The Midnight Train Crossing

There was a distant sound and the coaches looked up and sighed.
"Oh no!" Dinah complained.
Buffy sighed, "Oh shucks."
"It's the freight train," Pearl announced.
"The dumb trucks," Ashley said.
"Forty tons of empty chrome," Buffy sang.
"The lights are on," Dinah started.
"But nobody's home," Ashley finished.
"Let's show them who's boss," Buffy said.
"Let's play a joke," Dinah agreed.
"Yeah let's have some fun," Pearl said.
"Let's have a smoke," Ashley said flatly, digging for a cigarette.
"Here they come," Dinah started.
"To fill our station," Buffy continued.
"With witty sparkling conversation," Pearl finished.
The coaches giggled and hitched together.

The freight train emerged from the tunnel on the tracks. Rusty was pushing the heavy five-car train.
"Freight is great," the trucks in the freight train sang.
"That's brilliant!" one of the coaches laughed as their train slowly started moving around the yard.
"Freight is great," the trucks repeated.
"Don't you wish you'd thought of that?" the next coach asked.
"We carry weight 'cuz we are freight," the trucks sang, "And freight is great!"
"One more time," Ashley said.
The trucks were pointedly ignoring the coaches.
"Freight is great!" the trucks shouted.
"Did you think of that all by yourselves?" Buffy asked innocently as the coaches started around the circle track.
"Freight is great," the trucks repeated coming down into the yard.
"It's so profound," one of the coaches giggled.
"We never sulk, we hulk the bulk," the trucks sang, "'cause freight is great."
The coaches ran out of power halfway around the track and dropped to the ground. Rusty unhitched the trucks and rolled over to the coaches, letting the lead coach hitch behind.
"We never make a fuss," the trucks sang, "We got the goods on us. We take the loads from off the roads and freight is great!"

"Now listen to what the coach says," Pearl called.
The trucks started around the circle track slowly as Rusty pulled the coaches around the yard.
"Couldn't stand gravel and sand, being ignored, no one aboard," the coaches sang, "Nobody complaining we were late again. I should have carrying freight, nobody living in me. Got to be a living breathing passenger train."
Having gotten the coaches moving again Rusty went to give the trucks another push.

"Freight is great!" the trucks shouted, "Freight is great! Freight... "
"Couldn't stand gravel and sand," the coaches sang, "Being ignored, no one aboard... "
"Is great!" the trucks continued.
"Nobody complaining we were late again," the coaches sang.
"We carry weight!" the trucks declared.
"I should hate carrying freight," the coaches sang, horrified at the thought, "Nobody living in me."
"And freight is great!" the trucks shouted.
"Got to be a living breathing passenger train," the coaches finished.

Rusty switched back to the coaches and started backing them up, parallel to the trucks.
"It's mommas and poppas," the coaches sang.
"It's commerce and hoppers," the trucks argued.
"It's daughters and sons!"
"It's quarters and tons, they get in your hair!"
"It's the fun of the fare!" the coaches shouted.
"Freight!"
"Folks!"
"Tares!"
"Fares!"
Rusty backed the coaches up and started to curve around.
"Passengers, commuters and mail," the coaches sang.
"Trees and meat, gravel and shale," the trucks sang going off the other way.
"Are great, are great, are great, are great, are... great!"

The freight train continued forward, looking back at the coaches. Suddenly the lead car collided with the edge of the ramp and the others crashed into him.
Rusty quickly unhitched the coaches and ran to catch the freight train. The coaches, unprepared for being suddenly unhitched continued backwards to bump into the other ramp.
Rusty looked at the two trains and buried his face in his hands.
Then he grabbed the couplings of the last freight car and tugged until he pulled them loose.
The coaches had managed to sort themselves out and they skated around behind the freight train, a few of them giving Rusty dark looks. He shot them an apologetic glance.

"Control! Control!" Control broke in, "You wagons and passenger cars just cut it out! Trucks will identify themselves!"
Rusty looked at the freight cars and nodded.

