Chapter Text
Punctual trains were good trains. Everyone knew that. A comfortable and smooth ride was only a secondary need. A train could be the most luxurious thing ever, if it didn’t run on time, what good was it?
What most did not consider, however, was what needed to go into making trains punctual. There was the work of the driver, avoiding wheelslip whenever but without wasting time. Then there was the firemammal, always tending to the fire to make sure there was enough steam to power even the most coal-hungry engines. Somebody else was in charge of setting switches and signals. They were probably somewhere along rail lines, maybe.
If one were to ask a stranger what went into running a railway, those would likely be amongst the most informative and accurate answers. What nobody ever considered was the upkeep of engines. A broken seat or a missing door handle in a fine passenger coach? Sure, ‘they’ll replace that’. What about the engines themselves, though? Hardly anyone might consider what needed to happen to keep engines running.
The truth was, locomotives needed repairs every now and again. Be it a bent buffer beam after a collision with something or someone on the tracks, new tubes in the boiler, or something as simple as new wheels or even just new bolts and rivets or the tightening of some harder to access screws. These repairs in question did not magically happen by themselves. No, highly skilled and well trained mechanics were needed for these often delicate and tedious jobs. These duties behind the scenes were crucial, so that engines wouldn’t just fall apart at the seams, especially while travelling at speed.
Kris’s POV
Time and date: 15:48 - Monday, 29th June, 1885
Kris was an otter who lived at a running shed in the settlement of Bunnyburrow. She was a cheeky little otter with a petite form, olive green eyes, a necklace with a yellow pearl, black work boots, and a tendency to wear pink clothing. She was a fussy little otter too, always fixing up engines, ready for the train crew to take on long journeys. And when trains came in, she got to work repairing any damages on the locomotives, so that they were ready to pull trains again a few days later.
Kris thought no one worked as hard as she did. She sometimes got played tricks on her, always by Percy, the laziest and most insufferable squirrel of all. He liked making silly but often rude comments at her. “Come here, pretty lady. Why don’t you have fun with someone like me?”
The otter and the squirrel got along just fine most of the time but sometimes, he would get on her nerves. Such was the case on a sunny afternoon on a hot summer day.
Kris had just finished up work on a big project that took up most of her time throughout nearly the entire month of June. It was a very badly damaged heavy freight engine, which had had a collision with a large elephant from a travelling circus. This accident had destroyed not only the buffer beam and couplings but also the guard irons, parts of the smokebox, as well as the leading bogie and its wheels.
When the newly repaired freight engine headed out of the running shed where Kris worked and lived at, she hitched a ride into town. While the locomotive was scheduled to head off with a fully loaded train of carrots, beans, onions, beets, corn, radish, potatoes, peas, and other produce, the otter remained in Bunnyburrow and headed for the saloon. She planned to enjoy a couple of drinks and wind down for a little while.
The saloon was not very busy at the moment, only tending to a couple of patrons, most of which were prey animals. As an otter, one of only a few species of chompers that could be found in Bunnyburrow, Kris was unpopular by default. The only other otters that lived in the whole Tri-Burrows, as far as Kris was aware, was a reserved couple who were a frequent sight at Jumbeaux’s Saloon. Other patrons already knew them and didn’t mind.
The railway otter visited far more infrequently, however, so she received a number of stares. At least, nobody would sit down next to her and harass her while she sat at the bar counter.
“What will it be, chomper?” asked the bartender. He was Jerry Jumbeaux Jr., the founder and owner of this saloon. Kris still preferred him over his assistant, a rude kangaroo buck. However, another one of his employees, an eternally friendly bunny with blue eyes Kris had only ever seen on exceptionally rare occasions was far more likable too. “I’ll have a beer, please,” requested the exhausted mustelid with a polite smile that showed none of her teeth.
After climbing up the impractically tall bar stool and without getting asked, the otter placed a few coins on the counter in front of her. She preferred to pay for each drink right away or else, her tab might mysteriously include some items she had never ordered in the first place. This was the way for most of her kind. The elephant placed a heavy glass with more foam than beer on the counter and stepped aside to tend to other customers and clean used glasses.
