Billy rolled into a particularly dry section of Vicarstown. The Dieselworks stood forbodingly ahead.

"Place could use a few trees," Billy remarked. "Hello? Anyone here?"

A dark green Class 8 shunter pulled out of the Dieselworks and up to Billy. "Hello there!" he said cheerfully. He seemed like a friendly soul. "My name's Paxton. And judging by your nameplate, I'd say yours is Billy."

"Hello, Paxton," Billy replied. "Do you know who I'm supposed to speak to? I've got a new job here, you see, and I need to know who to report to."

"You'd best want Den and Dart. I'll introduce them to you, if you'd like."

"I would. Thanks."

Paxton began to roll backwards. Billy followed, but braked to a stop when he saw a very large shed away from the other Dieselworks sheds. It appeared to be occupied, for the windows were dark.

"Who lives there?" Billy asked.

Paxton stopped and saw what Billy was talking about. "Oh, that's Diesel Ten's shed. He's our leader, more or less. A little devious sometimes, but he means well. He only wants steam and diesel engines to be treated equally."

Billy had heard bad things about Diesel Ten on The Golden Railway, so this came as a shock. "He has a point," he said finally. "Your repair place isn't nearly as pristine as the Steamworks is."

"And this is the new one," Paxton added. "Back to Diesel Ten. He spends a lot of time moping about in his shed for some reason, and rarely comes out. We're all worried about him, but he refuses to tell us why he's so upset."

"I hate leaving questions unanswered by nature," Billy grumbled. "But Diesel Ten's got a right to his privacy, plus he scares the jeebers out of me. Anyway, let's go. Den and Dart can't be kept waiting."

He took one last look at the big shed, before puffing away.

Soon after Paxton asked, "What's a jeeber?"

"A steam engine?" an orange-and-gray Sentinel said, eyes wide. "Ohhh, Diesel's not going to like this, Dart."

"Den, Diesel has to learn to tolerate steam engines someday," a red Leys replied calmly. "He may as well start with Billy."

"I know why you're worried, Den," Billy said. "I only met Diesel once, but I've always known how much trouble he is."

"Only once?"

"Soon after I arrived, I got whisked away to The Golden Railway."

The entire place went silent. Sidney and Norman, who'd just come in, exchanged a worried look.

"Billy," Norman said quietly, "we don't speak of The Golden here. It's a...sensitive issue."

"For Diesel Ten, I suppose," Billy said. "Right. I almost forgot."

"What's The Golden Railway?" Paxton asked.

Everyone looked at him and realized he didn't know.

"Paxton has the right to know," Norman said. "But not now. Tonight. We'll make sure Diesel Ten is asleep, and then we'll tell you his tragic story."

The others nodded in approval.

Derek arrived at Ffarquhar Quarry. His driver slipped out and climbed to the top of the big boxcar and unlatched the top. The door swung down, revealing it had rails inside it and on the door.

"Here you go, Lady," Derek said, as his driver climbed back inside his engine.

Lady began to puff out, eventually rolling onto the track. Her reddish-purple paint glinted in the afternoon sun.

"So what's the plan?" she asked.

"See that tunnel over there? Bertram used to work there, pulling stone out into the open. He died a few months ago, and we've never had an engine small enough to replace him since. Until now. The rails are dual-gauge, so you'll be fine."

Lady got herself turned around and backed into the tunnel. Derek shunted a small line of boxcars in front of her. "This way, no one will see you," Derek said. It was true; the cars were taller than Lady was. Derek then pushed some non-living trucks in front of her. "So you don't arouse suspicions."

Lady was coupled up to her new train. "Thanks Derek."

"Hey, I like helping people," Derek grinned. "Anything for a 'magical' engine." He chuckled as he left.

Lady snorted. "Magical. Pfft. Yeah right. If I was magical, I would've smote all my enemies a long time ago."

"Lady!" scolded her driver, a Mr. Burnett Stone, who could do a killer Peter Fonda impression.

"What? Don't act like you haven't thought about it."

Wisely, Stone shut his mouth.

"Derek?" Mavis asked. "What were you doing over there?"

"New engine for the tunnel," he replied hastily.

"Ah."

"New engine?" came a voice. It was Ben. He and Bill were in the quarry.

"Why are you two here?" Mavis asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Clay pits flooded. We're stuck here until it's been cleaned up. And what's this about a new engine?" Bill asked.

"You're not to try and go see what she looks like, if that's what you want," Derek said sternly. "She's very shy, and it'll be a while before she's comfortable being seen in the open. You know how Molly doesn't want to fade into the background? The new engine's the exact opposite: she'd rather be hidden in the shadows."

"Since when were you such a killjoy?"

Derek sighed. "I got so little sleep on The Golden," he grumbled. "Sorry if I'm grumpy."

"Take a nap, then," Mavis said soothingly. "I'll cover for you."

"Thanks Mave."

After the diesels left, Bill and Ben looked at each other slyly.

"Tomorrow night?" Ben asked.

"Tomorrow night," Bill replied. "We want to see just who you are, little engine."

And it looks like Lady isn't magical after all. Looks like engines are alive for a different reason.

What happened to make Diesel Ten loathe The Golden Railway? What will the China Clay Twins do to reveal Lady? How else will I lambast the total trainwreck that was TATMR?

All this and more in the next chapter - The Golden Railway!