Children's Corner

Hutt News, Volume 3, Issue 24, 6 November 1930, Page 4

Children's Corner

HOW THE LITTLE TANKENGINE GOT HIS WISH.

The little Tank Engine in the ' Goods Station stopped its puffing as the North Express roared past at sixty miles an hour. Every day except Sundays, the big Express Engine passed in its < beautiful coat of glistening green paint, with every spot of metal' polished as bright as the sun. Be- ■ hind streamed eight or more; cream-and-gold coaches. The little Tank Engine sighed. He often wished he were a beautiful green, instead of just a horrid, dirty black, and with only truekis to pull and push about on a few .short stretches of line. He was not really jealous or discontented, but somehow it seemed io hurt his little feelings, for ev^ry time he j rusKed past, the Express j Engine ufeed to throw out a horrid -cloud of yellow and black smoke, which completely hid the Tank Engine for a few moments. When it finally cleared away, the other train was just disappearing in the distance up the line. In his young days the Tank Engine had been one of the best known engines on the line, for he was the first of a new type—the engine that had its own tender attached instead of having a special truck behind to carry itJs supply of coaL He had pulled some of.1 the fastest traine in the district, including the North Express for , iifty miles of its journey. Then the men who built the engines got new ideas into their heads, and the Tank Engine and his brothers were sent off on to quiet country branch lines, and afterwards into the goods yards, where they were made to push and pull trucks and vans about. Every month he had a little treat, for he was taken up the line to Newcastle, and, in company with other engines of every kind, was thoroughly cleaned and greased in a huge shed. Afterwards he would puff proudly as he went back to his goods yard to start his work once more. Once the North Express had had to slow down and pause just opposite the Tank Engine until a signal was lowered. To his great surprise the Tank Engine saw people sitting eating and drinking at little tables. When he had pulled the North Express there had been no meals served on the train, nor electric lights on the tables. In his day there had been just the ordinary coaches, lit by gas and heated by steam from his own boiler. >, If only he were big and strong like the Express Engine, then he would be able to pull those'wonderful coaches. But, alas, it was impossible, for even now he would groan and clank if he had to shunt more than twelve trucks at -once. In fact, he had once heard his driver say to the fireman, "This old engine won't last much longer now." One day as the North Express roared through there came a terrible clatter from the haughty en- | gine, and the long train at once came to a standstill though the line was clear and the signals were down. It stood for five minutes or so. Then the guard got j out and walked up along-side to see what had happened to the engine. As he passed along by the tram, heads began to pop out of the windows. The station-master from the platform farther back down the line, seeing the commotion and i the standing train, hurried along. When he reached the express engine the driver was peering in between the wheels. "It's no use," said the driver, "the crank has snapped, and we'll have to get another engine to take the train on to Newcastle." "Well, it will take at least a icouple of hours to get a special engine from the sheds," said the guard, "and I have a royal party

tie by three o'clock!" on board who must be in Neweas-

"Then we must telephone for another engine at once," said the stationmaster. "I'll tell them to send it as quickly as possible." The driver and the, stoker of the little Tank Engine came up, and they, too, peered into the mass of hot and oily bars and cranks.

"I am afraid you are quite right,'' said the stoker. '' That's. lilie worst of these Express Engines—always liable to break down when you are in a hurry. Now, the little Tank there—why, he'll go on pulling anything for ever."

Another niajl, dressed in a brilliant uniform, with a long thin sword hanging by his side, joined1 the group.

"How long are we likely to be held up?" he asked. "Two hours at the least, you say? But the Prince and Princess have to be at Newcastle at three o'clock. What are you,going to do?' You^must^ do something at once!" The \ driver of the little Tank Engine nudged the stoker. "Well, why not use the littlo Tank Enghie ? " he suggested, half joking and half serious. "Splendid!" said the man in uniform before anyone had time to object. ' * Paster it one at once, and let us get along as quickly as possible."

The station-master shrugged his shoulders, for he, like the crew of the Express Engine, thought that the little Tank Engine could not even move the heavy line of coaches. However, the big engine was towed away on to a siding, and the little Tank Engine coupled up to the front of the train.

As this was being done he swelled up with pride until his boiler almost burst, so proud was , he. Then with clouds of smoke and steam he started on his heaviest pull.

The moment the North Express began to move the people who were looking out of the windows gave a loud cheer, encouraging the little engine as it panted and clanked along. Fortunately there were no hills to climb on the tenmile trip to Newcastle, or the little Tank Engine could never have managed to pull such a weight. As it was, he could just touch 15 niles an hour, w,hich was not much as compared with the Express's usual sixty, and naturally made his arrival very late.

At last he reached Newcastle with its long platform crowded with all "the important men of the

city. His driver pulled him up at exactly the right spot, so the the entrance to the royal saloon was opposite the strip of carpet laid down specially for the occasion. The little Tank Engine, however attracted more attention than the royal party itself, for people were amazed to think, that such a tiny engine should pull so heavy and so important a train all the way from Jjondon. You see they had not been told of the breakdown ten miles from Newcastle.

What pleased the little engine most of all were the words of one of the railway dire^ors standing on the platform. 1! • . ■ ■ "Wonderful, I call it!'.' he was saying" to a fellow-director. '' To think that this little Tank Engine can still pull a great train'! . We must bave it put in the railway museum."