The Sudrians: The Archive Collection

Old Iron

~1952~

"Come on Ben!"

"Are you sure about this Bill? You know what happened last time we played a trick on him."

"That was ages ago!"

"Yeah. Three months ago."

"I say that was a record. Now I've already done it. Now we just wait and watch."

"Well no need to wait. He's coming now."

Both Bill and Ben looked over to see a blue engine back into the clay pits. With a blew from the whistle, he came to a stop in front of the train.

Bill crept up to him. "Hello Edward!" he called.

Edward smiled down at the little engine. "Hello Bill," he said, "Are these my trucks?"

"Oh no," scoffed Bill, "Those are your trucks over there."

Edward looked over to see a train of wet clay in tankers all in a train. The blue engine blinked.

"I wasn't told that," he said, "I was told to take wagons."

"Well there's been a change of plan when you were coming here," said Bill.

Edward sighed. "I'll to check with the foreman," he said.

"What?!" exclaimed Bill, "But the foreman told me to tell you this information. He's busy at the moment."

Edward glances around the yard. "Then why is he over there then?"

Bill looked over to see the foreman eating his lunch quietly on a crate on the other side of the clay pits.

"Bother!" he said.

Edward chuckled. "Next time Bill," he replied.

"No wait! Ben set me up!"

"No I didn't, I said you shouldn't try to trick Edward!" exclaimed Ben as he came up alongside the two engines.

"Lier!"

"Wrong again!"

"Alright, that's enough you two," said Edward sternly, "Who ever got the idea was a silly one. I mean, seriously who thinks that they can fool me without checking the foreman is out of site?"

Bill blushed a bright red colour. Ben grinned widely.

"Right, I'll be off now, you two better behave whilst I'm off, trucks are at the harbour if you need some, but make sure some are left when I return, understood?"

"Yes Edward," replied the twins in unison.

"Good." And with a peep from his whistle, Edward rolled out of the clay pits with loud clanking sounds echoing around him.

Bill and Ben looked at each other.

"He's getting old he is," said Ben.

"Yeah," agreed Bill, "He won't last that long with all that clanking about."

***

Now this is indeed true. At this point Edward was getting old, his parts were worn and he had started to clank.

He had recently rescued Trevor the Traction Engine from being scrapped and was running his line very well. Apart from the clanking I do say so myself.

But soon enough, his worn parts were starting to wear the blue engine down This caused delays sometimes, and sometimes his passenger services usually connects to the mainline, mainly with James'. Much to the annoyance of the red engine.