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Post by Biblically Accurate Angel on Feb 24, 2017 1:29:05 GMT -5
The Three Word Story Revolution Novels - No.5 The Maglev Trains A Retelling Of The Maglev Trains Arc Dear Friends,
Sodor's most unique engines are ironically the most modern and up-to-date engines the railway has ever seen. The Maglev Trains have proven popular since they came to Sodor, but the engines have not always had an easy time going. But with excellent people working behind the scenes these engines are even today, still going strong and easily some of the friendliest on the Island.
The original Maglev Trains Arc was incomplete, it ended suddenly and was never picked up again until very recently. I have long regretted being the one who ended it, and have decided to rewrite the arc in a more complete way, hopefully tying up the loose threads of the arc and making it an enjoyable read for all.
Diesel 11 (The Author)
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Post by Biblically Accurate Angel on Feb 24, 2017 1:29:54 GMT -5
Into The Future Anyone who has ever been to the Island of Sodor can tell you that the engines that make up the Island's famous railways are all different. Murdoch is a huge engine who can carry long freight trains all across the Island. On the other side of the spectrum, the Small Railway Engines look almost like toys, but are nonetheless a force to be reckon with as some of the hardest-working engines on the Island. The engines may all be different, but they are special in their own way. However, there is one thing that unites all of the engines - they are not from the modern era. It's interesting to note that while diesels may think they're revolutionary, that was a good fifty years ago. Even Pip and Emma, currently the most modern engines on the Island, have been around since the 1980s, and the electric line has been around even before the first diesel engine came to Sodor! (Though it is not run by the same engines from all those years ago, but that's another story for another day.) And of course, Sodor's most famous claim to fame, the steam engines, who have been running the railways since the 1920s, possibly even earlier. So all in all, Sodor does not have a modern railway system, but that's what has made it so popular for all these years. And in a time when diesels are becoming scarcer the railway has become a safe haven for any engine who wishes to live on a real railway. However, it all changed one day when the Fat Controller came to visit the engines at their sheds...
"The North Western Railway," he began, "and the many other railways here on the Island of Sodor pride themselves on being a refuge for any engine, old or new, though as it is the former that makes up this Island right now. We have a wonderful system of lines and railways, with plenty of engines to take people from one side of the Island to another; however, for some people, this just isn't cutting it. They need something to get from one side to another very quickly, and while the Express is certainly fast, it's not as fast as some of the more modern and technologically advanced engines used around the world. For some people, this just isn't cutting it, and so the Railway Board has decided to implement a way to ride the rails, a much more modern and efficient line will be constructed with some of the best engines in existence right now. This new line will be powered by Magnetic Levitation." The engines were surprised. "Excuse me Sir," said Percy, "but what is 'magnetic levitation'?" "Magnetic levitation is when an object is suspended off the ground with no support except for magnetic power. The engines who use magnetic levitation, know as Maglevs, travel along guideways using magnets to create both lift and propulsion, thereby reducing a great deal of friction and allowing very high speeds. Indeed, Maglevs hold the world speed record for trains." "While this all sounds very interesting, Sir," said Gordon, "what does this mean for us? What will happen to the Express?" "You needn't worry about the Express, Gordon," replied the Fat Controller, "We will never, so long as I am in charge here, get rid of that. It's one of the best trains on the Island and will remain popular, I am quite sure, even with the Maglev line. Really, the main purpose of the new line is for people who are in a hurry to get from one place to another faster than the Express will bring them. I trust you engines will help out with the work, as we will be quite busy for the next few months as the line gets built, and I hope you all will welcome the new engines when they arrive." Then, so saying, he turned around and walked away.
The Fat Controller left behind him some engines with some very mixed feelings and emotions. "'Maglevs'? Sounds like stuff and nonsense to me," said James. "Where does that name even come from anyway?" "I would think it comes from 'magnetic levitation' itself," replied Henry, "They just took the first three letters from the two words and stuck them together." "Still," James persisted, "it sounds silly." "I'm just worried that they'll take away the Express passengers," said Gordon. "I mean, I've come to enjoy the stopping trains that I've started to take more recently, but I do like pulling the Express when I can. Plus, what would happen to Pip and Emma? They can only be used for one job, and that's pulling passengers. If everyone starts to take the Maglevs now, they might lose their job and end up getting sold. I'd hate to see that happen." "Gordon's right," said Thomas, "we shouldn't be taking this risk. What if Pip and Emma do have to leave? What if all our passengers abandon us for them?" "Calm down," said Edward. "You know that wouldn't happen, Thomas. The new line will most likely have fewer stations, and will probably be used to get to the bigger towns and cities on Sodor. There are plenty of places it won't be able to reach, such as the branch lines, the narrow and minimum gauge lines, and even some parts of the Main Line. Those on them will still have their passengers, and while yes, some Express passengers may begin to use the Maglev Line, like I said, there may be some stations where they can't reach, and so you'll still have passengers, you needn't worry about that. I for one am excited for the new line, I cannot wait to meet the new engines, and I think it will do nicely on Sodor. I've heard that Maglevs are very popular in Asia, and other countries around the world are building more, so having one here proves that while, yes, Sodor's resident engines are mainly older models they also keep up with the times as well. I feel we should go into this with an open mind. Just wait and see, I'm sure it's not going to be as bad as you all think it will be." And with that, the engines had to be content.
