Here's chapter three, hope you like it. Big thanks to D. J. Scales for all the ideas. NOTE: I AM NO LONGER TAKING NEW CHARACTER IDEAS. I will ask for more when I need them.
Chapter 3: First Day
Sam was running along the line at high speeds. His fire was burning and the wind whipped past his face. "This is great" he said out loud. He then left the main line and fallowed a track that he knew led to the mountains. Soon he was high on the cliffs of the mountain. He looked down and saw the huge valley below. Sam looked scared. "It's okay, I'll be fine" he said to himself. But then, he hit a bump in the track. Because he was going too fast, be flew off the rails and into the valley. "Aw, help" he yelled. He came closer to the bottom, and then he hit it.
Sam's eyes flew open. He looked around; he was parked in a shed filled with freight cars. The sun was just rising over the yard. Sam was staying in the freight shed for right now, because his place at the main sheds was still being built. "Oh, it was just a dream" he said happily. Because he didn't want to experience that dream again, he stayed awake till his driver and fireman came two hours later.
"Ready for work Sam" asked his fireman as he gave Sam a quick look over. "Yep" he said happily.
Soon they lit Sam's fire and pulled him out of the shed. They moved through the yards until they pulled up to the station. Jake was there with some freight cars.
"Hello Sam, how did you sleep" asked Jake. "Uh, fine" said Sam. "That's good" said Jake, then the conductors whistle blew. "Oh, time to go. Talk to ya later Sam" and with that Sam left.
"So what am I doing today" Sam asked his driver. "We're going to be taking some freight cars of machinery to the quarry" he said.
Then Sam heard a whistle. Then he felt a bump from behind him. "What's going on" he asked.
Sam heard a sliding noise, then a NYC 0-8-0 locomotive pulled up next to him. "Hello there, you must be Sam" said the engine nicely.
"Yes, and who are you" Sam asked. "My name is Otis, I do the shunting around the yard".
"That's interesting" said Sam. Then his driver yelled out. "Time to go Sam". Sam looked at Otis. "Well I got to go, talk you later" and then Sam left.
Sam was soon out of the yard and heading towards the track that led to the quarry. On the way, Josh passed him. He was pulling a train of what looked like fifteen freight cars. "You got a pretty big load Josh" Sam yelled.
Josh smiled "Don't worry, I'm used to pulling heavy loads". Then Josh rushed past Sam and disappeared down the line.
Soon Sam left the main line and was heading down the path to the quarry. When he puffed in, he looked for Samantha. "Where is she" he asked himself. He puffed round a bend and saw her near the loading dock.
"Hey Samantha" yelled Sam as he blew his whistle. Samantha looked forward and smiled. "Hello Sam, welcome back to the quarry" she said happily. "Good to be back" said Sam "so what's new"?
"The workmen are waiting for the new machinery to get here" she replied. "Machinery" said Sam as he narrowed his eyes and smiled "do you mean like this".
Samantha looked behind him and saw the flatbeds of machines. "Yes, that's it. Thanks for bringing it, I don't think I could have done it by myself" she said with a big smile. "That's why I was assigned to bring it" said Sam. Then he and Samantha laughed.
So Sam's driver uncoupled Sam from the flatbeds. "Time to leave Sam" called the fireman. "Okay" said Sam and he turned back to Samantha "well I leaving, see ya around". Samantha gave him that look she had given him yesterday. "Ya, see you later" she said happily. So Sam's driver reversed him to the nearby turntable. When he was turned around, he took the track out of the quarry.
"So where are we going now" Sam asked. "To the logging mill to pick up some flatbeds of logs" said his driver. So when they had left the valley and gotten back on the main line, they raced to the logging mill.
When they arrived, Tina and Lucy were pulling and pushing flatbeds full of logs. "Hello Tina, hello Lucy" said Sam as he stopped by the log cutting machines. "Hey Sam" said Tina as she pushed a flatbed in front of another and then switched tracks. "Nice to have you back" said Lucy as she pushed a flatbed in front of the one Tina had shunted.
