Based on a true story
Authors note: The main part of this story is a scanner conversation that I downloaded off the Internet. On March, 9th 1997, Canadian Nation Extra 9458 became a runaway train while switching cars at a mine in New Brunswick, Canada.
All names have been changed. The conversation is (c)2001 Jim Tiroch. I listened to the mp3 over and over, and after 24 hours of code breaking, spell checking and editing, this turned out. For a downloadable version (With the real people) of this conversation, go to www.railspot.com.
Heero sat back in his chair. Its been a few years since the war, everything was going peacefully. Today, he was subbing for his friend, Sebastian, who is a Sank National Railway Dispatcher.(Headqaurterd in New Port City in the Sank Kingdom)
"HA! and Sebastian said this was going to be hard, all I have to do is watch the screen!" Heero said cheerfully
Just then, Zechs Came over the radio
Zechs: This is extra train 9548 at Brunswick Mines. Is that you Sab?
Heero: No, its heero. Go ahead. Over.
Zechs: Heero, I think we may have a knee-deep situation on our hands. We've grabbed a bunch of cars back here at the mines and uh, we can't hold them, she's weighing on us there. How's # 14?
Heero: 14 left Bathurst at 0818, over.
Zechs: OK, let us know when she's by "Nepi" now, will you. Have him wait up and we can give Wufei a holler that she's waitin' on the main line.
Heero: Yeah, All right. Yeah, All right. How many cars is there, over?
Zechs: He has ahold of about 30.
Wufei: This is Wufei now. 50, she's doing 50, and I've got no control of her.
Heero: You, ah, you got no control of her Wesley? Are you coupled to those cars, over?
Wufei: An awful goddamn mixup if I ever can survive it.
Heero: I say, are you hooked up to those cars, over?
Zechs: Yes he is Heero, He's ahh, He's coupled up to them.
Heero: Which end of the train is he on, over?
Zechs: He's on the head end of it there, he's leading going out there on them, honest to god.
Heero: He's leading on the way out and he can't control that train? Is that what you're saying, over?
Zechs: That is exactly the situation, Heero. It's a pretty bad situation really. He's doing about 45 there and he can't hold her. Maybe she'll slow down there on the hill down there later on, but I don't know.
Wufei: I'm going by Brunswick Mills and she's going 55 miles an hour. 55 at Brunswick Mills. She's off.
Heero: And there's no way you can put that train in emergency, apparently, Wufei, over?
Wufei: There's no air on her. There's no air on her, Yuy!
Heero: Oh shit!. Alright. Alright. (To him self "Oh shit, just what I need, only if Sabastian were here") Just stand by a minute. SN Engineman #14, Newcastle Sub Dispatcher, over.
Quatra: SN Engineman #14, over.
Heero: Are you fellas by Nepisiguit, over?
Quatra: Uh. What was that again, over?
Heero: Are you... Is your train by Nepisiguit, over?
Quatra: No, uh, he's just trying to get the switch there now. Just wait a minute and I'll tell you.
Quatra: This is Engineman #14 here. We're by Nepisiguit now, dispatcher.
Heero: Yeah alright, the reason why I'm telling you that is the ore train has a runaway train on the Nebisiguit Sub and Wufei can't get her stopped and he's heading for Nepisiguit at about 50 miles per hour. He's lost his air, over.
Quatra: OK, we're by there now, don't worry about us.
Heero: Yeah, Alright. Hello Wufei.(tones)
Heero: SN sectionmen at Bathurst, Newcastle Sub Dispatcher, over. SN section forman Trowa Barton, Newcastle Sub Dispatcher, over.
Heero: SN section forman Trowa Barton, Newcastle Sub Dispatcher, over
Wufei: Hello Heero.
Trowa: (doubling with Wufei) Go ahead, Dispatcher.
Heero: Yes, Dispatcher here, over. Who is this speaking?
Wufei: I'm doing 65 miles an hour, right now. 65.
Heero: I think it's about time you left that thing isn't it, Wufei, if you can?
Wufei: ???
Heero: Yeah.
Trowa: This is forman Barton, dispatcher.
Heero: Foreman Barton. The ore train. The mini-ore train. It has a runaway train on the "Nepi" Sub. He's got about 50 cars on there... 45 or 50 cars and he's doing 50 or 60 miles an hour, headin' for Nepisiguit. You fellas better get the hell out of the way.
