It had been a few days since nick had fallen in the ditch and Lenore had settled into light passenger workings up and down the line, however she felt frustrated at this and vented to David one day:
"I feel cooped up on this line" began Lenore "Don't get me wrong I am happy to be here and preserved, It's just I feel like a Pacific shouldn't be confined to the equivalent of bloody branchline pulling local services"
"I feel ya, I sometimes feel cooped up too" comforted David " before you were built me and my siblings were able to travel across parts of Europe, granted that was during the first world war and most of Europe that I saw was in ruins"
"I get your point, but still I want a good long run, not to be stuck on locals again" sighed Lenore.
"again?" asked David.
"do you remember what I said when you found me?" asked Lenore
"yes" replied David confused "you said you were unlucky or something"
"well back on the lms my number was 6213, the crews were very superstitious" recounted Lenore "the higher ups made them put me on expresses for a while, but after the duchess class was created I was relegated to light express and locals, the other princesses mocked me for this"
"well all I can say is speak to Lord decal about being cooped up" said David
"al-alright" replied Lenore quietly.
"and if nothing happens" joked David "then at least I still won't be taking any more coaches"
"funny" replied Lenore bluntly.
Unbeknownst to the two engines Lord Decal had been reprimanding a yard worker and had heard everything.
Lenore never had a chance to speak to Lord decal as the line became very busy; the coal mines temporary closure came to an end and it was more productive than ever due to the larger amount of mineshafts dug, work on the hill loop increased and the double tracking of the line concluded. All in all it was a very productive couple of months.
Ever since lord Decal reinstated passenger services in 1960 there was a growing request from the public for a direct express to London, This never happened as The railway never had a viable engine until Lenore arrived as such Lord decal began to make arrangements:
"good morning engine" Lord decal looked and saw the 5 engines were asleep so he yelled "wake up!!!"
"ahh!" wheeshed David.
"bloody hell" said Mark alarmed.
Lenore looked around tired.
" w-why did you have to y-yell" yawned Nick.
"morning sir" Colin mumbled.
"good to see your all awake" said lord decal sarcastically.
"we didn't have a choice sir" said David bluntly.
"funny" replied lord decal dryly
"w-why did you wake us sir" asked Lenore quietly.
"I have news" replied Lord decal "first mark"
"great" replied Mark dryly
"well Marklin" said Lord decal agitated at the interruption (mark gritted his teeth at the use of his full name) "you are going to be sent for overhaul in a few days"
"but where could do it sir" asked Mark "I am a German not British locomotive"
"I was getting to that" replied Lord decal in a tone that told the engines to stop interrupting "I couldn't find anywhere in mainland Britain who could do it, but an island near Barrow has a works which offered to do it"
"wonderful" said Mark happy.
"moving on" said lord decal "some very important news, Me and Br have been in talks about getting some kind of express to run to Manchester, and the first run for that service will be in a few weeks, It goes without saying who will pull it"
"I don't get it" said Nick completely missing the point as usual "who?"
"Lenore's pulling it, you dolt" wheeshed David.
"sorry" said Nick annoyed.
"y-you think I could s-sir" asked Lenore nervously.
"I'm sure you will" said Lord decal dryly "Oh and David"
"what sir" asked David grumpily.
"today you have the first Local passenger service" said Lord Decal slyly.
"oh come on!" yelled David annoyed.
Time passed and Mark was sent to the island in the Irish sea to be overhauled, the engines handled the work without him decently but still they struggled, soon the first run of the "coaldai flyer" (as it had been christened) approached, Lenore felt nervous as it had been many months since she had pulled any kind of express. Soon it was the day of the express.
Lenore backed down onto a rake of Pullman coaches which were located in coaldai station's platform 2.
"are you ready Lenore?" asked lord decal
"y-yes sir" replied Lenore quietly
"good, just remember don't screw this up" said Lord decal bluntly
"I won't" whistled Lenore.
Lord decal walked down the platform and got in the first coach, soon after a porter placed and board that read "the coaldai flyer" on Lenore's top lamp iron.
"good luck" called Colin from the other platform
"thank you" whistled Lenore as the guards whistle blew.
Lenore pulled out of Coaldai and thundered down the line, she passed through station after station passing both David and Nick, soon she passed Seldom junction and continued on running at high speed arriving at Manchester ahead of schedule. Lenore looked around and saw her sister Elizabeth in the other platform.
Elizabeth spoke first "I thought you were withdrawn and why are you in Lms maroon"
"I w-was privately bought" replied Lenore nervously.
"good for you, 5 of our sisters are going to be withdrawn later this year " said Elizabeth sadly.
"s-sorry to hear that" replied Lenore.
"it was only a matter of time" said Elizabeth.
Elizabeth's guard's whistle blew.
"have a good life Lenore" whistled Elizabeth as she puffed away.
Lenore looked down at her buffers sadly as Lord decal walked up:
"great job Lenore" he said Happily.
"th-thanks I guess" replied Lenore
lord decal walked away to speak with some Br representatives.
After this the Coaldai Flyer ran regularly to Manchester, about six months after mark returned and a month after that the loop line was reopened. Not much happened after that, in 1972 the line acquired a diesel called "western crusader" and after the coalmine closed in 1974 the line Finally was declared a heritage railway, the now six engines continue to work there. alas No one who reads this can go there as it is in a universe dubbed "77c" by some old tank engines in that universes Kent.
आप पढ़ रहे हैं
the tales of the Coaldai railway
ऐतिहासिक साहित्यthe tales of a small heritage railway somewhere in the north west of England from the start of the 1960's to early 1961
