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

Story Nine: A Blessing in Disguise

It was now 1914, three years after The Wellsworth Viaduct Disaster, as it was now called. The engines didn't miss Hubert all that much, but they felt sorry for those who perished. The TK&ER was also beginning to decline, with less and less passengers. The engines sat in the shed one winter day, after their jobs were given out for the day. "Ugh, I've had this cramp in my rods for days, and it won't go away. I wish Mr. Hatt could look at it." Glynn groaned, clearly in pain. "Chin up Glynn, he'll come look at you soon, after his meeting with the Board of Transportation!" Charleston replied, trying to lift Glynn's spirits. "I hope so, Charleston." Glynn replied, with a tired smile. He then set off for the Quarry, his rods squeaking and making a lot of ruckus all the while. He arrived at the Quarry, seeing a long line of trucks waiting for him. "I can't pull all these, I'll brake down!" He said, his eyes wide. "It's our last shipment before the NWR is formed, we need to clear it all out." The manager said, gruffly. "Fine, I'll try." Glynn said, buffering up to the train. He strained and strained, before he finally got the train to move. It was slow, but he didn't mind. He needed a slow pace because of how much pain he was in. "You're doing great old boy, almost to Ffarquhar already." His driver said, encouragingly. Glynn could only groan in response. His boiler was leaking out dirty water, which froze alongside the tracks. He went through Ffarquhar, an amazed Stone watching him from the yard. He kept going, gradually picking up speed. He went down the hill, and the it happened. His boiler shot out dirty water, and he broke down. He rolled down the hill, stopping at Elsbridge. His driver stepped off his footplate. "Good job, old boy. At least one of the engines in the shed can take it on to Knapford Harbor." His driver reassured, patting his bufferbeam. Beatrice and Charleston buffered up to the trucks, as Hartwell shunted Glynn next to the platform. "Glynn. We can't afford to fix you." The manager said, solemnly. "I can't put you in the museum, either. They won't take broken engines." He added. "So the museum rumor was true?" Glynn asked, shocked. "Yes, it was. I'll have you shunted into a siding near Ffarquhar. I'm sure we'll come back for you." The manager said, as he walked away. "I'm sorry, Glynn. I'll miss you, we all will, I'm sure." Hartwell said, tears in his eyes. He brought Glynn to Ffarquhar, putting him in a siding away from the station, and then puffed away. "I'm sure they'll come back. But, this is a nice siding. I've got some nice foliage, it'll keep my paint clean and out of the sun." Glynn thought to himself, as he drifted off to sleep.