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Post by Biblically Accurate Angel on Feb 24, 2017 1:30:41 GMT -5
The New Arrivals Over the next few months, work began on the Maglev Line. The engines often had to take supplies where the workmen were building, and while they did not become enthusiastic about the project they nonetheless had decided to wait and see what the line would bring before jumping to conclusions like they had done earlier. However, that didn't mean they didn't talk about it - the news had spread like wildflowers and throughout the months that the line was being built, every engine on Sodor was talking about, from those on the narrow gauge lines to the Arlesdale Railway to the Electrics and of course, those on the NWR itself. The only other engine besides Edward who was actually excited about the Maglevs was Hiro. When he heard the news he began to reminisce. "Reminds me of my old railway back in Japan!" he sighed. "We had Maglevs there. They may have been faster and more advanced than us steam engines but they were some of the friendliest engines I have ever had the pleasure of knowing."
One day when the Line was close to being complete, the Fat Controller came to see Hiro and Edward. "The new engines are arriving today by ship," he told them, "I want to two to go and pick them up from the Docks." "Right away Sir," they replied. The two engines were excited that they would finally be meeting the engines that had successfully turned Sodor upside-down. "I hope they're as friendly as the ones on my old railway," said Hiro. "I do too," said Edward.
The pair arrived at the Docks in good time. Ahead of them, on a flatbed, there they were. Two beautifully-built technologically-advanced Transrapid 09 Maglev Trains. The two engines were looking around, waiting for someone to come and pick them up. They saw Edward and Hiro. One of them spoke up. "Excuse me!" he said. "We've been brought here to Sodor for the new Maglev Line, and are waiting for someone to pick us up. Do you know where they are and how long it'll take for them to come here?" Edward laughed, "Well actually, we're the engines who are picking you up." "Oh, splendid!" said the other engine.
Edward and Hiro coupled on to the flatbeds and started off for the line. On the way there the engines introduced themselves. "I'm Erin," said one of the Maglevs. "And I'm Sierra," said the other one. "Together we can attach to make a unit." "Very interesting," said Edward. "Everyone on this Island has been talking about you. I've been here since the very beginning of the North Western Railway and as far as I can remember nothing has stirred up more discussion since they the announcement of the new line." "Really?" said Erin. "What have they been saying?" "Well," said Hiro, "lots of engines are nothing but curious, though some think that you'll steal their passengers away from them." "Oh! Oh dear," said Sierra, "we hope to do nothing of the sort. Sure we might be faster but it's not like we can go everywhere. We aren't super engines after all." Edward chuckled, "Well don't worry. They'll come round soon, just you give them time."
"So," said Edward as they continued along, "is this your first line or have you worked on a different one before this?" "Our first," said Erin. "We were made specifically for the Sodor Maglev Line." "Well then," said Edward, "I think we all wish you best of luck with your new line. It certainly looks like an interesting place to work on."
Soon they had arrived at the transfer yard where cranes where waiting to lift up the engines onto the line. The Fat Controller and some other men where there as well, watching the operations with great interest. Once the Maglevs were on the line, they stepped forward and the Fat Controller said, "Welcome to the Island of Sodor. I see that you've already met two of our engines." "Oh yes Sir," said the engines, "they've been quite kind." "Excellent!" said the Fat Controller. The engines told them their names, and he said, "Now Erin and Sierra, we need to conduct a few tests on you."
So the men looked all over the unit. "A smart piece of work," one of them said. "Excellent, indeed," said another one. The two engines beamed. Then they took them on a quick run to test them out. Arriving back at the first station, they all got out, compared notes with each other, and finally the Fat Controller smiled and said, "Well done. You two engines are going to make the new line a special one in deed. We are glad to have you onboard." "Oh thank you Sir," smiled Erin and Sierra happily.
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Post by Biblically Accurate Angel on Feb 24, 2017 1:31:36 GMT -5
Maintenance The next morning, the Fat Controller and another man came to see the two engines. "Since I have a lot on my hands with the steam engines alone," began the Fat Controller, "the Maglev Line will have its own controller. This is Mr. Ernest Mayhew, your new controller. I hope that you will give him the same respect that you would have given me had I undertaken the responsibility of keeping up with you." So saying, the Fat Controller left, leaving the engines and their new controller alone. Mr. Mayhew was a young man of 30, and he smiled at the engines. They in turn smiled back at him. "While I do hope that you two can show me some respect here as I am in charge of every aspect of this line," he said, "I have had a passion for Maglevs my whole life, and this is indeed a dream come true, so I hope that we can be friends as well." The engines smiled and said they couldn't disagree.
Over the next few days, the passenger service was organized together, and a week after the Maglevs arrived they officially began. Everyone had heard of the Maglevs, and thus the platform was crowded when they arrived that morning. "Goodness gracious!" said Erin. "I've never seen so many people in my life!" "How will they all fit?" Sierra wondered worriedly, "There's just too many people!" However, they all managed to fit inside and the train departed. In no time at all they'd already reached the first station. Even more people were waiting at this one, but because some people got off at that stop, it was not a problem to fit them in as well. Then they carried on to their final stop, and everyone commended the engines on a wonderful ride before they went back the other way with more people going in that direction.
There are four stations on the Maglev line. One at Tidmouth, one at Wellsworth, one at Peel Godred, and one at Vicarstown. The stretch of line between Peel Godred and Vicarstown was not yet done - though work there was rapidly nearing completion - and as such they were to stop at Peel Godred until it was completed. This was fine for both engines and drivers, and the passengers understood as well, so it all seemed to be working out. One morning before they were due to head out Erin and Sierra were chatting about their new home. "I love it here," said Sierra. "There's wonderful scenery even from our line, and the passengers are all friendly for the most part. I enjoy living on Sodor." "As do I," said Erin, "it's a little monotonous but still, we can't really ask for more now, can we?" he chuckled. But Erin was soon to realize that he had indeed spoken too soon!
