DEAR FRIENDS,

All Engines Go is infamous for portraying our friends from the Island of Sodor in a very poor light, but what if I told you that it is not all that it appears to be? The stories featured in that television series are actually more real and grounded than you think and have very little to do with the Fat Controller's engines to begin with.

Do you remember Marcus, Kenneth and Tracy? Not long ago, they were asked to help out at Ulfstead Castle for a while. You may also remember their friend, Nathan, he also visited Sodor one time.

Much like Thomas and his friends on Sodor, these engines also have many stories to tell as they work hard to please Mr. Charles Nicholas Hatt (also known as the Tall Controller).

I am happy to finally share their other adventures on their own railway and I hope you enjoy hearing more about them.

THE AUTHOR

You may have heard of the Island of Sodor and the many railway lines that can be found there, including the famous North Western Railway where Thomas the Tank Engine lives. Lots of Thomas' friends live on Sodor with him, but he also has many friends who live elsewhere. In fact, if you cross the Vicarstown Rolling Bridge over the Walney Channel and take the Main Line through Barrow, you will soon find a junction station to another special railway that few people know about, the Cumbria Central, and four engines from this railway have visited Sodor before.

Marcus, Kenneth and Tracy are tank engines. When Millie the Narrow-Gauge Engine broke down at Ulfstead Castle, Sir Robert Norramby, the Earl of Sodor, sent her to the Steamworks to be mended. His other engine, Stephen, being a very old engine, was also going to be sent away for an inspection. With the summer season beginning and more visitors coming to the Castle Estate, Marcus, Kenneth and Tracy were borrowed from their railway to help for a while.

Another engine from the same railway is a diesel called Nathan. Once, he was asked to cover for Diesel when he broke down. Nathan challenged Thomas to a race and had gotten into trouble, but he couldn't stay sad for long and Thomas was happy to make another friend.

The newest engine on Cumbria Central Railway is Kana, a fast electric engine from the Island of Sodor. She was designed by Ruth Larson the Inventor and was sent to the railway on trial. The other engines were happy to have Kana join them and she has grown to love her new home.

Like the engines on the North Western Railway, these engines always work hard to be responsible, reliable and Really Useful. However, they can still get into scrapes sometimes, much like any other engine.

One bright sunny day, Marcus and Nathan were shunting trucks in the Yard near Whitehaven Station. They were trying to see which of them could do a better job. "Here comes another one, Marcus!" called Nathan and he biffed another truck over to his friend.

"Not bad, Nathan!" whistled Marcus and bumped the truck back. A porter switched the points and the truck bumped into another line of loaded ones.

"Ha! not bad, but I'm sure I can still do better than you." Faster than before, Nathan biffed a heavy truck of stone over to Marcus.

"We'll see about that." Marcus bumped the truck as hard as he could, catching the porter by surprise, but no one noticed a rock fly out and bounce off a lever.

"Then try this." Nathan sent another truck towards Marcus, but it was going so fast, it bumped him hard.

"Ouch!" cried Marcus, "watch it!" More determined than ever, he backed up and gave the truck the mightiest biff he could.

Then, it happened.

Before the truck could reach the porter, it swerved onto the wrong line. The flying stone had switched the points. "Oh no!" cried the two engines together.

Worse still, Laurence, the biggest engine on the railway, was coming the other way. "Great Scots!" he cried and braked hard. His sudden stop and the truck bashing into him caused the trucks behind him to bump into each other hard and as they bounced backwards…something broke. "Well, that is a fine 'how do you do.'"

"I'm sorry, Laurence," said Marcus sadly. "I don't know how that happened. Are you alright?"

"I think so."

Laurence's Driver, Fireman and Guard inspected both him and the train. "That's torn it," said his Driver at last. "I knew we should've had your rear coupling checked. Now, it's broken away."

Laurence groaned. "How am I supposed to make my delivery now?"

Marcus looked at the long line of trucks. They were loaded with lots of old parts and waste. "What's all this rubbish for?" he asked.

"It's not all rubbish," explained Laurence. "Some of these things may be old, but they can still be useful. They're going to the new Waste Dump and Recycling Plant near Dalton. Well…they were."

Then, an idea flew into Marcus' funnel. "Don't worry, Laurence. Nathan and I have finished our shunting. I can take your train for you."

"Thank you, Marcus. No offense, but this job is too big for one little engine."

"Then, what about two? Nathan and I can take these trucks together."

"What a good idea, Marcus," said his Driver. "I'll ask the Tall Controller at once."

The man in charge of the Cumbrian Central Railway is Mr. Charles Hatt. His brother is Sir Topham Hatt, who lives on the Island of Sodor, but unlike his brother, Charles is much taller. This is why everyone calls him the Tall Controller.

Marcus' Driver explained the situation and soon returned. "It's all fixed," he said. "Marcus and Nathan will take the waste trucks and you, Lawrence, are to go to the Maintenance Shed to have your coupling fixed."

