Runaway by Chris Campbell, guest post
"RUNAWAY" The heavy twelve coach train, packed with families and tourists heading west for the Christmas break toiled up the gradient through the cutting towards the summit tunnel. The weather was remarkably good for late December with the sun shining brightly in a cloudless sky. The train normally had only one baggage coach, but this had been supplemented with a further baggage coach to handle the vast amounts of luggage and presents that all the passengers seemed to be taking with them. As the train approached the tunnel entrance the driver gave a long blast on the whistle, then the train plunged into the darkness, Smoke from the stack blew back over the cab of the locomotive and the driver and fireman were glad that this engine had an enclosed cab which stopped most of the smoke, unlike some of the older engines on the line that was open to the elements. It was a long tunnel, nearly three miles in length, which would have been a nightmare with an open cab.