The Sudrians: The Archive Collection

Controls

~1953~

"Well this is indeed interesting."

"Ja, it is."

"But I don't get why we need to have this new system? We were fine on our own!"

"Indeed," replied Mr Richards, "with your automatic brakes and all. But this will let you be in control of yourself."

Wilfred and Ernest glanced at each other, sceptical of what the manager had propose to them. The control lever...

***

In the near middle of Sodor, is tall mountain. That tall mountain goes up to 2046 ft-high, and is called, Culdee Fell. It has a Railway too, that goes from all the way from the bottom, to the top.

The railway was built for tourists and to be line that can help climbers go up and down the mountain. There was originally five engines, but one crashed years ago, and two others were sent back to the works they were built in, which was in Switzerland.

Wilfred and Ernest had come back from being overhauled there too, and were glad for the return. But they had something installed on them, the new control lever was invented in 1950. With the dawn of new engines, the railway board decided to get scientist to create a way to have the engines move on there own. When they found a way, it came with a lever. By this time, only a few engines had this lever on Sodor. Such as Edward, Molly, Gordon, Henry and James. The North Western were planning to get Thomas, Percy and Toby fitted soon too and soon the Skarloey Railway and Culdee Fell took a keen interest in it as well.

Before they were shipped back to the United Kingdom, Wilfred and Ernest were quickly installed with this lever and system. It took only an extra week to fit it in, but the two manage to get back to their own railway just before number four and five, Culdee and Shane Dooiney were sent to Switzerland next.

The four quickly got to converse for a day until the other two were sent away. This left only Wilfred and Ernest on their little railway. The two didn't mind that, but they did mind the new control system.

"I just don't get it!" said Ernest, "we were just fine! We had our automatic brakes before, and the drivers drove us just fine!"

"I know," replied Mr Richards, "But we had the thought that you two would be better off with controlling your own body. After all, we can control ours, why don't we help you control yours?"

Wilfred and Ernest glanced at each other again for a second time, blankly. "Eh."

Mr Richards sighed. He never understood those two. Culdee and Shane Dooiney obliged with this, but it looked like Wilfred and Ernest were denying it completely.

They preferred the old ways, with Justin's controlling their automatic brakes and their drivers making them steam along.

But they had it now, and Lord Harry Barrane, the chairman of the board, wasn't going to have the engines unfitted from the control lever anytime soon. Wilfred and Ernest just had to get use to it.

***

Wilfred was the first to have trouble. A few weeks after the two engines returned, he was at the Skarloey Road. The midway point towards the mountain.

His driver then called to him. "Alright Wilfred," he called, "Let's see how you work with your control lever."

Wilfred groaned. "Well alright then."