The Other Railway Series: Season 2

Episode 4: Hard Work

Febuary 2nd 1940

Christen was a LNER J50 tank engine. He has six small wheels, two large tanks, one stumpy dome, one tall funnel and a squat cab. He is the Carrag Station pilot, he loves his job very much. The engines all respect him and he tries not to let anyone down.

One night Ashfull took a train of vans to Carrag, it was too late to head back to Camford so he stay the night with Christen. When he back in to a birth he smile. He remember the times when he and the others had to build the railway.

"Ah, those were the days," he said. He then look at the other births.

"Where's Christen?" he asked himself.

He look around, he wasn't anywhere. Ashfull dicided to go to sleep. When he woke up, he saw Christen shunting his train so it could be taking to Camford for the new branchline that was heading up the city, Truds.

"Ah, morning Christen!" whistled Ashfull.

"Oh, good morning," yawned Christen.

"What's the matter?" asked Ashfull.

"Oh, I just haven't had the time to rest for the past few days," replied Christen.

Ashfull felt worried and when he got Camford yard he saw John.

"What's the matter mate?" asked John and Ashfull explain it to John. But when he finish, John just scoff.

"It sounds like he's lazy to me," he said, "he's just trying to make you all sympathetic so that he can sit in the shed and let you all do his work."

Ashfull scowl John. "Christen is one if the hardest working engines on this railway, he wouldn't turn lazy all of a sudden."

John just rolled his eyes and went back to work. Ashfull tried to think of how to pay John out, but nothing came to mind.

"Bother," he said as he gave in, but thinks came sooner then asspected.

That night Christen was just about to head to the sheds, when the yard foreman came up.

"Sorry Christen," he said, "but there's more work to do in the yards."

Christen agree to the terms, made a massive yawn and setted of for work. Christen did his best, but couldn't help but dose off. But the workmam couldn't blame him, he had done such a good job, he needed sometime to rest. The next morning Ashfull was resting at the water tower when John came in.

"Why are you here?" asked Ashfull crossly. He was still cross about John's rude remark about Christen.

"Well I came hear with some coal trucks," said John sneering at him, "there's a coal mine on a island which has open resantly and Anderson's branch is going to connect with it. But at the meantime they're bringing the coal by road."

He then went to the coal tower. Ashfull eyed him as he filled up and left for his train back to Camford. But a few minutes later the yard foreman came up to Ashfull and his crew.

"John has taken some bad coal and is stuck near Fowthorpe Hill," he said for a new station was built there in 1935 and since it was closer to the hill, they rename it, "I need you to help him back to Camford."

"But what about my train," fussed Ashfull.

"We'll fix it later," replied the foreman, "now go!"

So Ashfull did, but when he got there he was surprise to see Christen buffering up an fuming John.

"Don't worry!" called Ashfull to Christen, "I can do it!"

"No, no. Its fine," replied Christen, "I have already arrange your train, now go back and fetch it. I'll deal with Mr Grumpy."

"Mr. Grumpy!" stammered John angrily, "I won't-"

"Oh stow it," laughed Christen as he shunted him away.

When Ashfull return to Camford yards, he saw John in a siding red in the face. Christen had taken a set of goods back to Carrag yard so Ashfull didn't see him. But Anderson and Caleb did and where howling with laughter.

"Did you see his face?" asked Anderson to Caleb.

"No," replied Caleb, "because it was cover with a red face!"

The two engines started to laugh again. Ashfull chuckle and saw John. John thought that Ashfull would tease him too. But somethink different came out of Ashfull that John wasn't aspecting.

"Now that, was hard work."