Kris sighed and took a big swig. The taste was actually not that appealing to the otter but she enjoyed the drink regardless. Without anybody to talk to, the mustelid opted to observe the other patrons and eavesdrop a little. On another table, the two married otters talked about starting a family. They were still fairly young and neither was related to Kris. Sometimes, she wondered how her life would have looked if Emmitt had ended up with her instead of that other lady. He appeared a little too boring, though, being interested in plants and not much else.
There was also a pair of wolves a little further from where Kris was sitting. The otter had had her fair share of fun with both of them but eventually, she had lost interest. They simply weren’t what she was looking for. From what the mustelid could tell, the two lupines had never gotten over her, though. It was unfortunate because as a direct result, they avoided all contact with her. Kris felt bad about these circumstances. The wolves talked quietly enough that the otter couldn’t understand them. One of them howled out a short laugh but quickly adapted a more socially acceptable chuckle.
Two antelopes at another table were easier to listen to, they made no effort to talk quietly whatsoever. “Have you seen the saddle? It was so dirty afterwards,” said one of them. “Yeah but that wasn’t the worst part. That bird threw his shoe, just like that,” responded the other. Kris had no context but it sounded like someone had fallen off of their bird. Be it out of clumsiness or for other reasons, the otter didn’t know or care to find out.
“Threw his shoe? Oh come on, I ain’t payin’ for that!” The conversation became louder. “Shut up, I didn’t even ask you to cover the costs!” Kris found it hard to keep a straight face. “You shut up! You was about to ask! I know that!”
And there they went again. “No, you shut up!” It was too predictable, even for someone like Kris, who visited this saloon maybe once or twice in a month. “Now, we can pay that chomper blacksmith for a new one!” complained one of them.
The blacksmith… He would do for a good distraction right about now. Kris had wanted to ask him about something anyway. Maybe, after she finished her drink, she would pay him a visit at his shop.
“Nick! Good to see you, fox. The usual?” sounded the bartender’s voice. Kris turned to face the front door. It was the local blacksmith who stepped in. He took a seat right next to the otter. Being a chomper himself, he didn’t feel the need to keep his distance to other predators. The elephant served him a small glass full of blueberry ale.
“Thanks, Jerry,” he responded in a kind tone. Kris noticed, like she always did, that the fox did not pay for his drinks right away. She wondered if he trusted the elephant or if he would keep track of what he had bought himself. The otter took another swig from her beer. “I didn’t expect to see you here so soon,” said the fox. He started a conversation with her, which was a real delight for the otter.
“Yeah, I’m finally done with the engine that killed that clown the other month,” responded the otter. She was annoyed by the victim’s lack of awareness of his surroundings and the ignorance of the fact that trains were wider than the rails they rode on, two aspects that led to his own demise. It was a project and a half to get that engine rail-worthy again. “Poor guy…” pondered the blacksmith. “I heard he was only in his twenties too.” Kris wanted to change the topic, she didn’t care about that elephant. Not after all the work he had caused for her.
“Hmm. Hey, Nick,” said Kris. She was a little more nervous than usual around this fox. “What’s up?” Should she dance around the topic or should she be direct? “You’ve only been here for a few months, so I don’t expect you to know everything about me yet,” started the otter. Nick rolled his eyes playfully. Kris would usually smirk at that and keep the lighthearted mood with more bantering. Now, though, she remained a little on edge.
“My birthday is coming up in a week,” said the mustelid, as the fox perked his ears. “I was wondering if you might want to come celebrate with me.”
Nick turned to face Kris. He remained silent for a few seconds, then took a sip of his drink. The otter wondered if she had said too much or the wrong thing. “Fishes, before you get your hopes up, let me tell you outright, I am not interested in starting a romantic relationship with you or anyone else.” The otter’s ears turned bright red under her thick fur.
“I… I didn’t even ask about that…” she stammered. “What gave you the idea?” Nick guessed her train of thought perfectly. Kris was interested in him and fully intended to pursue that desire. “You were a little too serious for it to just be about platonic afternoon tea and a birthday cake.”
