Chapter 2 – Learning Curves

'Know your place.'

"What are those?"

Mariah followed her little sister's gaze as they sat at the fuel pump. Her eyes soon rested on a group of F7s in their traditional Black Widow scheme. They were an odd group of diesels, always hanging amongst themselves. They resembled Alexis and the other E-units somewhat in overall shape, aside from their colorless eyes and dark makeup. She had seen some in San Francisco and even in Chicago, but never bothered to interact with them. She figured they'd be just like the others… unfriendly. It had been a few weeks since the E9 entered service and she was steadily learning the ropes, with her Golden State sisters as her mentors. Though she was still very much an outcast among the others, that feeling was nonexistent when she was with them.

The E7 chuckled, "Those, little sister, are F7s. They're freighters, but are assigned to passenger trains as well. They're direct descendants to Gwen."

The young E9 frowned with confusion, "Gwen?"

Her lack of knowledge had caused another laugh out of her older sister. "My, you must have been asleep during your history lessons! Gwen is an FT, a dual diesel like those F7s. Everyone calls her "The Diesel that Did it" because she alone was able to prove to the humans that a diesel can do exactly what a steamer can do. Diesels like you and I aren't made for freight, but the F-units can do it with ease. She killed steam as they say. Some of us can even run without drivers, meaning we're cost efficient. Those diesels are the cabless b-units."

"Where's Gwen now?"

"Last I heard she's working for SR, the Southern Railway. They're lucky to have such a marvelous machine and I hope I can see her for myself someday… I have so many questions!" Before her sister could respond Mariah went on to say, "The F-units are stronger than us, so be respectful. They are also EMD diesels so treat them as you would treat me or any of our sisters."

Alexis gave a mere sound of agreement. All this new information was beginning to become a bit overwhelming. There were so many things she didn't know, things she should have known but her creators failed to tell her. If this Gwen was as wondrous as everyone claims her to be, then Alexis wanted to meet her too! She too wanted to know what the diesel that killed steam was like. Was she nice, mature? She knew that the SR and the SP went to New Orleans, so maybe one day...

"Well baby sister; it's time I head down to the southwest with the Golden State Limited." Mariah announced, "Be a good girl and I'll see you in a few days, alright?"

The E9's merit faded, she hated when her sister had to go. "Ok Mariah, have a safe trip."

"Of course dear sister."

Alexis sighed. She was alone now with no one to talk to. In truth, she never bothered to talk to anyone but the Golden State diesels, Mariah specifically. Oh well, maybe she could get to know one of those square-shaped diesels before it would be her turn to leave. Her eyes scanned the yards for one, but they all seemed to be with others, in little cliques that she'd probably never be part of. Another sigh escaped her; she didn't like being alone.

However the feeling didn't last long as she felt something or someone near her. Looking up, she realized what had pulled in next to her. It was an Alco PA, and not any PA. It was the one she had been caught staring at more times than she should the past few days. His flame colored eyes stared back at her and his lips were curled into a smile. "Hey," he purred.

Alexis' cheeks quickly began to warm and she was overcome with shyness again. "Umm... hello."

"You're that new E9 aren't you? I'm Antony, an Alco PA-2."

"I'm Alexis, it's a pleasure."

"How are you enjoying the more sophisticated life as a diesel?"

"Um… I guess it's fine? I've never known any other kind of life so…"

The Alco diesel chuckled in response and it left Alexis somewhat confused. What an odd thing to say. Though she had to admit that she liked the low rumble of his voice, it was oddly soothing. Like the sound of a heavy freight train off in the distance. Not loud enough to keep you up and annoy you, but loud and low enough for you to hear. She closed her eyes as she listened to the sound only to open them again when he spoke, pulling her back to reality.

"You ever pulled the Lark?"

She blinked up at him, "What?"

"The Lark," Antony repeated before deciding to elaborate further. "It's the night version of the Daylight, goes down the same route too. It goes slower as well being it an overnight train. Often the F7s take the Lark but tonight it's my turn. My brother Apollo is out of service for the time being and I thought maybe you could join me?" he grinned a little. If Alexis knew any better and had more experience, she would have picked up on his tone and the mischievousness in his flame-colored eyes.

But since she didn't, she smiled ignorantly in return and blew her horn eagerly. "Yes, yes of course I'll help you!"

"Great. The train leaves at 9 so be early. If you're good I'll even let you lead me. See you then, Ally."

