Chapter 46: A Chance Encounter
(Tuesday, September 4th 2012 – 8:05am, Vicarstown Station)
So, in this chapter everyone…things are going to take an unexpected turn in the case of Carrie White's disappearance. What will it be? Well...just read on and see!
"How are the sausages doing, Simon?" Carrie asked, as she looked over Simon's shoulder towards the blade of the shovel, which was just inside the firebox and over the intense heat being generated by the hot burning coals inside. There was a sizzling sound to be heard, as a number of jumbo pork sausages cooked away in the hot oil on the blade of the shovel.
"Looks good so far, Carrie. We should be able to have these sausages with the bacon, eggs, and fried bread soon. And they certainly smell good as well." Simon said, as he pulled the shovel out from the firebox for a moment, and then used a fork to turn the sausages over before he then placed the shovel back inside the hot firebox again to allow the sausages to finish cooking.
"They certainly smell good. I hope they taste as good as they look." Carrie said, as she turned to face the front of the tender, where there was a flat section upon which sat a number of plastic plates, on which sat plenty of bacon, eggs, and fried bread that had already been cooked a short while before, along with some knives and forks, as well as some condiments. Having been up since 7:00am, Carrie was looking forward to having a good breakfast before she and Simon joined the driver and fireman for the first train of the day.
The previous evening, Carrie had worked on the footplate of L.N.E.R. A3 Class No.4472 Flying Scotsman as he worked a special enthusiast train along the Northern Main Line from Knapford to Vicarstown Station. Having spent several weeks that summer on the Island of Sodor giving rides to visitors and enthusiasts alike, Flying Scotsman would be returning to the English main land in the morning with another special train, and from there he would travel back to York, and the National Railway Museum. During the run to Vicarstown, Carrie helped out with the work that needed to be done on the footplate, including stoking the firebox with fresh coal from the first tender, as well as topping off the water level in the boiler. For the journey, the two women she had worked with when Flying Scotsman first arrived on Sodor some weeks before, Laura and Chloe, were on the footplate again for this special run, with Chloe driving and Laura helping Carrie with stoking the boiler and any other jobs that needed to be done.
They arrived safely in Vicarstown Station at 6:15pm, with a large and welcoming crowd of people waiting on the platforms. After Flying Scotsman was uncoupled from his coaches, he made his way to the depot nearby, where he would be stabled for the night before he returned to York in the morning.
After clocking out for the day, both Carrie and Simon were assigned to rooms at the crew building where they would stay the night, where they both had a shower before changing into fresh clothes and going down for a really good dinner together. After socialising together in the recreation room, both of them turned in for the night a little after 10:30pm, exhausted after a long day of work. Carrie returned to her room, changed into her pyjamas, brushed her teeth, and then went straight to bed, and she fell asleep as soon as she turned off the light and her head hit the pillow. Despite whatever work and various different sounds that took place outside the window, Carrie managed to get a really good night's sleep.
She awoke at 7:00am the next morning, feeling refreshed and ready to start a new day of work on the railway. After getting up and dressed into her work clothes, Carrie met up with Simon as he stepped out from his bedroom, and then they went downstairs to get some breakfast. But before they could go into the cafeteria for breakfast, the yard manager met them at the bottom of the stairs and, while both of them were there, he assigned the two of them to their engine for the day. But he did say they would need to start very soon, and said they and the crew could prepare a hot breakfast cooked on the shovel over the fire. With that sounding good to both Carrie and Simon, the pair went into the cafeteria to have a first breakfast before they started work, which was a glass of orange juice, along with a bowl of whatever cereal they wanted, toast and tea.
