Welcome to France
Thomas, Gervase and Corrinne continued sailing onwards to France and to Gervase's Home Railway. Right now Corrinne and Thomas were asking question.
Thomas: So what's life like on the Kalos Railway Gervase? Is it a good life?
Corrinne: Is a member of the Belmonte Family in charge of the Kalos Railway?
Gervase: To answer the first question Thomas. Yes life is good on the Kalos Railway. The current Kalos Controller, William Belmonte is doing a great job as a leader. He's firm when it's needed but he's fair and always forgiving Corrinne.
Corrinne: Well that answers my first question now can you explain if the Kalos Works is still standing since the last time I've been there?
Gervase: Yes Corrinne, the Kalos Railway Works is still standing even after all these years and security has been very effective especially when facing the Crows. Though most of the engines are saying that if you were there things would be better.
Thomas: which brings me to my next question. What kind of engines are there?
Gervase: Well we have all kinds of British Steam Locomotives ranging from ones built in the early 1900s to the early 1950s. I could tell you more but I'm sure you've met some of them before they came to the Kalos Railway like myself and Corrinne.
Corrinne: That's right. I'm sure I could name a few on the fly like Coley the Stanier 8F, Mary the Ivatt Mickey Mouse and my cousin Aurora a Stanier Princess Royal and that's just a few of the LMS designed Kalos Railway locomotives.
Gervase: Let's not forget Greg, Blaine, and Sophia three of the resident Black Fives, Jake one of the resident Stanier 8Fs, Joshua the Stanier Mogul, Claire the Stanier Jubilee, Malcolm the Ivatt Class 2 Tank engine and Noah the resident Fairburn Tank. Of course there are more engines I could mention but I'll tell you more about the others in time.
Thomas: Sounds like you've only got engines from the London, Midland, and Scottish Railway and it sounds like most of them tender engines designed by William Stanier.
Gervase: I did a stint on the LMS railway during the war before moving to the Nort Western so it makes sense that I know the London Midland and Scottish engines best.
Corrinne: Not to mention that I myself am a Stanier designed LMS Locomotive.
Thomas: That makes sense when you think about it. I think I met some of them when I was still a station pilot on the North Western Before I got my branchline.
Gervase: It does and if I recall correctly you did say that James spent some time on your branchline for about eight months after his accident pulling trucks on his first day on the island of Sodor right? Either way he got some experience.
Thomas: That he did and that was after getting some proper iron brakes.
Corrinne: I'd like to talk some more but it's getting late. We should get some sleep. We're gonna need it for when we get to the Kalos Railway.
Thomas and Gervase agreed knowing that the Stanier Duchess had a point about that and as such they decided to get some rest since they'd need it for the work they'd be doing when they arrived on the Kalos Railway.
The next day the ship arrived in French waters and was getting some help to get docked into place. Once that was done, Thomas Gervase and Duchess Corrinne were unloaded and given examinations to see if there were any issues that required a trip to the local workshops on the Kalos Railway. The three seemed to be in good shape which was due to the workshops in Dallas Texas. Once the inspections were done and Thomas, Corrinne, and Gervase were given their chain and buffer couplings, the staff gave them the all clear.
Thomas: It seems we're ready to go. The Kalos Controller probably has jobs for us.
Gervase: First we need to get to Paris. That's where we need to go because the Kalos Controller lives there and that's where he'll be expecting us.
Corrinne was about to say something when the Yard Master came to see them.
Yard Master: The Kalos Controller wants you three to report to Paris and he wants you to bring the train you see standing over there with you.
Thomas, Corrinne, and Gervase could see the train in question that was standing on the track next to them and it was quite long and heavy.
Thomas: That's a long heavy line of cars or is the term here trucks?
Yard Master: They prefer to be called cars but they behave surprisingly well unlike the trucks from the United Kingdom. Still the Kalos Controller has rolling stock from all over Mainland Europe so don't be surprise if you hear a number of the rolling stock speaking multiple languages.
Thomas: I'll be sure to keep that in mind.
Yard Master: Don't be surprised if the Kalos Controller allows the terms of the railroad to be used interchangeably due to all the British Engines on the Kalos Railroad and he's got staff from all over the world.
Thomas and Corrinne: (in unison) Thanks for the heads up. So what's the plan?
Gervase: I'll take the train and couple up to it, Corrinne you couple up in front of me and Thomas you couple up in front of Corrinne and lead. You two need to learn the line. Well actually Thomas you need to learn the line. Corrinne you need to get a refresher course. Much has changed since your last visit but I'm sure you already know that. No offense.
Corrinne: None taken. I actually would like to catch up with not just my old friends from the LMS but I'd also like to catch up with the rest of the Kalos Railroad Fleet.
Thomas: I too would like to see these engines.
Gervase: Then let's get going.
Gervase, Corrinne, and Thomas coupled up as planned to the train before they steamed away.
Thomas: This is heavy.
Corrinne: Even the heaviest of passenger trains I hauled on the West Coast Mainline weren't this big.
Gervase: Speak for yourselves. Still we have to work together.
So the three dug deep and they worked together before they finally got the train moving and heading off to Paris.
Thomas: We're doing it.
Corrinne: Don't celebrate yet. We've got a long way to go to get to Paris.
Gervase, Thomas and Corrinne all continued to focus on the train and puffed their hardest and before they knew it they arrived in Paris France.
Thomas: This was easier than I thought. I was expecting the trucks to hold back on us.
Gervase: That's cause the cars or as you call them trucks over here are nothing like the ones you work with back in the United Kingdom.
The Lead Car decided to speak up and it spoke with a French accent.
Lead Car: He's right. Qui are much more polite than those dishonorable British Counterparts. And if we cause an accident then the entire railroad will shut down and cause mass confusion and delay.
Corrinne: Perhaps you can tell me what's been happening as of late cause if there's one thing I've learned over the years it's that you can't trust trucks or in your case cars.
Lead Car: Ask the Kalos Controller. He'll tell you everything Duchess Corrinne. He even knows about your situation and what that horrid witch Chantal Payne has done.
Corrinne: (surprised) Does everyone here know about me and my situation?
Gervase: Corrinne you're almost as well known here as Thomas and the North Western Railroad are. The entire Kalos Railroad knows that you were just trying to make a school a better place by helping to get a new student body president elected which you did successfully and you and all the steam engines suffered at Payne's hands and so did Jen. Now that Jen's agreed to join Walker's program and a new controller with a strong will is filling in for the exchange program things will get much better.
Corrinne: Thanks Gervase.
Lead Car: And you'll be safe here in France since nobody's gonna challenge the power of the Belmonte Family now that the current Kalos Controller is married to a member of House Brenton.
Corrinne: One of my namesake's descendants is here? I thought the only ones I knew about were Sheena Fox of the Fox Clan and the founders of Foxteca and Maggie Perkins, the daughter of James' Driver. Speaking of which how is James doing?
Thomas: Well when he found out that his Driver married a descendant of your namesake he was getting boastful as usual. Of course we had to remind him that you wouldn't be tolerating such a thing considering how you chewed out Sir Steven's grandfather back in the 50s.
Corrinne: And that was the best move I made yet.
Gervase: Anyway we're here.
The three said nothing more as they brought the train to Paris and to the depot. The Yardmaster told them to leave the train at the station as Noah would arrange it for them to allow the three to go to the sheds to get some rest in anticipation for the next set of jobs.
What they didn't know was that the Kalos Railway was about to be in for some very surprising visitors and some very interesting adventures much like the ones they had in days long past.