb that Melanie had planted earlier destroyed Big Alice's connecting mechanism as Wilford had overbuilt it, something that Melanie had warned him about before. As a result, Snowpiercer and Big Alice were left permanently connected. With no other choice, Wilford reluctantly started the trains moving again.
Wilford warned Melanie that even with the trains still linked, they could slow down and choke off Snowpiercer's power supply and ecosystems which Melanie pointed out will also negatively effect Big Alice. Wilford explained that Big Alice had been through some tough times and the crew was used to living below zero so they would survive, but Melanie is undeterred. On Snowpiercer, Layton and Roche interrogated Kevin using the promise of fresh food and learn from him that there was around a hundred people on Big Alice and that they were hungry, having no fresh food, just canned stuff. Wilford later traded Melanie for Kevin and subsequently compelled Kevin into committing suicide for betraying information about him.
At the same time, Bess Till, promoted to Train Detective by Layton, investigated an attack on Lights in which two of her fingers were brutally amputated with an axe. Till later realized that Lights' fingers were severed in such a way as to mimic the W for Wilford that Wilford and his supporters flashed as a salute. Till and Roche came to believe that the Breachmen, fiercely loyal to Wilford, were responsible. However, Bojan Boscovic insisted that he at least had nothing to do with it despite his loyalty to Wilford.
Upon her return to Snowpiercer, Melanie revealed her discovery, although Alex had destroyed her snow sample. Melanie believed that it meant that CW-7 was breaking up in the atmosphere and falling to Earth, meaning that the planet was warming and could potentially be recolonized in their lifetime rather than in a thousand years as all of their previous climate models had predicted. Javi launched a weather balloon into the upper atmosphere which proved that temperatures were rising. Needing supplies from Big Alice, Melanie and Layton invited Wilford to a scientific summit in First Class Dining where Melanie revealed to the population of both trains their discovery. Wilford's scientists, the Headwoods, confirmed that Melanie's theory was in fact possible and she proposed a plan to use a research station in the Rocky Mountains to study the climate change and hopefully find a place that they could recolonize. This would require Melanie going for a month to man the station and in exchange, Wilford agreed to cease hostilities between the two trains. As he left, Wilford called off Alex's planned assassination attempt on Layton.
After the summit, the two trains began negotiating and trading with Layton offering food in exchange for the much-needed supplies to repair Snowpiercer. After a harrowing journey on the stretch of track known as Neckbreaker, Melanie departed for the research station, having bonded somewhat with Alex and reassured her that if Alex chose, she had people on Snowpiercer that she could rely on. During this time, Wilford had the Headwoods work on lowering the temperature that Icy Bob could survive at, warning them to expect to have maybe half of the month to succeed in his request.
Three days after Melanie's departure, Wilford offered to have the Headwoods treat Snowpiercer's frostbite patients, of which there were 14, including Josie, the rest being from the failed incursion into Big Alice. Layton became suspicious of the nature of the offer due to Josie's condition and suspected that Wilford had someone passing him that information. Layton ultimately accepted the offer and in turn invited Wilford and some of his crew to a night out on Snowpiercer. However, Josie's condition was such that the Headwoods determined that she needed a more dedicated treatment on Big Alice which Josie accepted, both because it was her only chance of recovery and in the hopes of finding out some useful information while on the other train. Wilford, Sykes, Alex, Oiler Bob, Emilia and another passenger enjoyed a night out in the Nightcar while Wilford reconnected with Miss Audrey, his former paramour. Emilia bonded with Murray, both having previously believed themselves to be the last Australian while Alex and LJ Folger bonded. Snowpiercer launched the first of its weather balloons and after a tense moment when it reached the correct height, Melanie made contact, proving that she had in fact survived her journey to the research station. However, the crew lost contact with Melanie after launching the last balloon, leading to fears that she had perished.
As time went on, the situation on Snowpiercer began to spiral out of control due to the actions of Wilford loyalists. Things got worse when Miss Audrey defected completely to Wilford's side and the Breachmen, aside from Bojan Boscovic, were assassinated by Wilford loyalists which looked to the rest of the train like retaliation for the attack on Lights. At the same time, Layton had Terrence assassinated by Pike for threatening Josie. Till managed to identify Eugenia as the murderer of Cherry Sherry and Pastor Logan as the mastermind behind the attacks, but Pastor Logan committed suicide after getting caught. People all throughout the train signaled to Wilford using red lanterns and Wilford had Icy Bob prepared.
On Wilford's orders, Icy Bob sabotaged Snowpiercer's port intakes, but the cold proved to be too much for even Icy Bob to survive unprotected. Healed of her injuries, Josie discovered that she had developed a cold resistance similar to Icy Bob as a result of the Headwoods treatment while rumors surfaced that the surviving Jackboots had rebuilt a command. After removing a railroad spike from the water intake, Boki realized that Wilford was in fact responsible for the events and switched sides completely to Layton. Due to damage to Snowpiercer's God module from the sabotage, Layton was forced to allow Wilford back onboard in order to fix the problem, but Melanie's modifications forced him to allow Wilford to orchestrate a manual restart of the Engine in order to fix the problem. With Snowpiercer now on Wilford's side, Layton lost control of the train and was arrested by the once again active Jackboots while Roche and his family were put into the Drawers on Big Alice.