After clocking in not long after they finished breakfast, as well as having grabbed their bags with their things, the yard manager led them outside from the crew building over to the engine they were going to be working on for the morning. Stepping over lines and going by a few of the yard's buildings, they were led over to the shed to their assigned engine, which was sitting on the line beside where Flying Scotsman was being readied for his return run to the main land that morning; it was L.N.E.R. C1 Class 4-4-2 Large Boiler Atlantic No.3286, and his crew were already there along with a few of the shed staff, and who were working away at readying No.3286 for his first train of the morning (81). His paintwork, which was L.N.E.R. apple green livery, was being polished and rubbed down to a very high shine so that it looked very smart for the passengers who would be on his first train, while a thin cloud of grey smoke rose slowly from the chimney as the fire burned inside the firebox as the coal inside burned away at making steam in the boiler.
"So, you two don't mind working with No.3286 for this morning you two?" the yard manager asked, as he looked at Simon and Carrie.
"No, not at all, sir." Simon said.
"I don't mind working on that engine, sir. After all, I haven't had a chance to work with this one yet." Carrie said.
"Well, that sounds good to me you two. Come on, let's introduce you to the crew." the yard manager said, as they stepped forwards.
(81): The Great Northern Railway's C1 Class 4-4-2 Large Atlantics were designed by Henry Ivatt and were intended for working on the heavy passenger trains that ran along the East Coast Main Line. They were essentially a development of their older cousins, the previous G.N.R. C2 Class Small Boiler 4-4-2 Atlantics, and were meant for hauling the heavier trains that the C2s couldn't manage.
In total, 94 members of the C1 Class were built at Doncaster Works between 1902 and 1910, with the first member to be built being No.251, which emerged from Doncaster in December 1902.
Most of the C1 Class Atlantics were fitted with two outside cylinders that were 18.75in in diameter with a 24in piston stroke, with driving wheels that were 6ft 8in in diameter, and a boiler that was pressed to 170psi. This gave them a tractive effort of 15,690lbf. Other members of the class had slightly larger cylinders that were 20in in diameter, which gave those members of the class so-fitted a higher tractive effort of 17,340lbf.
The chassis of the C1s was exactly the same as that of the C2 Class, and with the same cylinder sizes and the same size of driving wheels, except that the C1s had a much larger boiler and a wider firebox fitted in order to generate more steam for the work they were expected to do. However, one major issue with the larger boiler and firebox was that the C1 Class developed a reputation for rough riding, which gave the crewmen who worked on the footplate a very uncomfortable experience.
Another issue was that the wider firebox left no room for a screw reversing gear, and so a lever reverse mechanism was fitted. Unfortunately, this system was very hard to operate as the C1 Class was fitted with slide valves for their cylinders which were very difficult to link up with steam on. Due to that, the drivers would often handle the engines in a conservative way due to the restricted valve timings, which tended to use a lot of water. However, this issue was solved when 60 C1s were built with an air-assisted screw reverser that was fitted between 1905 and 1908. The firebox needed to be redesigned slightly so as to fit the new system, and Ivatt took advantage of that and had the firebox redesigned with a deeper front end and a greater slope to the firegrate, which would allow the coal to move further towards the front of the firebox.
In March 1905, due to some performance issues that were going on with the C1 Class at that time, Ivatt had an example of the class built as a four-cylinder compound engine, which was numbered No.292. The outside cylinders drove the trailing coupled axle while the two inside cylinders, which were fitted with Stephenson valve gear, drove the leading coupled axle. The high-pressure cylinders were 13in in diameter with a 20in piston stroke, while the low-pressure cylinders were 16in in diameter with a 26in piston stroke. A valve was fitted underneath the smokebox, and which was controlled from the cab, allowed the locomotive to be switched from simple to compound working. The boiler fitted to No.292 was pressed to work at 225psi, but actually normally worked at around 200psi, with no evidence to suggest it worked at the highest pressure. No.292 was withdrawn from service in 1927 and scrapped in 1928.