"Boxcars!"
The three identical cars at the front of the train immediately started shadow boxing for a few seconds. All three wore red and white with gold belts. The only difference between them was their numbers.
"Hey!" the first one shouted, getting the two's attention.
"I'm Rocky," he said, "There's lots like me."
"I'm Rocky two," the second said.
"I'm Rocky three," the third added.
"The only time we get sick inside is when some bum hitches a ride," the boxcars chanted.
"We wait for a sharp corner to come," Rocky two started.
"And open the door," Rocky three continued.
"Bye-bye bum!" the three Rockies shouted.
"Freight is great!" the trucks sang.
Rusty looked over at Pearl and smiled. She giggled and shyly looked away.

"Brick truck!" Control ordered.
The next car in gray and white with wide brown shoulders skated out. He had short red and black hair and carried a brick attached to a long chain.
"Flat Top, who you lookin' at?" he asked, "Yeah, there's bricks, what's wrong with that? No you're right, they don't all match. Yes they're heavy," Suddenly he whirled and let his brick fly, "Here catch!" He laughed as he retrieved his brick.
"Freight is great!" the trucks shouted.

"The big hopper," Control ordered.
Flat Top looked back at the hopper, who had turned around and was looking behind him.
"Dustin!" Flat Top called.
The hopper turned around.
"That's you mate," Flat Top said.
"Come on, the big hopper," Control called.
"Come on Dustin," Flat Top called. Rusty nodded and the large blue striped hopper skated out.
"I'm the big hopper," Dustin said, "I'm not a box."
"Yeah you're head is full of rocks," the Rockies teased.
Dustin touched his head, "They're not rocks, they're bits of gravel," he said, "and gravel's got a right to travel!"
"Travelin' with gravel in," Flat Top and Dustin sang, "Prayin' that we don't get wet."
"come on Dustin," Flat Top called.
The two cars squished together and pretended to be stuck.
"Water and mortar do things they didn't oughtta," they sang pulling apart, "Empty me before I set."
The two trucks froze for a second.

"Down the track from A to B and back," the trucks and Rusty sang, "We carry things, not people. People talk a lot, that isn't what we like."
The coaches ducked between the trucks and skated around them, "They're strong and silent," the coaches giggled.
"None of us may be a genius, but we know one thing," the freight train sang, "What we know is... " they started marching in place, "Freight is great! Freight is great!"

Dinah and Pearl came forward between the Rockies and Buffy and Ashley between Flat Top, Dustin and Rusty.
"It's mommas and poppas," the coaches sang, leaning on the trucks.
"It's commerce and hoppers," the trucks argued.
"It's daughters and sons!" the coaches ducked under the arms of the trucks.
"It's quarters and tons," the trucks argued, "they get in your hair!"
"It's the fun of the fare!"
"Freight!"
"Folks!"
"Tares!"
"Fares!" the coaches sang, "passengers, commuters and mail!"
"Trees and meat, gravel and shale," the trucks sang.
"On the rails, on the rails, on the rails, on the rails," they all sang, "Are great, are great, are great, are great, are... great!"

The national engines skated in across the top of the hill and down into the yard.
"This is Control, This is Control," Control announced, "Listen up! Race time minus ten minutes!"
Control was interrupted by a burst of static and the yard was plunged into darkness, with occasional bursts of laser lights. Several of the coaches screamed. Rusty fled the scene.
"Sorry, we have a technical problem," Control said, "Nothing to worry about...

Oh boy!" Control announced excitedly, "A late entry! A superstar challenger!"
A green beam of light shot down from the bridge, creating a circular pool of light in the center of the yard. The coaches and cars gathered together nervously, avoiding the light. Several dark figures emerged in the light.
"These must be his minders," Control said.
Pearl edged closer to one of the dark figures cautiously.
"He's got a gun!" she yelped, running away.