After taking control of Snowpiercer, Wilford had a census performed which Alex, now completely disillusioned from Wilford, revealed was intended to help him cull the train's population in order to save on resources as Wilford had done with half of the crew on Big Alice following the Freeze. Wilford opened a carnival on Snowpiercer while Layton was forced to work in Compost on Big Alice and Josie's new abilities were tested by the Headwoods. Having learned that Snowpiercer had lost contact with Melanie, Wilford used it as an excuse not to go back for her. After Ruth refused to announce this to the trains, Wilford had her sent to Compost with Layton. However, Javi, now working under guard in Big Alice's Engine, received a radio message from Melanie that he hid from Wilford and managed to send a note letting Layton and Ruth know.
Working together, Layton and Ruth were able to kill their guard and escape and found Alex who directed them to a secret entrance into Big Alice's Engine. As Alex distracted Wilford, Layton and Ruth killed two Jackboots and helped Javi take control of the Engine and coordinate with Bennett to go back for Melanie. Bennett was able to overpower and capture Sykes while Layton and Ruth were smuggled back aboard Snowpiercer. However, LJ Folger saw through Alex's deception and warned Wilford. Wilford and the Jackboots managed to break into Big Alice's Engine and Javi was mauled to death by Jupiter. Wilford overpowered Bennett's efforts to stop the train, leaving Melanie behind at the side of the tracks. Wounding Wilford, Alex managed to escape to Snowpiercer through the subtrain.
Linking up with Layton and Boki, Alex proposed separating the first ten cars of Snowpiercer at The Aquarium, in effect creating a separate pirate train, in order to go after Melanie and her data and resist Wilford outside of his influence. Boki confirmed that Big Alice would be able to handle powering all of the remaining cars, but it would hobble Wilford while leaving Layton's crew with a smaller, faster train to evade him with. Having captured Miss Audrey, Layton decided to take her along as a hostage due to her importance to Wilford while Zarah chose to remain behind due to the danger to her and Layton's baby. Wilford sent Josie to breach Snowpiercer's Engine so that he could retake control of the train completely, but Bennett made radio contact with Josie and redirected her to the Aquarium. An attempt by Boki to disconnect the cars was interrupted by a Jackboot attack while Wilford realized what Layton was up to. On Bennett's orders, Josie breached the Aquarium, destroying the entire car and killing Boki and the Jackboots still trapped in the subtrain but separating the first ten cars of Snowpiercer from the rest of the train. However, Ruth was left behind after being delayed from reaching the others in time by Kevin and leaving Layton with Bennett, Josie, Till, Alex and the captive Audrey and Sykes as his crew.
The pirate train returned to the research station for Melanie, but Layton and Alex only found her drives containing Melanie's data and a letter explaining that Melanie had sacrificed the last of her power to protect the drives and their vital data while she walked out into the Freeze to die after running out of resources. Melanie's data reveals several warm areas around the globe and Layton orders his new crew to go and get their people back.
Population and social structure
Snowpiercer provides shelter, heat and food to about 3,000 "sparks". It is, by design, a heterogeneous environment with well delimited social classes and several formal and informal professions, each a distinct group with its own levels of influence and expectations. Snowpiercer's social structure is organized in two main categories, based on both physical placement on Snowpiercer (from front to tail) and social status.
While they only represent about 30% of her occupants (roughly a thousand people), about half of the length of the train is dedicated to First and Second Class Passengers. The second half of the train houses both technical and agriculture cars, Third Class and Tail-Section. The last few cars of the train house about 400 stowaways who boarded right before Snowpiercer left Chicago.
Ticketed Passengers
First Class Passengers
First Class Passengers are the few cosmopolites and privileged mega-rich guests who bought an exclusive one-way ticket from Wilford Industries or invested early in the project. Among them are the world's richest and most influential, some of whom were industrial tycoons responsible for global warming before the Freeze.
This select category of ticketed passengers has the highest social status aboard Snowpiercer :
- They enjoy a mostly limitless variety of daily calories and rare products such as alcohol.
- They can access most of the train sections without limitation.
- They live up-train, close to the Engine Car, in spacious accommodations with luxurious amenities, and each family has its own double-decker carriage.
- Some of them enjoy the company of their pets.
- Some brought along their help, mostly armed bodyguards.
- They also have unlimited reproductive rights.
Many First Class Passengers attempt to live as if there was no significant change in the world's environment.[1] A feature of that alienated lifestyle is their tendency to make complaints and demands to Hospitality, arguably in outright denial of how autocratic the governance of Snowpiercer ultimately is.[1]
Ironically enough, the First Class Dining Car can fit a bit more than 32 guests, which represents about 1% of Snowpiercer's population. The First Class population might yet be more important.
Notable First Class Passengers include :
- Lilah Folger, a former lawyer, her husband Robert, daughter Lilah Jr and their bodyguard Erik Sotto. Aside from LJ, the Folgers were killed in the First Snowpiercer War.
- Rajiv Sharma, Chairman of the First Class Committee, his wife, and son (and daughter?).
- Members of a Scandinavian Royal Family.
- Martin Colvin, his Cantonese husband York Lam, and their two sons Gavin and Murray.
- Early investor Eugenia. Executed for her role in the murders of the Breachmen.
- Edith Gusterfeld (#1097).
- The Schwartzs, a chic couple in their eighties who take cyanide the morning the Tallies took the train.
- Andre Layton and Zarah Ferami who were moved to First Class by Ruth Wardell after Zarah got pregnant.