Another four-cylinder compound example of the C1 Class, No.1300, was built by the Vulcan Foundry in July 1905, and was an experimental locomotive that differed greatly from all the others. It was similar in appearance to No.292, in that it had the high-pressure cylinders on the outside and divided drive, but the boiler was paired with a narrow firebox and ran at a boiler pressure of 200psi. What made No.1300 different from No.292 was that the high-pressure cylinders were 14in in diameter with a 26in piston stroke, while the low-pressure cylinders were 23in in diameter with a 26in piston stroke, giving No.1300 a tractive effort of 22,100lbf. Due to various problems that arose in the first few thousand miles of running, No.1300 quickly developed a bad reputation with her crews. Despite a number of different modifications that were made over the years, including the fitting a superheater, lengthening the smokebox by 9 inches, and reducing the boiler pressure to 175psi, the performance of No.1300 was still unsatisfactory. When No.1300 fractured a cylinder in 1917, the chance was taken to rebuild it with only two cylinders. New front-end frames were fitted, but the non-standard boiler was kept, yet No.1300 continued to perform poorly and was withdrawn in October 1924, having only covered 390,798 miles during her career.
Another example of the class, No.1421, was the last of the C1 compound engines, and it incorporated features from both No.292 and No.1300, including the layout of cylinders and valve gear from No.292, but the Stephenson valve gear on the inside was replaced with Walschaerts valve gear. The slide valves were also repositioned slightly differently, which allowed the inside cylinders to be increased in diameter to 18in, with the boiler pressure being 200psi. During its runs, No.1421 had a reputation of being a better performer than No.292, although it did suffer from various problems. In 1914, Nigel Gresley modified No.1421 by adding a 22-element superheater, and then in 1920 No.1421 was rebuilt as a standard C1 Atlantic with a 24-element superheater and piston valves, and it ran in this way until it was withdrawn in 1947.
One of the last things Ivatt did with the C1 Class Atlantics while he was the C.M.E. of the G.N.R. was to fit both piston valves and Schmidt superheaters to the last 10 engines that were built in 1910. The fitting of a superheater was also matched by increasing the size of the cylinders from 18.75in to 20in, which allowed the boiler pressure to be reduced from 170psi to 150psi.
When Gresley succeeded Ivatt as the Great Northern Railway's C.M.E. in 1911, he built no further Atlantics, however he did continue to make further improvements to the C1 Class. The fact that the designs of both the C1 and C2 Class Atlantics were capable of so many improvements delayed the need for the G.N.R. to invest in new express passenger locomotives until 1922, when Gresley introduced his A1 Class Pacific design.
In 1914, No.279 was rebuilt with four 15in-diameter cylinders using simple expansion, and all of which drove the rear coupled driving axle. A new front end was fitted to No.279 and a second-hand boiler, with the pressure reduced from 175psi to 170psi and a 24-element Robinson superheater installed, was paired with No.279. In 1928, the boiler from No.3292 – withdrawn in 1929 – was fitted to No.279, which then had been renumbered to No.3279, and a completely new boiler was fitted in 1932, which was a 32-element superheater fitted as well as a deeper firebox, and Ross pop safety valves. A final rebuild was made in 1937, with No.3279 being converted to run on just two cylinders – which were based on those fitted to the K2 Class 2-6-0 engines with the cylinders being 20in in diameter with a 26in piston stroke – as well as having modern steam passages. In 1944, No.3279 was run in a number of coal consumption tests alongside Thompson B1 Class 4-6-0 No.8301 Springbok, with the B1 having a slight advantage in coal consumption over No.3279.
In July 1923, No.1419 was equipped with a booster engine in order to increase the tractive effort when it was starting with a heavier train as well as on steep gradients, as the booster could, in theory, increase the tractive effort by 50 percent. The cylinders of the booster engine were 10in in diameter with a 12in piston stroke and could give a tractive effort of 8,500lbf. The frames at the rear of No.1419 were lengthened at the rear to accommodate the booster, which allowed for a larger cab to be fitted. A Westinghouse pump was also fitted in order to operate the gear arrangement with compressed air. At the same time, No.1419 was fitted piston valves and a superheater so it was in line with other members of the class. Although the booster performed well during initial trials, a number of problems were noticed, including instances when the boiler pressure dropped when the booster was in use. Slipping was also a problem if the full steam pressure was applied, and the booster was of little use at speeds above 25mph. So, as a result of that, the booster engine was removed temporarily in July 1924 before it was refitted in February 1925. However, the booster engine was permanently removed in November 1935 due to various different problems it had, including causing poor riding.
