Two Sliders on the Rails

Scooter pulls his 1974 red and white Ford F100 pickup truck into the parking lot at CRSl’s Cradle depot.

Scooter lets out a cloud of smoke from his truck as he rolls down the foggy window. He slides out of the truck seat while closing the windows and heads to the depot for instructions on his trip.

On the intercom at the depot, “Scooter, you’re working the vehicle train today with Morris the Cat (Engineer) who is already on the train on track 2. Also, you have a setout and a pickup of auto cars at Maroon Station. Check out your Ipad for specific instructions. Enjoy your trip to Minslow.”

Scooter walks through the yard stepping over the train rail as he keeps his duffle bag slung over his left shoulder blade. At the same time, he chews on the Cuban cigar he received from Morris the Cat the last time they worked together.

Scooter grabs the locomotive bars to push himself up the steps. The smoke fills the air as he opens up the cab door.

“Hello Scooter, how do you like those Cuban cigars I bought from Havana, “as Morris puffs a wad of smoke from his Cuban towards the front window.

“Love those cigars, we have 80 autocars with 40 autos for pickup and 55 to setout at Maroon Station. Let’s roll towards Maroon and eventually to Minslow.”

Morris pulls the throttle back toward run as the train moves forward while the wheels grind louder as the brake pads move away from the wheels and the hissing from the pistons increase as they disappear.

At the Raddle Motel where railroaders stay 2 miles from the Minslow Depot, Robert Marvin a tall black haired light skinned man twiddles his thumbs at dinner at the motel with Engineer Willie Mays Hayes and his girlfriend Mildred Walters a housekeeper at the Raddle hotel.

“Robert, I really enjoy a dinner with a big strong conductor.”

“Thank you and I appreciate my dinner with you and Willie.”

“You know Robert once you leave me early morning, Morris the Cat will spend time with me at the motel.”

Willie smiles after hearing this while Robert also smiles at Willie and Mildred.

At the same time now, Scooter’s vehicle train escapes Cradle and runs into Howard Station at 45 mph grinding on the rails through curve after curve about 40 miles from Maroon Station.

“Morris the rear cars will be setout on track 1 and the pickup will take place on track 2 where we will do the air test. I do have an air gage.”

“Sounds great Scooter, I figure we will be at the station in an hour and the work will probably take about 2 hours.”

At this time, Willie took off to his room after dinner since he was going to work early in the morning at Minslow. Robert and Mildred took off in the opposite direction.

Scooter and Morris’s vehicle train pulls into Maroon Station, Morris slows the train down by pushing the throttle toward the slower speed down all the way to zero while applying the application brake. Scooter gets his gear on and proceeds to get off the locomotive and lines the switches while taking off the derails toward track 1. The train is ready to back up now.

On the train radio, “Conductor Scooter on the ground protecting the shove of the train. Bring the train back 60 cars to a spot-on track 1.”

Morris puts the throttle in the reverse position and releases the brakes which start hissing while the pistons disappear. The train begins to move backwards.

“”Five, three, two, stop ,”on the train radio by Scooter.

“Scooter, Scooter my chest is tightening up. I can’t move any more. “

“Morris I just dialed 911 and the paramedics are on their way. I am running as I speak and hang in there.”

Scooter gets up to the locomotive cab and briskly performs CPR. Morris after a few minutes starts to feel a little better.

The paramedics arrive and continue to administer CPR  and wisk Morris the Cat away as the ambulance comes and goes to Maroon Hospital.

Scooter ties down the train after putting the train in braking mode. Scooter releases the brakes of the train as the hissing gets louder as the pistons disappear. The brakes of the train hold so Scooter now sits and waits for the new train crew and his van to go to Minslow, the original destination. The new crew shows up and Scooter heads to the Maroon Hospital to see his friend Morris. Upon arriving at the hospital, Scooter heads down to Morris’s room 320. A lady in a housekeeping outfit walks into the room right before he does. Scooter walks into room 320.

“Hello Mildred Walters and Mildred the Cat,” says Scooter.

Both women look at each other while checking out the life support machine Morris is on. The doctor walks into the room and looks at both of the women.

“Which one of you is Morris’s wife?”

“I am Morris’s wife and my name is Mildred the Cat. “

Then the wife pulls the curtain behind her.