Troublesome Trucks

Arc 2 My name?

The following morning I was given my first coat of paint, "Iron gray" they said. It was then I began to take in and understand colors, as well as letters and numbers. Though it would be some time before I would learn how to read full words and sentences. Some numbers would be painted in white on my sides near the bottom right corners. Apparently it was to help identify myself amongst other trucks. My number was 57925. Are there that many trucks on Sodor? I wondered.

When the paint had finished drying, the inspector held up the mirror again. It was still me but the gray and white made me feel official, proud, a part of the railway. I couldn't help but smile. 

"An engine will be by shortly to bring you to Tidmouth." Said the inspector, 

"Is it Toby?" I asked. "No he's busy down in the quarry at Farquhar." The inspector finished. With that, he then turned on his heel and walked away. The minutes ticked by, how much longer? I wanted to get out as soon as possible. I could barely contain my excitement. Seconds began to feel like minutes, and minutes began to feel like hours.

At last the workshop doors opened and in puffed a very different looking engine than Toby. It had a round boilder, four small pony truck wheels and four big drive wheels. It had a large steam dome, and a tall black funnel. The engine was blue, and had a tender with the number two printed on it's sides. The engine slowly approached. Giving a quick hello, I returned the gesture. Soon enough, we were coupled and ready to go. My cheeks began to hurt from all of my giddiness. As I edged closer and closer to the workshop's doors, I couldn't help but give one last look around the fleeting building. Catching the inspector in the corner of my eye I called out  "Thank you!" The inspector waved, "Your welcome." not really sure what he was being thanked for. He was just doing his job.

The light of day stung my pupils, making me squint. After my eyes adjusted, I saw a large blue empty space above me. Within that space was the bright light from before, as well as large white masses of what I thought was smoke. 

The engine's eyes matched my gaze, "Beautiful isn't it?" He said, kindly. 

"That's the sky isn't it?" I asked, the engine chuckled, "That's right. That bright light up there is the sun and those white puffy looking things are clouds if you didn't know that already." 

I stared at the engine, confused. "Sorry it's just funny. Every engine, coach and truck has their beginning. It's just refreshing to experience someone's 'first steps' if you will." The old engine smiled. "I'm Edward by the way. I'm to take you to Tidmouth until we can find you work." So I'm to go to this place called Tidmouth for a little bit. Then from there, my life begins. Taking a good look around me I could see fields of green and trees here and there. "Wow" I awed, Edward chuckled lightly.

To my right was a station with multiple railway lines stretching far out of view. To my left was a line of other trucks like me all coupled together. At the end was a weirdly shaped truck. It had a roof and windows, as well as a man was sleeping inside. 

"What's that at the end of that train?" I asked. 

"The brake van?" Edward asked, "It helps a train brake when going on curves or hills. You'll see how it works when we depart." 

By now Edward and I had moved towards the front of the trucks and crossed over a switch track. I heard a metallic clang, Edward then began to push. I found myself crossing over to the other set of rails, and onto the front of the train. "Huh" I noted.

A man decoupled us and Edward began to reverse towards what I would learn was a turntable. I watched carefully as Edward backed down slowly onto the strange looking piece of track, stopped, and began to spin in place. When his tender faced me, his spinning stopped. 

"Why did you need to turn around?" I asked as Edward backed onto the train, "It's dangerous for us tender engines to run fast tender first." He explained. 

"I see" I noted again. 

We set off. Along the way I flooded Edward with a barrage of questions, which he didn't seem annoyed by. He told me about Sodor, tender engines, tank engines, diesel engines, coaches, trucks, time tables, cranes, planes, boats, lorries, busses, people, anything I could come up with. He especially made a note about someone named Sir Stephen Topham Hatt, the Fat Controller. I had to hold in a chuckle out of respect. The Fat Controller, as Edward explained, was said to be the man in charge of the entire railway. The North Western Railway, or the NWR.

"Oh, I'm sorry but I didn't quite catch your name?" Asked Edward. 

I paused, "my name?" 

"Yes your name. What should I call you?" 

I thought for a moment. "Um, The only thing I have is my number, 57925. Does that count?" I asked innocently.

"No, that's..." Edward's voice turned soft with a sigh, "A number is not a proper name. Just because my number is two doesn't mean that's what people call me by. At least on Sodor anyway." 

I gave this great thought, but I didn't have any names to think of. In my short time, I hadn't been exposed to many names. "Can you give me a name?" I asked. 

"Um, how about I list off some names, and you can choose?" Edward suggested, sounding a tad uncomfortable. "Alright!" I squeaked. 

"Jeffrey? Michael? Adam? Gabriel?" None of them sounded like me. Then,  An idea flew into Edward's funnel, "What about George?" He asked,

"George?" I frowned. "It sounds sort of plain to me." 

Edward explained "I was talking to a passenger at Maron the other day and heard talk about a children's book about a monkey who is madly curious about the world around him. His name was George." That sure sounds a lot like me, I thought. 

"George," I said slowly "George, yeah I like it. George!" I grinned, 

"Nice to meet you George." Edward said grandly 

"Nice to meet you too Edward!"