See if.. try to look to see if there's anybody around there that you can chase away from the track because you've got a runaway train on there, over.
Wufei: 70 miles an hour. 70
Heero: He's now doing 70 miles an hour so you'd better stand back.
Heero: Wufei, is there no way that you can clear... get off of that train for the love of Zero, over?
Wufei: I can't get off her.
Heero: Well. I think you better bail off into a snowbank, if you can do it at all.
Trowa: What mileage is he at dispatcher?
Heero: What mileage are you at Wufei, over?
What is your mileage Wufei, over?
Wufei: Four. Four.
Heero: He's at four. He's getting pretty handy Nepisiguit.
Wufei: 75 mile and hour. Right now.
Dorothy: (On Train 97) Stay with her Wufei. Stay with 'er.
Wufei: Oh. Christ I don't know.
Dorothy: (On Train 97) Hang in there, Wufei. ....never make the corner there....
Heero: Uh. Wufei, do you 'spose... you'd never make that... you'd never make the west or east leg of the wye, would you, over?
Wufei: I don't know which would be the worst.
Heero: Hello Bathurst
Wufei: When I get done with this they can put me on my f****** pension.
Heero: How many cars you got on there besides your engines Wufei?
Wufei: 30 cars. (blowing whistle on engine in background)
Heero: 30 cars.
Heero: Wufei, are you alone in that engine?
Wufei: (unintelligible) (blowing whistle on engine in background)
Heero: Would you repeat that please, over?
Wufei: hoh boy, I don't know. I got around one corner. (horn still blowing)
Heero: Where you at, Trowa Barton?
Trowa: .... Trowa ... (weak signal)
Trowa: Trowa Barton. (weak signal)
Heero: Are you on here section foreman Barton, over?
Trowa: Yes. I'm on the road dispatcher, for Nepisiguit.
Wufei: I'm coming down into "Nepi".
Heero: He's coming down into Nepisiguit there now, over.
Wufei: Coming down into "Nepi". We're doing 70.
Wufei: ????........ if I survive 'er.(bleed over) 7:30
Heero: Hello Bather Station.
Duo: Bathurst.
Heero: Uh. Just a minute.
Wufei: Better open that mainline switch at "Nepi" before I go through 'er.
Heero: Trowa Barton, you on here, over?
Trowa: We're coming into "Nepi". We're about 3 miles out.
(doubling with Wufei)
Wufei: (unintelligible)
Heero: Trowa Barton, can you open one of those switches at Nepisiguit so that he can get out on the main line if he can make it, and whatever one you think is the best, over?
Trowa: No, we'd never make it dispatcher. We're about two miles from there now.
Wufei: Get the hell out of the way.
Heero: Well. Get the hell out of the way then Palmer.
(aside: 14 is by there) Get the hell out of the way Palmer, he has'nt got time to get to the switch there Wufei, over.
Wufei: She'll never make it anyway cause I'm going off there at the wye.
Heero: She won't go into emergency for you will she Wufei, over?
Wufei: Come back?
Heero: I say she won't go into emergency, eh?
Wufei: No, it just keeps kicking out.
Zechs: Stick to 'er.
Heero: Bather Station.
Hello Bather Station
Hello Bather Station
God Damn it Duo, are you there!
Duo: Bathurst.
Heero: You better....you better warn people around there that we've got a runaway train coming off the "Nepi" Sub, and I don't know how far he's gonna go, if he does get off the Sub without being derailed. And I think you'd better alert a doctor, and an ambulance.
Heero: OK, I'll do that.
Heero: Straight away.
Wufei: OH BOY!!!! HERE WE GO!!!
Heero: SN Engineman on the Extra 9571 East, Newcastle Sub Dispatcher, over.
Treize: We're south at Irvco, Heero. We're hearing what's going on, we're stopped at Irvco in the yard limit.
Heero: Alright. OK. Thank you. Dispatcher Moncton out.
Zechs: Hello Heero.
Heero: Yes.
Zechs: Yeah....Were you talking to Wufei?
Heero: No I haven't been talking to him now. Are you on here Wufei?
Heero: Is that you Zechs?
Zechs: Yeah. I'm here in the Caboose at the mines.
Heero: You're in the caboose at the mines, I see. No. He hasn't called in.
