Tales From The Temp Folder

[TZT] (SA) The Christmas Special

Alright everybody, this is your Christmas Special, because I totally didn't start really working on it until a couple days before Christmas, and it's not at all related to Christmas other than the fact it occurs on Christmas Eve. But I digress. It's done and nobody can tell my otherwise.
But in all honesty, I've just been enjoying my vacation, finished TZT:TC, and back to working on WOH:SG, finally getting my driver's license, but just generally enjoying my time. I'll be working on projects here and there, but I'm actively writing Saving Grace, and that will take more time than adapting TZT:2ndPlt, so bear with me for that.

Otherwise, this story is about Marvin, Will, and Powell running the last train carrying stuff for presents before Christmas, through a Salinas Vally winter storm. They encounter a downed power line on the tracks, and have to call for help. Everyone makes it back in time for Christmas, and everyone is none the wiser. Powell gets knocked around, but he's alright.
Enjoy. Merry Christmas and happy new year everyone!
Stay safe, stay healthy,
Take care,
-FishyFish831

"Are you sure about this? I mean, six heavyweights... with only Dai?" Powell scrambled to keep up. "That's a recipe for disaster."
"Not just heavyweights. Eight B50s as well. Last minute Christmas shopping."
It was then that he caught me.
"Then why don't you have another consist going? Why not send me and Michelle?"
"Because half of all the engineers are on vacation, and technically so are we."
"But you just won't let them go. Won't you?"
I looked out into the rainy evening. The sun was going down, and the forecast stated the rain would only get worse.
I shook my head. "We're people's last hope to get home for the holidays. Now I'm going to take Dai because he's the only engine left still in steam. You can try and steam up the Spirit of Altoona, but you'll be here until next morning. That's gifts of receipts to a whole bunch of kids."
"Oh." He hung his head, understanding where I was coming from.
Powell started up the ladder. Right as I grabbed hold of the rungs, someone ran up and grabbed them as well.
"Hey!" Powell's cheerful face met me. "I heard there was a Christmas special."
"We could use another fireman." Powell commented.
I just rolled my head, climbing aboard with Will on my tail. Once we were on the power and shunted the train onto platform track 2, I looked over all our train.
"It's a straight shot from Sacramento, to Salinas, then back to Gonzales." Powell passed the waybill to Will.
"Let's get a move on."
I quilled the whistle, giving a nice pat on the reg. Steam instantly started escaping out the front, followed by the screeching and rapid barks of Dai loosing grip. I shut the reg and applied sand, until he finaly caught his grip. Now we dug in. Will shoveling, Powell monitoring the boiler, I kept sand on and watched the back pressure gauge. We charged out of the yards, with the rain rapidly beginning to sound like hail.

The storm was getting worse, I know because Chualar flooded. Imagine Dai up to his drivers, carving a channel through water five feet high and rising. You could go swimming in this. The town had thankfully learned; sandbags stacked high around the entire city limits, on top of individual establishments reinforcing their positions.
The long, wailing call of Dai's iconic bell whistle piercing through the dark fog. Easily 1,500 tones, on slick, steel rails. What was worse was that all the the signals were flashing yellow, or yellow over greens. Approach Medium. 30 miles per hour. The rain and fog cut down visibility to around a 1000 yards, we wouldn't be able to stop short of an obstruction going track speed. And it was thankful that my signalmen erred on the side of caution.

We were charging through another fog bank, one that cut our visibility even further. Will had rotated on, shoveling just a few coal lumps to maintain pressure. Powell monitored the boiler, blower, and water, but he was also my eyes on the right side. It was him who spotted it first.
"Sh- FULL REVERSE!"
We locked eyes for a moment. I instantly slammed the bakes into on, shutting the throttle, and hitting sand. Will was instantly flung to the front, but not before he shut the fire hole door. The coal rolled forward with a resounding crash, nearly engulfing him. I looked out, spotting the steaming red signal, and the sparking power line straddling the tracks.
"Brace!"
The horrible squeal of the drivers locked still, a fourteen car train in emergency. The giant pole, illuminated by a sporadic flicker. The entire underside of my train illuminated with similarly golden sparks. I watched as the enormous log raced forward to meet us. The engine lurched, but we were ready for it.