Murder mystery ready to hit the rails

There is going to be a murder on the Alaska Railroad, and people are being invited to watch.

There won't be any arrests made, however. That's because it is the annual fund raiser for the Greater Wasilla Chamber of Commerce.

The dinner theater/murder mystery is set for Oct. 20. The train leaves the Wasilla Depot at 9 a.m. As the story dictates, it is October 1948, and eccentric recluse millionaire William Kensington III just died, from mysterious conditions. The executor of his estate will read his will, but due to Kensington's paranoid nature, it will be held at his mansion, somewhere in the Talkeetna Mountains. The mystery takes off from there.

This is the third year for the event, and this year, everybody riding the train will get to participate and try to figure out just who did what, said Greater Wasilla Chamber of Commerce's Ed Brittingham.

"You learn something new every year about the trip, and this year we've tweaked it to satisfy everybody," Brittingham said. "We've improved on the production and the food service is going to be dynamite."

As part of the train ride, a luncheon will be served. Beverage services are also available. People can dress however they want, but they are encouraged to dress in the styles of the late 1940s to fit into the theme.

"It is going to be a much more comfortable and fun atmosphere this year," Brittingham said.

That's because of special "excursion" cars the Alaska Railroad has purchased. The railroad bought the luxury cars from Disney, and "Alaskanized" them, Brittingham said. They will debut on the murder mystery.

Tickets for the trip are available at the chamber of commerce, located in the Wasilla Depot.

For more information, interested people may call 376-1299, or e-mail info@wasillachamber.org.