Near to the part of the line at Peel Godred where the trains had to stop due to the line not having been complete after that section, some workmen had found some minor things with the track. "Send in a maintanance vehicle," they said, "we'll have it done before the Maglevs are due to arrive." The one mistake they made was the one that was going to cause all the bother - they did not alert anyone about the maintanance vehicle being on the line before reaching Peel Godred. Thus Erin and Sierra had already passed Wellsworth and were heading towards the Peel Godred station with no idea of what was in front of them.
Erin was in front, and keeping a good luck out. As they came closer to Peel Godred, there was a long stretch of straight track in front of them. In the distance he thought he could see something. "It looks like there's something on the line," he thought. The driver thought the same, "We'd better slow down then," he said. Sierra was surprised to find them slowing down. "What are we stopping for?" "It looks like there's something on the line ahead..." said Erin.
They were still going at a medium rate when the maintance vehicle came into view. "Good heavens," cried Erin, and hit the brakes. They could not avoid colliding with the vehicle - there was a loud bump and then they stopped. "Botheration!" said the vehicle in shock. "Where on Sodor did you come from?" "Funny, I was going to ask you the same thing," Erin said. The passengers rubbed some sore heads and inquired into what had happened. It was only too plain to be seen.
Luckily, slowing down earlier had been the key to the situation. Had they still been going at full speed there could have been a much more serious consequence. As it was, Erin had gotten a rather nasty dent in his front, and the line had to be closed down while he was being mended. Needless to say, several people lost their jobs thanks to that incident! Nobody blamed the engines for what happened. "I've heard of much worse things happening elsewhere - like in those overcrowded Metro things in America," said Mr. Mayhew. "Don't worry, no one will blame you for what happened. It was those imbeciles who didn't think ahead that are to blame." Mr. Mayhew was right. No one did blame the engines, and when they reentered service and the line was reopened - this time extending all the way down to Vicarstown - there were plenty of passengers to ride on them. In the words of Erin - "Back with a vengeance!"
Based on the Luthen Maglev train accident of 2006, in which a Maglev train collided with a maintenance vehicle, with far more drastic results...
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Post by Biblically Accurate Angel on Feb 24, 2017 1:32:23 GMT -5
Misunderstanding The Maglev Line was now a firm part of the Sudrian rail system. Whilst the other engines had initially been concerned over the future of the line, they found the Maglevs to be quite friendly and charming, and soon everyone was getting on well with them. The Maglevs in turn were glad to see that they had friends here, and were proving quite popular with the locals and those tourists who had never before seen or riden on a Maglev before. And whilst they were now star attractions of the Island, their popularity was nonetheless not exceeding the steam engines of the North Western Railway, for obvious reasons of course!
However, two of the engines on the railway had no idea about the Maglevs being on Sodor. Pip and Emma had been loaned to Scotland for some time to help out an up and coming railway that was in its formation years yet. Gordon had meanwhile been doing more Express work throughout this time, and when the twins returned they were greeted with a wonderful welcome back from the engines. They talked into the night about their time away. "It was a grand line," said Pip. "One that was still new and thus trying to keep on its feet, but already was having great connections with the rest of Britain, and soon enough I'm sure it will become a much more popular line over there." "We've had some fine adventures there as well," said Emma, "but those can wait. Now we'd like to catch up on the news here; what's been happening on the Island?" The engines told them all about the Maglevs. "We were initially worried," said Gordon, "but they're friendly engines who have been proving popular with everyone. Their line begins at Tidmouth and ends at Vicarstown, so you should be able to meet them soon." "They sound nice," said Emma. "I'm sure we'll enjoy their company," said Pip.
The next morning, the two engines arrived at Tidmouth to begin their work. They could see the beginning of the Maglev Line on the other side of the station. Just then the Maglevs returned from their early morning run. Pip and Emma looked in amazement. When the two High Speed Trains had entered service, they were considered the most modern and up to date engines out there. Now they looked upon the Maglev unit with awe. This was sleeker, more advanced than anything they had ever seen before. The Maglevs saw the two HSTs. "Hi!" said Sierra. "Who are you?" "I'm Pip," said Pip. "And I'm Emma," said Emma. "I presume that you are the two Maglevs?" "Yes indeed," said Erin. "I'm Erin, and that's Sierra. Have you been here on Sodor long?" "Well, we first came in the '80s, and have come back several times. Last year the Fat Controller bought us and we've been working here on the North Western taking the Express from Sodor all the way to the Mainland." "Well, we've only just been built actually specifically for the Sodor Maglev Line. We're the most technologically advanced engines built yet - faster than any other engine out there and-" But Erin was cut off by a snort by Pip. "You needn't rub it in!" she said angrily, and the two engines, hearing the guard's whistle, rolled away stormily. "The nerve of those two!" said Emma. "Boasting like that! Not the kinds of engines I'd care to know." Erin and Sierra stood at the platform wondering what they had done wrong. They certainly hadn't meant to sound boastful - they had only been stating facts. They were faster and more advanced than any other engine, but Pip and Emma thought that they bragging about it. The Maglevs went about their days work confused as to why the twins had snubbed them.
Later on they met Edward at Wellsworth. He noticed that the two seemed downcast, and inquired as to why that was. "We met those two High Speed Trains this morning, Pip and Emma," said Erin. "They snubbed us!" said Sierra. "What did we do wrong?" "Well, what did you talk to them about?" "We only introduced each other, asked them how long they'd been on Sodor, told them about how... oh no," said Erin. "Oh no," repeated Sierra, worriedly. "What did you say?" Edward asked them, confused. "We... may have told them about how modern we were..." Erin said, embarrassingly. "I see," said Edward. "It probably sounded to them that you were boasting, and if there's one thing that those two dislike it's an engine that boasts a lot. You might also have struck a nerve with them, as they were once the most modern engines out there, but their class in now found almost exclusively on private railways." "Oh dear," said Sierra. "We didn't mean to sound like we were boasting..." "Then my advice to you is to apologize to them," said Edward. "Smooth things over and such." "We will," said Erin, and the two went away to finish their work, knowing what they had to do.
