Part 3
The Wabash Cannonball (Closing)

The Wreck of Train 97 made headlines, at least in major railroading cities along the east coast. The names of Phineas Flynn and Ferb Fletcher became synonymous with hero. They were considered the two bravest men in railroading since Casey Jones.

A funeral service was held in Spencer, North Carolina by the director of the Southern Railroad. Isabella and Baljeet traveled north on a private train to attend.

The funeral was held at the small church in town. The caskets were closed considering the disfigurement both men had gone through in death.

Vanessa made the short train trip down from Danville to attend, as well. When she took her turn for mourning, she gently lifted the lid on Ferb's casket, just enough to slide an envelope inside. Inside the envelope was a letter, professing her love for the English fireman. She knew he would never be able to read it, and she cursed herself for never telling him. The actress did not shed a tear at the death of the man she loved. Vanessa only cried because he would never know.

At the service following the viewing, Django Brown gave a short eulogy.

"I got to know Phineas and Ferb quite well in the months we ran the Wabash Cannonball together. You'll never meet two nicer folks anywhere.

"The day of the accident, Phineas volunteered to take the cars from Train 97 to Spencer in addition to his own train, which was already too heavy for his engine. Why? Because two friends," he said, nodding toward Steve and Buford, who were seated in the second row, "Would lose their jobs if he didn't. That's how Phineas was, and Ferb, too. They always thought of others.

"So here's to Phineas Flynn and Ferb Fletcher: May they go down in history with the late, great, Casey Jones, as two of the bravest railroad men who ever lived."

Here's to Phineas and Ferb, may their names forever stand
And always be remembered throughout this great land
Their earthly race is over and we'll bear them to the pall
And we'll carry 'em up to heaven on the Wabash Cannonball

Less then two months later, Isabella gave birth to a healthy baby boy. Very soon, though, she ran out of money to support herself and the baby. She moved herself and her child to Washington, Virginia, where Francis Monogram gave her a job as a ticket clerk. She never forgave herself for the way she treated her husband when she was pregnant. Occasionally, a far off train whistle would remind her of Phineas, and she would break down into tears.

Steve and Buford were allowed to keep their jobs with the Southern Railway, but they resigned from their positions as operators of engine 1728 and went to work as fitters at the Baldwin Locomotive Works.

Django Brown remained the conductor on the Wabash Cannonball. Six months after the accident on Stillhouse Trestle, Django was killed in a collision with the Twentieth Century Limited, East Bound for New York. A conflicting timetable was to blame for the accident. After that, the Southern Railway discontinued Train 38.

Jeremy proposed to Candace on New Year's Eve in Atlanta. They married and had their first child, a little girl, in August. They didn't appear in this story, so this paragraph is pointless.

Well listen to the jingle, the rumble and the roar
As she glides along the woodland by hills and by the shore
Hear the mighty rush of the engine, hear that lonesome hobo squall
We're traveling through to Dixie on the Wabash Cannonball

We're riding through the jungle on the Wabash Cannonball

THE END

I hope you've all enjoyed this songfic. Sorry I had to kill the main characters, but if I didn't, the songs wouldn't have worked.

I will be returning to working on P&F Industries #7 now. I think I'm going to post that in three chunks of a few chapters a piece because of how long it's going to be.

Please review and thanks for reading!

EDD17SP