A long time ago in the early 19th century, the first railway locomotives were constructed in England. They were developed and improved on by many minds over the course of the next 150 years or so. They used the method of heating water to produce steam, which when condensed under enormous pressure, propelled the locomotives either forward or back. They eventually spread out from England worldwide, and played a major factoring role in the industrial revolution, and the development of the new world.

Eventually locomotives of New sources of traction started to impact railways. Instead of being powered by steam, they were powered by electricity, or internal combustion engines. They had several advantages when compared to their steam propelled counterparts. They worked together for a few years, but steam gradually started to decline from working services, and were replaced by the newer forms of traction. Eventually steam was completely eradicated from most railways, with very few still maintaining steam in regular service.

One particular railway in England that continued to maintain steam was the North Western Railway. When England nationalized it's railways into British Rail, the North Western Railway was one of the only railway companies that kept steam in working order, and the only one to keep first class steam services. Several other rail companies thought it was strange for the director of the NWR to chose not to dieselize like the rest of the world was, but the director didn't care. He chose to keep steam, and had empathy for the older technology and the crews who ran them. His name was Sir Charles Topham Hatt, affectionately known otherwise as The Fat Controller.

The locomotives and some of the rolling stock were happy to work for such a director as he. I say some rolling stock because while a lot of them showed respect and admiration for him and the railway, there were some that didn't, namely the trucks (or wagons, cars, freight stock, whatever you refer to them as). Like locomotives, trucks come in several different types of variants, shapes, etc. There're tankers, vans, flatbeds, gondolas, hoppers, stocks, ladles, and brake vans. Now brake vans are not trucks, but they are required for when pulling them, and a few can be just as tedious, if not more.

Although there is a whole lot to learn and know about the North Western Railway, this story is not focused on it, its history, or its railway stock. It's about British Railways, (otherwise referred to by those on Sodor as the other railway). It's specifically about some of its engines and how they coped with the era of dieselization.

In 1959 in England, there were a group of engines who worked near and at Bristol yards. There was quite a diversity in terms of engines. There were some from the SR, the LNER, the LMS and the GWR. Most of them had different perspectives and ways of doing their work, but despite their differences, most of them were firm friends for years. However, as progress continued on throughout the country, relations and views started to seem a little shaky.

One day a GWR 1366 class pannier Tank was shunting some 7-plank wagons in a marshaling yard. He was minding his own business when a BR 31 class diesel rolled in with some empty coaches for a train he was going to pull. He took a look at the pannier and scoffed indignantly.

"Just ridiculous. Old, out of date steam kettles still in service? I don't know what the world is coming to when it comes to you lot."

"Why don't you shove it up your air intake," the pannier retorted. "We're just as useful if not better than you buzz boxes on wheels."

"You just keep telling yourself that," the 31 replied rolling his eyes. "We diesels are the future of this railway and all others across the world for that matter. There's no fussing around us to get us moving. Just the turn of key, a full petrol tank and were off. You lot need to wait around for hours to get steam up," he scowled.

"You do know none of you are perfect you pompous git?" the pannier inquired. "No engine has ever been, or ever will be."

"Rubbish, we diesels have always been superior to you tin pots in every regard. And the whole world is just coming to the realization of it."

"Oh really? And what about the 28, 15, or 16 classes?"

The 31 growled and blew off smoke. "Oh please, their classes are embarrassments to diesel kind. They may as well go the same way as all of you lots. BR doesn't have time for classes that fail on a regular consistent basis. They are just the weak links of progress.

"So you don't even care for certain members of your kind simply because of a few teething troubles? That's just pathetic, even for you."

"What you call pathetic is just plain sense. You can't stop progress, because it doesn't have time to slow down for the weak and outdated."

"You know by that logic there will be a time when your own class will be on the scrap heaps like those you consider inferior to yourself."

"Nonsense, I'll be running on this railway for good. You may have a few more years of service left, but it's only a matter of time before your kind is eradicated for better traction. Your days are numbered, mark my words. You'll all see in due time," and he rolled away to meet his timetables.

The pannier growled and then sighed. He knew that even though a lot of stuff the 31 stated was wrong, he was right concerning a few things. Even though most steam engines and their crews saw them as still being useful, BR however thought differently. He wanted to deny his thoughts, but he knew deep down that it really was a matter of time before things really started to change. He wanted to pause and think, but he knew he still had a job to do, so he continued on with his shunting.

