Operations on the northern line's expansion were progressing. So, when the mayor of Crewgir approached The Fat Director with a request for a branch line, he had some doubts: most of his engineers were busy trying to figure out how to build the bridge that would connect Norramby to Lasgair. Cregwir had its own horse drawn tramway running to Harwick, but it didn't really give the town much in the way of accessibility, and only served a quarry. However, the mayor refused to cave.

"Look. Why do you even want a line going to your town?" asked the Fat Director. "You could just upgrade your line to use engines and build stations on it."

"It's too light. And they wouldn't let me," said the Mayor.

"Who wouldn't let you?" asked the Fat Director.

"The owners of the railway," answered the Mayor. "You know I don't own the Cronk and Harwick Railway. Any decisions to upgrade the line have to be done by them."

"Any other reason you want that line?" asked the Fat Director.

"Tourism is my only goal. I'll go to the Midland or the Furness if you say no."

"And what good will that do? The NWR isn't owned by either of them," the Fat Director pointed out.

"Err…" it was clear the mayor knew little about railways.

The Fat Director thought for a while, weighing his options.

"Do a little more research before coming back to me," he said. "Until then, arrange to have a bus service between Cregwir and Waterwaite. That's all I can really suggest for you."

"Fine," said the Mayor, and he left the office. The Fat Director sighed. He had more important matters to attend to.

Meanwhile, 98462 was telling Timmy stories from his time on the Caledonian.

"You see, the line I worked on was built to link up the port of Oban to the rest of the railway network. The terrain there was nearly unpopulated, and shortage of money meant the line would be abandoned every now and then. It only really began to prosper when the Caledonian Railway absorbed the line."

"Why was your class built for it?" asked Timmy.

"I don't really know if I'm honest," admitted 98462.

"Do you have brothers or sisters?"

"I do: the 55 Class, 9 others of it exist. Five entered service in 1902 and the other five, myself included, entered service to a slightly-modified design in 1905. I was the only member of the 1905 batch to be male. Nobody knows for sure what determines if an engine is male or female."

"Do I have brothers and sisters? Where are they?"

"All your siblings are working in tightly curved collieries and docks served by the Caledonian Railway in the central belt of Scotland," answered 98462.

"Will I ever see them?"

"Maybe, I can't really say for sure," admitted 98462. "But you've no need to worry about that: even if you never do, you have a home in Sodor."

"Thanks… I think."

The line is best described as highly scenic, even though that May 22nd,1922 afternoon was rainy. 98462 had been put in charge of a Pullman Train going up to Waterwaite, something he hadn't done before. He backed down onto them.

"OOOOH! Be careful!" the coaches cried.

"What're you talking about? I was careful: that was 7 miles per hour for crying out loud!"

"You were going way too fast!" the Pullmans shouted.

"7 isn't that fast for crying out loud, and no other coaches have a problem with my speed."

"Well we do have a problem!" snapped the lead Pullman. 98462 rolled his eyes.

The guard's whistle blew and 98462 set off.

"Ouch! That was rough! That was rough!" cried the coaches.

"No it wasn't! No it wasn't!" snapped 98462. Indeed, the 55 Class had made a rather smooth start, but the coaches didn't seem to notice or care.

The Pullmans began complaining, and this made 98462 cross.

"Stop whining!" he shouted. "There's nothing wrong with the train!"

The coaches didn't stop: they continued to grumble about the rough ride, which wasn't rough at all.

"We want a charming prince, not a Scottish brute!"

"I didn't even bump you!" 98462 pointed out.

"Yes you did! Yes you did!"

"YOU LIE!"

The coaches had decided he had gone on far enough. They decided to pay him out.

98462 was glad that this journey was a nonstop run. But as they passed a station called Callan, one of the coaches snapped the coupling, separating the train. Feeling a jerk, 98462 ground to a halt, then there was a bump! He looked back and saw his tender had come off the line!