However, it wasn't as simple as it sounded. Every time the Maglevs saw the two High Speed Trains, they were given the cold shoulder. The the HSTs wanted nothing to do with them. However, one night Pip and Emma had to take a very late train. It had been delayed and they were stuck at the platform for quite some time. Just then Erin and Sierra rolled up. "Oh no, not them..." said Pip. The Maglevs realized that they had to take care of the situation immediately. "Look," said Erin, "we're awfully sorry about the other day." "We didn't mean to sound like we were bragging," said Sierra. "Can you ever forgive us?" Pip and Emma wanted to hold out, but realized that would get them nowhere. They decided to make up. "It's all right," said Pip. "We're sorry too," said Emma. "It's just, you know, it sounded like you were acting like you were more important than other engines." "We certainly don't think that," said Sierra, "and are sorry it came across that way. I hope now we can be friends?" The HSTs smiled and said they'd like that very much. The four engines did become very good friends, and they all were glad that that one misunderstanding hadn't ruined what would become a highly valued friendship.
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Post by Biblically Accurate Angel on Feb 24, 2017 1:33:11 GMT -5
Into The Hands Of Fate The Maglev Line was more popular than ever. It was only a year old, but people had been using it frequently and now it was one of the most popular aspects of the railway. The Express was still popular, but the Maglevs allowed those pressed for time an easier alternative to some specific places. Sir Stephen Hatt was meeting with Mr. Mayhew. "The Maglev Line is proving quite popular, Sir," said Mayhew. "It is indeed," said Sir Stephen. "It's been bringing in a lot of money and, interestingly enough, more tourists as well." "Indeed," said Mayhew, "Some people can't run over to Japan so this is their next best bet," he quipped. "In fact, I feel we should expand our operations to include more towns and cities on Sodor." "Really? Which places do you have in mind?" "Now, these are just some that come to mind, but Arlesburgh, Knapfurd, Ffarquhar, Kirk Machan, Harwick, Crovan's Gate, and Norramby would be good ones for starters." "I see," said Sir Stephen. "You might be onto something there. I'll look into the matter and see if we can arrange something." "One more thing Sir," said Mayhew. "If we do this, we might need to get some more engines as well to help run the line." The Fat Controller pondered. "Right," he said, "we'll bring it up at our next board meeting. It's a very good idea, and I feel that we can make something out of it."
Sadly, they never got the chance.
Winter came with a vengeance that year. Snow came down all across Sodor, turning the landscape into a beautiful scene that would have made a good photo oppurtunity - if it weren't so cold! The Maglevs were still able to run, but had to do so more slowly in case of any problems. Sometimes they couldn't go out at all, but when they did, it was always bitter cold. Erin and Sierra were unused to this kind of weather, and wished dreadfully for it to end. "Brr!" shivered Erin. "It's so cold!" "I glad we have heating though," said Sierra. "Still, if we had a fire like a steam engines," said Erin, "it would be much better." "We'll just have to make the best of things," said Sierra optimistically. "And it's not like we have this weather all year long, so that's a plus." Erin was too cold argue that it would be better not to have it at all, and so they just went about their days work silently.
After such a harsh winter, the engines were quite happy for the return of spring. The sun shone, the birds sang, and the whole of Sodor became happier. The Maglevs now enjoyed their work again, and the passengers looked a lot more cheerful when they picked them up each day. "Well," said Erin, "I'm glad that winter is over. It looks like it's going to be a lot better for us now, without that blasted cold." Sierra chuckled. "You'll jinx it again Erin," she quipped. Erin smiled; but neither knew what was yet to come, or they wouldn't have been smiling.
One night a few days later, the Maglevs were returning to Tidmouth 'light engine'. No one needed to go from Vicarstown back to Tidmouth surprisingly enough, and thus all they were doing was returning home to their shed. They went along the line in silence. The moon shone brightly, and lights illuminated the track, as did the engines' headlights.
There is a certain part of the line where the Maglevs have to be extremely cautious. It's the highest part of the line, and has a sharp curve so they have to slow down a bit when they get there. Usually everything went well, but tonight things took a turn for the worse. As the Maglevs came along the line, Sierra thought she saw something in the distance on the line in front of the curve. She notified Erin. "It's probably nothing," he told her. "Still, we should probably slow down just in case," she said. But they didn't slow down enough. They sailed along the line when suddenly the magnetism was gone. It was just plainly, inexplicably gone. "What on earth-!!" The engines skidded along the line towards the curve, and without the magnetism keeping them in place, there was no stopping them from hitting the side of it and crashing through towards the ground below....
The engines were all waiting anxiously at the sheds. News of the crash had spread quickly, and none of the engines were able to go to sleep until they heard news of what had happened. Presently the Fat Controller drove up to the sheds. He got out of his car. Silence filled the air. All of the engines were looking at him. He averted his eyes. Finally Gordon broke the silence. "Well Sir?" The Fat Controller said solemly, "I suppose you've heard about the crash then?" "What happened? Are they okay? They can be mended right?" The engines all spoke at once. The Fat Controller stared at the ground. "Frankly," he said slowly, "I don't know. I just don't know...."
