The Island of Sodor: The New Stories.

Flora the Old Engine (Ex. LNER No. 7132, Pres. NWR No. 17):

Flora is a tram engine similar to Toby. However, Toby is a GER C53, and Flora is a GER G15. This means Flora has only four wheels, while Toby has six. She is also many years Toby's senior. She was later reclassified as an LNER Y6. Most of what Toby learned about trucks he learned from her. When Flora was withdrawn she sat in a storage shed for years before she was found by Sir Edward Norramby when he was a young man. Flora was one of the first engines that Sir Edward acquired for his Railway Museum. He also bought Molly in 1938, but then war broke out the next year. His son, Sir Robert bought two engines from BR in 1968. One was a Q1 named Neville, and the other was an S160 named John. The plans for the Railway Museum were almost finalized in the 1970s until Sir Stephen asked if Sir Robert could spare 3 or 4 engines. He needed one to help on the Brendam Branch, one to help at the Anopha Quarry and one to help with goods on the main line. Flora was sent to work with Mavis at the quarry. She was sent there because the quarry had expanded considerably since the 1960s. Now they couldn't afford to have their only engine down at Ffarquhar constantly, but they also couldn't afford another engine. This is why Flora is there. Mavis and Flora alternated whenever they took stone trains to the station. Eventually the quarry company bought another engine to help with shunting, so Flora or Mavis isn't the only one in the yard. Flora gets along well with everyone on the branch line. If any of them needed advice, they usually went to Toby, but now they also go to Flora.