*chapter 1*
there are many railways on the island of sodor. there's the north western railway, the arlesdale railway and the skarloey railway. but the most stunning railway of all is the culdee fell mountain railway which gets lots of visitors every year. the railway has fine views of the island and is very scenic. the railway is run by ten little purple engines there names are Ernest, Wilfred, Culdee, Shane Dooiney, Patrick, Alaric, Eric and Niles, Betty and Nigel the diesels. the railway is owned by mr. berrane who takes pride in his engines and the business. the railway used to have a number one engine called Godred but godred was a very reckless engine and one day he went flying off the mountain and was very badly damaged. the manager did not have enough money to repair him and he was left in the back of the shed. rumours went around that his parts were used to fix the other engines but the manager was not that cruel so instead he was scrapped. mr. berrane still to this day did not like to talk about it as it brought back terrible memories of the incident. many years had past and the culdee fell railway was still in service attracting visitors. one day culdee arrived at the summit station with his coach Catherine. there were lots of people taking pictures of the valley bellow. most of them were in the cafe' keeping warm.
'it sure is busy up here today catherine we sure are getting lots of visitors these days' said culdee.
'you can say that again culdee i'm suprised we got up here in one piece with the amount of people i am carrying' said catherine.
there was a radio on the platform and culdee was listening to it.
'in other news today we have just gotten word that next week there is to be a big storm so remember folks to get ready for it now for some lively sodor tunes' said the reporter.
culdee was worried after hearing this.
'did you hear that catherine there is going to be a big storm next week' said culdee.
'oh dear culdee i must say that does sound serious' said Catherine.
soon it was time for them to depart.
'are you ready Catherine off we go' said culdee.
'how much i hate going back down i hate this mountain' said Catherine.
'you worry too much Catherine don't worry I've got you' said culdee.
'well that's comforting but it doesn't help culdee it's devil's back that i hate the most' said catherine.
culdee laughed and he set off. soon it wasn't long before they were at the bottom and pulling into kirk machan station. shane dooiney was there waiting for his passengers to get on. he didn't like going up the mountain he was scared of heights.
'oh culdee how do you get up the mountain without shutting your eyes' said shane.
'it's not that bad shane i get scared too but don't worry as long as you watch the track there's nothing to be scared off' said culdee.
'well that's helpful but i doubt it works' said shane.
'by the way shane did you hear the news there is going to be a big storm next week' said culdee.
'oh great that's all i needed to hear i hope i don't have to go up the mountain in that' said shane.
just then the guard blew the whistle.
'well see you later culdee if i come down the mountain alive that is' said shane.
and with that he started off.
'now there's someone who worries too much' said catherine.
'now now catherine we all know that shane is scared of going up it's just in his personality' said culdee.
when culdee finished his work he went to the sheds to tell the others about the storm. Ernest who was the oldest engine on the railway saw that culdee was worried.
'good afternoon culdee what seems to be on your mind' said Ernest.
'have you lot all heard the news yet' said culdee.
'and what news would this be' snorted Patrick.
'about the big storm that's coming next week' said culdee.
'oh my goodness a big storm that sounds very serious' said ernest.
'i hope that we do not have to go out in it' said wilfred.
'if it's a big one then we are in big trouble' said alaric.
'even bigger than the time when patrick got stuck on the line delaying us all' said eric.
'hey that was not my fault the stupid coach derailed herself because she thought that he was being rude too her' said Patrick.
'but you were being rude to her and anyway it was still your fault' said Eric.
'alright you lot that's enough if there is a storm coming we have to be ready for it' said ernest.
'look here comes mr berrane let's see what he has to say about it' said culdee.
'please don't tell me he's coming to tell me too take another train again' said patrick.
mr berrane walked up to the sheds.
'good day you lot i'm afraid i have some very serious news for you all' he said.
'oh no not that the railway board wants to paint us all black like they said last time' said alaric.
'don't worry alaric it's not that as one or two of you may have heard on the radio there is a big storm coming so when it comes the railway will be closed as i don't want any of you going up the mountain and getting blown off' said mr berrane.
'well that's just great another day to sit in the shed and die from boredom' said eric.
'don't be stupid eric it's dangerous to go up the mountain in weather like that' said culdee.
'culdee is right Eric i can't take the chance of you lot going up the mountain and getting blown off and think about the passengers' said mr berrane.
'sorry sir but i just don't like sitting in the shed doing nothing it makes me feel not needed' said eric.
'i for one quite like the idea of staying in the shed having a rest if you ask me' said patrick.
'after all it will be much safer if we all stay in the sheds where it is safe' said wilfred.
'that's the positive attitude i like to hear i just don't want any of you to end up like godred that's all' said mr berrane.
'don't mention that reckless buffoon he got what was coming to him if you ask me' said culdee.
'that's enough of that culdee it was just an unfortunate accident that's all now good day you lot and remember that on the day of the storm you are all to stay in the shed end of story' and with that he walked away back to his office.
'this is just ridiculous first mr berrane says that we not working hard enough then the next minute he says he is closing the railway for the day how much more boring can life get' said Alaric.
