The Great Writer of the Mirage Planet
The 999 arrives on a planet where Tetsuro and Maetel meet an old writer who lives alone and has extremely long hair. The old man steals Tetsuro's pass and flees on the 999 with Maetel, leaving Tetsuro on the planet.
Aired 29/03/1979EP 28 - The Great Writer of the Mirage Planet

Galaxy Express 999
After witnessing the death of his mother and being left for dead at the hands of Count Mecha, ten-year old Tetsuro Hoshino is awakened by a mysterious woman, Maetal. In exchange for only his company, Maetal offers him the ride of his life on the Galaxy Express 999. It is said that those who travel aboard the legendary train to the end of the line can receive a free mechanical body and with it, immortality.
Impoverished and alone, Tetsuro leaps at the opportunity and joins Maetal on a quest that will span the cosmos. As the Galaxy Express 999 makes its way across our solar system and beyond, Tetsuro is drawn deeper into a dangerous universe where peril lurks at every stop.
(Source: Discotek)