An Average Life: Rail Life

Part 4

Citrus, Robert, and Ripple all 3 sat in the small hunch, as it sped down the main line.

"Tell me what this thing is again?" Said Citrus.

"An electric mine cart." Said Robert. "We're lucky they had one at the Flow-Through station."

"LOOK OUT!" Shouted Ripple.

Robert suddenly pulled the break lever, bringing them to a violent stop. They were inches from the edge of the mine.

"Phew.. Good eye." He said.

"You don't think the engine is down there, do you?.."

"Well, only one way to check." You two stay in here and keep the breaks on, while I refill our sandbags."

Robert stepped out, leaving Ripple and Citrus in the mine cart.

"What are sandbags?" Asked Ripple.

"They're used to coat a steam engine's wheels in sand to give it better traction." Said Citrus. "But why does the mine cart have them?"

"Oh, we built these ourselves so we could mine lead easier." Said Robert. "By the way, do you have the breaks on?"

"I don't know, lemme check." Said Ripple.

She reached over, and pulled the break lever hard. So hard in fact, it released the breaks, AND snapped off.

"Oh."

The cart lurched forward, and began to roll down into the mine.

"NO!" Shouted Robert.

Citrus and Ripple immediately began to panic. Their cart freewheeled down the hill at violent speeds, and continued going, seemingly picking up speed.

"HOW DO YOU SHUT THIS OFF?!" Shouted Citrus.

"SHOVE THE THING BACK IN!"

"WHAT?"

"SHOVE THE LEVER IN THE HOLE!" Screamed Ripple.

Citrus desperately fiddled with the lever, and eventually was able to jam it back into it's place. The cart slowed to a stop.

"Oh, good.." Sighed Ripple.

"Why did you have to pull the lever?.." Huffed Citrus.

"I wanted to see if the breaks were on or not. I guess we got our answer.."

"How did you even break it? My dad pulled it way harder than you did."

"I don't know, maybe he loosened it."

The two looked around. Lanterns that were hung on the walls dimly lit the cavern up. A sign that said "loop track ahead" stood in front of them. The sound of a steam engine chuffing began to grow louder.

"Hey, Citrus? What's a loop track?" Asked Ripple.

"Oh, it's a Circle of track used to turn trains around." Replied Citrus.

"I thought so, because THE TRAIN IS HEADING RIGHT TOWARDS US!!"

Citrus turned around to see the headlamp of the engine growing brighter.

"OH F-"

The cart was violently rammed, and pushed down the track. Citrus and Ripple were more or less okay, although they began to worry.

"What do we do?" Shouted Ripple over the chuffing.

"Don't worry! This track should lead us back to the slope that lead us here!" Replied Citrus

They suddenly turned. They had veered off the main track, and away from the slope.

"NO!" Shouted Citrus.

"Now what?"

Citrus' ears perked. She had an idea.

"We're going to climb into the cab of the engine, and apply the brakes."

"Are you crazy?" Replied Ripple.

"Yes! Let's go!"

Citrus stepped onto the footplate of the moving engine, and carefully climbed up and over the roof, and into the cab. Ripple followed behind her, shaking as she caught up.

"Which one's the br-" Started Ripple, but was immediately cut off by the engine jolting backward. The wheels screeched as Citrus brought the train to a slow stop. Ripple had hit her head on the front of the cab, and was now sitting on the floor.

"Are you okay?" Asked Citrus.

"I-I'm good." She replied. "How did you know which one was the brakes?"

"My dad CONSTANTLY rambled to me about trains when I was little. That and I think Thomas taught me it, I don't know.."

Ripple chuckled, and stood up. They suddenly heard a small crackling sound.

"Do you hear that?" Asked Citrus.

"Sounds like a fire." Said Ripple. "And it's not coming from the engine."

Citrus looked out of the cab, and saw that the box car directly behind the engine had caught fire from the sparks the wheels had made.

"UH-"

"Aren't we pulling dynamite?" Asked Ripple, calmly.

"YEAH?"

Citrus looked around, breathing heavily as she began to panic. She then looked at the dirt wall of the cave. A sign the read "switch ahead, 6000 feet." Was hung on a piece of rope. There was still a chance.