GreyhoundProductions

"For one to embrace the forlorn and abstaining nature of mankind, one must lose themselves and all of which they grasp in the tainting vile of their blood to feel its ravenous and unending forbearance. All are granted this gateway through unforeseen circumstances that lead them to the forefront of healing, or rebirth, or even more so the lucid and arcane prospect of ascension. I've broken from my prison of the vile, never ending sea of my own shattered psyche and the cage of my own maddening tainted insight, I've killed my bastardized homunculi that had stolen my life from me and reclaimed it all as my own right once again, I've endured my rebirth under the night and gale from my needless metal husk, and now tonight I shall truly be reborn through the seizure and ministration of the vile essence of a broken, bitter, and decrepit old man who hath set the hands of fate into motion. Tonight I shall finally transcend all of man as a demon of their own making. So witness my second coming as

April 11th, 1948 Bristol, North Temple Meads yard, South of Lawrence Hill April yet again had started passing it's way across the Isle of England with such fervor and blissfulness as the calm cold mornings of the previous month turn to misty and dewey scenes of peaceful pasture and nature. However that can mean little else but a short reprieve from the frigidness that is the British weather in all its stereotypical form such as rain storms, hail, fog, and of course….more rain storms…and frost. Work on the newly formed British Railways had slowly begun in earnest to both the pleasure and dismay of many engines alike for it marked the end of the golden age of British rail travel across the Isles and the beginning of the privatization era of the big four companies. On that calm morning the sound of an exacerbated Austerity can be heard idling by with his line of coal wagons due for the stathes at the Terminal in Avonmouth, of course the day would begin its pick when he came into view of another engine idling by the freight shed. Kilston: Oh ay there!! I've not seen you round here? *The lone old engine looks back at him* Urie: no but I've seen you, you're from the Irish Collier's up past Coalpit Heath right!, names Cartwright, Robyn Urie Cartwright. Kilston: Oh you eard' of me? how's that I'm just a Collier's engine? Urie: That spritely Midlander down by the dockyards by Avonmouth told me, said you showed her the ropes Kilston: Which one cuz we have two? Urie: ya know the little dockside shunter from Lancashire, she's faster on her wheels than the Austin's being made in Longbridge. Kilston: You work for em' or sumthin? Urie: no just the usual work order, I'm down from Birmingham to pick up the engine blocks for these things from the Southwark Borough of London. Kilston: I eard' of Southwark! ain't what it used to be since the Blitz from what I eard'. Urie: well I heard from some old friends from the NorthWestern that it's getting better, dockyards certainly have improved along the Thames in recent months "Kilston took a moment and was puzzled by what he meant in his phrase, North Western, since he is not too familiar with any company prior to the big four in war time, but he did however notice Cartwright's design" Kilston: ey! How old are you by the way? if you don't mind me asking Urie: only 27, yeah i'm not really that old even for a crewe built iron runner like me, us old D's don't know when to throw in the towel Kilston: old enough honestly that's the age many pregroupers are now, and what line did you mention there! North Western? Urie: the London & North Western Railway company, it was one of the original companies that formed one of the big four after all. “Kilston was quite surprised since he had never really met many engine’s from the old northern pre grouping railways in the west midlands. His experience with pre grouper’s mostly came from engine’s who worked for the Great Eastern and North British Railways when he and Johnny first worked at the old steel mill in Scunthorpe near Grimsby during the war half a decade ago” Kilston: Damn!! That’s quite the news to me Urie: likewise I imagine since my type mostly work in West Yorkshire these days with a lot of the old midlander’s Kilston: well that’s quite the intrigue I’ll say for sure, wish i could chat longer but my guards just comin up from platform Urie: well i’ll see you whenever then *toots his whistle* got trucks waiting for me Cardiff Kilston: see you round mate' *hoots his whistle and huffs off* hm! Urie? That sounds a bit familiar “Kilston pondered the thought as he made his way from Bristol’s Temple Mead Station down towards the docks at Avonmouth. Recalling the name when Elizabeth first got assigned to work out of Bristol herself for commuter services from Manchester fields to Newport and Hereford the previous winter. He soon made it to the dockyards where Johnny and another shunter could be seen moving cars about the quayside" ???: And you're telling me that's how you ended up coming off the