Tales from the rails

Sally and the Merengine

One morning, Sally awoke to a warm fine, she was glad the strike was over. The controller came to greet her, with a surprise along with him. "Good morning Sally, how are you today?" He asked her. "Eh, I don't know yet, gotta use up the day and then you can check in later." She joked as the  controller giggled, "Ahem, heh, ahem. Now, I do believe that you heard to what happened to Dan with the coal train. While he will be forced to be in the works for a while, his passenger services are in a critical state as all the other branch line engines have their own work, but I have asked Stephen to take the coal trains since he knows the route, giving him his own trucks to befriend. But you, Sally, can take Dan's coaches along the line, making sure that we can keep to time. Do you think you can handle it?" Sally thought for a second, and then she answered, "Sure, but what about my branch line express?" She asked. "I've moved the timetables around so that Angelica can take them instead of shunting all day. Make sure to be on time today, and treat the coaches with care." Sir William V said as he then began to walk away. Sally weashed steam as she moved onto the turntable.

She then went to the carriage shed. There, she saw David, Clara, and Henry, "Hello Sally!" They called as the engine backed down on them. "Your coaches are over there. Why are you taking us?" Asked Clara. "That's because Dan is at the works, and you guys get to hang out with me!" Explained Sally. "Hooray! We get to go out with Sally! We get to go out with Sally!" Sang the coaches as the shunter fastened the coupling. Soon, the train was at the station and pasengers were boarding. "Where is my nephew, and where is his girlfriend?" Asked a woman on the platform. She was one of the last people to get in the coaches, getting in Henry. The guard then blew his whistle, waved a green flag, and he hopped in Henry. "Pop Peep!" Whistled Sally as she left the station. 

The signals shown green down the line, and she then saw the first station. But she didn't slow down! "Sally! Slow down!" Yelled David as Sally then snapped back into reality. She skidded to a stop, nearly overshooting the platform! "S-sorry guys, it's just I thought of something... it's nothing." She said. David then caught a glance at her through the station window. "Are your eyes purple?" He asked her. "Oh! Um, n-no? You must be seeing things!" She lied through her teeth. David shrugged it off as the passengers disembarked. Angelica then charged passed whistling a, "Hellooo!" As she thundered past Bluebell Station. Sally sighed to herself, "That would have been me." She thought as the guards whistle blew and she set off behind the Branch line express.

Later that night, Rhys was giggling at the top station on the branch line. "Hey Sally, I had a wonderful idea! What if we went on a date by the seaside tonight?" He asked her. "Oh, um, I suppose so, I'm not doing anything. But aren't you going to check on Dan?" She asked. "Oh, yeah, I can do that tomorrow, he'll be out in a few days. Plus this will be a fun night since there will be fireworks and a celebration!" He explained. She thought for a moment and then agreed. "I'd love to go, especially with you." She said. "Alright, meet me at Drenk tonight, then we can go together." He said as his guards whistle blew, he whistled back and left the station. Sally then looked at the signal. It was still red. Stephen thundered down the line as he shot past with a small coal train, "You're going well Stephen!" Called a happy truck. "Yeah, keep up the good work!" Called another. The signal then turned green and Sally set off down the line.

That night, Sally went to meet Rhys at Drenk Station. He wasn't there, but his coaches were sitting at the platform, loaded with passengers. "Hey Sally, Rhys will be back in a few." "Oh okay, should I couple up to you guys and we'll double head the train or something?" She asked. "Oh, Rhys told us he wants you in front." Answered the brake coach. "Oh, okay then." She said as she then rolled along side them and waited. They chatted a little before Rhys arrived. He had a big bow slapped on his smokebox saddle. "Aww!" She blushed a little at the tank engine, the thought of him looking splendid for her meant a lot to her. "Well then, m'lady, shall we get going?" Asked Rhys as he backed onto the coaches. "Yes we shall!" She said as she moved to the front of the train.

At the party, Sally watched the fireworks with Rhys. "Wow, I didn't think I would see something like this, it's beautiful." Said Sally in awe. "Yeah, they rarely come on, I think it's my second or third time seeing them." Said Rhys. "Down in the states, we saw them at least once a year! Always on the same day, The Fourth of July." Said one of the coaches, "Yes, and it was always beautiful each and every time in their respective ways." Said the second. "Indeed, but to see them here... I think it's even more magical." Said the brake. They all then looked as the final explosion went off. "Man, I loved sitting here with you Sally." Rhys said as he rolled backwards to couple up to the coaches. The passengers were getting their things ready, either from the beach or from the castle, but behind the small crowd, Sally saw something. "It's an engine!" She exclaimed, and then hurried to follow it. "Wh- Sally! What about the passengers?!" Shouted Rhys as he could do nothing until all the passengers were safely onboard. Sally thundered down the line, exceeding the speed restrictions of the high tide dangers. The engine seemed to be diving in and out of the water like a dolphin, as if it were racing Sally. "Hey! How are you?- Whoa!" Sally called into the night as she then saw a ruined piece of rails that lay in front of her. She tried to stop, but the rails were wet and she skidded across the rails, frantic to stop. Then, she hopped off the rails, her front bogie rolling into the sand! They then hit a rock buried in the ground. Sally had finally stopped.

By the morning, Rhys, after getting the passengers home, had gotten Sally out of the sand. She was still able to do things like pulling coaches, but going at high speeds would be a risk. Though a few days after this incident, Dan was released from the works, and she would go in for repairs. Though Sally sometimes leaves the sheds at night to see the ocean. And she always says she see what she calls, "The Merengine of Drenk Castle."