Author:DJ

Airplanes in the Ocean

999 was feeling charitable this evening. That was what she told herself at least. The conversation she’d overheard on Christmas Day had left her with a disquieted feeling and after some cursory introspection, she’d decided it was merely residual Christmas spirit compelling her to do a good deed. Seeing Pioneer and Pilot finally – finally – together… 999 wouldn’t go so far as to say it was U-505’s interference that closed the deal (submarines were inelegant shunters), but it made one feel very generous with one’s yardmates.

It would be a favor to 727 though. If the U-boat benefited too, then that was neither here nor there.

999 felt a lot less nonchalant about it when she found herself having to actively look for U-505. He wasn’t suspended on his rollers outside, much to her annoyance and yet also to her relief. It meant she’d have to track him down and who could guess where he lurked when he wasn’t in his designated space. If he was a prisoner of war, she thought, then he ought to stay where he was expected. It would be a lot less obvious though that she was seeking him out if he wasn’t outside where the only thing she could possibly be out there looking for was him.

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The Future is Still Silver and Black: 1974

January 1974

Dear Pioneer,

Please thank your guides for the postcard! It’s found a nice home pinned up in my cab alongside the others you’ve sent me. I’m a bit envious of your Rocket, getting to see all those beautiful trees up close.

It’s not quite as festive around here. Instead of holly and lights for decoration we have overhead line equipment and trolley parts! The volunteers’ goal is to get all the equipment we got from the CTA last year sorted, cataloged, and stored in the trolley bus garage before operations begin in March. This is on top of trying to build a wye out in front of the building so the cars can turn around. You can imagine the noise coming from the other side of the property.

Normally we would spend January taking it easy, but it’s been harder to rest with all the hustle and bustle going on. (Do you get the holiday season off? My letter writer says your museum is open almost every day, but I have to imagine you must get a small break.)

I’m not complaining about us being busy, mind! There’s always someone here on the weekends to keep us company, sometimes even during the week. Juno can see the garage better than the rest of us so she keeps the whole train updated on the goings-on. It’s entertainment for the Goddesses at least and keeps them from being too restless after spending better than a year sitting idle. I do wish Vesta wouldn’t speculate about when we’re going to get a diesel garage though. I told her it wouldn’t make much sense to have a whole building for just one engine. “Maybe if we get some more diesels!” I said. She just sniffed and told me our train is worth one building all on its own. Venus scolded her, but I think Vesta meant it as a compliment in her way.

I was told, in so many words, that my last few correspondences were getting a bit long. Between my letters and the Rail & Wire, they were starting to run out of typewriter ribbon! To keep things short (and not take any more time away from the Line Department), I’ll sign off here. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and a happy New Year!

Your friend,

Pilot

Now approaching… 1974!

Those’re His

“You got a leak,” 2903 said, holding the can of Sunkist out to Mate.

Mate sniffled and wiped his nose off on his sleeve. “They’re looking into it,” he said and took the offered can. He didn’t open it though. He just held it in both hands while 2903 helped himself to the space next to him and cracked open his own can.

“So how’dya like Pioneer?” 2903 asked, getting right to the point.

“He’s wonderful,” Mate moped. “Perfect.”

“Yeah, he is,” 2903 grumbled with an air of good humor. Mate finally looked up from his knees, face all shiny and wet. “Annoying, ain’t it?”

“No,” Mate huffed, settling back into his hunched pout. “He’s really great. He’s kind and classy and even a little funny. He’s perfect for Pilot.”

“Caint argue with that,” 2903 said. He took a sip of his drink and waited. It took longer than he thought it would, but finally Mate started.

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Once, and Then, No More

2903 wasn’t sure what possessed him to accompany U-505 up to the roof. On any other night, he would have suspected a trick or trap of some sort. Not that he thought U-505 would actually do anything to him – no one wanted to make trouble for the museum – but there was no reason why U-505 should want to invite him to the roof and it would be foolish not to be wary around an enemy.

He didn’t think U-505 would have asked on any other night though.

Today had been one of U-505’s reunions. Crewmen from the American ships who had captured him would get together and visit him about once every ten years. These events had always been a matter of malcontent for U-505 and he’d be more terse and cutting than usual in the days leading up to them. 2903 had to admit though that U-505 remained professional and would be a good, albeit stoic, sport while their veteran seamen were there. It helped that Pioneer and 999 would turn on their practiced charm and run interference whenever the men would say something tactless or to divert the topic when U-505 chanced to ask what news there was of the ships who had captured him. The ships never attended these parties and he’d stopped asking after them two reunions ago. When the men would leave, U-505 would wait out the rest of the day’s work, then make himself scarce to brood about having to play nice with Admiral Gallery and his rapidly aging crewmen.

This reunion, however, was the first time U-505’s own crew had attended as well.
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This Is Mr. Conductor Talking; I Know What I’m Talking About

James from Thomas the Tank Engine rolling his eyes because Thomas is being a fucking cunt dork about fishing.

“Your steam engines are splendid,” said the Duchess of Boxford.

“Don’t ya like them?” asked Sir Topham Hatt. “I do. That’s why they don’t make ’em anymore. They found out I like ’em. That’s the way it is with everything. They find out I like it, they stop makin’ it.”

“The winds be calm,” said Salty sagely.

“Well, if they’re calm,” said Cranky, “they’re not really winds, are they?”

Salty considered.

“Aye,” he conceded.

An angry farmer was telling Mavis just what she could do with her train!

“Why do we assume everyone knows where they can stick it?” asked Mavis. “Suppose you don’t know? Suppose you’re a new guy, and you have absolutely no idea where you can stick it?”
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Twenty-Two Short Films About Wellington Wells: This Susceptibility to Affronts

A screenshot of the alley behind the Government Printing Office.