"Thank you, Sir," said Laurence. "Now, Marcus and Nathan, be careful. The rear trucks are heavier than the front ones. They were arranged this way to make them easier to move."

"We'll still get them to the Dump," replied Marcus. "I promise." And with that, Laurence puffed away.

Nathan smirked. "I have an idea," he said. "Why don't we race to the Dump? There are enough trucks for two trains."

"But that wouldn't be fair. The rear trucks are heavier."

"Then I'll take them. I am stronger than you."

Marcus thought for a moment. "Alright, Nathan, you're on, but I'm sure to win. Thomas may be the number 1 engine on his railway, but I am the number 1 around here."

"Yes," replied Nathan, "but as I said, I am stronger."

The porter waited to give the signal. "Ready, steady…GO!" And the two engines raced off.

"Last one to the Dump is a rusty rail!" called Nathan.

As the two engines raced out of the Yard, Marcus quickly pulled ahead. Nathan was surprised, but he sounded his horn as Marcus whistled in front.

Marcus was pleased with himself. He puffed up hills and raced through tunnels. Then, Nathan raced passed. "Heavy waste coming through!"

Marcus' trucks clattered as he tried to go faster. Then, he saw a signal box up ahead. "Slow down, Marcus!" called the Signalman. "The points are jammed!" Sure enough, Marcus suddenly swerved into a loop siding.

"Marcus won't beat me now," he chuckled to himself.

It wasn't long before the engines came to another hill. Marcus huffed and puffed as hard as he could, but Nathan got a naughty idea. This will slow him down, he thought. He rattled his trucks and an old piece of metal fell out of his last truck and onto Marcus' train. Marcus felt a sudden pull on his coupling. He slowed down as Nathan drew in front. "See you at the finish line!" he honked.

Marcus wheezed and struggled; his wheels started to slip. "This…is…hard…work!" he panted.

Then there was trouble.

Marcus came to a stop with his wheels still spinning…and he began to slide backwards. "Help! Help!" he whistled in alarm. Luckily, the Signalman saw everything and changed the points.

The tracks lead to a wooden bridge crossing a marsh. Loni the Rail Crane and Sandy the Speeder were there with a repair crew inspecting the bridge. They had just set up a barrier across the tracks when they saw Marcus and his trucks rattling towards them.

"Look out!" Marcus cried. The trucks crashed into the barrier and derailed. Old parts and waste flew everywhere.

Luckily, no one was hurt.

"Epic stop, Marcus!" called Sandy.

"Are you alright?" Loni asked.

Marcus sighed. "Yes."

"What's wrong?"

"I was racing Nathan to the Waste Dump, but he's so far ahead now, I'll never win."

"Well…winning a race isn't what's important," said Loni thoughtfully. "No one can win every race, but being Really Useful is what's important."

"I suppose so."

"I thought Laurence was delivering this load today," puzzled Sandy.

"He was, but his coupling broke and I promised him that Nathan and I would deliver it for him."

"Then that's what's important," said Loni, "keeping your promise to Laurence by finishing this delivery."

Marcus suddenly smiled. "You're right! A promise is a promise, and I must keep it."

Loni got Marcus' trucks back on the rails and collected the rubbish. Then, with the Foreman's permission, she buffered up behind Marcus and helped push.

On the Branch Line to the Waste Dump, Nathan was waiting for the Drawbridge outside Dalton to close. "Come on, come on," he purred impatiently. Finally, the bridge closed, and the gates opened, but Nathan started too quickly and the door on the last truck came loose, scattering rubbish everywhere.

Marcus saw everything. "Nathan, your load!" he called, but the little diesel was too far away to hear as he raced away.

Loni was confused. "What's happening?"

"Nathan's dropping rubbish everywhere and I don't think he knows."

"Thank goodness, I'm here," smiled Loni and she quickly set about loading the waste and old parts into Marcus' trucks.

Further ahead, Nathan was feeling pleased with himself. "Marcus won't beat me now." Then, he noticed something. "Hmm, my load feels lighter than it was before. I must be getting stronger." At last, Nathan rolled into the new Waste Dump. "I won! I won!" he cheered.

"But why is one of your trucks empty?" asked a workman.

Nathan looked back. "What?! How?"

Then, Marcus puffed in. "Looking for these?"

"You started losing your load at the Drawbridge," explained Loni. "You may have gotten here first, but Marcus still kept his promise."

"That's right," said Marcus confidently. "Despite losing the race, we managed to get all the waste and rubbish to the Dump."

Later, Marcus and Nathan went back to their Sheds in Whitehaven and told Laurence what had happened. "Well done, Marcus," said the older engine.

Marcus grinned. "I couldn't have done it with Loni's help…or Nathan's."

"Me?" asked Nathan.

"You did lose some of your load, but we still managed to get all of it delivered."

"Very true," added Laurence. "I say you both did very well." And Marcus and Nathan went happily to sleep feeling Really Useful indeed.