With a few games of the new edition under my belt, I can say that I like what I see. My group includes some Cthulhu veterans and after the game we discussed our greatest memories playing Lovecraftian games. Someone mentioned playing an role-playing game scenario set on a luxury train. That got me thinking, why not in Mansions?

I humbly suggest a set of map tiles and an accompanying scenario that takes place (mainly) on a train. A 1920's luxury train was THE way to travel across the continent and a constantly moving, enclosed setting would make great narratives. There are opportunities for investigation (Agatha Christie's Orient Express anyone?), action (Trying to reach the locomotive through a train filled with cultists) and occult horror (An angry monster chasing the investigators through the train's narrow corridors.

Period luxury trains had many interesting cars that would make for interesting map tiles and some could double as small building on other scenarios (the restaurant car could act as a small cafe for example). There is almost a glut to choose from, with the engine, sleeper car, luxury passenger car with ample amenities, a second class passenger car, the private car for the rich and powerful, the restaurant car, a cargo car and of course, the caboose.

In some scenarios, the investigators (or monsters) could try to disconnect the cars, in others maybe the train makes a stop, allowing for interesting ways to interact with the environment?

One of the stops (perhaps even an emergency stop in the middle of nowhere) could be a location. In chaosium's Orient Express adventure the stops were all adventure locations in foreign lands.

Cool idea. I could easily see an Orient Express big box expansion doing well.

Could include a wide variety of tiles for the train, as well as stations and the surrounding areas.

I can imagine the following...

Summary - The Investigators have been alerted that an artifact was stolen from a museum and is being transported aboard a train. They need to find out who stole it and where it's being taken.

Act I - Investigators start in a train station (tiles laid out next to the train tiles) and have several rounds of investigation before the train leaves. At a certain point, the train conductor yells all aboard and the players are instructed to move the Investigators to a specific train tile (their room) and then to remove the train station tiles. The train is now moving.

Act II - The Investigators continue the investigation on the train, interacting with train personnel, fellow travelers and various locations... food car, cargo cars, etc. Cultists and other relatively "benign" monsters appear. Once the Investigators learn who is the culprit, Act III triggers. The train stops/derails when the cultists take control of the train. Players are instructed to place some of the outdoorsy tiles next to the train.

Act III - The cultists/culprit flees the train with the artifact. The players have to follow into the surrounding wooded area only to find a clearing where a ritual is being performed. Monsters start appearing and make the player's lives difficult. Smashing the artifact ends the scenario with an Investigator win. Dialog will make it clear that this is the win condition. Anything else is a loss.

I totally wish there was a scenario editor. I would do this in a heart beat and just proxy in map tiles as needed.

If you want to "sacrifice" room tiles for the sake of cool action scenarios, the reverse sides of the room tiles could be the train cars' roofs. Want to sprint to the locomotive? Just risk the mail hooks, water pipes and branches. Maybe monsters could be affected by these too during mythos phase? A hapless cultist being swept away by a low hanging tunnel roof.

If you want to "sacrifice" room tiles for the sake of cool action scenarios, the reverse sides of the room tiles could be the train cars' roofs. Want to sprint to the locomotive? Just risk the mail hooks, water pipes and branches. Maybe monsters could be affected by these too during mythos phase? A hapless cultist being swept away by a low hanging tunnel roof.

Actually, one round could involve going through a tunnel and placing darkness tokens in most of the cars. That could be a cool mechanic. This would definitely have to be a timed scenario.