The Long Iron Tracks is an imaginative short story that follows the transformative journey of a steam engine named Courage as he encounters the risen person of Jesus in the form of an engineer. The story begins with Courage lying stuck and rusted on a network of iron tracks. In the midst of his despair, the engineer invites Courage to participate in a series of restorative events that bring Courage, his friends, and nature itself into greater communion with the Creator. Courage explores the world of the Creator, following the voice of the Engineer and the roaring pull of the Lion whistle that he bears, through the darkness of a forest and the fury of a hurricane. Along this journey, Courage wrestles with the nature of fear, justice, and the Christian identity, before finally coming face to face with the Creator. This encounter proves both sustaining and breathtaking, as Courage realizes that the Creator's intent has always been to find him and restore him to his true self; and that, despite the gnawing fear inside of him, Courage will never be alone.
