Re: Moving Forward
Mayor Fahandizh commented to Clarke as they walked up, "Rod's train is the economic lifeblood of the community. We can fish and hunt, but without it, we wouldn't be able to trade for the food we need so easily. With the steady trade it brings, we can afford so much that we wouldn't otherwise."
"Hi, my name's Andy McRae, I'm pleased to meet you. Sir, you run a mighty fine looking beast."
"Hi! I'm Rod McArthur! Yep, she's a Hudson, what they call a "Royal Hudson"!"
"Kelsey Champlain, wow! I am so jealous of you and that train, and amazed it is doing so well! Did you operate it before the war?"
He nodded and grinned, shaking hands all around. Not surprsingly, he had an iron grip.
"I did! Worked 40 years on the Canadian Pacific until '94, then on the Royal Hudsons until the war."
The steam train was a major tourist attraction for Vancouver, running tourist excursions up the coast to Squamish 5 days a week for over 70 years, up until the war.
"We've got 2 of them, you know? This is the #2860, and there's our alternate engine, #3716, parked down in the North Van rail yards with the rest of the rolling stock. They're genuine steam engines; we used to run them on coal, but now we use wood for fuel. We can only afford to make one run a month, usually up to Squamish, but also Lillooet or once to Prince George via Quesnel."
After having taped the Russians singing "Those were the Days" in front of their BMP, Tricia was having a ball videoing the old, beautifully streamlined art-deco engine.
Rod continued with his impromptu history lesson.
"She was made in 1940. When the Royals visited in 1939, they were impressed that a single Canadian Pacific Hudson steamer carried them east across the country; it took Canadian National 3 engine changes on the way back! After that, the Hudsons became the "Royal Hudsons"; these became the only "Royal" engines ouside of the UK!"
With effort, he switched out of "history" mode and got back to business.
"We saw a couple of nights ago something was happening in Stanley Park and phoned in an alert. About time someone gor serious about those hooligans! They cost us some valuable materials we traded the folks at the airport for some time back. West Van's garrison sent some of Bulat's people down to help secure our end of the bridge and provide support, but by the time they got there it was all over."
This explained the horse patrol packing an ATGM; the thermal viewer would have shown anyone, no matter how crafty or stealthy, trying to cross the bridge or water.
"When I heard that there was going to be a government delegation here, and that the Mayor was going to UBC to discuss recovery and reconstruction, I knew I had to be a part of it! So we stoked up the engine, and here we are!"
After a little more dialogue it was established that the smoke they'd seen wasn't Stickmen retribution, but the stoking of the #2860's boiler to build up a head of steam where they kept it in the rail tunnel under the mall and shopping district of Lonsdale Quay.
Bulat nodded in agreement to what Taras was sketching. "Seems good, my friend. If you didn't know I was Razvedchiki, I would try and say I am a simple soldier! If the Mayor and your government can come to an agreement, then I think we can be put at your disposal."
It seemed that it was time to go. Bulat passed off command of his unit to Chief Selkirk, Mayor Fahandizh gave a last few instructions to her deputy, and they were ready to depart.
This message was last edited by the GM at 08:25, Fri 09 May 2008.