Hello readers. It's been a while since I've done anything here. This is a new story I had been wanting to start for a while since my other story, "Michigan Fast Freight" is tied to two other stories and goes under continuous hiatuses as to not ruin any spoilers. While this one will present events from TheRagingBlueFlame's story "Waning Daylight", Sodor is not involved in any shape or form, so I am able to update this one more frequently. So I hope you all enjoy this new story and constructive criticism is always welcome.
Wolf belongs to TheRagingBlueFlame and I thank her for allowing me to use him as the main character.
The Wolf Chief
Chapter 1: LA
Los Angeles, California – Redondo Junction, 2015
Los Angeles. The land of Hollywood, the Sunset Strip, and Disneyland. To an engine though, these sorts of things are not that much of significance. But to some, the City of Angeles is the place to be. Freight trains on the present day Burlington Northern Santa Fe and Union Pacific hustle cargo to and from the ports. Amtrak and Metrolink trains are kept busy bringing passengers to work, to home or on grand journeys across the country.
However, at what once was the roundhouse of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, near Union Station, stood a steam engine, resting under a blue tarp. His owners, the San Bernardino Railroad Historical Society, wished they had a much more suited way of storing him, but he didn't seem to mind though. At his age, he'd rather be sleeping outside. The glossy black paint on what wasn't cover gleamed in the sun and the 'Santa Fe 3751' lettering proudly displayed on the tender.
"Rise and shine," said voice as the sudden glow the sun presented itself. The engine groaned.
"Couldn't you have done that a little more slowly, Jeffery?" he said, his teal eyes regaining sight.
"Sorry Wolf ol' boy," smiled the young man, as he climbed down from the engine's running board, "but I figured you could use some sunlight."
"Much appreciated," said the engine, now known as Wolf, "it's gets a bit stuffy underneath that thing after awhile. So what brings you here today?"
The answer reveled itself as Jeffery grabbed an animate gun and a bucket of grease.
"Just here for some routine maintenance. Gotta make sure you're in top running order for Fullerton in a few weeks. I have my razor with me too, your mustache could use a trim."
Wolf just smiled as Jeffery began his work. The old 4-8-4 gazed out the Los Angeles River and the track near it. A commuter train soon rolled passed, giving a friendly toot of its horn. Wolf, unable to respond with his whistle, returned with a clang of his bell.
"Nothing changes around here," he said to himself, "that's for damn sure."
"Well, expect that the roundhouse is gone, Amtrak now owns the lot and the Santa Fe is BNSF," chuckled a new voice.
Wolf looked to his left and saw an Amtrak P42 painted in the Phase II scheme of silver with blue and red stripes, appeared alongside.
"Well, if it isn't Kylie," Wolf smiled, "what brings you here?"
The young passenger diesel grinned. "Just got off the Sunset," she said, "Amtrak is giving me a couple days off after doing that train for the last few weeks."
"Well that was generous of them. It seems the railroads are actually giving a damn about their locomotives for once."
"Not necessarily," Kylie chuckled. On the other side of the river, a BNSF intermodal train was heading into Hobart Yard. The orange and dark green painted diesels made Wolf give a mock gag.
"I may have come to terms with merger," he said, "but those paint schemes are still ugly. Give them some red and silver and they'll be perfect."
"Or Cascade Green?" the P42 joked.
"Ugh, that's even worse," Wolf laughed.
Jeffery found himself laughing too, as continued to attend to the Northern's drivers.
Once the laughter had died down, only the sound of the animate gun could be heard as the two engines sat quietly next to each other. A thought then came to Kylie.
"Okay, I have to ask," She said, "is your name really Wolf or is it just some kind of nickname?"
The old engine laughed.
"No it's not," he chuckled, "My real name is Gus, but Wolf is my preferred name. How I gained it though, is not really glamorous story."
"Oh tell me!" Kylie insisted excitedly, "I'm gonna be here a while and I've been wanting to hear your life story for quite some time."
"Alright, alright," Wolf said, "be careful or you'll have wrinkles and we can't have that can we?"
"Sorry," Kylie blushed slightly.
Jeffery had just completed greasing Wolf's rods when he plopped himself on his pilot to listen to his tale.
"Everyone comfy?" asked Wolf, "well, I guess the best place to start would be when I first delivered to the Santa Fe, back in 1927…"
Kansas City, Kansas – Argentine Yard, May 1927
In the Heartland of America, the large freight yard in Argentine community near Kansas City was bustling with activity. Engines and cars coming and going, rushing trains to west coast, or south to Texas or east to the windy city of Chicago. Trying to stay in competition with the other railroads in the area was a challenge all the engines and workers of the Santa Fe were willing to take.
Over at the roundhouse at the east end of the yard, a 3400 class 4-6-2 Pacific sat quietly as other engines either received general maintenance or waiting for their next assignment.
"I hear we're supposed to expecting a new engine today," she said, "I also hear he's supposed to be a new wheel arrangement and the most powerful on the system."
"Don't be absurd, Abilene," scoffed a 3700 class 4-8-2 Mountain, "my sisters and I are the most powerful and fastest engines on all of the Santa Fe. What could be more suited to pull the California Limited or the Navajo? Nothing, that's what!"
Adeline rolled her eyes the Mountain's boasting. "Come now Bailey," she said, "I expect you to at least treat the new comer with respect."
"She's right," agreed a 3160 class 2-8-2 Mikado, "an engine is an engine, no matter how big or small."
"Why thank you Kaw," Abilene smiled.
Bailey said nothing as the other engines talked among themselves about the new engine. What would he look like? Would he be a Mallet or a standard looking locomotive with modern appliances? No one knew, except for the folks in upper management.
Some time had passed before the sound of a high pitched whistle echoed near the roundhouse. The loud chuffing began to draw closer and closer. Everyone looked on in amazement as a large locomotive with a strange 4-8-4 wheel arrangement and a large '3751' printed on the tender, reversed onto the turntable and proceeded to rotate to face them. The young face looked nervous with all eyes suddenly on him.
"Um..hello," he said, "this is…uh…Kansas City, right?"
Wolf - ATSF 3751-class 4-8-4 #3751
Kylie - Amtrak GE P42DC #66 Phase II Heritage Unit
Abilene - ATSF 3400-class 4-6-2 #3415
Bailey - ATSF 3700-class 4-8-2 #3710
Kaw - ATSF 3160-class 2-8-2 #4076
