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The back of the bowl lifted up and the race marshals skated out.
"Control! Control! Heat two! Heat two! Race time minus one minute! Race time minus one minute!"
"In track one: Bobo the French TGV with Ashley the smoking car."
Bobo and Ashley skated out and waved before skating around the circle track.
"In track two: Turnov the Russian engine with Wrench the repair truck!"
Turnov and Wrench skated out together. Turnov took a shot of vodka before taking Wrench around the track.
"In track three: Ruhrgold the German engine with Joule the dynamite truck!"
Joule and Ruhrgold waved and saluted. As he began to take her around the track she smacked him lightly on the rear and grinned.
"And in track four: Ramblin' Poppa McCoy with Dustin the big hopper!"
Poppa and Dustin skated out and around the track.
"Come on y'all," Poppa called, "Let me hear you all say 'steam'!"
"Trains to your tracks," Control said.
The engines lined up. Ashley tightened her grip, satisfied with her choice of partners.
Joule was having fun too. She smoothed her long hair and grabbed Ruhrgold's rings, doing a little dance, wiggling her rear end.
Next to her, Dustin was watching her wiggle. Then he started imitating her, wiggling as well. She realized what he was doing and gave him a dark look. He smiled back. Joule leaned over and gave him a peck on the cheek.
Dustin's eyes widened and his mouth formed an "O" in surprise. Then he grinned sillyly.
"Twenty seconds," Control called as the engines pulled into place.
The siren sounded and one of the marshals took off around the track.
The engines ceremoniously lifted their helmets into the air and then put them on.
"Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one! Trains gone!"
The engines took off around the circle track. Poppa was accidentally shoved and he spun the wrong way. Dustin uncoupled and went flying across the yard.
Bobo took the lead, with Turnov and Ruhrgold close behind.
"They set off for the second heat and Poppa's in back and struggling," Control commentated.
Poppa fell, and Dustin tried to help him up.
"He's gone the wrong way!" Control shouted, "He's on the crossing! Look out Poppa!"
The other three racers were coming up fast. Poppa ducked as they jumped over him. Once all three pairs had passed he got up and went around the circle track, a very distant fourth.
The rest of the racers skated through the yard and up onto the racetrack.
Turnov passed Bobo to take the lead. Ruhrgold pulled even with Bobo. Bobo sped up, chasing after Turnov.
Poppa picked up speed, rapidly closing the gap between him and the others.
Bobo gave Turnov a shove as he passed him.
"It's Bobo with Turnov pressing in second," Control said.
Ruhrgold banged into Turnov to take second. Turnov retaliated and the two engines violently battled for a few seconds as they approached the bridge. Ruhrgold finally pulled ahead and chased Bobo up the bridge. He pulled even with the French engine.
"Still Bobo... "
Joule slammed into Ashley, forcing the coach to uncouple.
"But Ruhrgold's truck takes Ashley out!"
Bobo had to stop to let Ashley hitch on. Turnov passed him while Ruhrgold sailed on ahead.
"That puts Ruhrgold in the lead."
Turnov rapidly gained on Ruhrgold and hit him, sending the German engine flying.
"It's Turnov! The Russian leads!"
Poppa, meanwhile, was gaining on Bobo.
Ruhrgold caught up with Turnov. Bobo picked up speed to catch up with the other two.
Bobo hit Turnov and Wrench hit Ashley, who collided with Joule. Ashley and Wrench both uncoupled and started fighting. All three engines and their partners stopped and disolved into a tangled mess, all trying to get loose to continue on.
Poppa and Dustin sailed right through the mess, to take the lead.
"Poppa's taking the lead!" Control announced, astonished.
Poppa held the lead for a few lengths. Ruhrgold pulled away from the pileup and passed Poppa. Then Turnov did, then Bobo.
"It's Ruhrgold, Turnov, Bobo and Poppa coming out of the high level," Control commentated as they came down from the high track.
Ruhrgold slowed and slammed into the engine behind him, Turnov. Bobo bullied his way through.
"Bobo goes through to take the lead."
Bobo shouted something in French as he thundered down the track in the final stretch with Turnov close behind.
