The Long Way Home

  ****

  The train arrived on platform one at Gosford just before five o’clock having made good time. In contrast to the arrival earlier in the day there were only a handful of people scattered along the platform and they easily spotted Doug and Sally waiting to meet them. The scheduled stop was made quickly, the locomotive having topped up with water before the train crept forward to the platform, allowed just enough time for Simon to help his Poppy alight.

  “Dad!” Simon cried out as he spotted his father walking towards him. “It was the best trip ever!” He exclaimed as he threw his arms around him and received a big, bear hug from his father that lifted both of his feet off the ground.

  “Did you and Poppy have fun?” Sally asked him.

  “We sure did, I got to go up in the engine with the driver when we got there.”

  “It was lucky that you found those two tickets you thought you’d lost then wasn’t it?” Doug ruffled his hair playfully before asking, “Where’s your Poppy?”

  They turned to see that William had shuffled up the platform a little bit and was standing, watching one of the crew as he leaned out of the locomotive, waiting to sight the green flag before they could depart. Long shadows were falling across the platform as the late afternoon sun tried valiantly one last time to break up the overcast sky with some success. It shone briefly on 3801 as it sat steaming at the head of her train. A shrill whistle signaled all was clear and the locomotive replied with two short blasts on the whistle. A hiss of steam sprayed out from beneath the green beast and the gigantic wheels began to turn. Doug, Sally and Simon all joined William as he stood on the platform watching the train slowly pull away.

  “Well I hoped you enjoyed yourself Dad, are you ready to get going then?” Doug asked.

  “Ssshhh!” William cut him off as he tried to listen to the steady chug of the locomotive as it gathered momentum. “Please, just a few moments longer.”

  “Okay.” Doug almost whispered to him. “It’s a beautiful engine isn’t it?”

  An acknowledging nod was all he got from his father as he stood in awe, a crooked smile spread across his face as he watched the huge green locomotive pull away for the last time. Behind it a string of creaking, old wooden carriages followed obediently, the faces in the windows growing weary from a long day out yet still happy enough to wave goodbye to all who stood on the platform to watch the train pull out. Simon stood holding his Poppy’s hand, both waving in reply with their free hands to those on board.

  At the front of the train, a huge plume of dirty ash grey smoke soared above the station building as the driver opened the throttle, aiming for a rendezvous with the setting sun on the Hawkesbury River Bridge before arriving in Sydney after dark. The last carriage rolled past and the train slowly disappeared out of sight around the bend in the cutting. With one long, last wailing cry of the whistle, 3801 and her train were gone. Walking slowly back to the car park outside the station, if you listened very carefully you could just make out the sound of a distant, lonesome whistle.