Tales from the rails

The Boat Train

Josh woke up one morning, it was forecasted for a downpour, though it looked splendid out. "The weather reports ought to be wrong." Said his driver. The weather was cold, sure, but the sun still beat down on the station, and kept it warm. Josh rolled into the station, he was preparing for his goods trains for the day. That's when he saw Rhys leave the station with his coaches, he was being trialed with a new tourist train. Rhys set off as Sir William walked up to Josh. "Ah, Josh, just the engine I need." Greeted the controller. "Me sir?" Asked Josh. "Yes, I wanted to know if you wanted to take a break from goods trains and trying something different." "Aye, what's the job?" "The Boat Train. You'll be taking some coaches from Blue Harbor along the mainline to Pleasentville Station and then to Levi, and then back to the boat at Blue Harbour. Think you can handle it?" Explained the controller. Josh thought for a moment. "Yes sir!" "That's a good engine, now then, the coaches are at Blue Harbour, Tracey will cover your jobs for today. That'll be all now Josh." And the controller walked away. Josh whistled as he set off down the line, headed for Blue Harbour.

Josh puffed down the mainline, he was set onto the junction to Blue Harbour, and went down the gentle slope and rounded the bend, and there was the sign and the bridge. "Peep pop! Peep pop peep pop!" Whistled Clark as he took some coaches to the platform. They were painted in a beautiful white and red, having white roofs too. There were six in a line, three composite coaches, then a buffet coach, then another composite coach, and the brake coach. They were Southern Railway express coaches, and were quite big. The entire train didn't even fit in the entire platform! "Ack aye." Mumbled Josh as he backed down onto the coaches. He backed down onto the coaches and bumped them, not intentionally, but the coaches were annoyed. "Who does this engine think he is?" Asked one. "Now now, he Josh, don't you know?" Asked another. "Josh the Clumsy Engine." Said the brake. "Sorry!" Said Josh, not hearing the coaches. The passengers were boarding the coaches, they had to add ladders to the sides of the carriages that weren't at the platform to let the passengers onboard. Josh had an express head code fitted and was steaming well. As the last doors were shut and locked, The guard's whistle blew and he hopped into the guard's compartment. Josh whistled a "PEEOP!" And began to leave the station. The coaches were heavy, but Josh had pulled heavier. He still found it hard to get the train moving, so he opened his sanding boxes and finally pulled out of the station. As he left the harbour, he went up the small incline to exit and get back on the mainline. He began to struggle with his train and slowly crawled up the small hill. When he made it to the top, his face was already pink and covered in sweat. He whistled as he crossed over to the mainline, off to Pleasentville station.

As Josh went down the line, people waved along the line sides and at station, he would whistle and smile as he passed by. The engines were surprised to see Josh with coaches, but were happy for him. Then as the weather had forecasted, it changed. The rain began slowly, but it began to pelt down onto the ground and the train. Josh found it hard to see, the coaches were annoyed with the rain. "Oh, it's dreadfully cold!" Said one. "We ought to stop in a tunnel until it passes!" Squealed another coach. Then Josh weashed loudly, "Don't complain, the rain is lovely! It's a nice sound to listen to!" He said, trying to cheer them up. "But my paint!" "It's cold too!" Then the train rolled through the last station. "Finally! It's dry again!" Said one of the coaches. Josh went to go turn around with the coaches, and then thunder clapped in the distance! "OH, TAKE US BACK!" They screamed, they locked their brakes on and bumped around. "Whatever is happening?!" The passengers complained, and Josh was furious! "It's just a little rain! Why are you lot acting like this?!" He yelled as he came to a stop. His crew went along and unpinned the coaches brakes manually. Then the train set off for the Pleasentville loop. This loop is big enough to fit 20 express coaches with an A3 pacific at the front. The bend it's is a little tight, but it's not horrible. Josh was going pretty slow, only 17 miles per hour. They went around the bend and the coaches began whining, "Oh, this is too tight of a bend!" Said a coach. "I feel like I'm going to fall off the rails!" Said the buffet coach. "I'm going to fall of my bogies!" Yelled the brake. "What?! This bend isn't that tight, it's built for the express coaches!" Said Josh, he had seen the express coaches on the turns, and they never complained. The coaches soon shut up, and Josh continued back to the station, the passengers disembarked for a bit, getting souvenirs and even books about the railway and the town. The coach crew got some things to restock the coaches with food and drinks. They soon boarded the coaches again, the guard blew his whistle and Josh returned with a, "PEOP PEOP!" And took off, the train slowly began moving better than the first start off.