The otter exhaled. She took another swig. Nick likewise drank a little more of his own refreshment. “Will you still visit me for my birthday, though?” pressed the otter. She didn’t deny Nick’s suspicions. He pondered for a long moment. The mustelid stared at the tod for the entire duration of this awkward silence. “I won’t dance, just to make that clear.”
“Yes, you will!” retorted Kris, now much more cheekily than before. “I’ll make sure you will.” Nick huffed with an awfully cute smile. “I can’t dance. I never did that my whole life,” he reasoned. “I’ll teach you,” the otter replied. The blacksmith rolled his eyes once more. “Please. As a birthday present,” she pressed.
The sound of loud chicken clucking penetrated the room. A mouse with a pretentious suit and bright yellow hat that looked a little too big on his head entered on his bird. He rode it right under the saloon gate, ignoring the customs to leave poultry outside. “Sorry, Fishes, I gotta go now,” Nick excused himself. “That guy wants to pick up his new restaurant sign he asked me to build.” Kris sighed in disappointment.
“Right on the money, chomper,” the newcomer chuckled with a high squeak. Nick finished his drink with a final sip. He paid and headed out of the establishment. “Hang in there,” the blacksmith practically purred, as he left. Whatever that was supposed to mean, Kris didn’t know. The annoying chicken loudly carried its rider outside too.
“Got rejected by that fox, didja?” This new voice roughly matched Kris’s own mood. “Oh, acorn mash…” It was Percy the squirrel who spoke. The rodent occupied the now vacant seat a fox had sat in most recently. “He’s still a good friend… I think,” sighed the dejected mustelid. “Tell ya what, wouldja feel better if I invited ya to a drink?” asked the larger rodent. He was about half the size of the otter he was talking to. She didn’t respond to his questions and instead took a page out of Nick’s book and rolled her eyes herself.
“Hey, bartender?” asked Percy with a raised hand. The elephant accepted his call for attention with a glance in the squirrel’s direction. “Do ya have any cherry rum cocktails?” The elephant responded in the affirmative. “One of ‘em for the lady here and I’ll have a hazelnut martini for myself.”
The elephant served the ordered drinks. Kris didn’t actually want that refreshment but now that it stood in front of her, she enjoyed it regardless. Having this liquid creation ordered for her without her verbal confirmation irritated the otter, though.
“Mmmmm that’s delicious,” gushed the squirrel, praising the bartender. He flitted his tail about happily. Kris found his loud nature a little obnoxious but the enthusiasm the rodent displayed made her feel a little bit better, at the very least. The two small mammals sat in silence for a little while.
“Y’know, sometimes I wonder if ya job might be something for me,” pondered the squirrel. “If you want to help me, go ahead. But I don’t think Sir Hatt would raise your pay for that,” replied the otter. Percy just shrugged. “Do you even know how to fix engines? I’ve never seen you lift a finger. Like, ever.” The offended squirrel huffed. “Hey now, my examinations are very thorough, thank you very much.”
Kris was slightly irritated by that response. “Guess that explains why I have to work so much…” she mumbled. “Or maybe, you just want to keep your tail out of hot water and send stuff to me that isn’t in need of repairs yet.”
The otter remembered when the squirrel insisted an engine get to the running shed for repairs because it had run out of sand. That was an absurd request for sure but Kris understood the caution. Safety was critical on the rails. If the jumpy squirrel missed real damage and caused an accident, he would be held partially responsible for it. Percy laughed awkwardly and promptly changed the topic.
“Soooo… Ya birthday’s comin’ up, is that right?” That was an unexpected turn in this conversation. “Yeah, next Monday, what about it?” responded Kris. She was not in a good mood after the blacksmith had rejected her and after Percy was being annoying again. “That fox ain’t showin’ up, I guess,” continued the squirrel. “Get to the point,” said Kris. She was growing impatient. “Would ya want to spend the evening with me?”
The otter turned to look at the squirrel. He wiggled his eyebrows with a teasing, maybe even suggestive smile. If Kris was honest to herself, she realised something at that moment. Never in her whole life had she seen this squirrel as anything other than a work colleague who would sometimes be annoying. The notion that he could be interested in her had never crossed the mustelid’s mind before. Now that the topic had come up, nothing sounded more absurd, though.