Her orange eyes followed him as he left before revving her engine happily. She never pulled a night train before. In fact, she'd never pulled anything but the Daylight and a few regional trains so far. And she was double heading, with a PA-2 no doubt. Something else she hadn't done yet, was it common to mix engines like that? She didn't know, but she felt lucky somehow. She couldn't wait to tell Mariah about her overnight journey. She'd be so proud.

The Third Street Station was alive with people waiting to board that night as they chatted amongst themselves about whatever on the platform, their breaths creating puffs of smoke in the chilly San Francisco air. Alexis watched the action of an adjacent track while Lady gathered coaches. The little switcher moving up and down the middle track with a gray-scaled version of the Daylight coaches, they were plain but had a strangely classy feel to them. Still they didn't compare to their brighter colored counterparts.

"Ready for you big night run, girl?" David asked as he stroked his engine's side.

"We're here early!" Alexis responded, her eyes following Lady as she went to fetch the rest of the train. "But yeah, I'm ready. Hey David, why is the Lark gray? Shouldn't it be… nicer looking?"

The man inside her cab chuckled, "It's a nighttime train, girl. No need for bright and flashy colors. No one's going to see it."

The E9 frowned but understood, but she still had more questions. "What's that nasty mixed train that runs on the San Joaquin Daylight line at night?"

"You mean the Owl?"

"Is that what it is? Do you think they'll put me on it?"

"Heh… probably not. You pull luxury trains, not second class trains. They leave those to steamers and the freight diesels, although you do see F7s on the Lark from time to time. Now enough chatter, your man's here so let's get coupled up!"

Antony grinned as Alexis backed into him to couple up. He usually wasn't one to play second engine to anyone; he was even less willing to allow an E-unit to lead him. However he'd made an exception for her, and as his eyes roamed all over her back end, he was certain he made the right choice. She was a wonderful piece of mid-west engineering indeed. He could stare at it all night and knowing that he was about to made his decision all the more fruitful. Alexis on the other hand, felt uncomfortable. She could feel his eyes on her even though she didn't know if he actually was staring at her back door. The uneasy feeling only got worse as they departed the station and rolled off into the night towards Burlingame and then Palo Alto.

Her discomfort gradually melted away as she traveled along the line she had become familiar with it. Seeing the bay at night was always something Alexis enjoyed, especially on clear nights when the moon was out. Unfortunately her view of such beauty was robbed from her when they entered Salinas. She felt David pat the side of her cab when the station master approached him. She tried to tune in to what they were saying but all she heard was her own motor and the sounds of passengers boarding and departing. A worried frown graced her youthful features when she picked up on David groaning loudly. Whatever the man had told him wasn't good, that was for certain.

Once their conversation was done Alexis spoke up, "What's wrong, David?"

"There's no engine available to assist with the grade." Her drive answered, "We're gonna have to go it alone, damn it…"

"Ooo…" Antony said, "How fun."

"Hardly, you're no helper engine and neither is Alexis so this'll be a pain in the ass." David sighed again and pinched the bridge of his nose.

And boy would it be. Most trains going up the steep grade on their way to and from San Luis Obispo required the assistance of second engine and the Lark was no different. A passenger diesel wasn't strong enough to tackle it on its own and it probably wouldn't be any better with two of them going at it at once. Alexis discovered that the hard way a week ago with the Daylight and it put her in the shops. She swallowed nervously. She didn't want to go through that again.

The journey toward the Cuesta Grade was met with a mix of caution, hesitation, and fear on the E9's part. It was quiet save for the sound of the train rolling along. The moon had been shielded by a thick layer of clouds, leaving only Alexis' mars light and glowing eyes to light up the path ahead. Antony did his best to reassure her that the two of them could climb the grade without the need of a helper thanks to his extra 250 horsepower, something the earlier PA units lacked. Alexis simply rolled her eyes and kept quiet. His minute boost in horsepower wasn't going to be enough to get them up the grade. She had more pulling power than him anyway.

