The Maine & North Eastern Railroad: Rails to Individuality

Chapter 2: The Introduction

        After circling around his engine a good few times, Mr Feaverick was fairly impressed by the condition, but just as he was about to complete the deal, there was a burning question that took hold of him, "Excuse me Mr Qin." He turned around as he started, "But may I ask why this engine has been sitting here like this when all of the others seem to be in active service? I can't see any mechanical faults on her." Mr Qin tensed up a bit, while it was clear that he held great respect for the yardmaster that preceded him, the slight grimace on his face told Mr Feaverick a different story. "Well sir, while I can't speak much on a situation that occurred before my time, ive been able to gather that this engine has had a checkered operational history." Mr Feaverick decided it best to cull any of his further questions, and walked off with Mr Qin to seal the deal.

       Finalizing the purchase, and making the accompanying movement plans, took some time. By the time he finally left the yardmasters office, the sun was raised high into the sky. He promptly walked up to the pilot of his new engine, and took a seat as he waited for the engine assigned to tow them to a workshop. As he waited, he carefully scrutinized the smokebox door of 1118, there was some significant scarring on the left side of the engines face, with a metal bar being shoddily attached over the damage as an attempt to conceal it, one of the 2 lights that usually clung to the locomotives front had seemingly been ripped off. But what caught Mr Feaverick's attention the most, was the fact that the locomotive had just begun to reawaken.

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        She could feel the metal in her smokebox groaning as her face moved for the first time in a while, her eyes opened sluggishly as the sun's rays hit illuminated her face, but she jolted awake when she began to notice the weight that was resting on the left side of her pilot, immediately locking eyes with a strange man in a suit resting there. The man spoke, "Ah, I see you're finally awake!" his jovial manner left the engine confused, this was probably the first person in her almost 16 years of existence who seemed to care. "My name is Jonathan Feaverick, but you can call me Mr Feaverick for short." She took a moment to take in this information, but almost immediately, a question struck her like a freight train.

       "Are you here to scrap me sir?" The words flew out, as though she'd asked this question many times before, Mr Feaverick was taken aback and quickly dispelled that idea, "Not at all my dear engine, In fact, I'm here to do quite the opposite! You see, I own a railway company that runs on the east coast of America, and I came here looking to buy a steam locomotive to run some potential excursions I've planned..." He paused impressively, "...and that engine is you." The words took a moment to register in her smokebox, after 2 years of sitting in a siding with no one batting an eye at her, she was finally being given the opportunity of a lifetime to return to service, in a foreign country no less! She sat there for a moment, unsure of what to say, but Mr Feaverick just gave the engine a gentle pat on the smokebox, with her gratitude being received loud and clear.

      It took a few minutes before a JS class mikado that was in the yard was bought over, with a coach and an empty flatcar plugging the gap between the two tenders. After ensuring that the brakes were linked up, and giving 1118's wheels a good oiling, the odd looking equipment move eased its way out of the yard, the oil ensuring that the 2 years of disuse didn't lead to the valve gear seizing on the mainline. Mr Maverick sat in the passenger as they glided along, enjoying the relative comfort of the type 23 and the outside view while many different passenger and freight trains flew past on the adjacent line, by contrast, 1118 did nothing but stare at the rails disappearing before her, still coming to terms with the new life she would have to live.

      After about an hour of travel, they arrived at a large yard and halted near a huge repair facility, the main building standing tall with its doors revealing the continued maintenance being performed on the iron dragons stationed inside. Once the crew of the JS ran their locomotive to the back of the consist, they slowly shoved the pacific into the building, where new sets of almost every part on her sat awaiting attachment. Mr Feaverick stepped out of the coach, and talked with the foreman before turning to face his engine once more before he left to find a hotel. "Alright my friend, the men at these works are going to give you a complete rebuild, and they assure me that you'll leave looking better than when you were first built, doesn't that sound nice?" He asked, gauging whether she was comfortable with the arrangement. "Yes sir." Was the simple reply, Mr Feaverick began to turn to leave, but before his foot left the shop floor...

       "Sir!" Mr Feaverick halted and quickly turned back around to face the engine, "Thank you , for saving me." and for the first time since their initial encounter, the pacific looked genuinely happy! Mr Feaverick could only smirk, and give a reassuring nod as he slipped through the door.