Marvin continued, "If you two need help, I can have the staff at Blue Lake Bay Station assist with inspecting the train. The water and fuel are ready too. I hope we can get you resupplied quickly!"
Before he had finished speaking, a well-trained team of station workers appeared on the platform.
Seeing the assortment of specialized tools in their hands, Farnham and Bokas found themselves at a loss for words. They wanted to decline, but how could they? More hands would certainly make a full inspection of the train more efficient.
Farnham nodded firmly. "We'd appreciate your help!"
With Farnham and Bokas directing them, the Blue Lake Bay Station staff immediately set to work, inspecting and preparing the train in an orderly rush.
The water crane, prepared well in advance, steadily fed fresh water into the locomotive's tank under an operator's control. Meanwhile, several carts loaded with fuel were pushed toward the platform. Workers would load that precious fuel by hand into the spacious storage compartment beneath the locomotive.
To Farnham and Bokas's surprise, the mountain of fuel was all top-quality Black Oil Pine. It had been neatly stacked, clearly ready long before they arrived.
The sight left both men with an ache they could hardly describe. With heavy snow blocking the roads, the Blue Lake Bay Region was desperately short of fuel and firewood.
Yet even under such hardship, the people here had held to their principles. They had not taken the station's fuel reserves, which had been set aside specifically for passing trains.
That alone showed how much effort everyone in Blue Lake Bay had put into reopening the railway...
Now fully aware of the importance of their mission, Farnham and Bokas dared not waste another moment.
They gave the entire locomotive a thorough inspection and, once