Chapters (24)
Jane was striding toward the wall. “There might be one that I’ve heard about…” She ran her gaze down the lists. Then she saw it! “Yes.” She whirled on Caleb. “The Reiver.” She turned back to Fraser. “I’ve heard about an antique railcar with fancy murals. Could I see that one? I was afraid that it might not be here.”
“Why?” Fraser asked. “I’m surprised you’ve heard about it. It’s just an old car they have me send out of this yard once or twice a year when they want to publicize the railway.” Fraser shook his head. “Nothing really fancy about it except those paintings.”
“They’re fancy to me,” Jane said. “Because I’m an artist, too. I wonder if I could take my sketchbook and make a copy?”
“I don’t see why not.” Fraser was frowning. “I’m sure there are all kind of copyrights and legal restrictions, but as long as it’s for personal use.”
“Very personal.” Her smile was dazzling. “I’ll just run to the car and get my sketchbook.”
Caleb nodded. “And while you’re busy, I’ll take up Fraser’s valuable time by asking if he’ll give me a tour of the rest of the cars and equipment. I’m afraid I’m more interested in the engines than pretty pictures.”
Fraser nodded eagerly. “Me, too. Ever since I was a kid, I always wanted to be an engineer. But I’ve never had much schooling, so I joined the army and I did pretty well there. Medals and other stuff. Maybe that’s how I ended up here after I retired.”
“I’m sure that the railroad company was happy to have you come to work for them,” Jane said. “Those medals should make you proud.” She could see that Caleb was going to use her request as an excuse to take care of examining every important aspect of the facility. Mission accomplished. She took off running and reached the gates a few minutes later. Another couple of minutes and she was back with her sketch pad. “Where is it?”
Fraser was smiling indulgently. “Two rows over. It’s even got its own REIVER plaque on the steps.” He turned to Caleb. “And the engine that pulls the Reiver train is in tip-top shape. Everything in this yard is kept in good repair, and they sent to London for all the computer upgrades that let me practically run this entire railway station all by myself. We can check out the Reiver engine as soon as we let her into the car.” He chuckled. “No fancy plaques on that engine. It’s just sheer power. You’ll be impressed.”