The Cannonball

The Cannonball is not just a train, it's The Train--that is to say, it is the Platonic Ideal of a Train. When the Collective Unconscious was downsized, many Platonic Ideals representing objects of declining relevance went up for auction and The Cannonball was Lot #577, right between The Platonic Ideal of a Wigwam and The Platonic Ideal of The Expectation of Privacy. The winning bid was from a semi-retired vegetation deity named Jesus, who has served as the train's engineer ever since (with assistance from his second-in-command, the highly respected author and former timecop William Faulkner.
Jesus and his drinking buddy don't really pilot the train so much as watch over it as it pilots itself. While they can exercise some control over the train's next destination, they've found that if they just let the train follow its own path, they tend to end up exactly where they're supposed to be.

Power Generation

The Cannonball's power source changes to fit its current appearance, which is always a function of the dimension and time period through which the power source is travelling. When it visits the Old West, it's an old-fashioned steam train. When moving through 2525 Tokyo, it's a sleek magnetic bullet train with neon accents everywhere. On Qerth, it's an enormous purple worm.

Propulsion

The Cannonball is equipped with a state-of-the-art warp drive that allows it to travel through the void of space.

Weapons & Armament

The Cannonball is more of a love train than a war train. As such, it does not normally carry weaponry. If offensive capabilities are required, there's usually a passenger or temporary crew member with the skills to improvise on-board weaponry out of locally available materials.

Armor and defense

The Cannonball is just as succeptible to damage as any train matching its current form, but such damage doesn't tend to last very long. Since The Cannonball is the Platonic Ideal of a Train, its energies are constantly being recharged every time someone discusses, sings a song about, or even thinks of a train. This incoming energy allows the train to repair itself very rapidly.

Designation

A&O Engine #733

Motto

Buy the ticket. Take the ride.

Creation Date

The Beginning

Decommission Date

The End

Owner

Jesus

Price

Not For Sale

Rarity

Unique

Width

Varies

Length

Varies

Height

Varies

Weight

Varies

Speed

Varies

Complement / Crew

2 permanent, a dozen or so temporary crew at any given time

Cargo & Passenger Capacity

Varies