"Why would they do such a thing?" Pipp complained. "That was meant to be mine and Sophie's job, and now look where we are! We're stuck here, moving dirty trucks from dirty sidings! Blech!"
Pipp and Sophie had been allocated to assist in the yards at Truro. This was due to Brookes being needed elsewhere, and as a result he was not available. Originally, they would have simply put Bellerophon here, but seeing as he was also not around, he was hardly able to work in Truro yard either.
The trucks were also being most poorly behaved. "Looks like you lost your train!" said one.
"I know!" Sophie said. "I'm not normally one for melodramatics but this is the worst. Possible. THING!"
More trucks were pushed together into a single formation that was soon ready to go. The heavy formation was to be picked up later in the day.
Sophie was backed off the formation as another work order was handed to them. "What is it this time?"
"Coal," Pipp replied. "I'm so not getting back from this. White is so not a suitable colour for coal."
"Nor is red," Sophie replied. "I'll need a wash after this."
Eventually Lance had lost his patience with them. "Hey," he said. "There are engines out there in this country who'd give anything to turn a wheel under their own power again. You two are lucky you can run and have work to do. So stop complaining."
"Take a chill pill, Lance!" Pipp responded. "Geez. It is a crime to want to look your best?"
"Your fault, not mine," Onyx said. "Trust me, wear dark colours. It's a much better vibe for those long dark nights when the lights shudder and the steam from the pipework hisses in the night and the world seems alive for all."
"Erm, OK," Sophie replied. "So, where's the coal?"
"Over there," Lance replied. "Besides, from what I've heard things are a bit dire in other parts of the country. Engines have been vanishing from their homes, and rumours persist of a mysterious person who's taking them. Rather like some sort of bogeyman you encounter in those old stories meant to scare children into behaving. Still, can't chat. Got some fish to sort at Newham." With a blast of his horn he was on his way and running towards Penwithers Junction.
Pipp blinked as she processed what Lance had just said. "Engine thieves?" she said. "I thought that sort of thing only happened in animated TV shows!"
"Let's get this lot finished, and then we should head out," Sophie replied.
"Good idea. If Porter and Bellerophon are in danger, we need to find them and bring them home as soon as possible."
It took a few minutes, but the coal train was soon assembled. Sophie was moved onto the platform ready for departure, when Zipp appeared, looking no worse for wear.
"Hey Zipp!" Pipp called. "Can't stop to talk, I need to find something!"
"Have you misplaced your phone again?" Zipp asked.
"No! Two engines have gone missing!" Pipp decided to convey her message through her favourite medium as she jumped off the footplate.
"They disappeared, just like that, and they're nowhere to be found/
Flip that rock, sweep that side and ask around!
We need the who, what, or why, then there's nowhere left to hide/
Oh no!
No, there's nowhere left to hide!"
A group of trucks joined in as a group of backup singers.
(Oh, oh)
(Where'd it go?)
"We're gonna find them/
Yes, we're gonna find them good!"
Pipp resumed vocal duties.
"My friends and I are on the case!
"Here we go, here we go!
We're not gonna stop 'til we find what we're missing!
Where'd they go? Where'd they go?
A perfect case for a private eye/
I'm searching far and wide!
"So here we go, here we go!
We're not gonna stop 'til we find what we're missing!"
And with that she hopped back into the cab and drove away. Zipp blinked in confusion. "What was that all about? I was only going to tell her the result of the ORR report."
"And what was the result of the report?" asked the station master.
"I was cleared of any wrongdoing. Turns out the train was fifty tons heavier than in the paperwork as the shipping company didn't fill in the weight. They assumed we'd think the trucks were fully loaded, so the foreman had to guess at the actual weight as the weighbridge was out of action."
On the other side of the country, Bellerophon and Porter pulled into what looked like a large yard. A big building loomed overhead, and as they rolled to a stop there was a collective groan.
"We've been routed the wrong way... again." Misty rolled her eyes.
The sign next to them proclaimed BRITISH STEEL DARLINGTON PLANT. This wasn't a yard. It was a steelworks.
"Well, at least we can stop here and run round," Bellerophon chimed in. "Beats going backwards the entire day."
"We were only going backwards for half the day," Porter replied.
Izzy hopped down from the footplate and uncoupled Porter in preparation to run round. Moments later, she heard voices.
"Oh, look! Visitors!"
Izzy's attention was suddenly drawn to two engines approaching them. One was a diesel shunter, and seemed to be quite squat and compact. The engine bonnet was flat at the sides and top, with two angled sections to connect them together. The front bufferbeam extended most of the way to the floor, and the cab, mounted all the way at the back, was shrouded in darkness. Unlike a lot of diesels this one had connecting rods, and was also fitted with sandboxes on the running board. They were painted green. The bottom of the front bufferbeam had the number 4002, and the top of the bodywork had the text MSC.