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Post by Biblically Accurate Angel on Feb 24, 2017 1:34:04 GMT -5
Beginning Again The entire Island had been shaken to the core. The engines all went about their work solemly and no one seemed to speak for days. Mr. Mayhew and his team were meanwhile trying to figure out the cause of the accident. They were shocked to find out what it was. "Cardboard? Did you say cardboard?!" Sir Stephen said, so shocked that he fell back into his chair. Mayhew looked grim. "That's right Sir... cardboard." "But how in the name of heaven can cardboard stop magnetism from working, especially the amount of magnetism in that line?!" Sir Stephen cried, utterly confused. "I don't know," said Mayhew. "It doesn't seem like it's possible, but there it is." "Good gravy..."
The line was of course, closed down. Mayhew and Sir Stephen were concerned for its future. They knew it looked bleak. "There's a chance," said Mayhew, "We can mend that part of the line. I don't know about the Maglevs themselves though, they took a heavy hit there." "I know," said Sir Stephen, "but the big question is, do we have the money for it? We can talk to the board of directors on what they think, but right now I wouldn't get your hopes up."
Unfortunately, the railway board did not care to fix it up at the moment. They preferred to focus on some other parts of the NWR instead, and thus the line was kept closed. Mr. Mayhew was kept on by Sir Stephen - "Just in case there is the slimmest of hopes for the line," he said, "I want you in charge again." All of the engines were quite worried. The line was closed. The engines were gone. Was this a twist of fate that would prove the death-knell for Maglevs on Sodor? Whilst they could be glad it hadn't happened to them, they were very sorry to see that it was the end of the line for the Maglevs... as far as they could see, that is.
Life went on as normal. The engines carried out their jobs well and it seemed as though the Maglevs had never existed... but the engines never did forget about them, and every now and then discussion in the shed would turn to the Maglevs. Overall, since time had passed, it seemed that the Maglev Line was permanently over... But then one day, some time later, the engines noticed some men standing around the line. They found this curious and much talk filled the shed that night. "I do say," said Gordon, "I believe they will be rebuilding the Maglev Line. "I doubt it," said James pessimistically. "That accident ended the line for good I shouldn't wonder. No use getting our hopes up." "Well," said Pip stubbornly. "I do hope that that line gets rebuilt. It would be a shame not to." "I agree," said Henry. "They have all the materials there, all it needs is a bit of fixing-up and the line will be perfect again. The only concern would be mending the engines, or getting new ones." A hush went around the shed. Nobody spoke. Henry looked around at the other engines and gulped. "What'd I say...?" "They wouldn't... get new engines... would they?" asked Emma. "They should just... fix the others up..." said Pip. "Like I said," said James feebily, "no use getting worried about this... likelihood is the line isn't even being rebuilt." "Right..." said Gordon, "let's just go to sleep and put this out of our minds for now..."
But a few days later, the engines saw that there weren't just men standing around... they were actually working on the line. "I think they're really making something of this," said Thomas that night. "Oh I am glad," said Percy. "It wouldn't do to leave it sitting around getting overgrown with weeds and such." "The question is though," said Daisy, "will they be fixing the engines or getting new ones?" "I trust the Fat Controller and his men," said Thomas. "I'm sure no matter what happens things will work out.
The next day the Fat Controller formally announced to the engines that the board of directors had finally decided to sieze the oppurtunity and rebuild the Maglev Line. BoCo was put in charge of delivering supplies and overall helping with the mending of it. "It isn't hard work," he told Edward, "and I like the oppurtunity it gives me." It was only a matter of fixing the part of the line that had been smashed, and doing some renovations to it and the stations, and the line was mended in no time at all.
But now the question still remained - would they be getting new engines or mending the old ones? And truth be told, they did not really expect that the latter would be true....
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Post by Biblically Accurate Angel on Feb 24, 2017 1:34:49 GMT -5
In Early Morning Darkness It was early morning in pitch darkness when the ship reached Brendam Docks. The cranes began unloading the cargo almost as soon as the ship had docked. Inside the hull was a futuristic-looking engine which was soon lifted out and placed on a flatbed. In front of her stood a similar-looking engine. He stared at her, coughed, and then said, "Er, hello." "Hi," she replied. "Er... what's your name?" "I... haven't got a name," he said. "At the workshops they just called me 'The Maglev'. How about yourself?" "I haven't one either... at my old home, I was just given a number, '8413'." "Ah, so you have worked on another railway, I presume?" "Why yes, far away from here. It was a dear little line, but ended up closing due to lack of interest in it from the locals. You haven't, I see?" "No, I was supposed to be shipped to Greece, but apparently the line they were planning on building there was scrapped before the idea even got off the ground." "Such a shame," said the Maglev. "It is, really," he replied. "Now the question is... where are we now?" "I haven't a clue," she replied. "My old owners only told me I'd been bought and would be leaving in the near future, and other than that I haven't an idea where I am or what this is. I was in all honesty surprised to see that someone else was waiting here." "As was I when you were unloaded," the other Maglev confessed. "But at any rate, I'm sure we'll find out soon enough."
The engines waited in silence. Some time passed before the lights of an engine appeared before them. The engine buffered up to the flatbeds, and was coupled on. Then the train set out into the night. "Excuse me," said one of the Maglevs, "but we were wondering..." "Oh," said the engine. "I do hope you'll forgive me for not speaking sooner..." "Oh!" said the Maglev. "No problem whatsoever!" "My name, at any rate, is BoCo," said the diesel. "It's a pleasure to make your aquaintance," said the other Maglev. "We were wondering though, where we are? We honestly have no clue. No one let us know where we were going and so we're rather curious." "Ah! Well that's explained simple enough. You are here on the Island of Sodor. We're located off the coast of England. It's a jolly place and world-renowned for its railway system." "Sodor! Why I'd heard of that," exclaimed one of the Maglevs. "So had I!" said the other. "But I thought it was mostly steam engines who run the line, not Maglevs of all things." "You're in for a surprise then," said BoCo. "Some time ago a Maglev Line was set up here, and two engines ran it together, but that ended rather unfortunately..." BoCo paused before continuing. "Recently the line's been renovated and has been completely fixed-up. You two have been bought to run it." "Oh, well that makes sense." BoCo chuckled. "Now, what are your names by the way?" The engines explained the dilemma. "I see. Well, don't fret. I'd bet my left wheels that you two will be receiving names soon enough." The engines chuckled and ran on through the night.
