Tales from the rails

The Chase

Dan was working on his branchline, taking his three coaches along the line and making sure to keep to the timetables. He stopped at Bluebell Station, letting some passengers off and on. "Good afternoon Dan!" Said a voice. "Good afternoon sir, what brings you here?" Asked Dan. "Well I was wondering, since the summer tourist season is starting up, if you would like to take tourists down the mainline, stoping along the way." "Oooh yes sir!" Dan said cheerfully. "I can't wait to stretch my wheels again!" "Very well, I'll start scheduling your trains today, right now just focus on your work." The controller said, then he wandered off back to his car and drove off. Dan's guard's whistle blew, and the little engine whistled back a, "PEEP PIP!" And set off down the line. Dan and his coaches were excited. "We're going onto the mainline! We're going onto the mainline!" They chanted as they rolled along the track. The train was running on time, Dan and the coaches finally made it to Deedburg and passengers got in and out of the coaches. Dan then waited and waited for the guard to blow his whistle. Billy was having a sandwich and had forgotten about the train. "Billy!" Dan yelled, whistling a quick, "PEOEP!" To get his attention. Billy was spooked and nearly dropped his food. "Right, sorry!" He said as he shoved the rest of his food into his mouth and grabbed his green flag. He got into the guard's compartment and began waving it furiously, Dan set off without the whistle and Billy was still chewing but knew he was ready. "PEOEEP PIP!" He whistled as he began to take off down the line. While a little annoyed, he was overcome by excitement as he puffed down the line, each turn of his wheel led to one closer to the mainline. "You know, now that I think about it, whenever we go onto the mainline we always run into trouble." DD said, remembering both times at the Grand Gap and when they nearly fell off the Grand Gap when facing off with Lickey, the demon spirit that haunted the rails. "This time will be different, just watch." Dan said as he continued down the line. "How many times have you gotten into accidents along the mainline?" Asked Delilah. "I only remember the Kipper incident, the coal train, and that one time at The Grand Gap." Dan and DD lost their smiles, incidents flashing before their eyes. "Too many." Dan said, but then he squinted and his smile came back, "But this time FEELS different." The train rolled down the line and the three kept chatting.

"So why are we doing this again?" Asked Delilah's mom. "Do you want your daughter back AND for him to stop dating that pesky brat?" "Well, yes." Said Delilah's father. "Then we're following the plan." Z said. On the table was a map of the Drabtic & Deltic Isle. It showed all the rail lines and had little papers that had names on them. "The train will start at Levi. We'll have P.T start the chase at the junction that leads to the NWD&D line, with Jonah and I adding onto the chase at Lickey Station. If we need them, we'll have the shunters set up a blockade before Pleasentville, maybe at the scrapyard. Now then, any questions?" Asked Z, he had moved some little things around the table. No one moved, P.T, Christina, Bert, Ashley, and Joe nodded. Delilah's parents, Serena, and Jessie were a little worried, though they didn't show it. "It's settled. First thing Monday morning, we set the plan in motion." Z said, then he walked away. Everyone else left too, going to get things ready besides Jessie, Delilah's parents, and Serena. The others began to discuss the plan, "I know we normally don't care, but I feel like this is going too far." Said Jessie, looking at the door. "I agree." Said her sister. The adults looked at each other. They thought about their daughter, "What if she got hurt during this?" They thought, though they didn't speak. "What are you four still doing in there?" Joe yelled as he burst into the room, "We need to set up, get moving!" The four began to leave the room, Jonah's claw splayed on a table, it had been taken apart for maintenance and he himself was being prepped for the day, lifted from his chassis. Jonah sneered at the monsters. "Took you long enough." He grunted as he looked down upon the four. They said nothing as they set to work.

Dan was idling at Levi Station, sitting at the first platform. He was coupled up to David, Clara, and Henry along with a British Railways MK1 brake coach. He watched as the coaches were packed with passengers. He was waiting for the guard's whistle to sound from the back of the train, ready for a good run. He saw a green flag wave and a whistle blew. The guard got into the brake coach and shut the door. Dan whistled back and began to roll down the track. DD and Delilah began to work, checking gauges and shoveling coal into the firebox. Dan was rolling smoothly along the line, gaining speed as he approached the small incline that guarded Levi. Dan began the climb, "Come along, Come along." He weashed as his pistons pumped. "We're coming along, we're coming along." The coaches clattered as they rolled up the hill, tight at the couplings. They began to puff through Drenk, whistling loudly and weashing through. Dan was proud of himself, "Right on time! Right on time!" He said as he puffed through the station. "Yes, we are. Yes we are." The coaches remarked as they trailed along. "We need to stop for water at the next tower." DD said, he looked out the cab window to see a line side pump, DD slowly braked the train to a stop, then he and Delilah began to work the water pump and put water in Dan's tanks. Dan looked ahead. At the end of the curve was the North Western Drabton & Deltic Railway branch line. He thought he could see a diesel sitting at the junction, "Driver, Firewoman, what's that?" Asked Dan, his crew looked ahead. They couldn't see anything. "What are we looking at?" Asked Delilah. "I thought I saw an engine sitting at the junction." The water overflowed a little and the pump was shut off. "You're seeing things, old boy." DD chuckled as the crew got back into the cab. The train began to move again. The signal was green and the next block was clear. Dan gave a whistle as he passed the signal. Dan barely made it past the signal when there was a loud horn that blared from behind him. "Who is that?" Delilah asked as she looked outside the window. She screamed as she saw the diesel charging him, it had a massive hydraulic claw. "What's wrong?" DD asked her as he looked out the same window. "STEP ON IT DAN!" He yelled as looked back. Dan then looked back and saw the diesel chasing him down the line. "PEEP PIP PEEP!" He whistled loudly as his pistons pounded the rails and the coaches clattered along, rocking slowly side to side. The chase was on.