Chapter 1 "Arrival"
This is my first story for this site but it's not the first story that I've done in general. This is a big change from what I'm use to over on DA so this is going to be a trial by fire for me as I try to get use to posting stories on this site. I know that Pokémon and trains is a strange combination but being that I'm a railfan as well as a Pokémon fan I like to combine the two in my stories. With that said its time to release the brakes and let this proverbial train high ball it down the high iron. I don't own Pokémon or related trademarks.
Enduring the cool September morning air the railroad owner catches sight of the signals stand a half mile from the crest of the grade. "Advance Approach." he said to himself, his voice drowned out by the roar of the lead unit's engine as it turns out 900 RPM in notch 8. "T85, engine 1407; Advance Approach, mile post 85. T85 out." he hears in his ear from the earpiece that's connected to his portable radio that's clipped to his belt as the engineer calls out the train and engine number, signal indication and location as per company rules. Passing the dual head signal and entering the next block, the signal goes from yellow over yellow to the stop indication of red over red and the train rolls through a switch 20 feet ahead and onto the diverging track from that switch while the engineer pulls the throttle to run five, the locomotives responding with a reduction in engine RPM and speed with its destination coming up where the cars would be sorted and put into a train bound for NS's Linwood Yard that afternoon. Using the weight of the train on the grade and reductions of the throttle, the seasoned engineer, who's been with the company since before day one, gets the trains speed down to 25 just as the head end passes a yellow speed post with 25 on it and a Yard Limit sign a few feet later as the freight neared the yard with another speed reduction to 15 miles per hour for the last quarter-mile to the yard and the stop at the dwarf signal that guards the entrance to the yard and yard ladder tracks.
Now stopped a few feet short of the dwarf, the owner climbs down from the power and picks a spot a few feet from the train to perform a roll by inspection while the engineer is calling up the dispatcher to get a track to tie up in. "Ok T85 let's put 'em up in 3. Switches are lined up, derails and blue flag have been removed and you're clear in." the female dispatcher said to T85's crew. "Get 'em in, tie it down and take the power to the house." "Copy that. T85; over and out." At that point, with the 3rd and 4th units now isolated, the diesels were notched up to get the steel moving, brakes squealing in protest for a second or two as the train brakes are releasing while 3000 horsepower is put to the rails and cars banging as the slack in their couplers is taken up.
"T85 you're clear of the ladder. Your tail is in the siding and your roll by is good. You boys have a nice day. Channel clear." he says into the mic that's attached to his safety vest and wired to his radio as three empty cabooses and the End of Train Device disappear behind a line of empty boxcars on Yard Track 2. After watching to make sure the derailers returned to their normal position and blue flag protection was restored he started making his way through the yard toward the three story building that was the operations center for everything on this large Class III railroad. From company executives to dispatching to employee training, everything that went on with the railroad was handled here.
Walking in the front door was the same everyday with the usual "Good morning Mr. Dunn." from the secretary working the front desk. "Good morning Kelly. Anything new for me?" he asked the Gardevoir. "No sir, just the usual paperwork. But I do have a message from NS." "Alright then let me hear it." "Well there's someone coming to asses our company to see if we're worthy of receiving that expansion that you asked them for. Also the last of those SD70MACs you've bought should be here sometime around noon today." she said as she handed him some papers. "Did they say when this person should be here?" "No sir." she said, shaking her head. "All I know is that it should be sometime today." she continued. "Ok then." he said as he started toward the elevators when suddenly a though stopped him in his tracks. "By the way, how's your son doing?" he asked, turning back toward the secretary. "James is doing well. It's hard being a single mother, and just as hard to find someone to watch him when I'm working, but none the less I thank god for him every day when I leave to come here and when I put him to bed at night." "Drop him off at the house. I'm sure Cotton would be more than happy to watch him." "You think she would?" "Of course she would. You and I both know how much she enjoys spending time with him. I'll ask her when I get home today." he said before continuing to the elevator just around the corner of the lobby.
A few hours later he was back down in the lobby with a stack of papers in hand, filled out and ready to be sent off. "Alright Kelly; here you go." he said, placing the papers on her desk, the Pokémon picking them up and setting them aside saying "Very well then. I'll take care of the rest." "I'm going out to the parking lot to do some tinkering. Call me on my cell if I'm needed." he said, making his way out the front door.
Walking through the parking lot, he came to a group of three Fords that he owned: a '68 Cobra GT500KR, a 2010 Cobra GT500 and a '95 F350 with an enclosed car trailer able to hold the two Cobras. After taking a tool cart out of the trailer and taking it over to the older of the two Cobras he removed the hood pins that held the hood down and exposing the immaculate, modified 428 Cobra Jet to the September sun as he raised the hood to set to work replacing the plugs and wires on the performance engine. This two-tone black with jet black racing stripes jukebox on wheels had come a long way since when he bought it years back and he was proud of all the time, sweat and blood that he had put into the machine.
"God I hate that horn." the railroad owner said to himself, installing the second to last spark plug in the 428, as P18, a five unit passenger train comprised of 3 DMUs from a company in Colorado and two company built coaches based on Pullman Standard design, though sometimes Budd coaches from the long gone Southern Railway are substituted, pulled out of the station, bound for Raleigh then to Asheville, making other stops at Barber, Statesville, Hickory and Old Fort. Being that the unit on the North facing end was equipped with the horrible horn it should be no surprise that it's the only 6 chime horn that the railroad built in house since it sounded like the screech of an owl. As the sound of 6 Detroit diesels revving up from the train filled the air he could tell that something was amiss, as if one of the diesels had a dead cylinder, and he made a mental note to tell his head of rolling stock maintenance later on.
