During the second world war there was need of an engine to pick up trains at the drop of a hat and handle heavy goods work. What came out of this was the Southern Railway's Q1 class, theses engines worked hard during the war but fell out of favour after it ended. Now one of these engines was called Neville and wile many of his brothers found work else where he found work as a goods engine at a small Harbour in the south east of England. And this is were are story begins…
Sitting on the key Neville stood out amongst the other engines, wile he had a tender and sported a rather square shape, the others had tank's and had rounded boilers. This meant Neville stood out among the E2's that he worked along side with. His black paint did little to help as the others had menagerie of different colour's, wile these where often dull he still made his stand out. Neville was all black all over with a red buffer beam and yellow wording along his tender and cab.
"What's up Charlie?" asked one of the E2's coming over, to see him.
Neville looked uneasy "My name's not Charlie." he corrected him stumbling over his words.
"Yeah and my name's not Mark." he laughed.
Neville looked away and pretended he was some place else.
"Look Biscuit Tin, stop dawdling on the key and get these trucks out of here." barked Mark, yelling orders.
"I'm not a biscuit tin." Neville wailed sobbingly.
"Clockworks, get to work, we can't have you sit around all day." called another engine coming over.
"Lisa's right." Chuckled Mark.
Sighing Neville moved across the key and backed up on to the waiting trucks.
"Not those one's Frankenstein." called Lisa "The ones waiting in the sidings."
Neville looked back and looked to the rails, they dug in deep on the key and they where soaking with water from the crashing waves form last night's storm. Wishing to be carried by the storm he slogged away to the yard.
The yard was backed on to the ware house area, more engines where working here, among them was the worst shunter. Neville looked out for him as he backed down, and he was so occupied and didn't see the train and bumped in to the trucks.
"Oh dear." he exclaimed "I really am, a really useless engine, why was even built in the first place."
"Don't talk like that." came a voice.
Looking over he saw Jill approaching as she shunted some trucks next to him.
"You're a very useful engine, you've proved your stronger then any of us, and as well as many of the bigger engines."
"But look at me, I'm ugly."
"No your not, just because you don't look like other engines does not mean your ugly."
Neville gave a weak smile and Jill smiled back.
"Jill what are you doing next to that Biscuit Barrel."
Jill growled snapping back at the arrival of Titan.
"Oh it's only Neville." he laughed curly.
Neville sighed as he started up. "Bye Jill, I'll see you when I get back." he said.
"Bye." sighed Jill.
"No rush." laughed Titan.
Neville looked back to Jill and let a tear roll down his face, as he left the yard and made his way towards the main line.
Times where tough of the railways as the slow encouragement of diesels on the railways was seeing a steady decline in steam engines. This was also especially apparent to Neville, as everyday he made his trips form the Harbour to London, he would see many of the diesels made to replace steam engines like him.
As he made his journey he would pass by many electric engines, as the south had become electric long before his time, and due to this many coal bunkers and water towers where out of service. Passing them by as he went many had been taken down wile others remained with caution tape placed over them wit signs saying out of order signs hung over them. The further he travelled the less common the operational ones become, meaning he had to careful with how much he used.
As he grew closer he soon fond himself being surrounding by large diesels that seemed to be boxing him in. Neville began to panic and closed his eyes and he screamed in fear, the problem he was so caught up in trying to escape he didn't realise he had arrived at the and was brought to a complete stop.
"Neville, Neville." called a voice.
Opening his eyes he spotted Rosie a American 0-6-0 T sitting in the yard.
"Oh Rosie I was coming up and…" panted Neville
"Calm down, your going to have a panic attack." said Rosie trying to calm him down.
"Sorry, I'm a little worried about being replaced."
"You won't be, diesels are still new and many are still on trail."
"I'm just glad you're here to set me straight." he smiled, calming down.
Smiling Rosie went back to shunting in the yard and Neville started to shunt his trucks as well.
Backing them down out of the way Rosie spoke to another engine that had arrived, Neville smiled seeing Rosie having a prolonged conversation with some of the other then him. Soon she parted and rejoined him at the other end.
"Sorry, I hardly get much time to speak to the other engines, since the other shunter's where all, uh, er."
"No, I get it the Harbour has been lacking since, they you now." said Neville "And of course I've had to step up and help with some of the the work."
"It seems to effect a lot of places, as they start to roll out the new, diesels."
"I just glad we've managed to escape."
"Well I've heard some engines are fearing better then others."
"What do you mean?" asked Neville.
"Do you know about the Island of Sodor.
"Yeah I heard of it."
"They've been drafted in to the pilot scheme, and have had several new diesels sent of to work there."
"Sounds nice as long as they stay far away form here."
"Don't worry, it's only see how they fare, then they will all come here."
Neville chuckled awkwardly "Don't remind me."
"Sorry." she apologised. "Your trains ready."
"Thanks see you around."
Rosie gave a weak smile as returned to her work in the yard, and Neville left to collect his train. Looking back to see Rosie in the yard he puffed his pistons and started up leaving the yard.
Coming down the line passing though the county side he soon found himself entering a more city like domain as he approached the harbour. Giving a sigh he moved down the small points and followed branching of the main line as he moved on towards the harbour.
Arriving on the key with the goods he looked out on to the waters and looked at the crashing waves, as more water was washed up and fell in to the holes where the rails lay.
A whistle sounded as Mark went past calling. " The coffee pot is back."
Neville's face turned sour as he sighed and looked to the water logged rails on the key, and water splashed up against the wall.