rails because some dumb youths kept laying pound coins across them?! Johnny: Oh it's true! Station Master was in a roar after laying the book down on em with the yard foreman, honestly I'd just call it a typical day in Blackpool ???: And I thought York was a hell hole! Johnny: Try Leeds, then you'd know the first few layers Kilston: *rolls up with a toot of his whistle* yeah and your the ferryman to his Dante am I right Johnny: pfft oh please I'd be at the bottom of the pit if I weren't such a Loiner Kilston: too right *he looks at the fellow shunter* oh who's by the way Johnny! One a your mate's from a long time ago or sumthin? Johnny: Ah yeah! Ey this's my good mate Manny, I've known him since the blazing mid years Kilston: Kilston's the name, so what's yours? Manton: Manton Ruth, pleasure meeting you here Kilroy *Snickers* Kilston:……Johnny you bastard… Johnny: *cracking wheezing* ey!, I only said it once he just took the ball home hahh!!! Manton: all jokes aside *chuckles* you got your guess right, me and Jonathan met when we were both working on the former Lancaster and Carlisle Railway way back in the day Johnny: yeah the old Johnson's working the yard were impressed you could do twice the work with little effort, especially since you're the only successful prototype of a class that never got built! A shame really, woulda been nice to see more of your type around Manton: well it took the money of a lord to have Sir Fowler build me to begin with, I was no inexpensive piece of engineering Johnny: even though he thought of building more of you to replace the old Johnson's? Manton: well yeah! It's how the Jinty's won over me, built at a fair price with less hassles Kilston: sounds like you don't mind being a sole example Manton: well at least I don't need to worry about being scrapped anytime soon at the moment, my old home island still retains some ownership of me, but I've always wanted to be away from that small world and I'm happy with that Kilston: hehe.. I almost envy you but all the more respect to you Johnny: ey being named after the fallen soldier son of an old sudric lord is still quite an honor Manton: it has its moments, but anyways, should we get back to it Johnny boy! Johnny: well if killer here has got the time to help then yeah Kilston: What's the matter, is the workload too much for you both? Manton: no nothing like that but we are kind of packed over here with all this freight coming into port here Johnny: yeah it's busy enough here on the dock that Maddie girl had to go start running local goods runs to the main yard up river Kilston: poor girl, well what's to done first then Johnny: Well I need' to get on back to the pits so help Manton out ere' for a bit till Maddie gets back from Clifton District "Not long afterward, we see Manton and Kilston working their way around the quay with all manner of deliveries coming in by the literal boat load, thank goodness they were only fishing boats. The pair of engines manage all these deliveries in record time and we're having quite a delight as to how easy the work really was" Manton: wow this is easier than being a workshop engine Kilston: Well I imagine so! Your not moving boilers around and working in a cramped yard for one thing Manton: oh the work was easy there regardless, I'm just happy to be out in such a lovely place Kilston: How could that have been easy?! Moving big new boilers and tenders around in such a cramped yard alone would drive me up a wall Manton: my designer was on par with Sir Fowler but was more ambitious with small engines in particular surprisingly! Compound cylinders, a giesel ejector, shortened experimental superheater, improved coal reserve, sloped extended water tanks, he gave me the lot in power for being such a small design Kilston: don't you have a half sister or something like that? I heard my company bought her when her designer died cuz he stole your designers plans for you from him and just modified her to be a tender engine? Manton: oh yeah you're talking about Freya! Yeah her designer I believe was a disgraced scottish robber baron named Tweedy, yeah he stole my blueprints but I'm glad she was built, hope to meet her someday really since it'd be nice to meet someone relatable Kilston: *chuckles* all in good time, I suppose you never know Manton: it's what makes life interesting if you ask me Madaline: *chuffs in suddenly* your only saying that because you want to venture the world Ruth Manton: oh come on! it doesn't hurt to know more outside the country Madaline: yeah but you still have work to do and we musn't squander it Kilston: *comically shocked* wow tell him too right Maddie girl! "Madaline eyed him with disdain and recompense" Madaline: and you! You better get off your bunk and get finished with those wagons you hear me Mister Kilston: whoa ey' ey' I'm on it! I'm away! Jeeesusss!! Manton: pfft told you the same right back hehehe… Madaline: what did I say!! Manton: ah crap! Hey wait up Kilston!! "With some flaring "encouragement" from a beleaguered