Throughout the day, the news of the engines arrival spread throughout the island. All the engines were wondering about who these new engines would be, and wondering what type of work they would be doing.
Thomas was most excited of all! He was hoping one of the engines could be a helper for his branch line, and he wanted to make them feel welcome no matter what!
The next day, Thomas woke up early in order to shunt Gordon's Express coaches at Knapford. Then he had to hurry to the yard to pick up Annie and Clarabel so he could get busy on his branch line. Thomas just finished shunting Gordon's coaches, and was about to head back to get Annie and Clarabel, when he heard some unfamiliar whistles in the air. From the angle he was at, he saw three engines roll into the station, but he could also see four streaks of smoke, suggesting there were four engines – so the last one must be hidden by the bigger engines.
Thomas just watched in awe, examining each of the engines he could see.
Two of the engines looked exactly identical. They were LMS Ivatt Class 2 tender engines, painted in dark green with golden stripes. They had the numbers 64 and 65 on their tenders, and they had nameplates on their cabs. Thomas couldn't make out their names, but he noticed engine 64 had a more feminine face, while engine 65 was more masculine. By the fact they looked absolutely identical, this could suggest they were twins.
The other engine Thomas could see, was a very large, blue engine with 8 large wheels. She was a Russian Locomotive Class Izhitsa, a grand engine, painted in navy blue, with red and black stripes, with the number 44 on her tender. From her size, she looked very strong, and her facial features showed an engine who looked very serious.
Thomas tried to see if he could find the engine hidden behind the large blue engine, but he couldn't see them at all.
Just then, the Fat Controller came out of his office, chuckling joyfully as he walked up to the new engines. The male green engine took one look at the Fat Controller, and started to snicker, holding in his laughter the best he could – his twin looking at him and also struggling to contain her laughter.
"Doeddwn i ddim yn gwybod bod y twat yn mynd i fod yn fraster!" the male managed to snicker out to his twin, who almost burst into laughter. Thomas didn't understand a word he said, but he could swear his voice had a very strong Welsh accent to it.
"You must be the new engines that were expected!" The Fat Controller boomed cheerfully, "Welcome to the Sodor Railway."
"Pleasure to be here sir." The big, blue engine replied politely, to cover up the laughter from the twin engines, her voice had a strong sense of a Russian accent.
"Now then, which...one of you is Mariah?" The Fat Controller looked, staring at the green engine behind the female twin. The twin just burst into laughter.
"I'm not Mariah! She is!" The male engine burst out laughing. His twin sister was no better.
"Honestly sir, if you can't tell the difference between brother-and-sister twins then you got problems." The female engine, presumably named Mariah, spoke, a laugh coming from her voice. They both spoke with strong Welsh accents.
"That is Mariah sir." The blue engine boomed, silencing the two Welsh engines, "And the one behind her is Matthias. They are Welsh twins sir."
"...I can see that, now." the Fat Controller muttered embarrassingly.
"...Twpsyn." Mariah uttered to her twin, Matthias, who just burst into giggles.
"Anyway!" The Fat Controller boomed, "You two will be working for the goods trains. I'll need you to stay here until I can get another engine to show you around."
Mariah and Matthias just cheered amongst each other, speaking in Welsh which no one understood. The Fat Controller then looked at the big, blue engine.
"I'm Anastasia, sir." The engine replied, "Russian Locomotive Class Izhitsa, mixed-traffic."
"And World's Strongest Engine via the Railway Show, 5 years running!" Mariah bursted out!
"One of the strongest engines you'll probably meet in your life!" Matthias concluded, causing Anastasia to look away in embarrassment.
The Fat Controller just coughed to gain their attention, "Now, Anastasia, I'm going to-" just then, the Stationmaster ran up to the Fat Controller and whispered in his ear. The Fat Controller just grumbled in annoyance.
"Now I am down an Express engine...Gordon's just burst a safety valve and won't be fixed till this afternoon!" The Fat Controller boomed.
Mariah and Matthias' eyes beamed open at an oppurtunity!
"Let Anastasia take the express!" Mariah cried excitedly, "I'm sure she's strong enough and fast enough! She'll take it the whole day if you need her!"
"Really?" The Fat Controller wondered, eyeing the Russian engine, "Will she manage-"
"Oi, if she's the World's Strongest Engine 5 years running, I think that's pretty much all you need to know." Matthias just added bluntly, "A yw'r dyn hwn yn fud neu beth!?"
"Very well then!" The Fat Controller agreed, "Anastasia, please go to the platform and hook up to the Express coaches! It'll be a way to help you learn the line."
