My Little Pony: Origins.
Chapter Two.
First Day on The Job.
February 14th 2015, Skipton, United Kingdom. 6:00 am.
''And the snow storm will continue to batter all along the west coast of the north of England and the south of Scotland and will affect travel along M6 motorway, the West Coast Mainline and the Settle–Carlisle Line.'' Said a weather lady on the radio.
''That's just perfect.'' A man said, placing two red lamps on the trailing end of a twin set of locomotives as he heard the weather forecast through his headphones, ''Well at least i'll be running light engine to Garsdale.'' He added, turning the lamps on, they lit up in a bright red as they flashed. He walked along the side of the twin engines, he looked up at them. The twin engines were mainly and dark gray and very little gray with a thin white stripe between the two other colours, '642' and '644' was written on the side in large write font, they also had 'WestRail' written on the side in large yellow letters and three white stripes on the cab ends that pointed to the sky. The engines were based on a Canadian built locomotive class known as the M-420, these two were built to British loading gauge height and known as the Class 19.
He ran his fingers along the handrails, knocking off a few icicles as he stepped up onto the front, he grabbed hold of the door handle.
''David wait!'' he heard the yard master shout, he turned around and saw the yard master running up him, the yard master was worn out when she finally got to the engines.
''Whats up Emily?'' he said as an express train roared past on the mainline, she simply pointed to a siding with three 12 ton box vans, a KQA pocket container wagon and three 13 ton flat beds and a 20 ton brake van that were shunted up.
''Yeah, what about them?'' He replied, looking at the 1950 era rolling stock, they looked not fit for mainline service, ''They were meant for a train bound for the branch line just off Garsdale, but the train they came in on was late so the Garsdale bound train left without them, so i told them that they will be on the next northbound that goes past Garsdale.'' Emily replied, placing her hands on the ice covered handrails.
''Them!'' David said, pointing to the wagons, ''The only thing holding them together is the ice and bird shit!'' he added, Emily chuckled.
''Please?'' I'll buy you a beer when your next here.'' She replied, smiling as a freight train roared past on the mainline, going the opposite direction, ''I'll make it worth your while.'' She added, holding out some money.
''Fine...'' he said, hopping down, ''Let me get the paperwork.'' He added, ''Already taken care of!'' Emily said, holding a sheet of paper in his face.
David climbed back onto the front of '642' with the sheet of paper in hand as he opened the door, the ice and snow slipped away as the door swung out to the right, the wind blew against the door as he stepped into the tiny but welcoming cab, he shut the door and walked up a small set of steps, he placed the sheet of paper on the cab bulkhead by the start/shut-off switch. He turned the switch to the left, the engines starting up sounded like a Class 66 as they humbled into life. He sat down in a chair that sat behind a control panel, the panel flicked to life as electricity flowed through it, the speedometer, brake pressure gauges and a small screen lit up as he sat down, he flicked two switches causing windows wipers to start moving left to right across the windshields, wiping away snow and frost. He wrapped his hand around the throttle lever and moved it into notch one, the engines revved as smoke escape from the exhausts, he moved the throttle lever back to neutral
''Sunrise will be at 7:17 am.'' Said the same weather lady as David plugged his radio into the speakers hanging from the ceiling of the cab, he flicked on the cab lights and the control panel lights, he moved the reverser into forward gear and released the brakes, the headlight and ditch lights lit up the pitch black sky, he moved the throttle back to notch one, causing the engines to jerk forward, they slowly moved forwards, clearing a set of points. He applied the brakes, placing the throttle back into neutral and looked back as all the points behind him changed and aligned towards the siding with the wagons he was now to take north. He moved the reverser to reverse gear and released the brakes once again and moved the throttle to the first notch, the locomotives slowly crawled backwards towards the siding, closing the gap as they got closer. Once within coupling distances, the brakes applied, stopping the twin engines only a few inches from the buffers of the leading box van.
David hopped down from the engine and walked towards the leading box van, he looked at the couplings, the engines had a buckeye knuckle coupler while the box vans had a three link coupling. Unlike their Canadian counterparts, '642' and '644' couplings were unique, in that the knuckle coupler could swing down and a three link coupling hook could be used and as a result of this, the draw pin that opens the knuckle was on the bottom instead of being on top. He placed one hand under to knuckle and the other over the locking pin, he pulled out the pin, he lowered the knuckle down until it was out of the way, he locked it in place with the pin, the locking pin would slide in the hook and lock the knuckle coupler in the up position when it use, when not in use a similar hook would lock it in the down position if the knuckle wasn't needed. He moved over and hooked the chain from the box van's coupler over '644's hook, he tightened the coupled before connecting the pipes for the air brakes.
He moved over to the side and opened a small hatch, revealing a buffer, he turned a handle behind it, causing it to spring out and extend out from '644's snowplow, he locked it in place and repeat the action with the buffer on the other side, he opened the brake valves, allowing air to flow into the wagon's brake line with a hiss, he then turned off the red tail lamps before removing them, he walked along the side of his small goods train, inspecting the brake line for any faults and leaks as well as checking on the cargo, which the box vans had a pallet of boxes each, the KQA wagon had a 40 ft container with farm equipment and the flatbeds had a large crate each, he placed the tail lamps on the brake van and turn them back on as the snow started to fall harder.
