Tales from the rails

Dan's Date

One morning, Dan rolled into the station with his coaches, he had been released from the works a few days prior, though nothing exciting had happened. Well, all aside the night before. He had a rough night, the terrier had to sleep outside and his paint was ruined by the rain, which also turned the nice and beautiful snow into a dull grayish sludge. His crew were trying to get him to feel better. "Come on old boy, you've been through worse, it's not the worse thing ever." Said DD. "Yeah, you had to bring me home with you guys." Delilah said, trying to make Dan laugh. He just sighed. Billy had gotten the job as guard for Dan's passenger runs. The guard's whistle blew and Dan whistled back with a, "Peep... Peep... Peep!" As he left DeeDburg Station. Later that day, Dan was sent to be repainted and that's when Rhys pulled in with some rusty Levi Harbour Co. trucks. "Hey Dan, what's wrong?" Asked the E2. "Ah, just a rough night, it messed up my paint." Said Dan as he looked at his best friend. Rhys gave him a look that told Dan that he knew it was more than that. The tank engine sighed. "It's just been dull, I guess. That trip was awesome. But don't get me wrong, I love being home, it's just I miss the thrills and excitement." He explained as the painters opened up some royal blue paint and began to start lining Dan. "Hmm, I think I can help with that!" Rhys said, he had a determined look on his face. "Oh boy." Said Dan as he was being painted. "Meet me by the station tonight, I'll tell you the plan then!" He dropped off the trucks, coupled up to Walter, and raced off. "You know, I wonder what he's on about." Said one of the painters. "I bet he's going to stage a date for you." Said another. "What? That's crazy! Rhys would never!" Said Dan.

"Alright Dan, we're going to set you up on a date!" Said Rhys as Dan rolled into the station. "I owe Joey five bucks." Dan said as he stopped in the station canopy. "Listen, just do what I teach you and it'll be a success! You'll get that thrill from the date and things won't feel dull!" "Who are you even setting me up on a date with?" Asked Dan. "It's a secret, but you do know her." Rhys explained. "Uh huh. Well, Rhys, I got to go to bed and-" "Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait! Just listen. Give it a try, okay? If you don't like it, then you don't have to do it. But you won't know if you try. Also my driver paid for two oversized ties for us to use for training." "Good lord. Alright, I'm in." Dan said as he looked around. "So what's the first thing you want me to do?" Suddenly, Emma and Rhys walked out with two bow ties, each engine got one. Then the two tank engines got to work. "First, you got to work on your intro. When she's coming up from behind you, pop your smokebox door open and greet her." Rhys said as he demonstrated what to do. "You pretend you are your date and I'll be you." Dan slowly rolled up and then Rhys' face popped up on his line. "Hey~" He said in a deep voice, and the two started laughing. "Okay, okay, my turn." Dan said as he laughed. Rhys then pretended he was the date. "Oh, I wonder who this big, strong, powerful tank engine is." He said in a high pitch voice. "Hey there beautiful, what's a pretty girl like you doing out here?" Dan said in a very deep voice. The two laughed some more, big smiles on their faces. "Alright, alright, you're ready." Said Rhys. "Wait what?" Dan stopped laughing. He was suddenly worried. "Dude, it's fine, just have fun. That's it. As long as you two are having fun the everything will be good." Rhys said. "Alright, just stay there, I'll be right back with your date!" And Rhys hurried away back down the line. DD and Delilah then started laughing, they had been in the cab the entire time. "This is gonna be fun." Said Delilah. The three heard puffing behind them. DD and Delilah looked through the cab windows and saw the engine, Rhys, and Sally! "Here she comes!" DD said as he rolled up some curtains that covered the gaps over the cab doors. Dan began to get nervous when the puffing came closer and closer. "Just like I taught you Dan!" Said Rhys in the back of his mind. "Phew, okay, okay. I got this." His smokebox door opened and he stared at the engine rolling up. "Oh, hello Dan." Said Lydia. "H-hi Lydia." Dan said in a normal tone of voice. He shut his smokebox door and the two began puffing down the line. He was not sure what to say, and Lydia wasn't sure either. "Yo, go to the beach!" Said Delilah. "Wanna go to the beach?" Asked Dan. "Sure!" Said Lydia, and the two puffed off.

