Jasmina: Anyway, John, you can catch the 11.30 from Hornchurch and be in Basingstoke by one o’clock, oh, and there’s a buffet car and… (sees corpse) Oh! Daddy!

John (Eric Idle): My hat! Sir Horace!

Jasmina: (not daring to look) Has he been…

John: Yes – after breakfast. But that doesn’t matter now, he’s dead.

Jasmina: Oh! Poor daddy!

John: Looks like I shan’t be catching the 11:30 now.

Jasmina: Oh no, John, you mustn’t miss your train.

John: How could I think of catching a train when I should be here helping you?

Jasmina: Oh, John, thank you. Anyway you could always catch the 9:30 tomorrow – it goes via Caterham and Chipstead.

John: Or the 9:45′s even better.

Jasmina: Oh, but you’d have to change at Lambs Green.

John: Yes, but there’s only a seven-minute wait now.

Jasmina: Oh, yes, of course, I’d forgotten it was Friday. Oh, who could have done this?

(Enter Lady Partridge.)

Lady Partridge (Graham Chapman): Oh, do hurry Sir Horace, your train leaves in twenty-eight minutes, and if you miss the 10:15 you won’t catch the 3:45 which means… oh!

John: I’m afraid Sir Horace won’t be catching the 10:15, Lady Partridge.

Lady Partridge: Has he been… ?

Jasmina: Yes – after breakfast.

John: Lady Partridge, I’m afraid you can cancel his seat reservation.

Lady Partridge: Oh, and it was back to the engine – fourth coach along so that he could see the gradient signs outside Swanborough.

John: Not any more Lady Partridge, the line’s been closed.

Lady Partridge: Closed! Not Swanborough!

John: I’m afraid so.

(Enter Inspector Davis.)

Inspector (Terry Jones: All right, nobody move. I’m Inspector Davis of Scotland Yard.

John: My word, you were here quickly, inspector.

Inspector: Yeah, I got the 8:55 Pullman Express from King’s Cross and missed that bit around Hornchurch.

Lady Partridge: It’s a very good train.

All: Excellent, very good, delightful.

(Tony runs in through the french windows. He wears white flannels and boater and is jolly upper-class.)

Tony (Michael Palin0: Hello everyone.

All: Tony!

Tony: Where’s daddy? (seeing him) Oh golly! Has he been… ?

John and Jasmina: Yes, after breakfast.

Tony: Then he… won’t be needing his reservation on the 10:15.

John: Exactly.

Tony: And I suppose as his eldest son it must go to me.

Inspector: Just a minute, Tony. There’s a small matter of… murder.

Tony: Oh, but surely he simply shot himself and then hid the gun.

Lady Partridge: How could anyone shoot himself and then hide the gun without first cancelling his reservation.

Tony: Ha, ha! Well, I must dash or I’ll be late for the 10:15.

Inspector: I suggest you murdered your father for his seat reservation.

Tony: I may have had the motive, inspector, but I could not have done it, for I have only just arrived from Gillingham on the 8:13 and here’s my restaurant car ticket to prove it.

Jasmina: The 8:13 from Gillingham doesn’t have a restaurant car.

John: It’s a standing buffet only.

Tony: Oh, er… did I say the 8:13, I meant the 7:58 stopping train.

Lady Partridge: But the 7:58 stopping train arrived at Swindon at 8:19 owing to annual point maintenance at Wisborough Junction.

John: So how did you make the connection with the 8:13 which left six minutes earlier?

Tony: Oh, er, simple! I caught the 7:16 Football Special arriving at Swindon at 8:09.

Jasmina: But the 7:16 Football Special only stops at Swindon on alternate Saturdays.

Lady Partridge: Yes, surely you mean the Holidaymaker Special.

Tony: Oh, yes! How daft of me. Of course, I came on the Holidaymaker Special calling at Bedford, Colmworth, Fen Dinon, Sutton, Wallington and Gillingham.

Inspector: That’s Sundays only!

Tony: Damn. All right, I confess I did it. I killed him for his reservation, but you won’t take me alive! I’m going to throw myself under the 10:12 from Reading.

John: Don’t be a fool, Tony, don’t do it, the 10:12 has the new narrow traction bogies, you wouldn’t stand a chance.

Tony: Exactly.

(Tableau. Loud chord and slow curtain.)

FWIW, I used to ride the commuter rail to DC’s Union Station. We had multiple car designs (including some Chicago sold us), and you could feel knees in some and not in others.