04x13 - The Tale of Train Magic

[bunniefuu]

[Child's laughter]

He's not coming.
Did he call you?

No.

Last I heard
he was.

Maybe he's
grounded again.

Or maybe chickened out
on coming alone.

He is afraid
of the dark.

Well, he should
have called.

[Train engine]

Relax. Not everybody
runs on the same schedule

as you.

Cute.

Cool. We're gonna hear
a story about trains.

Oh, yeah, but...

That's not all.

[Train sounds
stop]

My story's also about
wanting something really bad,

so bad it's all
you think about.

Nothing else matters.

But when you're finally
getting close to it,

where you can see the light
at the end of the tunnel,

you've gotta watch out.

Because that light could be
on the front of a big old train

barreling
straight at you.

You might not have
any place to run.

Submitted for the approval
of the midnight society,

I call this story...

[Ding ding ding ding]

[Ding ding]

Tim Williamson
loved trains

and knew everything
about them.

His dad was even
a conductor.

Next stop,

Waterloo Station!

Waterloo Station
is next!

But Tim's father d*ed,

and since then,

Tim spent
more and more time

playing with his model trains
in the cellar

and hanging at
the Central Station

where he could be around
real trains just like his dad.

I go all the way
downtown

to sign you up for
little league tryouts,

and you don't
even show?

I had stuff to do.

Like what? Hang around
the train station all day?

Look... you better
go tomorrow.

Mom doesn't want you spending
all your time down there.

You wanna go to the movies
with me and the guys later?

Nah. I'm busy.

Yeah, right!

Watching your little trains
go around in a circle?

So? I can do
what I want.

But you don't do
anything.

And take the cap off.
It's too big.

You look stupid.

Dad didn't look
stupid in it!

Because he was
a real conductor,

not a little twerp
like you.

Give it to me!
Gimme it!

Great. Thanks.

Hello, Tim.

Who are you?

Ray Lawson's
the name.

I'm the conductor
on the .

Passes by
every night,

right here on
track number one.

You know the train?

Uh...I don't
think so.

You'll learn.

I've had my eye
on you.

I see you on these
tracks every night.

You wanna be
a train man, don't you?

Uh... yeah, I guess.

The 's due by
real soon.

You like the watch?

Every conductor
should have a watch.

It's a real beaut,
isn't it?

Here... take it.

Then you can be
a real conductor,

just like me.

Yo, Tim!

What's keepin' you?

Uh...I was just
talking to, um...

Where'd he go?

There was a conductor
standing right here.

I take it back.

The Cap's not too
big. It's too tight.

It's cutting off
your brain.

Hank!

Look alive there,
Timothy!

Don't go hurting
yourself now.

Whoa!

[Chuckles]

I didn't know
which one you wanted,

so I brought
all of 'em.

Well, your heart's in
the right place, son.

All you gotta do is get
your brain there, too.

Cap? You know
those tracks

that go
by my house?

I know every track inside
of miles of here.

Well... is there
a

that goes over them
every night?

Not unless you
believe in miracles.

Those tracks
haven't had trains

since I was your age.

All them highways
and trucks.

No, railroads ain't
what they used to be.

Hey, Tim!

We gotta roll.
You callin' it?

Go on! Your father
was never late.

Don't you go startin'.
Go on!

Last call!

to Springfield,
aimesview, Wilson's Falls!

All aboard!

Hello.

Hi.

I'm looking for

the young conductor
from the train station.

I believe he lives
here.

Conductor?

Oh. Tim.

Yeah. What
do you want?

Would you please...

Give this to him?

Hey, Tim. There's some
guy askin' about ya.

[Train whistle
blows]

[Ding ding ding ding]

[Clang clang clang
clang clang]

[Whistling]

[Gasps]

A new passenger!

We have a new
passenger!

Do you play poker?

You don't know
how long

I've been waiting for a
new person to play with.

But where's
his ticket?

Can't ride a train
without a ticket.

Don't you know that?

Uh...I don't
have a ticket.

Tim's a conductor.

Conductor doesn't need
a ticket.

Hello, Tim.

Glad to have ya aboard!

And we're right on time,
too.

First time I saw you,

I knew you'd make
a great conductor.

What's going on?
Who are you people?

Oh, you'll get used to
these folks.

You'll have to.

They're your
responsibility now.

What?!

Here's your watch.

A conductor's
gotta have a watch.

What are you doing?

Don't touch that!

[Ding ding ding ding]

All aboard!

There were all these
weird people,

and I pulled
the emergency brake,

and I think I got
knocked out,

'cause next thing
I'm in the cellar!

Whoa, whoa, whoa.
Come up for air!

You all right?

Yeah. Yeah.
I think so.

It's just, at first I
thought I was dreaming, but--

Well, maybe you were.

No, I wasn't.

It really happened.

What was it, Cap?

Well...

Coulda been nothin'.

Coulda been
imagination.

Maybe coulda been...

Train magic.

What's train magic?

Well, depends on how
you see, Timothy.

See, most people
look at trains,

they don't see nothin'
but big old machines.

Train's got more
than that.

Train's got
its own language:

Sound of wheel
on metal,

the sharp whistle,

the pure song
of the bell.

You see, that's
the train speakin'

if you know
how to listen.

Nothin' has
more train magic

than a conductor's
watch...

