Thomas and the Great War

War Training

In London the very next morning, Margaret was sitting to a cup of hot tea and crumpets when a friend of hers came up and sat down in front of her. She wore a red sleeveless dress and a lovely flower hat that could only have come from a young seller at Covent Garden.

"Hello, Margaret," she said in a cheerful voice. "Enjoying the day?"

Margaret groaned with her hand to her face. "You do realize that if anything happens to my son or my husband, I won't live with myself anymore?"

Her friend went somber and lowered her head in respect. "My husband's fighting too, and my children...they're with my sister in Darlington."

Margaret sipped her cup and took a bite out of one of the crumpets when her friend's mood went back to her bright and sunny self.

"Look on the bright side," she giggled. "It's a beautiful day with no planes, no bombs and no raids!"

Margaret's face went serious.

"There may be another one," she warned. "But there is nothing we can do but hope."

Both women agreed on the subject and they walked home in separate directions when breakfast was over.

Back on Sodor, Diesel, 98462 and 87546 were impending on his driver to deliver the indoctrinate papers to the Fat Director's office. They were discussing future plans that involved the dieselisation of all railways.

"Diesels are the future," he explained to the blue engines. "No more wasting time for coal or water, just fuel that will help our environment in many ways you could ever dream of."

"No more steam engines?" 87546 was horrified. "But we have always had steam engines coming and going for the most part of our lives!"

"Steam engines are old and worthless specimens, species and Untermensch who belong in a museum and a scrapyard!" snapped Diesel. "It's time the Fat Director brings this island out of the Industrial Revolution and into the 20th century where diesels shall expand and supersede these 'steamies' into a better place along with the victims who are suffering at the hands of the Fatherland."

98462 gulped. "And what becomes of us when you get your way?"

"That is something I will have to think about," replied Diesel and he slipped quietly away and into the darkness.

At Ffarquhar Sheds, Christopher who was up bright and early, saw that Thomas was half asleep as he sat down on his valance and asked.

"Did my father see you as a friend in need of love and comfort from a war outside this world? And I know you might have said this before but, did he take a ride on you?"

"Yes," replied Thomas. "All the way from Brighton to here, on this island. He too was lonely for his father and we waited for him, but then I had to say goodbye....he was such a remarkable boy...like you."

Christopher smiled. "But the one thing is, my grandfather did tell me about many things during his life in the LBSCR and the First World War, but he never mentioned coming here to find my father. I guess he was a very secretive man."

"What ever happened to him?" asked Thomas.

"He died three years ago during the earlier bombings," Christopher bowed his head in respect. "Along with my grandmother. We hardly ever got to speak with them, but at least I know something else about him now."

Thomas smiled back with a tear of joy in his left eye, knowing that Christopher had unlocked a family secret, even if it was not really a secret, but a mystery that was in the past, waiting to be rediscovered.