Chehalis-Centralia Railroad engineer Ray Beaber, Chehalis, walks around the almost 100-year-old steam engine Sunday afternoon before the first run of the day. The Chehalis-Centralia Railroad and Museum kicked off the regular summer season starting Saturday with regular runs scheduled at 1 and 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
Alden Visser, 2, Olympia, covers his ears as he takes in the view from his father Mike Visser's shoulders during his first steam train ride Sunday afternoon in Chehalis. The Chehalis-Centralia Railroad and Museum kicked off the regular summer season on Saturday.
Ray Beaber, Chehalis, adds oil and checks gages before the first run of the Chehalis-Centralia Railroad Sunday in Chehalis.
Chehalis-Centralia Railroad engineer Ray Beaber, Chehalis, takes a break between runs to have a snack Sunday afternoon.
Murder mystery dinners have become somewhat of a popular party to host, but the Chehalis-Centralia Railroad has taken that to these simple dinner parties to the next level by including real actors, professionally cooked dinner and, of course, guest involvement.
But be careful: You could be the murderer. It’s a mystery, after all.
Starting in June and running one Saturday night a month, the Murder Mystery Dinner Train will last until October, but seats are already filling up. Tickets are $52 a person, and $25 for children under 10.
The train leaves the station at 5 p.m., and takes until 7 p.m. to finish the loop. The ride comes with a four-course meal, served progressively throughout the night.
Fare includes a fresh vegetable appetizer, salad with ranch dressing, and choice of an entree: prime rib, baked salmon with lemon or chicken cordon bleu. And dinner wouldn’t be complete without a special dessert. Red and white wines will be available for $6, as well as a more kid-friendly menu. Entrees must be chosen at the time of ticket reservation, so remember to plan ahead.
The plot of the murder mystery is a secret, but it is sure to be thrilling and suspenseful, due to some of it’s inspiration being drawn from Agatha Christie’s novels. Christie’s writing style makes this adaptation accessible and entertaining for all ages.
“There’s no lines per se. You just get a character and a motivation, and you just get out there and start mingling with the passengers,” said Isaac Wulff, a committee member for the event. “Working with the audience is a good time. It’s something that hardly ever gets to happen. It’s all just improv.”
The committee has a file of about 20 scripts that they’ve written, and depending on who shows up to the meeting, they pick a script and run with it. Actors have a lot of freedom to move around and work with whatever group that shows up, so riders are encouraged to be prepared to be involved and have a good time.
Author Provides Inspiration
Agatha Christie helped to inspire the Chehalis-Centralia Railroad to host this murder mystery dinner train ride. Born in England to American parents, Christie taught herself to read and write by the age of 5, though she later improved on her skills through tutors.
Though Christie was trained and talented as a pianist and singer, her lack of an outgoing personality made her more apt in the quieter arts, such as writing. After marrying Archie Christie on Christmas Eve, 1914, Agatha began volunteering with the Red Cross.
The year 1926 brought many trials for Christie: Her mother died and her husband left her and her only daughter, Rosalind, to fend for themselves in tumultuous times.
Though her first novel, “The Mysterious Affair at Styles,” took Christie several years to complete, she would go on to write a total of 90 published works, including two autobiographies, 80 novels and short stories, with eight novels under her pen name, Mary Westmacott. Christie’s works have sold more than 2 billion copies, earning her the title of “Best Selling Female Author” in the world, second only to Shakespeare and the Bible, according to her official website.
Christie’s works are some of the most often adapted to theater productions, due to their suspense, accessibility and easy-to-understand nature.
Her most popular novel, “And Then There Were None,” was recently adapted by the Centralia High School drama department. However, very unlike most of her characters in this particular novel, Christie died peacefully, at home, after a mild cold in 1976.
