Hayden and Marjorie had decided to join Brett on a trip back down south to Texas to tend to a Challenger that had thrown a rod while pulling heavy freight through Longview so their little engine was left to fend for herself until their return in another week. Meredith didn't mind, however, the work was exhausting as the rolling stock was about twice the size of what she was used to, but she was given ample opportunities for rest in the shade as well as making nice with the yard's resident diesel switcher. She was a sprightly thing, mustard yellow and about half Meredith's size, but could pull twice as much as the LNER engine. She was called Cassandra, but everyone called her Cass; as bright as her paintwork and always cheery, Meredith greatly enjoyed her company and found her to be quite a solid source of gossip and inside information.

Meredith had just shoved the caboose of a mile long freight train to its line one chilly November morning when she paused to catch her breath and address a topic that had been weighing on her heavy. "Cass?" She started as the little diesel slipped to a siding beside her. "Is Jimmy… dangerous?"

The little switcher paused, biting her lip then backed up towards an empty hopper car to be coupled to it. "Well… in a way every one of the big engines are." She said, trying to remain vague. Her voice was almost childlike, but with enough weight to suggest some level of maturity. She glanced to Meredith who was frowning and sighed. "Yes, he is."

The white tank engine swallowed and weaved her way through the yard towards another hopper that needed to be switched to another line. Cass watched her stiff movements. "He's not going to hurt you." She assured, forcing a dimpled smile. "Jimmy's very kind to females, so unless you've got a rod hidden between those pretty wheels you're perfectly safe."

Meredith gave a half-hearted grin and pulled the hopper to its new line. The yard was unsurprisingly massive, an intricate maze of sidings, turntables, and refuel stations on several acres of flatland just a few miles west of the main depot. Sidings for trains as long as a mile neighbored the main passenger line. Diesels ran in and out of the yard constantly, but the large steam freighters of Cheyenne were more elusive of the space given that the switchyard wasn't that friendly to their longer forms. It was too easy for them to skip a switch as Meredith witnessed earlier in the week when August's front two axles slipped off the tracks and it took nearly three hours for him to be lifted back into place. She had never heard the soft spoken Big Boy swear until that moment and it was shockingly colorful, he even left some of the harder dispositioned men sweating nervously as they did their best to work quickly.

As Meredith was taking a break to refuel and chat on less serious topics with Cass, she heard a bellowing whistle from the distance. She looked up and saw Jimmy himself rolling back in after being gone four days to deliver freight over the mountains. He smiled at her, his shadow stretched across the yard as the sun rose behind him giving him an otherworldly glow. Then, while still moving, he retracted his platform and scooped Meredith up and kissed her, fervently searching for her tongue with his. She was surprised but crumbled as she tasted the desire that burnt his throat and throbbed his sex that unexpectedly glided its way in and out of her. The way he moved to the beat of his kissing made Meredith forget Cass was literally sitting right beside them, as well as the several yardsmen who were previously helping refuel the little engine before she was yanked away for a different type of fill-up. None of them cared, Cass merely rolled her eyes with a smile and continued her duties while the men gathered around a wooden picnic table in the shade of the water tower to talk sports and the weather.

Jimmy finally released Meredith once she was perfectly sore, shaken, and drippy. He set her down gently after another brief slobbery kiss then bid her a quiet goodbye before he returned to the roundhouse for a victory nap. Meredith stood completely still as she watched him leave, her cheeks flushed, valves working overtime to lower her pressure. Once her mind came to she tried to shake off the numbness, but it was persistent as was the wet warm feeling that made her axles slippery.

"You alright there, Meredith?" Cass inquired with a raise of her brow. "He certainly got you good." The addressed engine blinked and remained silent, Cass laughed. "For someone who seemed scared of Jimmy you sure didn't hesitate to let him ride!"

Meredith shook herself off once more and huffed indignantly. "I like bad boys." She admitted with a funny look.

"So I don't imagine you'd give a good boy a try?" Cassie prodded with a playful bounce of her brow as the two went back to work organizing cars.

"Which good boy?"

"Dallas."

"Who?"

"Oh! They probably introduced you to him as Chief," Cass giggled. "He's Jimmy's oldest brother. Number four thousand?"

"Ohhh, him, no, I mean— he seems very sweet and he's as handsome as the rest, but I never considered him a partner."