He walked back towards '642's cab, almost slipping on the icy ground as another freight train rushed past along the mainline, he climbed up onto the front as Emily returned from the yard office.
''Ok, i've told the all the signal men from here to Garsdale that you'll be pulling wagons and not light engine.'' She said, he nodded and opened to door, she grabbed his hand, ''Be careful, this storm is going to get worse.'' She added, letting go of his hand, he nodded again and entered the cab, closing the door, he sat down at the control panel as the signals went green.
''Here we go...'' He said, releasing the brakes, he put the reverser in forward gear. The brake pressure balanced out with the red needle pointing at zero psi and the white needle pointing at eight nine psi, he moved the throttle into notch one. The Class 19's twin V24 engines began to beat as their pistons began to move in and out, the train slowly rolled forward, giving two short blasts of the horn as they crossed over from the yard and onto the mainline, David moved the throttle into notch four, the V24's began to beat faster as the train sped up, the 50's era wagon clunked and creaked as they were pulled along.
February 14th 2015, Settle Junction, United Kingdom. 6:25 am.
The AWS bell rang in the cab as the train approached a yellow signal, David looked over at the indicator as it charged from all black to a sunflower pattern, he pushed a button on the panel, acknowledging the warning and signal. He pulled the brake lever into the initial position, slowing it down as the signal charged green, he released the brake and put the throttle in notch eight as the train rattled over the points and began to climb the first gradient and towards the civil parish town of Settle, David pulled down the horn lever, making the horn echo through the picturesque winter scene. He looked at a picture of him and his family that was dated 'December 25th 1997', he sighed before putting it back on the control panel.
February 14th 2015, Ribblehead Viaduct, United Kingdom. 6:45 am.
David slowed the train down as a red signal appeared in the now raging snowstorm, David looked as the signal got closer, the squeaking of the brakes were barely heard due to the winds. The goods train stopped just in front of the signal as a passenger train crossed the single train viaduct, it blasted its horn as it crossed over to the Settle bound line. once it cleared the line, the points changed, the signal changed to green. David released the brakes and moved the throttle into notch one as the train crossed over the points and onto the signal track.
The high power winds rocked the train as it slowly crossed the 24 span viaduct that bridged the valley below, the distant lights of another goods train, one bound for Skipton, sat on the northern end of the viaduct. As '642' passed it, it blasted its horn as the goods train past it, the radio burst into life in the class 19's cab.
''This is DB 66163, your rear has cleared the points, over.'' A gruffly voice said, David replied with a blast of the horn, moving the throttle into notch four.
February 14th 2015, Garsdale, United Kingdom. 7:10 am.
The snow storm died down, allowing the blue sky to break through the clouds as the train crossed over the mainline and entered a small four siding yard, that was between a branch line that darted east and the mainline which darted north west over a viaduct, then a bridge crossing a road before heading into a tunnel. The yard was about fifty meters north of a small, three platform train station called Garsdale. David stopped his train on the third platform's passing loop as a Northern Rail Class 158 passenger train pulled in on platform two which was for Settle bound trains while platform one was for Carlisle bound trains the third platform was a bay platform and served the branch line. A child waved at '642', David smiled and gave two short blasts of the horn, making the child laugh with delight. The passenger train blew it horn as it departed, '642' replied with a short blast of its horn. David looked over at the sheet of paper that had details about the seven wagons he brought with him.
''Ok, let's see where they are going...'' He said, scanning the sheet, ''Ponyville, Equestria?'' He added, confused as a class 66 pulled in on platform one, pulling a set of FCA container wagons and one KQA pocket container wagon, the engine marked '66161' stopped just before the end of the platform with a squeak of its brakes, the driver hopped down from the cab and uncoupled the wagons from the engine and gave a sheet of paper to the station master before getting back in the cab and driving off towards Carlisle.
The class 66 disappeared into a tunnel, he looked over at the station master who was walking over to '642', he got out of his seat and opened the cab door just as the station master reached the handrails.
''I'm guessing those are for me?'' David said bluntly, stepping down from the engine, the station master nodded, handing him the sheet of paper. The station master walked off as David unhooked the chain from '644's coupling, he applied the handbrakes on the first box van before disconnecting the brake line, he shut the brake valve on the engine, he climbed back into the cab of '642' and slowly moved forwards the branch line, clearing the points leading towards the bay platform, once the points were changed, the engines backed up into the platform, clearing the set of points that connected the mainline, the points moved with a clunk click, the track now aligned to the Carlisle bound line, the signals charged green, the engines slowly moved forward and crossed the Settle bound line and joined the Carlisle bound line.
