It won't load

That seems to happen sometimes, though I put it in PDF. Try downloading it first. If you need a PDF reader, Adobe offers theirs for free.

V.

It won't download with either button...and Adobe is up to date...

that is so very strange... shoot me an email.

vixyyfox[at]yahoo.com

V.

I LOVE TRAINS!!!

me too... we used to have to wait for a good half hour for them to pass through the town so we could continue on our way as the tracks really did divide the town.

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Where I moved to...The BNUP runs through the center of town. Several times a day.

Some of the local whine like hell about it. I love it for two reason.

1. I like trains.

2. It means there's still an economy, even if it's not where I live.

I had an 'end of the world' sort of dream years and years ago, and the one thing I remember standing out was the fact that it was the trains that kept the country from completely falling apart.

My home town, which was vibrant and alive back in the 60's is now not much more than a ghost town.

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now that would be so cool...

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WOOO WOOOO!

*chuckles and pulls that imaginary whistle line...

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aww love the story hun reminds me of an uncle i had

~hugs~

ooooo we had some good Uncles then didn't we?

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yes we dids^^

This was awesome, something about capturing the vernacular really makes the story ^^

*smiles so very big....

thanks so very much Darkr...

*hugs...

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t'ain't no thang Miss Vix. ^o^

Well done, and well-opened too. The train pics a bonus.

We're not talking characters and setting that popped up
out of the blue. Should look further here, think there
might be more as good...

*smiles happily... feel free to run through my gallery. I have all sorts of stuff...

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I actually have no idea of what the picture was of except that I really liked it. Google 'images of trains' and you should find it.

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I'm pretty sure the one you have there is a deliberate 'fake' done to look like an accident. Built in place and all. But I'm also pretty sure I have the actual photo of the actual accident where this kind of crash did happen. I suspect it's floating around on my hard drive somewhere, along with the one used here.

Yeah, that was staged. If you look closely, you'll see that the locomotive is missing the boiler lagging and jacket.

This is the kind of story I would expect Sam Clemens to write if he were more interested in trains than riverboats. Nice work, good lady.

Now that is a compliment and a half... thanks so very much Wire... really really really...

*very big hugssss......

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What did the Steampunk Zombie want?... TRAAAAAIIIINNS hehe

It is a beautifully done story. It's missing an apostrophe somewhere, but, psh, not like it really hurts the story any. Uncle Waldo's accent was pretty cool, but I should still advise caution, that kind of thing can get difficult, make sure it's still understandable when you read over it again.
I wish kids today would sit still for a story like that. Even with the small interruptions, those pups were pretty well behaved. Maybe the key is making the story very short.

oh also 'gray muzzle' nice word choice there. :)

why thank you so very much... really really...

I, for one, would very much like to go back to those times...

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So delightful. Sitting here at the aeroport, reading these stories as I get the time inbetween filling dispatch orders and directing planes, I am transported back to each time period you so vividly describe with your words. The language especially. And the knowledge of period trains that you possess. Makes these tales wonderful to get immersed in!

Like you, I had a fascination with trains when I was younger, but then I discovered the marvel of flight and aeroplanes and the old trains got pushed into the stark storage of my memories. This story allowed me to pull out that dusty forgotten trunk and we live that excitement for a little while this morning.

Thank you.

GOTTA LOVE THE PONIES!
~Adrik

What can I say - I grew up in a railroad town, and my son was a steam engineer at Disney World for a time. I am also in aviation - records mostly.

So you see we have much in common...

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Very nicely done, yush! I've actually fired a steam locomotive...and I've been involved in train races of a sort. Chasing a freight down the triple-track Burlington main from Chicago to Aurora, coming into Chicago on the Milwaukee West line, a CN train swinging from South to East at Franklin Park and running alongside all the way to Tower A-5. Two freights charging up Belmont Hill side by side. My personal favorite I actually have a picture of, and I hope to have that posted soon.

One slight problem: Three short on the whistle is the signal to go backwards. Of course, they could've raced backwards, although it might've been awkward. Also, it should go to show just how big of a nerd i am that I know exactly where the picture at the top of the story was taken. =^.^=

That's so cool that you know all this stuff... I remember reading in a 'Life' magazine from the 30's about the signal to train personnel that they had a hot box fire - which was holding your nose and pointing. Glad you liked the story.

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Those were quite dangerous. An overheated wheel bearing could lead to a seized or broken axle, and numerous wrecks were caused by them. Nowadays, roller bearings are used, which are far more reliable. The picture at the top of the page was taken at the Cass Scenic Railroad in West Virginia, one of the places I'd like to go someday. And I really do need to get to work on my own story, heh.