If Kris had to look for attractive features on this nutcracker, it would without a doubt be the bushy tail. It reminded the otter of fox tails. And the reddish orange colour resembled the natural beauty of scarlet vulpine fur too. He was too small though, and both too jumpy and too lazy as well.
“Kris…?” came the nervous question from a concerned squirrel. The otter blinked a few times. Her mind had wandered off for a moment. “Sorry, uh,” she stuttered, not knowing what else to say. “I want to spend my birthday without anyone from work.” Hopefully, that wasn’t too rude. Was it too rude? Percy had a tendency to be rude too sometimes, intentional or not.
“I see,” he responded. Kris took another sip from her cherry cocktail. She suddenly noticed how the intense sweet taste of both the rum and the cherries were overwhelming her senses. The otter would have to make sure to get some water from the station on her way home.
“Excuse me, I have to go,” said Percy, he sounded very dejected. Kris found it hard to feel sorry for him, she was still processing getting rejected herself. The otter finished her overly sweet drink and placed the empty glass next to the one left behind by the squirrel. She noticed there was no money anywhere in sight. The bartender hadn’t come around recently either, or he would have taken Percy’s empty glass.
Kris sighed and paid for the two unwanted drinks, before she headed out herself. This stupid nutcracker had cost her a quarter buck and the rest of her nerves for the day. She would squeeze that money back out of him eventually, that was for sure. Of course, the otter understood he was not entirely at fault for her mood, he had just gotten unlucky with the timing.
Time and date: 07:04 - Monday, 13th July, 1885
Roughly half a month later, things had not changed much, at least not for the better. Nick had kept his distance from Kris, which had assured the otter be in a low mood most of the time. Unfortunately for her, ever since her birthday, Percy had been convinced the otter had changed her opinion and had developed feelings for him. While his advances hadn’t become any more obvious than the one in the week leading up to her birthday, they certainly had been creative. So far, all three of them mildly entertained the otherwise bored and lonely otter, however on this Monday morning, Kris was anything but happy about Percy’s latest shenanigans.
An engine that had been in the shed for only a week was already being prepared to head back out on the line. The only thing left to do was to reinstall the coupling rods. They transferred the steam's power from the cylinders and the various connecting rods to the wheels. Without them, none of the wheels would turn.
Large metal beams, such as those coupling rods, were impossible for a tiny otter to move without some very clever tools. Fortunately for everyone at the railway, Kris had constructed her very own pulley system as the first course of action as the lone mechanic at this running shed. She used to have a kind hippo colleague who had no trouble lifting those large parts. He had retired several years ago, though. Without a larger animal to aid the otter, she needed a new method of lifting heavy objects.
Constructing this extraordinary addition to the workshop had only been possible thanks to the various tools Kris had custom built throughout her years as a skilled mechanic. Some more recent additions to her arsenal of screwdrivers, hammers, wrenches and pliers were much more accurate than her older sets, though. The blacksmith had helped her with those.
Kris usually kept her box of tools right next to her room’s door. Every time she was done for the day, the otter would throw her utensils back into the box, go get cleaned up at the washrooms, come back to her box to double-check everything was there, head through her door and have a relaxing evening in her room. Sometimes, she would head out for a walk or ride her bird or a train into town.
On this morning, however, Kris had awoken and had breakfast but when the time to fetch her tools had come, her box had vanished. The otter was devastated. She looked everywhere for her prized possessions but found no trace of them. The fire dropper and cleaner didn’t know where the otter’s tools had been moved to either. Confusion and frustration soon became anger and Kris got mad. Nobody messed with her things!
The express engine, already in steam and mostly ready to head out, was scheduled to depart from Bunnyburrow in less than an hour! The driver was already waiting and growing impatient. “I never had a single delay throughout my whole career!” he bragged. “You chomper won’t cause a delay for me either or I’ll have your hide up on my wall.” Kris bared her teeth and retorted quickly. “Listen here, I always do my job dutifully. The quickest that any engine I repaired came back to me because it broke again wasn’t less than three whole months, you hear?”
“Then why isn’t my engine ready yet?” asked the aggressive rhino. “I can’t work if my tools aren’t here,” explained the upset otter. “I don’t know who took them but until they return, your engine will have to wait.”