Soon all was quiet, mostly, but that was soon replaced by the sound of turbocharged 710G equipped SD60Ms, along with 645 equipped SD40-2s, GP38-2, MP15DCs and GP15-1s and a lone U23B and U30C filled the air off on the far North side of the yard at the fuel isles and ready tracks but that couldn't hide the faint sound of high heel shoes clicking on the parking lot pavement coming from behind him. Figuring it was just one of the employees leaving early, and being more worried about what he has doing on his car, didn't pay it any attention so he wasn't prepared for what was about to happen.
"Excuse me," came a female voice from behind him, startling him, causing to slam his head into the underside of the hood. Using training from 10 years ago he continued with what he was doing, ignoring the pain in the process. "I'm looking for Mr. Dunn. Do you happen to know where I can find him?" "That depends on why you're looking for him." he replied as he threaded the last spark plug into the motor. "I'm here on behalf of Norfolk Southern to see if his railroad is eligible for acquisition of trackage from NS or funds for new right of ways." she said flatly. Well that got his attention as he crawled out from under the hood of the old Cobra, getting the shock of his life when he turned around and saw a Gardevoir standing in front of him with a large suitcase next to her.
"I didn't know NS had a Gardevoir on the payroll." he said, wiping his sweaty hands on a shop rag after taking his mechanics gloves off and throwing them on the tool cart. He then held out his hand for her to shake and said "Mike Dunn.", smiling at her. "Serenity Johnson Mr. Dunn, aid to Norfolk Southern's Financial Director." she replied, smiling as she shook his hand. "Well then Ma'am, welcome to the Carolina Central & Southern Railway." he said.
"I take it that this beautiful piece of machinery is yours." the Gardevoir said as she took a peek under the hood of the 50 year old muscle car. "Sure is. Same thing with that 2010 model behind you and that 95' F350 that's behind me." he replied as the last plug was tightened and new plug wire attached. "Nice CJ in this beauty, especially with aftermarket carb, intake and exhaust manifolds, high performance ignition box, coil, distributer, plug wires and tri-fire plugs." she said, Mike looking up to see the gleam in her eyes, like a mother looking at her new born child, as she stared at the modified Ford Big Block that lives between the frame rails of the muscle car.
"Seems you know a lot about cars." Mike said while removing the air cleaner housing from the engine. Giving him a "No Shit" smirk she said "Well I wouldn't say that but I do know my way around the engine compartment of a 68' GT350 seeing as how I have one of my own, although its sitting in a storage building right now." "It's a shame to let something sit like that." he said, squeezing between his visitor and the newer Cobra to get to the driver side door of the older one, opening it and starting the 350 horsepower machine.
As Mike reached for the now exposed carburetor Serenity wished to herself that she could own the multicolored black beauty, though her daydream session was cut short as the dual exhaust on the car rang out as Mike revved the big 428 by hand before shutting the car off then putting the air cleaner back on the engine. "Any chance you might be willing to sell this old girl to me?" she asked and he couldn't help but laugh as he closed the hood and reinstalling the hood pins. "Sorry about that Ms. Johnson but this beauty isn't for sale." he replied while gathering up the tools he was using and placing them on the tool cart before placing it back in the trailer and closing it up. "I should have figured as much." she said with a slight hint of humor in her voice.
"So what exactly are you going to be looking at in your evaluation?" Mike asked as he put his visitor's bag in the elderly Cobra's trunk. "Oh just finances such as assets, operating expenses, income; basically everything to deal with the CC&S's finances but, as per Mr. Claytor's request, I'm also to examine crews in the field, equipment rosters, air brake and train handling rules, employee relations, your relations with your customers; things like that." she relied, counting the items off on her fingers. "Well then," he said, closing the trunk, walking back to the front of the car with a black bag in hand with the company logo on it "If you're going to be gallivanting around the system then you're going to need this."
"So would you say that this is a care package?" Serenity asked as she emptied the bag of its contents: a hard hat with the CC&S logo on it, a neon yellow safety vest and safety glasses which she placed each on the bed mounted tool box on the F350 as she pulled each item out of the bag. "More like a safety package." Mike replied as he watched Serenity put the vest over the aquamarine colored blouse she had on and the hard hat and glasses on her head. Turning to him she said "So shall we get this show on the road then?" while picking up the laptop case that she also showed up with. "Let's to this then." he said as he donned his safety gear that he had placed on the hood the diesel pickup.
While Mike escorted Ms. Johnson through the parking lot to the office building she asked about a group of stainless steel passenger cars that an early 1940s SW1 was moving around, its engine showing its age as heavy blue and white smoke pours from its stack, even when idling, to which he replied "Those are actually company built by our passenger car subsidiary for our DMU trains. By the way, how was your trip?" "Well let's put it this way: Amtrak's service on its trains can't hold a candle to that of your company's. Until today I've never been on a passenger train that had service that surpassed that of Amtrak." Serenity said, unable to hide the tone in her voice caused by how impressed she was with the CC&S's passenger trains. "Yeah Amtrak could learn a thing or two from us in terms of rider comfort." he said with a chuckle in his throat, getting a slight giggle from his visitor as they walked across the parking lot, talking as if they were two long lost friends.
Well that's it for this chapter. Like I said, trains and Pokémon is a strange combo and this is a trial by fire. I've had some good comments on the combination of railroading and Pokémon however on DA so maybe it'll work for me here. Next chapter will be taking the siding for a while since I've got to make a locomotive list for myself to help me keep track of what each locomotive is in terms of road numbers as well plan some possible additions that weren't in my original plan for this story so hopefully this chapter will still be up when I finish the second on. With that; Keep the green light shining.