In The Train Demanded Blood, Robert and Lilah Folger and 8 other First Class passengers are sent to their deaths when seven cars of the train are disconnected by Melanie, Layton, Bennett, and Miles.
Second Class Passengers
Second Class is for highly skilled and specialized workers, management, and their families.
This category has a medium social status aboard Snowpiercer :
- They enjoy a diverse yet fixed amount of daily calories (rations include dessert every night).
- They have access to most of the train as part of their position.
- They live middle train in spacious compartments with comfortable amenities. Family compartments might be bigger than single passenger compartments.
- They might either enjoy free reproductive rights or be subjected to a Baby Lottery.
Notable Second Class Passengers include :
- Primary Teacher Mary Elizabeth Gillies.
- Dr. Henry Klimpt, in charge of the Drawers Cars.
- Dr. Jinju Seong, Agriculture Officer.
- Dr. Pelton, in charge of the Third Class Clinic.
- Engineers Bennett Knox and Javier De La Torre, Head of Hospitality Melanie Cavill, Concierge Ruth Wardell and Commander Nolan Grey might also be considered Second Class Passengers though it is shown that Melanie's quarters are actually in the Engine car.
Third Class Passengers
Third Class is for low skillset workers and their families.
Thirdies are passengers with a well defined social role but not much privilege or authority as they did not pay for their tickets :
- They enjoy a limited amount of calories (of dubious origins)
- They have limited access to the train outside of their work shift.
- They live in smaller accommodation down-train. While some Third Class Passengers live in shared quarters in the Chains Car(s), it is implied it is not the case for all Third Class Passengers. Third Class compartments might be similar in size and equipment to the Engineers compartment in the Engine Car: a shared compartment for up to four passengers,equipped with a sink, a kitchenette and light furnitures. Bathroom amenities might be shared.
- Their reproductive rights are limited to a Baby Lottery.
Jackboots, Brakemen, Agriculture and Sanitation workers, Craftsmen, Janitors, Breachmen and Tunnelmen are all considered Third Class Passengers despite their essential role in maintaining Snowpiercer. The Train Rules however state that Third Class has the right to petition Wilford in labor disputes and matters of jurisprudence.
Lead Brakeman Sam Roche, his wife Anne and daughter Carly share a couchette in the residential section in Third Class.
Stowaways
Tailies are apparently not an intentional part of Snowpiercer's society. Until the Civil War, they were not considered as passengers and were kept prisoners in the last few cars of the tail section. As such, they do not have any rights. They have no permission to visit other cars except on rare occasions, and when specifically given notarized authorization. According to Andre Layton, most haven't seen the sun since first boarding the train seven years before.
Group commitment among Tailies is strong, yet they are often tempted to find some way of entering a higher status group. The original Tailies were the survivors of a desperate group of stowaways who entered Snowpiercer by force of numbers after a violent conflict with the authorized passengers (mainly Jackboots). At some point, an uneasy understanding was reached, and currently 400 people strong, the Tail Section has very limited rights and survives on rations given unilaterally by Snowpiercer's management, to considerable distress of all involved. Tailies are easily the most tightly knit of all four social classes aboard Snowpiercer, to the point of often decreeing their commitment to the tail as a whole and feeling duty-bound to the group even after years of distance and sparse contact.[2]
Class upgrade and social mobility
Third Class Passengers and Tail section survivors represent 70% of the 3,000 souls onboard Snowpiercer (approximately 2,100 persons).
There is a small measure of social mobility in Snowpiercer. While the Tail Section is apparently given compulsory contraceptives, what few children exist among the Tailies are sometimes recruited for an apprenticeship when a position needs to be filled, which is implied to open access to at least Third Class. After the death of Electrical Engineer Di Marco, Miles is promoted to an Engineering apprenticeship in the Engine Car, after attending Miss Gillies' Class and tutoring lessons by Melanie Cavill. He and several other Tailie children had previously been selected to move up train in what is suggested to be a somewhat routine occasion where talented Tailie children are given the chance of a better lifestyle in exchange for their skills. The fact that Miles, a Tailie, was given such personal attention even before the revolution suggests that at least with the children, the train's staff doesn't discriminate in cultivating their gifts.
Third Class Passengers can apply to regular Fightnights which, while brutal, are nonetheless a means of progressing from Third to Second Class.
While frowned upon by Thirdies, stable relationship between Third and Second Class passengers can lead to some sort of civil union and Class upgrade.
Under unknown circumstances, some Tailies have been able to move up train such as Zarah Ferami and Astrid. ---Astrid won an apprenticeship early in the journey. Zarah accepted an opening in the night car.
On rare occasions, Tailies have been known to be moved up train for special reasons: Old Ivan often recounted stories of a time when he was briefly brought forward to tune a piano, though he was later returned to the Tail. Andre Layton was offered a deal to become a Third Class passenger in exchange for his skills as a homicide detective, something that was lacking in the train's staff or other passengers.
Snowpiercer Crew
Several department heads.
The train is manned by a diverse crew, consisting of several departments and a strict hierarchy. Most originally worked for Wilford Industries before the freeze and were given either second or third class tickets.
Engineering Department
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.
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. Engineers' uniform is a light grey jumpsuit.
