The Lost Special Trivia Quiz

Answer: 1890

'The Lost Special' is a short story by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes. The story is about a special train that is mysteriously lost. The story starts on 3rd June 1890, when one Monsieur Caratal visits the Liverpool railway station to demand a special train.

Answer: Because he had missed the London Express

Monsieur Caratal met the superintendent of the London & West Coast Central Station on 3rd June 1890. Caratal had missed the London Express and he wanted to reach Paris urgently. Since money was of no importance, he wanted to book a special train.

Answer: Fifty pounds five shillings

The money for booking the special train was fifty five pounds five shillings, at the rate of five shillings a mile. The train contained two carriages, with a guard's van.

Answer: Kenyon Junction-Barton Moss

The special train leaves Liverpool station at 4:31. The train passes Collins Green at 5:00, Earlstown at 5:06, Newton at 5:10 and Kenyon Junction at 5:20. But the train fails to reach the next station of Barton Moss.

Answer: His dead body is found among the gorse bushes

The driver of the special train, John Slater, is found dead. His body is found among the gorse bushes at a point two and a quarter miles from Kenyon Junction.

Answer: Sherlock Holmes

The baffling disappearance of the train leaves everyone stunned. The Times newspaper receives a letter from an amateur reasoner, who presents a solution to the problem. It is presumed that this person is none other than Sherlock Holmes. This assumption can be safely made as the letter starts with a famous maxim of Holmes, "It is one of the elementary principles of practical reasoning that when the impossible has been eliminated, the residuum however improbable must contain the truth". Holmes goes on to suggest that the train must have been run off a side track and advises to make a detailed search of the various pawnbroker shops.

Answer: He sends a letter to his wife from New York

The train's guard, James McPherson, sends a letter to his wife asking her to join him. The letter is posted from New York. The police accompany McPherson's wife, but fail to apprehend the train guard. It is revealed at the end of the story that McPherson was killed by the villains for committing the foolish act of writing to his wife.

Answer: One of the culprits confesses to the crime

Herbert de Lernac was one of the key culprits involved in the disappearance of the lost special. De Lernac was apprehended by the police for the murder of a merchant named Bonvalot. He confesses to being the kingpin behind the disappearance of the train. The disappearance of the train takes place in 1890, but the confession comes only in 1898.

Answer: To kill Monsieur Caratal

Monsieur Caratal knew a secret that could destroy a syndicate and expose a major political scandal. The syndicate decided to remove Caratal, destroy the papers he had and also anyone with him. The syndicate hired Herbert de Lernac to carry out the deed. De Lernac had a plan for all eventualities and since Caratal booked a special, he executed his plan to make the train and Caratal disappear.

Answer: The train was diverted to a side track to a mine

Once de Lernac has decided to do away with Caratal, he decided to make the train disappear. From near Kenyon Junction, there were tracks leading to unused mines. Lernac selected the abandoned Heartsease mine and switched the train to the side track that led to the mine.

The train was made to run into the pit of the mine, killing Caratal and his guard and also completely destroying the train. The murderers then ripped up the rails and disconnected the side line. All this was done so meticulously that no one could ever solve the mystery.

The story ends with de Lernac facing death sentence and warning the syndicate that he would expose them if they don't help him.