The Girl From Mile End. Ch 17.

WAAF=Women's Auxiliary Air Force.

Chapter 17

I looked at the sweaty fireman wearing a familiar woollen hat and grinning at me from the cab of the locomotive.

         “Bobby! What on earth?"

         “Wait there,” he said. “I have to go to the signal box.” He walked to the signal box at the end of the platform and was soon back. "Well, get on then," he said. “Hurry up, we won't be here long. I told the signalman we were short of steam and needed a minute to build up the pressure.”

         I hesitated but he put his hand out. I grabbed his hand and he pulled me up into the cab before crashing the sprung door closed behind me.

         It was like walking into a different world. The glare from the fire through the hole where the coal is shovelled in could be felt as soon as I got in the cab. There was a low hissing sound of steam and the whole front was radiating heat. The driver was looking over and smiling. He seemed a lot younger than I imagined engine drivers to be and was quite attractive in an industrial sort of way in his bib and brace overalls, serge jacket, and railway hat with a badge shining as if it were lit up. He had another badge on his lapel which I couldn’t make out.

         “Welcome aboard,” the driver said.

         I was stuck for words and just smiled back at him as I enjoyed the wonderful locomotive smells; the steam, the hot steel, the burning coal, the cold coal dust, and the hot oil, a fantastic mixture of wonderful smells pushing all my senses to their limits.

         Bobby handed me one of his railway overall jackets. "Here, Elsie, put this over your uniform. He took off my hat and pulled the woollen hat off his head and pushed it over my hair. The driver gave a pop on the whistle and Bobby looked out towards the signal box. “He’s given us the okay, driver,” Bobby said. “Sit down, Elsie,” he said and guided me onto a wooden pull down seat.

         There was a rush of air as the driver moved the handle that controlled the brakes. He pulled up a long handle, and we started to move forward. As he eased the handle up further the huge wheels slipped, spinning on the rails, rocking the cab. I was a bit frightened by the action but saw that Bobby and the driver did not seem bothered. The driver eased back on the power, the wheels gripped and the throaty chuff was a magical sound as the smoke punched out from the funnel. I watched as Bobby shovelled coal into the fire, his hot sweaty body swivelling almost artistically from the tender to the fire hole every time expertly sending the coal into the fire. I was fascinated, my face glowing, my heart pounding with excitement, and all my nerves and feelings became aroused both physically and mentally.

         Bobby took hold of my hand and pulled me up from the seat. He passed the shovel to me. "Your turn," he shouted above the noise of the locomotive.

         I pushed the shovel into the tender and picking up some coal I shuffled round and tipped the coal inside the firebox. "Flipping heck, I said. "It scorched my hands."

         Bobby laughed. "Don't tip the coal in; shovel it in.”

         I found it difficult loading the shovel as the locomotive rocked and swayed with the tender rocking and jolting separately. I tried to keep my balance and shovelled the coal just inside. The glare from the firebox became intense and after six shovel loads, I looked over at Bobby. The sweat ran down from my hair and behind my ears and my whole body seemed to be flowing with warm sweaty dampness.

         "There’s a crossing ahead. Give a blow on the whistle, Elsie."

         I reached up and pulled the lever down, the sudden screech of the whistle startled me and I immediately let go of the lever. "Sorry, shall I do it again?"

         "No, that was fine." Bobby said. "That'll do for now." Bobby sat on the wooden seat and he put a foot on one of the fire doors and pushed them shut, causing a large crack sound as the two doors slapped together, cutting off the glare from the fire. I sat on his knee and put my arm around him before reaching up to kiss him, the air from the window cooled his skin, and it felt a pleasant contrast to the hot glowing sensation of mine. I could taste the fine coal dust on his lips and the salt from his dried sweat, but it just added to my excitement.

         The driver looked over. “The boiler, Bobby,” he said.

         Bobby gave a gentle slap on my thigh as a sign for me to get up. I dropped back on the seat when he got up and I sat watching him as he coaxed a small brass wheel to send water into the boiler.

         The driver closed the power and started to apply the brakes sending out a whooshing sound from the handle. I looked through the small front window and saw the silhouettes of the giant steelworks ahead.

         Safety valves on top of the boiler erupted with a high-pressure screeching discharge. Again I was startled and I placed my hands over my ears.

