THE LAST EXPRESS
Introduction
This walkthrough assumes you are familiar with operating the game's user interface.
The Last Express is not a completely linear game, so this walkthrough is only one order of events while others will also lead to a successful game completion.
The events in this game do not always happen at the same time or in same place for each game played. For this reason you may find it difficult to follow this walkthrough exactly. You may get behind schedule and miss opportunities. Usually you will get another chance to perform critical actions. If the game ends prematurely you can always rewind.
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General Hints
1.Whenever the conductors are not at their stations take a look at their books. One of them sketches the passengers. These pictures may provide clues. Check this book as often as you can. As the journey progresses, you will find more sketches in his book. The other book contains the passenger list. 2.The newspaper in the smoking compartment contains interesting political information. 3.Whenever the conductors' views are blocked you can try to enter other passenger's compartments. 4.When the guard leaves his office in the baggage car, usually to make announcements for meals or stops, you can explore the forward baggage compartment. 5.Eavesdrop as much as possible. 6.Engage the other passengers in conversation as often as possible. This walkthrough will not enable you to listen to every conversation, but you will hear most of them. 7.Follow the passengers when they move. This may represent another opportunity for eavesdropping or conversation. 8.This game, although mainly a puzzle solving adventure, involves a few action sequences where you have to fight with an assailant. The fights involve hand-eye coordination and fast reactions. They get increasingly difficult as the game progresses. The game will end prematurely if you lose the fight. But with practice you will win. Don't despair! 9.To begin with you will be unfamiliar with the layout of the train. Here is the initial configuration:
CarCompartments in Car Rear of TrainPrivate Car:BedroomConcert RoomRear Sleeping Car:Compartments 1-9 Forward Sleeping Car:Compartments A-I Restaurant Car:Smoking Compartment Dining CompartmentKitchenBaggage Car:Passenger Compartment Guard's OfficeBaggage AreaEngineFront of Train
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24th July 1914, Paris to Chalons
19:14 Tyler Whitney looks out from the stationary Orient Express. He is clearly expecting someone.
19:39 The Orient Express has left Paris. Robert Cath jumps on to the moving train.
At this point you take control of Cath's actions. You are positioned between the Private Car and the Rear Sleeping Car. Turn right and go into the Rear Sleeping Car.
Find Compartment 1. This is Tyler Whitney's compartment. Open the door and go inside. You find Tyler's dead body. You must get rid of the body or you will be arrested for Tyler's murder! Open the compartment window. Pick up Tyler's body and throw it out of the window. Your jacket is bloody. If the conductor sees you like this you will be arrested, so swap it for Tyler's jacket hanging near the window. Get Tyler's case down from the rack and open it. Read Cath's telegram to Tyler. Take the Russian scroll. Try to read it. You are going to need a translator!
19:40 First Service Dinner is announced.
Go to the Restaurant Car. On your way through the Smoking Compartment, stop and listen to Sophie and Rebecca chatting.
Go into the Dining Compartment and talk with the older man sitting by himself, August Schmidt. Tyler & August clearly had a deal! You have to find some gold or this deal will go ahead. After August returns to his compartment, stay in the Dining Compartment. Now talk to the younger man sitting on his own, Alexei Dolnikov. When Alexei leaves pick up his book and take the timetable inside it. Note he has marked the time 10:40 on the timetable. Alexei returns shortly to retrieve his book. Listen to the elderly gentleman and young woman chatting. This is the Count and Tatiana, his granddaughter
Leave the Restaurant Car and walk through the Sleeping Cars, until you encounter the child Francois Boutarel blowing a whistle. Follow Francois to Compartment D. He will tell his mother how he saw a dead man being thrown from the train!
Return to the Dining Compartment. When the elegant woman, Anna, enters, talk to her.
Go into the Smoking Compartment and show Alexei the Russian scroll. He wasn't very helpful. You will need someone else who is fluent in Russian
Return to the Dining Compartment. Listen to the Boutarel's discussion. Listen and watch August flirting with Anna.
Leave and walk through to the Rear Sleeping Car. The conductor tells you that you are requested to go to the Private Car. Do so.