The train suddenly felt heavier than it once was and it made her jerk backwards. What felt like nothing suddenly felt like she had a dead line of Big Boys behind her. She could hear the groan from the PA-2 as he too was having trouble. That 250 extra horsepower clearly wasn't enough to get them up this grade, but what could they do? David opened her throttle to give her more power. Exhaust plumed from her stacks and her engine roared. After a few minutes of struggling the train halted, barely moving more than a few inches if that. Alexis let out a heavy sigh before making another go and wound up losing the little ground she had gained. Sparks flew from the two engine's wheels as they turned uselessly against the tracks. Still the two kept pulling as they struggled for traction. Smoke shot out in a thick, dark cloud until her motor spluttered and gave out; the lights from her headlight and eyes flickered and went dark. Alexis gasped; she had stalled.

"Alexis, what are you doing?" Antony called to her, "Go!"

David swore and quickly tried to get her engine started again but was unsuccessful. They had no other choice but to reverse back down and wait for some sort of assistance. Alexis looked ahead sadly as she rolled away slowly. She could have sworn she heard the passengers complaining and if she wasn't, she knew she would once they came to a stop. She felt horrible for letting them down, for not being strong enough. Once they were back on even track, her driver and brakeman stepped out to asses whatever damage there may be and overall check to see if she was alright.

"Are you alright, little lady?" David asked.

Alexis kept her eyes on the ground and was quiet for a few minutes, "It happened again…" The disappointment in her voice was evident.

He sighed, "I know girl. I - - Damn… I don't know what's wrong with you. The workmen didn't find anything out of the ordinary. I guess I'll take you back to the shops anyhow when we get to LA. I called dispatch and they're sending in an engine from San Jose so it'll be a while."

"Ok…" she didn't say much else and stayed silent after her crew left her to try to start her engine again. All she could do was think of when she had stalled the last time a few weeks ago, and in the same place but coming from the other direction. She was with Monica and was grateful for that. The older E7 was kind enough to keep it between the two of them, but Antony? She wasn't sure if he'd tell or not and she didn't have the drive to ask him. The young E9 sighed heavily; if the SP bosses found out that this happened again they'd send her back to EMD or scrap her for sure. Her buggy build was why she had been delayed for nearly a month after all…

Her orange eyes snapped up as she heard a distant whistle from behind her; it wasn't that far away either. It was a low, rumbling sound and it echoed throughout the valley. Based on its octave, she could assume it was something big, bigger than her or Antony at least… a big steam engine. The whistle went off again and it wasn't much longer before the engine arrived on the scene. Alexis' lights came back on just as the engine coupled up to the back of the train, the force traveling all the way towards the front, causing the two diesels to move forwards a little. After a few good shoves from the steam engine, they began to move. The coaches groaned as their wheels started to turn and climb the hill again. Alexis was surprised by the engine's strength; she had thought she'd be stronger than many steam engines but her theory was obviously incorrect. Why else would her kind be replacing them?

No sooner did they begin their climb they started going downhill; the Lark jerking slightly as the helper did its part in keeping the train from turning into the runway. Accidents, and deaths, had occurred on this grade in the past and no one wanted to repeat history. Once the train reached San Luis Obispo, the steam engine was brought around to the front to assist the rest of the way. Alexis watched with wide eyes as the engine pulled up alongside her. She had been correct; it was a big engine, a 4-8-4 Northern type by the looks of it. Painted all black in the War Baby scheme and lacking any or very little makeup. Alexis wasn't quite sure. But what stood out the most were her eyes; they were sky blue in color and unlike any of the engines on the SP line. Most engines had variations of orange, red, or yellow and the freight engines had silver eyes, but not this one for some reason. Perhaps she was, or had been, special somehow?

"Erika, baby…" Antony said slyly. "I figured it was you."

The steam engine in question let out a huff, her piercing blue eyes glaring in the direction of the PA-2. However, she chose to hold her tongue for now. There was work to be done and no time to chat. With a hiss from her cylinders and a few blasts of her whistle, Erika set off to switch tracks and couple up to the front of the train. The trip was dead silent the rest of the way although the big steam engine stated her opinion on the matter after they arrived in Los Angeles that morning once the rather grumpy passengers had gone and the train had been disassembled for servicing. Alexis was on her way to the maintenance yard when Erika approached her from an adjacent track.

"I'd like to thank you making me have to get up and come all they out to the middle of nowhere to help you," she began coldly. "It's a shame that new generation of railroading can't even go up a simple hill without stalling. It's even worse that it was a passenger train. It's disgraceful to the railway and those who once pulled such prestigious trains such as the Lark. Still…" she smiled ever so slightly, and it wasn't a friendly one. "I thank you for breaking down, as your kind is prone to do. Were it not for your poor craftsmanship I wouldn't have been able to prove that the steam engine is still worthy of passenger service. Hopefully the railroads will realize that cheaper isn't better and send your oily kind back to switching duties where you belong."