"You really should," Cass insisted. "He and I have had some fun nights, of course I'm too small for anything more than external stimulation, but he's helplessly romantic and that voice alone will bring a girl to orgasm. If you're able to take Jimmy no problem then I don't see why you couldn't give Chief a try. I envy you for that. I'd give anything to be worked over properly by him."

"Do you have anyone you actually do… you know?"

Cass placed a line of box cars onto a siding and blushed. "I've got a few, yes. Most of them tank engines, the big guys are just… too big for me."

"That's a shame," Meredith said sadly then the topic quickly died.

Hours passed, the sun came and went behind the cover of gray clouds around four that afternoon. It was the gray cast of cold weather Meredith was more than familiar with. All the bright yellow sunlight was a little startling but she enjoyed the change in climate. By quitting time, Meredith had finally adjusted to the yard's layout and was navigating its winding tracks with the same ease as Cass. It only two a couple weeks to do get there. The two left the yard giggling and gossiping like old friends.

"Are there any other females that pass through here?"

"There's Abby," Cass said, scrunching her nose in disgust. "She's a commanding twat, she thinks being the biggest female engine in the country gives her some sort of power. She'll run you over if you're not careful. Jimmy likes her too, they've blocked whole lines in the middle of the day just to bang like animals."

"What kind of engine is she?"

"She's a Challenger class, the only female built."

"So… wouldn't that make her Jimmy's cousin? That's gross."

Cass shrugged, they approached her stall where a crew patiently waited to clean her up and settle her for the night. "These boys don't care. If you've got a tight valve and aren't hideously deformened they'll stick it in."

Meredith scowled, watching with mild disgust while Cass was hosed down of the day's dirt and grime. "That's a little weird."

"It's just sex, Meredith," she said with a giggle. "It's not like engines can have babies. Just something to do in our free time."

"I guess," Meredith still didn't like the idea of related engines being intimate, the thought made her slightly ill. She exhaled and realized she too needed a wash and as well she was absolutely exhausted. "I guess I need to get cleaned up myself."

"And try to actually sleep," Cass teased as a worker scrubbed under her chin. "I know you have favor of the railway's bachelors, but you can't let them wear you out every night."

Meredith simply smiled then bowed goodbye to her new friend. As she crossed the fully stocked yard back towards her own little shed just beside the big engines' roundhouse she spotted the telephone used to call Flying Scotsman some time ago. She bit her lip, her undercarriage ached. The big engines were fun but she did miss her English flame. She got herself turned around and approached the phone slowly then glanced around for a human that could help. By a stroke of luck, just then the stationmaster stepped out from the depot and she peeped her whistle at him. He jogged over to the foreign engine and listened as Meredith explained she would like to call out to London and told him she knew the numbers if he would just dial out for her. The man hesitated but broke under Meredith's wide, pleading eyes. He did as she asked and once the line picked up he placed the phone on her footboard directly under her smoke box as she requested. The little engine could hear pistons on the other end of the line but waited until the human had walked away before talking.

"Hey there handsome."

"Well hello, darling. How's things across the pond?"

"Fine, I guess," Meredith sighed. "I was thinking about you on my way to turn in for the night."

"Is that so? What were you thinking about?"

Meredith could hear the seductive purr in his voice, her body heated up and she breathed a hot cloud of steam. "I was thinking about how badly I miss your rod."

In the London goods yard it was early morning, Flying Scotsman about blew his valves hearing Meredith's purring voice and crass words. He glanced around, it was still too early for anyone to be coming in for work so he opened his panel and slipped his rod out, though not enough for it to be visible in the open. He took a deep breath in. "What about it do you miss?" He hummed with a smirk.

"I miss feeling it deep inside me, how it stretches me. I miss how it feels going in and out, rocking my body."

"Mmm," Scotsman pinched his panel's doors around his rod and started to ease it in and out between the metal. He shuddered and groaned. "Tell me more."

"I miss the taste of your tongue, the feeling of your warmth inside and out. I can't wait to get home and ride you until my wheels are numb, until I'm so filled with your fluid I can taste it. And when my valve can't handle you anymore I want you to fuck my mouth!"

"Christ…" Scotsman sighed, he imagined every scenario, every breath she'd make, the way she would moan in his ear, her tightness around him. He moved his rod faster, to the rhythm he would take if he was fucking her right then. He moaned louder. "Fuck, I need you home now!"