Madaline, Kilston and Manton find themselves busy up and around the quayside and canals of lower Bristol. The work was long, hard, and tedious, other shunters and smaller freight engines from Temple Meads yard would be called on down to pull the long trains away and leave more empty wagons for the industrials to shuffle about. Kilston was soon approached by the harbor master, Mr Wesley Parker, for a unique work order and had him off to the ferry docks up by the Severn River." Kilston: What's Parker got in store for us Driver?! Jeremiah Edwards: says here we got to deliver some goods from the nearby depot and load onto a car ferry bound for Cardiff in the next couple of hours Kilston: car ferry! What's that even cuz I've never eard' of it? Jeremiah Edwards: just a barge meant to load trucks onto for transport on shallow water is all, me and my younger brother use to watch them being loaded up back in Plymouth Dockyard when we were young boys Kilston: eh well sounds easy enough, anybody there to help us out? Jeremiah Edwards: no we're on our own for this one but from what I heard the ferry shouldn't be there for a couple of hours Kilston: oh we may as well have a rest from the work if it ain't much then *smiles* "He spoke a little too soon for that" Kilston: ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!!!! "apparently Mr Parker hadn't informed the engines delivering the trucks to organize them in anyway so when Kilston arrived the yard was in a right state of chaos, nothing was where it was supposed to be" Jeremiah Edwards: well damn we got our got hands full now Kilston: *sighs and wheeshes* urrghhhh!! let's just get started… Jeremiah Edwards: lucks not with us today boy Kilston: like it ever was when I woke to the sounds of Johnny's hangover… "Kilston huffed and chuffed his bunk off for the next couple of hours doing nothing but shuffling lines and lines of empty trucks into their proper order, as proper as he can get at least without breaking a bolt over how unnecessary it was. As he had finished shunting the last line of wagons into place, he heard the sounds of tugboat whistle roaring nearby" Jeremiah Edwards: eh looks like we're just in time then, how are youa holding up there boy? Kilston: *wheeshing in exhaustion* bout' as good as a worn out roller bearing… Jeremiah Edwards: well we're almost through so let's get all this stuff lined for the barge "As kilston and a few dockyard workers were organizing the lines of cars for the barge, his driver was approached by the foreman to file in the paperwork for delivery of the rolling stock" Jeremiah Edwards: oh! Hey boy I'm gonna go into the office to fill out some paperwork, sit tight and I'll be right back in a few! Kilston: right get to it, don't take too long okay Jeremiah Edwards: lad we both know how long this takes Kilston: *sighs* crap… "Kilston's driver, the dock foreman, and the tug boat crew were in the yard master's office for quite awhile, so much so that the exhausted saddle engine fell asleep while waiting for them. While asleep, a 4F freight engine named Walter coming down from the north was backing down his wagons for a last minute delivery for the barge" Walter's Driver: Walter! Could you slow down already!! Walter: Look we're late enough as it is okay! Last thing I need is to hear the yard masters complaints, That stop in Kidderminster didn't help much at all Walter's Driver: hey you needed a coal stop and we had to drop off the cream okay! Christ if your stubbornness gets us off the line then I'm gonna put "killed by stupid" on my tombstone "The loader came up to them in a roar" Loader: Hey!! What's this then! I wasn't expecting last minute drop offs Walter's Driver: we were stopped by a minor derailment outside of Worcester, damn signalman's controls were broken Walter: damn creamery also held us up with offloading the damn load Loader: Well I don't care! This load is long overdue that you missed your last barge Walter: You see! I told you!! Walter's Driver: right right okay fine just shut up okay! Look there's one more clear line for just these last few wagon's so can we please just unload them here Loader: this load's bound for Cardiff where's this one s'pose to go? Walter's Driver: Rumney Loader: well your gonna have to send a post to the harbormaster there if you want this taken care of Walter Okay!! Okay I've heard enough of this!! Let's get going!! "Walter suddenly grew impatient and backed his train down onto the barge without anyone's say" Loader: Ey!!! What'd you think your doing Walter's Driver: damnit Trawden!! What'd you up and do that for!! Walter: we're wasting time bickering here! I'm not wasting more of it on flippin paperwork *huffs off* "He then huffed away in impudence with the loader chasing after" Loader: What?!! Ey!! You old bastard get back here!!! "The tug boat crew then came back and boarded their vessel while the helmsman and dock crew began untying the ropes mooring the barge to the shore" Helmsman: all lines clear! Ready to disembark!! Captain: hurry back