The Ticonderogan (Train)

"The Ticonderogan"
The Ticonderogan is an Express Train operated by the Narrow Gauge Stickburg Stickville and Sticktropolis Railway. The Train Runs the entire S.S.&.S. System in less than 5 Hours, Pulled behind the Railroad's Handsome 4-4-2 Atlantic, Specially Built for the Service.

History
in 1915, The Stickburg Stickville and Sticktropolis Railway was looking to improve it's Passenger Service. Trains were running on an infrequent basis, and the old 4 wheeled Passenger cars were quickly becoming Obsolete. To Fix this, Governor Horace E. McStickley The 1st Commissioned good friend Lancaster Williams to design Passenger cars for a new service. In 1917, the Consist of the Ticonderogan rolled out of the Railroad's Shops. 8 Ornate Narrow Gauge Cars, A Baggage Car, a trio of Coaches, a Dining Car, A Pair of Sleepers and an Observation Car. The First Service took place on a Saturday afternoon, and 4-4-0 #77 was put in charge of the train. Many were afraid that The Narrow Gauge Cars would hop the Tracks as they sped along the twisting mainline of the Graphite Road. But the cars rode exceptionally well, and the train made the trip from Sticktropolis to Stickburg and back in only 7 hours. After that, the train ran on a daily basis and continues to do so to this day.

Atlantic #83
In 1920, Management on the Graphite Road decided to build another Locomotive to replace the #77, which was proving difficult to run on the daily back and forth runs. They agreed on an Atlantic type, a wheel arrangement that most Narrow Gauge Lines shunned. Only One had ever been built for a narrow gauge road, the Washington and Plymouth Railroad's #10, and the Graphite Road decided to follow suit. The Railroad made a few modifications to the W&P design and in early 1918, Stickburg Stickville and Sticktropolis Railway #83 rolled out of the Shops. They tested it out with fabulous results. The engine seemed to Glide Along the Mainline, and rode smooth as a cradle while the thin jointed rail Raced underneath it. The 7 hour run was shortened to five hours, and the #83 quickly became a fan favorite. Stickpeople from all over travel miles just to watch it speed by with the Glamorous Train. #83 remains in service to this day, hauling the same antique coaches that it first pulled over a century ago.

Graphite Times Article on The Ticonderogan (March 1st, 2023)
"The Ticonderogan" writes the Graphite Times "is the fastest Narrow Gauge Passenger Train in Existence" "gliding along at a Graceful 70 miles-per-hour, this Train has set and broken it's own records over and over again" "Even The Modern Diesels of the Streamlined Newfoundlander would be no match for the Graceful "Atlantic Type" locomotive and it's Herculean speeds." "It rides as smooth as a cloud around tight fragile curves and over tall spidery Trestles" " why one could easily believe that this is a standard gauge train"