*CH. 1*

IT WAS ANOTHER VERY BUSY DAY ON THE ISLAND OF SODOR. IN THE YARDS TRAINS WERE BEING PREPARED. COACHES WERE BEING SHUNTED INTO THEIR RIGHT PLATFORMS. WORKMEN WERE SHOUTING AND CALLING AND ENGINES BIG AND SMALL WERE ALL BUSTLING ABOUT.

BUT IN ONE OF THE SHEDS A CHERRY RED TANK ENGINE WAS RESTING PEACEFULLY. ROSIE WAS DREAMING ABOUT WORKING WITH HER CLASS MATES BACK WHEN THERE USED TO BE LOTS OF THEM. THERE WERE TWO ENGINES THAT ROSIE REMEMBERED VERY WELL THEIR NAMES WERE SUNFLOWER AND BRAD AND THEY WERE VERY GOOD FRIENDS WITH HER. HOWEVER WHEN ROSIE WAS SENT TO SODOR SHE NEVER SAW THEM AGAIN AND EVER SINCE SHE HAS THOUGHT THAT THEY WERE SCRAPPED.

JUST THEN THE SHED DOORS WERE OPENED AND IN WALKED HER CREW.

''WAKE UP ROSIE OLD GIRL THE FAT CONTROLLER NEEDS US TO TAKE A GOODS TRAIN NOW COME ON'' SAID THE DRIVER.

''OH DRIVER I WAS HAVING A LOVELY DREAM AGAIN'' SAID ROSIE.

''LET ME GUESS WAS IT ABOUT WORKING WITH YOUR CLASS MATES BACK IN AMERICA'' SAID HER DRIVER.

''WHY YES DRIVER HOW DID YOU KNOW THAT'' SAID ROSIE.

''OH NOTHING JUST A LUCKY GUESS I SUPPOSE'' SAID HER DRIVER.

''YOU KNOW DRIVER IT REALLY IS A SHAME THAT THERE ARE ONLY SIX OF US LEFT THERE USED TO BE LOTS OF US BACK IN THE DAY OH YES THOSE WERE THE DAYS'' SAID ROSIE.

''I KNOW HOW YOU FEEL OLD GIRL BUT YOU KNOW WHAT THEY SAY TIMES ARE CHANGING AND YOU CAN'T CHANGE THE PAST BESIDES JUST BE THANKFUL THAT YOUR STILL WORKING THESE DAYS'' SAID HER DRIVER.

''YOUR RIGHT DRIVER IM JUST BEING SILLY NOW LETS GO'' SAID ROSIE.

AND WITH THAT HER DRIVER OPENED THE REGULATOR AND ROSIE PUFFED OUT INTO THE OPEN AIR. SOON ROSIE COLLECTED HER GOODS TRAIN AND SET OFF DOWN THE MAINLINE. ROSIE ENJOYED LOOKING AT THE SUDRIAN COUNTRYSIDES THAT SODOR HAD TO OFFER. IT ALWAYS HELPED TAKE HER MIND OFF HER FALLEN CLASS MATES. AND AS ENGINES PUFFED PAST ROSIE WHISTLED TO THEM KNOWING THAT SHE STILL HAD LOTS OF OTHER ENGINES THAT SHE WAS FRIENDS WITH.

SOON ROSIE ARRIVED AT WELLSWORTH TO DROP OFF SOME OF HER TRUCKS. THOMAS WAS THERE WITH ANNIE AND CLARABEL.

''HELLO ROSIE WHATS WITH THE DOWN LOOK ON YOUR FACE'' SAID THOMAS.

''NO REASON THOMAS ITS NOTHING FOR YOU TO WORRY ABOUT'' SAID ROSIE.

''COME ON ROSIE YOU CAN TELL ME WHAT IS IT'' SAID THOMAS.

''WELL I JUST KEEP THINKING ABOUT ALL MY CLASS MATES THAT NEVER SURVIVED EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE SIX OF US LEFT I JUST WISH THERE WAS MORE OF US PRESERVED'' SAID ROSIE.

''I KNOW WHAT YOU MEAN SOMETIMES I FEEL SAD THAT I AM THE ONLY MEMBER OF MY CLASS STILL ALIVE BUT I DONT MIND AFTER ALL SODOR IS MY HOME AND I WOULD NEVER WANT TO BE ANYWHERE ELSE'' SAID THOMAS.

''YOUR RIGHT THOMAS I SHOULD BE HAPPY THAT I WAS SENT TO SODOR AFTER ALL I WOULD OF BEEN SCRAPPED TO IF I DIDNT COME HERE'' SAID ROSIE. JUST THEN THE GUARD BLEW HIS WHISTLE AND ROSIE SET OFF AGAIN THINKING ABOUT WHAT THOMAS TOLD HER.

NEXT ROSIE HAD TO DROP OFF TRUCKS AT TIDMOUTH STATION. DUCK WAS THERE WITH HIS AUTO-COACHES ALICE AND MIRABEL.