Meredith grinned, her undercarriage was lit up and panel open though there was nothing to receive. She listened to Scotsman's breathing on the other end and found herself feeling jealous that she couldn't pleasure herself the same way. "Are you thinking about me?"

"Fuck yes, I am!" There was a rattle of metal followed by a heavy breath out. She heard him moan for her and her smile widened.

"Finish, did we?"

"Oh yeah," he paused to laugh breathlessly. "You need to do that more often. I'm losing my mind over here."

"I don't mind if you find another female, my love," Meredith lied. She did mind, but she also didn't want her lover to be stewing in his frustrations, she understood how dangerous that could be.

"I don't want another, Mer. I'll make do as I can and wait. Just know that as soon as you get off that boat I'm ravishing you."

"I look forward to it… I love you."

"I love you."

Meredith stayed on the phone with Scotsman until it was time for him to depart for Victoria. They talked about their railways, but they each avoided their own drama so as not to worry the other. Meredith savored his voice like a sweet candy for her hearing. She wanted to taste him, feel him, smell him and once the phone was hung up she sat and stared while every part of her pulsed with arousal.

"Make an exciting phone call?"

The little tank engine started, looking to the track adjacent only to find Chief rolling up beside her wearing a seductive grin. "I might have," she avoided his gaze as she recalled what Cass had told her about the oldest Big Boy and in the moonlight he looked particularly tasty and godlike. "What are you doing up so late?"

"I just got back from a late freight haul, I was headed to bed until the wind brought to my attention a rather sweet scent— you."

Meredith's boiler bubbled, Cass was right about his voice, its baritone was enough to rattle her undercarriage, she wobbled and cast him an innocent glance. "What are you going to do about it?"

He leaned down towards the little engine and exhaled slowly. "Only one way to find out."

Meredith ended up following Chief several miles all the way to a section of track that wound up a snow capped mountain range. Chief moved himself behind the little engine and guided her up the steep line. She was assured in his placement behind though she made the mistake of looking to her right and saw the drastic drop-off. Her body locked up, tears began to flow down her face, she'd never traversed anything so high and so steep. "Maybe we should go back…" she stammered.

"We're almost there," Chief assured, he then coupled himself to her rear fender, smiling even though Meredith couldn't see it. "I won't let you fall, I promise, I've climbed this hill many times in my years. I know every curve, every bump by heart."

Meredith breathed. She looked over towards the capital city in the distance. Everything was so tiny, the sleeping neighborhoods, even the massive roundhouse seemed insignificant so far down and away. She moved her eyes straight ahead once more and found the track was beginning to level out towards an overlook with spurs laid close to allow for innocent cuddling, though most surprising was the turntable, no one was around to man it. When they came to a stop, Chief let the little engine go so she could observe the view; he watched her roll towards the metal fencing at the end of a spur and gasp in awe. She took in the vast rolling forests, an endless sea of yellows and oranges that appeared ethereal in the starlight. A stark contrast to the industrialized world behind her, no signs of human occupation whatsoever, just vast, untouched natural beauty.

"It's almost as beautiful as you." Chief hummed, he began to close the gap between them then stopped. "Back onto the turntable."

Meredith did as the Big Boy commanded, she reversed and watched as Chief rolled over a button on the track. The turntable started up with a creak and stopped once she was placed towards the siding he desired. He gestured for her to move onto the spur and she did eagerly, bumping into the stops with a clang. Her panel was already open and Chief knew it, he could smell her as the mountain wind buffeted her from behind.

"I heard you actually like to romance your ladies," Meredith said with a bat of her eyes. She loved how he looked with the moon cast behind him, almost perfectly villainous.

Chief chuckled and moved onto the siding with her, he retracted his platform slowly, carefully then allowed Meredith to prop herself up on him. "You heard right," he purred, he began to dot her face with gentle kisses, nibbling her lips each time he passed over them. "And I heard you were ticklish." He grinned playfully as he dropped his rod and began to stroke the little engine's undercarriage, purposely missing her throbbing valve. Meredith wriggled, biting her lip as the stimulation made her giggle. "I don't think you realize how precious you are." The big male breathed with a smile.

Meredith shuddered and began to go after his mouth but he moved away any time their lips brushed. "Damn you! Kiss me already!"