The Fat Controller was waiting at the station. He was tired; it was the middle of the night and he hadn't had a wink of sleep yet. He looked at his watch. "Why on earth did they have to arrive at 3 in the morning..." he said to himself groggily. He shivered. It was a cold night and wished that he had had the insight to wear a thicker coat. At long last he heard a train approaching. Then BoCo rattled into the station and came to a stop before the Fat Controller pulling flatbeds with two Maglev trains on top of them. "Finally..." The Fat Controller came up to the engines. "Thank you BoCo, much appreciated for bringing these new engines in. Now then," he said, turning to the engines, "I hope BoCo gave you a warm welcome to the Island of Sodor." "He did that, Sir," said one of the Maglevs. "Good, good. Now then, from what I heard, one of you has been working on a Maglev line in Germany..." "That would be me, Sir." "...and the other one was supposed to be sent to Greece before the plans fell through, which I assume is you," he said, addressing the other one. "Pardon me, Sir," said one Maglev, "are you in charge of the Maglev Line?" "Well technically," the Fat Controller began, "the Maglev Line is a branch off of the North Western Railway, but considering it's completely different from the normal line, it has its own controller, a Mr. Mayhew, who I'm sure you will meet soon enough. Now then..." The Fat Controller looked all over the engines, inside and out. "Seems to be in order," he said, "though we'll know for sure first thing tomorrow morning when we do the trial runs. As to your names..." The engines explained the situation. "No matter," he said. "Mr. Mayhew and I decided on names already in case you didn't have any. You," he said to one, "can be called Alexander, and you," addressing the other one, "will be Mirabel. How does that sound?" "Just splendid," said Mirabel. "Suits me down the ground," said Alexander. "Excellent," said the Fat Controller. "BoCo will take you to your line, where you'll be transferred to it. I will be seeing you again in the morning." And with that, BoCo set off towards the Maglev Line, while the Fat Controller headed for home to get some much needed sleep.
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Post by Biblically Accurate Angel on Feb 24, 2017 1:35:38 GMT -5
Prejudice When the engines found out about the new Maglevs next morning, they were - to say the least - shocked. "What cheek!" spluttered Gordon when he heard the news. "This just won't do!" said James disgruntedly. "It's not right!" said Emma. "To think," said Pip, "instead of fixing two perfectedly good engines, they go out, get two new ones, and replace the old ones!" "We cannot stand for it," said Gordon. "It's wrong, it's immoral, it's disgraceful!" "Disgusting!" put in James. "Despicable!" finished Henry. The engines were all livid at the Fat Controller and Board of Directors.
On the Maglev Line itself, however, Alex (as he was being called for short) and Mirabel were not in the least bit worried about what the other engines thought of them. The two had formed a particularly close bond already despite having only met each other a few hours before, and were now finding and figuring out the particulars of the line they now shared together. The trial runs were a great success; the Directors were most impressed with the Maglevs and the next day the line was officially reopened. Lots of people showed up for the Grand Reopening, and, all told, the Maglev Line was a great success. The engines loved their new controller, and Mr. Mayhew loved his new engines.
However, the other engines were still sore about the new Maglevs. The Maglevs themselves did not know this, and found out the hard way. When Alex and Mirabel met Gordon later that week, they called out to him in a cheerful hello. Gordon, however, just grunted and ignored them, leaving them in a cloud of steam. "What'd we do?" asked Alex. "I don't know," said Mirabel. "I haven't a clue." The Maglevs found to their horror that none of the other engines would speak to them either. "But... what could we have done?" they asked themselves sadly, but could not fathom a reason for the engines' attitudes towards them.
A couple of days later, the line was being run well, but the engines were still sadly confused. Edward came to see them one day to bid them welcome, for he had not had the time yet before. What he found was an unhappy sight. "Hello," he said cheerfully to them, "why the long faces?" The Maglevs were glad to finally have an engine speaking to them. "Hi!" they said eagerly. "I'm Alex." "And I'm Mirabel. What's your name?" "Edward," said the old blue engine. "I wanted to welcome you to the Island of Sodor formally." "Thank you," said the Maglevs. "If only the other engines were as welcoming as you are." "What?" asked Edward, surprised. "What do you mean?" "Well, we tried to be friendly," the engines explained, "but they just ignore us." "Oh they do, do they?" Edward said, annoyed. "Now listen, don't you two worry. I'll soon sort that nonsense out..." And he puffed stormily away, leaving behind two Maglevs who were at this point a bit confused to say the least.
