We recently went on Fillmore & Western Railway's Murder Mystery Dinner Train. The year is 1874 and we are back in the days of the Wild West. The little town of Fillmore is booming and a rumor of gold in them-there hills has hit the newspapers. Opportunity is everywhere for the taking. Of course, these elements do tend to attract people of dubious character and respectability.......
Enter our cast of characters -
Sid Diamond - in town for a poker tournament. And quite the ladies man.
Mayor Thadeous Townsend. Seeking campaign donations that don't seem to make it to the campaign.
Col. Franklin Aloysius Stump. The town drunk. And nobody can understand what he says. Always seems to get a little closer than you'd like.
Miss Minnie Branagin. The new school marm in town. She always carries her bible and proudly proclaims she will never spare the rod and will never spoil the child. Quite the loud and judgemental character.
Marshall Carson McCoy. A very friendly law man, but he has his hands full with Aloysius and with the upcoming poker tournament in town.
Gunther Tooley - loves to play the banjo. And he looks suspiciously like his brother the Mayor.
Miss Ginger Heart - local saloon girl. She is also the saloon owner, though not on paper since a girl cannot own property. She has signed a contract with the mayor to be the "owner" for appearances sake, but she cannot read and had no idea that the contract was stealing her saloon.
Miss Minnie breaks the news to Ginger that the Mayor has had her sign a dishonest contract, and makes the mayor donate a large sum to the school to buy a new bell. Just then, the mayor collapses and dies. (with much dramatic flair of course). Now - let the mystery begin............
Turns out that Miss Minnie Branagin is really Dolly Delight and is wanted in Arizona. When the Marshall confronts her, she makes a wild escape......
Did you see that coming ?
All in all it was a fun evening, though I'm not sure I'd recommend it to others. It was just ok - mildly amusing. If you go - take friends. Make sure you have a group of 4 or 8, because the seating is tables of 4 and if you are just 2 then you will be put with another couple - and that's the luck of the draw. It is so much more enjoyable if you are with others you can have a great time with.
And don't go for the train ride. It goes 9.6 miles from Fillmore to Santa Paula, which means it goes about 3.5 miles per hour. Though the country is beautiful there - much of your view is back yards and freeway.
We are glad we went, but have now crossed that off the list.