When they first came into service the C1 Class Atlantics were put to work on the main Great Northern expresses that ran out of King's Cross in London, where they replaced the previous Stirling Singles. By 1912, the C1s were assigned to depots at King's Cross, Grantham, New England, and Doncaster. One example, No.1442, was selected as the G.N.R.'s official Royal engine in 1908 and was given the G.N.R.'s coat of arms as well as burnished fittings. On July 7th 1908, No.1442 hauled King Edward VII's train from London to Leeds, and in 1909 she was put on exhibit at the Imperial International Exhibition at White City in London.
In 1909, a series of trials took place between the C1 Atlantics and the Whale Precursor Class 4-4-0s of the London and North Western Railway (L.N.W.R.). During the course of the trials, the C1s showed that they had a small advantage in coal economy over the Precursors.
When the C1s first came into service in their early days, they didn't perform as well as had been originally expected, especially when hauling heavier trains. This became a concern in 1916, as wartime conditions caused train loads to increase to over 500 tons, which caused a number of C1s to stall in the tunnels to the north of Kings Cross. As a result of that, 4-4-0 pilot engines were provided for trains over 450 tons in weight between King's Cross and Potters Bar.
When Gresley introduced his A1 Pacifics onto the L.N.E.R. system, and then had them rebuilt to the more powerful A3 Class, and then with the introduction of the streamlined A4 Class Pacifics in the mid 1930's, the C1 Class Atlantics were reallocated to secondary passenger services, with them only being used on the main passenger services when there was a shortage of A3 and A4 Pacifics. They were allocated to other areas, including to Sheffield and Cambridge, and worked to other places they never visited in their early careers, including to Liverpool, Manchester, York, Leicester, as well as to Swindon via rails owned by the Great Western Railway. Those based from Cambridge worked on passenger trains which were marketed as "Garden Cities and Cambridge Buffet Expresses", which were quickly dubbed "Beer Trains".
During World War II, the C1 Class were put to work on heavy trains, often being seen north of York and even north of Newcastle on occasion. However, by this time, wartime conditions, as well as shortages of staff and spare parts took their toll on the remaining C1 Class engines, and so their conditions quickly deteriorated. With the introduction of Thompson's new B1 Class 4-6-0 mixed-traffic engines, many C1s were withdrawn from service. However, 17 members of the class survived until nationalisation of the railways took place in 1948 and, although all surviving members received B.R. numbers, only No.62822 received a B.R. number. Of the 17 surviving engines, only 4 still had their original Stephenson slide valves.
However, the pace of withdrawals continued rapidly, and by November 1950, only one member of the class was still in service, No.62822. Before she was finally withdrawn, No.62822 hauled a special train from King's Cross to Doncaster to mark the end of C1 Class Atlantics long years of service, with the return trip to King's Cross being hauled by Peppercorn A1 Pacific which was, rather appropriately, No.60123 H.A. Ivatt. After hauling the train to Doncaster, No.62822 was withdrawn from service and scrapped at Doncaster Works.
Thankfully, one member of the C1 Class has survived into preservation; this is none other than the first example to be built, No.251 (L.N.E.R. No.2800). She was built in Doncaster Works in December 1902, she was fitted with a superheated boiler in August 1918, and in December 1923 her valve gear was changed from slide valves to piston valves. She had been saved for preservation even before the final member of the class had been withdrawn in November 1950. After being withdrawn in July 1947, she was restored to its original G.N.R. condition, complete with its original number of No.251. After being restored, she and preserved C2 Class Small Boiler Atlantic "Klondike" No.990 Henry Oakley on two special weekends of trips which were entitled Plant Centenarian in 1953, which celebrated the 100th Anniversary of Doncaster Works. No.251 performed poorly during these trips as the superheater had been removed from the boiler, and so C2 Class No.990 Henry Oakley would pilot the trains with No.251 coupled behind. Further trips followed until September 1954, but it wasn't until March 1957 when she was placed inside York Museum. For many years, No.251 was placed on static display in a number of places, including in York's National Railway Museum, the Locomotion Museum in Shildon, Bressingham Steam Museum, and Barrow Hill Engine Shed. As of 2024, No.251 is on static display in the Danum Gallery Library and Museum in Doncaster, so it's highly unlikely that she'll ever run again.
