The 6 engines ran the line nicely over the next few days. Alyssa, Duck, Thomas and Donald handled the mainline well and Edward and Jane kept the branchline running like cloakwork.

Although there was much work, the engines didn't complain. They worked hard and at the end of the day enjoyed their rest.

At the sheds one night after a long hard day of work, Thomas, Edward and Jane were being cleaned down by there crews, chatting to each other.

"It's been a long time since i pulled goods as heavy as that" Edward said, remembering his run he did earlier, "It was nice to go flying along the line, reminded me of my days as an Express engine".

"I couldn't imagine what it was like whe you were an Express engine Edward" Jane added, "Must have been different from the way things are now".

Edward chuckled, "Oh indeed they were, Express trains back in my early years didn't have as big a coaches as now and weren't as fast. I remember one Express run on Christmas eve, i had to battle blistering winds and snow to make it home in time".

Thomas and Jane's eyes lit up with curiousity, "Please tell us Edward!" they beamed.

Edward beamed, "I'm afraid that's a story for another time you two".

The two engines sighed in disapointment, but understood.

Just then Duck backed into the sheds, "Good Evening all!" he chirped.

"Hello Duck" said Thomas, "How are you keeping?".

"I'm just fine, thank you for asking" Duck replied, he let of some steam as he let out a tired groan, "Lots of passengers and goods today" he looked over at Edward.

"I don't know how you managed your branch by yourself before i arrived Edward" Duck asked in amazement, "If it was as busy as the Mainline".

"It wasn't easy at first, but i managed it" Replied, "I'm glad you arrived to help me though".

"What was your arrival like anyway Duck?" Thomas asked, "From what the others told me you were obsessed with some Great Western way".

Duck sighed slightly in embarrassment, "I must admit my Great Western Way, sometimes, can cause trouble" Duck replied, "But it is the proper way to do things in most situations, it's either that or-".

"The wrong way!" the others replied in unison.

The engines laughed, Duck let out a little grumbled before turning to Edward, "Why don't you tell it Edward?" Duck asked.

"Very well then" said Edward, "Well it all began a few weeks ago around the time the circus arrived".

And this is the story Edward told.

The Ffarquhar branchline, despite the depression was still fairly busy. It was one of the few lines whoses businesses delivered much needed goods like farmer's produce from the farms and stone from the quarry that were needed by all across Sodor.

Edward tried his hardest to keep on top of the work, but it was clear he needed some help.

The Fat Director knew of this, but wanted to try and focus on buying a new station pliot for Knapford as one was desperately needed.

However, the Board of Directors forced his hand, wanting to capitalise on the branchline's sucess with it's stone trains bringing in much needed money, so an engine was bought to help with the stone trains and other goods services along the branch.

When Edward received the news he was greatful, "It'll be nice to have someone around" he said to his Driver, "I wonder what he'll be like".

"Guess we'll have to wait until he arrives" replied his Driver.

Two days later, Edward was at Elsbridge taking on Water. As his tender was being filled, he heard an unfamiliar whistle in the distance.

Then, coming into view was the Fat Director riding in the cab of a green tank engine, who stopped just beside Edward.

The Fat Director stepped down from his cab and introduce him, "Edward, this is Montague, he's come to help you run the branch for the next few days, i hope you welcome him warmly".

"Of course Sir" Edward smiled, "Nice to meet you Montague".

"Thank you" Montague replied, "But please call me Duck, most of the engines on my old railway called me that, they said i waddled!, i don't really but i like Duck better than Montague".

"Alright then" said Edward, "I best show you the line".

Edward soon showed Duck what he had to do and at first, everything ran smoothly. The passengers were pleased with Duck's performance and he handled the truck very well.

However problems were soon to occur.

While Duck did work hard, he was very loyal to the "Great Western Way" as he called. He would occasionally complain about the other engines way of doing things whenever he felt they weren't right.

"A bit more smoother would be better" He said to James as he backed down onto some trucks when he saw him at Elsbridge, "Nobody likes the wrong way!".

"Nobody will like you if you keep this up" James muttered to himself as he pulled away.

"10 minutes late, goodness me Gordon, if this is the way of the LNER, you lot wouldn't be seen anywhere near the Great Western" Duck said to Gordon when he next saw him.

"Oh go jump in a pond Duck boy!" Gordon retorted, "It's not my fault i have to arrange my own trains".

"Excuses are of the wrong way Gordon, now on the Great Western we-".

Duck was cut off by Gordon wheezing steam at him as he pulled away with huff, Duck just scowled at him.

