The Peel Godred Branch Line wasn't very popular at first: eight passenger trains ran each day in both directions, but at the time, they weren't very full. Not everybody was keen on the idea of electrics running on their island, some even believed them to be too dangerous to ride behind. Aluminium was the main traffic during this time.

The other engines weren't sure what to make of them: the two electrics didn't talk much, and when they did, they never said anything interesting. In all honesty, many of the engines found themselves unnerved.

"It's like they're…rocks," said Henry. "They don't talk much, all they do is say hi, talk about the statistics, then go on their merry way."

"You're lucky, you don't need to exchange goods with them," said James. "Every time I have to stop at Killdane, time stands still."

"A lot of silly nonsense," snorted Gordon. "We steam engines can handle gradients just fine without overhead wires."

"That's funny coming from an engine who struggles on his own hill," said Lily.

"Screw you, bitch!" snapped Gordon, as the other engines chuckled.

The electrics also had their opinion on the steamers. Unlike many diesels, it wasn't one of thinking they were more modern. That said, their opinion was ahead of their time. They just found them odd, too odd, for the environment. They didn't understand how they worked, and found them overly complex, not to mention a hazard for the earth.

"How exactly can people breathe with all your smoke?" E1 asked Culdee one day.

Culdee chuckled, finding himself amused.

"You seem to not know how vee schteamers vork, my man."

"Not man, E1," said the electric. "I don't have a gender."

"No gender?! Zat's impossible! Eferybody has a gender!"

"I'm not everybody, I'm me," snorted E1. "And I much prefer not to be identified as either male or female thank you very much."

"Vell I can't juscht call you an it: it's undignified!"

"I believe there are they and them," said E1.

"Don't be absurd!" snorted Shane from the other platform of the Culdee Fell line. "Zat only vorks ven referrink to bohss of you!"

E1 was confused.

"Surely, there are exceptions," they said.

"Don't see vye zare schould be," scoffed Shane.

"Well, would you like me calling you, uh…" ES1 paused, trying to think of a good insult. But none came to mind.

Later, ES1 ran into Edward, who had been asked to provide steam services for the week.

"I see something's gotten under your, uh…bonnet, I think," said the K2. "Penny for your thoughts?"

"Sorry, my thoughts aren't for sale," said ES1. "Besides, I thought pennies were an American thing."

Edward began laughing, only to see ES1 staring at him blankly.

"You serious?"

"Why wouldn't I be? Railways are serious after all."

Edward decided he didn't want to say anymore and left with his train.

That night, he confided his worries about the electrics to Rolf.

"I never thought I'd say this," he said, "but those electrics got me weirded out."

"I can't say I blame you," said Rolf. "I mean, they don't talk much, they prefer not to have a gender. If that's the future of railways…boy will they become boring."

"You think electrics will eventually replace us?" Edward asked.

"I sure hope not," said Rolf. "Lord Harwick and the Fat Director seem keen to keep us steamers, but…they may not have a choice when the time comes to electrify the railway."

E1, meanwhile, had been thinking about their conversation with Edward throughout the day. Not that the two did have much of a conversation. E2 wasn't much better.

"Those Culdee Fell engines seem to think having a gender is the most important thing in the world," he said. "What do those pollutionists know? We're machines, we don't have organs. So by all logic, we can't be male or female."

"My thoughts exactly," said E1. "All this gender crap sounds like a load of nonsense."

It still poked at the electric's interest, however. That evening, E1 decided to ask Edward about it, only for Olive to show up the next day.

"Edward wasn't feeling too well, he asked if I could take over for him," Olive explained. "So, what's my job?"

"Holiday specials and backup for failure, if I remember correctly," said E1.

"That's it? No cattle trains?" Olive asked.

"You actually like cattle trains?" E1 asked.

"Of course I do: I love animals, why shouldn't I?"

"A health hazard like you? Please: all your smoke makes cattle suffocate."

Olive let off steam indignantly.

"I'll have you know my smoke is clean!" she snorted. "My crew make sure of it! Never once have any animals suffocated from inhaling it, and neither have people!"

E1 didn't know what to say. So they said nothing. The guard's whistle blew, and the electric set off, honking twice. Olive watched as they left, intrigued by the lack of noise this electric engine made.

"This is something indeed, not even a wheesh," she remarked. "Wait, what is that engine humming?"

The "humming" was E1's traction motors. This is normal with electrics, but wasn't really known to the Sudrians back then. In fact, the passengers couldn't help but feel nervous as they travelled along the line.

"Is this engine planning to have us slaughtered?" one asked.

"I'll get electrocuted! The electricity's sure to get into these coaches!" another panicked.

"I'M TOO YOUNG TO LOSE MY BALLS!"

That man ran to a window and jumped through it. E1 didn't seem to take much notice, but the guard had. When the train stopped at Abbey, he addressed the passengers.