Anastasia just sighed, "Yes sir. Right away sir." And with a blow of her whistle, Anastasia pulled away, her 8 grand wheels pounding on the rails, as she went to switch tracks to the Express coaches.
Thomas just watched in amazement at the sight of this large engine, as she graced the rails like a swan, slowly reversing into the coaches and barely touching them as she stopped.
"Now, you two." The Fat Controller boomed, turning his attention to the Welsh twins, "I want you to shunt in the yard until two engines arrive. Their names are Edward, and James. Trust me, you'll be able to notice who they are."
"Aye sir – so basically we're keeping our eyes out for...what do you think Marie?" Matthias joked to his twin, as they made their way to the yards.
"An oldie and a twat." Mariah finished, as they both laughed and steamed away.
Thomas slowly moved towards the platform, surprised he didn't see an engine to help his branch line. Thomas was starting to give up hope, when he looked in front of him, and gasped. His eyes popped wide with wonder, as he gazed at the engine in front of him.
The engine was a small tank engine, painted in black, with silver stripes, and her cab neatly edged in purple, and the number 13 on her cab. But what made Thomas most wonderous was her face – the soot that covered her eyes, like mystical eyeshadow. Thomas just gazed in amazement, the engine appeared almost magical, she looked eerie and mysterious, but in a good way. She was nothing like an engine Thomas has ever met before.
The engine, a beautiful LSWR 0298 Class well-tank engine, was slightly shivering, her fragile boiler and cab could be seen slightly shaking. Her eyes darted around anxiously, and slowly looked up at the blue tank engine, her wheels wobbling in hidden fright, and her delicate face hide behind the steam she released. She looked frightened and shy, not even looking up into Thomas' eyes, and she wasn't even looking at the Fat Controller, she didn't focus on anything, apart from the tracks below her.
"Now then," the Fat Controller boomed, snapping both Thomas and the new 'Gothic' engine out of their gazes, "You must be Blake."
The tank engine didn't speak, she just hummed in acknowledgement, she was still slightly shivering, looking around the station, petrified, and suddenly gazing at Thomas.
"Thomas, this is Blake." The Fat Controller introduced, "She will be the tank engine helping you on your branch line."
Thomas just looked at Blake, their eyes finally connecting. Blake just gazed in sudden awe, her soot covered face slowly examining the tank engine in front of her.
Thomas just gave his normal friendly smile, "Hello Blake!" he greeted cheerfully.
Blake was quivering, she opened her mouth, wanting to try and utter something, but she couldn't, as her shyness consumed her once again.
"Blake, this is Thomas, my no.1 engine." The Fat Controller introduced, "You will be working on his branch line. Now, Thomas. I'd like you to show Blake around the island, and then help her with shunting on your branch line, so we can get her ready for pulling trains. Then, Blake, I'd need you to go to the wash-down and cleaned up. You have soot all over your face."
Blake suddenly started to shake more, almost knocking her driver and fireman out of her cab, she was frightened, looking at her driver, begging for help. Thomas watched as Blake started to tremble, he wanted to help, but he wasn't sure what to do.
"The soot stays on her sir." Blake's driver annouced, "Confidential reasons, but the soot stays."
The Fat Controller eyed Blake suspiciously, "Very well, as long as it doesn't cause any cleanliness issues." And he left, heading back into his office.
Blake panted a bit, shivering from fear. Her driver gently pat her cab to try and calm his engine, and her fireman gently wondered on her sideplate to soothe the engine he and the driver adored.
Thomas gave a small, comforting smile, "Don't worry Blake." He said, "Once we get going, you'll feel great! The Island of Sodor is really a beautiful place to live!"
Blake looked at Thomas, eyeing at his keen enthusiasm. She continued to listen to his cheerful voice.
"...Blake." Thomas looked at Blake curiously, hearing her voice for the first time.
"Pardon?"
"...My name is Blake..." Blake managed to introduce herself, "I-It's...it's very nice to meet you, T-Thomas..." Blake's voice was very sweet, but also very shy, and quiet.
Thomas just smiled excitedly, he never met an engine like Blake before, and he found it rather exciting, seeing Blake as an opportunity for a new friend! "Lovely to meet you too Blake! Come on, let me show you around the island!"
And with a peep of his whistle, Thomas rushed backwards, leaving the station. Blake just watched Thomas roll off on the rails, the chirpy and cheeky tank engine just giggling all the way.
Blake just gave off a tiny smile, before she gave a burst of her beautiful whistle, and slowly followed Thomas' direction, hoping to keep up with her new possible friend.
