The Other Railway Series (Not Canon)

One Trick Too Far

October 2nd 1951

Renel and Aurora Lake are two tanks engines who run the Bigend branch line on the TNER. This line is the most scenic coastal line on the railway, and the Great Western engines couldn't be more proud. Renel mainly pulls passengers, whilst Aurora Lake mainly takes goods. Both ends of their line end up meeting with the mainline at Camford, and then at Telmouth. Both being big stations indeed.

But when going up the line from Telmouth, the line is sustainable to have heavy mainline engines go on it. That is because a small line goes off the branch line, and goes to a massive cement works. Usually, Mark Lang, a 28xx Great Western clsss, goes up there to take cement away and the line is doubled until the junction where one line goes off to the cement works, whilst the other goes on along the Bigend branch line.

One day, Ralphinafil, the big black five was waiting at Telmouth, she had to wait for Renel, who was a guaranteed-connection with her and she wasn't allowed to continue to Central Camford until the branch line arrived. She was growing impatient and wanting Renel to arrive.

At last, the 14xx Class arrived. But not taking the train in his usual way with going at the back. Instead, he was pulling the train, bunker first into the station.

"What on earth are you doing?" asked Ralphinafil as Renel came into the station. The auto tank engine gave a heavy huff.

"When I went back to the station after being refilled, the points were apparently stuck on one track, so I couldn't get to the other end of my train. So we had to do it the old fashion way and go tender first!" replied Renel, clearly annoyed by the hole situation. "I'm rusty at doing it like this so I had to go slowly to give the passengers a comfortable ride."

"Oh dear," smirked Ralphinafil, amused by this, "We don't get failed points on the mainline, after all, mainlines always have higher priorities."

"You do realise that this line is has some of the most tourists riding on our trains," said Renel, "So having something fail on these lines would be extremely bad for the railway, so we have to work harder to give this line a good reputation. Since your apart of the mainline, nobody ever minds when theirs an accident. Shows how irrelevant you our."

Ralphinafil snorted. "Don't try to flatter yourself," she said, "You only saying that because you just can't handle that your branch is falling to pieces. Our mainline will never fall to pieces."

"Even the cement line?" asked Renel.

"That," replied Ralphinafil, "That is definitely apart of the mainline, it has never shown any failed points or signals, and no clear accident."

Before Renel could reply, Ralphinafil heard her guard's whistle and took off out of the station. Leaving Renel, fuming at the station.

That night, Renel came into the sheds at Telmouth. He was still thinking about what Ralphinafil had said, too much to hear Aurora Lake's good evening.

"Renel," called the small prairie, "What's the matter?"

"Oh-um... n-nothing," stuttered Renel.

"Come on!" smiled Aurora Lake, "You can tell me!"

Renel sighed and then told Aurora about Ralphinafil. Aurora Lake huffed. "Why did she say that?" she asked.

"You know what's she like," replied Renel, "I swear. I'll teach a thing or two, and it'll happen so fast that she wouldn't see it coming."

Renel then backed into his shed. His chance to pay Ralphinafil our would come sooner than expected.

Two days later, Ralphinafil arrived at the freight yard with a goods train. She was uncoupled from her train and went to the water tower to refill. Whilst her fireman was giving her a drink. The yard foreman came up to her driver.