The Twelfth Engine - Part 4
"I find it absurd!"
"We all do James," Edward sighed gravely, "but with Gordon being overhauled it's only option."
"But the Fat Controller had 55! Then he let him head back to the mainland and showed us this... Spamcan to be working alongside us once more!" exclaimed James, "he says he's giving him a second chance, but everyone should know that that diesel shouldn't even be trusted."
Edward smiled kindly at the troubled red engine. "He is still rude," he noted carefully, "but he doesn't seem to be making any remarks about us steam engines."
"At the moment," mumbled James, "he's still blunt, I'm keeping my headlamps glued on towards him let me tell you."
The guard blew his whistle, and James pulled out of the station, still grumbling about the returned diesel.
It had been a fortnight since Bear had went to London to collect the new engine, the engines thought them both would come back together. But had a tremendous shock to find Spamcan push the new engine into their sheds.
Spamcan, had seemed to have persuaded the Fat Controller to have him come back on another trial and none of the engines liked it one bit. The Fat Controller had to give them a talk to the next morning after he, the diesel and the new engine had came from London, the engines were still weary, but stayed silent towards Spamcan. Henry and James were finding it the hardest. Henry wanted to tease the diesel to pieces, whilst James wanted to rant at him for hours.
Alice, who was the new engine, was doing well on Sodor, she was in good condition to help with the summer work, and a proper inspection would take place after the season ended and the traffic had calmed down, and would also be getting a repaint from being in BR black for so long. The other engines liked her lot, even Thomas, who was quite cold towards female engines, found her quite nice to talk to, heck Eagle swore he saw the tank engine flirting with her at his junction when he past with his mainline goods!
Edward and James were a little worried about Henry's opinion with her, with the main factor that Bertram Hatt wanted thought he would be a male Atlantic, but James found them to be laughing with each other at the depot like old friends. I personally don't see how they thought there was something going on between the two but they both turned out to be very good friends.
In fact with all of this whole information about Alice, you might be having a question stuck in your head. You see, Alice was the North Western's first official female steam engine and the other engines were pleased about Sir Charles' choice.
You see, Sir Bertram Topham Hatt, the first Fat Controller, was a sexist. He didn't like female engines working on his railway, if you must've known he stopped making coffee-pots because out of three of them two were female. And with Emily before she retired and Lily whilst she was still around, they both were given Sir Bertram's... similar treatment to Henry when he first arrived on Sodor.
Alice was like the angel to the Sudrian rails in the many opinions of the engines when she came, she probably still holds that title to this day! She had nice, dark, chocolate eyes, with freckles dotting all over her cheeks, thick eyebrows too, with her expression making her always look motherly. What made the engines gape ever more was the beauty spot at the bottom of her left cheek. She was immaculate.
Spamcan was ugly.
Evil snake-like eyes with venomous yellow in them, as well as a gruff expression plastered on his face. The Fat Controller had his reasons to give Spamcan another chance, but most of it was still a mystery to us. Don't get me wrong, he apparently was a very nice man, but the engines just understand why he didn't just keep the previous diesel instead of having Spamcan be put on another trial.
A while later from talking with Edward, James arrived back at the big station with his stopping service, he wasn't in the best of spirits. Oliver was at the Little Western's platform, the western engine was a guaranteed-connection with James and noticed the red engine's annoyed face.
"Hello James, what's up with you?" he asked curiously.
"Urrrrgh, not a good day Oliver," replied James, "trucks were troublesome as ever when I went to Vicarstown this morning, and when I met Molly... let's just say it didn't go well."
"You both had another fight again, didn't you?"
"Well... yeeeah."
Oliver sighed. "You both have been with each other since what? After the first world war? I'm sure you both are fine!"
"After the second world war Oliver," corrected James, "but I'm just having problems at the moment."
"You haven't told Molly?"
"No... no I haven't," sighed the red engine, "it's a very personal matter I have to do on my own."
"But I'm sure she won't mind," said Oliver, "I've only met her once, but she seemed like quite the strong engine who can handle anything."
"Yeah... maybe," sighed James doubtfully, "but guess who was smirking his yellow little arse around me and Molly?"
"Spamcan?"
"Yep! When Molly stormed off, he was just lurking nearby and had that ugly grin plastered on his face! I know what he was bloody thinking and I just wanted to just plough him into the sea at the rolling bridge! But with the Fat Controller saying we can't touch him or even-- aaaaauuuurrrgh."
"Well..." chuckled Oliver lightly, "if you want to rant about that Spamcan, you can join Donald and Douglas, the two did talk about suspicious things about Bear when he first arrived, but with Spamcan, you don't want to know what they're saying about him!"
James smirked, he knew Donald and Douglas were put on Little Western on purpose so not to encounter Spamcan as much, the Fat Controller had a feeling that the pair would've squashed or pulled Spamcan to pieces the minute they saw him.
Soon, Oliver had to leave, he said farewell to James and was off back up his line. James shunted his own coaches into the carriage shed and headed off to the small depot. He headed along the light engine track, which lead the engines behind the station building to their small depot and the sheds just behind the large building. Alice the Atlantic Engine was resting in there already, she had been turned on the turntable and was facing the opposite direction to the red engine. James bustled up alongside her. "Afternoon Alice," he greeted.
"Hello James," smiled Alice kindly, "I wasn't expecting to see you."
"Timetable said so," replied the red engine, a little bluntly unintentionally.
Both engines began to chat with each other about the past, present and future. Half an hour later, they heard a toot of a horn, James groaned crossly and Alice looked up along the track, she saw Spamcan come in with a snooty look. She didn't like him either, he was rough when taking her to the station back in London, and she had heard what he had done previously from Henry. She didn't like the sound of it one bit.
Spamcan stopped near them both with a grin covering his face. "Dear oh dear," he said, glaring at James, "what happened back at Vicarstown dear James?"
James clenched his teeth. Alice looked between the two engines, puzzled. Spamcan didn't seem to notice and ventured further.
"Looks like Molly doesn't seem to appreciate you anymore," he said, "guess you had to go over to the new girl as the replacement then!"
"Oh sod off you--"
"James!" Alice cut in, "you know that language isn't allowed."
"Well he isn't just going to get away with something as vile as that!" fumed James, and then started pouring insults at the ugly diesel. Spamcan filed back too and a heated argument arose.
An inspector came to stop the racket and ordered them to stay where they were until the Fat Controller could arrive. The stout gentleman did and was most annoyed with what he heard from James and from Spamcan and ordered both to stay away from each other for the rest of the day and for the next. Both agreed it was the best choice.
*
"And you could've kept your anger down!"
"You would've defend her if you were there Henry," retorted James, "it's not like you can control your temper as well as mine!"
"Both of just shut up," Bear ordered, "you both aren't helping the situation with arguing. The Fat Controller has gotten complaints from residents about James' curses and he's investigating the matter with witnesses."
"Thank you Bear," said a familiar voice.
The engines jumped and glanced to the ground to see the Fat Controller standing sternly in front of them.
"As you all know... our number four is still in his delayed overhaul," he announced, "I was originally going to have him take a special Pullman service to Vicarstown, where he would then be taken to Crovan's Gate Works to have his overhaul he so desperately needs, but it seems that on bank-holiday he had to go in anyways."
The engines were intrigued. "Do you mean that one of us will have to pull this... Pullman train sir?" asked Henry, intrigued.
The Fat Controller nodded. "Indeed," he said, "and I have chosen who it will be, after all his hard work with doing almost double the amount of goods traffic whilst James and Alice take care of the Wild Nor' Wester, and going to London to collect the latter who is now working proudly on our rails, I think that Bear would be a fine choice to pull the train."
Bear beamed proudly. "Thank you sir, I promise you I won't fail."
The Fat Controller smiled kindly at him. "I know you will Bear," he replied, "the train will arrive in two days and the rest of you have your normal jobs to do, goodnight."
The stout gentleman left with a tip of his hat. Bear beamed whilst Alice congratulated him. James and Henry were jealous, but couldn't deny Bear had been working his hardest. But Spamcan looked furious as an angry bee.
"I should've gotten the train," he declared, later when the sun finally disappeared and the moon shone up above the town, "would've made my trial more... trying."
"You haven't been 'trying' that much ever since you've banged up here," Henry sneered.
"Watch it you-" Spamcan cut off and just growled crossly at Henry and went to sleep. James scoffed with the short and abrupt ending of an argument and followed the stupid diesel to sleep.
*
The next two days were uneventful, trains ran to time and news about Gordon was slim, even though the Fat Controller would oddly refer to him as 'our number four' and encouraged the other engines to do the same until he got out of the works. But throughout the days, James would see Spamcan talking to his driver, the red engine found it rather suspicious.
The morning of Bear's special service came, and the hydraulic diesel sad purring outside humbly, whilst cleaners and workers fussed all over him. James watched in envy from outside the sheds, Alice was at the coaling plant in front of the sheds and Spamcan dosed in front of Henry, who was behind him in the sheds, also getting remainders of his sleep.
Everything seemed pretty normal, until woke up with a start, he felt steam trickling into cylinders. "Whut...?" he said, still blinking from waking up suddenly. His wheels then began to move, the groaning of metal made the big green engine realise what was happening. He tried to stop, but he couldn't without his control lever being on and not on his driver's. He called out, alerting everyone to look and see him with bellowing steam, heading towards Spamcan. Immediately, workman and engine's crews started to run after him, Henry was only going slow, but the men weren't fast enough. Henry hit the back of Spamcan. The diesel hold him whilst Henry's driver came to apply the brakes. Henry's driver got out of his cab and clambered down, whilst Spamcan groaned in what James thought was over-exaggerated agony.
"What happened?" he demanded, cross that his engine had an incident.
"Dunno," said a worker, "maybe, you left the brakes off?"
"Paah," snorted Henry, "that's ridiculous, I hadn't moved one inch this morning and my brakes were fine during the night!"
Everyone was very puzzled, but they had little time to think about it now, Bear was still needed to be attended too and Spamcan needed to take the express. The diesel headed off, with Bear following him to the station. Alice, Henry and James were all alone in the yards with the workmen heading to do other jobs or lay around the staff quarters.
Just then, Alice's driver called to his engine whilst inspecting her. "Looks like you have a lose screw," he called, "better fix that otherwise your cylinder lining will go."
"Indeed," agreed Alice, "excuse me, Henry, do you know where your crew put the tool box!"
"Should be back in the sheds," called the green engine, "best you go inside the sheds to do what you need to do."
With a blast of his whistle, Henry puffed off to the harbour to collect his fast goods. Alice didn't have to take any passenger trains until much later, Donald had took the first passenger train of the day, with the Wild Nor' Wester following and the special service Bear would come next, then normal services would carry on. Alice back up into her birth she slept in from last night, coming to a holt from within, her driver let her cool off, they had plenty of time, it was a quiet day for passenger services and she would go to collect her passenger train in the next hour and a half.
Whilst Alice's driver was inspecting his engine, and his fireman was reading a magazine. Alice glances around her new surroundings. She liked it here, it was nice and warm instead of the warehouse she was kept in for all those years in London. She then glanced to each birth the engines slept in from last night, then glanced at the side of the sheds, she paused. something odd sat against the brick wall on the other side of the sheds. She narrowed her eyes at it, it looked like a diesel part.
"Mark," she called and told him what was there, her driver went over and inspected the part.
"Definitely looks like a diesel part," he said, "don't know what it's for. I'll call in James' crew, see what they think."
They did so, they knew it was where all the other diesel cleaning and servicing material would be, but they hadn't seen it there last night. James hadn't either when asked. Eventually, the crews had nothing more to say and Alice, with getting proper checks and all, headed out of the sheds once more. But as she was about to pass James, she instantly stopped, realising something.
"Oh no," she whispered.
James looked over to the Atlantic engine. "What's the matter?" he asked.
"That diesel was sitting there last night," Alice explained.
James raised an eyebrow for a moment, then everything seemed to click all together. The odd quietness from Spamcan, him talking quietly to his driver and only to his driver and the him being at the corner of that shed. Not too mention thinking about what was on the timetable in his head further backed it up.
The red engine finally knew what was up. "That disgusting diesel," he muttered under his breath, "he's purposely going to fail his engine so he can cause a crash on the mainline."
Alice glanced at James, shocked at what she had just heard. "What? But why would he do that?"
"Isn't it obvious, he hates the island and this railway," said James crossly, "I bet his driver turn Henry's brakes off and his regulator on so he would bump into Spamcan. That would make it seem it's Henry's fault with having faulty controls and would be blamed once he crashes with the Wild Nor' Wester."
Alice wheeshed steam, even she was fuming at such a vile thing. "An engine going to that length, killing innocent people just for a grudge," she stated, "it's so... so... indignant!"
"...wouldn't really call it that Alice, that's pretty much an understatement," said James.
"Never mind that James," said Alice dismissively, "we've got to tell the Fat Controller!"
"He won't believe us," said James, "with what happened at the depot a few days ago, I don't think he'd believe what we've figured out."
"It seems the whole world is against us then," sighed Alice.
"I wouldn't say that," smiled James, "besides, I've known engines who have faced bigger threats than us."
"Then what else should we do?"
"We must stop it ourselves," declared James.
Alice blinked, a little startled by what he had just said. James grinned. "I think I know where he would strike," he said, "as long as he doesn't do anything in his run to Barrow, he might fail someplace down the mainline in his way back, and it would be too late for Bear to stop in time. That's what I think anyways."
"Do you have a plan then?"
"Well..." said James, "thinking currently."
"I might though," called James' driver, who he and the rest of their crews had been listening intently to the conversation, "now listen carefully, and we might be able to stop that smelly old diesel and his insane driver."
Both engines listened carefully, and once the driver had finished, Alice's driver put in a few more tricks and parts to polish the plan and after that, the two engines puffed off to collect their trains. Confident grins across their faces.
James had to take a slow goods to Vicarstown, stopping at every station to pick up and set down trucks. James hated slow goods trains, but today, he didn't mind, because his and Alice's drivers had a plan in which at one of the stations, James the Red Engine needed to talk to another bright red engine.
Eagle was organising James' trucks as the red engine came into his yard. "Morning James," called the midland engine, as said engine came up next to Eagle, "your trucks are just behind me."
"Thanks Eagle," replied James, he observed Eagle carefully. He looked exhausted, cheeks red as his paintwork, soot all over his face, with his pointy nose the most grimiest of them all. "Say, I was wondering if I could ask you something."
"Go ahead mate," encouraged Eagle.
"I was going to head back to Tidmouth light engine so to take my passenger service," James explained, "but I know you've got to take a train down the mainline."
Eagle sighed. "My weekly slow goods I'm afraid," he said grimly, "it did have to taken on my busiest week." He then paused, now figuring what James meant. "I thought you had another goods train to head back to Tidmouth today?"
"Ahhh, that train," said James, "it got cancelled, last minute change of plan."
"I see..." said Eagle curiously, "so... you want to take the slow goods for me then?"
"Indeed I do."
"You? Wanting to take a slow goods train?"
"Do you want me to help you or not?!"
"Fine! Fine!" said Eagle defensively, "take the goods train. Thanks... I guess."
"Don't mention it," said James, as he watched as Eagle puffed off. He smiled slyly to himself a few moments, now knowing that the plan was going well.
*
Alice was at Crovan's Gate station, she was dropping passengers off for the Skarloey engines, then a porter came up to her driver. "James is being let through with his slow goods, remain here until he clears the line after going through Henry's Tunnel."
"Righto," nodded the driver. A few minutes later, James came puffing casually through, abnormally smirking.
"Plan is going swish," he puffed to Alice as he rattled by. The Atlantic engine smiled at that.
James soon arrived at Vicarstown, heading through the station, over the points and into the yards. He looked around the yard and saw Bear at the depot, he smiled eagerly. The red engine soon pulled up to the hydraulic diesel.
"Morning Bear," he said, "how was your run."
"Splendid James, cheers for asking!" grinned Bear.
"Have you heard about Eagle?" asked James politely.
"No? What about him?" said Bear, looking concerned.
"He's being overworked this week and might not be able to catch break, especially with his slow goods he takes on the mainline."
Bear sighed. "Don't scare me like that," he said, "I thought he crashed or something!"
James chuckled. "No, he's fine," he said, "but I offered to take his goods for him so he can catch a break."
Bear paused. "Don't you have a train to take back to Tidmouth?"
"Well... yeah," admitted James.
The hydraulic diesel groaned. "What about your goods train?"
"I don't know!" exclaimed the red engine, "get another engine to take it! I'm just trying to help Eagle."
James puffed off in a huff to get more coal, leaving a perplexed Bear behind. Soon, the yard master heard of the new arrangement. He found it annoying and was cross with James, but had no say in the matter, Eagle had gone to the harbour at Kirk Ronan to shunt there before heading back to his proper work. No other say in the matter, the yard master ordered James to wait for the remainder of the slow goods train before heading out. James only smirked.
With no actual available engine to take his train, he'd know which engine would have to take it.
*
Spamcan watched carefully, as Alice came up to the water tower at Barrow. She had just brought in her a connection to another train heading up to Glasgow and felt pleased with herself. But she remained quiet as she didn't want to converse with the oily diesel near her.
Her crew promised to remain close to her though, which made her feel better. There was silence first, only the steam going around Alice's pipes could be heard. At last Spamcan finally spoke. "You'd be expecting that number four will come back into service," he stated, "but he won't be heading out of those works for long, once I'm permanently brought, he won't be used as express engine, I haven't been taken off that train at all, so your Sir Topham Hatt is obviously wanting me to replace him."
"Right..." said Alice, not sure why he would think that when she was brought over a fortnight ago.
"I'm clean and modern," Spamcan continued, "no wonder Fat Hatt gave me a second chance."
Suddenly, the yard foreman came walking up to the two engines. "Sorry to interrupt your monologue," he said rudely, "but there's been a change of plan. That ruddy James has decided to take The Soaring Eagle's mainline freight, leaving his returning fast goods without an engine. I've been told that D199 is to take the train."
Spamcan's jaw dropped. "Me?!" he exclaimed, "but why can't that new engine do it?"
"If you're wondering," said Alice sternly, "I've only got here, and I need to refuel."
"Besides, Sir Topham Hatt has given me strict orders that Alice isn't to pull goods trains until she's able to learn how to run them," said the yard foreman, "now be off with you!"
Spamcan's driver walked past the yard foreman, clambered back into Spamcan, and the diesel's engine roared into life. He growled at Alice and rolled off. The steam engine sighed in relief as Spamcan headed back to Vicarstown on Sodor.
"I'm guessing another engine is going to be loaned to be pulled the returning express?" she says sweetly.
"Well... not really," said the yard foreman, Alice raised a brow puzzled.
*
"Ruddy steam kettles," sneered Spamcan, "that burning, disgusting red engine. I swear when I get my buffers on him."
He entered the Vicarstown goods yard, still fuming, then he looked up and saw James still in the yards with his paint gleaming in the summer skylight, Eagle's goods train sitting behind him, ready to go.
James was bragging to himself. "That stupid Spamcan diesel," he sniggered to himself, "dumb enough to be carelessly scheming near me. I am truly, a splendid, and dare I say it? A smart red engine!"
Spamcan fumed, his cheeks went red, now realising what James had done. The red engine, unfortunately, didn't hear the diesel stop near him, and continued to brag to himself. "His privileged bogie-wheel didn't see it coming," he chortled, "and now he'll be sent away, once our grand and clever Fat Controller finds out how rude he was near me and Alice. There's nothing he can't do!"
"What was that James?"
The red engine jumped, he looked from side-to-side, then glanced down and breathed a sigh of relief. His driver stood in front of him, arms folded. "Oh... well... sorry," said James, blushing red as his paintwork, his driver just sighed and shook his head. Luckily for Spamcan, the driver was on the other side of the red engine, so he didn't see Spamcan lurking behind.
"Just be careful not to swank yourself around with this... scheme!" he told his engine, "anyways, we can go now."
"Yeah," agreed James, but he couldn't help returning his smirk and chuckling, as his driver got back into his cab -- still not noticing Spamcan-- the guard blew his whistle, the signal became green and with an enthusiastic blow of his whistle, James took off like a rocket. Spamcan sat there, he growled, nashing his teeth, at the tail end of his train.
"I may not be able to have the plan I once had," he said crossly, his engine grumbling to him with having a sort of snitch to him throughout the day with the absence of an important part. "I can still make an accident fatal."
What he didn't realise, was that the trucks were in a sulky mood, the Norramby diesel, had been bumping them all the way to the yard. They were hoping for James, but to their horror, they saw Spamcan bump them, even harder than the previous oily diesel.
"These ice cubes don't know what they're doing," scowled a salt wagon.
"Aye," agreed another, "me wheels won't runnin' mouch longer if this carries on!"
"Then we all know what must be done," said an old, crude open wagon.
"Run him of the rails," a grey, dirty van grinned, showing chips and dents in his teeth.
The rest of the trucks all agreed. Spamcan could hear them, giggling to themselves and gave them a harsh bump.
"Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh!" they all cried.
"Don't fuss around!" called Spamcan rudely, "I want you to behave!"
What he didn't know, was that he guaranteed the trucks to ruin his plan.
*
Spamcan was now running along the mainline, originally, the Norramby diesel was going to take his goods train back up to Norramby, but got delayed due to a fault in his engine, so Spamcan was ordered to go instead. He was coasting down the line at a thunderous rate, the trucks being bumped and bashed like toys being played with by a child.
The mainline had a section of three tracks that go all the way to Henry's Tunnel, it was there to cause less traffic with the Norramby branch line going along the mainline until coming after Henry's Tunnel. But Spamcan had the nasty idea to derail himself at the junction between the two mainlines that go together through the second tunnel, there without the signalman knowing, Alice would be cleared through and crash into Spamcan, or at the very least if no crash happened, Henry would still be blamed.
He was coasting down the down line nicely, but hadn't anticipated something to go wrong. The communications to the signalman at Henry's tunnel had began to become faulty just when the signalman at Vicarstown had told him about the changes. He had only gotten, that a goods train would be going down through the middle track, but he didn't get the fact it was Spamcan's and not the Norramby diesel. He thought it was wrong, and decided to change the points, from where an engine would be diverted from the middle track and onto the single track tunnel which the junction to switch onto the Norramby branch laid after going through the tunnel.
Spamcan was of coarse, unaware of this, and was speeding down the line at a tremendous rate, he clanked and his engine whined. The trucks clattered about like bouncing balls, but Spamcan didn't care. Henry's Tunnel came into sight.
'Super,' smirked Spamcan from inside his head, 'at least I'll get something.'
He was getting nearer and nearer to the tunnel, he was smirking uncontrollably, thinking about what would happen next. Then something else happened. He felt the swerve, hard. He almost got knocked over by the time he reached the other line and the trucks cried out in surprise. "What on earth," he cried out, with all of his confusion from daydreaming, the trucks had regained themselves before he did.
"GO ON! GO ON!" they screeched, and banging their buffers, shoved Spamcan through the tunnel.
"What are you doing?" cried Spamcan, his voice echoing in the tunnel.
"Teaching you a lesson ice cube!" called an elder truck, and the others laughed as they bashed and bumped Spamcan, making his driver go all over the place. Spamcan applied his brakes, but then another bump came and a loud crack came from Spamcan's engine.
The diesel gasped and yelped in agony, he reached the end of the tunnel, reentering the outside world, with the glaring hot sun beaming down at him like a spotlight. Spamcan rattled came towards the junction to where a set of points let to either the Norramby branch line, or would make Spamcan go over back to the mainline's down track. But the points were set for Norramby branch line and with curve being too strong to cope with Spamcan's speed, it was inevitable what would happen next.
*
Alice was already enjoying her run with the returning express service, but was surprised to see the distance signal up after going over the bridge back to Sodor. She soon got her answer at the station platform at Vicarstown when she came to a stop. The stationmaster was there with the Norramby diesel fuming and muttering under his breath as he toddled on past Alice backwards with his train, on his way to return to the yards. Alice was even more confused, she looked over to the signalman who seemed quite concerned.
"What has happened?" asked her driver from the cab.
"I'm afraid Diesel 199 has derailed at the junction between the mainline and the Norramby branch line," he explained, "the crash was so loud the signalman heard it from the other side and stopped all trains."
Alice sighed, that diesel would let up. But at least traffic had been halted so no engine could collide into him like he so desperately wanted to. "Any injured?" asked the driver.
"One casualty I'm afraid," replied the stationmaster grimly, "driver didn't make it out of the cab in time."
Something dropped inside Alice's boiler. She had heard many accidents have happened on Sodor, but the only worse one she could think was Henry's Flying Kipper in which he and Eagle explained Henry had gotten his jaw ripped off from the brake van's roof and some broken bones came from the crews and guard. But she had never heard of a man dying on the railway before.
A few minutes later, the stationmaster was told it was safe for the express to go on, but only on the up track. Alice did so, switching tracks and heading towards the accidents at a slower pace in which she was meant to go at.
She came to the tunnel and once exiting the two-way one, she saw the scene. Derek had arrived with the breakdown gang, and they were only starting to clear away the mess, but Spamcan was laying on his side, with black soot covering his exhaust like it had caught fire, and trucks piling on top of each other, all derailed.
Alice sighed sympathetically, she knew Spamcan would've wanted to cause a worse accident, but she couldn't help feeling sorry for him as she past by and going back onto the down track.
*
The news spread like wildfire, the death of a railway workman was very serious and it was now the first a man had died on the North Western Railway. An investigation was immediately conducted by the Fat Controller who put Stephen in charge.
Two days after the accident, when the mess had been cleaned up and the rails were being mended, James and Alice were ordered to stay in the yards for the morning. Stephen came up with a few inspectors, a stern look covering his face. "Alright, James and Alice," he spoke, "I heard you got into a row with D199 a few days before his accident."
"Yes sir," replied Alice.
"Well... I did only," James admitted, "Alice was just a standby."
"I see," said Stephen, writing notes down on his notepad, "we need to ask you some questions, some workmen have come forward, that they were seeing D199 and his driver as acting rather odd, two days before the accident, I'm not saying that you do have any information, but if you do, can you tell us please."
James paused for a moment, he had known Stephen since he was boy, and he knew Stephen trusted what he would say in these sort of situations. The red engine then gave a deep and heavy sigh and told Stephen all about the argument, him figuring out Spamcan's scheme and the trick in stopping Spamcan.
"I didn't expect he would still try to cause any damage to the railway after we stopped his main scheme," said James, "I didn't think your father would believe if I told him after that spat I had with... that diesel."
Stephen nodded. "I see," he said, "this has definitely gave us light on the accident, anymore information?"
"I was apart of it too sir," admitted Alice.
Stephen looked at Alice perplexed. "You Alice?" he said, "I thought with your track record this would be beneath you."
"I know sir," said Alice sadly, "but I knew something must've been done to stop him, even though he did damage anyways."
"I understand," nodded Stephen, "thank you, we'll be collecting that engine part from the shed now, see what part of the diesel's engine it was apart of."
He walked off with the inspectors in tow, either continuing to write notes, or speak with Stephen Hatt. James and Alice looked at each other.
"I'm sorry Alice," replied James, "I should've gotten you into this mess."
Alice smiled back at James. "It wasn't your fault," she said, "if I never told you about that missing part in the sheds, things could've been a lot worse and we're were only trying to prevent it."
"Yeah," James only said glumly, and set off to do take his stopping service down the mainline.
Alice only watched.
*
A few hours later, Alice pulled into Crovan's Gate with her own passenger service, on her way back from Vicarstown, she sizzled nicely at the station whilst boys came to take her number. Then, she heard another wheeshing of steam near the work's shed. She hadn't been in there yet, only been given check-ups until the 'number four' would come out, and with that sound of wheeshing steam, it made her remember her time when she was in King's Cross London. An LNER A1 it sounded like, to be perfectly honest, she had never heard of the books written on Sodor until a few weeks ago, and wasn't entirely sure of who was the number four.
She knew Thomas, Edward, Henry were the first three, and then it was James, Percy and Toby, who were five, six and seven, Duck who was the apparent eight, Donald and Douglas who pretty shone their numbers, nine and ten with pride and Oliver who was pretty much the number eleven, making her have the number twelve. But who was the number four?
Alice would get her answer within a few seconds later, as workmen came out of the workshops to watch as a steam engine came out tender first Alice was right, with the number being shoned proudly with white and red lining, it was the number four, with a fowler tender no doubt. The cab and boiler came into view, Alice gasped quietly, she was right about another thing, the engine's shape looked very much like an A1, but the footplate looked very odd to her. The engine was moving fully out of the shed, Alice would be able to see it's smoke box now--
A low whistle interrupted her thoughts. "Bother," she said, as she was forced to leave the station, not being able to catch the glimpse of the engine's face.
She continued down the mainline and soon arrived at Edward's station. The blue engine greeted her warmly. "How are you doing?" he asked, "Stephen pretty told me about the entire investigation."
