The Sudrians: Barry the Rescue Engine

Bowled In

Throughout the remaining week, since Barry started working with other diesels with the passenger service on the mainline, Bowler had been working hard himself. Due to the timetables changes with Barry, Stephen had not been able to give Bowler a chance at pulling a passenger service and the diesel was mainly stuck on goods work.

Bowler was fine with goods work, he never minded, but from what the engines could see from him, he did not look too confident and looked nervous and stressed. Bowler would say nothing as he worked for the remaining days. Alice was the most worried.

"He looks very distracted," she noted to Alfred one morning, "like he's worrying over something."

"Perhaps he just wants to stay here," said Alfred, "I knew I wanted to stay on Sodor when I came back here."

Alice felt Alfred had something with that, but felt there was more to Bowler.

***

One evening, Bowler came to the depot and was filling up at the diesel stands for another hard day of work tomorrow, when the foreman came walking up. He then talked to Bowler's driver quietly and then walked off. A puzzled and more worried look came across Bowler's face as his driver approached him. "Sorry old boy," he said, "but we'll be on relief duties tomorrow, one of their diesels at Crovan's Gate is having problems with their engine and won't be fixed until midday. We do have some goods to take in the afternoon though."

Bowler looked hurt. "But I'm still on my trial run," he protested, "couldn't they get Murdoch or William?"

The driver shook his head. "Murdoch is too big for that sort of work and William is due to be on the Limited later tomorrow."

"But I'm too big for that work. And I can also pull the Limited if given the chance!" Bowler exclaimed. But the driver only sighed and shrugged, not knowing how to respond.

"It's not fair," huffed Bowler angrily, "unlike these engines, I'm not safe!"

"Not safe from what?" Bowler jumped to see Alice puffing up next to a water column, coming back from her passenger service.

"Nothing of your concern!" Bowler said quickly, and rolled off to the sheds, leaving Alice more curious than ever.

***

The next morning, the engines were getting up to another usual day. Henry had just returned from the Flying Kipper and William was setting off to take the rush hour service, the first train of the morning. Gordon would later leave with the Wild Nor' Wester, a passenger service would be taken by Molly today and Alice would also leave with The Sudrian.

Bowler looked around carefully. "Where's your pilot," he asked.

Molly opened up a sleepy eye. "We don't have a pilot," she yawned, "not since Duck left."

Bowler blinked. "You mean..." he said slowly, "you haven't had a pilot since that pannier left. And when was that?"

"He left in 1966," explained Molly, "so about... nineteen years."

"Nineteen years?" exclaimed Bowler, "that's absurd."

"Tell me about it," called Henry, slowly going to sleep nearby.

"How can you work cohesively without a proper shunter to shunt the goods in the yards and arrange the coaches for the passenger trains in the station?"

"It's pretty simple," replied Molly, "we have the harbour engines like Porter and Puffa shunt the yards as well as Duck, Donald or Douglas helping with the shunting as well in some areas too when they are available."