Henrys Sneeze

While Gordon was put on goods in the aftermath of his whistle valve jamming, Henry and James were put on express duties and handled the train well.

A few days later Henry was travelling to Vicarstown, he saw several boys on top of a bridge and whistled cheerfully. As he passed under the structure the engine winced as something clattered against his boiler, his fireman cried out in pain and some windows broke. The engine travelled for some distance before reaching a signalbox to check over the damage. The passengers and crew got out, furious passengers from the first coach revealed the reason for the stop.

Then they saw the fireman with a bump on his head and they cried out for the police, then Henrys driver pulled the whistle.

"I understand your furious, Henry and I know they were boys though and so they'll be long gone before the police come, however I have a plan." He said.

The passengers asked him what it was.

"We're going to sneeze at them. They'll be back." The man chuckled.

The passengers looked at each other as he explained "When your nose is blocked you take a sneeze, when an engine has plenty of soot and ashes we can draw air to to blow them out. Thus we can have the sneeze and the boys will be caught by their parents and the police."

The passengers were cross but interested and agreed to keep quiet until the 'sneeze' happened on the return express. That day Henry ran goods trains until the afternoon express, he was feeling stuffed up and came into the station. Many of the passengers were excited, poor Henry was feeling felt only ill and stuffed up. James came in and for once was worried as he saw Henry, "Are you alright?"

"Yes, smokebox needs to be-." Henry nearly sneezed and then recovered "-Cleared. Just dont ask until tonight."

"Alright Henry, Tell me before the night train." James said and left with a slow passenger train. His driver looked out and around, then said "To all passengers, keep the windows closed until we pass the bridge."

Henry whistled and left the station, he felt happy but stuffed up as he approached the bridge. His driver saw the boys and said "Steady old fellow." Henry said "That's a lot of stones they have!"

"Dont worry, aim. SNEEZE!"

"ATCHA! ATCHA! CHOO!" Henry sneezed sending ash and soot over the boys, himself and the coaches.

Henry said "Did we?"

"Yes." His soot covered driver said.

When they got to the next station, the driver alerted the stationmaster who in turn alerted the police. The boys were found out and banned from watching trains and given such a wallop they couldn't sit for a week.

Henry has passed bridges thousands of times, never once has he sneezed or had stones dropped on him. The Fat Director, the Fat Controller, and Mr. Hellner (in that order and the last not yet nicknamed) never approved of that and gave orders to clean out the smokebox after every train.

Henry doesn't mind that, he likes taking in the sweet air around him.