Later that night as he pulled into the sheds with the rest of his friends, he was still thinking about his argument with the 31. There were 5 other engines there as well. An LNER J39, a SR Q1, a GWR 5205, a CR 439 and a BR standard 6, whose names were Grant, Clen, Benjamin, Jean, and Cameron. As the pannier pulled in, the others realized his down mood. "What's wrong Darian?" the J39 asked with a concerned tone.

The pannier sighed. "It's nothing Grant. It's just, earlier today another one of the diesels was boasting as usual, and was going on about how engines like us are inferior to his kind."

"This isn't really anything new," Jean stated. "We've all heard and received criticism from them. We all despise it of course, but we know that we are all still useful."

"I know but, you guys have realized what's been happening over the years right? More and more steam engines are disappearing from service. One day they're out working, and the next they're gone, and in almost every case a new diesel seems to take their place. I'm just a little worried of how much time we ourselves, and steam in general have left not just in England, but the world for that matter." He then glanced back down at his lamp irons.

"It's disgraceful, having to take consistent mockery and threats from diesels," Benjamin fumed.

"You know it's not just diesels right?" Jean asked. "Several railway board members and directors don't really like steam either. They don't really care for older engines or the jobs of some of the staff. They only care about what's in their ledgers."

The others had to agree with what was said. Even the standard 6. He was built by BR and worked for them his whole life, but he could see that they were definitely not perfect. He kind of wished he knew what it was like to work for a railway before the nationalization occurred in 1948. He had a lot from some engines about how great their railway was before it happened, particularity from a few great western engines...

"This is one of the things I miss about the Great Western Railway," Benjamin stated. "We didn't need to put up with any chastisement, or the snobbery of any diesels for that matter."

"You know our railway did have about two of them, plus a few diesel railcars on their roster before 1948 don't you?" Darian asked. "A few other railways had diesels as well before the nationalization occurred."

"Yes, but that was a stark contrast as compared to our current way of life. I never really met any of them, but I can make a guess that they were only as stuck up as the ones we already have to work with."

"Even though most diesels we have met in our working careers have been hostile, snotty and insensitive, that doesn't necessarily mean that all of them are. I'm sure we have all had to deal with a few steam engines who are jerks as well," Jean stated.

"True, but at least they don't mock you simply because of your source of traction. Just about every diesel I've come across has jeered off about it," Benjamin retorted in an frustrated tone of voice.

"Just about?" Jean inquired raising one of her eyes.

"Some diesels I've encountered surprisingly have enough sense to keep their mouths shut when they are around steam engines. Although the look on their faces still confirm that they do not particularly like us, let alone actually respect us."

"At least be glad that some even do have a shred of decency. The way things are going on this railway, it can be a slight sense of temporary relief," Jean replied in a slightly unsure yet encouraging tone.

"I suppose. It would be a bigger relief if we didn't need to deal with them at all. But I'll take what I can get," Darian said weeshing off some excess steam.

For the next few days, things went on as usual. Trains would come and go, passengers would grumble, trucks would be annoying pains in boiler and diesels would be rude and snotty. This continued on for a few weeks until something resulted that started to change things. One dark, wet, drizzly night, 1366 was marshaling some particularly troublesome mixed cars for a fast goods run. He was just got done shunting them, and went off to find a brake van, when he overheard someone talking a few sidings away behind some tankers. When he moved back a little, he could see two diesels talking amongst themselves.

"Did you hear what some of the blokes at the works were saying earlier?" one of them asked.

"No I haven't, do tell," the other replied.

"British Railways are going to stop their production of steam engines next year," he smiled deviously.

The Pannier's metaphorical heart dropped to the bottom of his smokebox. Even though he had suspicions that this may happen, he couldn't believe what he just heard. Steam engines had been built for the last 150 years, now they were going to stop making them entirely? He just couldn't believe it, he didn't want to believe it, but something deep down told him that it may be true. He quickly reversed away with the van, he felt shocked, worried, sad, but also furious.

The diesel who was telling the news (who as a BR class 20) looked up when he heard the fading sound of puffing. He looked above the tankers and the dissipating spoke only confirmed what he heard. He scowled at first, but then smiled. "Looks like some soot belcher has been eavesdropping."

"Then why are you smiling then?" asked a certain 31 class.

"Because he knows that his time is short, and his worst fears will become a reality," the 20 replied with a devious smile.

"Finally at last. BR is finally starting to head fully in the right direction. With these filthy steamers out of production, it won't be long before we diesels run this railway completely without any incompetence, permanently."

The 20 agreed. "Yes my friend, it's only a matter of time." Then they slunked off through the sidings back to work.

WIP