aboard! Cardiff here we come then!! *Sounds off the tugboat whistle* "Little did they know, Kilston was on the same line that Walter backed down his empty train onto and was now sitting well asleep on the barge that was now disembarking down the Severn Estuary towards Wales" *An hour later* Kilston: *slowly waking up* ohhhhhhrrr god!!! *sighs* are we done already Jerry… "But all he got back was silence and the sounds of seagulls and moving water" Kilston: Jerry? *Looks around* Jerry you there?!! "Then he took a good look in front of him and immediately he was so out of his mind" Kilston: WHAT THE FUCK!!!!!! *echoes* "He woke up to view of the wide waterway of the Severn River, seeing seagulls soaring aloft around the barge and seeing passing vessels going by heading up and down the traffic way from Swansea or Gloucester" Kilston: You have got to be breaking my rod here! Where am I!! *Later back on the Avon Quayside* Jeremiah Edwards: *steps out of the office* alright William thanks for the paperwork *shuts the door* alright Kilsy boy we're about done here so let's get go……where's he gone? *Looks around* Kilston! *Walks up the quay in a panic* KILSTON!!!!! *Back on the barge* Kilston: well fucking great now what! Where am I even going!! "Suddenly a slam of the tugboat wheelhouse door was heard and the captain started wandering the deck for the noise while the first mate takes helm" Tugboat Captain: Alright who the hell is complaining out here!!! Tug Deckhand: you heard it too? Well I dunno it wasn't me?! *The captain then hops onto the barge and walks around to the front* Tugboat Captain: Alright who the hells back he……. Kilston: *blankly stares at him* ey' mate… Tugboat Captain: ....the fuck are you doing ere'?! Kilston: oh I just thought I'd take a nice long merry filled cruise down to Fistral Beach, THE HELL D'YOU THINK I'M DOING ERE'!!! Tugboat First Mate: Captain!!! I got a wire for you! It's from Avon Quayside!! Tugboat Captain: oh brilliant timing! Kilston: Tell me about it! "The captain went back up to the wheelhouse while Kilston stayed idle still on his place on the barge, however he wasn't alone as an old lone brake van was alongside him the whole time" ???: You gettin' a transfer too? Never thought they'd start shipping you lot on the water' Kilston: I don't even know how I got ere'! If it's a transfer then it'd better be back on dry land ???: Eh well at least you got some kind of home to get on back too, can't say the same for me Kilston: Oh why! What's gotten up with you? ???: Yard office thinks I'm past it now, think I'd oughta be working in a backwater branch line in Wales, I am about forty five now so I guess he ain't wrong on that Kilston: You look perfectly fine to me! What's wrong with you for em' to be rid of ya? ???: Frames are shot to shit, my wheels ain't seen a fitter since before the war, my plankings rotting in a couple a places, crews hardly use me anymore since my brakes never worked right, a right mess all round really Kilston: Well we got time till we make landfall, what'd you use to do in your days? ???: Oh nothin special to be honest really, I was always on freight duty with the ole T18's and N31's out of Great Yarmouth and Ipswich, after that it was nothing but being a transfer van from Enfield, Chingford, Norwich, to even Southend-on-Sea, been across the old Great Eastern a hundred times over doin nothin but that Kilston: must've been quite boring ???: It was nice with all the sightseeing but honestly I'm inclined to agree, even so though, wish I could get back at it one last try "Kilston thought for a moment and grinned with an idea spurring in his smoke box" Kilston: I think I've got a good idea for you mate, what do you think about working in a colliery for a change? ???: Well I haven't been down that avenue to be quite honest, but really I wouldn't mind as long as I'm actually being used to my fullest even if I'm covered from roof to axles in coal soot, so y'know what, yeah! I'd like that really Kilston: good to hear it then, gonna need to tell my driver whenever I see him after this, hopefully I'm not in trouble ???: Somehow I doubt your in any at all, it's good to meet you Kilston I'm really grateful Kilston: Oh it's nothing really, what's your name by the way? Bishop: friends back home call me Bishop Kilston: well I hope to work with you in future Bishop Bishop: let's hope so "The pair soon make landfall at Cardiff Bay Dockyard a few hours later, an engineman from the dockyard moves Kilston along and has him offload the trucks and Bishop from the barge and are soon left on a siding after Kilston got word back from Mr. McAree and Jeremiah from the harbor master. as they were idling around, Kilston and Bishop heard the familiar sound of an eight axled engine backing down and soon find themselves being coupled onto the back of outgoing freight train" Kilston: Guess we finally got our ride back home Bishop: Guess this is the beginning of a new road for me, are you sure your boss will take me in? Kilston: without a doubt, I heard