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Blimey! Where'd the Engine Go? The Curious Case of the Lindal Disappearance Locomotives are supposed to be the kings of the rails, not disappearing acts! But that's exactly what happened to Furness Railway's No. 115 back in 1892, in a tale that's more puzzler than playtime. Buckle up, history buffs, because we're about to dive into the strange story of the Lindal railway incident. It all started on a crisp September morning – Thursday, 22nd to be exact – just after 8:30 am. Our star of the show, No. 115, a hardworking D1 class engine, was just doing its shunting thing near Lindal-in-Furness (say that five times fast!). Now, this wasn't just any ordinary spot on the line. Lindal was riddled with mines, tunnels snaking beneath the very tracks No. 115 was chugging along. In fact, drivers had been whispering about the ground being a bit dodgy for a while. Seems those whispers were right, because with a mighty rumble (and probably a plume of dust for dramatic effect), the ground decided to play a nasty trick. A giant hole opened up right under the locomotive! Down the Rabbit Hole (or Should We Say Engine Hole?) No. 115 vanished quicker than a magician's rabbit, swallowed whole by this mysterious pit. Luckily, the driver, a chap named Thomas Postlethwaite, wasn't a slowpoke. He jumped clear just in the nick of time, escaping with nothing more than a fright, a bruised shoulder (from a rather unfortunate encounter with a wagon), and a story for the grandkids. Sadly, he didn't even have time to grab his jacket or his gold pocket watch! Poor Thomas ended up in North Lonsdale hospital, probably wondering if he'd imagined the whole thing. The Great Locomotive Dig (That Never Happened) Now, you might think folks would've scrambled to get their horseless carriage back. But nope! Retrieving No. 115 turned out to be a right nightmare. The hole, already thirty feet deep, kept on growing like a grumpy toddler, making any rescue attempts about as useful as a chocolate teapot. All they managed to snag was the tender, the carriage that carries the coal and water (like a train's lunchbox, if you will). They did try, bless 'em. A gang of men set about trying to create a ramp to haul the engine out, but the ground had other ideas. More subsidence! Down went No. 115 even further, this time to a depth of 60 feet, and then even deeper! It was official: the engine was lost. The Blame Game: Mines or Mother Nature? As for what caused this whole shebang, well, it's a bit of a "whodunnit." Some folks reckoned it had something to do with those pesky mine tunnels. Others thought maybe the ground just had a bit of a weak stomach and couldn't handle the weight of the iron beast. The official report mentions that the railway company had already done a lot of work to shore up the line, including laying extra timbers and employing a night watchman. But even with all those precautions, the ground still gave way. The truth, like No. 115 itself, remains buried deep. A Lost Engine and a Lingering Legend No one knows exactly how deep No. 115 is snoozing, with estimates ranging from 200 to 300 feet. Officially, it's listed as "preserved," which basically means it's someone else's problem to dig up (good luck with that!). But the story doesn't end there! Despite the gaping hole in the ground, the railway kept running! Passengers had to get off the train on one side of the chasm, walk around it, and then hop back on again. Can you imagine the chaos? And of course, everyone wanted a peek at the hole, causing all sorts of delays and near-tumbles. It's a wonder anyone got to their destination that day! The Lindal railway incident has become a legend, inspiring tales like Arthur Conan Doyle's "The Lost Special" and even an episode of "Thomas the Tank Engine" (though hopefully Thomas didn't have the same fate!). It's a reminder that history can be surprising, full of unexpected twists and turns, and that sometimes, even the biggest locomotives can disappear in a puff of smoke… well, maybe not smoke, but you get the idea! So next time you're chuffing down the railway, spare a thought for poor No. 115, forever snoozing in its dirt nap, possibly with Thomas's gold watch keeping it company. Who knows, maybe one day they'll unearth this iron relic and we'll finally know the answer to the million-dollar question: what really happened on that fateful day in Lindal? #LindalRailwayIncident #DisappearingLocomotive #HistoryMystery #VictorianRailways #LocomotiveLegends #ThomasTheTankEngine