The Great Hellbound Railway

The Great Hellbound Railway

> *"The line will run west, following the Stolen River to the edge of Hell. Your advisor unrolls a map, showing the stations to be built. Ealing Gardens. Jericho Locks. The Magistracy of the Evenlode. B—. S—— VIII. Burrow-Infra-Mump... The names grow less familiar."*
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The **Great Hellbound Railway** is a massive project by London to construct a railway to Hell through the Hinterlands.

*You can view a fan-made map of the GHR here.*

## An Enormous Undertaking

> *"While Lord Mayor, Virginia made it possible to build west. London is taking advantage!"*
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During her term as Lord Mayor of London, Virginia brokered a deal with Hell to allow London to begin developing the Hinterlands. She also founded the **Ministry of Upper River Development**, which distributed Hinterland Scrip as the region's new currency. His Amused Lordship used this opportunity to found the **Great Hellbound Railway Company** alongside friends and investors. He envisioned a railway that would run from Moloch Street in London to Marigold Station in the Hinterlands, upon which it would merge with the Moloch Line to cover the remaining distance to Hell.

The Brass Embassy tried to block His Lordship's plans, as they saw the GHR as competition to their Moloch Line, only reneging on the condition that Virginia serve on the company's new board. The Church also demanded representation, as the railway would run through consecrated ground. Finally, the Bazaar placed the Efficient Commissioner on the board of the GHR to oversee the project and prevent any mishaps. After the board was set up, the Tracklayer's Union, led by Furnace Ancona, were commissioned for their services.

As the line continued west, its presence brought many changes to the Hinterlands. Some places, like Station VIII, welcomed the GHR, while others, like Jericho Locks, saw it as a threat. The new oversight from London also impacted other existing communities, such as Ealing Gardens and Moulin.

## Main Stations

> *"Your train now serves points west of London. Where would you like to visit?"*
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Ealing GardensJericho LocksThe Magistracy of the EvenlodeBalmoralStation VIIIBurrow-Infra-MumpMoulinThe HurlersMarigold Station
## Railway Steel

Beyond this point lie **spoilers** for *Fallen London*, *Sunless Sea*, or *Sunless Skies*. This may include **midgame** content. **Proceed with caution**.
You can find out more about our spoiler policy **here**.

> *"You should know: you've been driving your railway over the faces of old powers, and hoping that they do not mind. The Justificandes offer a kind of apology. You learned that from my recipe for the steel, when I allowed it to come into your hands."*
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The Great Hellbound Railway's tracks were manufactured using a recipe developed by Mr Fires: an alloy of steel and Justificande coins. The coins were supposedly added to "teach the tracks the shape of things-to-come;" consequently, the martensite crystals in the steel always point west.

A very long time ago, the Echo Bazaar incurred an enormous debt to the Creditor, the entity that rules the Hinterlands. Justificande coins mandate forgiveness from those who receive them, and the Creditor is a being of earth. Accordingly, by laying tracks infused with Justificandes across the Creditor's "face," Fires hoped to settle, or suppress, the issue.

## References

2. ↑ Ask a present investor about the benefits, *Fallen London*
3. ↑ Involved in a Railway Venture, *Fallen London*
4. ↑ Advertisements of a New Venture, *Fallen London* *"[...] Virginia became Lord Mayor. [...] she announced [...] a deal brokered with Hell, a whole stretch of land opened to London development. She founded the Ministry of Upper River Development, [...] Constables and other worthies started handing out Hinterland scrip in place of Echoes."*
5. ↑ Advertisements of a New Venture, *Fallen London* *"Seeing opportunity, His Amused Lordship joined a few friends to form the Great Hellbound Railway Company."*
6. ↑ Ask a present investor about the benefits, *Fallen London* *"There are opportunities! Who needs dividends?"*
7. ↑ Ask a present investor about the benefits, *Fallen London* *"The line will run west, [...] to the edge of Hell. [...] the stations to be built. Ealing Gardens. Jericho Locks. The Magistracy of the Evenlode. B—. S—— VIII. Burrow-Infra-Mump... The names grow less familiar. [...] "We hope to take the track to... places of value to the Empress and the Masters."*
8. ↑ All aboard!, *Fallen London* *"Your train now serves points west of London."*
9. ↑ Head to Marigold Station, the end of the line, *Fallen London* *"Where the Great Hellbound Railway meets the Devils' own lines."*
10. ↑ Disagreements at Moloch Street, *Fallen London* *"The Brass Embassy has applied for an injunction [...] against the Great Hellbound Railway Company. There is already a railway service running from Moloch Street to Hell!"*
11. ↑ Place a bribe in the right hands, *Fallen London* *"They have just one other requirement: a Deviless on your Board of Directors. "You'll have heard of her," [...] Virginia has become a member of your board. "*
12. ↑ Settle this Issue of Representation, *Fallen London* *"Then the Church [...] remind you that part of any route out of London will take you through consecrated ground, [...] you must accept representation from one of their candidates [...]"*
13. ↑ Meet your fellow board members, *Fallen London* *"The second board member is the Efficient Commissioner. One of the investors explains [...] "The Bazaar wouldn't let us lay [...] track in a Westward direction without her. Something about a bad incident a few centuries ago. Not To Be Repeated." She will scrutinise the Board's [...] to make sure it is unlikely to cause any further mishaps.""*
14. ↑ Submit forms in triplicate , *Fallen London* *"[...] "I'm 'Furnace' Ancona, I run the Tracklayers' Union, and if you want to put down any rail out of London, it's me you need to be dealing with. [...]"*
15. ↑ Accept an invitation to dine, *Fallen London* *""Being able to use your railway to send things to London – an inspired idea. [...]"*
16. ↑ Return to London (from Jericho Locks), *Fallen London* *"The tracks east of Jericho are subject to hazards: aggrieved gondoliers afraid for their livelihoods [...]"*
17. ↑ Ministry Enforcement, *Fallen London* *"[...] 'Property of the Ministry of the Upper River – Severest Penalties for Squatters.' [...] a tentacle draws a curtain at the window, then flicks it back into place."*
18. ↑ The Exiled Antiquarian, *Fallen London* *"Ahead of your construction [...] the Ministry of Public Decency erected a barrier around our town."*
19. ↑ All aboard!, *Fallen London*
20. ↑ Ask it about the Hillchanger Tower (Furnace Abandoned), *Fallen London*
21. ↑ Ask it about the Hillchanger Tower (Furnace Abandoned), *Fallen London* *"You learned that from my recipe for the steel, when I allowed it to come into your hands."*
22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 Make tracks, *Fallen London* *"Steel, hot fire, and a tiny alloy of the metal of Irem, to teach the tracks the shape of things-to-come."*
23. ↑ Rely on her knowledge of chemistry, *Fallen London* *""Steel is fascinating. [...] this iron has such exotic impurities." [...] the martensite crystals are all in rows, pointing in the same direction?" She gently rotates the slide. The crystals shift in place. "See how they always point towards Hell?""*
24. ↑ Justificande Coin, *Fallen London* *"ONE DAY YOU WILL FORGIVE is stamped on the back. It is a commandment as much as a promise."*
25. ↑ Ask it about the Hillchanger Tower (Furnace Abandoned), *Fallen London* *"Fires' eyes gleam. "The Bazaar owes a debt to its Creditor in the west, a debt that has not come due but that we would find very difficult to repay. [...] it is an earth power, and I hoped that laying [...] tracks made of Justificandes across its face would either constitute either repayment or the means to silence.""*