         Bobby took hold of the handle on the firebox doors and he slung them open as the driver began to bring the train to a squeaking halt. “We will leave our train in the sidings and pick up our return train for the trip back before we have our break. Are you ready for the next round?" he shouted.

         "I love you, Bobby," I said.

         Bobby smiled, seeming to know what I said even though he couldn’t actually hear the words.

         We left the train and turned the engine on a large triangle of railway tracks before backing onto the return train. Bobby picked up an enamel brew can and tipped the remains of an earlier brew outside the cab. He went off to make a fresh brew at the shunter’s cabin leaving me with the driver.

         “Are you a local girl?” the driver asked.

         “No, I’m from East London.”

         “They’ve had it rough down there. Mind you, it’s been unpleasant in Liverpool as well.”

         As soon as he said Liverpool I instantly thought of Tom and wondered if he was still there. “What is that badge on your lapel?” I asked.

         “Oh, that’s just my Home Guard badge.”

         “I thought you had to be old to be in the Home Guard?”

         “You don’t have to be old to serve. But I am getting on a bit anyway and I would be retiring next year if it were not for the war.”

         “Never, you don’t look anywhere near that age.”

         “If you see me in the daylight you might change your mind.”

         “Maybe Bobby could join then.” I meant the words in a light-hearted way and gave a laugh.

         “It’s a shame about Bobby. He wanted to join the army, but failed the medical.”

         “Why was that? He doesn’t seem to have any problems.”

         “Bad eyesight. Like I said, failed the medical. Don’t tell him I told you.”

         “I won’t.” I wondered if he didn’t want me to tell Bobby because he was betraying a confidence, or because he was telling lies. Maybe there was something more serious with Bobby.

         “I’m afraid he has not got a future on the railway either. With bad eyes he will be dismissed after his next railway medical.”

         Bobby came back with the fresh can of tea. I drank from a chipped enamel cup but never has tea tasted so good. Bobby gave me one of his cheese sandwiches and his driver gave me a kind of stodgy cake, similar to what we made at Freeman’s Bakers.

         The journey back was just as exciting and I had another turn on the shovel. We began to slow down as we approached Sealand station. I took Bobby’s overall jacket off and gave it back to him.

         “I’m off tomorrow so we can meet in the cafeteria at Northgate Station at seven o'clock, if you want to.”

         “Oh I want to,” I said. I went across to thank the driver and I gave him a kiss on the cheek which seemed to please him immensely. Bobby pulled open the sprung door as the engine came to a stop halfway along the platform. He took the woolly hat off my head and replaced my cap.

         I got off as they started to pull away. “See you tomorrow,” I said and wished I could have said more. They moved off and speeded up and I stood watching as they left with the wagons rumbling past after them. I had a huge grin on my face as I walked towards the gate.

         I thought that I must look a bit dishevelled and hoped the sentry would not give me any trouble especially as he must have seen me getting off of the goods train. I was pleased to see that it was my friend, Colin, from the maintenance hangar.

         “What on Earth have you been up to?” he said.

         I put a finger across my lips. “Shhh, don’t tell,” I said.

         “I won’t, but you owe me a date.”

         “I’ll bear that in mind,” I said and hurried off.

         I got to the block and the duty WAAF was Mary again and I got a strange look from her. I went to the wash room and noticed that the moisture from my sweat had caused streaks of coal dust down my face, neck and hands. I splashed some water on my face to remove the coal dust, went back to see Mary and borrowed a clothes brush to get the dust from my uniform. I got to my bed space and quietly changed into my pyjama’s because a lot of the girls were already asleep and then I made my way back to the wash room for a bath.

         I lay in the bath thinking of the adventure I have just had on the freight train. My thoughts of Bobby were strong; this was the man for me, and I now knew that. I thought about what the driver had said about Bobby. I must admit it worried me. Was he telling the truth because I have never noticed Bobby having any trouble with his sight? I thought of asking him about it but decided not to. I was sure that if anything was badly wrong with him then he would tell me when he was ready. I felt myself dropping off to sleep and I sat up quickly and got out of the bath. It was a cold room and I didn’t want to fall asleep and wake up in freezing bath water in a cold room. I knew Mary had acquired some cocoa so I got dressed and went down and got her to make me a nightcap.

STATIC

The Girl From Mile End. Ch 18.  (18+) Elsie visits Bobby's rooms. #2291629 by Bruce.