"Not yet," he sighed, giving her lips a brief lick. He continued to play with her undercarriage, he poked at her bearings and thrust between her axle rods still paying no mind to her starved sex though her desire flooded his nose. "I like to make my girls come before I fuck 'em." He said, finally gliding his rod over her well-lubed valve. "Makes 'em last longer."

"You don't have to worry about me lasting," Meredith breathed, her cheeks flushed. "I can go all night."

"And you will."

"Marilyn! Oh, Mary!"

Kestrel sang at the green passenger engine as he rolled to a stop beside her at York. She couldn't help but giggle at his tone and smiled warmly. "Mary? Is that my new nickname?"

"It can be if you want, baby." Kestrel turned up the charm, he lowered his lids and threw on his best side-smirk. He was bound and determined to make their next meet-up a success after a rather rude interruption from Bittern a couple weeks ago. He eyed the female's sleek form. "When's your next break?"

"Not until I return to London," Marilyn replied with the most adorable pout. She too was frustrated at how their first encounter went and despite many advances from other well-likeable males, she staved them off, determined for her first time to be with the beaming green buffoon beside her. "But after that I'll be free for several hours."

Kestrel's boiler grumbled, he ignored his driver's desperate attempts to keep the engine going. He didn't care that he would make his passengers late, he wanted to keep talking up the beautiful specimen. "Mind if I occupy a few of those hours with you?"

"You can take all of them if you'd like." Marilyn stated with a sweet smile.

Kestrel about threw a rod. "Oh I can definitely do that," he purred, leaning close to the young female, breathing in her still intact scent. "Be at the London yard by three, at the north end there's a covered spur with a high retaining wall and a sturdy set of stops, I plan on doing my best to bang you right through them."

Marilyn shivered and watched Kestrel leave feeling a sense of longing. Her heart fluttered at the idea of finally taking a male and once she arrived at Durham she nearly missed the platform and knocked around her passengers coming to a sudden, shaky halt. She watched them all stumble from her coaches and gave a sheepish smile to the stern stationmaster.

"You're distracted today."

"Oh! Sam! Hello," Marilyn shook herself off and tried to fight her arousal. She didn't want her brother knowing she had a hot date. "I wasn't expecting to see you until later."

Her glittery brother rolled his eyes and stared at her with mild contempt. It was too late, he smelled her want. "You smell funny," he said plainly. "Who've you been talking to?"

"Uhh… Kestrel." She said, averting her gaze before she could see her brother's burning disapproval.

"You know how I feel about that streamlined lot!" Sam hissed. He bumped his sister's footboards, forcing her to look at him. "I don't trust them, and you shouldn't either. You definitely shouldn't be whoring yourself out to any of them either."

"I'm no whore!" Marilyn growled. "Kestrel is kind to me, he treats me as an equal and not just some piece of meat!"

"He's just buttering you up so you'll fuck," Sam's boiler growled and he shook himself.

"Maybe you should try it. Make you less of a bitch." Marilyn retorted under her breath. Sam heard her and chuckled.

"What? And be like that Scotsman? Fucking everything with a pretty face and welcoming valve? Please."

"So you don't want sex because of Scot?" Marilyn tittered and shook her head. "I don't understand why you hate him so much."

"And I don't understand why you like him!" Sam spat.

"He's our father!"

"He's our sperm donor!"

Marilyn huffed, jutting her lip out and glaring at the fencing along the tracks. She could feel Sam's sharp gaze still on her and her eyes watered. "Why must you be so cruel?" She whispered.

"It's for your own good," Sam declared, his tone had softened though his gaze remained as hard and hot as the plating around his boiler. "You're the only thing that matters to me and I don't want to see you hurt."

Marilyn sighed and looked to her brother sadly. "Ironically the only engine who has ever hurt me is you."

Sam furrowed his brow, there was a sudden pit in his boiler and he looked down, blinking away tears. He'd never considered that his protectiveness of her would push her away. He exhaled. "I'm sorry, I never meant to upset you."

"I know," the guard signaled it was time for Marilyn to depart and she inched away from the platform. "I still love you, Sam, but I'd like you to consider what I want for once."

Sam watched his sister depart in silence, he wasn't sure whether to be mad or allow himself to cry, so he sat and sat even when the guard laid on the whistle for departure, Sam didn't move.

