r/CantParkThereMate

Completely free, unrestricted parking the entire length of this road. So this smallbrain decides to just park squarely on the pavement.

في تشيلي سقط قطار شحن في نهر إثر انهيار جسر للسكك الحديدية في منطقة لا أراوكاريا جنوب البلاد. ووقعت سبع عربات محملة بمواد كيماوية ونفط في النهر، ولم يسفر الحادث عن وقوع إصابات، إذ كانت عربة التحكم الأولى قد عبرت.

It was a misty morning in the beautiful hills of La Araucanía, a land far to the south of Sodor. A long freight train was puffing steadily toward the Toltén River, its boiler full of steam and its wheels clicking rhythmically against the iron rails.

The train was very heavy indeed. Behind the engine sat seven large tankers, filled to the brim with oil and chemicals. "Careful now," whispered the lead engine. "The bridge ahead is very old, and the river is running high."

As the engine reached the middle of the great iron bridge, it felt a strange shudder. Creak... groan... snap!

The engine gave a great puff of effort and surged forward, reaching the solid ground on the other side just in time. But behind it, there was a terrible sound—a sound like a thousand tea trays falling down a flight of stairs.

The old bridge could hold no more. With a mighty splash, the middle of the span gave way, and the seven tankers plunged down, down, down into the cold river below!

"Cinders and ashes!" cried the driver, looking back in horror.

The tankers bobbed in the rushing water like giant metal ducks. It was a sight that would have made Sir Topham Hatt spill his cocoa. The oil and chemicals were trapped inside the wagons, and everyone worried they might leak into the river where the fish lived.

But then, a small whistle of relief blew through the valley. Because the engine had been so brave and quick, the crew was safe on the riverbank. No one had been hurt.

"We may be in the water," gurgled one of the tankers as it settled into the riverbed, "but at least we didn't take the engine with us!"

It took many months and many Really Useful Cranes to fish the tankers out of the Toltén River. The people of Chile worked hard to build a new, stronger bridge so that the engines could cross safely once again.

And from that day on, whenever the engines in the south feel a bridge shiver, they remember the brave engine of La Araucanía and give a little extra puff to reach the other side.