Zipp quickly checked over her paperwork to ensure nothing was amiss. "All looking good so far," she said, glancing over charts of numbers and other data. She then glanced up and saw Pipp looking concerned. "Hey, what's the problem Pipp?"
"Did you not see what just happened?" Pipp asked.
"No, I've been checking the paperwork and ensuring the fire's up to temperature. Has anybody used the driver's side water injector? It felt a little stiff compared to the one on the fireman's side, presumably due to a lack of use."
Pipp indicated to the signals in front of them. "They've let a stopping train out in front of us. That means it's going to stop at every station between here and Didcot. We can probably say goodbye to any rapid progress from here, as we'll be held up at red signals the entire time."
Zipp nodded. "It's not neccesarily a big deal. We just need to drive efficiently and make better use of the ground than our opponents. Speaking of which, we've reached our booked departure time."
Pipp checked her watch and then the station clock. And it was time to leave. "O. M. Goodness!" she exclaimed. "Let's go!" Without hesitation she opened the regulator and prepared to set off. The train slowly rolled over the pointwork on the London side of the station and began to make its way over the hill. There was a bit of flat on the exit where the lines to St. Phillip's Marsh Depot and Avonmouth diverged, and sidings sat on the left. The engine began to enter a tunnel, but as it did they caught a glimpse of something.
Lord Haven pointed out of the window. "Good grief! It's that diesel again!"
"What diesel?" Sunny asked.
"The yellow one that's been trailing us since Plymouth!" Lord Haven said. "Looks quite boxy, with a strange checquered pattern on the side of it."
"Well, if we see him again we'll let you know," Lady Haven said reassuringly. She was certain it was a coincidence, but something in her suspected this was not the case.
Meanwhile, the train finished climbing out of the tunnel and rumbled along the flat for a while. The new speed limit was coming up. "Temporary speed restriction through Bath Spa!" Zipp called. "Slow down to 25 miles per hour!"
"Probably a good thing too!" Pipp added. "There's a red signal up ahead." To accent her point, the AWS then went off for a single yellow indication.
Once the signal had cleared, Rebecca was on her way again and rumbled round the tight bend, which was speed restricted to prevent a derailment. Once the restriction was out of the way, they suddenly saw one of the cars fly by below them on the road.
"We're neck and neck!" Zipp called. "And the climb through Box tunnel is coming up!"
"Shame we don't have a banking engine!" Pipp replied. "I'll have to work Rebecca with all she's got!"
They were ratttling up the climb with impressive speed as the tunnel seemed to stretch into eternity. Pipp had pulled on breathing gear to be safe, having heard about the dangers of a steam engine stalling in a tunnel. But mercifully her fears proved to be unfounded.
A new speed board informed them that the speed limit was now one hundred and twenty five miles per hour, and not only that the line was going downhill. And they were prompty gaining speed as they flew down the grade, with the speedometer needle climbing as they made their way down.
"Make sure you can control it!" Zipp called. "I'll keep the water and coal up and into shape."
"Of course!" Pipp said, as they flew down through Chippenham. As they approached Swindon, the run was ruined by a double yellow indication, suggesting they were catching up to the stopping train. This was bad, to put it mildly, so they were forced to slow down.
By the time they got through Didcot, the delays were stacking up. Not only did they know the cars were ahead of them, they also knew that the line was probably going to get more blocked.
They rolled through the station approaches and stopped in the platform. Pipp and Zipp bailed from the footplate as Hitch and Misty jumped out for the last leg.
Hitch took up his position as he looked at the controls. "This is it," he said. "Our last chance to turn this race around. Let's see what you can do."