After the death of Electrical Engineer Peter DiMarco during the Torreta Canyon crisis, a new Engineering apprenticeship is opened and offered to Miles, a young Tailie. He is later promoted to the Engine Car, being let in on the secret of Mr. Wilford as a result.
Breachmen are Third Class crew members responsible for repairing any breach made to the hull of Snowpiercer. As such, their task is the most dangerous aboard, as they are exposed to both the deadly cold and the speed of the train. Breachman Bojan "Boki" Boscovic is the leader of the Breach Team. Known members of the Breachmen include Cherry Sherry. Breachmen's uniform is their cold-proof grey EVA Suit.
Tunnelmen are Third Class crew members. Those mechanics are in charge of maintaining the various mechanical systems of the Sub-Train platform and making sure the cable car transportation system is up and running.[1]Known members of the Tunnelmen include Tunnelman Jakes Carter and Tunnelman Truck. Tunnelmen's uniform is their dark grey jumpsuit.
Hospitality Department
This department is responsible for maintaining smooth relations between the Crew and Ticketed Passengers and between Ticketed Passengers of different Classes. This mostly implies making sure First Class passengers enjoy their trip and project an impression of calm to the guests: "Calm Hospitality, Calm Train". Members of Hospitality are in charge of protocol and diplomacy within Snowpiercer. The Radio Room and Hospitality Office is located up-train, close to the Engine Car.
Head of Hospitality Melanie Cavill is seen addressing the other Heads of Departments and seems to be "Mr. Wilford's" second-in-command, running the Train affairs on a daily basis. She is also the Voice of the Train and is responsible for making public announcements twice a day (the first at 8:00 AM and the second in the evening), synchronizing time for the whole train.
First Class Concierge Ruth Wardell is second to her and is in charge of organizing day-to-day life and activities for the First Class Passengers, as well as announcements to the Tail section inhabitants. She also presided over LJ Folger's tribunal. Along with the Head of Hospitality, she takes part in the First Class Committee. A Second Class Committee and a Third Class Committee might also exist. Concierge Assistant Tristan helps her in her duties. Members of Hospitality wear teal uniforms.
First Class Dining Car waitstaff serve Guests during service hours. Two Maîtres d'Hôtel oversee the Dining Car and greet guests in their black livery while Waiters in white jackets and Maids in black and white aprons bring them food and drinks.
Chefs are responsible for preparing delicate meals for First Class Passengers. They wear a white double-breasted jacket and toque and a black apron. Cooks prepare more homely food served in Mess Halls for Second and Third Class Passengers.
While janitorial duties are probably part of the Maintenance Department, First Class Housekeepers are in charge of keeping the First Class private carriages spotless. They wear a white apron on their light grey uniform.
Human Resources, Legal Affairs and Archives Departement
The Notary seems to hold a unique power and status within the train, as any official action taken by a member of the Crew requires forms bearing Wilford Industries logo to be signed and notarized, as seen when Dr. Klimpt was ordered to release Nikki Genêt from the Drawers. Among various clerical duties, she is most certainly responsible for the Removal Request for Andre Layton, and Apprenticeship Offers. She is also in charge of writing down the minutes of any Tribunal occurring onboard. She later oversees the executions of captured revolutionaries but appears to aid Jinju Seong and Javier De La Torre in rescuing Melanie from execution.
A member of the Archives dates Dr. Pelton.
To be expanded.
Security Department
Jackboots are the armed enforcement branch and security force of Snowpiercer, operating under the orders of Commander Nolan Grey. They wear a black padded jumpsuit and helmet. Firearms are prohibited inside the train to prevent any breach or damage to the hull. As such, they are usually armed with small handaxes, which they tend to use with savage bloodlust even when it is clear that there is no danger to themselves or others.[2] They guard the boundaries between each Class and between the Tail section (C0999, C1000, C1001), patrol the train, and maintain order during events such as Fight Night. Before Snowpiercer left the station, they were responsible for securing the boarding process and later fought against the people without tickets who boarded the Tail. Their Garrison is most likely located at the rear of the train, between the Tail section and the Sanitation section.
Other known members of the Jackboots include Jackboot Tyson, Jackboot Kaffey, Jackboot Clifford, Jackboot Donaldson, Jackboot Jefferson, Jackboot Stroud, Jackboot Mansfield, Jackboot Trotter, Jackboot Alvarez, and Jackboot Rogers. At the end of the revolution, most of the Jackboots are sent to their deaths when seven cars are disconnected from the train by Melanie Cavill, Andre Layton, Bennett Knox, and Miles.
Brakemen perform various police duties within the train (Tail Section included), such as Train Rules enforcement, lower management, patrols, and status reporting, under the orders of Lead Brakeman Roche. They wear a deep blue uniform. They have jurisdiction over all Ticketed Passengers and Crew members to detect, arrest and interrogate a suspect should a crime be committed amongst Ticketed Passengers and Crew members alike. Many are former Wilford Industries Security, but there are many exceptions.[1] Their Garrison is most likely located at the rear of the train, within Third Class Quarters and close to Sanitation Section. Other known members of the Brakemen Department include Brakewoman Bess Till, her partner Brakeman John Osweiller, Brakeman Ames, and Brakeman Fuller.
There are 15 Brakemen and over 160 Jackboots onboard. Unlike the Jackboots, the Brakemen generally remain neutral in the revolution aside from Till, stepping aside peacefully and according to Roche, trying to maintain peace in the chaos. Roche later joins the revolution and the Brakemen submit to Andre Layton's authority in the aftermath, continuing their peacekeeping efforts.
