Once Upon A Time On The Rails, Chapter 4.

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Coburn walked lively up along side of Terra‘s locomotive, still annoyed by his encounter with A.J. Terra had just started to climb down from the cab when the Coyote walked up to the canine enginess.

“I thought you were supposed to be a “skilled” Engineer?” Coburn commented with an irritated tone, accentuating the word “skilled“. Terra looked at him and sighed.

“I am… it just… I’m not used to this locomotive.” she went to continue but Coburn cut her off.

“Well, you had better get used to it and quick! Your starting to draw suspicion about yourself!” the coyote said quietly but sternly. “Anyway, we’ve hit a small problem.”

“What happened?” Terra replied, turning to the dark clothed coyote.

“Two of my men were kill’t last night. Some swift terrier did em’ in while they were at the Assay Office.” Coburn said in an angered tone. Terra tilted her head and folded her arms.

“Does this… change anything?” she asked.

“No. Not exactly, it just prolonged things a bit. What you need to do is while you’re in town, see if you can find out who owns the Cutter’s Bend property. We need to know so we can ‘acquire’ that particular patch of land. If we don’t pass this phase soon Mr. Morgan will not be happy.”

“I’d imagine he’d be mighty upset already. He must of used every method possible to get the land he has now, no thanks to you no doubt.” Terra retorted to the Coyote. He grinned and bowed slightly.

“Much obliged for the comment, Ma‘am. After all, my business is persuasion.” Coburn replied. “Also, what is this about you having an…. ’engagement’ this evening? You should be collecting information, not chasing tail.” Coburn began rattling off. However during his little speech Terra noticed A.J. exiting the Depot. He stopped just outside the door and stretched, his arms strait out to his sides and his back arched. Coburn took note of her distraction and paused for a moment. “Hey! Are you listening!?” Coburn blurted. Terra stopped her gawking at the handsome feline and looked at Coburn.

“Well if you must know that’s my “Engagement” over there!” she said pointing her finger. “And you can look at it as gathering information, he works for the Gunpowder Falls Railroad. That’s the famous Andrew J. Davis! Turns out that we’re very close friends.” Terra said with a mischievous smile. Coburn paused with a dumbfounded look over his face. The then turned back to the white furred wolf with a cocked eyebrow.

“What!? That fool over there? I’m surprised that bumbling idiot can think let alone operate a locomotive!” Coburn replied with spite in his voice and pointing to him with his thumb over his shoulder.

“I had been told about him but I didn’t think he was so cute!” said Terra, her girlish smile becoming wider and her tail gently swishing side to side. Coburn could see how she was drawn to the feline engineer and wasn’t pleased by it in the least.

“You had better know your priorities, Mr. Morgan doesn’t take too kindly to those who get distracted from their jobs!” the coyote said sternly and ominously. Coburn gave her a wincing glare and then turned and walked away to the other end of the Depot.

A.J. knew that the Terra’s locomotive was in the yard, but he had to get "Comanche" up and running for the day’s work. Besides he would see her later that evening. Though he felt a little nervous having dinner with Terra. He stood there, taking off his glove and reached into the neck of his shirt and pulled out a necklace he had hidden beneath. It wasn’t a fancy chain, but on it was his wedding ring. His wife and young daughter were waiting for him back in Gunpowder Falls and he missed them dearly. As he looked at the ring on the chain he sighed and then slipped it back down his shirt. He then looked to the northwest and began to make his way back to the Roundhouse where his locomotive, Comanche, awaits.

The time was now around 11:30 in the morning as a southbound GFRR freight ran along side the Delores River. The locomotive was Engine #5, a C-16 class 2-8-0. Its heavy chuff echoed off the sloping sides of the valley as the locomotive and train thundered along the line. The Engineer paid close attention to the tracks as this part of the line was know for occasional rocks falling onto the tracks causing obstructions. He adjusted the throttle with one hand and ate a ham sandwich with the other. His fireman, a young orange furred feline, scooped away stoking the fire for the up coming grade. The train was trundling at roughly 20 miles per hour, they were in no hurry and were ahead of schedule.
The grade flanked one side of the river and sat roughly 10 feet above it. The freight rounded a curve, partially obscured by the sloping rock walls in this part of the river valley. As the engineer looked ahead something seemed off. With a mouthful of sandwich he squinted his eyes to see what was amiss. Suddenly his eyes snapped wide open and he immediately closed the throttle and blew the air, throwing the train into emergency! The wheels locked up and the train began screeching like mad!

The Fireman lost his balance and flew forward. Try as the Engineer might it was too late, the rail facing the river rolled over and the train ran on the ground! The locomotive kept moving forward and rolled onto her left side as she slid down the embankment, then jackknifing as the rest of the train pushed against the tender! Fortunately the river is shallow here, only a few feet at its deepest point. But a huge wave of water splashed up as the locomotive plunged into the river! The brakeman nearly fell off the train when the brakes applied, but when he turned to look he saw why. He leapt off just in time as the box car he was on rolled over and also splashed into the river.
It all happened so fast that the crew only narrowly had time to react, but when everything became still, aside from the moving water from the river and the hissing locomotive, half the train was either derailed or in the river. The other half was still on the slim gauge tracks and undamaged. The conductor and other crewmen, who were in the caboose, quickly hopped off the train to see what had happened. They rushed down the embankment first coming to the Brakeman. A little dusty and bruised up but unharmed. Then they all went to the locomotive. She laid on her side, smoke still wafting from her stack and the sound of steam hissing from various points. The engineer climbed out of the cab window half soaked in water. He turned around to see his fireman standing up a yard or two from the tender, but up to his thighs in the river.

“Ya’ Alright Felix!!?!” shouted the Engineer as he climbed out of the cab window, slightly dazed.

“Yeah I’m alright Buck!” Felix replied waving one hand. Then the Conductor and the remainder of the crew came rushing to their aid.

“Buck! What the hell happened!!?!” the Conductor shouted as they helped him out of the locomotive.

“S-Sabotage! The spikes were pulled out from the ties!” Buck replied.

“What!? Are you sure?” The Conductor said in surprise.
“O‘course I‘m sure!! Go see fer’ yer’self!” said Buck. Then the Conductor turned to one of the other crew members.

“Ira, go check it out!” Ira ran back up the embankment and looked at the track work. A lot of the ballast had been shifted about and the ties in the wrong places due to the locomotive moving atop them. But as Ira inspected the undamaged track ahead he confirmed what buck had said.

“He’s right! There’s more pulled spikes up ahead!!!” Ira shouted and then ran back down to help the others back to the caboose. Felix was wading his way through the current of the river to the shore line as he approached the rest of the crew.

“Y-You don’t think it’s a robbery, do you?” he ask the men. Ira looked up and at the soaked cat with a worry filled expression. He then turned to the conductor.

“You don’t suppose that’s you, do you?” Ira asked. The conductor looked up to Ira and then to their surroundings. Then he turned his attention back to Buck and the nasty bang had had above his right eye.

“Could be.” he then said plainly. “Though if this were a robbery why haven’t they attacked us yet? And second, this is a freight! We ain’t got nothing’ on board worth stealin’!” he then continued. After he finished with Buck he helped him up the embankment and to the caboose. Once they were settled the Conductor pulled out a portable telegraph and hooked it up to the lines running track side and began tapping a message to the nearest Depots both East and West of their position. Fortunately the telegraph lines weren’t damaged during the wreck. One of the other Brakemen then grabbed a few Torpedo signals and ran back down the Right-of-Way, behind them, to warn on coming trains. As the conductor tapped away on the telegraph he began muttering to himself. “Damn… Who in the hell would want to wreck a train!?”