The Sudrians: The Archive Collection

Soaring Down The Tracks

~1956~

"Stop it you two! You could cause an accident!"

"Nah nah ni nah naah!!" giggled Ben, as he rushed over the points just ahead of the BR standard with some empty China clay trucks.

The BR standard sighed, it had only been four days since us eight engines had went to England. But for the visitor, it felt like years!

He was given the task of running Edward' branch line, he thought it to be easy, but he reckoned without Bill and Ben.

The China clay twins had come to Sodor just after being built in 1948. They were nice, innocent engines, but they could be naughty and cause tricks on other engines. Edward was the only one to keep them in order at the time, and sadly it showed.

When the blue engine wasn't around, they were try all sorts of things, and they were having a blast.

"Four days without getting scolded by old Edward!" they chanted, "it's a dream come true!"

The BR standard, whose name was Darwin, was frustrated and tired of the twin's mischief. Today, Bill and Ben had gave him too many trucks, then they gave him the fright of his life with pretending to shunt some trucks off the key. And then... well, you know what happened now.

"I'm sick of you guys!" grumbled Darwin.

"Oh come now Darwin," chuckled Bill, who was in one of the sidings at the key. "Y'know you love us!"

Darwin harrumphed and puffed off back down the line with his goods.

He reached Wellsworth and began to shunt the trucks into place. He then heard an engine's whistle and coming over the points into the yards, was Eagle the Midland Engine.

"Ah the Soaring Eagle!" grinned Darwin, "thank goodness I can talk to someone normal on this line."

"I've told you just call me Eagle," chuckled the midland engine, "and what's this about normal on this line?"

"It's those little devils," growled Darwin, "they've been a pain in the bunker for all the time I've been working this line!"

"Edward is the only engine to keep them order," replied Eagle.

"I've seen," Darwin agreed, "and I expected to have a peaceful time here instead of the hustle and bustle of the city of Birmingham."

"Hmmm," pondered Eagle, "tell you what, you and I could switch lines for a time?"

Darwin perked up. "Would you actually?"

"Of course!" smiled the Midland engine, "I've known Bill and Ben just as well as Edward. It'll be easier to control them when I'm around."

Darwin smiled brightly. "Oh thank you Eagle!" he said gratefully, "do you want to start now?"

"Well certainly," chuckled Eagle, "just take my train to Kellsthorpe Road, and ask for my jobs there, and don't worry, I pretty much do the same thing as Edward."

Both crews agreed as well and Darwin took Eagle's return train back to Kellsthorpe Road.

Eagle took a deep breath. "Alright," he breathed out, "let's see how much Edward would appreciate with me on his branch."