When the New Year began, 87546 continued on his way to Sodor. This proved to have complications, as it was the year the Grouping was made official, which led to some confusion as to why an LNER engine was on LMS track. Eventually, everything was sorted and 87546 arrived in February. By then, the snow had mostly melted.

He set to work without fuss, but wasn't really talking to anyone. Except for 98462, but their first meeting made it clear things had changed way too much between them.

"Max, so lovely to see you again," said 87546.

"Seems you still haven't remembered I don't have a name anymore," snorted 98462. "And I can't say the feeling's mutual."

"Oh come now, have you really forgotten your best friend?" asked 87546.

"You and I were never really best friends, and I have someone else now too. And don't go asking for Lily: she's currently in Horwich being repaired after she derailed. Just do the job you were meant to do and stay out of my way."

With that, 98462 left, leaving 87546 feeling rather annoyed.

Deciding the 55 Class was no longer worth his time, he went off to Killdane to begin helping with building the branch line. The first thing that needed doing was laying down the track. This proved to be a hard and arduous task, especially since the snow hadn't completely gone away. 87546 found this dull and would spend more time sleeping when he wasn't needed to move.

At Vicarstown, Edward could tell something was up with 98462, and he correctly guessed it had something to do with 87546.

"Penny for your thoughts?" he asked.

"I don't know, Edward," admitted 98462. "I want to believe he's changed, but…how can I be sure?"

Edward thought about this, but Thomas was quick to butt-in.

"Pah! Engines like him never change. It's all an act, trust me. He's waiting until we let our guard down, which will be the perfect moment to strike."

"Maybe you're right," said 98462, "but I managed to change, and so has Lily. What's stopping 87546 from doing the same?"

"A lot more than you think," insisted Thomas. "You can tell he doesn't even want to be here."

The E2 snorted off before 98462 could reply.

"Well, he's got a point," said 98462. "He's hardly said anything and just focuses on the task he was given. Doesn't sound like an engine eager to be here."

The trucks seemed to agree with Thomas: whenever 87546 took them, they taunted and misbehaved with the H2, or as he was now classified, a K1.

"Not sure why they changed my class designation," he had snorted when he learned this.

Right now, though, he was more concerned about the trucks causing him trouble.

"Hold back…" one whispered.

"How? He's pushing us," another pointed out.

"Knock off that whispering!" shouted 87546, and he bumped them.

"Careful!" called a workman. "You'll damage our tools!"

87546 just huffed.

"Don't see what the issue is," he said. "You can always get new ones."

The workmen ignored him and continued building the line.

This continued for the next few weeks, and as a result, work on the Peel Godred was slow. They had hardly reached Abbey by the time March arrived.

"You could pick up the pace you know!" one of the workmen complained.

"Rather not," said 87546. It was ironic: he wanted to leave Sodor quickly, but wasn't finishing the line fast enough for that to happen. The other engines began to suspect he just didn't care.

By the second week of March, things came to a head. 87546 was pushing the train up to where the men were still building the line. The trucks, as usual, were taunting him.

"You're too slow! You're an imbecile! Here all night, tomorrow too!"

"Shut up! Shut up!" And he bumped the trucks. This proved to be a mistake: without warning, he suddenly felt his wheels jump, and before he knew it, he was off the line! Luckily, he was still upright and nobody was hurt. The tracks, however, were bent, and the tools destroyed. The workmen were not pleased.

"You fucking idiot!" the foreman roared. "See what you've fucking done? Not only will we need to repair the tracks you bent, but we shall need replacement tools, which I'll charge your railway for."

"Wasn't me who started the insults," snorted 87546. The trucks just giggled.

Before long, the K1 had been rerailed. The workmen were given new tools, but for the rest of the day, 87546 was sent to Vicarstown Sheds in disgrace.

There was Edward, withdrawn and alone.

"I see you've been through quite a scrape today," said Edward.

"Don't talk to me," said 87546. Edward went into silence, deciding it was better to let him have his peace.

"What exactly happened to Lily?" eventually asked 87546. "98462 told me she was being repaired at Horwich after an accident."

"It wasn't an accident," Edward responded. "It was sabotage."

"Sabotage?"

"You don't want to know the details. Lily's been at Horwich for months now. She took extensive damage when she derailed."

"Is she still the engine I once…"

"If you ask if she's still a bitch to everyone, well, it's complicated. She's still a jerk, but she's starting to become nicer."

"Screw her, then. I want nothing to do with any "nice" engines," said 87546. All Edward did was sigh: it was clear 87546 hadn't changed.

(Author's note: Based on a derailment at Penrhyn on the Ffestiniog on 28 August 1896: Princess and her passenger train derailed approaching the station.)