One of the more interesting characters of the Phantom Train is its conductor. I won't lie, this is a slight nod to one of my favorite books of all time, Polar Express. In a way, these two stories are so similar and yet polar opposites. (Not to use a pun.) Much of what happens on the Polar Express is instigated by the conductor character. We know next to nothing about him, who he is where he comes from, but he is as much a part of the story and the train as our main hero.
In my story, the conductor plays a similar role. He serves as the one who explains what the train is and what it does. He is a guardian of the train, a ghost himself. I never really imagined his story too far, unfortunately. I just assumed he's been with the train since it appeared and will be with it to the end.
There was another character in the story, an engineer, who appeared in an earlier version. Originally the kids met him and he spread out a deck of tarot cards to explain the meaning of death. I changed this however, since Tarot didn't fit with an overall theme. We don't see an engineer or any other maintenance people, and the train appears to run itself. I imagine that the conductor is the only real staff aboard, in charge of those coming on and off the train.
In a way I would like to know his story, but I enjoy a bit of the mystery surrounding him. Its nice to dream of different possibilities as far as the man is concerned.
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