So here ya go, ladies and gentlemen, the fourth and final story of the Emily saga. Oh, and so you know, this takes place shortly after the events of "A Better View for Gordon". This is just after the reopening of Kirk Ronan branchline, so Emily is at Tidmouth before officially working on her branchline. The italicized text is a flashback. Anyway, let's enjoy reading...

ThomasAngryBirds' Remakes and Stories

Story 5: The Rolf's Castle Bridge Disaster

Adapted from the original story "Disaster at Rolf's Castle"

Originally written on April 1, 2012

It was just after the reopening ceremony at Kirk Ronan. Gordon backed into Tidmouth Sheds, worried that the others would tease him for his accident. But Emily had told the others that people could have been killed, so they decided not to tease Gordon, much to his relief.

"It's hard to believe it's your last day here at Tidmouth," said Belle sadly. She was glad to see another girl in the sheds, being hard for Belle being the only girl at Tidmouth Sheds.

"I know, Belle," said Emily, "but don't feel bad, though; we do show others what girls can do, right James?" She looked over to Henry and James, who said nothing.

"It's nae the only mishap James has gotten intae," said Donald, "I heard that he smashed into tar wagons, had trouble with wee little bees-"

"Oh, would you not remind me?" snapped James. He hated when others reminded him of past incidents.

"Somehow, James," said Emily, "it feels like you remind me of Elliot."

"Who's Elliot?" asked Henry. Everyone looked over to Emily, wondering what she meant.

"Elliot," began Emily, "was the fifth engine of the Sodor and Mainland Railway. He was arrogant, rude, careless, and would not think before he spoke."

"Was he bad as James is?" giggled Belle. James shot the blue 4MT a dirty look.

"Shut your lip!" he snapped, "Whatever happened to Elliot, anyway?"

"Well," said Emily, "I will tell you, and his downfall was not pretty...

1884 - SODOR AND MAINLAND RAILWAY

By 1884, the original harbor at Kirk Ronan was busier than ever, and Emily was doing her best to cope with the workload. She wasn't the only engine back then; she worked with the three original Sodor and Mainland box tanks Clive, Neil, and Matthew. Clive and Emily handled passengers, whilst Neil and Matthew were left with goods work and shunting. The two box tanks didn't mind; they were used to trucks.

One morning, the then-manager of the Sodor and Mainland Railway, Stephen Holmes, spoke to his engines about the situation.

"I've ordered an engine from the South Eastern Railway yesterday," he said, "an O class 0-6-0 tender engine. Do your best to make him feel welcome, and be careful of any disturbances."

"Understood, sir," said Clive, the oldest of the box tanks.

"What does it mean?" asked Matthew, who was younger than Clive and Neil, and quite clumsy at times.

"This new engine could be trouble," explained Neil, the second box tank.

Neil had every reason to worry. When Elliot arrived, he was painted in the Sodor and Mainland Railway's traditional green livery, with the number five on his cab. He was stubborn, bad mannered, rude, and didn't think before he spoke.

Elliot was rude to the coaches, banging them around like trucks, and within a month, Mr. Holmes restricted him to goods work. However, Elliot banged the trucks like they were toys, and often broke them as a result. And I'm sorry to say that Elliot was the most rude to the other engines, and called them names.

Every night, Clive, Neil, Matthew, and Emily tried to put up with Elliot's rude behavior, but to no avail.

"This shed should not have useless relics like you lot!" he would often complain, "If that manager of yours had any sense, he should scrap you and buy engines like me!"

"Mr. Holmes would never do such a thing," insisted Emily, "we're all useful to him whether we're old or young!"

"Shut it, two wheels!" snarled Elliot.

"Two wheels?" snapped Emily, "Why, my brothers and sisters could pull passenger trains more than your brethren could! You're merely a goods engine."

"Stop talking rubbish," retorted Elliot, "your time's going to up very soon, old timer, and I could be the new number 1!"

"OLD?" Emily nearly burst a steam pipe, "I've been on this railway for thirteen years! I'm as young as the next engine!"

"As long as that engine is an even older, outdated relic!" Elliot laughed rudely. Emily went red as an apple and gnashed her teeth in rage!

"QUIET!" shouted a voice. It was Mr. Holmes, and he heard the entire argument.

"That Single engine thinks passengers are important, sir," lied Elliot, "but I say they're a nuisance and should not be wasting our time!"

"I don't buy it," said Mr. Holmes firmly, "passengers are important to the railway; they help keep the railway running with money. Now, Elliot, I'm going to ask you to stop this rudeness, or else I'm going to take action."

"Yeah, sure, sir," said Elliot with a hint of sarcasm.

"And Emily," continued Mr. Holmes, "I understand that Elliot was being rude to you, Clive, Matthew, and Neil. But arguments don't solve anything."

"Yes, sir," said Emily sadly, "but am I in trouble, sir?"

"No Emily," said Mr. Holmes kindly, "I'm just letting you off with a warning."

"Yes, sir," said Emily. Mr. Holmes then told Elliot that if he kept up with his behavior, then he would not sleep with the other engines in the shed.

