The Little Loco
A long time ago, when travelling was slow,
walking was cheap with boots on your feet.
Riding a horse was clip cloppity faster,
but you could fall off – what a disaster!
Heavy things went in a horse drawn cart,
but the roads were rubbish and covered in clart.
Potholes and ditches, puddles and splatter,
bumps in the roads that made your teeth clatter.
Boats were useful on river and sea,
but they made you feel sick and bring up your tea.
There weren’t any cars, there weren’t any planes.
But someone was thinking of inventing trains.
So, a railway was built to carry goods,
people, stones, coal and foods.
Waggons sat, eight or nine,
but something was missing on the railway line.
What would make the waggons go?
They decided to try a steam Loco!
She was built up north and brought to the line,
her boiler lit; she was working fine.
The Loco huffed and the Loco puffed.
She hauled her heavy load until she’d had enough.
By lunch she was tired, so she had a drink,
then a band jumped in with a cheeky wink.
The band played “Oom-pah-pah, oom-pah-pah root toot-toot,”
Little Loco joined in with a hoot, hoot-hoot!
The passengers laughed and wiped away soot,
As Wonky Waggon ran over a man’s foot.
The train choo-chooed at an astonishing pace
and naughty children decided to race.
She left them exhausted and out of puff.
They collapsed in a heap when they’d had enough.
Passing horses thought they’d run faster,
so, they raced the Loco to try to get past her.
The Loco was fast, and she carried much more,
“I’ve won!” cried the Loco with an almighty roar.
When she finished her journey, people were chuffed.
They had a big banquet and ate until stuffed.
“Hooray!” cried the Loco, “that was great fun.”
“Let’s do it again, on a longer run.”
So, she ran on the line for many years,
with only a few accidents and occasional tears.
The railway grew ‘til it covered the land
but rarely do you see it carrying a band.
When our Loco grew old,
she joined a museum.
Others live there too;
you should go and see ‘em.
