Tales from the rails

Do You Believe In Magic?

Dan was puffing along his branch line, as he normally did. He was a little cold as the winter air had hit the island hard, though he was almost done with his work for that day. DD and Delilah were quite tired, they had been at school that day and were ready to go to bed before The Flying Kipper that night. They were so tired they didn't realize how far down the line they were. Dan did and whistled loudly, waking them up and pinning his brakes. His crew woke up from their daze and slammed on the brakes. The coaches didn't jerk around and Dan felt like he had came to a stop, yet they hadn't stopped, they were slowly rolling along to a very gentle stop. As the passengers disembarked the train, one commented, "I think that's the smoothest stop I've had on this whole railway." She said. "Agreed." Said another. Once everyone was off, Dan questioned, "Driver, what did you do?" "No, I was in a daze." "Firewoman?" "Yes Dan, I got in front of you and stopped the train so gently that the coaches didn't even bump around." "Maybe we were a little farther ahead than we thought we were." "No, we were going to slam into the buffers, but we didn't." "I guess it was magic or something." DD said as he walked out of the cab. "But the question is who's." Dan said to himself, and he began reversing down the line. Back at Drenk Sheds, the coaches were asleep in the carriage sheds along with George and Walter. Meanwhile, the engines were up discussing their day in the dark shed. "What do you mean you think someone stopped you?" Tatum asked. "I mean I didn't stop myself, I mean, I did at first, but not at the platform!" Dan said. "You make no sense whatsoever." Tatum just rolled her eyes and shut them, going to sleep. Dan tried to convince the others of what happened, but they rolled their eyes towards Dan's exaggeration of events. Dan soon went to sleep, unhappy not a soul would believe him.

Dan awoke. The area was dark and he could only see the rails underneath his wheels. He wasn't moving. A low glow appeared in front of his eyes. "Do you believe in magic?" It asked, it was a female voice. The light glow moved around Abe turned into a orb. The glowing orb asked again. "Uh, I-." "Do you believe in magic?" She asked a third time. "I do." Dan said. The glowing orb then popped out of existence. Dan's wheels began to turn and forge down the line. His wheels went faster and faster. He began to feel scared. Then the glowing orb ran ahead of him. "Who are you?" Asked Dan as he looked at the orb. "All in due time. I'm going to show you something." She said, and Dan watched as the glowing orb flashed on the wall. Dan stared in awe of the beautiful landscape before him. From the sky, there was a waterfall that poured on top of a spiraling mountain, coated in rails. There were steam engines puffing around, there were also diesel engines too, though steam was pouring out of their exhausts. Dan was thundering down the line when he woke up. He looked around, and then the female voice popped into his head. "Find The Buffers." It rang as his crew lit his fire. The three set off. Rhys had left the sheds and was off delivering the mail. Dan made it to the harbour, with tarps and all. Dan looked around. He saw some buffers by the ports. His crew were out and about, making sure things were ready. The little engine bumped around the buffers, but nothing happened. His crew watched him as they were taking with one of the workmen. The trucks were ready and Dan backed down onto them. His crew didn't ask any questions about what had just happened, and they started smoothly. They forged their way down the line, giving a ghostly whistle as they departed through the station. They climbed the little hill and continued down the line. As he thundered past stations, giving the ghostly whistle, he took note of the buffers around the place. His crew noticed Dan was not all focused. "Dan, you alright buddy?" Asked his driver as they thundered down the tracks. "I have to find the buffers." He said as he looked around. "So is that why you were bumping buffers at the ports early?" Asked Delilah, sticking her head out of the cab. "Yes, my dream told me to find the buffers." Delilah looked back into the cab at DD, who was just as puzzled. "Okay buddy, whatever you say." DD said as he relaxed his hand, taking it off the reverser. The train shot through Lickey Station, where they passed Rhys and his mail train. They woke Walter up with Dan's ghostly whistle. Dan and the Flying Kipper started to thunder up the hill, quicker and quicker! "Come on, Come on, Come on!" Dan said as he raced to the top of the incline, the trucks rerailed at the top. Their brakes suddenly shot on, and Dan along with the train was able to slow down at the top of the hill. They shot down the line and thundered over The Grand Gap. As they thundered down the line, they were switched onto The Shadow Mainline. They thundered down the track and headed down the line, and that's when the three spawn. There was a random set of buffers that surely wasn't there a few days earlier. They took note of it and promised Dan they would come back and inspect the line. Dan picked up speed as he pulled the train down the line and made it off the shadow mainline. They dropped off the trucks at the platform and Dan hurried back down the line. Rhys was thundering down the line when he saw the ghostly engine thundering back down the line. The trucks were unloaded and were waiting to be taken back to Levi. Minutes passed as Rhys' mail vans were unloaded and the mail shipped out to the town post office. The engine didn't return. "Well someone has to take it!" Said a workman to Rhys and his crew. "But we have to take the mail coaches back!" Rhys retorted. "Well we won't let you leave then if you refuse to bring it back." Rhys, the driver, grew annoyed and finally said, "Fine, fine, fine! We will hook the vans up to the back of the train and go." He said as he got back into Rhys' cab. They moved the mail coaches and Walter in front of The Kipper and was coupled up. There were two guards, and both whistled loudly. Rhys whistled back a, "PEEP PIP!" And he set off down the line, being switched onto the Shadow Mainline and headed for home.