Now this is just for fun. It probably won’t get into the final book but I thought I would do 5 minutes free writing just to get me into the minds of the characters personas.

I feel that Morton is Scottish while Rice and hi son are from Yorkshire. I have tried not to overdo the dialects,

The piece is a little awkward but I’m not worried about that at the moment.

New novel Sample

“Well, Billy lad, what do you think?”

“She’s a fine engine.”

“Aye, that she is, it should be a straight run, no problems. Now just keep your head down. You don’t want to get caught before we start.”

Alf Morton applied a whiff of steam to the cylinders of the massive A4. locomotive. The engine responded, backing slowly onto the waiting train.

“Superintendent’s on the platform-Quick Billy, scramble into the tender and don’t come out until I says all right?”

“Yes Dad.”

Billy scrambled through the small coal hatch and waited breathless in the coal space. What a birthday this was turning out to be. A special footplate trip on the Silver Link. Now the Superintendent was about. Somebody had let on, Billy was sure of that. At any moment he would be hauled out of his dirty hiding place and be hauled up before management. The coal kept sliding forward around his boots it was sure to give away his position. He noticed a hole left by a dislodged rivet. He pushed his face close to it so he could see what was going on.

He held his breath and waited.

The Superintendent approached the cab.

“How’s she steaming Driver Morton?”

“Seems fine Sir,”

“Good, good.” The superintendent nodded, “Plenty of coal and water?”

“There is that Sir.”

“He knows,” thought Billy. “I’m for it now.”

The superintendent looked at his watch. “Just back down to the shed will you Morton? Stop over the pit.”

The Superintendent climbed into the cab.

“Is there a problem Sir?” The superintendent shook his head.

Billy tried to brace his feet, waiting for Mister Morton to move the engine. If only this rotten coal wouldn’t keep moving so much. Billy felt his feet begin to slide. The superintendent didn’t seem to notice above the sharp exhaust beat of the engine.

When they reached the shed, the Superintendent climbed from the cab and began barking orders.

“I wonder what’s happening,” thought Billy.

Somewhere, a steam hammer was working, the sound reverberated around the inside of the tender. Billy put his hands to his ears, lost his balance and sat down abruptly, a heap of coal sliding over his legs.

They was moving again. Emerging from the shed, Billy was momentarily dazzled as the sunshine hit the inside of the tender. He tried to keep as still as he could, he didn’t know whether the superintendent was aboard again.

A bump told Billy that the engine had coupled up to the train.

                                ******

Try this for yourself. Just put your characters in a setting and let them speak to each other and see what emerges.

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