Dan had been working hard recently. He had been tasked on taking coal trains all across the island. "I wish I didn't have to do this. Oh how I miss my coaches!" He whined as he would marshal the trucks into place. "No point in acting like this! You have work to do." Was what the yard manager said. He hated kids and steam engines, he only got the job because of the pay. "He doesn't want to work with us?!" Whispered an angry truck. "We'll teach him!" Called another. Dan had bumped the trucks into line and was already tired. "Oh why can't a bigger engine take this lot? It's not fair. I haven't taken my coaches out in so long." He moaned as he weashed away. Dan had to go to the coal mines to get some coal, and then he would take it all the way to a little slate quarry ran by narrow gauge engines. These were newly built based off the Tallylyn railway and the Skarloey Railway. He chuffed along the line with a weash and a whistle and twisting side rods, flying by stations on his branch line. "Man, I wish I could stop at these stations with David, Clara, and Henry." He said to himself. The trucks began to get more and more angry. They made it to the the coal mines where the trucks discussed what to do. "We are going to Bloom Station guys, so we're gonna go over the Lickey Incline. We can either hold back, causing a delay, or push him off the rails!" Said one of the trucks. "Yeah yeah yeah!" Said the others as they passed the word along.
Dan buffered up to the trucks. He had trouble stopping so he hit the trucks harder than what he thought he would. "Sorry guys!" Said Dan as he weashed, waiting to be coupled to the trucks. The trucks went through their plan one more time before they were setting off. The train had set off down the line, Dan was weashing steam happily and puffing smoothly. The trucks snickered and giggled at their plans to throw Dan off the rails. "What's the joke guys?" Asked DD as he looked at them. They fell silent, but then one spoke up. "Something the yard manager said, he said we trucks were stupid and then walked into the door!" He giggled as he thought of the event. It had happened, even on that day, but we all know why they were laughing. "Oh, he is a stupid man. He thinks engines like Dan and kids like me are stupid, either too young or too old! I'd like to teach that big bully a lesson." "We could do it for you!" Said one of the trucks, and the others agreed that they would take action. "Really, that would be swell!" Said DD with a beaming smile.
Dan was back on the mainline. Dan had to stop at a station. Rhys then pulled along with his coaches. "Hello Dan. Care for a little race?" He asked the engine. "Oh, um..." Thought Dan. "From this signal to the station after Lickey. What do you say?" Asked Rhys excitedly. Dan thought for a moment. "Okay, let's do it!" "Alright!" The royal Blue engine exclaimed as he began to weash steam. Dan blew his whistle with a "PEOP pip PEOP PEEEEOEEEP!" And Rhys began to smirk. The signals changed green and the engines whistled off with a "Pip Pop PEOOP Pip Pop!" They started off slowly, but Rhys got the lead. Dan weashed loudly, "Come on, come on, faster, here we go! Faster, here we go!" But the trucks held back. "No, we want to go slowly, we want to go slowly!" Dan then saw the incline, he tried to charge ahead, but the trucks held back. "Hold back, hold back!" Dan could see Rhys in the distance, smoothly going up the hill. "Come along, come along! He said to his coaches, "We're coming along dear, we're coming along dear!" As they rolled smoothly behind. The trucks rattled behind, shaking, "Slower still! Slower still!" They cried out. But Dan made it to the top as Rhys rolled down the hill smoothly. Dan tried to pin his brakes. "FASTER, FASTER!" Screamed the trucks as they surged forwards. "Hey, woah! HEY! STOP!" Screamed Dan as they suddenly charged down the hill. The trucks giggled and laughed at they flew down the hill, shaking from side to side. They thundered past Rhys, making him and his coaches rock from side to side as they wind blew past them. "What was that?!" Cried one of the coaches.
Dan rocketed past a station when he saw The Grand Gap. "Woah!" He screamed as he rocketed over it. They then saw a bend, a bend too sharp for the oncoming train. His crew jumped out of the cab before it was too late. "AHHHHH!" He screamed as they rounded the bend, coming off the rails with a mighty CRASH!!! Rhys came over and saw the damage. "Dan, are you okay?!" He asked in a panic, "Ow..." He got for a reply, and that was Rhys' cue to get someone to help. An GWR 0-6-4 crane tank engine came to the rescue. His name is Hercules, and he is a very sweet and helpful chap. "Don't worry Dan, I'll have you back on the rails in no time. "Thank you Hercules." Said the terrier as he lay on his side, an hour or so later, Dan was on a railed flatbed, and was being taken to the works because he had damaged his wheels too badly to be pushed their. I hope Dan isn't there for a long while, his friends will miss him, don't you think so?
YOU ARE READING
Tales from the rails
AdventureThis is a story of engines that work together. They live on a railway called the D&D railway. They live happily here. There are branch lines that lead to stations and quarries, docks and yards.
