Rescue
5 February, 1985
Barrow-in-Furness, England, United Kingdom
Stop! they yelled, but it was too late. Two engines, one a loaned diesel numbered 37151 and a foreigner, a Class 37, collided. The crash was awfully loud, and Henry wished he could cover his ears to stop hearing what was happening. With a loud bang, 37151's power generator exploded from trying to power her wheels too hard, tearing a hole in her left side wall. Her second-man wasn't nearly as lucky, as he was trying frantically to turn it off. The driving crews of both engines, from the impact, hit their respective windshields.
Henry didn't look - he couldn't! The carnage was overwhelming. The other foreign engine, a Lancashire and Yorkshire tank engine, though, was simply too curious and watched it play out in its entirety. As soon as it was cleared, 37151 and the English diesel were uncoupled from their trains, coupled to each other, and pushed away. The alien steam engine took as many people as he had empty seats, and headed back for Lancashire.
Henry, still shocked from the incident, ran to the leftover coaches, waited for the passengers to get out, and pushed them to his own. His driver eased him to the other end of the now doubled rake, and while the passengers got on, tried giving Henry the motivation to pull them to Knapford. He opened the regulator, and they were on their way. It was a slow process, but they eventually started.
It was hard. He didn't have the puff, a problem that he thought they fixed 50 years ago. But all engines have their limits, he supposed. But he had to do it. The passengers were relying on the Fat Controller's railway to get home. They passed James, who simply whistled, both with his whistle and with his mouth.
He felt a pain in his wheel, but kept going. As soon as he got to the station, he would have a nice long rest, and go on a siding for his driver to inspect it.
Henry stopped when he hit a patch of water from the oncoming clouds. Soon it was pouring, with some thunder, and Henry couldn't go on. He and his driver tried everything, from going forward and back, to going full throttle, but nothing happened. It was too wet, and they had used up all the sand yesterday.
Henry went red in the face, the strain of the long, long rake pulling against him only making the problem worse.
James puffed up to them, looking somewhat worried. Not only for Henry, whom much to the drivers' ignorance, had a loose coupling rod which fell to the ground, but to the cause of it itself - the 24 coach train behind him. But he helped as best he could. With both Henry and James pulling, they got a grip, and the train was faster than ever.
Soon they reached the hill, and the train, with wheels slippery and cabs cold, slid down at a breakneck pace, making the rest of the trip go by with ease.
Henry, still shocked from the incident, ran to the leftover coaches, waited for the passengers to get out, and pushed them to his own. His driver eased him to the other end of the now doubled rake, and while the passengers got on, tried giving Henry the motivation to pull them to Knapford. He opened the regulator, and they were on their way. It was a slow process, but they eventually started.
It was hard. He didn't have the puff, a problem that he thought they fixed 50 years ago. But all engines have their limits, he supposed. But he had to do it. The passengers were relying on the Fat Controller's railway to get home. They passed James, who simply whistled, both with his whistle and with his mouth.
He felt a pain in his wheel, but kept going. As soon as he got to the station, he would have a nice long rest, and go on a siding for his driver to inspect it.
Henry stopped when he hit a patch of water from the oncoming clouds. Soon it was pouring, with some thunder, and Henry couldn't go on. He and his driver tried everything, from going forward and back, to going full throttle, but nothing happened. It was too wet, and they had used up all the sand yesterday.
Henry went red in the face, the strain of the long, long rake pulling against him only making the problem worse.
James puffed up to them, looking somewhat worried. Not only for Henry, whom much to the drivers' ignorance, had a loose coupling rod which fell to the ground, but to the cause of it itself - the 24 coach train behind him. But he helped as best he could. With both Henry and James pulling, they got a grip, and the train was faster than ever.
Soon they reached the hill, and the train, with wheels slippery and cabs cold, slid down at a breakneck pace, making the rest of the trip go by with ease.
---
Henry was anxious to hear what the Fat Controller had to say. He didn't give off an iota of happiness, making James worried.
Still, they made it. He walked up to the engines, and rather than scold them as he seemed to have intended to do, he asked them why they were pulling a train so large.
They explained, and he grimaced. That would certainly cut into his wallet, but he was grateful for their help and congratulated them.
The resident ten-wheeled engine took the train over, pulling it away back to Barrow, as James and Henry puffed triumphantly to a siding. James grinned, it was nice to prove that even a small engine like him could take on the biggest of challenges.
Henry couldn't help himself, and agreed.
Still, they made it. He walked up to the engines, and rather than scold them as he seemed to have intended to do, he asked them why they were pulling a train so large.
They explained, and he grimaced. That would certainly cut into his wallet, but he was grateful for their help and congratulated them.
The resident ten-wheeled engine took the train over, pulling it away back to Barrow, as James and Henry puffed triumphantly to a siding. James grinned, it was nice to prove that even a small engine like him could take on the biggest of challenges.
Henry couldn't help himself, and agreed.
No comments:
Post a Comment