Suddenly Poppa shot forward, past Ruhrgold, past Turnov, past Bobo.
"Poppa's turning on the power as they approach the tunnel."
Poppa shot through the tunnel, the finish line was just beyond it. Bobo closed in on him, but couldn't catch the steamer.
Poppa whooshed across the finish line a second before Bobo.
"The old guy does it!" Control exclaimed, "Poppa wins!"
Turnov, disappointed, kept going, out of sight.
"Winner of heat two: Poppa McCoy! With Bobo in second place! Poppa and Bobo have a place in the final!"
Bobo thrust his arms in the air, victoriously. Ashley did the same and they left together.
Ruhrgold staggered down off the track and collapsed. Joule, who had unhitched, came down on her own.
Ruhrgold moaned softly and she went over to give him a hand up.
She pulled him up, only to knee him sharply in his sensitive area. Ruhrgold doubled up in pain, gasping for air. He turned around and Joule hitched behind. She smacked him in the rear again as they left.
Dustin unhitched excitedly. Poppa tried to catch his breath, took a step, and collapsed, laying still.
Dustin's eyes widened and he gently touched Poppa, who didn't move. He bit his lip and looked around frantically for help.
Rusty rolled in with the Rockies and Flat Top, excitedly.
"Hey there Poppa, you were great!" Rusty called. He saw Poppa lying there and came to an abrupt stop. The Rockies unhitched and ran over to the old steamer.
Poppa removed his helmet and struggled to a sitting position.
"Poppa look at you, your boiler is cold," Rusty said sadly.
"My fault," Dustin said.
They all looked up at the hopper.
"I'm too heavy for an engine that's... old," Dustin said miserably, he sniffed, "'E should not be pulling freight."
Dustin turned and buried his face in his hands, sobbing.
"Rusty... " Poppa called weakly, reaching out towards him. Rusty sank to his knees and Poppa took his hands.
"Rusty listen to me," Poppa said, "I can't carry on. Looks as though my racing days have just come and gone."
He sat up a little straighter. "Proved I could do it," he said proudly, "Showed I was once great."
The Rockies nodded, he had done it. Dustin turned around, rubbing his eyes.
Poppa winced. "Can't do it now though," he said with a glance at Dustin, "Can't manage the weight."
Dustin blinked rapidly. Flat Top looked at him and then pointed over to the corner. Dustin gave him a surprised look and then skated over to the corner. He put his head down on the supports of under the ramp and sobbed.
"But got me a position," Poppa continued, "I got a placing in the race. Now Rusty... "
Rusty looked up at Poppa as the other engine let go of his hands.
"I can trust you," Poppa continued, picking up his helmet, "Take it for me." He pushed his helmet into Rusty's arms, "Go and enter in my place! Get in there and win the game!"
Rusty stood up very quickly and backed away, dropping the helmet as if it were red hot.
"No, Poppa, no," Rusty said, shaking his head.
Poppa sighed, Rusty still didn't get it.
"Must I kill myself to make you see sense?" Poppa demanded.
"I do not believe," Rusty answered, "No point in pretense."
"You couldn't face that loosing shame," Poppa exclaimed.
Rusty looked down and then up at a crashing sound.
He leaned over the top of the spiral ramp, looked down at them and laughed.
"Well lookey here," he said to his gang, "They said this train could go. If it can go at all it sure goes slow."
The Rockies glared up at Greaseball as he skated down into the yard.
"Don't stop now," he sang, skating around the Rockies and Poppa, "You gotta keep it going all night."
He skated over to Rusty.
"Will you be racing in his place?" he asked.
"Should do!" his gang shouted.
Rusty stood still, staring straight ahead.
"Then you can prove that steam is really through!" Greaseball sang in Rusty's ear.
His gang skated around Poppa. Flat Top joined in at the end of their line.
The Rockies crossed their arms and stood protectively around Poppa. Dustin hid under the ramp.
"Don't stop Poppa, don't stop Rusty," Greaseball sang.
The gang decided to go for an easier target, Rusty. They skated around him, pushing him.
