Changes in the Wind: Part II - Edward and the Arcane Ones

Chapter VI: Banker

Edward and Doarlan arrived in the yards later that night with a goods train. They shunted it in a siding so Chronkton could take care of it tomorrow morning. They then puffed back to the sheds, where they were greeted by other locomotives. But most that took up the sheds were their siblings. All sitting in their births, eager to see Edward return. When they saw him, they looked on in awe and amazement. The blue engine felt a little self-conscious as he was turned on the turntable. Doarlan looked very proud like he had found some legendary treasure only he could find!

Relief spread through Edward as he sat next to Skeeher, who gave him a warm smile, he appreciated the welcoming feel of the engines, however, Edward felt like they were making him out too much as a heroic figure. He did not want them to think that he was just an engine after all.

"First the original Class 1 comes here," said one Class 2, who Edward looked over to see was the sibling he had met earlier called Faarkey, "now our first of our kind come here too! Next, they'll this region will build a Class 3 and the original will come!"

"That would be incorrect," said Edward, "the Class 3 design was considered a failure and can only work with the coal of the highest quality. Besides, the original Class 3 was rebuilt into an LMS 5MT."

This Class 3 was of course Henry, since there was no class name given to him when arriving to Sodor, the Fat Director at the time gave him the classification of NWR Class 3, but now Henry had been rebuilt to the popular Black Five design by William Stannier at Crewe after the infamous kipper collision.

"You drip!" Curt laughed at his younger sibling, "we aren't even allowed to build any steam engines now because British Railways wants to replace us with diesels now! Or did your dumbass brain forget that?"

"Curt!" snapped Skeeher sharply, "don't you dare insult your sibling like that!"

The only response Curt gave his older brother was a roll of the eyes but subsided anyway. Faarkey looked slightly embarrassed at that statement, Edward looked at them with an encouraging smile. "Nevermind," he said, "if those designs were ever improved on, I think they would've been an excellent locomotive. Shame Henry only got to show his full potential for a few weeks until he crashed with a fish train."

"Is Henry the old Class 3?" asked Faarkey.

"Indeed he was," said Edward, "he was rebuilt at Crewe that same year."

"Did you say his name was Henry?" gasped Doarlan.

Edward looked over to his younger brother, who was now sitting in a birth nearby him. "Yes," he replied.

Doarlan looked like he was holding himself from squealing. "You mean he was the engine bricked up in the tunnel? Henry's Tunnel?"

"Yes he was," chuckled Edward, "he stayed there for an entire month! But he learnt his lesson once he was let out."

The engines all whispered and murmured about it. "What about the hill?" asked Flaa, who had remained quiet throughout. "Near where you live?"

"You mean Gordon's Hill," said Edward, "yes, most tales on it are true. I'm guessing you heard about the brake van incident."

The incident which happened there was when Douglas banked James up the hill but in the end, squashed the spiteful brake van in the process. That changed the system massively to add more safety when banking trains up hills and inclines. Now, engines need to have good experience banking trains up hills otherwise they cannot be allowed to help.

But to Edward's surprise, Flaa replied with something else. "No," she said, "the time when you had to push an entire train up the hill without any help!"