The figure lit up. He wore a gray patterned outfit and sunglasses.
"Halt!" he shouted, "I am Krupp, Electra's armaments truck!"
"Who is Electra?" Rocky asked.
Krupp took a step towards Rocky.
"We ask the questions!" he said.
A car in silver, red and black with red, orange, and black hair emerged on her knees from the green light.
"I am Wrench," she said, "Electra's repair truck."
"This Electra must be rich to have his own repair truck," Dustin whispered to Flat Top nervously.
"Or unreliable," Flat Top said with a laugh, trying to break the tension, as he could see that his friend was nervous.
A car in black emerged from the light.
"I am Purse!" he exclaimed, "Electra's money truck. Electra is rich, switch your allegiance to Electra."
Two cars appeared together.
"I am Volta," the first blue and black car said, "Electra's freezer truck."
"I am Joule," the next car in red and white with long red and white curly hair said, "Electra's dynamite truck!"
"Electra is cool," Volta purred.
"Electra is hot," Joule added.
"Cool," Volta said.
"Hot!" Joule exclaimed.
"A mega-star a megawatt," all five cars chanted, "Rich, hot powerful, rich, hot, cool, rich, hot, powerful, rich, hot, cool!"
The coaches skated around the yard to take refuge under the spiral ramp. The trucks hid under the other one.
The components started to circle the yard, above them the bridge started to spin.
"Electra... Electra... " the components sang as one end of the bridge slowly lowered to the ground, "Electra... Electra!"

A figure with red glowing lights on his chest rolled down the bridge on one knee and stood up when he reached the ground. Suddenly the yard was filled with light, revealing a metallic red and blue engine with very tall red and blue hair, Electra.
"I am electric, feel my attraction," he sang, "Feel my magnetism you will agree. I am electric, I have the contacts, I am electric the future is me!"
His components, in a circle around him, moved in closer.
"AC, DC, it's OK by me," Electra sang, "I can switch and change my frequency."
The components sang wordlessly as they dance around Electra. The engine laughed a deep evil sounding laugh.
Wrench skated out to him.

"I am electric, mind how you touch me," he sang as Wrench came closer to him, "I can shock you!"
Wrench crumpled to the ground at Electra's wheels. The coaches gasped, but she recovered quickly and stepped away.
"I can set you on fire," Electra continued as Volta skated over to him. He reached up to the sky and she imitated him.
"I can reach up and pluck down the lightning," Electra sang, "Watch the conductor, see the live wire!"
He shocked Volta, who dropped to the ground and rolled away.
"AC, DC, it's OK by me," he sang, "Oh it's OK by me."
Joule skated over to him.
"I can switch and change my frequency!" he sang. He shocked Joule, who was still for a second before getting up.

"Electra... Electra... " the components sang skating around their engine. Electra danced with them all. "Electra... Electra!"
Electra rolled backwards.

"I am electric, resistance is pointless!" he shouted in a strangely robotic tone.
"Feel my magnetism you will agree," he sang as Purse and Krupp skated in closer, "You can't ignore me, you must adore me."
The coaches were clinging to each other and the ramp, trying to resist the pull of Electra's magnetism.
"I am electric," he sang, "Come closer to me!"
"AC, DC, it's OK by me," Electra sang, "I can switch and turn you on to me." He lightly zapped the coaches, "Can switch and turn you on to me," he zapped the trucks, Can switch and turn you on to me!" and the national engines.

Electra reached out with an invisible strand of electricity and lassoed one very pretty pink and white coach.
Pearl struggled, but couldn't resist as she was pulled in by Electra.
He grabbed her couplings and she shuddered a few times and then finally relaxed, completely hypnotized by Electra.
He let go of her couplings, held a hand over her head and turned it. She spun around, faster and faster. Electra laughed as the others closed in around him, circling him.
"Electra... Electra... " they all sang.
"I am electric, turn me on, turn me on," Electra sang.
"Electra... Electra... "
"I am electric!" he sang, "Turn me on, turn me on! I can switch and change my frequency!"