'i agree how can i stay in the shed all day when i could be working and having a good time instead' said Eric.
'you two complain too much i for one believe that having a rest is like paradise for us engines' said Patrick.
'you two really do not get the concept of staying safe do you' said Wilfred.
'look you lot if mr berrane says we stay in the shed he means it and that's that' said Ernest.
'that depends if the storm does not blow the roof off' said culdee.
'it better not blow the roof off i don't want to be bored and damp at the same time' said Eric.
but culdee was very confident that they would be safe until the storm blew over.
'i just hope that nobody will be stupid enough to go trekking up the mountain on the day' he thought.
the next day ernest woke up bright and cheerful as his driver opened the shed doors.
'good morning old boy did you sleep well last night' he said.
'yes i did thank you driver it's a lovely summers day and i'm looking forward to getting to work' said Ernest.
'it may be warm and sunny down here Ernest but trust me the temperature gets a lot colder up at the summit' said his driver.
'not to worry driver you can just leave me at the station and go into the café and stay warm' said Ernest.
'you know what Ernest i think i will thanks for the tip now come let's get the coach and head over to the station' said his driver.
and with that Ernest set off. soon Ernest collected the coach and headed to kirk machan station. when he arrived thomas was there with annie and clarabel and the visitors waiting for Ernest.
'hello there Ernest you look very cheerful today' said thomas.
'oh yes it must be all this fine weather' said Annie.
'don't be silly annie it gets much colder up in the mountains' said clarabel.
'indeed i am thomas i'm always cheerful when there's people to take anyway have you heard about the big storm that's coming' said Ernest.
'yes i have the fat controller says that we will all be in tidmouth sheds on the day' said thomas.
'that's good to hear thomas we don't want you mainline engines getting caught in that now do we' said Ernest.
soon all of his passengers were onboard.
'well i better be off thomas so long' said ernest.
'see you later ernest and be careful going up the mountain today' said thomas.
'oh thomas am i ever' said ernest.
and he made his way up the mountain. soon there was trouble. just past skarloey road some sheep had strayed onto the tracks.
'driver stop the train!' said ernest.
his driver slammed on the brakes just in time. ernest screeched to a stop just inches away from the sheep.
'phew that was a close one wasn't it old boy' said his driver.
'you can say that again silly animals now what are we going to do' said ernest.
'don't worry let me try something' said his driver.
his driver tried blowing the whistle but that did not work. then he tried making ernest whoosh steam but that didn't work either. next he got out and tried to move them off the tracks but it was no good the sheep were not even bothered they just carried on eating. at last his driver gave it up.
'well this is getting us nowhere' said his driver.
'why do sheep have to be such arrogant animals now what driver' said Ernest.
'well for starters i think i'm going to have to call for another engine up here' said his driver.
'oh dear and the journey was going so well too' said Ernest.
so his driver phoned for help. meanwhile back at the sheds culdee's driver came to see culdee.
'what's the matter driver' said culdee.
'bad news boy there's sheep blocking the line and poor Ernest is stuck we need to go and help him' he said.
'those silly sheep are always getting onto the line and yet the farmer does nothing about it we better go' said culdee.
and with that culdee set off to the rescue. back on the mountainside Ernest was still stuck. the sheep were not helping either they were getting louder and louder. poor Ernest was getting quite the headache.
'oh please stop baaing for ten minutes!' said Ernest.
'where is culdee when you need him' said his driver sitting beside his engine.
in the coach the passengers were getting very bored.
'what's going on' said a man.
'why on sodor have we stopped here' said another man.
'i swear if it's those stupid sheep again' said a lady.
at last they heard a whistle as a purple engine puffed up.
'saved at last' said Ernest.
'hello Ernest having fun with the sheep' said culdee.
'no i'm not culdee they are giving me a headache with all this noise they are making just help me move them so i can be on my way' said Ernest.
'alright i've got an idea why don't we both blow steam at the same time' said culdee.
'sounds good to me anything to move them' said ernest.
so the two engine blew steam at the sheep as loudly as they could. at last all of the sheep started to move off the tracks. ernest was very happy.
'how did you know that would move them' said ernest.
'i just have a knack of moving sheep i guess anyway these sheep are always straying onto the line so i always know how to move them' said culdee.
'alright you two let's go i'll be having a word with that farmer about this' said ernest's driver.
with that said the two engines carried on up the mountain. soon they arrived at the summit station. the passengers all thanked culdee.
'thank you for moving the sheep culdee we would have been stuck there all day otherwise' they said.
'it was nothing now you lot better get into the café it's cold out here' said culdee.
'thank you for helping me out culdee but how did you know that us blowing steam together would work' said Ernest.
'well it's simple really the engines on the north western railway are big so animals can hear them but because we are small engines we need two of us for them to hear us' said culdee.
'oh i see so it's simple science really' said Ernest.
'yes Ernest it's just simple science' said culdee.
and with that the two engines just laughed.
i do not own thomas & friends or the culdee fell engines they are owned by HIT and rev. w. awdry.