The sun shined down on the snow covered landscape as David finished moving the container wagons over into the bay platform's passing loop, the buffers of the KQA wagon gently touched the buffers of the box van, David hopped down and walked up to the gap between the KQA and the box van and connected the brake line and the couplings, he opened the brake valves and released the handbrakes, he looked over as a deep teal green A3 Pacific with Port Hope written on the side roared past pulling a charter special with a Silver-grey A4 Pacific steam engine.
David sat down on the steps of '642' as he waited for permission to leave for the branch line, he look down at his phone, ''7:45 am.'' He said as the station master walked back over to him.
''Am i allowed to depart now?'' David said, the station master shook his head.
''No, not yet, you've got two more last minute wagons to come yet.'' The station master said, he heard a horn, ''Ah, here they come now.'' He added, looking as a BR green Class 04 diesel locomotive pulled into the bay platform pulling two 6 wheeled tanks that had a blue livery with 'Express Dairy' written on the sides and a small chocolate brown brake van at the back. The Class 04 blew its horn as it stopped along the Class 19's, the large engines dwarfed it, the female driver stepped out, she looked at David and smiled.
''Ashley?'' He said, she ran up to him and gave him a bone crushing hug, ''David! It's been sixteen years! We thought you were dead.'' She said, letting go, she looked up at the Class 19's, ''I see you still got your dad's old engines.'' She added, David nodded, ''Mind if i look at what horsepower you've got?'' She asked.
''Sure.'' David said, she smiled and climbed onto the walkways that ran along sides of '642', she opened up the side panels and saw the twin V-24 engines that powered '642'.
''Wow, she has twin V-24s! That's 3,434 horsepower each, so about 6,868 horsepower in total!'' She said, ''A Class 66 only has 3,000 horsepower.'' She added.
''644 has the same set up.'' David said, ''I have 13,736 horsepower in total.'' He added, patting the side '642' as the snow storm returned, blowing a cold blast of air, ''What surprises me is that they an only 67 mph.'' He added as Ashley hopped down as uncoupled the brake van from her tanker train, David uncoupled '644' from the FCA wagon and hopped in '642's cab, he moved the engines forward, clearing a set of points before stopping them in a section of track between the points behind them and the set that connected the loop to the branch line.
Ashley hopped into her Class 04 and slowly moved it forward, the tankers followed behind as the small engine crossed over a set of points before stopping, the points behind the tankers changed, aligning to the run around loop, the engine shunted the tankers back and towards the FCA wagon, David watched as the green diesel stop just in front of the container wagon, Ashley stepped down and coupled the two milk tankers up to the container wagon before uncoupling her engine, she hopped back into the engine and moved it forwards, clearing the loop and stopping before back up towards the brake van, the pointed changed and David backed up his Class 19's until the buffers of '644' were just touching the buffers on the first milk tanker, Ashley hopped down from the Class 04 and waited David connect the coupling and air brakes.
''Well, i best be getting Antares here back to Port Hope, I'm sure the others will be missing her.'' Ashley said, patting the side of the 6 wheeled engine.
''By others do you mean her driver?'' David said, Ashley just chuckled, ''What so funny?'' He added, she laughed harder.
''I'm her driver, have been since i left school.'' Ashley replied, ''When she was loaned to the Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway, i said if anybody is to drive her, it will be me.'' She added proudly.
''Well then, how are you gonna get from here to Port Hope which is on the Isle of Nord which is on the east coast?'' He said, Ashley rolled her eyes.
''I'm driving to Carlisle, then drive along the Tyne line to Newcastle, then along the East Coast Mainline to York and then Nord Est Railway Class 60 'Louise' will pull me up and over Nord Summit and into Mesley, where i'll then drive to Port Hope from there.'' She explained, David rolled his eyes.
''I best be going too.'' David said, hopping up onto '642's front platform and walked into the cab as his watch beeped at 8 am, he looked over at his calendar and saw what date it was 'Valentine's Day' the calendar had written on the date 'February 14th', he leaned out of left window of 642's cab, ''Hey Ashley!'' He shouted, she looked up, ''Happy Valentine's Day!'' He added, before shutting the window, he sat in his chair and moved the throttle forwards a bit, making the engines rev up, Ashley climbed into Antares' cab as the signal changed green, she slowly moved the 30 ton locomotive and the 20 ton brake van onto the mainline, she blew the horn as she brought the 204 horsepower engine up to max speed, which was 27 miles per hour. David released his brakes and laid down sand as '642' and '644' began to leave Garsdale and climb the gradient, he blew his horn as Class 19's and the Class 04 went there own ways.
The wind blew snow across the valley as WestRail '642' ran along the branch, which ran alongside the A684, towards this 'Ponyville', David slowed the train down as it approached a tunnel, that had a blue swirling Vortex, the train stopped 50 meters from the Vortex, David looked back and barely saw his brake van at the back as the snow storm turned into a Blizzard. The engines hum was drowned out by the wind, ''Here we go.'' David said as he released the brakes, the train slowly started to coast down the slope and towards the tunnel, he took a deep breath as the Vortex began to open wide, he closed his eyes as the train slowly crossed the threshold. Everything went white as the brake van disappeared into the Vortex.
End of Chapter Two.