The Zombie Train New Horizons

Chapter 17: Rostov-On-Don

I tried to keep her under the 80 MPH speed limit, but the throttle had a tendency to stick beyond 30%. I would constantly hear Sasha yelling from the back, but I was doing my best. I looked out to see a sign I could translate: Rostov-On-Don. At that second, I heard a clanging from the boiler. The throttle flew full forward. I pounced to bring it down, but the pressure of 150 PSI kept it taught. We began accelerating at an alarming rate, the trees and small buildings flowing past us. I began to panic now. No throttle, no brakes, we were in deep trouble.
"The reverser!"
I gripped the handle. The rod flew forward, taking me along with it. Smacking my head on the door. My vision blurred slightly as a migraine nearly took me out of action. The regulator was stuck in the furthest, forward notch, it too was taught. The steam from the cylinder kept the valve gear locked. We were well over the speed limit now. Ivan came climbing around the tender, but he talked in Russian.
"Shoot! Hey. Hey man." I pointed to the throttle. "Train... runaway." I pointed to the cutoff. "Help me... stop train."
I moved him to the levar, him slightly confused. I braced to bring it back, he followed my form. I held up three fingers, pointed to the middle position.
"One. Two. Three!"
We moved hard on the bar of iron, I pushed as hard as I could. I felt a slight give. I put it all onto the end. It slowly began to move rearward, the repeated pushes of the cylinders trying to put it back into gear. But we were stronger. We pushed and pulled, the lever moving notch by notch. Sweat building up on my hands, loosening my grip!
"So... close!"
A single inch.
Half an inch.
Quarter of an inch.
Got it!"
I let off the locking. I flew out into the cab, Ivan catching me just before my face hit the ground. I looked at him.
"Thanks."
"Ваше приветствие."
"I still don't know what that means." I patted him on the back, before heading over to the handbrake. Applying the brake as we entered the main city. Easing past the terminal, into the platform. Trying to get the the smoothest stop. And then the brakeblock fell, just before we entered the platform.
We came to a screeching halt before the crowds of surprised civilians. I hit the deadman valve. Steam and superheated water came rushing out the lower right. A small cloud of fog was created on the platform. Once I had dumped the ash pan, and done various other tasks, I jumped down to maintain what was left of the engine.
All of the right valve gear was gone, the connecting rods were the only thing still in one piece, I counted four more bolts missing, the injectors were holding on by their hoses. I moved over to the right side. The cylinder had a huge crack going down the middle of it. How the hell did it still even work? The valve gear was clearly bent from the strain of running full cutoff, the rapid tension and compression they experienced. I picked up the expansion link, the long rod that was crucial for any more running. I tossed it down with metallic clanging.
"'Ain't no way thi'sl run again."
"Jerez!"
I headed back, jumping back on top of the platform. Morrow handed me my rifle and bandolier, I slung it behind my back. Following Sasha to the station parking lot. A truck was waiting for us.