God's Wonderful Railway
...
It had been a cold, dark rainy night on the Island of Sodor when a very small but significant miracle happened on the Little Western Branchline. It all began with a major leak in the roof of the engine sheds...
"Great- stuck in the coach shed!" Douglas said crossly. "There's nae any room for any o' us!"
"Aye- we're a crammed in here like metal sardines!" Donald agreed.
"I'd appreciate it if you left the fish to Henry, thank you." Duck remarked dryly. "You should be thankful we even have any shelter at all on a night like this. The rain's positively lashing down out there!"
"Still, I feel the coaches might have done better without our company." Oliver remarked.
"We don't mind!" The coaches said. "Besides, poor Toad's trapped in the cold, bless him!" They said sadly. And indeed he was- he was standing outside the shed, beside the doorway, with shaking frames and raindrops dripping off his roof, nose and buffers, yet he tried hard to remain cheerful.
Alice, Mirabel, Isabel and Dulcie were shivering, due to a nasty draught coming from a broken window next to them. The cold air kept them awake and it distracted them from sleeping.
"Oliver, I just realised something!" Isabel gasped amidst the deafening silence.
"What is it Isabel? If we've left the slip coaches at the station I'm not going out for them." Oliver groaned.
"Oliver-that's a horrible thing for you to say! They like you- besides, I took them to the Steamworks earlier for renovations!" Duck reminded his friend.
"Fine, what is it, Isabel?" Oliver asked her gloomily. He was fed up of being cooped in a small space with three other engines and four coaches at night. He didn't like it- it felt too crowded.
"It's been nearly fifty years since we were rescued from our fates by Douglas." She told him matter of factly.
"Is it, now?" Oliver asked. "I didn't realise that that was the case."
"You're a silly engine, Oliver! We always remind you of these things!" Isabel and Dulcie fussed amongst themselves.
The 14xx tank rolled his eyes "They're exaggerating. I'm not that bad at forgetting." He told them.
"Oh are ye sure aboot that, laddie?" Douglas teased. "You couldn't even remember what Duck's real name was!"
Oliver went red in the face and he glared as the others laughed in mild amusement.
"Aye, you're richt enough, lassie." Douglas added. "It's aboot 49 years since I saved you three from the Other Railway."
"So that means it's about at least 53 years or so since we were both saved from being scrapped and moved here to Sodor." Donald added.
"It would be 57 years exactly." Duck informed the Scottish engine with a smile.
"Aye," Douglas agreed. "Ye ken something, Duck?"
"What Douglas?" Duck asked.
"You once said that the Great Western Railway was 'God's Wonderful Railway'?"
"...Well, yes, I did say that, though I meant it as another name for it." Duck told him. "I didn't mean it literally."
"Well, I think maybe it really is, after all- I mean look at us a'. Oliver, Toad and Isabel had no means to escape the Other Railway, Alice Mirabel and Dulcie all disused for years before condemned to be broken up, and me and Donal' wi' the threat of modernization and scrap o'er oor funnels. Then we all came onto the Little Western, and noo we enjoy a good life, regular work, a beautiful hame and good friends."
"Aye, I agree Dougie." Donald said. "Who would hae thought that fate would have intervened in oor lives at such critical moments?"
"Yes." Oliver added. "We've found company in each other – and even salvation." He added, looking at Douglas before peeping outside the window. He smiled at faithful Toad, who was still outside- and he saw that the rain had started to slow down.
"Looks like poor Toad's finally got a break!" He said.
"Yes," Duck agreed. "You know, I haven't been rescued from scrap, but I'm glad that the Great Western has given me the Little Western, and some of the greatest friends I could ever ask for."
"Aye and we're glad we met you, Duck." Donald added.
"Long live the Great Western Way!" Alice cheered, and the coaches and engines (even Toad managed to join through the broken window, cheered on the name of the Great Western, and what it had meant to them through the Little Western line.
...
Author's notes: I came up with this idea and it wouldn't leave me alone so I just had to write it. But seriously, don't you agree that the Little Western is where a majority of Sodor's rescued is now? Anyway, next year it will be 50 years since Oliver, Toad and Isabel made it over into Sudrian borders with Douglas' help. Isn't that amazing? Also, I have nothing against the slip coaches, and nor does Oliver- usually. He just didn't want to go out in the rain despite the overcrowding shed.
Disclaimer: The only thing that belongs to me is the idea. Everything else belongs to Awdry. I hope you enjoyed this piece.