Montreux

Montreux is a town on the edge of Lake Geneva, at the foot of the Alps in Switzerland.

Grand Hotel / The Hotel des Alpes

Chateau de Chillon just to the east of Montreux

This is a modern map of Montreux.  I'm still seeking a period map.

As Indiana Jones so famously said "I love Venice"

Venice is a city in north east Italy on a group of 118 small islands separated by canals and linked by bridges.  It is located in the marshy Venetian Lagoon along the shoreline between the mouths of the Po and Piave Rivers. Its famous for having a Church thats been converted into a Temple where Professor Henry Jones Jr discovered that sometimes "X" does mark the spot.

In July 1926 the British "First Flotilla" visited Venice

Sofia

Sofia is the Capitol of Bulgaria, and one of the locations visited by the Orient Express.  

Paris Travel Poster

Just a travel poster advertising the city of Paris today.

Calais

Horror on the Orient Express properly starts in London.  When the players first step foot on French soil, they do so through the port at Calais, before going to Paris to board the Orient Express itself.  After disembarking the ferry from Dover England, players will have to go through a Customs inspection (which is an opportunity to screw with players, or for comedy).

The old part of the town, Calais proper (known as Calais-Nord), is situated on an artificial island >surrounded by canals and harbours. The modern part of the town, St-Pierre, lies to the south and southeast. In the centre of the old town is the Place d'Armes, in which stands the former Hôtel-de-ville, now the town hall and police offices. The belfry belongs to the 16th and early 17th century. Close by is the Tour du Guet, or watch-tower, a structure dated to the 13th century which was used as a lighthouse until 1848 when a new lighthouse was built by the port. The church of Notre-Dame, was built during the English occupancy of Calais. Calais is also a notable fishing port and a centre for fish marketing and lace industry for which the town is also famed.

T.S. Maid of Kent II, an example of a ferry providing service between Dover and Calais

Simplon-Orient-Express and Train Bleu, southbound to Paris, 1934

Gare de Lyon, Paris.

Yesterday we saw a photo of Sirkeci Station in Constantinoploe, which serves as the Terminus in Horror on the Orient Express.  Today we're taking a look at the Gare de Lyon, which serves as the start of the ride on the Orient Express itself.

The station is located on the north bank of the river Seine, in the east of Paris.  Built in 1900, it is considered a classic example of the architecture of the time.  It has a notable clock tower in one corner of the station, similar to the Big Ben clock in London.  Of note is the "Buffet de la Gare de Lyon" (since renamed "Le Train Bleu" in modern times) restaurant, which has served drinks and meals to travelers and other guests since 1901.

A note on Blog Goals/Mission Statement, and Sirkeci Station

Being a long-time fan of horror films, I've found that increasingly the genre of "horror" is dominated by non-stop violence, blood and gore (the 'Saw' series for example).  They use a sledgehammer of unpleasantry, while I much prefer more mundane settings that have something horrific lurking just out of sight (1944's "The Uninvited" for example).

So, one of my goals for this blog is to post mostly relatively mundane things to help game masters set the stage for their players.  Photographs, posters, printable money, etc.  From time to time, I'll try to address some of the more horrific aspects of Horror on the Orient Express, but thats not going to be the main focus of this blog.

Without any more philosophizing, heres a picture of Sirkeci Station, which served as the terminus of the Orient Express in Constantinople.

An Orient Express Poster

Chaosiums "Horror on the Orient Express" campaign has long been a favourite of mine.  With its upcoming re-release, I'm starting this blog as a way to collect props for use when the campaign is re-released and I'm able to introduce some new friends to this adventure.

One of the things I've long loved about Chaosiums Call of Cthulhu game is its reliance on props to help set the scene.  I'm looking forward to finding and posting photographs, posters, and other things to help set the stage for players.