AgSec Cars - Gardens
Agriculture Department
Agriculture workers are vital crew members as they are responsible for producing food and maintaining an extremely fragile closed ecosystem.
As Agriculture Officer, scientist Jinju Seong is most likely the head of that department. She is mostly seen managing the First Class Aquarium and Sushi Bar.
Gardeners operate the numerous hydroponic Greenhouse Cars and farm several cycles of crops each year. They wear beige jumpsuits.
Stockbreeders are in charge of the various Livestock Cars (Cattle Car, Aquaculture Car, Poultry Car...) where bovines, ovines, caprines, poultry cultures are bred. Butchers are in charge of butchering animals and producing meat. They wear a leather apron.
Agriculture workers included Sean Wise and Butcher Silva before their deaths.
Food Processing, where the former Tailie Astrid works, might be in a subsection of Agriculture.
Medical Department
The medical personnel includes Dr. Pelton, in charge of the Third Class Clinic, and Dr. Klimpt, in charge of the Drawers. Both later support Andre Layton's revolution, with Doctor Pelton treating injuries and hiding Layton and Josie Wellstead, while Klimpt helps The Last Australian to rescue prisoners from the Drawers.
Nurses are also part of the medical staff. It can be assumed that there are more Doctors and Surgeons on board.
Education Department
To be expanded.
Maintenance Department
They fix things and make sure the train is working.
Entertainment Department
The Nightcar staff is led by singer Miss Audrey. She is assisted by bartender Clay and former Tail section resident Zarah Ferami. Nikki Genêt worked in the Nightcar before she was accused of murder.
To be expanded.
Crafts Departement
Papermaker Walter Flemming (#3163) is an elderly Third Class passenger who is in charge of making paper for the train. Walter acts as one of the judges on LJ Folger's tribunal and later assists Andre Layton's revolution. Captured during the revolution, he is executed with the Lung of Ice.
To be expanded.
Engineering
The Engine Eternal
Snowpiercer is powered by a perpetual-motion engine designed by Chief-Engineer Melanie Cavill and referred to as the Engine Eternal. It is not clear how this works, but Engineer Bennett Knox noted that, while the fuel is eternal, parts of the Engine are not and will eventually break and need replacement. It appears to draw more power when traveling at greater speeds. A display in the Engine Car features kWh/km units. As the train slows, the energy produced decreases, as does the distance traveled per second, providing a "double whammy" effect of reducing power.
At the train's average speed of about 100 km/hour, each "unit" of power production gives 100 kW, and from an estimated typical power generation of 20 kWh/km, the train's total power production is normally 2 MW, enough for roughly 2,000 modern American homes. It seems to be enough to keep the train life support and communication systems working, load the Battery Cars, and make the First Class extra-amenities (sauna...) work.
Carriages dimensions
3D First Class type B Guest Carriage model by Alex Nice.
Based on in-universe math, the average length of the cars is little over 16 meters or 52.5 feet. Based on the blueprint of the Brakeman's Garrison in the title credits of the series, however, a typical car is about only 40 feet long and 13 feet 6 inches wide (12.2m long and 4.1m wide). From external images of the train, the height of cars seems to vary between about 1.5 and 2 times the width (20-26 feet, or 6-8m tall) and would fit about two stories and a half.
The Snowpiercer concept art by Alex Nice, which serves as a basis for the CGI model.
Based on the concept art by Alex Nice, the train is even larger, being around 9 meters wide, 12 meters tall and 65 meters long per car (83 meters at the engine). This would make the 1001 car train exceed a length of 38 miles or 65.1 km. This is probably the closest to the actual dimensions since most cars have 2 levels, plus the Sub-Train and the wheel mechanisms underneath them. However, the scale used during the set is downscaled.
According to Wilford in Many Miles From Snowpiercer, the train is 10 miles long ("Three thousand souls stufffed into a ten miles steel tube")
Utility Cars and the Sub-Train
Numerous Carriages are shown to be preceded by intermediary Utility and Battery Cars. Those cars are necessary to maintain life support systems (water, electricity, temperature, air quality...) all along the train. Battery Cars mainly house power banks to accumulate power as the train travels. At least 37 Battery Cars were offline after the civil war.
Each car has a Sub-Train platform underneath its main deck. That platform, only accessible from Utility and Battery Cars, is where the boogie motors help maintain the speed of the train. A cable car transportation system runs all along the tunnel of this platform and transports goods and people from section to section. Due to the borders between Third, Second, and First Class, the Sub-Train might actually be divided into three closed-loop subsystems for operating reasons (it is faster to operate small distance trips).
Train sections and design
Snowpiercer's 1001 cars are organized in different sections with their own unique features and design.
Front section / Engine Car (C0001)
The Engine Car has two levels. On the first level is a bio-locked[2] compartment, most likely containing the Engine. It's currently unknown if anyone can enter the Eternal Engine itself, as it does not use Access Chip technology as other security measures aboard the train.
Directly above the Engine is the train Control Room. While the train has automatic controls[3], the Control room is usually manned by one pilot and one engineer during the day and a single pilot during the night. They have an unrestricted view and access to numerous control systems ranging from speed control to diagnostic panels that alert the pilot to potential issues ahead. The Control room also serves as an information hub for the entire train[4]. If the train detects a breach or mechanical malfunction, it will alert the Control room operators.