'Cause a railroad
depends on time.

Without time,

nothing on the line
works right.

Ray Lawson wanted
me to take his watch.

Ray Lawson?

Why'd you come up
with that name?

That's the name of
the conductor on the train.

That's him!
That's the conductor!

Who is he? Do you know him?

I know of him.

In the old days

before radios,

do you know how conductors
got their messages?

No.

Station operators left them
on poles beside the tracks,

and conductors had to reach
out a hand and grab it

as the train went by.

Pretty ancient.

Ha ha ha ha.

I suppose so.

Anyway, there's a story
I always heard

from the old-timers

about a night they were
working on the tracks

not so far from here.

So they sent out a message
to the conductor on the

to change tracks.

See, that's hard work
back then.

The train had to stop.

The conductor got out and
changed the switch himself.

Anyway, this conductor

got sent a message to
change over at switch .

What happened?

Forgot to
check his watch.

Fell asleep.

He never got
the message.

Never changed
the switch.

Train crashed.

A lot of folks d*ed,
including the conductor.

Ray Lawson.

But I saw him.

When they dug his body
outta the wreck,

he still had the watch
in his hand.

Lid wasn't even open.

Cap, that switch
--

that's on the tracks
by my house!

The train crashed near
my house, didn't it?

Go on home now.
It ain't natural,

a kid your age hanging
around here all the time.

Play baseball or
video thingamajigs!

But Cap, we're friends!

Aw, get goin'. Go on!

Get goin'!

And stay away from trains!
You hear me?

Ray Lawson?

You must be Cap.

Don't matter who I am.

Leave the boy alone!

Get on your
ghost train and go.

Can't do that.

[Train whistle blows]

I've gotta keep
the schedule.

I told you
to leave the boy a--

Time to board, Cap.

I don't need
any more passengers,

but you can help bring
me a new conductor.

Ha ha ha ha ha!

All aboard!

[Train whistle blows]

Ha ha ha ha!

Cap! No!

Don't do it!

Zebo's just in.

Let's play.

Hey, yo!

You're gettin' real close
to the deep end there, bro.

Cap.

What about him?

Look.

Yeah. Cute.
So what?

Look! That's him!
He's in the train!

[Laughs]
Hey, you're right.

Funny, last time
I saw him,

he was a little
bigger.

Hey, Cap, still hanging with
my screwy little brother?

This isn't a joke!

Yeah, the only joke
here is you, you little--

How'd you do that?

I didn't.

Well, who did?

Train magic.

[Clock tolls]

: !

The just left
the station!

W-what's goin' on?

Hank, I know
you think I'm crazy,

and maybe I am,
but you gotta help me!

Forget it. You're
beyond help, lame wad.

I mean it! If we
don't, Cap is gonna die,

and who knows what'll
happen to me?

Would you listen
to yourself?

You're cracking up!

You gotta get out of
this basement.

Dad is gone, Tim. This
isn't gonna bring him back.

[Sighs]

Look, I'm just
worried about you.

If you're really
worried about me,

you'd help me.

You're serious.

Please, Hank?

All right, Timmy. What
do you want me to do?

[Sighs]

I don't know
who's crazier,

him or me.

Hasn't been a train
here in years.

I'm telling Mom.

We gotta put him away.

He needs professional help.

[Ding ding ding ding ding]

[Clang clang clang
clang clang]

He's back!

The boy is back!

Cap!

Cap, where are you?

'Bout time
you came back.

I'm getting fed up
with playing solitaire.

He has his ticket this time,
I assume.

Cap!

Well, of course
he has his ticket.

Cap.

Cap!

Wake up. Come on!

[Train whistle]

No way.

I disconnected it.

[Train approaches]

[Whistle blows]

Holy--

Come on!

You didn't think I'd make
the same mistake twice.

Out of my way.
Sit down.

He doesn't have
a ticket!

He doesn't
need a ticket.

Well, I won't be
needing that anymore.

You love trains,

don't ya?

Well, now you're gonna
get one all your own.

Just a few more seconds.

crashed
years ago,

and it's been doing
it ever since...

Right on time.

Ha ha ha ha ha!

[Whistle blows]

I made one mistake!

I've been trapped
ever since.

It doesn't matter,

because this time,
I'll be gone.

Here you are, my boy.

Train's gotta have
a conductor.

And a conductor's
gotta have...

A watch.

[Whispers]
Finally!

Take good care of my--

excuse me--
your train.

Ha ha ha ha ha!

It's train magic,
Timothy,

the most powerful
kind.

Ray Lawson!

This is not my train!

And we're getting off.

What are you doing?

No!

[Train whistle
fades]

Hey!

What was that?

The ! You switched it
to track

like the conductor was
supposed to years ago!

What conductor?

That one.

Cap: He doesn't have
a train anymore,

and he has no watch.

He has nothing but
these old tracks

and the night.

Train magic.

You boys best be
gettin' on home.

Cap? I don't think
I'm gonna be

coming around to the
station for a while.

That's good,
Timothy.

Maybe I'll stop by

and watch you play
some baseball.

What just happened
here?

I think I just got rid
of a couple of ghosts.

So Tim learned about
kinds of magic:

Train magic...

And the kind of magic
that happens

between brothers...

And friends.

[Train whistle]

Good story.

Good story.

I declare this meeting of
the Midnight Society closed.