"Leave old Poppa, leave young Rusty," they sang.
"Don't stop/Leave old Poppa," Greaseball and his gang sang together, "Don't stop/Leave young Rusty."
Electra's components skated in across the top of the hill and Electra skated in with Pearl.
Bobo, with the other three coaches had arrived on top of the spiral ramp.
"Clear my track!" Electra called, passing around the yard. "What's all this rubbish?" he asked looking from Poppa and the Rockies to Rusty, surrounded by the gang.
He pushed his way past them. "This Rusty junk must go!" Electra exclaimed, "Clear my track!" as he passed Poppa he let out a lightning bolt, shocking the steamer, who collapsed again. The Rockies, alarmed, tried to help Poppa up again.
Electra laughed and continued around the cricle track. The gang had stopped harassing Rusty at a signal from Greaseball.
Pearl had unhitched from Electra and Rusty slowly rolled over to her.
"Clear my track!" Pearl sang, she indicated Electra, "This is my train now! This could be my dream, clear my track!"
Electra smiled and returned to Pearl, stroking her cheek.
That was more than Rusty could bear.
"Stop!" he shouted.
Everyone froze, surprised and looked at him.
"I'll take Poppa's place!" Rusty exclaimed. He looked over at the diesel, "I'm gonna race you Greaseball!"
Greaseball folded his arms and laughed, as did his gang and Flat Top.
"And I'm gonna race you Electra!" Rusty said.
Electra and his components howled with laughter.
"I'm gonna show you all just what steam can do!" Rusty sang.
Greaseball and his gang, Electra, Pearl and his train, and Bobo and the coaches skated around the yard.
"Rolling Stock?" the guys asked, "He'll be a laughing stock."
"He hasn't got a chance," the girls sang.
"Rolling Stock, laughing stock."
"He hasn't got a chance!"
Bobo and the coaches skated away.
"Rolling Stock, laughing stock."
"He hasn't got a chance!"
Electra and his train vanished from sight as did Greaseball and his gang.
Their voices faded off into the distance.
"Rolling Stock, laughing stock... "
The Rockies helped Poppa back to his wheels and headed out.
Rusty just stood there numbly, the weight of his decision had just hit him full force.
He looked up as Poppa tapped him on the arm.
"That's my boy," Poppa said with a smile, he started to roll away backwards, "I knew you'd believe."
Rusty looked after when the old steamer had gone. He took a breath, "Poppa, I have to believe,"he said softly, "I have no choice."
Rusty sighed, now alone in the rapidly darkening yard. He had done it. He was going to race, race against Greaseball and Electra, and... Pearl. And not only that, he had to prove that there still was power in steam. And now Poppa wanted him to get help from an engine that he wasn't sure actually existed. Well he had nothing left to lose; he might as well try.
He looked up at the night sky.
"When your goodnights have been said and you are lying in bed with the covers pulled up tight, and though you count every sheep you get the feeling that sleep is gonna stay away tonight." He sang, "That is when you hear it coming. That is when you hear the humming of the Starlight Express."
He looked up, "Starlight Express, are you real?" he asked, "Yes or no? Starlight Expresss, answer me yes, I don't want you to go."
Rusty rolled back a step. "Want you to take me away," he rolled forward again, "But bring me back before daylight and in the time between, take me to everywhere, but don't abandon me there," he added, "Just wanna say I have been."
He took a deep breath, carefully singing the next line, "I believe in you completely, though I may be dreaming sweetly of the Starlight Express."
He sighed, "Why must I guess? Are you real? Yes or no? Starlight Express, answer me yes. I don't want you to go."
Rusty slowly rolled further back into the yard. He had to believe, he just had to, he needed the help and he didn't know what to do any more.
"And if you're there," he said taking a step forward, "And if you know... " another step, "Then show me which way I should go!
Starlight Express! Starlight Express, are you real? Yes or no? Starlight Express please answer me yes! I don't want you to go."
He rolled back, "Starlight Express," he sang softly, "Starlight Express, are you real? Are you near?
Starlight Express, Starlight Express, I need you to be here."
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