A/N This is based on Granpuff. To the fan I shouted out, your favorite season in Their Own Words is here.
Hey, it's us, the narrow-gauge engines of Mid-Sodor Railway, originally, now at the Skarloey Railway. I, Duke, happen to be the oldest and the younger ones got calling me Granpuff back on our old railway. Thomas told this to his friends once, so now it's our turn to tell it. The one called Falcon in the story wants to tell about us on our first railway.
We were three little engines who lived in our own little shed on our own little railway. Our names were Duke, Stuart and I was Falcon. Duke was the oldest and was named after His Grace, the Duke of Sodor. He was proud of this and loved to keep us young ones in order. Whenever we did anything wrong, Duke would say, "That would never suit His Grace.".
Other engines came and went, but Duke outlasted them all. We used to call him Granpuff. We were fond of him, but we got very tired of hearing all about his Grace. Sometimes, we would tease him and chant "Engines come and go, Granpuff goes on forever.".
"You impudent scallywags!" Duke would say. "Whatever are you engines coming to?"
"Never mind, Granpuff. We're only young once."
"Well, you better mind, unless you want to end up like Smudger." That's a story Duke told us when we were being "impudent skallywags" one time.
Stuart asked,"Ooh, Granpuff, whatever happened?"
"Smudger," said Duke. " was a showoff. He rode roughly and often came off the rails. I warned him to be careful, but he took no notice.".
"Listen, Dukie," he snarled. "Who worries about a few spills?"
Duke told us,"We do, here," I said, but Smudger just laughed. "Until one day, Manager said he was going to make him useful at last." Smudger stopped laughing then.
Stuart asked, "Why? What did he do?"
Duke replied, "He turned him into a generator. He's still out there behind our shed. He'll never move again."
After that, Stuart and I became Really Useful Engines and us 3 were happy together for many years. Then, hard times came. The mines in the hills closed and the railway was closed, too. People came to buy us engines.
"We'll take Stuart and Falcon."
No one wanted Duke. They thought him too old. He might need an overhaul before too long or something was probably how they felt. They seemed to think Stuart and me were more desirable, but we dreamed of Duke being able to come to our new railway home.
"Cheer up, Granpuff," called Stuart. "We'll find you a nice railway and then you can come and keep us in order."
We tried to be brave and cheerful, but no one really thought our dreams would come true. Duke's driver and fireman oiled and greased him one last time. They sheeted him snugly and said good-bye. Then, they had to go away and find work. Just like Stuart and me, they had to find another railway to work on. Now, Granpuff takes over, as this is his part to tell, he says.
I was alone. "Oh, well," I sighed. "I'll go to sleep. It'll help me pass the time." I later found out what happened as I slept.
Winter torrents washed soil from the hills. Trees and bushes grew all around. You wouldn't have known a shed was there, let alone a little engine asleep inside. I was buried alive. My friends, Stuart, Falcon and my crew were on other railways. They, along with me, shall tell what happened after we parted ways, including how I was found.
A/N I'm following the show, so the Mid-Sodor and Skarloey Railway engines stories will follow show order, including this story.