Big Alice

"Big Alice" engine car.

“	She's low-torqued. We can outrun her.	”
	— Melanie Cavill

Big Alice is a prototype of the Eternal Engine used as the locomotive for a secondary supply train. It carries a 40-carriage long train containing supplies and parts for Snowpiercer. It was built by Wilford Industries.

History

Very little is known about Big Alice, other than that it was a prototype. It served as a testbed for the "Perpetual Motion Engine" used by Snowpiercer. Before The Freeze, it was connected to a 40-car long supply train, that was intended to carry out supply runs to Snowpiercer should it need them along its journey.

When Melanie Cavill carried out her coup against Mr. Wilford, she abandoned him at boarding. Leaving Mr. Wilford no other alternative than retrofitting Big Alice to survive. Mr. Wilford also appears to have gathered many Wilford Industries staff to crew Big Alice. Alexandra Cavill was with her grandparents and was meant to arrive at Snowpiercer at boarding, but did not arrive, she then somehow found her way to Big Alice and survived.

Wilford got Big Alice to low idle and managed to hunker down in a shed for a couple of months. By the time Snowpiercer was on the other side of the world, out of satellite view, Big Alice was outfitted.

Big Alice then followed Snowpiercer on the mainline for almost seven years, before taking a shortcut over the old Rocky Mountain test track, called Neckbreaker, to get to Snowpiercer.

Big Alice then chased down Snowpiercer, connected via a 'Jack' system, and brought Snowpiercer to a stop. Melanie then cut the uplink, planted a bomb, and got Snowpiercer moving again.

Snowpiercer later invaded Big Alice and captured Kevin, in a attempt to free Melanie from Wilford, but was stopped by Icy Bob. Wilford then stopped the trains again and attempted to disconnect from Snowpiercer, leave the passengers to die, and then return to retrieve the train afterward. However, the bomb that Melanie had planted earlier destroyed Big Alice's connecting mechanism as Wilford had overbuilt it, something that Melanie had warned him about before. As a result, Snowpiercer and Big Alice were left permanently connected. With no other choice, Wilford reluctantly started the trains moving again.

Big Alice later helped Snowpiercer get over Neckbreaker, by using it's Booster, to get Melanie to the Breslauer Weather Station.

After Wilford's sabotage of Snowpiercer went wrong, Big Alice pushed the entire train powered down to restart the Bogie Motors.

Population

Estimated to be around 100 as said by Kevin, Head of Hospitality on Big Alice.

• Joseph Wilford - CEO of Wilford Industries/Head Engineer/Conductor
• Alexandra Cavill - Engineer and second in command
• Kevin McMahon - Head of Hospitality
• Sykes - Head of Security
• "Icy Bob" - Bodyguard/Freeze augmented (Deceased)
• Mr. Headwood - Scientist - Married
• Mrs. Headwood - Scientist - Married
• Emilia - Seamstress
• Josie Wellstead - Snowpiercer - Frostbite Patient/Informant
• Miss Audrey - Snowpiercer - Wilford's lover
• Sam Roche - Snowpiercer - Lead Brakemen (in Drawers)
• Anne Roche - Snowpiercer - wife of Sam (in Drawers)
• Carly Roche - Snowpiercer - daughter of Sam (in Drawers)
• "Oiler Bob"
• Damien Ho - Galley Worker
• Driscoll
• Jupiter - Female Dog

Cargo

According to Bennett Knox, as of 994 Cars Long, Snowpiercer is coming apart; there are no perpetual motion parts and Big Alice is packed with parts, such as bogie-motors, bovine cultures, a full genetics lab, enough to keep them going. It is unknown exactly how much Wilford retrofitted Big Alice and how different it is from its original form. Big Alice also has Goop and Amazing Alice. 27 of its cars currently carry supplies.

Technology

The "Docking Car" of Big Alice opening up shortly before connecting to Snowpiercer.

Despite having only 40 cars, Melanie believed Snowpiercer could outrun the prototype if all power was pushed to the motors. Eventually, though, Big Alice chased Snowpiercer down and managed to attach itself to the Docking Car of Snowpiercer using a massive connection mechanism concealed within its car. This mechanism also possesses some form of a welder, as it almost immediately begins cutting through the Tail hatch once connected. Wilford, however, overbuilt the mechanism which Melanie warned him about. By blowing up the central lock, Melanie ensured that Wilford could never disconnect the two trains, forever linking Big Alice and Snowpiercer.

Big Alice has some form of 'jack' system, which is used to connect to Snowpiercer and began shutting down individual systems before finally gaining control of the Engine, and engaging the emergency brakes, bringing the train to a screeching halt. Melanie managed to cut the uplink with a small axe.

According to Head of Hospitality (Kevin), if agriculture on Snowpiercer dies, Mr Wilford could restart everything.

Big Alice has a Booster that increases it's speed.

Big Alice also has Drawers onboard.

Exterior

While built on the same rail gauge as Snowpiercer, Big Alice is much larger and taller than Snowpiercer itself. It is also significantly darker in coloration, and adorned with bright orange caution stripes, in contrast with Snowpiercer's shiny all-chrome finish. She has two cockpits, one facing the front of the Engine, the other facing the back.

Its cars seem to be similar in design to Snowpiercer's albeit more utilitarian rather than designed for form. However, unlike Snowpiercer, Big Alice's locomotive is large and boxy, more similar to a modern diesel locomotive, and is still extremely powerful while pushing the train to connect with Snowpiercer. It is also ridiculously large compared to its train cars, rather than being flush to the profile like Snowpiercer. Like Snowpiercer, she is also adorned with the large 'W' logo of Wilford Industries in various places.

The Big Alice concept art by Alex Nice, which serves as a basis for the CGI model.

Based on the concept art by Alex Nice, the train is even larger than Snowpiercer, being 10.8 meters wide, 13.3 meters tall (18.1 at the engine), and 88.2 meters long per car (70.8 meters at the engine). This would make the 40 car train exceed a length of 2.2 miles or 3.5 km. This is probably the closest to the actual dimensions however, the scale used during the set is downscaled.

Appearances

Season One

• 994 Cars Long

Season Two

• The Time of Two Engines
• Smolder to Life
• A Great Odyssey
• A Single Trade
• Keep Hope Alive
• Many Miles From Snowpiercer
• Our Answer for Everything
• The Eternal Engineer
• The Show Must Go On
• Into the White

Trivia

• Big Alice may be analogous to Icebreaker from the graphic novels, though this is unconfirmed.
• The Engineers were aware of Big Alice's existence but were surprised to see it moving.
• Carrying 40 carriages (27 supply cars, 13 non supply cars), Big Alice has 954 fewer carriages than Snowpiercer. The cars have a second floor used to traverse the train.
• Big Alice was retrofitted by Mr. Wilford sometime during Snowpiercer's first revolution.

• Unlike Snowpiercer, Big Alice’s Engine car is at the rear of the train and the front is the Docking Car.
• In the Season 2 credits, Big Alice is called a Secondary Supply Train.
• Big Alice is powerful enough to push the entire train of Snowpiercer completely powered down.

Gallery

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  The Docking Car of Big Alice reveals itself

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  All 40 cars

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  Catching up

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  Prepering to Connect

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  Chicago

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  True size

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  Comicbook Version

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  Comicbook Version of Snowpiercer and Big Alice connected.

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  Big Alice leaves Chicago

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  Outside

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  Outside

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  Outside

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  Outside

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  Behind the scenes Cockpit Interior