A/N Rebecca's brakes fail when she's pulling the Express and hits Murdoch, causing a dreadful accident.
Sodor was a much different place than it was once. All the smaller gauge steam engines had died and been scrapped or were in state, engine style at the Railway Museum. Age related illness or else dreadful accidents had taken all but Thomas, Rebecca and Murdoch of NWR's steam engines as well, so those engines were either scrapped or at the Railway Museum on display. Diesel shunters were in the yards and diesels did what the steam engines other than the last three left did, like Pip and Emma took the Express when Rebecca was ill.
On this day, something went wrong. Rebecca was pulling the Express and her brakes failed, hitting Murdoch. Murdoch was taken to the Steamworks and pronounced DOA. Rebecca, however, died a slow, painful death. She lay derailed and sobbing in pain with her driver, who had jumped clear drying her tears with a cloth. When she had no more tears to cry, she fell into a deep coma. In that condition, she too was taken to the Steamworks and pronounced DOA.
All the other NWR engines and any littler diesels who were friends of Rebecca and Murdoch were summoned to the Steamworks for a meeting.
Sir Topham Hatt said, as he pulled out a handkerchief and wiped tears from his eyes, "We've lost Rebecca and Murdoch. They had a dreadful accident." He turned to Thomas, "Son, you're my only steam engine, except if I can get one from a heritage railway. Rebecca and Murdoch were Really Useful Engines.".
The engines cried and pressed buffers, with their respective drivers comforting them. Thomas, in a wailing sob-filled voice, gave a speech about the late engines, punctuated by long and loud sniffles. His driver pressed a cloth to his eyes as the tank engine said his words."
"W-We've l-lost t-two fr-friends. I-It br-breaks m-my h-heart. Th-Though w-we sh-shall m-miss th-them a-and gr-grieve, w-we m-must c-carry o-on a-and b-be R-Really U-Useful E-Engines. A-Anyone wh-who w-wants c-can cr-cry w-with m-me i-if y-you d-don't w-want y-your o-other fr-friends t-to s-see i-it. I-I m-miss R-Rebecca dr-dreadfully, b-because sh-she c-came fr-from Br-Brighton W-Works, j-just l-like m-my cl-class.". He wept non-stop until he had no more tears left. His crew gave him a drink and he, like the other engines, left.
That night, those closest to the dead engines had visions of them after they cried themselves to sleep.
The railway was closed to allow the engines time to grieve and have a memorial service for Rebecca and Murdoch. It was held at the Steamworks, to allow all the friends of the deceased to be there. Thomas pressed buffers with the nicest diesel on Sodor with the same gauge as his and wailed his broken heart out, an emotional wreck over Rebecca.
The railway reopened and new engines were brought to the railway to replace Rebecca and Murdoch. Jessica, a quiet, intuitive, extremely sensitive and insightful engine, replaced Rebecca. She was a garter blue tender engine, bought from a heritage railway because she needed an overhaul they couldn't afford. Jessica's first driver was cruel and abusive to her, which gave her milder depression, which made her feel very sad and useless all the time, often weeping and wailing until she had no more tears to cry, even over the tiniest thing and saying things like, "Just scrap me. I've got no reason to live.". The first time she cried was after abuse by her first driver and her fireman had said, in reply to her asking, "Why have I got watery eyes?" "There, there, Jessica. You're crying, because you've got emotion. Cry it out. I know he hurt you.", as he pulled out a cotton hanky and dried her tears, though her driver said,"Cry-engine! I don't need your drama! Calm down!". Lewis, an independent, visionary, skeptical and stubborn freight diesel, a leader type replaced Murdoch. The first time Lewis cried was when his mentor was scrapped and said, "Why's there water coming out of my eyes?". His driver comforted him saying "There, there, Lewis. Accept your sadness. You're crying, because of your emotion. Tears and crying happen when you've got strong enough emotion. I know you're so sad about your mentor dying. I want you to cry, Lewis and let it all out. I shall dry your tears. I'm here for you.", as he took a cloth from pocket and did what he promised. He was a very strong engine. Rebecca's crew became Jessica's and Murdoch's learned to drive diesels and became driver and assistant driver for Lewis. Life took on a more normal rhythm on Sodor and the ones in grief recovered as best they could.
A/N In my Thomasverse, when the engines are in grief, their drivers are with them during the day, even if the railway's closed, for comfort. Jessica's drivers after her first abusive one will comfort her, but until the abusive driver retires, her fireman's the one to comfort her. Her first fireman used a hanky the first time she cried, but always had cotton rags with him after that, because, as her regular comforter, he had to have something for her tears only. If she has more than one fireman with her first driver, the fireman cotton rags thing carries over, but her second driver will have cotton waffle cloth.