"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."[2]
The Great Hellbound Railway is a massive project conducted by London to construct a railway to Hell through the Hinterlands.
"While Lord Mayor, Virginia made it possible to build west. London is taking advantage!"[3]
The GHR runs from Moloch Street in London[4] westward to Marigold Station in the Hinterlands, at which point it merges with the Moloch Line that covers the remaining distance to Hell.[5]
During her term as Lord Mayor of London, Virginia brokered a deal with Hell to allow London to begin developing the Hinterlands.[6] She consequently founded the Ministry of Upper River Development, which began distributing Hinterland Scrip as a new currency for the region.[6] His Amused Lordship took advantage of this opportunity, and founded the Great Hellbound Railway Company with his high-society friends.[7]The Brass Embassy stood in the way of His Lordship's plans, as the GHR would compete with the Hell-run Moloch Line;[8] they only reneged on the condition that a devil be a board member of the new company, a position which Virginia was willing to fill.[9] The Church also demanded representation, as the railway would run through consecrated ground.[10] The Bazaar, for its part, placed the Efficient Commissioner on the board of the GHR to oversee the project.[11]
With matters of representation squared away, the Tracklayer's Union, led by Furnace Ancona, were commissioned to build the new railway. It was not an easy project, as it met with challenges of terrain[12] and morale.[13] As construction continued westward, the influx of visitors and new residents brought in by each station made an impact on the Hinterlands. Station VIII welcomed the GHR,[14] while the gondoliers of Jericho Locks saw the increased traffic as a threat to their own business.[15] The new oversight of the Ministry of Upper River Development also affected some existing communities, like Ealing[16] and Moulin.[17]
Railway Steel
"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."[18]
The Great Hellbound Railway's tracks were manufactured using a recipe developed by Mr Fires:[19][18] an alloy of steel and Justificande Coins.[20] The martensite crystals in the steel always point toward Hell;[21] the coins were supposedly added to "teach the tracks the shape of things-to-come."[21] A very long time ago, the Bazaar incurred an enormous debt to the Creditor, the being that rules the Hinterlands; the Creditor is an earth power, so by laying tracks infused with Justificande Coins, Mr Fires hoped that the debt would be settled or ignored.[22]
↑ 6.06.1Advertisements 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."
↑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!"
↑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 [...]"
↑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.""
↑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."
↑Demand to know what is going on, Fallen London"[...] he gives you something very heavy, wrapped in cloth. "Another of our laboratories developed this at Mr Fires' behest. Mr Fires should not be the only one with the means to make it.""
↑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."
↑ 21.021.1Rely 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?""
↑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.""