The train forged down the line, the passed over bridges and under tunnels, the coaches were oddly quiet and not complaining as bad as they were. Josh then began to go over The Grand Gap. He began to move faster and faster, he knew what was up ahead, and he knew if he didn't speed up now, he wouldn't make it to Levi Station. He went around a bend and there it was, The Lickey Incline. He went faster and faster, he took in deep breaths as steam billowed out of his funnel as he began his ascent to the top of the hill. Or so he thought. He tried to open his sand box, but his sanding gear failed, and the slick rails made his wheels slip faster and faster, he began to slide back down the hill! When he reached the bottom, there was a whistle behind him, and a diesel rolled behind him. Steve was on his way home, with a brake van in tow. "Hey Josh, need some help?" Asked Steve. "Yes please, I can't get up the hill, my sanding gear has failed." "Hmm, I see. My driver can patch it up in about five minutes and then I can bank you up the hill." Steve offered. "You'd do that? Thank you Steve!" Said Josh. "No problem Josh, though we might be slow going." "As long as we make it to the station, it's okay." Said Josh. The coaches groaned. "We're going to be late!" One said as Steve rolled off, his driver staying behind. "Why can't you do it by yourself?" Asked another. They moped as Steve buffered up behind the train, his drive found the gear on one side that spit in two. He went through his gearbox that he used for repairing Steve on the spot and he put it into place. It began turning and both sandboxes worked again, and the two engines began to forge their way up the hill. The two made their way up the hill, slowly, but surely. Then Josh began to crest the hill. "Yes! We did it, Aye, we did it!" He yelled happily as the two began to move a little faster. "Thank you Steve!" Yelled Josh as the last few coaches went up the hill. "No problem Josh!" He called back as the train went down the hill. That was when The Boat Train caught up to The Express. Josh was thundering down the line, the momentum from the hill was sending Josh down the line, faster than a rocket! Then he began to pass Jojo, the passengers began to cheer as they went faster and faster. Jojo was just relaxing, the rain felt good as it felt very dry earlier that day. Jojo just watched as Josh pulled ahead, whistling as he went past. Jojo was just dumbfounded, he certainly wasn't expecting to see that!

When they reached the station, Josh went around the Levi Loop, and the shunters watched him go by. No one knew about The Boat Train, and they were all questioning, "What's wrong with the express coaches?" As they looked similar. Josh went into the station, and the passengers got more souvenirs and the carriage staff restocking the coaches with foods and whatnot, and then everyone boarded the train, the guard's whistle blew, and Josh whistled a "PEEP POP!" And set off. He charged at the little hill and was able to get up it with ease, and he set off for his last destination, Blue Harbour. The coaches were still silent, but glad that is was the final leg of the journey. As they went down the line again, it finally cleared up, the rails got dryer and dryer as the crisp air and the sun beat down on the water. Josh saw The Lickey Incline, he charged down the line, the coaches began to sway slightly from side to side, and Josh began his ascent for the last time. He went around the bend, and his coaches felt lighter than air, he was barely slowing down! He crested the top of the incline and then rolled down the mainline, thundering loudly as his pistons pounded the rails. He raced over The Grand Gap, and then was switched off the mainline onto the Blue Harbour line, and rolled to the station platform, he stopped a little roughly, but the passengers were happy and safe. Greg came to collect the coaches, and while everyone thought it was later in the night, Josh was right on time, at 6:30 pm at night. The coaches were emptied of passengers, uneaten food, and luggage. The passengers got their things and boarded the boat. Greg pulled away with the empty coaches and Josh took a deep breath. The boat departed slowly, being pushed by some tug boats out to sea.

When he returned to the sheds that night, he was very pleased with himself, and it wasn't just him who was pleased. "Well done Josh, you were right on time to all your destinations, however, it did seem like you were struggling a bit here and there." "Yeah, a bit." Muttered Josh. "So I'm adding another engine to The Boat Train charter, and you two will double head the train the next time it comes around. "Who sir?" Asked Josh. "Derral, he used to pull the real Southern Railway Boat Train back in the 40's. Now then, I'll be off, goodnight my engines." Said Sir William V as he got into his car and speed away. "So, I head the express was overtaken today." Said Liz with a smirk at Jojo. "I-I simply let him, that's all." He protested, but everyone knew the truth. Josh however remained silent as he went to sleep. He had enough excitement for one day.