Forgotten Rails: The Story of 382
Summary: It happens every year. The nightmare of her accident many years ago. When an engine on Sodor has an accident very similar to hers, she tells her friends what her life was like back in the early days. This is Cayce. And this is her story.
Author's Note: This is my first Thomas the Tank Engine story I have written. It is co-written with my friend Songbird's Call. She's writing a great story called "The Island" on Archive of Our Own. You can find her at Song of the Rails there. Without further ado, here is Forgotten Rails: The Story of 382.
Disclaimer: I don't own Thomas the Tank Engine. I only own Cayce and Bo.
Chapter 1: Remember
It happened every year on that night. After she had gotten to sleep, she would have the same dream. He would be driving her, they would be talking, he would be kind to her. It would be a wonderful dream. Then, just as quickly as it did in real life, it would turn into a nightmare. He would call for her to stop as he threw on her brakes. Sometimes it would be different. Sometimes, he would tell her to try harder. Other times, he would apologize, but for what, she didn't know. And sometimes, at the worst, he would yell at her. But, it would always end the same way. Just as she was about to crash into the back of the train, she would wake up. She could still feel pieces of wood breaking against her front, and his hands on the brake and whistle.
This year, Cayce knew that it wouldn't be any different, although it didn't stop her from hoping. This year was worse. The weather was, as her driver said, "Dreary." Rainy, and foggy closer to the sea. She had finished her jobs for the day and was parked in the sheds.
Meanwhile, Bo, a Union Pacific Big Boy backed into the shed. He had returned from the mainland with a long heavy train. Rain was still rolling down the side of his boiler.
"Brr..it's cold out there, Cayce. Reminds me of Wyoming in winter."
Cayce looked over to the massive engine.
"Yeah," she sighed, still hoping.
Bo looked over at the smaller engine, his eyes filled with curiosity.
"It's nearly that time of year again...isn't it?"
Cayce struggled to respond for a moment.
"...Yes. Tonight, in fact."
Just then a telephone rang. A crewman nearby answered it.
"Yes? Yeah, uh-huh. Oh my god. Anyone hurt? Right. I'll send Bo with Rocky."
He hung up the phone.
"Henry's crashed into the back of a stalled train on a siding. He's badly hurt. Go fetch Rocky and be careful."
Bo whistled.
"I will!"
Bo raced out of the roundhouse, whistling as loud as he could.
Cayce watched Bo leave, worried about Henry. She could picture him, racing into the train. Gradually, the images changed, the train being replaced with the train she crashed into. She could almost see him in Henry's cab. Then Henry collided, and she managed to shake her smokebox free of her cruel mind. Hoping that maybe she could help, she set off after Bo towards the crash site.
When Cayce arrived, she was greeted with a terrible sight. Henry was on his side, facing the opposite direction he had come from. His face was bruised and beaten, and he was groaning in pain. Debris laid everywhere. Splinters from the brakevan, and the next six cars laid everywhere. Thankfully no one was in it at the time of the collision. Henry's driver and fireman had managed to jump clear before Henry collided into the back of the train. Rails had been twisted and bent to insane degrees where Henry left the rails.
Cayce was shocked. This was far worse than what she had thought. She quickly rolled up to Bo.
"Is there anything I can do?"
Bo let off steam as Rocky set to work pulling Henry back onto the rails.
"We need to get the unbroken cars out of the way. The train that Henry collided into has already been moved by the lead engine. We need to get Henry's train moved. You'll have to be careful. I don't know how bad the damage is to the middle track. It may not support my weight any longer. I'm not sure about you."
Cayce bit her tongue. "Well, if I'm careful, and quick enough, I can do it." With that, she whistled and slowly crossed the damaged area of the middle track. The rails groaned underneath her weight and the sleepers seemed to crack. Cayce sped up a fraction and crossed a set of points to where the intact cars of Henry's train were standing, thankfully, on less damaged tracks.
Soon, she was coupled on, and Henry was back on the rails.
Bo looked around.
"Where's his tender?"
Cayce looked back towards the crash site.
"I don't know."
Henry winced.
"Over...there…"
Bo looked to his left. Henry's tender was a big pile of scrap metal.
Cayce followed Bo's gaze and grimaced.
"Oh boy."
Henry was loaded onto a flatbed, and Bo coupled on.
"Can you take Rocky back to the Search and Rescue Center, Cayce?"
"Sure," she said, wanting to get away from this. She never liked crashes, hers or others.
Bo whistled and pulled Henry away to the Steamworks. Rocky's crane arm was lowered and tied down. Rocky noticed her worriedly, and frightened look.
"Somethin' the matter, Cayce? You don't look too good."
Cayce's glance quickly snapped over to Rocky.
"No, no. I'm fine. Just tired."
Rocky blinked.
"Well..if you're sure."
Soon, Cayce was coupled to Rocky and the two set off. As the two rolled down the line, flashes of lightning cracked across the sky. The storm seemed to be getting worse, and fog began to roll in. Cayce shuddered as a clap of thunder sounded, echoing in the trees along the rails. Still, she continued on. Soon, she arrived at the Search and Rescue Center. Workmen were scurrying about. Harold was being rolled into his hanger, and Captain was being pushed into his stable. Rocky was confused.