That evening, Edward spent the night at the main line sheds. He noticed the angry expressions on the engines' faces. "Now then," he said, addressing them all, "what's this I hear about you ignoring Alex and Mirabel?" Gordon jumped in quickly. "It's just wrong Edward! The replaced two perfectly good engines that just needed a bit of fixing up with two new engines instead of going ahead and fixing the others." "Yes," put in Emma, "it's a stupid idea and not a pracitical one either." "The engines were there," said Henry, "but instead of fixing them, no! They go out and buy two more instead." "It's disgraceful," said James. "What is this railway coming to? Whatever happened to 'no engine gets replaced'?" "It's appalling," said Pip. "Just plain appalling. Those engines had no right to come here and take over that line!" The engines continued arguing on for several minutes. "It's despicable behavior," Gordon fairly shouted. "It won't do and it's completely unnecessary. Why if I could I'd give that Topham Hatt a piece of my mind, and I mean-" "All right that is ENOUGH!!" The shed went silent. The engines had not seen Edward this angry for a long time ago. "You engines are being unfair," he said. "It's not the engines' faults that they replaced the original ones. Take that up with the Board of Directors. I doubt the Fat Controller had the biggest say in this as well. I can't say it would have been the best decision to have done, and I doubt I would have made it if I was in charge, but it did happen, so just deal with it. You are being rude and spiteful to two new engines who have no idea what is going on or why. Alex and Mirabel are two perfectly good, kind-hearted engines, who just want to do their jobs to the best of their abilities. They came here to work, which is what we are all supposed to do. We were built to work. We were also built to respect our controllers, not to attack them with slander like this. I can tell you what is disgraceful, despicable, and disgusting - it's your behavior. Just because they've replaced the old Maglevs doesn't mean that they're bad engines. It's time you all grew up and stopped acting like children. This behavior needs to stop, and now!" Edward finished his speech and then shut his eyes and went to sleep. The other engines just stared at each other and gulped. Edward's rant had finally gotten the message through, and they remained respectfully silent for the rest of the night. The Fat Controller, meanwhile, had been standing outside the shed the entire time, and had listened to Edward's speech. He was most impressed....
The next day, Alex and Mirabel were surprised to see that the other engines were actually making an effort to be friendly. They didn't know what magic Edward had used to sway their heads, but they were thankful for it nonetheless!
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Post by Biblically Accurate Angel on Feb 24, 2017 1:36:42 GMT -5
At The Heart Of Winter
Alex and Mirabel's first month on the Maglev Line went by splendidly. There were even more passengers than before, and the Maglevs themselves impressed both the passengers and the engines with their cheerfulness and their efficiency. It got to the point where Sir Stephen and Mr. Mayhew began to talk about extending the line again, but decided it would be best to wait a while first. At any rate, the reopening of the Maglev Line was a huge success, and everyone, including the engines, who had now fully accepted them into the family, were glad that the Maglevs were there helping out on the Island of Sodor.
Alex and Mirabel had arrived on the railway in November. If they had thought it was cold already, then they were unsuspecting prey for winter when it came round. Ice and snow hit the engines, and Alex and Mirabel were frozen stiff. "I-is it always this c-cold here?" asked Alex to Bear. "Not always," Bear replied, "but we do have rather famous winters sometimes. I expect it'll get colder before it gets warmer." "W-well I hope n-not!" Mirabel shivered. "It's f-freezing!" "I wish we could be on some tropical island by the equator or something like that," said Alex ruefully. Bear laughed. "Well, you'll have to get used to it, I'm afraid. Winter is just a part of life."
Every day the Maglevs would go from one side of the Island to the other, stopping at each of the stations along the line. In the cold weather, and with snow all around, it was harder to see the line ahead as easily as before. Alex and Mirabel spoke about this with Edward one afternoon. "Just imagine," said Mirabel, "what could happen if someone ended up on the line. The consequences could be dire." "I know," said Edward. "It actually happened to one engine once, Molly I think it was, but that was in summer, not winter. In winter it's even worse, but luckily, as far as I know, nothing like that has ever happened here on Sodor before." "Still, it's grating on the mind," said Alex. "I hope no fool decides to play around on the line or anything, because if so I don't think I'd be able to live it down." "Well, as long as you play it safe, keep a good look-out, and always try to be careful, you should be fine," said Edward as he puffed away.
A few days later, the weather, as Bear predicated, did get worse. A blizzard struck the Island and the engines could hardly see ahead of themselves. "If it keeps up like this," said Mirabel's driver, "they'll have to close down the line for a while." The next day the weather was better, and the two engines set off feeling hopeful about the day. But that afternoon, as they were trying to reach the next station, the sky darkened. Snow came down with a vengeance; wind and sleet battered the engines. "Ooooooooooooooooooh!" cried Mirabel. "Alright, we're going to reach the next station and then return to base," Alex's driver shouted above the storm to his engine. "It's no use working in this weather, we'd only endanger the passengers and ourselves." "Right," said Alex.
They reached the station, unloaded their passengers, and then scuttled home. The engines were freezing. "S-s-so c-c-cold!!" shivered Mirabel. The engines could hardly see the line. The snow was making everything nearly invisible. Suddenly Mirabel thought she saw something. "What could... is that...?" She quickly shouted, "Stop!" and applied her brakes. They slowed down and came to an abrupt stop. Mirabel found a head two inches away from her face, staring at her in dismay. Needless to say, she was very much surprised. "Wh-what... who are you?" she asked confused. The man looked at her, groaned, and sank to the ground. "Oh why!" he cried. "Why couldn't you have just kept going?!" "Wh-whatever do you mean??" Mirabel asked, puzzled beyond her belief. "I have nothing left to live for! Why couldn't you have kept moving another foot or two?" "Nothing left to live for? You actually wanted me to plow into you and kill you?!" "Yes!" "But why?!" "Well my wife left me, my dog died, and I just got fired from my job. Life is nothing more but sorrow and pain to me, and I wanted to end it all. But thanks to you, I'm still alive. Why?!" And he sank into the snow in despair. Mirabel tried to find the words to say. "At this rate," she said, "you'll probably end up getting hypothermia and die anyway." "That would be wonderful," the man replied. "No it wouldn't!" cried Mirabel. "Everyone has something to live for! Don't give up on your life now; then it'll have beaten you. You need to stand tall and try to succeed against it." Mirabel felt that nothing she could say would help convince the man. He just kept lying there. The drivers got out, climbed onto the line, and tried to pick the man up and bring him into the coach. "Come on," they said to him kindly, "no use staying out here in the cold." The man finally conceded, and allowed himself to be led into the train. Alex and Mirabel were both left wide-eyed. What had happened had given both of them a lot to think about, and they scuttled home in silence.
