Tales from the rails

Rusty Couplings

Railway rolling stock is a very crucial component of every railway. Without it, the engines could do no work and would be useless. Coaches are a fine example of what rolling stock would be like. Clean, kept in working order, and having a way to stop besides the brake coach. Trucks on the other hand are a different story. Yes, some are kept in perfect working order, but the rest are covered in rust and completely dirty. Also, try have no way to stop themselves unless there is a brake van, well, not like coaches. Coaches have these little tubes called air brakes. These are hooked up to the engine, allowing the brakes to slip off. When uncoupled, they slowly begin to apply their brakes, eventually forcing the train to stop. James the Red Engine is know for doing this, and it's a true event, you can ask Sir William V, who was on that very train! Trucks however, don't have these, besides very dangerous trucks that need them.

One morning, Walter had been shunted to the back of a long goods train. It was some flatbeds, a few vans, and some of the nastiest trucks of Drenk yards. "That does it! Come along everyone, come along!" Rhys whistled as he departed down the line. "We don't want to! No, we won't, no we won't!" Said the trucks as they tried to hold back. "Quit that!" Yelled Walter as they began going along. The trucks didn't like that. They began whispering among themselves. "We'll do it at the Lickey Incline." One said as they began silenced each other. Rhys and Walter were soon enjoying the long run. They had to go all the way to Pleasantville station and we're barely a quarter of the way there. "You know Mr. Rhys, I would love having a train of my own to take. Just imagine me flying down the line, pulling passengers and everyone singing my praises!" Walter said, thinking of how good he would be. "Have you ever heard of a gravity train?" "What's that?" "Basically, a railway is built on a steady slope, and when trucks or even passengers need to go from the top to the bottom, they let a train go flying down the line, and the guard makes sure it's safe." "Wow! Maybe I could be on one of these!" "I think there's one at Henton, so maybe they would let you." Then they began to climb Lickey. The trucks were causing no trouble whatsoever. "Man, I really hope we can soon!" They began to crest the top of the hill. "NOW!" Screamed a truck as they held back fiercely. The trucks were very old, their chains weak and covered in rust. Just so happened to be the truck behind Rhys that broke. "Walter!" Screamed Rhys as he began to race backwards down the hill.

"Aaaahhh!" The screams were heard at the station. "What's that? Asked Alfred as he looked ahead. He had been trailing behind Rhys on the same line with a stopping passenger. "AAAhhhhh!" It grew louder and louder as the seconds went by. "OH NO!" He yelled as he looked ahead in horror. There was Walter, careening down the line towards him! "AAAAAHHHHH!" The two screamed as Walter shut his eyes. The last passenger got in and the guard waved a green flag. They shot backwards, barely making it past the points before Walter charged past him, a very quick signalman switched the points just in the knick of time. "He's on the express line! The afternoon express would be thundering through by now!" Alfred yelled to the signalman. He in turn changed every signal as far as he could down the line to danger. He then called the next signalman, "RUNAWAY ON THE MAINLINE!" He yelled, and that's when he heard a, "PEOP PIP PEOP!" Rhys was chasing down the train at top speed!

Liz was taking the afternoon express that day, Jojo was picking up slack because Tracey was feeling ill. "Aaahhh!" A scream came from down the line. "What's that?" Liz said as she picked up the pace. She was at a points when Walter thundered past. "Oh my lord!" She said as she slowed down. "Sorry about that, little engine coming through!" Rhys weashed as he slowly caught up to the train.

Rhys had made it to Maddox goods station, then past the branchline junction, and then past the station. Walter thundered past engines sitting at the stations and signals, wanting to stop, but he had no guard. "I want to stop! I want to stop!" He screamed as he raced into Levi. One of the points was set into a siding with no trucks in it. If Walter were somehow still charging on, which he was, they would stop him. These were a couple dozen yards from the ocean. Sirens blared as he thundered in, workmen scattered from the lines and engines rocketed away from the through lines. Rowan happened to be stopped at a signal when it happened. "Help me! Please, I want to stop!" Walter screamed as he shut his eyes tight. "Uh oh! AHHH!" Rowan screamed as he stared at the oncoming train thundering towards him! Just before he was hit, Walter thundered into the runaway siding. "Phew!" *CRUUUNCH* Rowan looked back to see Walter, who was still going very slowly, run right oh the rails and nearly into the sea! He then stopped still dangling in the air! "Oh, I've stopped, thank gOAAAAAAAAHHHH! Someone save me! I don't wanna become fish food!" Screamed Walter as he opened his eyes again. Rowan was block, a few flatbeds were in his way of the points and he couldn't move them. Rhys then buffer up to the heavy train. "I got you Walter!" He said as he was coupled up. Rhys tried to move the train, but the trucks wouldn't budge. "No! We're gonna teach this one a lesson!" They then held back, sending Walter farther down towards the sea!" "Mr Rhys! Save yourself!" Walter screamed as he felt his back wheels leave the ground. Suddenly, Eddy and his crew sprung into action. They had been nearby, some workmen tending to Tracey and the cranes not too far away. Eddy got Rowan to move aside by get him to go backwards and find a siding to sit in. "Stabilize him men!" Yelled a worker as they got the chains and the crane hooks. "Rhys, pull as far forwards as you can!" Eddy called out. "I have been, the trucks are holding me back!" "Right, uncouple the first few so we can get around to the other side, we need the winch." "O-okay." Rhys did as he was told. Just then, the train surged back some more, an entire van came down with! "Walter!" "Mr Rhys, what's happening?!" "Eddy and the crew are going to help save you!" "Rhys, get those trucks over there, then couple up to the train again to help keep him safe!" Eddy called as he moved to a set of buffers. "Right!" The tank engine did as he was told. "Walter, I'm send a member down with my winch, he's going to tie the chair around your buffers, tell us if it's loose!" He said as a man crawled down the van. After a minute or two, the workman gave the chain two tugs, "How's that?" "It's... I think it's good." Walter said, and then the brake van rose up. Rhys and Eddy worked hard, and then the goods van came up, It's wheels were cracked and banged up badly. "Almost there Walter, come on. Suddenly, with a shrieking snap, the wheels of the van snapped, now making it airborne and putting a strain on it, it began to break, its frames and woodwork began to break. "WALTER!" Rhys screamed as he tried to pull harder. Walter was hanging off the edge when Rhys tore the van in half. "Woah woah woah!" Walter yelled as he slipped a little forwards. Rhys shot forwards and stopped just outside the switch. "Holy!" Said one of the workmen staring at the van. "Rhys, you could've pulled Walter up with that!" Said Eddy. Eddy then reversed down the line, pulling Walter with and locking the winch. "Come on!" He yelled, and with one great heave, he pulled Walter back onto the line. "Oh thank you Mr. Eddy!" Walter said, crying tears of joy. "Thank you too Mr. Rhys!" The brake van sobbed as he was taken to the works, along with the rusty old trucks.