Tales from the rails

Toffee Trouble

Marvin woke up one sunny day and was ready for a hard day's work. His driver and fireman had arrived with their list of jobs to do for the day. "So first we have to go to the stone quarry and pick up some trucks, then we'll drop them off at Levi harbor, then we'll take a goods train to Lickey, and then a slow goods from Lickey down to Drenk, stopping at Maddox to pick up some extra trucks." Marvin's driver said as he got into the cab. Marvin weashed as he rolled forwards and rolled out of his sheds. He was on a coastal branch line on the southern side of the island, and he wasn't too far from the Ashley Stone Quarry. He found a brake van in the sidings of the station and pulled out of the station yard. He passed Jayden who was asleep at the station. "Wake up Lazybones! Why don't you work hard like me?" He laughed as he puffed away. At the quarry, it was a mess! Empty trucks and full ones were scattered everywhere and all the lines full. "Oh my lord." Marvin said as the owner walked along. "You, engine, shunt these trucks. Our tractor has broken down and we can't get your train ready with this mess." She demanded as she turned away and Marvin was now angry. We're going to be late, and it's because she can't get her own engine." He muttered as he bumped some of the trucks. "Oh!" Said a truck. "Ow!" Said another. "Hey!" "Watch it!" After fifteen minutes, Marvin had the yards put into place. He took the filled trucks with, "LEVI HARBOR CO." On its side and departed from the Quarry.

Marvin puffed down the line with a smile on his face, the sun shown on his new paint and he rolled down the line. He passed Josh who was pulling a large goods train, "Hullo!" He whistled as he passed. "Hey!" Marvin whistled back. There is a small incline outside of Levi station, and sometimes small runaways can occur here, but it's very rare that happens. Marvin began going down, then he felt a bump, and another, and another! "Cut that out! Woah!" He called out, but the trucks cackled as they rolled down the line, faster and faster! Marvin blasted his whistle as he came screeching in! Tracey and Winter watched as he skidded in! "Out of my way!" He yelled as he skidded through the station. "That's not good." Winter commented, but before they could do anything, her guard blew his whistle and she left with a line of tankers. Rowan was shunting in the yards, and then Marvin was thundering down his line! "Look out!" Yelled Marvin. Rowan quickly changed directions, but the last two tankers were detached, a rusty coupling snapped and slowly stopped. Rowan got out of the way, but Marvin slammed through the tankers and was covered in Toffee! "EEEYUCK!" Marvin said as the sticky orange substance covered his tanks. "Oh dear." Said Rowan as he looked at the mess. Some workmen hurried to clean the tracks before someone came through. Two workers set on cleaning Marvin's wheels. Marvin was ready to set off, he grabbed his brake van and left as Rowan took the stone train away. Marvin was on his way to get his next train when he passed Winter. "Hello Marvin." Said Winter, "Are you okay? I saw you thunder down the line and fly through the station." "Oh yeah, I hit some toffee tankers, but I'm okay." Marvin answered. The two pulled into Lickey station, but Winter was set to leave, she whistled a, "PEEP PEOEP!" And hurried away. Marvin was waiting for his crew, but his crew were told to take a different goods train down to Pleasentville Station. "Micheal took our goods train, so we're going to take a different one." His fireman explained as he got back in the cab. "Okay." Marvin said as he went into the yards. He saw the trucks and backed down into the siding next to them, leaving the brake van in the siding. Then he shunted the trucks in front of the brake van and waited for the shunter the hook up the trucks to the brake van. He came along and coupled the trucks, then the guard blew the whistle and the trucks set off. Marvin climbed the hill quickly and did very well going up, but then there was trouble! "Hmm, that's funny, my brakes...." Marvin started. "Wait, why are we not slowing?" Asked Marvin's driver, the trucks saw their chance. "ON, ON, ON!" They screamed as they bumped into each other and thundered down the hill. They thundered over The Grand Gap and then he saw the back of Winter's train, The Hunters' Toffee Special. "LOOK OUT!" He yelled as his driver whistled loudly and finally slammed his brakes on. "I'm out of here." Said Winter's guard as he jumped off the stopped train. There a shrieking crash! Marvin was covered in Toffee, his face, wheels, tanks, and cab were covered with the toffee. "Marvin?! Are you okay?" Asked Winter. "Mmm!" Marvin said as he licked a little bit of the toffee that dripped down his face. "This stuff tastes good!" He laughed, and Winter hurried off for help.

Marvin was taken to the works by Hercules where he saw Dan painted in his pink undercoat and his coaches were being painted back into their orange paint jobs with white roofs. He also saw Jojo being painted into his green with gold stripes. "Woah! I hate to ask what happened to you!" Jojo said. "I hate toffee." Marvin said as he was shunted into the siding next to Jojo. "So, I take it you crashed into Winter?" Asked Dan. "Uh huh. Wait, how do you know?" "Because, she's been taking the Toffee Train for months!" Dan explained. "I wouldn't be surprised you haven't heard about it, it's only you and Jayden who run your branch, correct?"Asked Jojo. "Yes." "Well, cheer up, you're going to be patched up and cleaned in no time." Said a workman. He then began his inspection as Marvin fell asleep.