The Great Locomotive Chase Page #4

The only train we've got to worry about is

that freight we're due to pass at Kingston.

That torn track'll block everything below

us, and once we get that wire cut,

They can't send warning to those above.

Tighter yet.

A little more. There.

Now cut it at the next pole and take a

length with us. Nobody'll catch us then.

Did you get a look at 'em?

The men who stole my train?

- Stole, is it?

- Yeah. Did they stop?

- They did.

- What for?

The official stepped down

and borrowed some tools.

- A Mr. Andrews?

- I didn't ask. He came from Beauregard.

That's the one.

- Who were they? Conscripts?

- No, a Mr. Andrews.

He got on at Marietta

with some Secret Service men.

- He showed me a letter from Beauregard.

- An authorization?

No. It was right much an order

to help out any way we could.

I'll help him when I get

to that telegraph in Allatoona.

Maybe next time you'll stop and ask

if he is an army man.

We'll need that push car.

Take it and welcome, Mr. Murphy.

Hoist it up, boys.

Blow the whistle, clear the track

When I'm gone I won't be back I

My pappy was a railroadin' man I

Well, I stole a locomotive

Just to take a ride I

Be quiet!

We're coming to a station.

What station?

- Allatoona.

- Just a crossroads.

I stole a locomotive

Just to take a ride I

'Cause my pappy

was a railroadin' man I

Brown, you wanna take her?

Keep her down.

We gotta run on schedule.

Jump!

You all right?

Those scoundrels are spies,

but not for Beauregard.

Only damn Yankees would do

a trick like that.

Whatever they're up to,

they mean business.

Sit on the front facing forward, Jeff.

You're an old hand at watching the tracks.

Mr. Andrews!

There's an iron works four miles east.

That must be her yard engine.

Hadn't we better destroy her?

Not worth the risk.

We're too close to Kingston.

Ease on through the

station, but don't stop.

Let 'em hear the bell.

[bell rings]

- We're slowing down.

- Get ready.

There's a locomotive back there

and he ran right on by it.

- I thought we were wrecking this rail

road. - Give him a chance, will ya?

- Can you get a message to Kingston?

- No, the line's gone dead.

- They're cutting the wire

between stations. - Who is?

The Yankees that stole my train!

Hey, Reid! They've taken up a rail

two miles south.

Get a flagman down there to stop

any train from Atlanta.

[train bell]

All right, boys. I'm gonna wait here

for the southbound train.

There's a train on the sidetrack.

Goes between here and Rome.

Waiting for Atlanta passengers.

Pull past the switch,

then back in ahead of her.

Couldn't we make it into Adairsville?

No, we might run head-on

into that southbound freight.

We've gotta wait.

You boys oil up the engine.

You're too busy to bother with anybody.

Understand?

I'll do the talking.

Looks like I'll have to do plenty.

Hand me that wrench.

I reckon I don't know you.

It's their engine, all right.

But there ain't none of their men aboard.

Gentlemen, I've taken this train

by government authority

And I'm running it through to Beauregard.

Where's Jeff Cain and Fuller?

They were fitting out another train

when we left Atlanta.

I got a dispatch for Fuller to wait here

until the southbound freight passes.

He'll be along. The southbound freight

may have to wait for him.

What you got in them boxcars?

Enough ammunition to blow this depot

to kingdom come.

One of them was pointing toward us.

They all look mighty suspicious.

4

From the north.

All right, boys. Here we go.

[Andrews] Engineer!

I'm running an ammunition train

down to Beauregard.

- Will you pull down and clear the tracks?

- You can't take no train north. Not yet.

- [engineer] There's another behind me.

- Pete Bracken's express freight?

[engineer] No, one that ain't scheduled.

- Can't be.

- Maybe there can't be but there is.

Ain't you heard the news?

A Yankee general named Mitchell marched

down and captured Huntsville yesterday.

[train yard worker] I'll be darned!

[engineer] Took every train

on the Memphis and Charleston road.

We're hauling bacon out of Chattanooga

before the Yankees get there.

If you tried to get through to Beauregard

now, you'd run right smack into old Mitch.

Didn't Ledbetter go

to defend Chattanooga?

He'll try.

Then he'll need ammunition

even more than Beauregard.

Will you pull your train way down

so that other freight can clear?

[steam puffing]

- It's Knight. Can you hear me?

- Go ahead.

- We'll have to wait longer than planned.

- [Pittenger] What's up?

Mitchell got through yesterday.

Captured Huntsville.

The enemy is running extra freight trains

and clogging up the road.

He got through. We're too late!

I'm getting out of here!

Shut up and listen.

Andrews says to lie low and wait.

If these folks get too suspicious, be ready

to jump out and give it to 'em hot and fast.

- What'll be our signal?

- A pistol shot.

If the station master tries to send a

message up the line, we might shoot him.

That's more like it.

Yonah!

[Murphy and Fuller] Yonah! Wait for us!

- Uncouple your cars, Hilly!

- We gotta borrow your engine.

Get on the tender, boys. We're chasing

down Yankees, and we need your guns.

We've got orders

to report to Camp MacDonald.

Can't get through today.

The track's out below.

What do you want to do,

drill or shoot Yankees? Come on!

Open her up, Hilly!

Let's stoke that peanut burner.

Something's wrong.

Something's bad wrong, I tell you.

- How long?

- 45 minutes.

Burn their bridges, will we?

Looks like we burned our own!

Campbell!

You'll wait here, like the rest.

That's an order.

We ain't in uniform now.

- We're still soldiers.

- No, we ain't.

We're Yankee contraband

smuggled into a boxcar

By a slick-talking blockade runner.

He hasn't failed us yet.

All right.

I'll give him five more minutes.

I tell you, I know Bill Fuller.

Ain't a better man on the state road.

He wouldn't be this late

without letting us know.

Why don't you telegraph Atlanta

and find out?

The line to the south's gone dead!

Maybe our friend here can tell us why.

I don't know why.

There are many things about how this road

is run I wouldn't attempt to explain.

But I can tell you this: If Beauregard could

get his orders filled by regular channels

Without these ruinous delays, he wouldn't

have sent me to bring his powder through.

It's a shame you folks

have to wait for the train.

But it's more of a shame to block

the road with ordinary travel

When the fate of brave soldiers

hangs in the balance.

Mr. Andrews? I'll get you through.

I'll get an authorization

to clear that track for you

- If I have to go all the way to Richmond.

- No! You needn't do that.

Why not?

Because...

[train whistle]

That freight's coming in now.

- You can throw that switch now.

- Don't reckon I will.

If you was all you claimed to be, we'd have

heard from the road superintendent of you,

- I ain't throwing no switch until we do.

- I'm not above doing it.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes