A/N: Two stories in under a day, jeez, I wasn't expecting that either. I really need to write more stories about the Skarloey Railway, Duke has to rely on fan content nowadays and it's a real shame, he's such an interesting character and I have had such a fun time writing him here and his interactions to the other engines. Also, forgot to mention in the previous story, Thesang is an island I created on my own, and Sydane is an island created by a friend. Hope you enjoy!

1970

Duke the lost engine had finally been restored.

Last year he was found by Wilbert Awdry and a few other men and was immediately sent to the Skarloey Railway, where he would spend the next part of his life.

He also met his new duke, Sir Richard Robert Norramby, who had recently become twenty-eight. 'He is young,' thought Duke, 'but he's a lovely chap.'

Sir Handel and Peter Sam were pleased to see Duke once again, and when he was out of the works and doing his paces back and forth. The two engines chanted. "Looks like you're getting into shape Grandpuff!"

"Getting into shape?" snorted Duke, "I was completely fine before! Now be off with you! Young fools!"

Sir Handel and Peter Sam only sniggered to each other and puffed away.

Duke was soon at the sheds with the other engines after his paces were done. He soon met Skarloey and Rheneas, who he had heard so much about, and all three began talking to each other.

"So, have the young scallywags been trouble for you?" asked Duke.

Skarloey chuckled. "Peter Sam was alright, it was Sir Handel that we had much trouble to keep in order!"

"Ahhh, Falcon was a funny one," smiled Duke, "what did he do?"

"Well..." started Skarloey, who looked hesitantly at Rheneas who only grinned at the little old engine.

Duke sighed. "He was that bad then?" he said, "then it looks like I have to keep him in order then!"

"He was much better now!" said Skarloey quickly, but it was no good. Duke had already puffed into the shed. The two old engines only looked at each other.

Tourist trains were getting more popular on the Skarloey Railway. It brought a lot of income to the railway and made the engines all the merrier to pull them. April had arrived, and the desolate trees and fields were coming back to life with leaves, flowers, and animals. This also meant tourists too when the holidays came to the railway. Duke had been dozing in the sun outside the sheds and hadn't had a run up the line yet. Passengers flocked to the railway, keen to get a look at the engine who was once lost.

The Thin Controller was a little anxious, Duke still hadn't had a proper run up the line, and passengers were wanting to ride behind the lost engine. At first, the Thin Controller refused to have Duke run, but when the traffic increased, and the engines began to feel worn out, the Thin Controller had to make the tough decision for Duke to pull the tourist trains.

"You were going to pull them earlier," he told Duke, "we were just hoping for you to rest before we tested you and let you pull these trains. But the traffic on the line is increasing more than we hoped. Are you sure you can manage the trains without a proper test run?"

Duke smiled confidently. "We don't want to disappoint the passengers?" he said, "I might as well give it go."

They lit his fire, and when Duke was in full steam, they moved the lost engine towards the station. Passengers swarmed the station so to get a good look at Duke. Duke felt a little flattered by the attention he got. He then looked back and smiled as he saw the familiar Mid-Sodor coaches which had also been restored just for Duke.

He was glad they did that for him. "They do know how to treat an engine around these parts," he smiled, as passengers scrambled into the coaches and the old engine pulled out of the station with a huff.

Duke puffed up the line, looking at all sorts of areas along the line. He found them quite interesting. "This is a lovely line," he said to himself.

"There's no other place like this on Sodor," agreed Duke's driver, as the engine chuffed along the line with his coaches singing behind him.

They soon reached Cros-ny-Cuirn, Duke could have a rest here, since Sir Handel was bringing a goods train. Duke knew all too well what Sir Handel liked and what he didn't like. His predictions were correct, as he saw Sir Handel grumbling into the station with a train that came from the nearby farms. He came to a stop on the other track right next to Duke's train.

"Feeling alright there, Falcon?" he asked.

"What do you think Grandpuff?" snorted Sir Handel, "pulling dirty trucks isn't my thing and you should know it! It's beneath me!"

"We all have to accept change someday Sir Handel," replied Duke, "from what I can see, you haven't changed much from the two decades you've been here."

Sir Handel felt insulted. "I have changed!" he protested, "I've got a new name, new livery and even new pairs of wheels!"

"You're still arrogant enough to dislike pulling trucks," Duke sighed, "back before you and Stuart came to the railway, I had to pull mix-trains."

"You told us that before Grandpuff," scowled Sir Handel, "besides, the Mid-Sodor was just getting started before it expanded almost across the north of Sodor itself! Don't start talking about how things were back on the Mid-Sodor, this is the Skarloey Railway, and other engines like Peter Sam or Rheneas can do this instead of me."

Duke's steam temperature shot up. It shot up too high for Duke to cope with. But nobody noticed to the slight damage Duke had accidentally caused himself. The guard on Duke's train blew his whistle, and Duke's driver made his engine pull the train out of the station with ease.

The old engine puffed crossly up the line. "He should've been as mature as he was back on the Mid-Sodor," he said to himself crossly. Duke soon forgot to be angry with Sir Handel, as he snorted up the hill.