The E9 was dumbfounded; she didn't know what to say. But when she did the GS-4 had already left. David patted the side of his engine sympathetically but she paid it no mind. All Alexis wanted to do was go to the furthest slot in the maintenance yard's roundhouse and sulk. What a horrible, horrible day! Unfortunately for her, she found no solace there for the place was full of engines and at the far end were two of her E9 sisters, talking among themselves, but that changed once they spotted her approaching.

"Well, well, well," one of them began. "If it isn't the dud, you're a little late to just be coming in with the Lark aren't you?"

"Over two hours late." The other added. "But you are known for being tardy, little sister."

Alexis frowned at them, "We had trouble getting up the hill because we didn't have a helper." She explained, "It has nothing to do with…. To do with that!"

"Oh it has everything to do with that. Isn't that right, Alison?"

"Alyssa is exactly right." The other sister chimed in. "You're a dud and it's amazing you even got here in the first place. And because of your inability to function like a proper EMD diesel, you've tarnished EMD's name as well as the Southern Pacific's."

"Oh will you two shut the hell up."

The three E units looked in the direction of the voice. A few slots down sat Marigold. Alexis' sisters glared back at the E7 but she held her ground. "You act like neither of you have had any misfortune and you and I both know that's not the case. Now shut those holes in your faces before I have the both of you attached to the next Golden State train." A grin formed on her face, "I hear the AC-9 sisters Lamia and Liltu will be at the helm today, and you know how they feel about diesels."

Alexis didn't know what an AC-9 was but whatever it was, it was enough to shut her sisters up as their eyes filled with fear and they retreated further back into their berths. Once the bullies had gone Marigold invited Alexis to slide into the empty slot next to her. "Alright little sister, from now on you don't engage with those Daylight airheads. They try to provoke you, ignore them."

The young diesel smiled a little, "Thank you… and I'll try."

"No don't try, do. Antony told me what happened… well he told pretty much everyone, but don't let it get to you. We all stall and break down every now and again. Speaking of which… guess why I'm here!"

"Did you stall too?" Alexis raised her eyebrows curiously.

"Pff no!" Marigold rolled her eyes and laughed. "I've never stalled. Damn kids were on the side of the tracks throwing rocks at me when I was leaving with the Golden State. Was barely out of the yard too, that's why they gave it to the AC-9s. Little bastards broke my windows, dented my left side, and knocked my driver out too! Luckily I wasn't going that fast and the brakeman was inside." She frowned worriedly. "I hope Bryan's OK…"

Alexis cringed, "That sound awful and scary."

"Oh sure, but it's nothing like the Sunset Limited line."

"The Sunset Limited?"

"Yup, one of the railway's oldest trains. I'd rather pull the City of San Francisco than thing, let me tell you. That thing is - -" The sound of an air horn being blown drowned her out a pulled her attention elsewhere. The E7's eyes lit up once she saw whom the honking horn belonged to. A PA in Daylight colors rolled onto the turntable and made his way towards Marigold. Alexis thought it was Antony but his road number read "6009" rather "6030."

The diesel looked at her with worried eyes, his tone gentle as he spoke. "Mari, are you alright? I heard you were in the shops and I rushed over and - -"

"Adrian, calm down." Marigold replied with a chuckle and a gentle smile. "I'm fine. Just a bit dented up… with a few broken windows…"

"It was those damn kids again wasn't it?"

"Uh huh, but I'm fine. I'll be out of here by tomorrow."

He smiled back at her, "Good. I think I nearly broke my rear coupler when I found out, I shot out of the station so fast."

"Don't be silly. It takes more than a few dozen rocks to do some real damage to me."

Alexis watched quietly as the two diesels were off in their own little world. The pair laughed among themselves and Marigold pressed her forehead against Adrian's, nuzzling him gently. A soft, low purring sound came from the PA-1's engine as he enjoyed the gesture and returned it. The sound made Alexis blushed and she looked away, but wasn't sure why she did. It was a strangely comforting sound, kind of like Antony's laugh. Despite her best efforts to mind her own business, her gaze landed on them again when their lips touched. Her cheeks reddened further. She didn't know what they were doing or why but it seemed pleasant to say the least.