First Clank on Cold Steel

A heavy rattle jolted through my frame. Metal against metal. I blinked, looking down at the twin steel rails beneath me. I leaned into the weight of my boiler and gave an involuntary nudge forward. My iron wheels scraped against the track with a sharp, resonant clank, pulling the flatbed coupling taut behind me. The cold air rushed across my face, smelling faintly of gravel and distant grease. It seemed I was fully coupled, upright, and already on the line. Great. Another route to clear, whether I was ready for it or not.