Sudrian Secrets

Chapter 1: There is more to James than we first knew

November 1st, 2019:

   I just became a cleaner for the North Western Railway, and currently my work station is at Tidmouth sheds. The lads and I have to make sure the engines are cleaned during the morning hours and night ones. I end up doing both shifts just to earn a little extra, just in case of any emergencies. It's a decent pay, and a decent job, however, there are certain rules and restrictions in place that they don't tell you about, until something happens. For example, cleaning and dealing with James. James is a complicated engine, especially now in recent times with remembrance day coming up. One day he could be all vain and boost full, or just happy in general, but the next he could be in a foul mood, whether it be full on rage or depressed. Whenever it's the latter, some of the lads tell me to stay back and leave him be, as according to them, "his crew will take care of it."

   Sometimes I see James puff away without anyone really paying too much attention to it, and that got me curious. One of the older cleaners told me of an engine shed just down the mainline that another set of cleaners work at. This is what the lads and engines like to call the wash down. Apparently it's James' favorite spot to go, heck even the television series has shown James here several times, but he mostly prefers to stay there alone. Another example of what I mean is, there's an unspoken rule of never moving anything in the cabs of the engines. I mean it does make some sense to a degree, like I've heard of the incidents like Thomas crashing into the station master's house, and Henry's near miss with Gordon's express, but those were all careless cleaners trying to be something they aren't. We technically shouldn't be cleaning the cabs, as that's the engine crew's responsibility mostly, but if we wanted to, we just have to remember not to touch anything. Especially since some engines have their crews store little items and things for them, like Henry has a small plant in his cab, Gordon has a photo of him and Flying Scotsman, Percy with a "lucky bell" as he calls it, the list goes on. Though, my curiosity does get the better of me, and sometimes I tend to look inside their cabs, and out of everyone I've looked at, James is the only one who would really snap if I dare step one foot inside his cab. I really wish whenever James is just a pain in the ass, especially when I'm just trying to do my job, or whenever my curiosity gets the best of me, to just remind him of past incidents like his first day accident where he was painted black, however some of the lads told me to never bring it up, or I would regret it. He's hiding something, and I tend to find out what it is.

November 5th, 2019:

   I think I'm starting to connect the pieces together. I just need to confirm a few details here and there. It's nearly remembrance Day, and it seems like the closer we get to that day, the more depressed if that's what you would call it, James gets. I remember one of the lads sending me to Welsworth on Henry's local service to arrange for a truck loaded with cleaning supplies to be taken to the sheds on the next goods train. The port at Tidmouth was too overcrowded with incoming ships, so some got sent to the other harbors across the island, and our shipment of cleaning supplies got sent to Brendam docks.

   While waiting there, I saw these 2 little engines, both yellow with SCC written on their tanks called Bill and Ben, by Edward as he began questioning the twins on why they were in a sour mood today. They were complaining about how rude James was to them earlier, especially given he ranted and raged at them, almost like they struck a nerve, all because they asked if he was ready for remembrance day. I could see the small look of concern on Edward, but he remained calm, told the twins that James has his reasons to act like that but it wasn't something he was allowed to talk about. The twins asked for more details but all Edward told them was he had been sworn to keep it secret until James was ready to talk about it.

   A forgotten memory came to mind as I remember one day, a few months back, just before the rest of the engines were meant to return, James was with his crew, and his crew were writing in a journal it looked like. From what I could see, his crew were writing down everything James was telling them. I watched as once James seemed like he was done talking, the crew finished writing and placed the book in his cab and left for the night. If I'm right, that journal might contain all the answers the twins, and I are looking for. I'll try to go in tonight to see what it contains. Once the arrangements were made for the drop off of our cleaning supplies, the truck got shunted onto Neville's slow goods to Tidmouth, I got in the brake van of his train with the guard to head back as well. While I was there, several thoughts and questions came to mind about my plan. Like what if I get caught? What if I find something I shouldn't know? Edward did say he was sworn to keep it secret. Could it really be that bad then? I guess I only have one way of finding out..