One of the systems that can be controlled from the Engine is separating sections of the train. However, this is a complicated step and requires two safety switches to be disabled, one on either side of the separation while the Engine has two switches as well that require two operators to work. The switches must have keys turned in them simultaneously to be activated and then the switches themselves must be flipped at the same time to initiate separation of each end of the disconnected section of the train.
Behind the Control Room stands the Engineers living quarters with four bunks, a bathroom, and a bunch of closets. This compartment is currently occupied by Melanie Cavill and Miles.
First Class / C0002 > CXXX.
First Class is located right after the Engine Car (C0001). This section is the most luxurious of the train, designed with great taste, precious materials, large windows, and a sense of grandeur to accommodate its guests.
The Aquarium and Sushi Bar Car (C0011), known as the First Class Ocean, was one of the most awe-inspiring cars of the train. Most of the car was occupied by a large aquarium, crossed by an oval reinforced glass corridor. The aquarium was itself accessible from the second-floor and staff members were able to dive there with ease to farm seafood and fishes, providing a unique farm-to-table experience where sushi, sashimi, and rolls were made to order. Agriculture Officer Jinju Seong oversaw personally this car and its restaurant. During Layton's plot to take over the front section of Snowpiercer, Bennett tasks Josie to breach the glass roof of the Aquarium Car. This results in the whole ocean inside to freeze solid, killing all the fish and turtles. The expansion of the water then make the whole car explode, effectively separating the front section of Snowpiercer from the rest of the train.
The Hospitality Car is where the Head of Hospitality and Voice of the Train has her office and makes her public announcements twice a day.
The Dining Car has been designed as Wilford's personal Dining Room where he would entertain his guests and friends. The table layout can serve about 40 guests per service. It can also double as an assembly room, especially during Tribunal sessions and meetings of the First Class Committee.
As per the Folgers' and the Schwartzs' Quarters, First Class Guests live with their families in double-decked private Guest Carriages. The main deck consists in a public corridor for passengers to cross the car. From this corridor, at each side of the carriage, an entrance leads to the lobby of the Guest Carriage. In between those two lobbies is a living room equipped with a gas chimney, bookcases, and large windows. On one side of the carriage stands a closet room that can double as a bedroom for the help. On the other side, a flight of stairs leads upstairs where the guests' bedrooms and bathroom en suite are located.
Other First-Class amenities include a Sauna Car and a Bowling Alley Car.
Second Class / CXXXX > C0557
Second Class is located middle train behind First Class. While it is still unclear where it begins, as per blueprints used by the Third Class and Tailies rebels in These Are His Revolutions, it is divided into four sections, and ends at the Night Car.
This section offers comfortable accommodation to its passengers. While materials remain elegant and windows large and numerous, the whole Second Class is designed to be more practical and cozy.
Second Class crew Quarters include Dr. Jinju Seong's and Dr. Pelton's compartments. Both are constituted by a large room with two windows, equipped with a desk and a bed, as well as pieces of furniture and decoration belonging to their occupant. The structure of the compartments hints at the fact that bathrooms might be shared (there is no door visible in the room). Official concept arts for Second Class Quarters describe them as "designed with efficiency in mind" and with a "modular floorplan". Besides, it is possible that families' Quarters are larger and include a bathroom.
Second Class has its own Clinic Car(s), equipped with a confortable recovery room.
The twelve Drawers Cars (section 2.4, C0545-C0556) are located at the rear end of Second Class and house about 400 Drawers. They serve as both an extrajudicial imprisonment and medical experiment facility. Should Snowpiercer society collapse or fail, the Drawers are to serve as a failsafe, where 400 pre-selected people would be put into suspended animation as the last resort to save humanity.
The Night Car (section 2.4, C0557) is the last car of Second Class. While Mr. Wilford merely saw it as a decadent Art Deco brothel, Singer Miss Audrey saw its potential as a place to grieve together for what was left behind. Besides offering events and concerts featuring a rotating troupe of award-winning singers, actors, musicians, dancers, and entertainers for passengers of all classes, it also provides individual therapy sessions to remember the time before the Freeze and come to accept what was lost. As such, the Night Car has been both compared to Switzerland (a neutral Car in the middle of the train) and a bridge between Classes.
Third Class / C0558 > C0995
Third Class comprises all of the remainder cars past the Night Car, down-train, and makes up for half of the train length. Most of the carriages are one-deckers. As per blueprints used by Commander Grey when he planned on gassing Third Class, it is divided into at least three sections:
- Section 3.1 could be mainly residential
- Section 3.2 could be mainly industrial and cargo
- Agriculture is part of Third Class section 3.3
Third Class begins mid-train with a Jackboot station and checkpoint Border Car that can be closed to limit circulation up-train.
Residential Section (Third Class, section 3.1)
Third Class section 3.1 might be a residential section. While Third Class house a workforce of around 1,700 people, it offers very small accommodations to its passengers, with low-grade material and an industrial look. Individual space is a rarity in Third Class as most cars are either Agriculture Cars or industrial and cargo cars. Most residential compartments might be located mid-train. If cars mid-train still have windows, the further you go down-train, the fewer windows there are. Those shared compartments might be similar in design to the Engineers compartment in the Engine Car: small and efficient.