Just then, the door to Percy’s room opened up and out the squirrel meandered. He looked concerned. “Oh dear… Hey, listen, Kris,” he interrupted. “I found that box in my room and it has all those tools in it. Maybe you’re looking for them…?” The otter’s jaw hung wide open. She trotted over to the squirrel’s room and entered without asking. There it was. The box full of her own tools had been moved into this nutcracker's room!
“Oh, hey, Kris. Nice to see you at my place. What brought you here?” He asked, as he picked up the wooden crate and smiled triumphantly. Percy slowly and dramatically handed the mustelid’s tools back one by one to Kris who was waiting impatiently. “Hurry up, you,” commanded the otter. “Looks like ya gotta hurry yourself. The railway would be miffed if the express gets delayed or cancelled.”
The otter was having none of this nonsense. Without another word, she threw all her tools back in the box, almost causing Percy to drop it. The predator took it and stomped out of the room to go straight to work. Kris would have loved to retaliate and get back at this squirrel but now was no time. Work called.
Both Percy and the impatient driver watched the otter, as she did her duty. Kris screwed on some safety hooks on one end of the chain. This was standard procedure whenever she would use the pulley system. Dropping anything would have been not just very costly, both in time and money, but it also had the potential to be lethal, would she stand too close or even underneath.
“I’ll get the firemammal and tell him we’re ready to depart in a few minutes,” grumbled the impatient rhino. “You better have my engine ready by then, chomper.” And with that, he walked out. Kris carefully lowered the coupling rod towards the left side to the locomotive, making sure not to bump it into anything. A lot of precision was needed for it to line up, not only with the wheels but also with many other components.
“That looks fun. I think I’ll ask if I can try out your job too some time.” said Percy. Kris tightened the screws one by one, making sure to leave no room for slack but also not blocking any movement where it was needed. Every last screw got a taper pin to secure it in place. Only once work on this side was done did Kris finally respond to the squirrel.
“What is your problem?” she nearly yelled. Percy jerked back in surprise. “Why do you think distracting me with annoying comments is a good idea? Why didn’t you return my tools sooner? Why did you take them in the first place?” The squirrel became much smaller, as he was scolded by the suddenly intimidating otter. “I… I…” he stammered. “What?” pressed Kris aggressively. “You thought taking my things would be silly and funny? Well no, it’s not. Stop disrupting my work.”
The squirrel looked to the ground, ashamed. He had definitely taken it a step too far. The upset mustelid returned to work. She moved the pulley system across the room to where the other coupling rod was stored. Kris went to work hooking it up to her lifting rig, when Percy’s voice cut in once again.
“Get it on there quickly, please,” he begged. “The driver already asked me if maybe, someone forgot to turn the calendar since the engine came in.” Kris glared at him, as she moved the second coupling rod closer to the locomotive’s right side. She hissed at the squirrel, as she started tightening the screws that connected the coupling rod and the connecting rod to the cylinder.
“Want to go out for drinks later, maybe?” suggested Percy. “You know, to forget this stressful morning?” Kris interrupted her work to glare at the irritating rodent. The squirrel’s expression fell, as he saw how angry the otter had become.
Maybe he tried to distract her further, maybe he tried to salvage the situation, Kris didn’t know for certain. But what happened next was disastrous.
“Come on, come on!” Percy called out to an approaching rhino and a boar. “Your engine’s ready.” Kris kept glaring at the squirrel. This engine was her hard work and now, he tried to take credit for it. This was unacceptable. The angry otter huffed and stomped away to put her tools back into her box.
The rhino driver and boar firemammal arrived at the locomotive. They wasted no time and hastily climbed up onto the footplate, where they would be positioned while operating this locomotive. The previous day, a fire had already been started to build up steam, so they could take over and start rolling right away. Kris heard the handbrakes getting cranked open.
Her heart dropped and her eyes grew wide.
“What was that holdup about? Did ya hide your tools somewhere to avoid ya work?” shouted the mad rhino at a shocked otter.
Kris usually worked dutifully and well on time, if she had access to her tools and no distractions. This time, however, Percy had irritated her so much, she had forgotten to tighten some of the screws on the second coupling rod!