"Jumping out of moving trains is a very dangerous thing to do," he said sternly. "Please stay inside the train at all times, nothing bad will happen."

"That's what they always say BEFORE SOMETHING BAD HAPPENS!" a passenger screamed. "RUN FOR YOUR LIVES, THESE ELECTRICS ARE DANGEROUS!"

The platform emptied as if by magic, confusing everyone but the engine, who didn't take any notice. The guard facepalmed and shook his head.

"I don't get paid enough for this," he groaned. He got out a gun and fired a shot over his own head. A porter happened to see this.

"What was that for?" he asked.

"This is too much. But I can't commit suicide: the last time I tried, my wife beat me up big time."

"Wow! Talk about unhealthy coping methods," said the porter.

"Try saying that when the non-violent methods fail to work," said the guard. "I've been having these urges ever since these emotionless electrics started running this line," he answered. "Shooting over my head is the only thing that seems to help."

E1 didn't care. Things changed, however, when the train arrived at Kirk Machan. They were most surprised to see Selena in the loop.

"What're you doing here?" asked E1.

"I was coming down with an aluminium train, last minute order," Selena responded.

"Right, well, nice talking to you." E1 went into the platform, leaving Selena disturbed.

"That's it? No comments on the weather? Honestly, you could at least say hi!" Selena snorted.

"Easy there, girl!" soothed her driver. "We'll be off this line soon, especially since we can go now." Selena proceeded to depart.

As E1 waited for passengers, another horn sounded out. E1 was most surprised to see E2 coming into the platform.

"What're you doing here?" asked E1.

"I could ask the same of you," said E2. "I thought this platform was clear!"

"It was, for me," said E1. "I don't get why you're here ahead of schedule."

"Not ahead of schedule, on schedule!" argued E2. "The schedule says I'm due to enter the platform right now!"

"E2's right," said the stationmaster, walking over to the electrics. "E1, reverse back into the platform. Wait for E2 to depart before proceeding further."

Reluctantly, E1 did as they were told. Something began awakening, however. Was it the beginning of a personality?

After E2 heard the guard blow his whistle, E2 set off, determined to make up for lost time.

Consequently, the ES1 was travelling at high speed. That was until they saw Selena in front of them.

"Driver, brake!" they called to their driver. The driver tried to brake, but it failed. Consequently, the driver reversed the motors, but that only led to the power-house breakers blowing out. Suddenly, Selena found herself being pushed at high speeds!

"Whoa! What's going on?!" she called out, finding herself going faster and faster. Her driver slammed the brakes on hard, and the guard applied the brakes on the brake van, it still wasn't enough: both trains rolled down the line at dangerous speeds, sparks flying as both tried to stop! Suddenly, it all came to a head: Selena saw, to a horror, a curve ahead. She shut her eyes and awaited the inevitable impact.

Edward had managed to talk his driver into taking him to Killdane, wanting to see his girlfriend. He got horrible news when the stationmaster ran up.

"Selena and E2 have derailed in between Abbey and Kirk Machan!" he said. "Get the breakdown train and hurry on over there!"

Edward was still feeling ill, but hearing Selena was hurt spurred him into action. He raced back to Wellsworth and returned with Judy and Jerome.

Selena had landed near a rock, which she'd at least failed to hit, and lay on her side. Much to Edward's surprise, E2 looked like they were about to pass out.

"I…I…I…"

"Don't worry, I'm not dead," said Selena. But E2 kept muttering.

"What happened? I'm a machine built to perfection. This should not happen to me!" he said to himself. Edward looked at E2, then at Selena.

"Seley… Sweetheart… please tell me… That you're OK. Wait," he said, looking back to E2. "I know that look. It's…guilt!" Realisation dawned on Edward: this electric wasn't entirely emotionless after all: like many people, these electrics could feel guilt.

"My friend, seems like you're becoming human. What's your name?"

The electric just kept uttering "I…I…I…" over and over again. The K2 soon found he wasn't going to get anything else out of this electric. He sighed and set to work cleaning up the mess.

Though that accident proved the electrics weren't completely emotionless, Lord Harwick decided these two had caused enough discomfort among the people of the Peel Godred Line. Consequently, he decided to have new electrics be built. Ones with actual emotion. He settled on four from Metropolitan Vickers. Similar ones were used on the London Underground, and Lord Harwick had seen these in action. He figured overhead-wire versions of these would do wonders for the Peel Godred.. The Fat Controller insisted on having some multiple units, a new fashion that started in the Southern Railway.

"We'll see when traffic increases to be too much for four locomotives to handle," said Lord Harwick.

"Fair enough. Now, about project T…"

(Author's Note: Based on an accident that occurred with the Mountain Lake Electric Railroad on July 4, 1902.)