''REALLY HOW MANY MORE PASSENGERS HAVE I GOT TO CARRY TODAY THIS IS MY FIFTH LOAD TODAY'' MOANED ALICE.

''FOR GOODNESS SAKE ALICE WOULD YOU STOP COMPLAINING YOUR GOING TO UPSET THE PASSENGERS IN THE MINUTE AND THAT WILL MAKE ME VERY CROSS'' MUTTERED MIRABEL.

''ALRIGHT LADIES THATS ENOUGH WE DONT NEED YOU TWO IN A MOOD TODAY'' SAID DUCK. THEN DUCK NOTICED ROSIE.

''HELLO ROSIE IS EVERYTHING ALRIGHT WITH YOU TODAY'' ASKED DUCK.

''YES DUCK EVERYTHING IS FINE WITH ME WHY DO YOU ASK'' SAID ROSIE.

''WELL FOR STARTERS THE LOOK ON YOUR FACE IS TELLING ME OTHERWISE WHATS UP'' SAID DUCK.

''OH DUCK I JUST KEEP THINKING ABOUT ALL MY LOST CLASS MATES AND I KEEP THINKING THAT THERE COULD BE MORE OF US AROUND TODAY'' SAID ROSIE.

''BEG PARDON ROSIE BUT I AM MOSTLY THE LAST OF MY GREAT WESTERN BROTHERS BUT I DONT MIND AFTER ALL I AM STILL ALIVE AND CONTINUING THE GREAT WESTERN LEGACY AND YOU ARE STILL CONTINUING YOURS'' SAID DUCK.

''YOUR RIGHT DUCK I AM STILL CONTINUING THE LIFE OF MY CLASS MATES AND THEY WOULD BE HAPPY THAT I AM STILL ALIVE AND WELL'' SAID ROSIE.

THEN THE GUARD BLEW HIS WHISTLE AND ROSIE SET OFF FEELING HAPPY ABOUT WHAT DUCK HAD TOLD HER. FINALLY ROSIE ARRIVED AT VICARSTOWN TO DROP OFF THE LAST OF HER TRUCKS. JUST THEN TWO YOUNG MEN CAME OTHER TO HER.

''COOL CHECK THIS OUT RYAN ITS A USA CLASS TANK ENGINE YOU DONT SEE MANY OF THOSE AROUND THESE DAYS COME ON LETS GET A PICTURE BEFORE IT LEAVES'' SAID ONE.

AND THE TWO MEN QUICKLY AND HASTILY YANKED OUT THEIR CAMERAS. ROSIE BEAMED WIDELY AS THE MEN TOOK THEIR PICTURES. THEY THEN THANKED ROSIE'S CREW FOR LETTING THEM TAKE THE PICTURES AND THEN LEFT.

''SEE THERE ROSIE EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE JUST A FEW OF YOUR CLASS LEFT YOU ARE STILL VERY IMPORTANT'' SAID HER DRIVER.

''YES THERE ARE LOTS OF ENTHUSIASTS THAT LOVE TO SEE ME IT MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE'' SAID ROSIE.

AND WITH THAT SHE SET OFF FOR HOME. HOWEVER WHEN ROSIE RETURNED TO HER SHED THERE WAS A SURPRISE FOR HER. THERE STUCK TO THE SHEDS DOOR WAS A NOTE.

''HOLD ON A MINUTE THAT WASNT THERE THIS MORNING'' SAID ROSIE.

''NO IT WASNT ILL GO AND SEE WHAT IT SAYS'' SAID HER DRIVER. HE CLIMBED OUT OF THE CAB AND GRABBED THE NOTE. HE WAS ONLY LOOKING AT IT FOR 50 SECONDS WHEN HE SUDDENLY GASPED.

''WHAT WHAT IS IT DRIVER? WHAT DOES IT SAY'' SAID ROSIE.

''ROSIE OLD GIRL YOU HAVE JUST GOT TO HEAR THIS'' SAID HER DRIVER. HE BEGAN TO READ THE NOTE TO HER.

DEAR ROSIE,

I KNOW THAT WHEN YOU READ THIS MESSAGE YOU WILL BE VERY HAPPY INDEED I HAVE JUST FOUND OUT THAT TWO MORE OF YOUR CLASS MATES ARE STILL ALIVE AND FUNCTIONAL, THEY ARE CURRENTLY WORKING IN A SCRAPYARD ON THE MAINLAND AND IF I REMEMBER RIGHT THIER NAMES ARE 5509 SUNFLOWER AND 5510 BRAD I HOPE THIS INFORMATION WILL BE USEFUL FOR YOU.

SIGNED, FRIEND.

AFTER HER DRIVER FINISHED READING ROSIE COULD NOT BELEIVE WHAT SHE HAD HEARD.

''MY OLD FRIENDS SUNFLOWER AND BRAD THEY ARE STILL ALIVE ALL THIS TIME AND I NEVER KNEW COME ON DRIVER WE NEED TO TELL THE FAT CONTROLLER ABOUT THIS I NEED TO HELP THEM'' SAID ROSIE.