He didn’t recognize her all at once. Her voice hit him first, just like it had four years earlier when it knocked him right out of his mundane life as a beat reporter and sent him into a tailspin. Yes, that was what had done it. Her posh affectation, the slight slur of a child’s unpracticed speech that she never quite grew out of, and how she had used it to ask all those chemistry questions to show off her intelligence and yet look needy and helpless at the same time.

Since he’d gone off his Joy, he had remembered her, certainly, but only in terms of their youth. He knew beyond that, but he’d been careful not to let himself land on that topic. He’d distract himself with a deft tangent if he edged too close to thinking about Sally who left in that green and white checked dress and used that voice and everything else she had to win herself helpful new friends at every turn, how she had never used those things on him.

And look, here was a helpful new friend now! Didn’t Sally’s latest companion look spiffing with his hat tilted at a jaunty angle to belie what carefree and lighthearted company he must be. He was fit and fashionable and not too tall as well, not awkward and gangling like Arthur was. He’d look just right with his arm interlocked with Sally’s. Glasses too, of course. Sally always did love an intellectual, didn’t she?

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Twenty-Two Short Films About Wellington Wells: A Caretaker, Not a Queen

A screenshot of Nick Lighterbearer's living room.

“Come on, love. I thought I finally found him a girl who understood how this was going to work. Someone who wasn’t going to get emotional about it,” Virgil appeased. “You knew what you were signing up for.”

“Oh, I know! You explained it so nicely, just like one of your bloody lyrics! ‘He’s only any good when he’s doing something bad,'” Petunia fumed.

“Then I don’t know why you’re acting so wounded about it. You knew he was going to step out on you. That was the whole point!”

“HE. FUCKED. MY. SISTER.”

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Twenty-Two Short Films About Wellington Wells: For Fear Your Grace Should Fall

A screenshot of the grounding pole that Roger Bacon uses to pole dance.

As soon as Sally was clear of the fence, James started in on Roger.

“Dr. F said not to tell anyone she was alive. She said she didn’t want anyone to ask her for anything.”

“But she likes Sally,” Roger scoffed. “Everyone does.”

“Yes, I noticed you putting on your little show for her.”

“You can not be serious. We just had this argument thirty minutes ago!”

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Twenty-Two Short Films About Wellington Wells: Things As They Are

A screenshot of William Godwin's flyers on the statue in Eric Blair Park.

“Don’t you realize that you’re living a lie? The world you live in is a fiction! This rainbow road leads nowhere! It is a dead end! And we all know it,” William Godwin started his speech, shattering the serenity of Dogberry Park. He stood on the basin of the fountain base of the revolving statue and the eyes of several canoodling couples peppered about the park turned on him. “But we hide it from each other! We conspire in our own fantasy. We wake up to Uncle Jack, and we go to sleep with Uncle Jack, and we nod our heads, and only in our dreams do we dare confront the truth!

“And the truth is,” he said, encouraged by their now undivided attention, “that the rich are robbing us blind! The tiny minority living in the Parade District has taken all the bread and all the butter. And those who live in that Emerald City say, ‘pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!’ It’s time to pull aside that curtain and see that our lords and masters are rubbish wizards and aren’t any better men than we are!”

The couples were getting up now and coming to surround him, and they looked mad! Rightfully so, William thought. He was getting through to them!

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Twenty-Two Short Films About Wellington Wells: Just Put Us On the Cover, We’d Be Smilin’ Anyway

Though he had been conscripted into the role long ago, Jack Worthing took his responsibility to Wellington Wells seriously. “Uncle” Jack was the face of optimism and stability. He acted as master of ceremonies through the good times and saw the town through the bad, emboldening them when prudent, encouraging them to endure when it was not – or rather he would have if indeed they’d ever had any bad times. When anyone wrote to him about their worries and concerns – which was surely a symptom of having too few problems – he allayed any doubts or questions and set them back at ease. He saw it as his duty to be the very embodiment of keeping calm and carrying on, a shining example of stalwart English spirit that Wellington Wells could rely on and emulate.

He didn’t have much of a memory of how his fellow entertainers felt about their similar standing in the world. So many of them left the industry at some point between the indeterminate then and now, preferring a life of anonymity. Jack was very nearly the only one left, save for some hobbyist musical acts. He had the vague feeling though, that the way Nick Lightbearer was fidgeting and looking unsure of why everyone else seemed so pleased to be in his presence was not becoming of an entertainer of his notoriety.

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for the WIP ask game... The Future Is Still Silver and Black? (original train fiction from you two sounds really interesting!)

So last year, I went up north to visit Ray. Ray lives in Chicago, which just so happens to have the largest railway museum in the United States, the Illinois Railway Museum.

At the IRM, we saw the Nebraska Zephyr, which is a streamlined stainless steel articulated trainset. Each of the… [more]

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  • Untitled December 29, 2024
    "The Future is Still Silver and Black" 1975 update is here! thefutureisstillsilverandblack.neocities.org/1975. New letters, illustrations, engine info, and the postcard we sent the Flying Yankee this year. Our boys are sporting @amtrak.com and @chicagocta.bsky.social's holiday sweaters for 2024!
  • Untitled December 13, 2024
    Look what they had at @msichicago.bsky.social's holiday shop at the Naughty or Nice party last night!
  • Untitled December 8, 2024
    Got my IRL Christmas decorations up too! @nomercyforswine.neocities.org and I are finishing up the last two letters for 1975 and aim to have the next update done for the holidays. #tfissab