This could be bad…
Percy was the one who answered next. “You know how it is,” he chuckled. “So much to do around here.” The driver shook his head disapprovingly. “She’s only one otter who can do so much. It would really go a long way if we had another mechanic, dontcha think?” That last part was directed at Kris.
With the brakes now released, the engine started moving. It puffed once, then twice, then a third time.
Kris was about to say something in response to the squirrel but she wouldn’t get the chance.
A loud metallic sound thundered through the whole shed. The coupling rod fell off!
The engine’s puffs became much weaker in response. The right cylinder still had steam flowing through its mechanisms but without the coupling rod, it would go to waste and not help move the heavy rail vehicle. The other cylinder was now in charge of moving the locomotive all by itself.
The rhino driver noticed the sudden loss of power and a drop in speed. What any sane mammal would do in this situation was to bring the vehicle to a standstill to inspect what had gone wrong but that was not this rhino’s reaction. Perhaps, the delay or his focus on his own reputation were the main cause. Regardless, he opened the regulator further to compensate for the unusual lack of performance from this engine. He likely wanted to keep his train’s delay to a minimum. This, however, had the opposite effect, as the remaining coupling rod had to work harder and harder now.
Kris was mortified from the part that had fallen off. The driver apparently didn’t even realise it, he only applied more power and kept shunting away. But now there was a new problem. The remaining coupling rod started to bend under the immense stress it was subjected to! It deformed out of shape and eventually cracked apart entirely!
The engine huffed loudly in retaliation but it was much too late. At last, the driver applied the brakes again. He leaned out the window to find a shocked squirrel and otter. The rhino climbed down from the footplate and inspected the damages. The locomotive couldn’t move under its own power anymore. He was less shocked but more outraged.
“What is this?! Didja give me shabby coupling rods? I thought you fixed her up!” he yelled. “You stupid chomper will not taint my reputation, this is all your fault!” Percy, who was just as surprised as everyone else, started talking. “Kris, did ya forget to tighten the screws? It just fell off! What was that about?”
The otter was fuming mad and prepared to give the squirrel a piece of her mind. He would be spared, however. A chubby bunny with an open black suit partially covering a fine light beige shirt walked in. It looked like the buttons of his suit couldn’t reach around his wide waste. His ears probably stood up in alert but they were both hidden underneath a very tall cylindrical black top hat. “What’s going on here?!” the buck demanded to know.
“This stupid chomper broke my engine and now I can’t drive my train anymore!” yelled the rhino in response. “Ms. Fisher, what has transpired here?” The bunny asked the otter with a stern voice. It was Percy who answered. “Sir, maybe, having only one mechanic here might hinder work. Might I suggest the possibility of hiring another one?” The angry driver talked again. “This chomper can’t be trusted with our engines!”
Kris was embarrassed about her situation. Everyone at the running shed was laughing at her. At least, it felt like it. “I will take this into consideration. But for now, angry passengers will want an explanation for this delay and confusion.” Kris finally spoke. “I’m sorry, Sir Hatt, I was not focused on my work. I promise, it will not happen again.”
This was not one of the better days at the shed. On other days, the otter got to work in lonely silence without much recognition or appreciation. At least, the work itself, as exhausting as it was, fulfilled the mustelid with great satisfaction.
Today, though, Kris was at the center of attention for all the wrong reasons. This squirrel was to blame for all of it but nobody cared. One of the coupling rods had snapped in half and there was no replacement at hand. The local blacksmith would certainly get asked to forge a new one.
The rest of the work day was filled with tending to a little shunting engine, Shunting Sharla, to get her ready to move aside the once again broken express engine until replacement parts were available. The driver and firemammal were given rooms in the saloon, they were instructed to take the next train back home.
After everything was done, Kris was very exhausted. She was careful afterwards never to lose sight of her tools again. All she wanted at that moment was a friend to talk to, who could pick her back up and reassure everything would be all right. The otter was cheerful and friendly on most days but nobody really knew her well. Maybe, Percy was right and simply getting a new colleague at work to share her tasks with might be just what the otter needed. It would certainly be an enormous relief.
Maybe another time.