"Hold it!" a familiar voice shouted from the tracks. His voice broke Electra's spell over the cars.
Greaseball roared in around the tracks, How dare Electra steal his spotlight!
The cars around Electra dispersed. Electra spun and strode off in a huff.
"Oh boy, here comes trouble," Control said.

The four coaches remained in the yard and started primping.
"It's Greaseball, it's Greaseball, it's Greaseball the diesel," they chanted.
"It's the reigning champion!" Control announced.
"It's Greaseball, it's Greaseball, Greaseball the diesel," the coaches repeated as he skated around behind them to come around in front.
"Choose me Greaseball," they begged, "Race with me!"
"Back off girls,"Dinah said, "He's mine!"
Greaseball grinned and winked at Dinah before turning around.

"Here comes the diesel train with it's steel refrain, hear me knocking," Greaseball sang with the coaches dancing behind him, "The diesel's on it's way, it's gonna win the day, hear me knocking."
Electra's components, Joule, Wrench and Volta were watching Greaseball with interest, but Electra, Purse and Krupp bared their way.
"Listen to the chatter of the diesel force, generating twenty-seven hundred horse," Greaseball continued, flexing his muscles, "Camshaft rolling while the rockers rock, so hear me knock! Oh yeah!"
Wrench snuck past Electra and out to join the coaches.
"See me hustle, feel my muscle," Greaseball sang, "Pumping iron! Tryin' to build my body, tryin' to lose my mind!"
Joule skated out to join Wrench and the others, followed closely by Volta.
"See me straining, I'm in training," he continued, "I'm pumping iron. I'm a diesel engine, I'm knockin', I'm knockin', I'm knockin' Oh yeah!"
The girls all swooned. Up on top of the hill the Rockies were handjiving. Flat Top and Dustin were sitting up there as well, watching the girls.
"I'm pumping iron!" Greaseball called.

The coaches dropped to the ground as Greaseball skated around the circle track.
"Well he's the one they'll choose, you know he just can't lose, hear him knocking," the girls sang, "There ain't another rig that's even half as big, hear him knocking."
"Alright girls, rock and roll!" Greaseball shouted, skating past them. One by one they dropped down as he passed them. He smacked the end coach, Ashley, lightly on the rear.
"Everybody's gonna say that train is smart," the girls continued, one by one, propping themselves up on their elbows, "The mighty diesel engine is a work of art."
"You got it!" Greaseball shouted.
"The undisputed leader of the rolling stock!" the girls sang.
"Now see me rock!" Greaseball sang skating up the hill, "Show time!" he shouted.

Greaseball zoomed down the hill, the coaches bent over backwards as he skated over them all.
They stood up as Greaseball dropped to one knee.
"Hey Buffy," he greeted her, helping her do a cartwheel over him. He stood up and danced with her, "I love that rock'n'roll!"
He let Buffy go, and Ashley took her place.
"Smokin'!" he exclaimed as he dipped her.
"Come on Pearl!" he called to the next coach, "How you doin'?"
Pearl grinned and danced with him. He laughed, "All righty then!"
The three components circled Greaseball, Joule let out a scream.
"Get outta here!" Greaseball said with a smile.
Dinah skated out into Greaseball's arms. She did a high kick and spun.
"Now that's my carriage," Greaseball said approvingly as he danced with her.
Buffy skated over and he pulled her between his legs.
"Yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah!" Greaseball sang as the coaches lined up around him.

"See me hustle, fell my muscle," Greaseball and the coaches sang, "Pumping iron."
"Stretching my bullworker," Greaseball sang, he mimed lifting a barbell, "Heavin' on my weights."
"See me flex my delts and pecs," he and the girls sang, "I'm pumping iron."
"I'm a diesel engine!" Greaseball exclaimed, "I'm knockin', I'm knockin', Hey I'm knocking! Heading for the rally!"

