Tales from the rails

Dan's Exploit

Dan had been working on the branchline for some time, and his coaches began to feel heavier and heavier. Or he was getting older and older. The others would try and help him, but all he would say is, "No no, I just need a long run, that's all!" As he would skid out the station. On day, the big engines were gossiping about the others without their knowing. "Dan is rightfully pitiful." Said Jojo finally. "Did you see him leave the station? Horrible screeching noises!" Said Tracey. "Honestly, I think he might need to be preserved." Finished Josh. Suddenly, Steve and Jayden rolled in for a rest. "Shame on all of you!" Said Steve, "To talk about an engine like that is disgusting behavior!" Jayden smirked then, "Just you wait, He'll prove himself to us all!" Turns out that they wouldn't have to wait very long.

Dan raced through the tunnel, the light shown green. He thundered down the line, "Careful old boy! You'll fall to bits!" Called DD as he tried to slow them down a little, but Dan wasn't having it. "Come on, come on! If I slow down, I'll be late!" Mia looked confused, "But we're early, we'll be too early by the time we get there, the bus wouldn't even be there!" But Dan kept on charging on. A passenger was clocking the time it took to pass each station, "He's gotten faster, by two miles." He said to himself.

Dan approached the hill, and somehow, he didn't slow down, he instead gained speed, and he coasted down the hill and thunder down the line, like a rocket shooting off to space. He thundered over the Grand Gap, a viaduct that is quite famous for it's views. He reached the station in record time. "They talked about me like that, I'll show them." He muttered to himself. Dan then topped off on some water, and he ran his train around. Then Marvin pulled along him. "Hello Dan, do you want to race?" He asked. "Sure, I'd love to." He said with a smile. The guards then spoke, along with the crew. And so it was settled, a race back to Levi station.

They weashed and whistled as they set off. Dan had to stop at a station, and Marvin thundered through, finally passing Dan. Dan then weashed steamed, and blew his whistled very loudly. Marvin was carrying some barrels of gunpowder, and suddenly, the door flew open! A barrel spilled out and fell to the ground. If you were there, you could hear a small "tick tick tick tick." Dan thundered along the rails. The Gran Gap came into view, and then, BOOM! Smoke filled the air and Dan shut his eyes wondering what would happen next. Dan got hit by a flying stone, it broke his boiler, knocking his pipes out of place and steam billowed out of him at all sides, and steam blasted into his cab. His firewoman ran out for the last station to get help while the guard and driver tried to get the train moving again. The passengers and coaches got scared and Dan's wheels slipped. The bridge then cracked more. Dan began to think, "Is this the end? This is my story?" Then he remembered something that was told to him on Sodor. "Hey, don't give up Dan. I don't want to see you fail." Suddenly, Dan felt a surge of power as he tugged on David's coupling! Mia ran back, she tried to get DD out of the cab, but he then yelled over the hissing steam, "I'm gonna make it out of here and we're gonna make out afterwards! So stand over there and watch us!" She did as she was told and she stared in fear and hope, awaiting her boyfriend. Then, a portion of the bridge collapsed! Henry's back wheels then left the rails as he screamed bloody hell. "AHHHHHH! I'M GONNA DIE!" He screamed as he faced the stones in the river. Dan skidded back, "Henry!" The others screamed as their brother hung over the edge screaming. Dan then weashed even more, the others thought he might explode! Dan pulled, his sand gear opened and then, he got a grip! "Yes! I've done it, we're off!, I've done it, we're off!" Cheered Dan. Dan pulled the train, Henry then was back on the rails. "Come on, come on!" Dan panted, and after what felt like forever, he made it to the safe ground. Mia ran into the cab and hugged DD, "Don't do that again, I love you!" She said as she began to kiss him over and over. "This isn't over you two! We just got over maybe the hardest part!" Dan called, "We got a long ways to go!"

Soon however, the weather changed. Rain and wind buffeted Dan, he crawled along as he began to reach the incline. The Lickey Incline is easier to take on the Southern side, for a normal engine that is. "Oh this is dreadful!" He moaned, but he had other things to worry about. "Your tanks are almost out, ol' boy, we might have to call it here." Said his driver. "Open my tanks! water will poor in, Even if it's just a little!" He called back, so DD ran and hopped onto the tanks to open the caps while Mia kept the train steady. "Are you ready?" Asked David to the others, they were going to use their weight to bump into each other while Henry held the brake to make sure they didn't slip. "Yeah! Let's do this!" Yelled Clara. "One! Two! Three! Push!" Called Henry, and the coaches did, bumping Dan onto a lesser slope, and they coasted to the top of the hill. Dan stopped at the station to fill up on water. They rolled down the line. And finally, the train made it to Drenk Station.

At the next station, the engines were fighting and the Controller was getting scared. "Where is Dan?" Yelled Jojo, whom now had an express goods, waiting to be delivered. "That's it! Tatum, come on, we're off, it's been thirty minutes!" Said Josh. The signals had been set to danger, and they had been that way for a while. "Wait, do you hear that?" Asked Rhys. "It sounds like someone needs to SHUT UP!" He was fed up with the yelling. "Wait, do you hear that?" Asked Ryan, and all the engines listened to hear a small hsssss. Dan then rolled into sight, he had a very big smile his face, and he was on the express line. He was hissing steam and as he approached, the noise got louder, But suddenly, he stopped, along with the hissing. DD then ran over and grabbed Rhys, and he coupled him up to Dan. Rhys pulled Dan to the station. As soon as they stopped the sun began to shine. "Huh, every cloud does have a silver lining, ain't that right Dan?" Asked Rhys "Yeah, it is." Said a tired, batter, but unbeaten Dan. "Oh, by the way, The Grand Gap has collapsed." He as he drifted off to sleep. "Oh DD, remember what you said at the gap?" But she was cut off by the passenger cheering, "Hooray for Dan! Hooray for DD! Hooray for Mia!" As they picked up the crew and surrounded Dan with smiles and dancing jigs. "Hmm, guess that'll have to wait!" Laughed DD. "DD, Dan, Mia, you three are alright?!" Called a voice, Sir William V stood with JD, they walked towards the two with smiles. They tried to speak but they where overwhelmed with the engines whistling loudly, "THREE CHEERS FOR DAN, DD, MIA, DAVID, CLARA, AND HENRY! HIP HIP, HOORAY!" Don't tell this to anyone, but the controller told me that he thinks he'll be deaf for weeks!