"Whatever," scowled Elliot as he left into a siding, "I don't need to be around you old relics!" Matthew shot Elliot a dirty look.

Elliot went on in the same old way for the next few years. The workmen took him to pieces if anything was wrong, but they couldn't explain it to Mr. Holmes.

"Elliot is a hard worker," said his driver, "but he's always had a bad attitude against me and Joseph."

"I think you're right, Francis," sighed Mr. Holmes, "it could be how Elliot was built." He looked outside his office window, and there was Elliot yelling at Neil, who was shunting the former's next goods to Ballahoo.

"Hurry up!" yelled Elliot, "I don't have all day!"

Neil said nothing, but he just rolled his eyes, and then puffed away.

"Hurry up, you idiot!" Elliot snapped to his driver, who was just entering the cab with the fireman, "I'll be late if you're slacking!"

Eventually, one day in the summer of 1889, after an incident with Matthew and the trucks, Mr. Holmes decided to keep Elliot in a siding until such a time he learnt humility.

"Good riddance," said Neil, "some peace and quiet at last."

"And we don't have to deal with Mr. Grumpy for a while," Matthew added as a joke.

"I heard that!" snapped a voice, but the engines ignored it. They knew it was Elliot.

It was now December 30, before the turn of the decade. Clive was supposed to take the Stopping Night Passenger from Ballahoo to Kirk Ronan, but tonight, there was trouble.

The harbor at Kirk Ronan was packed with trucks, and Clive, Neil and Emily had to help out.

"Matthew is taking the Evening Goods," said the foreman, "and we can't spare no. 1, no. 2 or no. 4."

Mr. Holmes shook his head. "So it means all we have left is..."

"Elliot," groaned the foreman, "I know he isn't trusted with passengers, but this one is important. Besides, I'm sure if he helps at the harbor, he's sure to cause problems."

"Very well," said Mr. Holmes. He then spoke to Elliot in his siding. The foolish tender engine had been there for the last few months, and was feeling bored.

"Now, Elliot," said Mr. Holmes, "you have to take Clive's place in his Stopping Night Passenger runs, and don't bump the coaches, or the passengers will complain, you understand?"

"Yes, sir," said Elliot, acting like he didn't care.

Matthew was passing Rolf's Castle, and had to cross an old iron bridge. As he crossed, he felt it shake a bit underneath his wheels.

"That can't be good," he told his driver.

"You're right," said Matthew's driver, "we should tell Mr. Holmes about this when our work is done."

At Ballahoo, the top station, Matthew had arranged Elliot's coaches, a six coach passenger train, and set off to arrange his goods train.

Elliot had dropped off Mr. Holmes at Crovan's Gate Station for a meeting with Mr. Mack, the first controller of the Skarloey Railway. Elliot soon arrived at Ballahoo, was turned around on the turntable, and backed onto the coaches, bumping them in the process.

"Ooooh!" protested the coaches, "That was so horrid!"

"Oh, be quiet, you!" snapped Elliot, "Coaches would rather be seen, not heard."

"You'd be careful," warned Matthew, "that bridge at Rolf's Castle doesn't seem safe, and we're due to have a storm this evening. You should take care-"

"I don't need to be babied by old, outdated engines!" snapped Elliot, "I'll be fine! Just don't be such a worry-wheels!"

"I'm just trying to get you to stop an accident," insisted Matthew.

"Pah!" snorted Elliot, "I'll be fine, worry-wheels!"

Matthew's guard blew his whistle, and the six-wheeled box tank puffed away.

"Why does he get to go first?" complained Elliot.

"The Evening Goods is an important train too," said his driver, "now be a good engine for once!"

"Hurry up!" Elliot yelled at the station crew, "I don't want to be late!"

At last, the guard blew the whistle, and Elliot set off roughly.

"Come on! Come on! Come on! Come on!" he snapped to the coaches.

"Don't be so rude, don't be so rude, don't be so rude," grumbled the coaches.

As Matthew puffed down the line, he was soon heading towards the old iron bridge. Matthew cautiously crossed the bridge, and when his train was halfway across, the winds began to blow around the bridge.

"That can't be a good sign," Matthew gulped. But the bridge didn't collapse, much to Matthew's relief. His driver stopped the train at Rolf's Castle station, and then told the stationmaster about the bridge.

"I should tell the stationmaster at Kirk Ronan," he said, "who will then tell Mr. Holmes about the bridge!"

The Rolf's Castle stationmaster told the Kirk Ronan one, but the latter wasn't going to get his chance to tell Mr. Holmes...

Elliot's passenger train had seventy passengers on board, and they complained when Elliot bumped the coaches roughly.

Elliot soon arrived at Crovan's Gate, and he had to wait for Rheneas to bring passengers from Cros-ny-Cuirn, translating from the ancient Sudric language, Cross in the Mountain.

Elliot waited impatiently for Rheneas to arrive.

"Where is that little, useless steampot?" he demanded to his driver, "I could be at Kellsthrope Road by now!"

"Rheneas isn't late," said the driver firmly, "we're in no need of a rush!"

