A/N Duke dies of something related to old age.
Thomas was taking some parts from Knapford Harbor to the Steamworks. He saw Sir Handel and Peter Sam at the Steamworks.
"Duke's really ill," Sir Handel said.
Peter Sam added, "We wanted to check on him. I'm very worried about our friend, because he's quite old."
Duke's crew emerged from the Steamworks. His driver called and told him the narrow-gauge engines not present needed to come, because he had news about Duke for them.
Mr. Percival said, when everyone had come, "Duke's gone to The Big Railway In the Sky", dabbing his tears with his handkerchief as he softly sobbed. He wiped his nose. The little old engine's driver also pulled out a handkerchief to sob into, saying "He was a Really Useful Engine.".
Duke's fireman pulled out a handkerchief and like the driver, quietly sobbed into it. "I'm very sad to lose him, but we shall work with his replacement.", wiping his tears, including his nose.
Percy, in need of new paint, arrived to the Steamworks and heard the news. The engines began to press buffers and cry, with their respective drivers comforting them. Percy hugged Thomas and the narrow-gauge engines did the same with each other. Sir Handel and Peter Sam buffer pressed in a corner, Sir Handel quietly sobbing and sniffling, with Peter Sam wailing, overwhelmed with grief. Charity pressed her buffers against Bertram's buffer beam and they bawled their eyes out together. Adam and Duncan pressed buffers, shedding tears without a sound except sniffles. Freddie and Ivo Hugh cried together. Luke and Mighty Mac buffer pressed and cried. All the steam engines cried with each other and Rusty and Fred, the diesels, cried together.
Thomas, through wailing sobs, gave a speech. His driver pressed a cloth to his streaming eyes, as the tank engine began in a broken, choked voice filled with sniffles, "W-We sh-shall m-miss D-Duke, ou-our fr-friend wh-whose t-time w-with u-us i-is o-over u-until w-we wh-who b-believe sh-shall s-see h-him o-on Th-The B-Big R-Railway I-In th-the Sk-Sky. H-He s-said h-he b-believed a-as h-he g-got o-older. W-We m-must c-carry o-on w-without h-him a-and b-be R-Really U-Useful E-Engines, b-but n-now w-we c-can gr-grieve f-for ou-our fr-friend. I-It's f-fine t-to m-miss h-him." His eyes released so many tears, not once stopping until he had no more left to cry. He had a drink, then went back home.
Those who were close to Duke had a vision of him, riding the golden rails that night.
Skarloey Railway was closed to allow the engines time to grieve and have a memorial service for Duke. His closest standard-gauge friends were allowed, so it had to be in a place with tracks for both narrow and standard-gauge tracks. Bertram, Sir Handel, Peter Sam, Charity and Duke's emotional standard-gauge friends cried the whole time, Bertram constantly sobbing, Sir Handel quietly sobbing and sniffling in a corner, Peter San wailing endlessly, Charity bawling her eyes out and engines like Thomas wracked with wailing sobs and non-stop weeping, overwhelmed with grief in their own ways.
The railway reopened and Joshua came to replace Duke. He was very much a leader among his friends, loyal, logical and realistic, saying "I want to work hard and be an important member of my new railway."
A/N Bertram, as Duke's brother, will die of a broken heart, wrapping these Tales up after this one. Duke, as a more sensitive inside Thinking type, believed in the afterlife. The ones thought to be Feeling Thinkers are the most open Thinking types to TBRITS. Bertram shares Duke's basis, so he's especially broken-hearted. Sir Handel and Peter Sam are Duke's closest friends on the SR, in my Thomasverse. Charity, because of the way she is, bawls her eyes out when she's not working during times of grief.