After a long morning of passenger runs, Marilyn steamed into the London goods yard just as Kestrel requested. The sky was gray and overcast, a distant thunder rumbled above. Marilyn smiled, she loved storms and to have her first time be in the middle of one made her body tingle with excitement. She backed down the sheltered spur Kestrel told her about and waited mostly patiently, she could see the wall of rain coming towards her from the other side of the yard's retaining wall and just as the deluge hit, a figure appeared at the entrance to the siding. "I see you've found my special spot." Kestrel hummed excitedly.

"You do give very good instructions," Marilyn giggled, Kestrel, drenched from the rain, was already on her, kissing her nose, forehead, and cheeks. She sighed, his lips were soft on her face and when they found hers they ravished her mouth, their tongues slipped together, their breathing quickened, Kestrel didn't hesitate to lift Marilyn up onto his buffers and slip his rod back beneath her. He dragged it over where her panel would've been and was more than pleased to find her already open and ready to take him. "Eager, are we?" He growled with a smile.

Marilyn simply moaned quietly as he moved his rod slowly over her swollen sex, still protected by a thin stretchy film. Kestrel shuddered in anticipation as he used the pointed tip of his rod to carefully tear the film. He did so slowly, breaking the kiss to watch Marilyn to make certain he wasn't hurting her but her eyes remained shut and she was smiling. Once he knew the layer was good and out of the way he began to tease her entry, only slipping himself in partially just to coax out a few good whimpers from his new conquest. He admired her beautiful face, the way her cheeks glowed from all the steam build up and he was obsessed with her lips. Perfectly plush and delicious, shiny from the wetness of their makeout. Her beauty and prowess was tantalizing and he couldn't wait anymore. The storm then raged above and Kestrel rocked his body, thrusting himself all the way inside her just as lightning clapped over their heads.

Marilyn cried out in ecstasy as Kestrel immediately picked up a steady, rough pace. She writhed and moaned, her body was hot with all new feelings and sensations. She focused hard on his thrusts, she could almost imagine what it looked like from underneath, everything tingled and jittered, her axles wobbled as he began pounding her into the stops behind just as he said. She grabbed for his mouth with hers and the two hungrily swapped spit. Marilyn was in heaven, she wasn't afraid to let out the deeper, more animalistic groans right in Kestrel's ear. Of course he loved it and anytime she did he would get a few good slams in to coax out more. Then she started calling his name, begging for more, begging to go faster or harder. It was then he began to think about how grateful he was for the storm, his new girl was wonderfully noisy.

Just as promised, Marilyn spent her entire layover in the lustful grasp of Kestrel. He worked her over until they were both shaking and sweaty then they took a moment to nuzzle and kiss one another, laughing like giddy teenagers who just did something very naughty under the nose of their parents.

"My brother is going to kill me." Marilyn said, resting her face against Kestrel's.

"Hmm," the male pondered. "If you don't mind my asking… Why do you put up with him? Why not just tell him to go fuck himself?"

She sighed and moved away from Kestrel, she looked to the storm still raging outside, some of the deluge had begun to blow in and soak Kestrel's tender. "Sam is… complicated. He's protective. He only wants what's best for me."

"Well you're not a fucking dog, he can't just keep you on a leash like he does."

"I know, I think I snapped some sense into him earlier," Marilyn nuzzled back up to Kestrel and the A4 smiled and cuddled her more. "You know how frustrating siblings can be."

"I certainly do."

Pretty Katydid; your perceptiveness knows no bounds! I don't wanna give too much away but you have every right to be a little suspicious of Mallard's fireman, though maybe not for the reason you suspect.

I feel like I need to apologize in advance for what's going to happen in the near future, it's been difficult for me to come to terms with but in the end it must be done. Mallard is going to cross the line and all hell is going to break out and it's gonna be felt on the other side of the world. Sam as well is going to find himself in a world of hurt.

So yes, essentially Jimmy approached Marjorie about the stop and after some back and forth she begrudgingly agreed to have it installed. She loves her Big Boys like they're the children she never had and she has a hard time telling them no hence why they're kinda the school bullies and why Jimmy got away with doing what he did. Marjorie fought tooth and nail to keep him on the railway after the incidents, but that'll be addressed in more detail soon enough. But, no, he wasn't bluffing or showing off, he was dead serious. In short, he cost the railway millions in damages as well as lawsuits from the families of crews who were victims of his rampage. It absolutely was a horrible financial decision for the railway but the UP executive had the same mindset as Hayden with Mallard, he felt too guilty to scrap Jimmy.