Skarloey awoke the next morning, to see a red tender engine asleep in the Depot. So, he had heard another engine last night!

"I knew it!" He hissed to himself excitedly, just as he heard Rheneas mumbling.

"Oh, do wake up, you sloppy steamer!" Teased Skarloey. "We have a visitor!"

"Whom?" Yawned Rheneas. "'Ts too early for visitors, isn't it?"

"I think he got lost and ended up here. Don't know him at all, boyo, he looks new." Skarloey replied quietly.

"That he does." Rheneas agreed, warily. Both he and his brother had not been treated kindly by the NWR engines thus far, and thus, they had remained polite but aloof and no-nonsense when it came to dealing with them.

But Skarloey sensed this engine might be different.

"Well, aren't you taking the quarrymen to work?" He asked his sibling, raising an eyebrow at Rheneas's tardiness.

"Give me a moment, my fire needs some coaxing." Rheneas replied in annoyance. Skarloey just rolled his eyes.

"Pah, the excuses you make!" he said.

Rheneas merely stuck his tongue out at his brother. Skarloey, despite himself, started to snort with laughter.

"Don't!" He hissed, between muffled giggles. "You'll wake him!"

"You mean, you will."

"You're contributing!" Skarloey objected, still trying to stifle his amusement for fear of waking up the new engine and annoying him.

Rheneas just smirked as his fire finally roared and blazed into life, and he felt much more awake. "Right, I better go fetch the coaches." He proclaimed.

"Hope Agnes is in good humour today, brother!" Skarloey said, and watched as his friend slowly steamed away, before scuttling off on his own.

He fetched a truck and filled it with coal from a nearby hopper, before bringing it back to their shed, next to where the blue engine was resting.

….

He watched, curiously, as the engine slowly opened its eyes, let out a small yawn… and nearly jumped out of its frames on seeing Skarloey standing there with his coal truck.

"Erm, good morning," the engine said to Skarloey, bemused.

"Hullo, sleepy smokebox!" Teased the little engine good naturedly. "Are you well this morning?" he studied the other engine. He seemed a few years younger than Skarloey- maybe by at least a decade- and his livery was scarlet red, with the initials "F.R" on his tender. His eyes were kind but filled with worry.

'Ah, he must be on loan,' thought Skarloey. 'Poor engine, he looks timid. Maybe he never expected to see me today. Yes, that must be it.' He hoped so. He could fix that, at least.

The newcomer thought for a moment. "I am, thank you, just without coal in my firebox or tender." He sighed.

"Pshaw!" Retorted Skarloey. "I have some coal in a truck for you, enough for you to get to the next coal hopper, and Firelighter's agreed to light your fire for your crew."

"Oh, that's very kind of you, erm..."

"I'm Skarloey, by the way." Added the little engine, by way of introduction. "Who might you be? I've not seen you here before."

"... Edward, I'm Edward." The red tender engine replied, managing a small smile. "I'm very pleased to meet you, Skarloey. And thank you for your help, you've certainly got me out of an awkward situation-"

"... Good morning, Edward! Being brought 'breakfast in bed' are we?" his driver teased, and his fireman doubled over, guffawing at Edward's unimpressed look.

"You look very droll, Edward!" he said.

"Very funny," a seemingly unimpressed Edward commented, but Skarloey swore he saw the younger engine's eyes twinkle. Regardless, he was quick to introduce his crew to their rescuer. Skarloey was impressed at the other engine's manners.

"What a fine engine you are!" exclaimed Skarloey delightedly. "You're much more polite than the other NWR engines we've encountered- most of them just scorn us for our size and age." He said.

"Well, I do try to- wait, what do you mean 'us'?" asked the Furness Railway engine, confused.

"I forgot," Skarloey replied sheepishly. "I have a brother, Rheneas, who also works here. It's just the two of us on this little line."

"I see." replied Edward.

"You'll like him," continued Skarloey. "He can be a little too 'by the book' from time to time, but he won't steer you wrong. Me, on the other buffer, he might. But he is my brother, after all, so what can you expect?"

"... who's the eldest, if you don't mind me asking?"

"I am," the little engine replied, clearing his smokebox with a polite cough. "Though to hear Rheneas talk, you wouldn't believe me, and I did let slip what he's like."

"Ah." Said Edward, quietly. "So, where is Rheneas?"

"He'll be taking quarrymen to work this morning." Skarloey replied. "You'll catch him at some point." He caught sight of the initials on Edward's tender and remembered. "Oh, before I forget, Edward. Where are you from, boyo?"

"I'm from the Furness Railway," Edward explained softly. "I was loaned to the NWR as part of a contract to help build the line."

'Makes sense.' mused Skarloey to himself. "I do enjoy talking to you, Edward. You're much kinder and politer than your NWR colleagues." He said, with sincere graciousness. "I hope you're able to stay longer."

"I would like nothing better, Skarloey," replied Edward, "but I'm afraid I must head back, or else a search party would be launched. Not that the other engines would be in a hurry to see me back."

"Ah well, perhaps another time," said Skarloey, disappointed. As fond as he was of Rheneas, having a new engine to talk to was most refreshing. And he liked Edward, as he was kind, polite and respectful, not like most of the NWR engines, who had been rude and snobby when they saw how small and old the two Skarloey Railway engines were.

"You're welcome back anytime, boyo," he said, as Edward was fired up. "I just hope both my brother and I will be free to catch you when you next come by."

"I'd be happy to come back and see you again, Skarloey, as well as meet your brother. Tell him I said hello, would you?"

"Will do, lad. I wish dry rails and good running to you, Edward! May you hasten back!"