The Sudrians: Tales from the Engines

Why Thomas Didn't Like Industrials (1932)

Of course, Thomas doesn't mind industrial engines now, with the advent of Mavis and Cara on his branch line he has grown to like them fondly and even considers Cara a very close friend!

But it is well known amongst the engines on the branch line why Thomas didn't like industrial engines to begin with.

If this tale went a lot differently, Thomas most likely wouldn't have had a grudge against them for so long. But this is the tale.

***

It was 1930 when the Ffarquhar Quarry told the Fat Controller that they won't be needing one of their coffee-pot engines to continue working on the tramway. "We're buying a new engine to help shunt the trucks," they explained, "and if you'd like, we can have the engine bring the trucks to your top station, that way you have engines more available!"

The Fat Controller was pretty pleased about this, the Great Depression was in full swing at those times and he needed Jane, the coffee pot who ran the line, to be more available if needed for a contract on the branch line. So he agreed on it, so long as the engine behaved itself.

At last, the new engine came to the line by ship one evening and was moved at night along the branch line. Thomas was awoken slightly when he heard the engine scuttle past him. "Whuztha?" he murmured lazily, his eyes barely staying open. But Glynn and Jane remained asleep in the sheds and Thomas only fell back to sleep, but he could've sworn he was awoken by the fussing and complaining of something instead of the puffing of the engine.

The next morning, Thomas would be steamed up to take the first passenger train of the day, Jane and Glynn were already steamed, they were smaller and took less time. "I should've taken your train," joked Glynn to the tank engine, "that way it could be on time!"

Thomas scowled, slightly offended, but Glynn only laughed. "Only joking youngster," he said with a sly wink. Suddenly, they heard an engine coming down the tramway behind the sheds, the puffing was then heard with complaints and soon enough, the complaining and moaning were louder than the engine's own puffs. At last, the engine arrived and stopped next to the engines that were at the sheds. He was a saddle tank engine with a coat of orange with odd green and yellow lining. He had big, brushy eyebrows and crooked teeth, which Thomas found quite peculiar.

The new, strange-looking engine stared hard at the other engines. "You want me to take this train the rest of the way?" he said plainly.

"Sorry," said Glynn, "but Jane and I will be double-heading it."

The odd engine snapped. "Oh come on!" he said harshly, "you two? I could take this train in one cylinder! What makes you think you can take my trucks?"

"Because they belong to us," replied Jane sharply, "and you were only ordered to bring trucks here to give to us. Not take them on, now shunt them into the siding over there and head back to the quarry."

For some strange reason, the engine looked at Jane infuriatingly, like she had said something sinful. "I don't get told what to do by tiny little, boxy things with skirts!" he said, glaring at Jane's cowcatchers and sideplates."

"Don't you dare be rude to her," said Thomas defensively, "Jane knows all about that tramway more than you ever will!"

"Paah," said the engine and wheeshed steam at Thomas and moved off to shunt the trucks.

Thomas coughed from the steam in his face and once it settled, he watched angrily as the strange engine moved the trucks into the siding and run around them at the end. "Who does he think he is?" he said, "he's barely been here for a minute and he's rude to you two! The nerve of him, I would like to give him a piece of my mind!"