"Does he have any results?"
"Sorry," smiled Edward, "but he doesn't, they've only decided this morning. But I do know D199 is going back to mainland this evening with our number four."
"What's his name by the way?" asked Alice curiously, "when I'm ever around you and the other engines just keep saying number four around, I mean, I know he's an LNER A1, they came out of the works backwards, didn't catch a glimpse of his face though."
Edward chuckled. "I think when they meet you, they'll lighten up your spirits very much," he said reassuringly, "anyways, I believe that's your guard's whistle back there, best get going!"
Alice whistled a goodbye and set off, Edward watched her go, smiling to himself.
*
Alice arrived back at the big station, she shunted her coaches quickly away and went over to where Bear was shunting Spamcan onto an evening goods train. The train would leave an hour after rush hour and Spamcan, being knocked unconscious, was going to be sent back to London for further investigation, and the fact the Fat Controller wanted him off his railway as soon as possible. His face had been covered up and was now facing an old van. The hydraulic diesel looked over to Alice and smiled.
"Don't worry," he said, "this matter is very complicated to myself."
"I know." There was an awkward silence, both Bear and Henry had heard about James' predictions about Spamcan's plan and found a bit too extreme to believe.
"Cheers for erm... stopping him making me a battering ram for his train," said Bear, "I honestly didn't know how bad he would turn out to be."
"Thank James and his crew," smiled Alice, "they were the ones who tried to stop him."
"Yeah well, best you go to the sheds," said Bear, "I'll come later."
Alice did so, with a friendly goodbye, she headed to the turntable. She was soon outside of her shed, getting the last of the warm sunlight, her crew her turned off her steam and went to the staff's hut for a bit before getting her cleaned up, she was on her own. Suddenly, Alice was interrupted by a booming, loud, and unfamiliar whistle. The Atlantic engine's eyes shot up by the sound and looked up towards the distance to see the exact same engine she saw at the work's station, backing down towards her. A dark but glossy blue livery shone in the orange sunlight and the number four came into view as the somewhat looking A1 came next to her. It braked gently and stopped right next to her.
"My, my, darling Alice," said a familiar voice, "never thought you would come to this chaotic island now."
Alice tensed up, she knew it all made sense now, the reason the Fat Controller and the engines only said number four around her, why he was rarely spoken of unless necessary and why she was left all on her own in front of the sheds. Gordon sizzled nicely beside her, a beaming smile covering his face.
"Heard all about the fiasco at the works!" he exclaimed, "when they said you were the engine to help me, I thought they were joking, evidently, I seemed to be naive!"
Alice gulped, still a little shocked from the finding her old friend, and a little silly to not figure out that he had gone off the face of the Earth to go to this small island. "I'm glad you didn't go for the moustache," she all but said, Gordon just laughed.
*
Gordon took Spamcan back to the mainland on a goods train, he returned later that night with a few cheers and James' whistle, since he was the only one in steam for taking his usual train at night. Gordon and Alice talked way into the night until dawn was first brewing up. Henry was glad when he left to pull the Flying Kipper!
Further and thorough investigation went into the accident and the only explanation control got was Spamcan's scheme to cause a major crash. They didn't want to believe, but it was the only one that made sense and it stuck out like a thumb with his track record also being reviewed. Spamcan then seemed to disappear from the eyes of the public once he got to London, but nobody thought otherwise, the engines on Sodor could come to one conclusion, scrap.
The Fat Controller wasn't best pleased on James and Alice not informing him on the matter and putting it into their own buffers, but didn't punish them, in fact, he ordered them new coats of paint. James just had the same, whilst Alice was finally given the paint she so desperately needed. Alice came out of the works a day after James with her original Great Northern livery, but had the number twelve on each side of her tender. She look immaculate and felt like finally belonged at last.
Alice now works on the mainline, taking special passenger services along the line, whether stopping services, guaranteed-connections, or an extra express train encase Gordon couldn't be able to handle the Wild Nor' Wester. She's a kind engine, with a sense of responsibility to help the others in distress and be supportive with them, she can be stern when wanting to, but only when engines are being rude or making others feel humiliated.
All the engines appreciate her working on the railway, especially Gordon, and Alice the Atlantic Engine does feel like she is the twelfth steam engine on the North Western Railway.