"Honestly Annie and Clarabel, this railway is in a right state" he said.

Both Annie and Clarabel didn't answer, they were starting to have enough of the pannier tank's complains.

Edward tried to talk to the young engine in hopes of him seeing sense.

"I know you lived on the Great Western your whole life Duck" Edward said to him in the sheds one night, "But here we have are own way of doing things, everyone is doing just fine in there own way for now, so there's no need for all this ordering about".

"That may be Edward" Duck replied, "But i've seen how those mainline engines run things here and it's absolutely appalling!, this kind of sloppiness would never do on the Great Western!".

Edward just sighed in defeat, he knew he couldn't convice Duck otherwise and sadly the pannier would have to learn the hard way, which indeed he did.

It was cold that morning as Duck pulled the first stone train of the day up to Elsbridge, where Donald would be to add it to his goods train.

Duck trundled along the branch huming a tune as he went, "Honestly" he said to no one in particular, "That Edward needs to get with the times, he just doesn't understand the responsibility of the Great Western".

For the trucks, that was the final straw. They had grown tired of Duck blabbering on about the Great Western. But to hear him talk rubbish about Edward, the engine who actually treated them with respect, enough was enough. They began to plot amongest each other.

At Elsbridge, Donald sat waiting for Duck to arrive. He'd heard all about him from Edward earlier that morning and was ready to hear any sort of nitpicking.

As Duck neared the station platform, the trucks saw there chance.

Duck was to busy talking loudly to Donald, "Ah it's good to finally see one of you mainline engines is on time" he called out.

Donald raised a brow, "Ach, ye must be young Duck, i've heard quite a bit about-".

But before Donald could finish, the trucks put their plan into action.

"GO ON!, GO ON!" they yelled as the bumped Duck past the platform, knocking his Driver and Fireman off the footplate.

"STOP!, STOP!" Duck cried out, but the trucks didn't care and surged forward.

Up ahead was the points leading to the mainline. A passing local train had only just gone through and the Signalman was too late to change the points in time.

Duck felt his wheels leave the rails as him and his trucks jolted off the tracks, going in all directions as stone spilled everywhere.

"Ouch!" Duck yelped, "That didn't feel too good".

His driver quickly ran over and shut off steam to prevent him from going any furthur. Unfortunately, Duck and his trucks were now blocking the line.

"You clumsy engine!" the Stationmaster shouted, "You've blocked the line, you've caused all sorts of problems now".

Duck just blushed and looked at his buffers in shame, he felt quite embrassed.

Luckly for him, Edward quickly arrived with the breakdown train. Duck winced upon seeing the blue engine, he thought Edward would laugh at him for his Great Western Way causing him have his accident.

But to his surprise, Edward didn't laugh or tease him. He remained his kind, caring self and made sure that Duck was alright.

He soon helped to clean up the mess. Unfortunately, due to the already behind scheduale trains, a line needed to be cleared.

They cleared the trucks and stone from the one line inorder to let the other engines pass. Duck had to remain off the rails until it was safe to get him back on the rails.

After a few hours, they lifted Duck back onto to the tracks, he wasn't to badly damaged, just a few dents and dust covered him, which would be fixed in now time.

Edward brought him back to the sheds where workmen started to look over him to see if he'd suffered any more damage.

"I'm sorry Edward" Duck sighed sadly, "I should have listen to you".

Edward smiled, "That's alright, as long as you've learned your lesson, then it's fine".

Duck sighed again, "It's just ever since i've been built, i've always worked by the Great Western Way and it's done wonders for me, i thought if i kept following it here i'd be really useful".

"You still can be" Edward replied, "You can still follow your way. But you also need to understand that most of the engines here aren't from the Great Western and have their own way of doing things. As long as you respect other's ways of doing things. Once you do, everyone will get along".

Duck smiled, "I'll try my best Edward, thank you for helping me".

"That's alright" replied Edward.

Once Duck was fixed up, he got back to work. Only this time he made sure to apologise to those who he had been rude to, which they gladly excepted. He's now a friend to all the engines, he still can be quite strict on rules and constantly talk about the Great Western, but that's just the way Duck is.

He works happily with Edward and the two are now firm friends.

"And that's how his arrival went" Edward finished.

"I was wondering why Alyssa was held back at Wellsworth" said Thomas.

"Yes i was stuck there for a couple hours" said Duck, "It felt strange without the rails under my wheels".

"Guess you could say you were a sitting Duck" Jane laughed.

The other engines chuckled, Duck smiled, he was happy with his new friends and life on the Island of Sodor.