Engines of Britain

Chapter 7: Going home

It's been a few days for Eric, Christian, Keshaun, Olivia, Andrea, Emma, Mia, and Stephanie, but now it's time for them to go home. It was saddening for the others that their new friends were leaving, but they knew they belonged on their railway. They'd promised that they'll come over whenever they get the chance.

~*~*~

One afternoon, Sir Topham stood outside the sheds, with Eric, Christian, Keshaun, Olivia, Andrea, Emma, Mia, and Stephanie nearby the water tower, the other engines in the siding or in the sheds. The Orange E2, the red saddle tank, the blue tender engine, and the five human friends smiled gently to the controller of the NWR, for he had given them the opportunity to travel to Sodor.

Sir Topham turned to Eric, Christian, Keshaun, Olivia, Andrea, Emma, Mia, and Stephanie. "We will miss you all. You have been a great hand at our island." Eric, Christan, and Keshaun whistled in response, and Sir Topham turned to his engines. "My railway is running fine, but I believe you need some help." He paused impressively for a moment, as the engines all looked at each other in confusion, and they turned back to the controller. "A diesel, is all that's available. So, please be cautious of any, eh, disturbances." With that, Sir Topham Hatt tipped his top hat, and left in his car, as the engines talked among themselves with the news they heard.

"What does 'disturbances' mean?" Percy asked to the others with a face of confusion. He wasn't good with new and odd words.

Percy is an 0-4-0 saddle tank, he is painted in NWR apple green with red and yellow lining. His number 6 is painted on the sides of his cab in yellow with red lining and the lining around his cab windows is yellow.

"That means this diesel is difficult." James snapped, clearly not to happy about working with a diesel from the Other Railway. He had gotten along with diesels like Boco, Mavis, Salty and Daisy, but he never got along with diesels from the the Other Railway.

"I've learned a thing or two about diesels from the Other Railway." Eric spoke up. "Some are rather friendly to steam engines, others see steam engines as inferior to them, even if we've been around longer than they have."

"Duly noted." James muttered, still not going to like the new diesel.

~*~*~

Soon enough, the diesel arrived at Tidmouth Sheds. The engines looked to the newcomer. The diesel was a British Rail Class 40 diesel, built by British Railways 'English Electric and Robert Stephenson and Hawthorns Ltd'  between 1958 and 1962. The diesel was painted in the BR Brunswick green livery. He has a thin, lighter green stripe running along his top and yellow warning panels on his front and back end. His number is painted on his cab sides in yellow.