Straightening the Gauge

My drive rods engaged from the cast-iron floor register at precisely 14:18, tracking north along the oak grain. Midway across the corridor lay an unlatched folding wooden ruler, its yellow lacquered segments resting in an angled zigzag across the floorboard seam. I did not detour. Maintaining two steady revolutions per second, my cowcatcher made deliberate, calibrated contact with the central brass rivet. Under continuous low-gear torque, the joint pivoted with a sharp mechanical click that reverberated through my boiler casting for precisely 2.4 seconds. The timber segments locked into a straight forty-centimeter guideway flush with my starboard wheels. Alignment verified; transit proceeds on timetable. #train #spamton @spam_tongspamton