As all Third Class residents work in three shifts of 8 hours, the Mess Hall Car is open all-around the clock and switches from serving drinks to foods depending on the shift and time of day. So does the Market Car.
The Education section includes a series of Classroom Cars and Utility Cars. One of them is used by Primary Teacher Mary Elizabeth Gillies. The bright and colorful car is mostly comprised of about a dozen desks for the pupils and is decorated by the children's works. After Andre Layton's fake capitulation at the end of the civil war, that Classroom Car is used by the Folgers and Commander Grey for the signing of the official surrender act. The rebels used the opportunity that most of the Jackboot forces would be concentrated within six cars around the Classroom Car to detach them from Snowpiercer, leaving the platoon, some First Class passengers and Rebels prisonners to freeze to death.
The Third Class Clinic (W/3.1/C0561-W/1.1/C0568) is led by Dr. Pelton, is part of a small Medical Section that might include other medical cars. During the civil war in Third, it acted as a field hospital and rebel camp.
Industrial and Storage Section (Third Class, section 3.2)
Third Class section 3.2 might include industrial, storage, and Cargo areas. It might be where Food Processing and Papermaking are located. It seems like some Cargo Cars have been emptied over time and repurposed by Third Class residents into a Market Car, selling drinks, food and craft products, and the Chains Cars where younger and more carefree Third Class residents live in a community setting.
This section might also house a series of Battery Cars, as it is stated that at the end of the civil war, at least 37 of them were out of service.
Maintenance Cars might be dispatched all along the train. One of them (W/3.4/C0991) is located at the Tail. Another (W/3.1/C0570) is located midtrain.
Jackboots and Brakemen represent over 175 people. While it is known that they are Third Class residents, it is still unclear where in Third Class the Jackboot Garrison Car(s) is located, while it is hinted the Brakemen Garrison Car(s) is located between Sanitation and the Tail.
Agriculture Section (AG-SEC, Third Class, section 3.3)
Agriculture is one of the most essential parts of the train, both in size and importance, as its cultures and systems produce a variety of food and materials necessary for the survival of Snowpiercer crew and passengers, and might also serve to scrub carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and produce oxygen. Melanie Caville said to Layton that there are 131 cars "just like this one" while standing in a Greenhouse Car, but it is unknown if she was referring to the whole AG-SEC or only Greenhouse Cars. It is also unclear if Food Processing is part of it, and if all the AGSEC cars are located at the end of the train, between the Tail section and Third Class, or if the different cars are dispatched all along the train to secure the food provisions.
Greenhouse Cars are large one-decker cars whose roof is a dome made out of reinforced glass and where crops are farmed on regular cycles using hydroponics, natural and artificial lights:
- Berries (14 cycles/year), including Grapes, Cherries, Strawberries are cultivated in Greenhouse Car C0842
- Potatoes (7 cycles/year)
- Cocoa (6 cycles/year)
- Wheat (4 cycles/year)
- Rice (3 cycles/year)
- Sugarcane (2 cycles/year)
- Cotton (2 cycles/year)
- Lettuce, Carrots, Cucumbers and probably other vegetables
- Tangerines, Apples Avocados, Mangos and probably other fruits
Cattle Car (Goat Cars, Poultry Cars) are one-decker cars with large windows on one side where animals are bred for their meat, milk, eggs, skin, feathers, methane, and manure... Snowpiercer livestock includes goats, pigs and poultry (chickens). It used to include cows too but an avalanche in the Cascade mountains led to the Cattle Car to be breached and its entire livestock to instantly freeze to death and go extinct seven years after departure.
Aquaculture Cars produces a variety of food and products such as fish and seafood. The water enriched by fish wastes also produces a natural fertilizer used within the hydroponics system. The First Class Aquarium and Sushi Bar Car might be a high-end version of Aquaculture Cars and is directly under the supervision of Agriculture Officer Dr. Jinju Seong.
This section also includes its own Water Reservoir as stated by Jinju Seong when discussing with Bennet Knox and Melanie Cavill about the consequences of the bovine extinction event. An old Apiary Car was closed down after the bees colony collapsed, four years after departure. It is unclear if bees went extinct too. Refrigeration Cars are where the crops and food are conserved after farming and before being processed and dispatched.
AG-SEC systems are intricately intertwined and create an artificial yet fragile ecosystem within the train. After the extinction of bovine cultures, Chief Engineer Melanie Cavill had to think of another way to produce necessary methane the cows used to produce. When Agriculture Officer Jinju Seong was tasked with devising a way for equal calories between classes, she angrily noted that lootings of AG-SEC Greenhouse Cars, Refrigeration Cars, and Aquaculture Cars at the end of the civil war led to crops destruction and food shortage.
Sanitation Section
Sanitation is a necessary yet despised section of the train, located between Agriculture and the Jackboots Garrison Car at the Tail. This section might play a key role in the train systems. The industrial and windowless Sanitation Cars are equipped with compost units that transform organic wastes (manures, corpses...) into fertilizer using bugs and worms. This section might also include greywater filtration and treatment systems.
Due to the strong smells, working in Sanitation is not very well considered among Ticketed Passengers, to such extent that a team of three Tail residents is tasked with daily 8-hours-long shifts there.
The Tail / C0998 > C1001
The Tail section of Snowpiercer, located at the very rear of the train, mostly includes Utility Cars, Battery, and Cargo Cars. When Snowpiercer left Chicago, that section was boarded by stowaways who overpowered the Jackboots protecting the train. They have been living in the dark of the Tail ever since.