The engine spoke, revealing them to be female. "Look, Hurricane! Two visitors!"
Another engine, a steam engine, moved forward. They spoke as well. "What a sight! Two engines! Such an extravagence."
The steam engine was a rather curious specimen. He was a tender locomotive with six small wheels, a rather large dome (that shone a burnished gold), and a small cab which didn't extend back to the tender. A copper safety valve cab sat at the back of the boiler, and his chimney also had a bronze cap (which was also a bit mucky). His wheels, wheel splashers, and frames were painted a vibrant red, and his boiler was green with red lining. The tender also showed many of the same features.
"Excuse me, but who are you?" Misty asked.
"Oh, apologies," said the diesel. "I'm Frankie, and this is Hurricane. We work here, and we can host you two for the night if you'd like."
Alarm bells were ringing in Bellerophon's smokebox. "Guys, I'm not sure we should-"
"Oh, come on, Bellerophon!" Izzy said. "Surely it won't cause any harm to stay here for one night!"
"That's the spirit," Hurricane smiled as he moved forward. "Leave these trucks in the yard until tomorrow morning. I see you've both been going at it pretty hard, so why not take in the washdown?"
"It's nice and warm in here!" Frankie added. And she added to the confusion by starting to sing.
"I don't know where you thought/
You were going/
But here you are!"
Hurricane then joined in.
"I don't know what you thought/
You were doing/
But you've come so far!
This is the place/
You were meant to be being!"
"That doesn't make any sense," Porter grumbled. "That 'being' is grammatically unnecessary."
"These are the sights/
You were meant to be seeing!" Frankie added.
Hurricane then took the vocals.
"We'll lift your thermostat up/
A degreeing or two!"
"Again, not a word!" Porter said.
"Are you going to spend the entire night being a pedant?" Misty asked.
The the two steelworks engines went into harmony.
"And we're guaranteeing/
That you'll be agreeing it's true!"
Hurricane whooped before they entered the structure, which was full of machines. Some bubbled, and others gurgled. But all were producing liquids and solids of varying sizes and styles.
And before long the singing began again.
"This is the hottest place in town!
We'll warm you up/
When you're feeling down!
We'll make a smile/
Out of every frown!"
Hurricane then spoke on his own.
"Just take a look around/
At the joy we've found!"
Then back to harmony.
"This is the place/
You can have some fun!
Where you can feel/
Like a number one!
We've got more sunshine/
Than the sun!"
Hurricane whispered to Frankie. "Neither engine has a number one."
"It's figurative language!" Frankie whispered back.
"I see."
Frankie then took over vocal responsibilities.
"There's a light in our eyes/
We simply can't disguise!"
Before the pair began in harmony again.
"This is the hottest place in town!"
"Come in and come along/
For the riding!
Shunting lovely ladle trucks/
Up the sidings!
Rails so smooth that you'll be
Gliding along!
And before you know it/
You'll be joining us in our song!"
"This is the hottest place in town!
No other like it anywhere around!
You'll be king/
And you'll wear a crown!
What we're trying to say/
Is that we hope you'll stay!"
"This is a really strange sales pitch," Bellerophon commented. "Besides, I thought that Charles guy was King?"
"Hey, I've seen wierder adverts," Izzy replied.
"This is the place you can
Shine like gold!
Our jobs are cool/
But we're never cold!
We really think
You could fit the mold!"
Frankie then sang on her own once more.
"You'll be part of the team/
You'll be living the dream!"
And then together once more.
"This is the hottest place in town!
Come in and come along/
For the riding!
Shunting lovely ladle trucks/
Up the sidings!"
Hurricane then resumed on his own as the backing music shifted in rhythmic velocity.
"Rails so smooth that you'll be/
Gliding along!
And before you know it/
You'll be joining us in our song!"
And he was right. Izzy suddenly joined in.
"This is the hottest place in town!"
"Come on everybody!" Hurricane called. "Join in! Big Hollywood finish!"
"You'll warm me up/
When I'm feeling down!
You'll make a smile/
Out of every frown!"
Before Hurricane suddenly interjected.
"You know you're keeping it real/
When you're working with steel!"
Then, to their surprise, Bellerophon and Misty joined in as well.
"This is the place I can have some fun!
Where I can feel like number one!
I've got more sunshine/
Than the sun!"
Frankie then interjected.
"There's no looking back now!
You're on the right track now!"
And then as they rolled out of the steelworks, all of them joined together in unison. Except one engine, of course.
"This is the hottest place in town!"
The mysterious music in the background stopped as those concerned all looked about. "What a day!" Hurricane said. "You'll be good to go in the morning, I guarantee it."
"Thanks!" Izzy said, and she began to back Porter into the shed nearby. As Porter rolled past Frankie, she could have sworn she saw a glint of gold. But when she glanced back it was gone.
"Oh. Must be my eyes playing tricks on me!"