Engines of Britain

Chapter 1: The railway of great railways

Great Britain. An island in the Atlantic ocean,north off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of 209,331 km2 (80,823 sq mi), it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island,and the ninth-largest island in the world. Connected to mainland Europe until 8,000 years ago, Great Britain has been inhabited by modern humans for around 30,000 years. The term "Great Britain" is often used to refer to England, Scotland and Wales including their component adjoining islands.

The railway system in Great Britain is the oldest railway system in the world. The first locomotive-hauled public railway opened in 1825, which was followed by an era of rapid expansion. Most of the track is managed by Network Rail, which had a network of 15,811 kilometres (9,824 mi) of standard gauge lines of which 5,374 kilometres (3,339 mi) were electrified. These lines range from single to quadruple track or more.

There are many railways in Great Britain, but there is one railway that is special in all of Britain. One where locomotives of an era long passed, but are under preservation, so they are free from the scrapyards and cutter's torches, and they perform tasks like they do during the time of steam across the country of the United Kingdom.

This railway is known as the Godson Railway. The railway was under the protection and care of a family and their friends who shared a passion for antique locomotives and machinery, and they'll to lengths to make sure they are in preservation and even under operation.

In the early hours of the morning, the sun rising over the horizon, there is a steam locomotive parked next to the water tower not far from the roundhouse, topping his boiler and water tank in his side tanks. He breathed a sigh, looking to the rising sun as it rolled along the hills in the distance.

This engine goes by the name Eric. He's an LB&SCR E2 Class 0-6-0 Tank Engine from the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway. He has 6 small orange wheels, a short stumpy black funnel, a short stumpy boiler and a short stumpy dome. He has orange paint with blue lining around the boiler tanks, red buffer beams, along with a golden whistle just at the front of his cab.

The E2 engines were built by Brighton Works between 1913-1916 to replace the ageing Stroudley E1 Class, and were primarily used for heavy shunting and short-distance freight trains in the London area and on the south coast. During their final working years, the E2 class worked as shunting engines at Southampton Docks alongside the SR USA S100 Tank Engines, until they were replaced by the BR Class 07 diesel shunters. All of the E2s were withdrawn from service and scrapped. None were preserved, except for Eric.

Eric is a friendly and peaceful engine to be around and he could spend hours talking to anyone, if it's something interesting or if it's about work. However he will assert his authority in case something goes wrong, he'll even risk his own boiler and firebox for his friends, if they are machine or human.

"It's these days that reminds me on how lucky me and the others are to have a home like this." Eric spoke about the beauty of the daylight. "We are fortunate to have a controller, good men and women around us who appreciate us railway locomotives, what we have done for the world around us." he added on, a hiss of steam coming from his pistons.