AU Sodor Book One: The Tidmouth, Knapford and Elsbridge Files

Story Eight: An Early Grave

It was now the year 1911. Not much had changed on the TK&ER, aside from the announcement of the Sodor Rail Merge. It would happen in 1915, where all the standard gauge railways would unite into one, the North Western Railway. The engines were chatting about this one day. "I hear the managers of the railways are going to form a museum to save some of us!" Stone said, excited. "Pah, that's a silly idea! I'd be the only one worthy of being put in a museum." Hubert gloated, as the others sighed. The manager walked up, and cleared his throat. "Alright engines, on account of Tidmouth Harbor closing, we've decided to strike up a joint deal with the Wellsworth and Suddery Railway. We've allowed them to head as far as Tidmouth, and they're allowing us to go all the way to Maron. There's a large hill before Maron, so it's recommended you pin your brakes before you go down it. Understand?" He asked, beaming. "Yes, Sir!" The engines replied, excited to go beyond their small railway. "We've also decided to trial a night express. Hubert, you're to take it. It starts at Maron. The coaches will be there waiting for you, and you'll bring them to Tidmouth. Think you can handle it?" The manager asked, skeptical of Hubert's abilities. "Yes, Sir! I'm clearly the strongest on the line." Hubert said, boasting. "Hubert, we're all the same class. We have the same strength." Beatrice replied, annoyed. "Pah, I have newer parts!" Hubert shot back. Beatrice was too disinterested to reply.

It was now late in the evening. Hubert was sizzling nicely at Maron, a rake of coaches behind him. He was eager to leave for Tidmouth. Just then, the guard walked up to his driver. "The express goods from Kirk Ronan Harbor is late, we've gotta stop at Wellsworth until it passes, when we reach it." The guard said. "Got it, thanks for the heads up Jimmy." Hubert's driver replied, as the guard ran back to the brake coach. Then, Hubert set off. He trudged up the Maron Incline, and pinned his brakes at the top. He coasted down, and stopped at Wellsworth. "What's the hold up, Driver? We should be going!" Hubert said, angrily. "You heard the guard, we have to wait for the express goods to pass." Hubert's driver responded, already annoyed. Then, the signal went down to green. "That must be for us!" Hubert said, trying to set off. His driver didn't want to argue or hear any angry passengers, so he opened the regulator, and the train pulled out of the station. A thick fog was rolling in as they neared Wellsworth Viaduct. Then, they heard the loud and fast chuffing of a steam engine. His driver turned around, and through the fog emerged a large LNER K4. "Fuck! Fuck!" He screamed, as the engine plowed into the brake coach. The impact tossed Hubert from the rails, sending him off the edge of the Viaduct. He didn't take the coaches with him, but the second coach was smashed as well, with the engine and it's goods train diving off the Viaduct. The two engines, along with wreckage and some trucks fell into the river below.

The next morning, the manager for the TK&ER and the manager for the W&S went out to inspect the damage. "This won't look good for publicity." Nigel Princely, the TK&ER manager said. "No, it won't." Responded Nathaniel Hubbell, the manager for the C&B, solemnly. "As much as I hate to disrespect the dead, that coffeepot was the worst of my fleet." Nigel said. "Well, we better just focus on the recovery efforts, and make some kind of public statement." Nathaniel replied, as he walked back up to the trackside.