Django Durango

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!

December 1972

Dear Silver Pilot,

I’m glad that you wrote again despite not receiving a reply. I know what that’s like and I’m sorry you were left waiting. That letter would simply have said that I was happy for you to be running again and that you were going to be a big hit for your Members Day. It’s for the best perhaps. That message might have been disappointing after such a setback.

A broken valve spring isn’t too bad though. It should be an easy enough fix and you’ll be pulling your train again soon.

In the meantime, being a static display isn’t the worst thing in the world. It’s not as good as taking visitors for a proper ride, but they get to spend more time with you when you don’t have anywhere else to be. Here at the MSI, they can tour my coaches and look at us more closely. If they were still able to eat their lunch in Ceres, maybe they could let visitors tour the rest of your coaches too? Sometimes people even squat down to look at our trucks and get up close to our wheels. They couldn’t do that if we were moving. It’d be too dangerous. Being static lets them admire you in ways they can’t otherwise.

Being stationary can be good that way. It’s a lot like when I was new and we went on tour to let people inspect us before we went into regular service. If you spend a good long while looking over a train, you’re likely to remember him!

I’m sure your volunteers are eager to get you repaired though. You’re so close to being operational and they’ve put so much work in already, they’d be foolish to put it off any further. I’m sure they won’t keep you in suspense like I did.

Your friend,

Pioneer Zephyr

Next Stop… 1973!

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.
Read more

Clang!

Duck winced as the rock flew up past his face and struck his funnel at an angle. This wasn’t an altogether unusual occurrence, except this was the first time he felt cool air whistle through to the inside afterwards.

“Oh dear,” he said.

“That didn’t sound good,” said his Driver.

“It doesn’t feel good,” admitted Duck.

“We’ll take a look at it once we get back to the Shed.”

Duck hoped it wasn’t anything serious. The Summer holiday makers would be arriving soon, and the Little Western couldn’t afford to be behind schedule.
Read more

Duke had been surrounded by fitters and people from the Railway Board all morning. He was tired of being inside.

“My pistons are stiff,” he groused. “I’ve seen enough of the indoors for a lifetime. I want to feel the sun on my running boards.”

“We can let you into the Yard,” agreed his Driver. “But you’ll have to stay put while we finish the safety checks. Can’t have you breaking down tomorrow on your big day.”

“What cheek!” scoffed Duke. “Are all you Drivers so impertinent these days?” But he was pleased when they released his brakes and let him steam forward out of the Shed.

The Yard was unusually crowded. Most of the little engines had been pulled from duty early for cleanup and general maintenance ahead of tomorrow’s celebrations. Skarloey, Rheneas, Peter Sam, and Sir Handel were happy to see Duke out and about.
Read more