Nightmares From The Workshops

The Scrap Line

Barrow-In-Furness was getting a much needed upgrade. Thanks to its connection to Sodor, more people travelled by rail from London to visit it, meaning the stations track and infrastructure needed to be updated. Rosie was sent to help with the maintenance, and she enjoyed every minute of it.

Rosie: "I never thought I would be spending so much time on the mainland! I've never seen so many trains before!"

Driver: "Long way off the Ffarquhar branch lass! Just keep your smokebox straight, and your focus true. You'll do just fine."

Rosie just chuckled as she pushed stone trucks into place. The little red engine was kept busy, bringing loads such as stone, ballast, rails, and important things for the station to be upgraded, she loved the hustle and bustle of the workmen, machinery and the rail services that arrived and departed, asides from a few, all engines that met her were really friendly.

Rosie: "Who knew you guys could be so interesting?"

DMU: "Well, we not be as popular or fascinating like you guys. but we do have our own tales to tell."

The unit blew her horn as she departed for the other parts of the mainland, Rosie peeped a friendly goodbye as she set back to work.

That night, the little red engine slept in the old goods shed in the yards. It had been rebuilt on the orders of The Fat Controller so one of his engines could sleep inside, Rosie found the shed warm and cosy, just like hers at Ffarquhar, as she slept soundly, her funnel tuned into something.

A big diesel was hauling a line of engines, their wheels squeaked and groaned as they moved along. The engines in question were twittering quietly to themselves as the big diesel rolled into the sidings.

33: "Now, keep quiet! I'm taking you to Sodor in the morning! They'll cut you up good and proper!"

On hearing that word, Rosie's eyes burst open, though still a little blurry, could make out shapes, they looked like steam engines, they didn't seem to notice her, but she did them.

Rosie: "No engine deserves to be scrapped!"

But soon, she felt her eyes get heavier, and she went back to sleep.

The next day, work on the station was called off, high winds and masses of rain had been predicted, Rosie just sat in her shed, listening to the rain and wind outside, however, she also noticed the scrap engines, now it was daylight, she could see what they looked like.

Rosie: "Driver? Can we go and see the engines over there? I'm not doing anything today."

Driver: "I can't see why not. We're closer to the canteen over there."

Fireman: "But it does mean you'll be in the rain, Rosie."

Rosie: "I was used during World War II at a dockyard. A bit of rain won't do me any harm."

The crew couldn't argue with that logic, so they got her ready and drove her up to the scrap line of engines. When she pulled up alongside, she noticed something:
Sandwiched between two Southern Pillbox vans were a Std 5, behind her a Std 4 tank and behind him a Std 4 mogul, all three were covered in rust, grime and had their siderods removed, yet underneath all that, Rosie could make out the lined black livery British Railways once used.

Rosie: "My goodness! I remember you lot! You're from the Southern region!"

Std 5: "Look, guys! It's a USA tank!"

4 Mog: "HUH?!!"

4 Tank: "A Yankee tank! You know? Southampton Docks shunters?"

4 Mog: "Oh yes, of course! One of our lot! What's she doing here?!"

4 Tank: "She seems to be owned by a private company. Look at that snazzy livery, something called NWR?!"

Std 5: "THE FAMOUS NORH WESTERN RAILWAY??!! The safe home for steam engines! She can help us!"

Rosie: "With that?"

Std 5: "Escape the cutters touch! We are hard-working engines. The Fat Controller could do with engines like us."

Std 4: "Yes, he could! Me and deaf git here could run on both branch and mainlines!"

4 Mog: "I HEARD THAT!!"

Std 5: "I would be great for both goods and passenger work, my record been fantastic! It's completely spotless!"

4 Mog: "SPOTLESS!! HA!! Don't make me laugh! Of all three of us, you're the worst one!"

4 Tank: "Least she didn't roll down a steep bank!"

4 Mog: "Least, I didn't brake on ice and crash into a station!"

Rosie watched on as the three BR standards began to argue with each other, all slagging the other one off while begging to be saved from the scrapyard. Rosie was about to blow her whistle to break up the argument when a memory, something she had buried deep down, surfaced into her smokebox.

Rosie: "You leave my friends alone, you big bullies!"

4 Tank: "Oh, how sweet! An old relic engine protecting her old relic friends!"

Std 5: "She clearly doesn't realise that we Standards are the most modern of steam engines, easy to maintain, reliable, can do anything and everything."

4 Mog: "Clearly these out-of-date lumps of metal can't move on from their clearly failed Southern railway days, so tragic!"

The three engines had all gone quiet at this point and looked over at the red engine, she stared off into the distance before looking back at the three.

Rosie: "I would really love to save you three but under Rule 616, I'm afraid I can't."

All: "RULE 616?!"

Rosie: "Yes, no Sudrian engine is allowed to infere with Mainland affairs."

4 Mog: "But what about Oliver, Donald and Douglas?"

Rosie: "You know them?"

4 Mog: "We know of their stories!"

Rosie: "They arrived before the rule was introduced, so basically, I can't help you guys."

The three engine stared dumbfounded, a steam engine, once more a Sodor engine was standing right next them and yet, she was powerless to do anything, their gazes broken large diesel came rolling into view.

33: "Whatcha think ya doin! You ain't gonna rescue this lot are ya?"

Rosie: "Actually... no, they are all yours my friend, I don't know these rustbuckets."

The diesel looked a little stunned but rolled off nonetheless, the three engines in horror began to beg for mercy, pleading with the diesel to stop or to Rosie to save them, but the red engine just watched them disappear into the blustery rain, a few minutes later, her crew returned to her cab.

Driver: "Who were you talking to Rosie?"

Rosie: "Oh no one really."

Fireman: "Well, we do have some good news, we got to take empty hoppers back to Tidmouth, yard master says we can do it."

So without hesitation, Rosie puffed away to collect the hoppers, once collected, headed back to Sodor, her face showing off a very evil smirk.