Elaine's First Train

During the afternoon after Elaine's naming ceremony, Culdee was standing in the yard, watching Elaine chatting excitedly to Ernest and Wilfred. Clearly, the young engine was a bundle of energy and full of enthusiasm. Culdee frowned thoughtfully, concerned that her excitable nature might be her undoing. He'd seen it happen to young engines before. Patrick was just one example of a young engine who hadn't listen to his advice. At least Patrick had learned his lesson, unlike poor Godred.

Culdee snapped out of his thoughts when he saw the manager approaching. "Good afternoon, sir."

"Afternoon, Culdee. I was wondering if you'd mind very much showing Elaine around the yard?"

Culdee brightened immediately. "I'd love to do that, sir!"

"Good. I'd be great if you could look after her too. Teach her everything you know; you know what I mean."

"Yes, sir. I was hoping you'd ask me to do that. I'd hate to see anything bad happen to her."

The manager smiled. "Just be patient with her. There is so much she doesn't know yet, but you mustn't overwhelm her. She doesn't need to learn everything at once, and she's bound to make mistakes, just like you did when you first arrived here."

"I understand that, sir."

"Very well then. Carry on."

Once the manager had gone, Culdee went over to the others. "I hate to interrupt this fascinating conversation, but I need to introduce Elaine to her coach."

"Coach?" Elaine squealed excitedly. "Do I really get my very own coach?"

"You sure do," Wilfred said, while Ernest chuckled. "We all have our own coaches."

"It's very important that you get to know your coach very well," Culdee explained sensibly. "You see, when you're pushing her up the mountain, she's the only one who can see what is going on in front of you."

"Mountain?" Elaine said, confused. "What's a mountain?"

The engines all stared at Elaine in surprise. Then, almost in unison, they looked up at Culdee Fell, which dominated the skyline to their right. Elaine followed their gaze. Seeing the mountain, her jaw dropped in astonishment.

"That's a mountain?"

"Yes," the three other engines responded in unison.

"And I have to climb it?"

"Yes," Culdee replied. "It's what we were built to do. Come along now. Your coach is waiting to meet you."

Feeling overwhelmed, Elaine followed Culdee over to the carriage yard. They stopped on either side of a sleeping coach.

"Margaret?" Culdee called kindly. "Wake up, dear. I've brought someone to see you."

The coach blinked open her eyes. "Oh! You must be the new engine. I've been very excited to meet you. What's your name?"

"E-Elaine," Elaine stammered.

"That's such a pretty name. My name's Margaret. I'm sure we'll get along well. We've never had a female engine here before."

"Really? Uh, so how long have you been here for?"

"Oh, I've been here ever since the railway opened, well over a hundred years ago. What I don't know about this railway isn't worth knowing."

"Huh?"

"What she means is, you should always ask her for advice," Culdee explained. "You'll be perfectly safe with Margaret. She'll take good care of you, and so will I."

...

The next morning, Elaine was steamed up first. The manager had decided that she should go out early for a test run before the passengers started to arrive. Because of the tight timetable, Elaine was to take Margaret only as far as Skarloey Road, which was about halfway up the line.

Elaine was relieved to hear that. She wasn't ready to climb all the way up to the Culdee Fell summit. As she looked out of the shed doors to the mountain in the distance, her anxiety returned.

I can't climb that! What if I slip and fall? What if I can't push Margaret up there? What if I get blown off the tracks? What if…?

"Right, we're all ready to go," Elaine's driver said, interrupting her thoughts. He gave Elaine's whistle a short pop before he drove her out of the shed.

"Margaret?" Elaine whispered to the sleeping coach as she gently coupled up to her. "Time to wake up!"

Margaret yawned sleepily. "Am I going out today?"

"Yes. The manager wants me to undergo a test run this morning. I'm to take you to a place called Skarloey Road. Do you know it?"

"Of course I do, dear," Margaret replied, waking up properly. "It's a station about halfway up the line. The manager is obviously being gentle with you, because you're so new."

"What do you mean by that?" Elaine asked as she took up the strain to move Margaret. It was the first time she'd ever pulled anything at all, let alone in reverse, but after a small struggle, she managed to get Margaret moving with a jerk.

"Oohh!" Margaret exclaimed, inadvertently waking the other carriages in the yard.

Elaine winced. "Sorry. I didn't mean to do that."

"I know you didn't mean it, dear," Margaret replied kindly. "You'll soon get used to shunting us.

Elaine shunted Margaret over to the platform, where they were uncoupled. Since Elaine was going to push Margaret up the line, it was important that they weren't coupled up for safety reasons. In the event of an emergency, it was far safer for everyone if the coach was separated from the locomotive. Both had automatic brakes, but Elaine didn't know that.

Before long, the guard blew his whistle and waved his green flag. Puffing hard, Elaine began to push Margaret out of the station. Culdee watched Elaine leave from the shed. He hoped she'd be okay.

Shortly after leaving the station, the Culdee Fell Railway crosses the Peel Godred branch line by means of an impressive viaduct. This viaduct is one of the Island of Sodor's lesser known architectural wonders, but sadly, it is very difficult for visitors to photograph. After crossing the viaduct, the line continues on straight up the foothills of Culdee Fell until just after Shiloh Station, where it makes a sharp curve to the right. This was the deviation Lord Barrane had insisted on to keep the railway off his land. In the distance, it is possible to see the Barrane's grand manor house, which, to this day, has an unspoilt view over most of the island.

Elaine was exhausted by the time she and Margaret arrived at Skarloey Road. Pushing up the steep grade was hard work, regardless of the fact that it was what she's been designed to do. While she was being coupled back up to Margaret, so she could pull the coach back down the line, Elaine stared up at the mountain that loomed overhead. She gulped nervously.

"Elaine? Are you all right, dear?" Margaret asked kindly. "I felt you tense up."

Elaine jumped. "You can actually feel me going tense?"

"Of course. We coaches have an excellent sense of touch. Take a few deep breaths and try to relax. You're doing a great job!"

Elaine did as Margaret advised, but it wasn't as easy to relax as Margaret had made it seem. She didn't know why the mountain made her nervous, which only worried her even more. If should could just explain why she felt this way, maybe things would be different.

They arrived back at Kirk Machan just as Culdee was shunting his coach, Catherine, over to the platform.

"That was fun!" Elaine said. "I can't wait until I start taking passengers."

"You'll have to pass the Inspector's test first," Culdee told her.

Elaine's smile faded. "Inspector's test? When?"

"Tomorrow," the manager supplied as he walked between the two engines. "Elaine, you'll be taking a train of V.I.P.'s to the Summit. The Inspector will ride on your footplate so he can conduct his tests. You can't take passengers on this line until you've passed."

Elaine gulped. She really wasn't looking forward to tomorrow anymore.

Thank you for your reviews! I'm so sorry I'm not updating this story as often as I would like to. I also write in the Cars Fandom, and my readers there have been demanding regular updates, so this story got pushed down my priority list. I will endeavour to have the next chapter finished very soon, as I can promise it will be an exciting one!