The Sudrians: The Archive Collection

Old Rivals

Thomas and I had only been on the railway for almost a year, and soon enough, our railway had finally completed construction of the mainline with building a new route from Knapford, to Tidmouth, where a town and small harbour were. With the old route becoming a loop line for any extra traffic.

Soon, we were able to work on the branch lines and complete them before no time. But there was a problem which was getting worse by the minute. There are many rivalries back when I was on the Furness Railway, with other railways trying to compete with each other to be the best and most successful. I've had heard from other engines when you meet a rival engine from another railway, it doesn't go so well. I expect it would just be and only be an argument about the better railway.

But I was wrong, especially with the engines on Sodor.

Some of the engines from the old railways were very competitive towards each other. George and another engine called Samson were trying to take heavier loads more than their limits, whilst two other engines called Benjamin and Clive tried to strive in being the better shunter. I and the midland engine were getting frustrated by this, at least some of the other engines were willing to change. Like Emily and Anne, I think this was because of they were the same gender, and since female engines were looked down back in those days they stuck together like glue. Apparently, they became friends as soon as they first met each other before the Sodor & Mainland became bankrupted.

Thomas was doing fine, he a hard worker and had no need to be fully taught in handling coaches. He did do well, but was usually belittled by engines such as George, who thought he was too naive and not deserving of the number one, which usually represented a railway as a whole at time, especially with a new railway like this one.

Thomas was feeling depressed.

"Don't worry about it," I said, trying to sooth his feelings after an encounter with Clive, who gave him an inappropriate tongue-lashing, "you should know you deserve the number one!"

"The others don't think so," huffed the little blue tank engine.

"Do not let it get to your smokebox too much!" I said, "I mean, you were given it for a reason right? It must mean something!"

Thomas only hummed a response and puffed away to fetch the midland engine's coaches.

"Well, at least you're trying," smiled Roger, who came up to the other side of me, "the young ones are always sensitive. He will know why he got that number and he'll wear with pride and be seen as one of the best shunters Great Britain has to offer!"

"Unlike you, you ugly green box on wheels!"

Roger groaned as George puffed into Wellsworth yard with a train of empty wagons. He looked dirty and cross, an extension of the newly formed Crovan's Gate line was being made, with it going to Norramby instead, so the railway could be able to collect truck loads of fish from the popular port there. George was tasked to do this and hated it. And when George doesn't like what he's doing, you know he'll be in a bad mood. The old tank engine glared at Roger and then at me.

Roger only ignored his comment, tense atmosphere came into the yard. I, thankfully, had to leave with a goods train any minute and would be gone before George could ram his own trucks into Roger. Roger didn't like this rivalry the others were making, but didn't have a choice with George being very stubborn as he was.

Suddenly, the signal turned green and sighed with relief. "Well I better be off then," I said, putting on a fake smile, blew my whistle and chuffed out of the yards, as quickly as I dared. But as soon as I ran over the points on to the mainline, I heard George and Roger beginning an argument.