Wet Bed

"Wet Bed" is a story written by Loco123456.

## Story

Wet Bed (inspired by the trouble water troughs can cause for a railway; http://www.railwaycodes.org.uk/misc/troughs.shtm)

The Fat Controller wanted to accelerate some of his trains; he felt that some of the delays were due to engines leaving their trains and going to the water column for a drink.

“There’s nothing wrong with that,” he noted, “but we mustn’t let people think we don’t keep their interests in mind. They and goods have places to be.”

He’d read about water troughs, and called up Foremen from the platelayer gangs along The Main Line for a meeting. After this meeting arrangements were beginning to come alive.

Water troughs are stretches of level line; as the engines ran over them, the fireman uses a mechanism, which lowers a scoop. The scoop is located on the chassis of the tender, right beneath the water tank. The scoop shoots the water right into the tank while the train is on the move. Tank engines don’t have scoops; the pressure of shooting water would damage their tanks.

“You don’t know what you’re missing out on,” rubbed in Neville, backing down onto a train in the yard at Crovan’s Gate.

“I could care less about those stupid things,” snorted Billy, who puffed off to bring coaches away from the platform.

Neville, like the other tender engines loved the water troughs. But the platelayers had their doubts. Neville passed Bear, who was with some platelayers near Crosby.

“You poor diesels,” he called, “you have to stop to take on diesel fuel, unlike us. We have options!”

“I’d care less,” said Bear grimly. “These water troughs are causing trouble for everyone.”

And they were.

“How shall we deal with the drainage,” worried the platelayers.

“We’ll put in more sleepers,” concluded the Foreman.

With the permission from the Fat Controller, water troughs had more sleepers than any other part of the line. Neville came towards one with his local train. A sign warning the driver about the troughs ahead gives him time to warn the passengers.

“PEEP! PEEP! Close your windows please!”

The passengers in the first three carriages shut their windows quickly. Neville’s fireman used the scoop, and water shot into his water tank; and sprayed over the trackbed. It wasn’t on purpose, but he, like the others, were disturbing the ballast with the spraying. He arrived at the end of the line, and went back on the Down line with a goods train for Kellsthrope.

“We want a proper engine, not a container on wheels,” exclaimed the trucks rudely.

“Shut up,” said Neville as he bumped them. He hated being teased about his unique shape.

The trucks were now cross. On their way to Kellsthrope, the hills weren’t steep enough to cause a runway, adding to their fury.

“We shall get him, we shall get him,” they hissed to each other until the word had reached the end of the train. But they didn’t have to; Neville came puffing towards a water trough.

“Now I can spray them! Oh, wh-”

The ground had become so soft that the tracks had sunk under his weight. He laid on his side. His crew noted no harm done; just a muddy face with some ballast.

Bear came to his rescue with the breakdown gang from Kellsthrope. Once back on the rails, along with a few trucks that had fallen in with him, Neville made many movements back down the line and was sent onto another line, arriving two hours later at the yard. When he met Billy a few days later he was a little quiet as he backed onto a goods train.

“Missing out on something exciting, eh Neville,” teased Billy as he went about his work.

Neville didn’t say anything; he just slittered away. On his way to Knapford he saw the platelayers beginning to get rid of the water troughs. Eventually they were all gone, but the engines still teased Neville for the fun of it.

## Locations

* Crovan’s Gate
* Knapford