Henry's adventure across the canal

Two shades of green

The next day was all the same until there was trouble. Henry just backed to his starting spot when Heinrich visibly annoyed rolled beside him. He was already couple to a batch of coaches.
"This stubborn engine", he grumbled "What's wrong?", asked Henry "Otto. He's refusing to come out of the shed and we are supposed to pull our trains alongside each other to Dresden in 30 minutes.", Heinrich replied "Why?! Is he not feeling well?", the light green engine asked concerned. "Pah", snorted Heinrich, "He says he won't move until that small green monster is gone" "Ohhh", Henry looked down saddened. "Hey don't worry Henry it's not your fault", reassured him the big engine. But before Henry could answer a man walked up to the two engines. "I'm sorry Heinrich. We can't convince Otto to get out. Do you have any suggestions which engine should run alongside with you instead?", the man explained. "I see", pondered the engine. He gave Henry a short glance and then smiled. "I think I know the perfect engine for this job." He looks at Henry. The old engine immediately understood. "Me?! But I can't take as many passengers and I am not that fast", he stuttered. "Come on Henry", Mrs. Controller chimed in, "a nice long run to stretch your wheels and just see a bit more of Germany" Henry considered. "Okay let's do this!" "Awesome", cheered Heinrich. "Okay I'll get everything sorted, Johanna I would need some stuff from you could you come with me?", the man asked "Sure thing", Henry's driver replied and got off the footplate. "Hey what about those coaches I have here?!", spoke up a tank engine, a BR 80. "Gunter it seems like you have to shunt them back", replied Heinrich now in a much brighter mood. "Ughhhhh fine", complained Gunter. He pushed them away then suddenly stopped and reversed. "Heinrich could you say hi from me to my fellow Dresden engines?", the small engine asked. "Sure thing, Gunter", smiled the dark green engine, "right Henry?" "Of course Heinrich", confirmed the light green engine. "Oh please don't tell me I have to fetch your coaches, Henry", begged the BR 80 "No you don't have to little Gunter", reassured him Henry. "Thank god. Also never call me small again, you green sea monster", snapped Gunter and with that he puffed away muttering profanities under his puffs.
"Huh, foulmouthed tank engines haven't seen that one before", Henry laughed. Heinrich smirked he knew exactly who his new friend meant.

10 minutes later Henry backed up to his coaches. "Wakey, Wakey you three we are going to be a special train today", the engine whistled delighted. "Are we heading home already?", they asked sleepily. "Not yet, not yet. We are going to Dresden.", he chuckled. "Dresden? Oh I heard of that place from our passengers", one coach answered. And the others joined in and started blabbering all the way until the provisional platform were Heinrich was waiting. "You got a funny bunch of coaches", the dark green engine chuckled. "Oh yes I have", the English engine laughed, "but when I first met them they could have rivaled trucks with their attitude." "Bwahahaha I know those kinda coaches all to well" "Oh how so?", Henry's curiosity was peaked. "I was build to pull coaches on test runs. So I saw a fair share of them. Some follow along immediately and others" "Are foulmouthed and annoying and need to be put into place", Henry completed the sentence. The guards whistle blew, the last door fell shut and the two big green engines were ready to go. They pulled out with a massive cloud of steam, leaving the visitors in awe.

Soon they were on a steady speed not too fast not too slow. The sun was radiating brightly from an almost cloudless sky. Perfect weather for any photographer. And there were many so many. The two engines had already given up counting them. They soon got onto the mainline. "The speed limit has been raised ready to go about...", Heinrich paused "100 km/h sure why not although that's my limit", confessed Henry. "No problem. Otto is actually slower by the way" "Then go!" Their drivers opened their regulators further and after a few kilometers the two might machines were rushing over the track. "Whooooohooooooo", Heinrich rejoiced, "I was made for this!" "Hahaha don't over extended yourself my friend", the number 3 laughed. After a while Henry could sense the big engine was itching to go faster. "Heinrich, what's your nickname?",Henry had to shout over the noise the two were making. "Grüner Renner sooo Green runner, why?",the other engine replied "Then run! Show what you are capable of!" "Can we go faster, driver?", the German engine asked. "Yes my boy!", his driver happily confirmed. "See ya at the next station!" Heinrich expression became stern and determined as he accelerated. He blew his whistle which resounded with such might that it would have made Gordon and Scotsman sound like teapots. "Show them! Show them! Show them!", Henry cheered on his new friend. He smiled from buffer to buffer seeing the long train of dark green coaches with silver roofs pass by. "Johanna!" "Yes", answered his driver she had been leaning out of the cab window to watch not only the track but also watch Heinrich. "Thank you for bringing me to this event!", the engine thanked his driver wholeheartedly. "Any time old boy!" And Henry knew she was smiling as broadly as he himself. "Peep peep peep! Heinrich we are coming!"