20:30 Second Service Dinner is announced.
In the Private Car, you meet Kronos and Tahina. Kronos alludes to a very significant exchange of something highly valuable...and a very heavy briefcase. Return to the Dining Car.
The Count and Tatiana are leaving. Follow them. As they go through the Smoking Compartment, Alexei confronts the Count. Talk to Alexei. He leaves.
Return to the Dining Compartment and listen to Sophie and Rebecca's discussion.
Return to your compartment, number 1, and you will be attacked by Milos. When you win the fight by disarming him, he will talk to you.
Leave your compartment and walk toward the Restaurant Car. You should see Tahina in the Sleeping Cars corridor searching other people's compartments for something.
Go to the Dining Compartment and go through the curtain. The chef and his apprentice are chatting. Return to the Sleeping Cars Corridor.
21:16 The train arrives at Epernay
You should see Tahina leaving your compartment, stopping outside Anna's then entering someone else's.
21:19 The French police board the train. You must hide or you will be arrested! I found the best place to hide was in the Count's washroom. Go into Compartment A, then into the washroom. Stay here until you here the police disembark. Go out to the corridor.
At Compartment D, Mme Boutarel, Francois and the conductor discuss the police investigation. When Anna appears talk to her.
Tatiana goes to the door area between the Private Car and the Rear Sleeping Car.
The guard and conductors chat at the conductors' stations.
Go to the Smoking Compartment and listen to Anna and August chatting.
21:41 The train arrives at Chalons-sur-Marne
21:46 The train leaves Chalons-sur-Marne
Return to your compartment and go to sleep.
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25th July 1914, Strasbourg to Ulm
You seem to have woken up. Get up, leave the compartment then go back in. You are having a nightmare about Tyler. You wake up.
03:38 The train arrives at Strasbourg
Go to Compartment F and talk with Anna. Go to Compartment A. The Count is having an attack. Afterwards, listen to Anna confiding in Tatiana. She knows her compartment has been searched, She wants Tatiana to take care of something for her. Return to Compartment F and talk with Anna.. Anna then goes into Tatiana's compartment then returns to her own.
Return to your own compartment and go to sleep.
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25th July 1914, Ulm to Munich
When you wake up you find a scarf.
Leave the compartment. You should see Francois playing with the whistle. He will show it to you.
Visit Compartment G. Milos will chat with you. You now know that Tyler was to conduct an arms deal with August. He was going to exchange an item known as the "Firebird" for gold. Then the gold was to buy the guns from August for the Serbian resistance movement.
Back in the corridor or in Compartment D, Francois has a new game. The guard and conductor chat about a missing master key.
Francois chats with his mother about a beetle.
Go to the Dining Compartment and talk to Tatiana. She will offer to translate the Firebird Scroll for you. She then gets up to talk to Alexei.
Go to the Smoking Compartment, and listen to Sophie and Rebecca chatting with August. Sit down at the table under the clock. Take the box of matches from your pocket and remove the matches. Catch the beetle in the match box. This may take several attempts!
Walk through the Sleeping Cars corridors until you meet August and talk with him.
10:18 The train arrives at Munich.
Watch August's merchandise being put on the train. Note the shape of the box.
10:28 The train leaves Munich.
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25th July 1914, Munich to Salzburg
12:00 In the Smoking Compartment, Alexei and Tatiana play chess and chat.
Go into the Dining Compartment. You will overhear Abbot talking to the guard.
12:12 First Service Lunch is announced.
Chat with August. Anna joins August for lunch. Return to the Sleeping Car corridor. Boutarel and Abbot are chatting in Compartment C. The conductors are chatting.
When Francois comes along you can show him the beetle. Return to the Smoking Compartment.
Alexei and Tatiana continue to play chess and chat. Go into the Dining Compartment
The Boutarel family is chatting. Join Abbot for lunch.
12:45 The train arrives at Salzburg.
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25th July 1914, Salzburg to Wels
Pay Kronos a visit in his Private Car. Read the book on the couch and listen to Tahina and Kronos plotting. They believe Anna has the Firebird.
