The end of Eddie Willers — Part 1
Eddie Willers woke up still dazed with the shock of having seen the end of everything he had loved in his short life. The rabbit had not returned, but it would do so later, when there was no one left to scare it away and with it would come more creatures and forces of nature that would gradually destroy the train and its tracks.
First, he dropped to his knees, blinded by the beam of light from the locomotive’s headlight. He rested his hands on one of the wooden sleepers, a small splinter embedded in his palm, but the pain was dull. He let it be, for he felt good, he was alive. He got to his feet with some difficulty. He was terrified, he was aware of how cold it was out there, despite being in the middle of the desert.
-Where are you, Dagny? What do I do now?
He thought with the force of a scream. He looked down at his left hand and gently pulled out the small splinter, releasing a drop of blood that fell to the ground and was absorbed by the sand between the sleepers of the track. He stared at the small red footprint in the fine white sand, thinking that if he died there, it would become just a speck like the drop of blood in that vast grey desert. Then he closed his eyes.
After standing for about five minutes in front of the locomotive, recovering his mind, he finally opened his eyes, blinked at the intensity of the light and looked down. He stepped off the track and climbed into the locomotive, looking for a switch to illuminate the inside of the engine. He found a canvas suitcase containing various tools.
-I’ll make this engine work; I’ve been making things work all my life.
He said to himself in a husky, gravelly voice, which scared him, because it sounded like a threat to himself, to his ordinary employee self that lacked the genius touch of the great entrepreneurs. He was no Hank Rearden, no Dwight Sanders, much less a John Galt. He was not educated or highly skilled in engineering or mechanics, but he was a solver. He had always found a solution to any problem that came his way. Moreover, he had long experience of locomotives since he was a boy, having always been during railways and engines.
First, he checked the facts: the engine had stopped and could not be restarted. The engine driver and the stoker had only been loosening and tightening nuts, so they had achieved nothing. He tried to remember everything he had heard, studied, and learned about these engines from the countless mechanics and engineers he had met. The principle was a bit complex; this engine did not work with spark plugs that provided a spark for an explosion; the diesel was ignited by compression.
He started to look for fuel leaks in the fuel lines, but he couldn’t see well, as the light didn’t help. He tried to move the train’s headlight and it was impossible, but he was able to detach some small side lights and moved them with everything and connection into the cab and engine. This gave him the light source he needed. He checked the ducts and saw that none of them were leaking, nor was the injection pump, which he could barely recognize, tucked neatly inside the machinery. He felt with his fingers and, except for the grease from constant use, he could see no traces of fuel on his hand.
His clothes were already dirty. He had taken off his waistcoat, jacket and shirt. His shirt was stained with grease, as were his face and arms, and his left hand was completely black. He was sweating and the slight ache in his muscles made him feel good. Ruling out leaks, he thought….
— ‘What else could be wrong?’
Eddie concentrated on the electrical system. He knew that diesel-electric engines depended on a few components to function properly. He disassembled the control panel and checked the circuits, looking for signs of shorts or burnt wires. He found a half-scorched wire that appeared to have been overloaded. He replaced it with one of the spares he found in the tool case, making sure the connections were tight and secure.
— This must work!
Next, he checked the main generator. He cleaned the air and fuel filters, making sure there were no blockages that could restrict flow. Checked the levels of oil and other essential fluids, topping up where necessary. Making sure the cooling system was working properly was crucial to prevent the electric motors from overheating.
Finally, he turned his attention to the traction motors. He cleaned the commutator contacts and checked the cooling fans for obstructions. He saw a series of valves in which one of them was in a different position to the others, it had come loose and the bolt fixing it had probably come loose. He searched the floor and among the components and found it stuck inside the other engine parts.
Not knowing how to get it out, he thought of using a piece of stiff wire with a bent end to fit between the gaps and hook the bolt with the end and went to look for something he could use inside the train. He returned with a piece of wire that had been holding up some curtains, shaped it and after several unsuccessful attempts managed to pull the piece out and it was secured in its original position. He continued cleaning and checking other pieces, so as not to give himself false hope.
After hours of painstaking work, Eddie felt ready to attempt to start the locomotive. He climbed into the control cab, his heart pounding with anticipation and nervousness. But he paused, thinking about uncoupling some carriages to prevent the overload from preventing the train from starting.
He dismissed the idea, as the train had already been running even with the carriages full of people who were not there now because they had left the train. He decided to try with the whole train. With steady hands, he turned the ignition key. Nothing happened.
To be continue…
