Then she took another hot shower just to make sure she was all the way warm. Plus she was pretty sticky from all that syrup.

When she and Tom came back into the Roundhouse, the workers were just polishing the last of the Silver Arrow’s brass fittings and changing the huge bulb in its big front headlight. The train looked as good as new. They’d even restocked the tender with coal and water.

“Do you want to do the honors?” Uncle Herbert said.

He offered her a fancy foot-long wooden match. Kate knew what he meant.

The makings of a great big bonfire had been laid in the Silver Arrow’s firebox: loose paper, then dry sticks for kindling, then thick branches on top of that. Kate lit the match and touched it to the corner of a crumpled newspaper and watched the flames lick and spread. When the fire was good and steady, she and Tom shoveled coal from the tender on top of the wood. She watched the steam pressure rise in the pressure gauge.

It all felt comfortingly familiar; she’d done it so many times. But she was still waiting for something.…

Click-bing.

HI

Kate smiled through her tears.

“Hi.”

There was not really any part of the Silver Arrow that she could hug, but she wished she could.

I’M BACK

“Are you okay?”

I FEEL GOOD

“I’m glad.”

WAIT

WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!

She explained about Uncle Herbert and the Roundhouse as well as she could, but the whole time she was thinking, It’s really back. It’s really all right. Kate felt like she’d come back to life, too. She felt fresh and strong and restored.

When the train was all steamed up and white wisps of vapor were floating out of its smokestacks and pistons, the door to the cab opened and Uncle Herbert climbed in. He looked around, and his face had a melancholy expression for a moment. Like he was remembering something.

He turned to Kate and Tom.

“I wonder,” he said, “if you could give me a ride to my car.”

With a great rumbling, the whole train started turning in place. Looking out Kate saw that it was resting on an enormous turntable, almost like a record player, that could spin and point the train in whatever direction it needed to go.

When the turntable stopped, the Silver Arrow was pointed at the arched entrance to a dark tunnel.

Tom switched on the headlight and released the brakes. Kate put the reverser all the way forward and slowly opened up the throttle. She couldn’t help showing off a little. The train started to move.

“Do you mind if I—?” Uncle Herbert said shyly.

He reached one hand up toward the ceiling.

“Go for it.”

With a grin, Uncle Herbert pulled the handle and blew the whistle.

FOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!