Railroad Goes Green - 08/22/07
Wingerter's Crossing Council had been discussing the need to go green for more than a year now. The WHBL Brass figured it was only a matter of time before council overwhelmed the railroad with endless green ordinances. This is why they preemtivly began the railroad's Go Green project.
The company's first green attempt was a solar powered locomotive. The prototype was mildly successful, but progress halted when it was discovered that when the engine entered any one of the system's three tunnels it stopped cold. Solar power also limited the railroad to daytime operations - a serious problem for a railroad that has been sneaking a large number of QCTs (Questionable Cargo Trains) through Wingerter's Crossing, unbenownced to council, during the night time hours.
Failure of the solar plan forced the railroad's research team back to the drawing boards. This time, rather than looking forward, the railroad looked to the past for its inspiration.
"Nothing is more green than wind power. Well, nothing aside from grass, trees, and things like that," A railroad official told the WC Times.
The railroad believed that equipping a locomotive with sails was the ideal solution. To help complete the construction of this project, the company hired an experienced sailing crew from the Caribbean.
Less than a month after beginning the project, the railroad's president set eyes on his finished Sail-Train.
"It's magnificent, a true testament to ancient engineering," - WHBL President.
On christening day, a rather skeptical crowd of onlookers greeted the contraption as it sailed into Union Depot.
Among the crowd was council member Rick O'Shea. "I find it hard to believe that this railroad has actually done something right. The way I see it, by the end of the day they will find a way to screw this up."
After several hours on display, it was time for the Sail-Train to earn its keep. Due to the complex (dangerous) nature of the new train (not to mention the scary looking captain with the shifty eyes who kept saying things like 'Argh, matte'), the railroad's regular crew refused to get on board. Fortunately, the Caribbean sailors were more than willing to fill out the the ranks for this historic first voyage.
Despite the many concerns and protests presented by the the regular railroad crews, the machine was coupled to its first revenue train and began the short haul out of the valley and through the tunnels at Halo.
A cry of 'Avast ye, Tunnel ahead!" came from the crows nest. Uunable to stop the train or lower the mast, the captain called out an order to abandon the ship. . . er ah, the train.
It was too late. The train smashed into the tunnel portal wich quickly collapsed the mast and rigging. The impact and entaglement brought the train to an abrupt and final stop. The watchman who was perched in the cows nest was sent crashing into a hopper filled with a load of polymer ore. The capitan found himself hanging by his boot straps entagled in a mass of rope. The great Go Green project was in shambles.
It didn't take long for the Wingerter's Crossing Police to arrive. They had been on special standby status since the railroad anounced the existance of the experimental locomotive. (The railroad has a habit of making mistakes.).
Councilman Rick O'Shea was quick to condemn the railroad's poor planning and promised to bring this up at the next council meeting.
As you can imagine, this marked the end of the WHBL's Green Phase.