Duke was the MSR's former No. 1. He was brought to the MSR in 1880 and worked the line by himself. He was eventually joined by other engines. The MSR bought many engines, but many left shortly afterward. No matter what, Duke outlasted them all. He was usually the engine that the younger engines went to for advice. He saved Falcon from falling off of the Mountain Road and also played a trick on Stuart when his tubes were leaking. He also told the two about the MSR's former No. 2, Stanley (Not to be confused with the W&SR engine), who was turned into a pumping engine. Other than those few incidents they all got along fine. However, that came to an end when the MSR closed in 1947. Most of the engines had been sold already. The ones that remained were soon sold shortly afterwards. Duke was one of the few engines that were left behind. The others were Bertram, who was left at the gold mine near Ulfstead Road in 1945, and Stanley, who failed and flooded the final mine at Cas-Ny-Hawin. Duke was left in the old shed near the old Arlesdale station. He was there for 22 years until some explorers stumbled across him in 1969. Reverend Teddy Boston stumbled and fell into a hole in the roof. Soon the hole was widened, and Duke was lifted onto a low loader and taken to Arlesburgh West. There, Duke was lifted onto a flatbed and taken to Crovan's Gate. He was soon restored and was put to work in 1972. Since Duke is the only tender engine on the SKR, he usually pulls the larger trains, despite his age. Later on, he was sent for another overhaul in the early 1990s. He was back in time to see Ivo Hugh be completed. He was also reunited with Bertram and Atlas in the late 1990s. He was later reunited with the engine from the ironworks. Duke is one of three engines that the younger engines go to for advice. The other two are Skarloey and Rheneas. This may surprise people, but Duke is actually younger than both Skarloey and Rheneas, though you wouldn't know it if you heard them talk.
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The Island of Sodor: The New Stories.
FanfictionThe world of Sodor is a treasure trove of story opportunities. Whether it's the books or the show, the Thomas universe is never short on stories to be told. There is already plenty of fan content for Thomas and Friends. Most content tries to keep th...
