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              Explore Visuals for Book III:

      The Haunted Express

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Railroad Magnate for the New Haven Continental Express line

Edward Sterling 

(1850-1910, age 60) He is 100%  ruthless, and will do ANYTHING to maintain the reputation of NHCE and himself. He protects his financials, his security, and his life at all costs.

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Inspector for the NHCE railroad line

Edgar Tucker

(1868-1918, age 31 in 1899, died at age 50) Is the railroad investigator hired by the New Haven Continental Express to manage the fallout of the train wreck. His job is to suppress the truth, manipulate witnesses, and prevent any public scandal from damaging the railroad’s reputation. Edward Sterling pays him handsomely for his services.

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Great-granddaughter of Harold Fitzgerald

Scarlet Fitzgerald

(1971-current, age 52 in 2023) Scarlet hires Olivia to unravel the strange circumstances from 1899, after discovering that multiple documents don't match on Ancestry.com.

She firmly believes there is an odd mystery surrounding her great-grandfather's whereabouts after the wreck that claimed over 50 passengers!

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Passenger on NHCE #48 in 1899

Harold Fitzgerald

(1829-1899, age 70 at time of train derailment in 1899.) Harold was returning from his friend's funeral and boarded #48 in Paweatuck, CT., returning to White Plains, NY. His final whereabouts remain a mystery to this day.  He has been discovered missing from official records by his great-granddaughter Scarlet Fitzgerald. 

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Engineer for NHCE #48

Tom Ricker

(1855-1920, age 65) Ricker had been an engineer for NHCE since 1881, 18 years. He was dependable, honest, hard-working and reliable. He was always curious about the derailment but experienced hurdles with higher ups when he pushed for the truth. Telegraph stations issued "train orders" that Conductors carried, and Engineers followed.

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Conductor for the NHCE #48

Mr. Joe Mallory

(1865-1932, age 67) Conductor NHCE, has very mixed feelings about the disaster and the possible cover up of facts. Mallory was the Boss of the Train and didn't put up with any funny business. He took his job very seriously. Ricker answered to him, along with the rest of the trrain crew. 

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Brakeman for NCHE #48

Jacob Wicks

(1874-1952, age 78) Brakeman for NHCE at age 25 in 1899. Keeps his mouth shut, doesn't want to risk his job and go back to the coal mines.

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Went Missing in 1899

Agnes Barlow

(1827-1898?, age 71) another missing passenger from #48, great-grandmother of Bethany Oswald who left the suitcase in the old WH depot by the ravine. She too was searching for answers.

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Official Unofficial Cold Case Detective for Whisper Hollow

Olivia Shaw & Luna

(1991-current, age 32 in 2023 when she moves back to WH) main character, moved from WH to Braxton, CT in 2020 and moved back in 2023 to solve the mystery. She is a wanna be journalsit, kind, determined, hard working.

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Local Whisper Hollow Farmer

Thomas Harper

(1861-1929, age 68) A farmer who helped rescue passengers, were left in disbelief at the scale of the wreck. Some think his ghosts haunts the area where the wreck occurred. Born / raised in Whisper Hollow.

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Funeral Director in 1899

Mr. Collins Mercer

(1856-1935 age 79) Funeral director responsible for handling the victims of the New Haven Continental Express derailment in 1899. Later, he goes on to run Mercer & Son’s Funeral Home.

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Coroner and Physician for Whisper Hollow in 1899

Dr. Charles Wells

(1849-1921, age 72) The town coroner who performs autopsies on the victims of the New Haven Continental Express derailment. He also issues the death certificates for the victim

Explore more visuals for Book III:
The Haunted Express

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The #48 NHCE Train

On March 10, 1899 a severe snow storm plagued Connecticut. The #48 derailed near Whisper Hollow and there were 40 confirmed deaths. The town pulled together and all worked to do the best they could. The snow was ten feet deep in some places making rescue efforts almost impossible.

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Interior of the #48 passenger car on the NHCE line

Imagine yourself on a luxury passenger train in the late 1800s. The New Haven Continental Express route traveled from Boston to Connecticut on ward through New York City, eventually heading all the way to Washington, D.C. Some of the stops it made on its way to Whisper Hollow were at Paweatuck and Mystick. 

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Whisper Hollow's Depot in 2023

The new train depot is a architectural wonder. The builders were able to replicate the old depot while giving the building modern necessities. Although travel by train is not as popular as it once was, the Murder Mystery Dinner events draw a bog crowd!

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The Brakeman's Job

A brakeman in the late 1800s worked atop railcars, manually setting and releasing brakes to control speed and stop trains. They risked injury or death in harsh weather, jumping between moving cars. Duties also included coupling/uncoupling cars, signaling engineers, and ensuring safe train operations across rugged and dangerous terrain.

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Walt's Precious Birds

Walt is also loves birdwatching. Pictured here are a Peregrine Falcon and the Whip-poor-will.  The Peregrine is one of fastest birds in the world, reaching speeds up to 240 mph when diving! The Whip-poor-will is a nightjar species known for its haunting, mournful song.

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Disaster Strikes!

On March 10, 1899 the NHCE #48 is derailed by mysterious means. Was it the weather? Sabotage? A possible train robbery? Unfortunately, a large number of people were killed. 

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Whisper Hollow Depot 

Built in 1890 on the outer edge of Whisper Hollow, the train depot was a bustling station for passengers traveling across country. A train station master in the late 1800s oversaw station operations, managed schedules, coordinated arrivals and departures, handled freight, and ensured passenger safety. 

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NYNE #16

On March 2, 1899, the New York New England RR passenger train #16 was caught in a blizzard and a horrible avalanche tore it from the tracks, sending it down a ravine. Tragically 40 lives were lost.

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Interior of Old Depot

Walt and Olivia find the eerie, abandoned old Whisper Hollow Depot. Inside they find many odd clues to what happened in 1899...

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NHCE #48

On March 10, 1899, the New Haven Continental Express #48 was tragically and mysteriously derailed. 96 people were on board, of which 53 died...some went missing...why?

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The Abandoned Whisper Hollow Depot from the 1890s

Once a bustling hub for locals, the depot now is in shambles and many people threaten to demolish it. Walt once hoped to turn it into a museum.

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Rotary Snow Plow

A rotary snow plow uses a large, spinning circular blade to cut through deep snow. As the blade rotates, it throws snow to the side, clearing the tracks ahead while being pushed by a powerful locomotive. The storms were so severe in 1899 the plows could not keep up.

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