Title: The Job of a Lifetime: My Sodor Adventure
Description: Railroads have always been an interest of mine. It is because of this that I started volunteering at my local tourist railroad. Everything was normal until I was somehow transported to the world of Thomas the Tank Engine. Read on as I adjust to living on the Island of Sodor and ended up working for the famous North Western Railway!
This is my first ever fanfiction story and I really hope you like it!
Chapter 1
Nevada Northern Railway, Ely, Nevada
Cullen walked beside the coaling tower after working in the repair building most of the day. The sight of the old structure was impressive and even though it wasn't in working condition, looked ready for the next tender to fill. Ever since he was very little, he had an interest in trains and always wanted to work for the railroad. He finally achieved that when he became a student brakeman for the Nevada Northern Railway, a tourist railroad in Ely, Nevada. Sure he wasn't getting paid to do the work, but he enjoyed every bit of it. He was willing to do anything to play a part in railroad preservation. For example, he sandblasted an entire tank car for four days straight just because he wanted too. He was looking over one of the old ore cars when he heard the whistle from #40 in the distance. He smiled when he heard the echo, it always sent shivers down his spine. Soon enough the Baldwin 4-6-0 pulled its four car train into the yard with the last excursion of the day. The passengers disembarked from the train, some deciding to look at the locomotive up close. Cullen went over to greet the crew. "How was the trip Antony?" He asked the fireman.
"Everything went well" He replied as he brushed coal dust off his overalls. "At least we weren't running #93 today, or else I would be working my ass off to shovel coal on the hill".
The engineer, John, looked over and smirked. "You sure? I don't think you work hard enough if you can't pull that off with ease".
They all laughed and set to work on bringing #40 to the engine house. The engine slowly maneuvered through the yard and Cullen set all the switches. #40 soon enough had its fire dropped and was tucked away for the night. Cullen looked over the locomotive with admiration as it sat in the dimly lit building among the other engines. Engine #40 was built in 1910 for passenger service over a hundred years ago and here it was in all her glory. Looking at her driving wheels, you can easily imagine her moving at speed. Not only was she in her original shed, she was still working on her original railroad. Not many surviving steam locomotives have that claim. Cullen took a final look around the engine house before locking up for the night. He then looked at his watch.
"7:00pm, I should probably go and have my dinner". He made his way through the yard to the bunkhouse, which used to house the workers on the railroad back in the day and now is used for guests. Because he was from New Hampshire, he was allowed a room in the building to stay in. After eating some leftovers, He walked into his room to change into normal clothes. Inside his room he had some of his railroad lanterns and memorabilia that he had brought from home. On the desk was a book that Cullen has owned since he was a kid. It was titled "Thomas the Tank Engine: The Complete Collection". Cullen looked at the cover, remembering how it was because of the Rev. W. Awdry that he got interested into trains in the first place. He had brought the book along because it had a special place in his heart and was one of his personal favorite books.
" I bet Sodor would be amazing to visit" he thought to himself. He knew it would never happen, but loved the idea of it. Cullen then put a sweatshirt on and decided to go for a walk around the abandoned part of the yard.
To him, it was always interesting to look around the area, especially because he was so used to the trees and grass of New England. I. The sights of the desert was still all new to Cullen and it fascinated him. The area was surrounded by mountains and the valley he was in seemed to have carved its way through them. It gets chilly in this part of Nevada in the evening, especially when your 6,437 feet above sea level. On several tracks stood lines of old ore cars, the ones that the Nevada Northern used to haul copper ore back in the early 20th century. These cars were in sad shape and Cullen could only hope that they would one day be restored to their original condition. They were all rusty, and some even had holes in the sides of them. It was a sad sight, but eventually these would get fixed up. While walking beside the abandoned ore cars, something in the ballast caught his attention. When he fixed his gaze on the object, his eyes widened.
"What the... What's this?" Cullen thought as he came upon a blue crystal. Its blue color stood out among the grey ballast. It was so out of place here that it could be noticed from a distance. He looked around to see if anybody was there that might have left it behind. After finding nobody, he picked the crystal up and examined it. Looking at it closely, it was small and didn't seem to be worth that much if he tried to sell it at a pawn shop. Though something about it intrigued Cullen and he couldn't explain why. The crystal felt cold in his hands, which was weird because it was 60 degrees out. Cullen took the crystal and tried to warm it up by rubbing his hand on it. Suddenly, the crystal started to glow! Cullen dropped it in fright and it fell to his feet.
"What the hell?!" The crystal shattered, and to his amazement/fear opened up a portal. There then was a sudden burst of strong wind that seemed to be pushing Cullen into the portal. He tried to run away but he couldn't. The winds got stronger and stronger and soon enough he was literally lifted off his feet.
"AHHHHHHHH!" Cullen yelled as he was sucked into the portal and the unknown.