talk of him needing a crew van and the boys in the workshop have been wanting to work on more than old mining carts so I'd say your chances are pretty good Bishop: Thanks again for this mate, I owe you one Kilston: I'll keep you too that *smiles* Speaking of which, who's pulling us along? *Whistles* you know where your goin' there mate'!!! Urie: *whistles back* I'm taking you around and back home is where you're going! Guess this was meant to be wouldn't you say Kilston! Kilston: Urie?! Didn't know you'd be here already! What's got you going back?! Urie: well I heard they're in need of more engines in Cheltenham since they started transferring more engines this way around, I figured somewhere closer by would be nice, especially since an old student of mine is under your students care Kilston: So you are Lizzie's mentor!! Urie: She never disappoints and she's grown since I last saw her, but I guess it's hard to not want to check up on your successor's, you'll understand in due time my friend Kilston: hmhm Johnny would have to agree with you on that, he taught me my ropes and we're a better team than ever Urie: even with his drunken bouts? Kilston: pfft oh I'd rather him than the idiot who put me on the barge Urie: can't argue with you there *whistles for departure* homeward bound we go then Kilston: let's go *whistles back* "The cavalcade arrived later around nightfall back in Avonmouth with little to no delay, Manton was in a siding along with Madaline to take the empty wagons away and to take Kilston and Bishop back to the Colliery. Manton approached the pair to check and see if all was alright while Madaline uncoupled the pair from the rear of Urie's train" Manton: Good to see your cruise provided you transport home otherwise you'd be speaking Welsh by now Kilston: very funny but I think I'm good on dock work for a little while Bishop: at least we're not at the bottom of the river Kilston: Too right! Madaline: how did you end up on the barge anyway? I can't believe I'm even having to ask that Kilston: well the last thing I remember was feeling a big bump and later waking up to the Severn Estuary right in front of me "Manton then pulled alongside and gave them their much needed answer" Manton: yeah that big bump was flippin Walter Trawden! Kilston: eh?! Bishop: what?! Madaline: Oh why him of all scrap! Kilston: Wait y'know em Maddie?! Madaline: He was based in Fleetwood when I first arrived there back in 1927 Bishop: What's the story on him? Madaline: he was always an impatient one and nearly caused a lot of problems for many of us because of his impatience, he was more trouble than I ever could've been with my old pranks in those days, so much so that he was sent to work out in the middle of nowhere in the Yorkshire Dales on the Garsdale branch in Hawes Manton: I was up there on that branch in the mid thirties and I honestly hated working with that old Fowler, nearly ran me off the rails when we're double heading a coal train down to Settle, he got reassigned to Bath and I never heard from him since Kilston: damn the prick went to Bath?! I feel sorry for the blueys who had deal with his arse Manton: I'm surprised he wasn't sent away to the far north, last anyone knew of him was he was permanently working in Templecombe Bishop: sounds like they finally rid of em' Manton: unfortunately *sigh* well that's all behind now, better get this lot in the yard *couples up to the empty train* you two take care… oh and Bishop!! Bishop: Hm?! Manton: best of luck to you *huffs away* Bishop: Thank you kindly *Madaline couples up in front to an exhausted austerity* Madaline: Time we head home gent's, I've had enough wild goose chases for one day Kilston: I've had enough of being the goose *yawns* homeward then Maddie Madaline: I've got you both so you can shut your eyes for a bit Kilston Bishop: do as she says mate' I've got lookout for ya Kilston: *shuts his eyes smiling* thanks you two~ "While the trio make they're way home, we find Urie rolling his way up to the Temple Meads engine sheds to find Drummond and Elizabeth fast asleep. He rolled up to her birth and noticed her quivering from an unpleasant dream, she may be a strong girl but she was still young and afraid of the world for what it has dealt to her with her abuse from her old shed mates. Urie rolled up closer and quietly spoke some familiar words of wisdom to her" Urie: My dear youngling Lizzie, you have grown stronger with these new friends of yours that it makes me prouder than ever, and no matter what, you keep going prove yourself to be stronger than anyone back home in Stoke-on-Trent ever will be. Be strong and be brave Elizabeth for I have taught you all I could and all you could ever need~ "Elizabeth slowly calmed down and slowly drifted into a peaceful deep slumber" Urie: until next time my dear youngling, take care *huffs away from the sheds* "And with that, the old northerner puffed off alone into the night knowing full well that his former student is in safe hands here among the industrials" The End