Return to your compartment. The Firebird Scroll with a translation will be on the floor by the door. Return to the Dining Car.
August and Anna continue to chat. Then they move to the Smoking Compartment. Follow them.
August and Anna continue to chat. Tatiana and Alexei are still here chatting too.
13:00 Second Service Lunch is announced.
The Boutarel family return to their compartments. Watch Kronos arrange a music concert with Anna. When everyone leaves the Smoking Compartment, check out the Dining Compartment. You may catch Sophie and Rebecca chatting. Return to the Forward Sleeping Car corridor.
13:57 The train arrives at Attnang
Francois will trade the whistle for your beetle. Then he plays with the beetle. August will chat with you.
Mme Boutarel complains to the conductor about Anna's dog. Then the conductor and guard discuss Mme Boutarel's demand. The conductor talks to Anna and removes her dog.
Return to the Rear Sleeping Car. The conductor will invite you to the music concert.
Return to the Dining Compartment. You should hear the chef berating his apprentice.
14:23 The train arrives at Wels.
Return to the Smoking Car.
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25th July 1914, Wels to Linz
Sophie and Rebecca are chatting. Rebecca leaves. Try talking to Sophie. Return to the Forward Sleeping Cars corridor.
Anna leaves her compartment, has it locked and heads for Kronos's Private Car. Return to the Smoking Compartment.
Rebecca returns to chat with Sophie. Return to the Sleeping Cars corridor. Tatiana leaves her compartment.
Go into Compartment A and then into the washroom. Look in the cupboard under the sink and take the golden egg. Leave. The Count will awaken and speak to you. Leave.
Back in the corridor at Compartment E, you hear Rebecca and Sophie chatting.
14:55 The train arrives at Linz.
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25th July 1914, Linz to Vienna
Return to your compartment and leave the golden egg in the chest.
Around 15:10 go to the Private Car where the music concert is starting. Sit down and appreciate the music. Watch Tahina. Tahina leaves the concert (to search compartments again). Tahina returns to the concert a few minutes later. Now it is safe to do some compartment searching yourself! Leave the concert.
You have half an hour to an hour to complete the following very interesting activities while several people are occupied by the concert.
Go into Compartment E. Search it and read Rebecca's diary. Exit through the window and enter Anna's compartment. Open the trunk. In the bottom drawer is an enlightening letter. Look at the jewel case. In the bottom of it there is a secret compartment. Open it and take the master key.
The master key will open all the compartment and outer doors. Leave Anna's compartment and go to the outside door area between the Rear Sleeping Car and Private Car. Use the key to unlock the right-hand side door and go outside. Use the ladder to climb up to the roof of the train. Turn around and walk to the back of the train along the roof. When you get to the glass roof of the Private Car (you should hear the concert), smash it. Jump down into Kronos's private bedroom.
Look at the papers on the bedside table. It seems as though Tyler had the egg when he left Paris. Find the hidden switch on the wall to the right of the wardrobe and press it. This opens up a cabinet and reveals a briefcase. Look at the case. It is full of gold. Take it. Leave via the door and go into the music concert! This causes a bit of a stir. Leave.
Return to your compartment. Put the case under your bed. Retrieve the golden egg.
Go to the Baggage Car and go though to the very end (when the guard is elsewhere), so that you can see the engine. Open the dog's cage. Let Max out. Deposit the golden egg in the cage.
Return to the Sleeping Car corridor. Abbot tries to talk to Alexei in the Smoking Compartment. Alexei leaves.
Alexei's return will enable you to enter Compartment 3 using the master key. Search August's compartment. Search his case. You will find a draft letter. Return to the concert.
When the concert ends return to your compartment. Collect the case full of gold. Go back out to the Sleeping Car corridor. In the Forward Sleeping Car, Anna and August are chatting. Return to the Rear Sleeping Car.
Go to Compartment 3. Wait for August to go in. Visit August and show him the gold.
Tahina tells you at gun point to see Kronos. Surprise, surprise! Go to the Private Car. Kronos will reclaim the case full of gold. Return to the Rear Sleeping Car.
Milos will chat with you. Go to Compartment G. Visit Milos and talk to him some more.