"Heading for the rally," the coaches echoed.
"Gonna win the first race!" he declared skating through them.
"Gonna win the first race!"
"I'm gonna run the longest!"
"The biggest and the strongest!"
"I'm knocking, said I'm knocking, you know I'm knocking! Hear me knock!"
Dinah dove through his legs and the others gathered around him, either standing or on the ground.
He looked around, and then down at himself.
"Oh man!" he said, "I'm so beautiful!"
The girls all swooned again.
"I'm pumping iron," he said.

Electra skated out, accompanied by a flash of lightning. His components collected behind him. The coaches took refuge behind Greaseball.
"You, you're overloaded," Greaseball said.
"I'm electric, takin' over," Electra retorted.
Greaseball shook his head, "You'll have to beat diesel."
"Take on diesel!" Dinah said, peeping from behind Greaseball.
"Take on diesel," Greaseball and the coaches challenged.
Electra glanced back at his components and laughed.

"E-lec-tri-city is taking charge," the components chanted.
Electra let a thunderbolt fly, zapping the coaches behind Greaseball.
He glanced back at the coaches, surprised, before turning to glare at Electra.
"I will enter, I will win!" Electra sang.
"You'll never win, you'll never win!" Greaseball exclaimed.
"It will be me," Bobo declared coming down the hill.

Rusty skated out, "Listen to me," he said, "Listen to me!"
The rest of the nationals had rolled down into the yard.
"Vat was that hiss?" Rurhgold asked, deliberately overlooking Rusty.
"I'm gonna enter," Rusty said.
"Who ez this?" Espresso asked.
The Prince of Wales peered down at Rusty, through a glass. "It's old and it's dusty," he said in a bored tone, "It can't be, it's Rusty."
Rusty bristled at that and glared up at the nationals.
"He's gonna race?" Turnov asked.
"He's going to lost face," Nintendo said with another bow.
"I'm gonna enter," Rusty repeated.
The national engines laughed.
Rusty ignored them, "I'll be victorious, I'm gonna win!"

He started skating around the engines singing, "Earth... water... air... fire,"
"You'll never win, you'll never win," the other engines chanted, "I'm gonna beat you, I'm gonna beat you."
"See the steam rise higher," Rusty sang.
Electra scooted out of the way of the steamer.
"Haven't a chance, haven't a chance," they chanted, "I'm gonna win it, yes I'm gonna win."
"Earth, water, air, fire," Rusty repeated.
"I'm gonna win, I'm gonna win," they chanted, "I'm gonna beat you, I'm gonna beat you!"
"See the steam rise higher!" Rusty sang.
"I'm gonna win the race," the engines sang, "I'll be victorious, I'm gonna win!"

Greaseball, Rusty and Electra lined up and the rest of the nationals fell in behind them as they started to march around the yard.
"Lo-co-mo-tion," the engines chanted, "Lo-co-mo-tion."
Greaseball and Electra glanced at Rusty and they looked at each other and rolled their eyes.
Electra's components fell in behind the nationals.
"Go E-lec-tri-city," they chanted, "Go E-lec-tri-city."
"It's mommas and poppas," the coaches sang.
"It's commerce and hoppers," the trucks argued.
"It's daughters and sons."
"It's quarters and tons," the trucks sang falling in behind the components, "They get in your hair."
"It's the fun of the fare!"
"Freight!"
"Folks!"
"Tares!"
"Fares!" the coaches shouted lining up behind the trucks, "Passengers, commuters and mail."
"Trees and meat, gravel and shale," the trucks said.
"On the rails, on the rails, on the rails, on the rails," everyone sang as they marched around the yard,

"Beware of the engine intent on avenging
Defeat by a rival who's bent on survival
Look out for the carriage who's out to disparage
The wagons who battle and rattle and prattle
Are great, are great, are great, are great are... "
They came to a stop, "GREAT!"