The man was taking to hospital, and the last Alex and Mirabel heard was that he had succeeded in finding a job, and had reconciled with his wife. As such, they were left happy. Meanwhile, talk was being made over the Maglev Line. Plans were being put in place, and it looked as though after the winter, things were going to start happening for that part of the railway...
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Post by Biblically Accurate Angel on Feb 24, 2017 1:37:28 GMT -5
Full-Circle Springtime finally arrived on the Island, and with it brought birds, flowers, and warmth. After the blasts they had received from the winter, they were thankful for the spring to finally usher in the changes they were sorely wishing for. Passenger travel on the Maglev Line skyrocketed, and the engines began to feel overworked. "Phew!" said Alex one evening. "Such a lot of passengers!" "Tell me about it!" said Mirabel. "On my old railway we didn't have half as many as we do here. It's nice, but a bit tiring overall." "I agree," said Alex. "I think we may actually need to start getting more help."
But as it turned out, that apparently wasn't the plan. "You have been working very hard," said Mr. Mayhew one morning when he came to visit the engines. "You have become credits to the railway, and I'm proud of you." "Thank you sir," said the engines. "Now, the Board of Directors have decided that it's time to expand the line." "Expand the line, sir?" "Yes. We have plenty of passengers, but there are only four stops right now. It's not enough for everyone on Sodor, so we will be expanding the line to include some of the other towns on Sodor. It will take a while, and we may need to close part of the line while we're working on it, but it should prove profitable as a whole to us. Thank you." And he turned and walked away.
Alex and Mirabel pondered on this for a while after Mr. Mayhew left. "We're already overworked as it is," said Mirabel. "How would we be able to balance it out with the additions?" "I don't know," said Alex. "I say we don't worry about this merely trust those in charge." But that day the engines had the biggest influx of passengers they had had yet. By the end of the day they were extremely tired out. "Phew!" said Mirabel. "So many people! I don't know what Mr. Mayhew is thinking!" "I'm beginning to think you're right," said Alex, worriedly.
Construction on the additions to the Maglev Line began a week later, and for a time the entire line had to be closed down due to the work. Alex and Mirabel were left alone for a period of time by themselves. They weren't alone for the entire time, however. The other engines came to see them from time to time. "You know," said Edward one day. "It's almost been three years since the accident that closed the line..." "What did happen?" asked Mirabel. "We've been here for some time and nobody has told us about it. We've become rather curious." "No one really likes to talk about it," said Edward, averting his gaze. "It was a tragedy is all I can say." Edward puffed sadly away, reminded of what had happened those three years before, leaving behind a pair of Maglevs who were confused but unwilling to ask again as to what had happened.
Soon enough, the line was finished, and the Maglevs were glad to finally get back out into the open. However, when they arrived at the station, they noticed something. "Is that a second line running parallel?" said Alex in surprise. "I do believe it is," said Mirabel, "but whatever for?" "I'm sure we'll soon find out," said Alex's driver. "Come on now, let's get to work." Work proved to be harder, but the engines didn't mind. They were thankful to get a nice long run again. At the end of the day, however, they were tired, to say the least.
However, the line did not technically reopen until the end of the week. The line was open for business, but the celebrations were to take place on Saturday. "Apparently the mayor is coming!" said Mirabel excitedly. "And there'll be balloons, and cake!" said Alex. "And visitors!" "And photographers! I can't wait!"
The morning of the Grand Reopening Celebrations began with sunshine. The Maglevs were happy. "It looks like it's going to be a beautiful day," said Alex's driver. The engines worked hard that morning, for in the afternoon the line would not be open for passengers due to the celebration. The engines finished their work, and went to the station at the far end of the line. They were excited. Some of the other engines were there too. "Well," said Edward, "this sounds like it will be a fun day." "Indeed," said Mirabel. "Though I am wondering where the Fat Controller, Mr. Mayhew, and the Mayor are." "They're arriving from the other end of the line," said her driver. "But how? There's no train."
But Mirabel had spoken too soon. There ahead, in the distance, on the parallel line, they could see an engine coming down the track.
And then, to the great surprise of the Maglevs, and the great joy of the others, Erin and Sierra rushed into the station, before coming to a stop....
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Post by Biblically Accurate Angel on Feb 24, 2017 1:38:27 GMT -5
Epilogue It had been an eventful day, to say the least. Erin and Sierra had been given a warm welcome back home. The Fat Controller explained that while the new engines had arrived, the older ones had never been replaced, and plans had been made for a while for their triumphant return to service. Alex and Mirabel were finally told of the tragedy that had taken the other two engines down, and sympathised with their trials and celebrated their return together with them. The celebrations were happy. Children and parents, tourists and residents, people and engines, Maglevs and steam, all had a grand time. Stories were told, memories relived, as the future and the past came together. That night, the four Maglevs were still reliving the happiness of the day's events. "I can't believe that you two have returned," said Mirabel. "Indeed, we've heard a lot about you, but at the same time not much," Alex concured. "It's good to be back here again," said Erin. "Being out of service is not very fun." "But that's all over now," said Sierra. "We have nothing but the future to look forward to, and that appears to be very bright indeed." The Maglevs all agreed, and said good night. Alex and Mirabel were soon fast asleep. But Erin and Sierra were still up for a bit of time, with memories of old going round their heads. "It's good to be home...."
The End
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