"Oh, this is just perfect," he grumbled.

"Serves you right! Serves you right!" chanted the coaches.

While people had been hurt from the rough stop, nobody was killed. The Fat Director came to see what had happened.

"Can you please tell me what happened, 98462?" he asked.

"I'll admit, I'm not really sure," admitted 98462. "Earlier, the coaches and I were in an argument, then as we passed Callan, there was a snap. I stopped when I felt the jerk, and derailed."

"And why were you arguing with the coaches?" asked the Fat Director.

"They kept saying I was too rough. But I wasn't! I wasn't, I tell you!"

"You most certainly were!" the coaches snapped.

"I'm sick of your lies, I never bumped you and my start was as gentle as can be!"

"SILENCE!"

The Fat Director held up his hand.

"I'll speak to the crew, see what they have to say," he ordered. 98462's crew confirmed the 55 Class was indeed gentle with the coaches, as did the guard and passengers. The coaches, however, refused to change their mind.

"You owe him an apology," said the Fat Director.

"We owe him no such thing!" the Pullmans shrieked. "If anything, he owes US an apology!"

"For what?! I told you, I didn't do anything wrong!"

"YOU LIE!" shrieked the coaches.

"ENOUGH!"

All went silent as the Fat Director shouted that.

"Arguing won't solve anything," he said. "Once you're rerailed, you'll have to go to the works. Then there's the matter of the people you hurt by accident." The coaches still felt accused by that

"Yes sir," said 98462.

98462's repairs were quick. Mere hours after the accident, he was back in working order. However, he still couldn't help but feel confused.

"I just don't get it!" he said to Edward in the sheds. "I was very gentle with those coaches, how could they think otherwise?!"

"Hard to say," admitted Edward. "The Furness Railway never used Pullmans I must confess."

"I can answer that," said Thomas, backing down next to 98462. "It's true: all coaches must be treated gently. However, Pullmans are much more finicky: you have to be extra careful with them. 5 miles per hour is the speed to buffer up to them. Any higher, and they will get pissed."

"You worked with Pullmans on your home railway?" asked 98462.

"You wouldn't believe how popular the Southern Belle was," Thomas replied. "I never pulled it myself, but I did shunt the coaches, as the LB&SCR didn't stop the service even during wartime."

"Then why did they complain along the journey? Like I said, I started smoothly."

"And like I said, 98462, Pullmans are finicky. In their eyes, you weren't being gentle. Just be glad the Fat Director took your side instead of theirs."

"Let's hope he knocks some sense into them," said Edward.

"I doubt it: those Pullmans sound like 87546, too pompous to see themselves as being wrong."

"Speaking of 87546, how did you become friends?" asked Thomas.

"I don't know," admitted 98462. "We first met when we both were loaned here and somehow hit it off. Now that I know what he was really like, I can't say for sure what I saw in him then."

"Wonder how he's doing." muttered Edward.

At the same time, Emily overheard Lord Harwick and the Fat Director talking about something. She couldn't hear everything, but two things stood out: new line and takeover. That last bit alarmed her.

She raced back to the sheds, since she'd just finished her express run, and this was a time when nearly everyone would be in the sheds.

"Guys! We're going to be taken over!"

"WHAT?"

Emily explained what she heard. When she finished, a familiar voice called, "You heard wrong, Emily."

The Fat Director came over.

"You see, the Midland Railway wants to take us over to fight off the grouping. Lord Harwick and I are refusing: we see no reason to join their fight, and from what I can see, they would try to take control over our line and operations."

"Sir. Once we get grouped…"

"We won't. And even if one of the companies does decide to make us join them," said Lord Harwick, "I'll do everything I can to make sure we stay independent."

"And I'll be backing him up," said the Fat Director.

"And we'll be with you," added Edward. "To the very end."

A chorus of whistles followed. The Fat Director and Lord Harwick stood and smiled, knowing full well they had a loyal fleet of really useful engines behind every decision they made.