When Rheneas pulled into the station right on time, Elliot blew steam at him. In the office of the station, Mr. Mack and Mr. Holmes could see the steam from the window.

The two men got out and found Elliot shouting at Rheneas.

"Elliot!" snapped Mr. Holmes, "I told you to be on your best behavior! And what do I see? You blow steam at Rheneas! I shall speak with you at the sheds tonight!"

Elliot rolled his eyes.

"I'm terribly sorry about this, Mr. Mack," said Mr. Holmes, "my wife and children will be concerned about me if I don't get home soon. It's getting late."

"I understand, Stephen," said Mr. Mack kindly, "I should be getting home quite soon."

Mr. Holmes got aboard one of the coaches, and when the guard blew his whistle, Elliot set off with a tremendous jerk!

"Be careful!" called Rheneas, "You might get into trouble sooner or later!"

Rheneas sighed when Elliot ignored him. What's the point? thought Rheneas, The only one he listens to is himself.

The passengers were being bounced about in the coaches, and they were cross, especially when Elliot raced past Kellsthrope Road Station.

"We want to get off there!" they protested, but Elliot, unaware of the situation, grinned to himself.

"This will show them, this will show them," he laughed, "I'll be on time and have a rest!"

But he wasn't. By now, the storm was blowing around the Rolf's Castle bridge, which weakened it by a fair bit.

As Elliot neared the bridge, a detonator on the tracks was set off, and the driver tried to apply the brakes, but Elliot was still going too fast.

"Why are we slowing down?" snapped Elliot.

"There's a bridge about to collapse!" cried the driver.

"Don't be foolish," said Elliot, "it's fine! We'll manage!"

But he didn't. When the fourth coach was on the bridge, disaster began to strike!

"What was that?" snapped Elliot, and then he looked underneath him. "Uh oh..." he gulped.

Weak structures and strong winds just don't mix, and with the heavy train on the bridge, this was a recipe for disaster. The central spans of the bridge gave away because of the icy winter gales, and Elliot and his coaches plunged into the icy waters below.

Elliot screamed as he fell, and all seventy five people, including the driver, fireman, guard, and Mr. Holmes, were lost.

1983 - TIDMOUTH SHEDS, NORTH WESTERN RAILWAY

The engines were in shock when Emily paused. James and Henry's mouths were agape, they couldn't think of anything to say.

"What happened afterwards?" asked Belle.

"A whole lot," said Emily, "months passed since the accident. Mr. Holmes' second-in-command, David Stafford, took his place as controller of the railway. Starting in January of 1890, all four of us were to help rebuild the bridge, but this time out of stone. But first we had to recover the corpses of the seventy-five people aboard the train. They found sixty, but the other fifteen were missing.

"Three of the coaches were in need of repair, but the other three were completely destroyed and were scrapped."

"What about Elliot?" asked Gordon, "Was he rescued?"

"He was," said Emily, "but it was difficult - you see, the chains were broke on the first rescue attempt, and next time, the salvage equipment broke. Eventually, come mid-March, Elliot was finally recovered. But he wasn't destroyed as we'd hoped; his funnel had broken completely off, his front buffer beam was smashed, his cab destroyed, and his boiler was wrecked.

"Mr. Stafford had heard of his behavior, but he didn't put Elliot back in service. No, he ordered for Elliot to be sent away, and something that did happen to him..."

"What was it?" asked Donald.

"Elliot... was scrapped..." Emily finished darkly, looking from engine to engine, but she finished in a light tone; "the bridge was eventually rebuilt, and Mr. Stafford acquired a new tank engine, an A1 terrier named Preston, from the same railway Thomas came from. When the new stone bridge was completed by autumn of 1890, things on the Sodor and Mainland returned to normal."

There was silence again in the sheds. Henry and James' faces were pale upon hearing of Elliot's downfall, and the others stood in shock.

"You know what I think?" said Belle once the shock wore off, "Elliot did show us something even if he was rude; if you act boastful and like you know everything, then you're into big trouble." Gordon looked away. He knew what Belle meant.

"In a sense, he did," agreed Emily.

James and Henry remained quiet for a while after Emily left to run the Kirk Ronan branchline with Martha and Jennifer, but they did get into their share of mishaps when one of James' flatbeds went two ways and knocked over a signal, while Henry's tender coupling broke while taking a passenger train and nearly ended up in flames.

Emily is happy to be working the Kirk Ronan branchline. It reminds her about the old days of the Sodor and Mainland Railway, and she always has memories in her heart. I'm sure there are more stories about her past waiting to be told, but those will have to wait until next time.

Author's note: The story is based off the December 28, 1879 Tay Bridge Disaster. The actual engine in the accident was a North British Railway 224/420 Class 4-4-0 tender engine no. 224. Unlike Elliot, no. 224 was rebuilt and given the nickname "The Diver" as a result of its accident and difficult recovery. It was withdrawn in 1919 and did not survive into preservation.

And that concludes the Emily saga. This one is the darkest of the four stories, but also one of the more realistic as well. Look out for more in the future!