Toot-Toot Trains
Toot! Toot!
Toot! Ding!
Ding! Ding!
All aboard! Chug! Chug!
Chug! As the Pacific Northwest Train slowly pulled away from the station.
Clickity-clack! Clickity-clack, as they rolled down the old railroad
track. The big northwest locomotive
pulling many cars and one little lost caboose named "Carley."
Lickity-split cities passed by the windows with all the passengers' faces
pressed firmly against them. Cars
waited patiently at the railroad crossings for the train to pass and the gates
to lift and allow them to go through.
Up ahead the snow blowers paved the way as the train headed slowly up the
mountain. Toot! Toot!
Toot! Echoed loudly as they
plowed through the ice-sickle tunnels. Outside
of the train the railroad workers switched the tracks with ease to allow the
other heavy trains to pass swiftly by.
"Portland ahead!" The conductor announced, as the squeak of the
brakes were heard. "Onto the beautiful Pacific northwest with Seattle our
next destination!" The dining
car was still filled with hungry passengers and the smell of warm food emanated
down the corridors. The children
could be heard playing games and watching movies as you entered the kids' car.
Out the window a small white tailed deer rushed through the heavy snow
and into the safe haven of the forest.
In the locomotive the engineer heard a disturbing announcement of a run
away train on a one-way track. Smoke
from that train was now visible and rose high up into the air.
The railroad workers were scurrying around trying to find some way to
stop it. It was the famous
locomotive "Sommer" and everyone knew she was in great danger.
What were they to do?
Suddenly the little lost caboose Carley called the engineer from the very
back of the train and asked to help. This
was Carleys' mother, Sommer, the locomotive that was in trouble and he was
desperate to help her. Carley
thought and thought of a way to stop a big locomotive out of control but being
so little himself he knew it was impossible.
Little Carley the caboose didn't give up hope.
He came up with a plan and asked the engineer to patch him through to his
mother. Little Carley begged and pleaded with his mother but there
was no answer. She just kept
chugging faster and faster down the tracks.
But Carley refused again to give up.
He pleaded with her over and over again until finally there was a little
faint voice that answered him back. He
couldn't make out what she was saying so Carley quickly yelled; "Mommy pull
the emergency brake!" "Please!"
Please!" You are running out of time!" "Hurry!"
Her locomotive was filled with dark smoke and she was barely able to
reach the emergency brake. She flew past Carley's train so fast that he knew there
wasn't any time left for her to stop. He
closed his eyes and cried and cried! Suddenly
he heard a loud squeal of her brakes and she came to an abrupt stop, just inches
from the river.
Sommer wasn't safe yet. The
black fog from the fire blanketed the entire locomotive.
Carley the caboose quickly pleaded with the passengers aboard his
northwest train to grab the fire extinguishers and buckets of water to help put
out her fire. The passengers all
joined together in a line as men and women passed buckets of water over to the
disabled locomotive. Even children
of all ages shoveled snow onto her to help.
Carley was overjoyed to hear his mothers voice saying; "Thank-you
son, I am okay now!" "I
am so proud of you and I love you!" Carley
cried tears of joy and requested the engineer to toot his horn in honor of his
mother.
Toot! Toot!
Toot! Ding!
Ding! Ding!
Carley and his mother Sommer were soon reunited at the station and he was
once again hooked up at the very end of her train.
Her locomotive was remodeled after the fire and they chugged clickty-clack
right down the old railroad track. All
the other trains; Toot! Toot!
Tooted! And Ding!
Ding! Dinged!
At the famous little train and Carley the happy little caboose clung
proudly on the back!
Copyright
1997 by Author Patti Tricoli