As the two went over Drenk Junction, Lydia began to slow down. Her eyes went narrow as she remembered the time where, "she", almost killed Dan. Dan noticed this and puffed back to her. He switched over to her track and buffered up to her. He began to push Lydia to the beach. She snapped out of it when the two arrived. "Oh, I-I'm sor-" "It's fine, so, did the two put you up to this?" Dan asked. "No... I put them up to it." "I see. So, how long have you liked me then?" "Since before the war." Dan, DD, and Delilah all perked up to that, the two kids listened in a lot more into the conversation. "Wait... what?" Asked Dan. "You probably don't remember, and I wouldn't blame you. Do you remember, by any chance, working for the W&S?" Dan thought long and hard. "I remember... I remember...!" Memories began flooding back to the tank engine's mind. "I REMEMBER, HAHA!" Dan yelled happily, he could remember his days on The Great Western, The LB&SCR, The W&S, British Rail, and even the earliest days of his life. He remembered the ports, the stations, the branches, the mainline, everything! "Oh no, Lydia, we were dating back then, and then you left for a different harbor and then I got hit by the bomb... oh I'm so sorry I forgot!" "Dan, I don't blame you, it's never been your fault. Say, what time is it?" Asked Lydia. "Uhhh..." "4:17!" Yelled DD from the cab. "Come on, let's go before it's too late." Lydia said as she puffed off. "Where are we going?" Asked Dan. "You'll see!" She called back as she puffed down the line. The two began to race each other down the line, laughing and having fun along the way. Lydia was able to pull ahead and won, though Dan says that he let her win. "Better luck next time!" She said cheekily. The sun was setting when Lydia stopped. "Remind you of anything?" She asked as Dan stopped behind her. "I remember! It's the day I met you!" Dan exclaimed, and the two remembered that day together. It was the early 1930's, Lydia had just been transferred from the USA to the UK. After she was dropped off, a cheeky tank engine weashed loudly. "Hello, keep up lazy bones!" He yelled as he puffed off. Lydia was scared in her new environment, so she just be puffed to one of the vacant eastern ports in the harbour. The sun set as she began to cry silently. "Hello?" Asked a voice as a tank engine rolled up behind her. It was a LB&SCR A1 painted in a splendid Improved Green. "Oh... hi there." Said Lydia as she looked back. She tried to hold in tears as he rolled along side her. "What's the matter? You seem down." Said the tank engine. "I, uh, I miss home. That's all." "I get that. I used to live on a little line with some of my siblings, but trust me, it's gone up since then. Say, I never caught your name." "It's Lydia, and what's your name?" "Dan. Nice to meet you Lydia. Now, wanna come with me and shunt some trucks? I'm teaching some new engines how to do it." "Sure, that would be nice." The two set off for the yards and the rest was history. "Say, wanna go prank them?" Asked Lydia. "How?" Dan asked. "We'll sneak up behind them and then when they least expect it... HEEWP PEIP!" She whistled loudly and chuckled. "Yeah, let's go it!" Said Dan and the two hurried off to Drenk Station.

Dan and Lydia entered the station, Rhys and Sally were sitting under the stars, watching the nighttime sky. "Look, there's the Little Dipper." Sally said. "And look, there's the Big Dipper!" Rhys said. "And ther-!" "HEEWP PEIP!" "PEEEEP PIP!" The two jumped and were shaking as Dan and Lydia laughed hysterically. "We did it!" Laughed Dan. "I can't believe that worked!" Lydia added through a laugh. "Of course it worked, it was your plan after all." "Oh you." The two kept laughing. "That's not funny! I almost had a heart attack!" Rhys yelled as he looked behind him. Then Sally started laughing. "You got to admit, it was a little funny." Sally laughed. Rhys started laughing too. "Oh, it's getting late, we ought to hurry and go to sleep." Said Rhys as he began to roll backwards towards the sheds. "Right, I better get my shed. Goodnight everyone!" Lydia said as she was about to roll away. "Come on." Said Dan. "What?" "I said come on! Your shed is on the other side of the island, so come sleep here!" Dan explained. "Oh... uh, but are you-?" "Come on! You can share my berth." Said Dan as he buffered up to her and began pushing. The two puffed behind Rhys and Sally, entering the sheds where Tatum, Hanna, and Edward were sleeping. Rhys first turned around, and puffed into his berth. Then Sally got turned around, and she rolled into her berth. Then Lydia got on the table and was turned around. But she didn't roll into the berth. Dan got on the table and then they were both turned around and reversed into the berth. "It's good that you remembered your past Dan." Said Lydia with a yawn. "It's good to have it back. Thank you Lydia." Said Dan. "Anytime." Lydia said as she shut her eyes. The two slowly drifted off to sleep.