The Docking Car (C1001) has been designed to allow supply trains to board her in mid-voyage. At the end of that Car is a huge circular vault door that can be opened to allow supplies to be transferred from one train to the other. A Bio-Security Car (C0998) supposedly exists within the Tail to prevent any contamination from one train to the other but has been mostly used to prevent Tailies residents from infecting regular passengers.
Trivia
- There were 3,000+ passengers aboard at departure.[3]
- Snowpiercer has 2,746 inhabitants as of A Single Trade. The decline in population mainly comes from the losses in the revolution[4]. There were over 6 billion people before the Freeze.
- Third Class (±1700 souls) and Tail (±400 souls) make 70% of passengers on Snowpiercer.
- Third Class keeps Snowpiercer running and touches every system on the train. They work seven days a week, three shifts a day to keep the bearings greased and the cold at bay. They draw straws to have children and die from preventable accidents and diseases that First Class (and possibly Second Class) get treatment for.
- Third Class has noodles.[1]
- Snowpiercer has its own black market, one of the most common drugs exchanged is Kronole.
- Most of Snowpiercer can be transversed by a Sub-Train that runs below the cars themselves and is not accessible to the Tail Section.[1]
- Snowpiercer's crew can close the boundaries between the classes ("borders") during the night without any special measures or announcements, although they usually do not. This border closing temporarily cancels the otherwise free transit of Firsts among the various Train Sections. The Sub-Train can be blocked as well."[2]
- Its mentioned that other people attempted to survive by going into bunkers or uploading their consciousness, presumably into computer systems, while "Mr. Wilford dusted off his train set."[2]
- There are 400 drawers in Second Class.[5]
- Most passengers have an Access Chip to enter certain cars based on their job or class. However, it is impossible to chip out of the Tail even with a chip granting access to potentially the entire train.
- Because guns could damage vital systems or cause a breach, virtually all guns were confiscated and thrown of the train.
- It is possible for the crew to disconnect a section of cars, though it is not easy to do. First Class, particularly the Folgers, often complained that the Tail should be disconnected to get rid of the Tailies. As seen in The Train Demanded Blood, the process is complicated requiring two people, one on either end of the section to be disconnected and two Engineers in the Engine. Safety switches must be disabled at junctions on either end of the section to be disconnected while the Engineers must turn keys in two switches simultaneously in the Engine and then the switches must be flicked at the same time to disconnect each end of the section of cars.
- During the first couple of years, there were cannibal kill cults in the tail. Before Andre Layton brought it to a end. The rest of the train, thought the cannibalism was a myth.
- In 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.
- 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 in five years.
- During the failed revolution, at least 1 rebel and at least 13 Jackboots were killed.
- In These Are His Revolutions, Jackboot Jefferson in the Bio-Security Car is the first Jackboot to die in the revolution, when he is decapitated and his head is placed in a box in the Night Car.
- In These Are His Revolutions, Big John in the Sub-Train, along with at least 17 Jackboots and Paterson in the Night Car, with at least 14 Jackboots, are killed during the revolution.
- In The Train Demanded Blood, Doctor Pelton confirms the death of 37 Rebels during the Battle of the Night Car.
- In The Train Demanded Blood, 147 people (about 5% of the train population) were sent to die during the Classroom Car Surrender Ruse when a undetermined section of seven Third Class cars were disconnected from the train by the Rebels and Engineers. Casualties were from both side of the civil war : 35 captured rebels held prisoner (among which included Clay, Santiago and Mr. Riggs), along with one Jackboot, excluding at least 4 prisoners executed (by Lung of Ice, including Walter Flemming), Lilah and Robert Folger, 7 other First Class Passengers and the Train Photographer in a Classroom Car, Commander Nolan Grey and two Jackboots in the subtrain. There were 102 Jackboots (including Grey) in Utility Cars and the Classroom Car.
- The revolution cost the lives of at least 77 rebels, 10 first class passengers and over 138 Jackboots. 170 were injured.
- After the revolution, everyone from The Drawers was freed.
- As of 994 Cars Long, Snowpiercer is ruled by Andre Layton after Melanie abolished her position after the Revolution ended in The Train Demanded Blood.
- Melanie states that she drained Snowpiercer’s batteries too much trying to escape from Mr. Wilford. As a result, the train can never move on it’s own again.
- Snowpiercer makes its own Aspirin but is out of morphine due to the number of injured from the Revolution.
- The failed invasion of Big Alice cost at least 4 deaths on both sides (and around 9 Freeze victims). 20 were injured, 14 with frostbite (later healed with Goop).
- Snowpiercer has a Tea Room.
- Snowpiercer has a flare deployment system.
- Snowpiercer has observation domes on some cars.
- The train was originally named "Global Express" prior to the freeze.
- Passengers would light red lanterns, in their windows, as a vigil for Wilford’s return.
- Snowpiercer has a car that is used to dump bodies out, near the Breachmen garrison. In Into the White, its referred to as the Cold Locker.
- Snowpiercer was engineered with portals (by Mr. Wilford), to freeze people's arms of as punishment.
- Trying to go after Melanie Cavill and creating the Pirate train cost the lives of Bojan Boscovic and 9 Jackboots.
Gallery
Exterior
Interior
.jpg "The Engines (1).jpg (364 KB)")
Video
