The Lone Ranger, always willing to help out the underdog, put out feelers around the 1st leg of the journey of the Box. This was where the Rock Island took delivery!!
Just after lunchtime (liquid lunch in the local pub), the RI staff were attempting to unload the truck. A local reporter took this picture. As he was a tresspasser on the RI property the RI suppressed publication as it showed The box about to fall off the truck. It appears first damage was caused at this point which accounts for the damage seen in the photo from N Gauger.
Further investigations shows that the 10 foot drop from the Mexican built crane had actually opened The Box revealing a turning lathe and fish bait. Both were forwarded on their journey but the bait was never received by the Clayton Central from the Badger Creek RR. The Scotland Yard investigators (all keen sports fishermen) failed to discover at what point the bait went missing. One local (a well known drunk) who frequents the wharf on the BCRR swears he saw the bait being beamed up to a UFO the same day it was offloaded from the freighter.
On the same day NORAD had reported an object resembling a Shay had been thermally imaged at an altitude of approx 250 miles! Shamus can expect a midnight knock on his door so we hope his fancy footwork is as deft as Kettlestack's !!!
Meanwhile Kettlestack (having lost his house to pay The Dream Team's fees) has taken up residence in the crossing keepers hut and is currently working on the land herding Haggis. When interviewd Kettlestack said he was seriously thinking of giving up model railroading as his lumber had been confiscated as evidence!
Now then, many of you may think this is a fairy tale..... but cast your eyes back over this thread and you will find photographic proof that the only fairytale in here is about the Southern never ever damaging freight!
Errol