Zechs: Well. He's gone then. I suppose you're on the way out there.
Heero: Yeah. OK Zechs.(bleed transmission)
Heero: Hello Bather Station.
Relena SN Dispatcher, SN Assistant Superintendent, over.
Heero: RELENA! The hell... shit, never mind, Are you at Bathurst? Uh....
Relena: No. I'm in Campbellton
Can you get hold of that train somehow?
Heero: No. I can't. I'm trying to get ahold of the driver and he won't answer me, now, and he's the only one on it I think. The caboose is still at the mines. The train broke away.
Relena: Yeah. If you can get ahold of him, tell him that not... that when he comes to a stop and hopefully with no injuries or anything... tell him not to move until we're all down there.
Heero: Well Relena, he hit the switch at Nepisiguit at about 70 mile an hour, so I don't know where you're gonna find him at.
Relena: Tell him I don't want anything to move when he comes to a stop.
Heero: Well... I... If he comes through that switch at Nepisiguit, Relena, I don't imagine ... er ... I imagine he's at a stop alright, in the woods somewhere.
Relena: Yeah, well hopefully not.(bleed transmission)
Trowa: Uh.. SN Dispatcher Yuy, over.
Heero: SN Dispatcher Yuy, over.
Trowa: Yeah, we're coming in to Wufei here now, he's off the track. At ahh... Right around the shack at Nepisiguit.
Heero: How bad is she off there, can you see?
Heero: Hello Trowa.
Trowa: Yes.
Heero: Trowa, can you see how badly he is derailed, over?
Lady Une: Uh, SN Dispatcher Yuy, General Roadmaster Une, over.
Heero: Yeah, where are you at Lady Une?
Lady Une: I'm coming in Nepisiguit there now, it's not looking very good here.
Heero: Can you see the engines?
Lady Une: Yeah, they look to be on their side. I'll get back to you.........??...(interference)
Heero: Uhh... Hello Bather Station.
Bather Station.
Duo: Bathurst.
Heero: Have you called an ambulance and a doctor?
Duo: NO! I ordered a Pizza! Of course I called the ambulance, and the city police.
Heero: OK, get right up to Nepisiguit.
Heero: Uh...Zechs, you on here?
Zechs: Go ahead dispatcher.
Heero: Yeah, they're...they're derailed. She's derailed at "Nepi" there. Ahhh. Was Zec... er... Wufei alone in the engine?
Zechs: Wufei was alone in the engine, yes.
Heero: I see. What.. did he have about 30 cars on there and the 2 engines, is that right Zechs?
Zechs: Yeah.. I got about 30 cars on.
Heero: Mm-Hmm. Alright. Lady Une and some boys are heading up there, see what the hell is left Zechs, we'll get back to you, over.
Zechs: Yeah, let us know how Wufei is.
Heero: Yeah.
Heero: SN Roadmaster Lady Une, Newcastle Sub Dispatcher, over.
Heero: SN Foreman Barton, Newcastle Sub Dispatcher, over.
Nichol: Foreman Barton can't... can't hear you now dispatcher. He's on the engines.
Heero: He's on the engine... Do you know if they've seen the driver, over?
Nichol: We heard Wufei. He hollered for us dispatcher.
Dispatcher: He heard Wufei yelling did he?, over?
Nichol: They're on the engine now... we heard Wufei speak out there.
Heero: Well thats hope anyway. Any sign of fire, over?
Nichol: No we didn't see any fire yet, but there's no telling.............?
Heero: Any houses in that area, over?
Nichol: No.. we see one about a thousand feet there, down from there.
Heero: Yeah, alright, OK.
Relena: Dispatcher get the ambulance at the engineman on extra 9644 east ...??... dispatcher Yuy, over.
Dispatcher: What did you say Relena?
What did you say Relena?
Heero Ahh... Oh... One of the section men.
Heero: Ahh... You there at Bather Station.
Duo Bathurst.
Heero: Did....Would you order, or make sure they order a fire truck to go up to that scene, if they can get up there, over?
Duo OK, I'll do that.
Heero: Hello Zechs.
Zechs: Go ahead, Heero.
Heero: Yeah, we got a little..Alittle bit of hope there. They were talking to Wufei, I think. They heard him..... talking, over.
Zechs: Ahh thats good, the very best. Thank you.