You may hear Tatiana reporting to Anna, that the egg has been stolen! Go to the Smoking Compartment.
Listen to Abbot and August chatting. When Abbot leaves chat with August.
Go to the Baggage Car. And go into the now open baggage area. Find the box that was loaded on the train by August in Munich. Try to open it. Anna will appear and you will hear her story about Tyler and the egg. Then Vesna attacks you. Keep avoiding Vesna's attack until Anna takes control of the situation. Take a look in the box if you get a chance.
18:00 The train arrives at Vienna.
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25th July 1914, Vienna to Budapest
19:35 First Service Dinner is announced.
Visit Compartment F and chat with Anna. Return to the Dining Compartment.
August is waiting for Anna. But Anna sends a message canceling the appointment. Leave and go to the area between the Rear Sleeping Car and the Private Car.
Here you will find Alexei and Tatiana talking. You can only eavesdrop if you listen from next to the guard's station so that they don't know you are there. You should overhear Alexei planning to blow up the train! Go to Compartment 2.
20:08 The train arrives at Poszony.
Search Alexei's compartment. Get the case from the rack and take the detonator you find there. Abbot will walk in on you!
When you return to the corridor Alexei and Tatiana should be parting company. Go to the Forward Sleeping Car. Claude and Abbot are chatting in Compartment C.
20:30 Second Service Dinner is announced.
20:47 The train arrives at Galanta.
Return to your compartment. When you hear the knocking, open the door. Tatiana visits you and asks for your help. Go to the Smoking Compartment.
Chat with a very drunk August. Return to your compartment.
Go to sleep. You dream.
22:30 You wake up
Go to Compartment A. In Compartment A, you hear Alexei's last words and witness his death. Leave.
You overhear Abbot asking the Guard to keep the incident quiet. You should be hearing a fairly loud ticking. Remember how Alexei had noted down the time of 10:40 p.m. on his train timetable?
Track down the sound of the clock to the Guard's forward station panel. Open the panel and find the bomb. Move the bomb once only. Use a cigarette on the exposed wires to burn through the wires. Do not open the box! Turn the box around and remove the screws from the hinges. Place the telegram between the moving contacts to disarm the bomb. Phew! Not a second too soon! Congratulations! Go to the Smoking Compartment.
Chat with Abbot. Follow Anna to her compartment. Although she is tired be persistent in talking to her . . . The Serbs take over the train!
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26th July 1914, Budapest to Istanbul
04:40 You wake up.
You are bound and imprisoned in a baggage compartment. Free yourself. Fight the Serb. You must hit him a few times to win. Then free Anna. Go to the back of the train, go outside and up the ladder onto the roof.
Go toward the engine and fight the Serb. Avoid the attacks, then grab the bar he is using to attack you to win. Turn around and fight Vesna. Avoid Vesna's attacks then when she ducks, you must duck too. Return to the Dining Compartment.
You explain what has happened and most passengers return to their compartments.
The Count and Tatiana won't move. Chat with them. Go to the area between the Restaurant Car and the Sleeping Car.
Open up the floor here, and de-couple the cars. August is not a happy man! Return to the roof of the train.
Go to the engine and chat with Milos, Anna shoots Milos and tries to stop the train.
Release the brake and the train will continue on crashing through the Serbian barrier. Go to the passenger compartment in the Baggage Car. Chat with Anna . . .
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27th July 1914, Budapest to Istanbul
07:00 You wake up.
When Anna leaves. Go to the Restaurant Car. Chat with Kronos. Fetch the Firebird egg from the dog's cage. Open the Firebird by clicking on the gems according to the order in the Firebird scroll:
Australia (aqua), Denmark (blue), China (red), Island in the South Pacific (purple), the Near East (green).
Anna will make the Firebird sing by playing the violin.
When Kronos tells you to close the Firebird, immediately use the gold whistle on the Firebird . . . At last you understand how Tyler died.
Enjoy the closing sequences and history lesson!
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This walkthrough is copyright (c) 1997 by Diana Griffiths (email: ggriffit@icons.net). All rights reserved. Not to be distributed without permission.