Soon there was a long train of six flatbeds of logs. "Whoa, that's going to be heavy, but I can handle it" said Sam.
Tina and Lucy looked at each other, and then they burst out laughing. "That's hilarious" said Tina. "So funny" said Lucy. But Sam was confused. "What do you mean funny" he asked.
"These flatbeds aren't for you" said Lucy. "Then who are they for" he asked. "Him" said Tina.
As soon as she said this, a 2-6-6-2 Articulated Saddle Tank pulled up near the flatbeds. The engine looked at Sam and smiled.
"Why hello there, you must be Sam, the new engine. Am I correct" the engine asked. "Yes I am, and who are you" Sam asked. "My name is Seamus" he replied. "Well it's nice to meet you Seamus" said Sam.
Then Tina and Lucy rushed passed with some flatbeds. Seamus stared at the two as they sped away. "Impudent little engines; that would never suit my controller" he fumed. "I can see you don't like them messing around" said Sam. "Of course, if they aren't working then there just getting in the way" Seamus said sternly.
"So anyway, what's your job here" Sam asked. Seamus gave a big smile. "I'm the main logging engine here. If you need logs somewhere, you talk to me" he said proudly. "I'll remember that" said Sam as he gave a weak smile. "Yes, I've worked with logs my whole life. I even got the name 'Master of the Logging Railroad'. And because of my performance, I was sent to England to help set up the logging station on Misty Island. It was hard but when it was finished I loved how it looked. I just hope the engines that are there now and that will work there in the future take everything seriously" said Seamus. "You can only hope" Sam replied.
So Seamus backed onto his train. Then he called out "Tina, Lucy, come over here"! Within a few seconds Tina and Lucy had screeched to a stop beside him. "Okay, now I need you two to arrange Sam's flatbeds. And try not to mess around so much" Seamus pleaded.
"We won't" the two said in unison. "Good, now I must go, can't be late" and with that Seamus puffed away. But as soon as he was out of sight, Tina and Lucy sped away. "Great, now I'm alone with the mischief makers" sighed Sam.
After half an hour, Sam's train of four flatbeds was ready. "Let's get a move on Sam" called the driver. "Ya, the sooner I get out of here the better" Sam muttered. Soon Sam was on his way, puffing proudly along the line. "So where are these logs going" Sam asked. "To the mountains; someone ordered them so they can build a log cabin.
But Sam wasn't listening, he was remembering the dream he had last night. "Uh, do we really have to deliver the logs, couldn't Seamus do it" he asked nervously. "Can't he's taking other logs to the new neighborhood to build new homes there" he driver called back.
Sam grew more nervous, he didn't want to go to the mountains.
They puffed through a low valley and then turned onto a track the led up the side of the mountain. Sam grew even more nervous as they climbed higher and higher.
Soon they came to a flat piece of track. Sam looked down at the valley below. "This is just like my dream" he thought. Then he started to slow down. "Why are we slowing down, not that I'm complaing" he asked his driver. "There's some bumpy track ahead, if where not careful we could hit one and come flying off the tracks" he said.
After hearing his, Sam shut his eyes tight. He could feel little bumps in the track under his wheels. "Please let it be over soon" he thought. Then suddenly he came to a stop. He opened his eyes and saw that he was beside an unloading dock. "Where are we" Sam asked. His driver walked to the front of him.
"Where are the unloading dock, how do you expect us to unload the logs" his driver asked in a sarcastic way. Sam smiled "at least I didn't come off".
After the logs had been unloaded, Sam set off back down the mountain. As he puffed back onto the main line, he said to himself. "I guess the mountain isn't so scary after all", and with that he puffed back to the station to do more work.
That's the end of this chapter. The few chapters will introduce 4 new passenger trains.