"What's goin' on?"
A workman came over. He had to shout over the raging wind and rain.
"Sir Topham Hatt's given an order that no engine, crew, or anybody leave their homes or go out on the tracks. The storm is getting worse. It's too dangerous for anyone to be out. Cayce, put Rocky away and then go to the big shed to spend the night. Belle, Flynn, and Butch will be waiting for you."
Cayce quickly did so, placing Rocky in his shed, and backing into the big shed. Belle glanced over at Cayce as she pulled in.
"Hello, Cayce. Quite a storm, huh?"
Cayce looked over, giving Belle a small smile.
"Yeah. Really bad. Have any of you seen anything like it?"
Flynn shrugged his tires.
"Back at the mainland, quite a few times. I hate being stuck in here. I would rather be out there, ready and racing to the rescue!"
Butch sighed.
"I'd rather stay dry. Sure..I'm okay with getting muddy, but with the winds this strong I don't want to roll over on my side when my magnet's attached."
He glanced over at his magnet attachment sitting in the corner of the shed. Cayce suddenly glanced up as more thunder rolled in.
"I don't like storms very much. They…"
Belle looked curiously over to Cayce.
"'They…' what?"
Cayce glanced downward.
"Nothing."
Belle went quiet, before coming up with an idea.
"I have an idea. Let's tell each other more about ourselves. Butch. Me and Flynn have only worked with you so long, and we never get a chance to really talk. So..spill!"
Butch blinked.
"Well..I...I..spill what? There's not much to be told about me. What about you, Belle?"
Belle let off steam.
"Well..I..oh...I don't know what to say."
Flynn looked over at Cayce.
"What about you, Cayce? You're sure to have plenty of stories to tell. So..what do you have for us?"
Cayce looked over to Flynn with an expression that was a mix of shock and hesitation.
"Well...," she started, "You're right, Flynn. I do have a few." She took a deep breath before continuing. "I arrived on the Illinois Central Railroad in 1898, having just recently been built at the Rogers Locomotive Works in Paterson, New Jersey…"
It was a fairly warm April day when engine number 382 rolled into the Water Valley, Mississippi Yards for the Illinois Central Railroad. Newly built, her dark grey paint on her boiler shone in the sunlight, the letters I.C.R.R. on the sides of her cab. Her black tender contrasted her boiler nicely, her number painted in white. Occasionally, a stray cloud drifted across the sun, dimming the light in the yards.
A man accompanied by two men came over to the young engine, who was glancing around in wonder.
"Hello, there. Welcome to Water Valley, Mississippi. The name's Jack Durango. And you are?"
The engine smiled, speaking softly.
"I'm 382. It's nice to meet you, Mr. Durango."
Jack smiled.
"A pleasure to meet you too, Miss 382. These two men will be your crew for today. They'll take you out for a couple light runs before we test your speed and strength."
382's attention turned to the two men behind Mr. Durango.
"Hello."
The two men nodded and waved. They climbed into her cab, and checked everything over. 382 waited as they did so.
Soon, they pulled on the whistle cord, and a mighty blast of steam screeched into the air. The sound of her whistle echoed throughout the yard. An older engine, a 4-4-0 sat in a siding nearby asleep. He awoke with a start.
"Would you keep it down? I'm tryin' to sleep."
382 winced.
"Sorry! Um… who are you?"
"George. Now leave me alone."
382's driver gently patted her cab.
"Don't mind him. He's an old fusspot. He just gets upset when a newcomer comes in and it's a newer design. He hates being outclassed."
382 looked back towards her driver.
"Oh! I didn't mean to do that."
"It can't be helped, 382. It's progress. With the rate he keeps falling apart, it's very unlikely he'll be around for much longer."
Her driver opened up her throttle, and released her brakes. Her wheels began to turn slowly. As she slowly started to steam out onto the line, no one noticed that another new worker had left a set of points, aligned for freight train waiting on the siding. 382 was looking forward toward traveling the line, when she felt her lead wheels swerve onto the siding. Her new driver and fireman quickly brought her to a complete stop. Thankfully, no one was hurt and there was no damage.
Cayce took a shaky breath.
"Thank goodness I was going slowly. If I had been going any faster…"
Belle looked towards Cayce with surprise. Flynn and Butch were equally surprised as well.
Butch spoke up.
"That must have been very scary."
Flynn agreed.
"I'm glad your were going slowly."
Cayce closed her eyes for a moment before opening them again, letting her gaze roam around the shed.
"I know. But I think it was fate. Fate doesn't seem to like me very much."
Belle looked at Cayce with curiosity.
"What do you mean?"
Cayce sighed.
"Well...it all started on April 29th, 1900. Tonight, over 100 years ago."
And that's first the chapter! I hope you all enjoy this chapter, and I hope you all will be back for the next one. Until next time!