Trowa: Calling SN Dispatcher Moncton
Heero: Yes. Go ahead Trowa, over.
Trowa: We got him out with not a mark on him. He's the very best.
Heero: Thank you. Yeah, just great. Thats fine. Now ahh.. Barton, is the mainline blocked?
Trowa: Yes. No, the mainline is not blocked. He's off the track on the east... on the leg of the wye, right where you come in to the first switch.
Heero: Just as you're coming into the wye, is that correct, over?
Trowa: Yes. The engines are about a hundred feet from the track.
Heero: I see. Ahh. How many... Is there any other cars off of the track, over?
Trowa: As far as I can see the whole train's off.
Heero: Yeah. OK. Thats Fine. And Wufei is OK, eh?
Heero: You say Wufei is OK, is that right, over?
Trowa: Yeah, he's walking up the track here now.
Heero: Are you on here Zechs?
Zechs: Yes I heard that, good news. Thank you, Heero.
Heero: OK. Dispatcher Yuy out.19:31
Heero: SN Engineman on ahh.. Extra 9571 East, Newcastle Sub Dispatcher, over.
Treize: 9571 East, over. (whistle blowing)
Heero: I guess you heard all that Wade, the train is off the track, the engines are on their side but Wufei is OK. So you fellas are heading for Bathurst are you , over?
Treize: At Elm Tree now.
Heero: Yeah. OK. Thanks. Dispatcher Yuy.
Duke Dermail: How about did that happen, Heero?
Heero: Well, that's the mini ore train coming out of Nepisiguit...........(tones)
Heero: Ahh. Just a minute, Dermail.(tones)
Heero: Newcastle Sub Dispatcher, over.
Lady Une: SN Dispatcher, Roadmaster Une here. I think there's somebody that would like to speak to you.
Wufei: Hello Heero.
Heero: How's it goin' there Wufei.
Wufei: Still here anyway. The old fellow wasn't ready for me, I guess.
Heero: No I guess not, but its so nice to talk to you, I must say.
Wufei: Boy, some nice, holly lord geepers, I'me telling you.
Heero: Well, you've done a wonderful job, I must say buddy. You stick with her.
Wufei: Guess I'd of been long goneif I'd of jumped her.
Heero: Well. She's a hell of a mess there though, Wufei, eh?
Wufei: Roger yes, she's all piled up. I don't know how the hell I got out of her myself.
Heero: Well.. Did you... Did she go over on her side? Did the engines go over on their side?
Wufei: Yeah. Then all the cars come in up to me.
Heero: Yeah, Well well well well...and you haven't got a scratch, I hope.
Wufei: No No, I'm doing alright. The only thing I'm waiting for is the typewriter to get going.
Heero: Yeah. that's exactly what I say. I imagine they'll give you 30 demert marks now.
Wufei: Yeah. I'm just waiting for the typewriter now I guess.
Heero: Oh the hell with the typewriter.
Heero: (aside) No, he stayed with her. (and background chatter from dispatcher office celebrating)
Wufei: If you're taping.. if you have it on tape there, I want to tape it.
Heero: Yes sir, everythings on tape here Wufei. It's all in tape.
Wufei: Better send up the hook.
Heero: Yeah, they're gonna... They're working on it there now. Relena didn't want you to move the train once you stopped, over.
Wufei: What a bitch!
Heero: Your telling me!
Prolog
After the incident, Wufei and Zechs were suspended for 6 months with pay. A investigation showed that the extreme cold had caused the air generator to fail. Wufei was welcomed to New Port City with a Heroes Welcome. He received a Medal of Bravery from the Canadian Prime Minister.
THE END
CREDITS
Character-----------------Actor
Heero Yuy----------------Alfie Bureaux
Wufei Chang-------------Wesley MacDonald
Quatra Winner-----------Sabastian Leschhrone
Duo Maxwell-------------Destonus
Trowa Barton-------------Palmer Dempsey
Relena Darlin-------------Neil Gaudon
Lady Une------------------Ben Levesque
Nichol-----------------------Fetu Semisi
Treize-----------------------Ryan Lesterson
Zechs-----------------------Lorrie Sturgeon
(Note-Everyone but Sebastian, Destonus, Fetu and Ryan are not RR Employees. In reality, The actor of everyone else was in this situation)