"I can manage, I can manage," he puffed willingly. He still felt a little odd, but still struggled up the hill. Soon enough, Duke snorted over to the top. "I did it! I did it!" he wheezed.

The coaches sang behind him. "You've done well! You've done well!"

Duke managed to get to the next station, but his driver found something wrong and examined him all over. "Are you alright Duke?" he asked.

"Never better," replied Duke, he was determined to get the train all the way around the lake and back to the work's station.

But as he set, Duke began to feel a little ill. He felt it as he went through a turn, and as he came into the final station before the lake, he felt like he couldn't go no further. His driver inspected him a final time and eventually found the problem.

"A tube must've been damaged," he informed Duke, "I'm afraid you won't be pulling this train anymore if you want it to get more tubes damaged."

Duke sighed; he was hoping for a successful first run. But he knew faults were to occur in restoring an engine. The guard phoned for help, and Peter Sam came to Duke's aid. "I was hoping to head back to the work's station light engine," he joked as he back down onto the old engine, "looks like that won't happen!"

Duke sighed. "Thank you, Stuart," he said, as Peter Sam headed towards the lakeside loop.

"This reminds me of that time me and Sir Handel had to rescue you on the Mid-Sodor!" stated Peter Sam. Duke smiled as Peter Sam began to remember the past events on their old railway.

Peter Sam shunted Duke into the works. The Thin Controller was waiting there, he sighed as he watched Duke be examined once more. "I'm sorry Duke," he said, "we should've tested you beforehand, you're a delicate engine, and we shouldn't have made you pull trains straigh off the bat."

"Don't worry sir," replied Duke, "it's partly my fault anyways, I should've been more careful."

Whilst Duke was being repaired, Sir Handel took his trains. He enjoyed it immensely and he made sure the other engines knew it too. Soon though, Duke was back up and running again. Even though Sir Handel was glad Duke was alright, he still felt disappointed about not pulling the tourist trains.

"The passengers will miss me," he said dramatically in the sheds, the night before Duke would have his proper test. "But, it's a sacrifice I will make for dear old Grandpuff."

The other engines rolled their eyes, whilst Skarloey and Rheneas just looked at each other.

It was morning when Mr Hughes, the man who made sure the railway was being maintained, came for Duke's tests. The old engine did his paces at the sheds and soon, Mr Hughes said that Duke could have a run along the line.

Duke buffered up to a brake van called Cora, who would have Mr Hughes ride in so to check if Duke was able to run properly, and when the time was right, the old engine set off up the line again.

At first, Duke was a little nervous, but soon regained confidence, as he managed to head up the hill without any problems whatsoever. At last, they arrived at Rheneas station. Surprisingly, Duke found the engine whose name was the same as the station, crossly next to the platform.

"You should've gone to the loop by now," stated Duke, as he came to a halt behind Rheneas.

The gallant engine looked back. "Sir Handel should've arrived at this station a few minutes ago," he said, "but he hasn't, so the line isn't cleared yet."

Duke pondered for a second. "Why don't I go down the line to see what is happening?" he suggested, "I'm mainly going light engine along the line, so I can help where I'm needed."

Rheneas, both their crews and Mr Hughes all agreed, and once Rheneas was out of the way, Duke set off down the line. They found Sir Handel at Lakeside station, he had derailed on some points whilst exiting the station and was now laying uncomfortably on the ballast.

"Blooming engine didn't watch where he was going and went over the points which were against him," said his driver crossly. Mr Hughes made arrangements for the Permanent way crew to come and help put Sir Handel back onto the rails.

"But what about the passengers?" asked the guard, "they can't possibly be left here?"

"Oh, they won't," smiled Mr Hughes, "they have an engine who'll take them home."

They all looked over to Duke who looked a little stunned, but then gave a confident smile on his face. "I won't let the passengers down sir," he promised.

Mr Hughes laughed. "I don't think you will!"

Duke left Cora in a siding and buffering up from behind the train, he took the train back down the line, he soon met Rheneas and told him what happened. Rheneas allowed Duke to go first back down the line.

The old engine was going tender first, so he wasn't going as fast as he hoped we would be, but he nonetheless, he managed to arrive at the bottom station on time. The passengers were grateful and promised to return when Duke was running properly again.

Duke smiled and shunted the coaches into the sheds and went into the sheds. When Sir Handel returned the Thin Controller gave him some stern words.

"Your behaviour these few days hasn't been the best as I hoped it would," he said crossly, "you'll be taking goods work until I see an improvement with your behaviour."

"Yes sir," replied Sir Handel, who blushed and looked at his buffers.

That night, Sir Handel spoke to Duke. "I'm sorry for being so rude," he said.

"That's alright," chortled Duke, "just don't make it a habit out of its Falcon! Otherwise I'll have to play favouritism with Stuart!"

Sir Handel chuckled at Duke's joke. "How did you think you did today?" he asked.

"It was success," smiled Duke, "I guess second time around is what you really need."

Soon Duke was hard at work once again, he pulls the tourist trains most of the time and helps the other engines if one of them is sick.

Sometimes you can see at the sheds, dozing on a bright, sunny day, and his eyes would twinkle, as he knows, he has a new home and new part of life opening its doors to him.