The boiler from another C1, No.3287, has also survived into preservation and is currently at the Bluebell Railway in Sussex, where it will be used on the replica of L.B.S.C.R. H2 Class 4-4-2 Atlantic, No.32424 Beachy Head.
After the yard manager introduced both Carrie and Simon to the driver and fireman of No.3286, the pair of them placed their bags onto the footplate and then set to work at helping with getting No.3286 ready for his first train of the day. And with much of the work having been done not too long earlier in the morning, Carrie and Simon didn't have too much work to do in helping to get things ready, including helping to oil around the motion and other moving parts, as well as to keep the fire burning brightly so as to make plenty of steam and rubbing down the paintwork with rags and polish.
It wasn't too long before everything was completed at preparing No.3286 for his first train of the day, and it was time for them to enjoy their well-earned reward, which was a hot breakfast cooked on the shovel over the fire inside the firebox.
(Back to the present)
"And there we are! The sausages are finished! And it didn't take too long in a firebox as hot as that!" Simon said, as he pulled out the shovel from the firebox, now that the sausages had finished cooking. Using the fork he had, he removed the sausages from the shovel one by one onto a plate with tissues on it so as to absorb the oil from the cooking.
"Looks good to me!" the driver said, as he, the fireman, and Carrie set about preparing their hot breakfasts with the sausages, bacon, eggs, black and white pudding, and fried bread.
"And I hope it all tastes as good as it looks!" Simon said, as he tipped the shovel into the hot firebox and then watched as the oil dripped off the blade and ignited on contact with the hot coals in bright white flames.
A few moments later, they settled down to enjoy their hot breakfasts, with Carrie and Simon sitting down together on an old bench very near to where No.3286 was sitting.
"Hmm, this is good." Carrie said, as she enjoyed her food.
"I agree. Cooking food on the shovel is a great way to enjoy breakfast." Simon said, as he took a sip of hot tea in his white enamel mug.
"Hmm…" Carrie murmured. Taking a moment to look up, Carrie took a look at the sights of work being done within the yard, with men going back and forth with different sorts of tools in their hands or being loaded inside wheelbarrows, trucks being shunted on some of the longer sidings, as well as the sounds of other engines moving around somewhere in the yard. Taking a look up, Carrie saw the sun rise slowly into the morning sky which was bright blue and had no clouds in sight at all. It certainly promised to be a fine early autumn day. Feeling herself smile somewhat, Carrie continued on with enjoying her breakfast.
Once they finished eating a few minutes later, and had all the eating utensils taken away to be cleaned in the crew building, the yard manager gave them their job for the morning; they were to take the 9:20am train from Vicarstown Station along the Southern Main Line to Knapford, with stops to be made along the way at Crovan's Gate, Kellsthorpe, Kildane-Upon-Barn, Sodor International Airport, and Wellsworth before they finally got to Knapford.
"I've heard quite a few of those passengers who are going to be on the train will be going to the airport this morning, and so they'll need to get to the airport on time." the yard manager said, as the driver looked through the timetable he had been handed.
"I understand, and I'll do what I can to get those people to the airport." the driver said. The yard manager looked down at his watch; the time was now 8:39am.
"Well, you'd better get yourself ready to go soon. There's not much time until your train leaves." said the yard manager, and he turned and went back to the office.
As the driver, fireman, Carrie and Simon set about making the last preparations around No.3286 for his first train, Carrie noticed Chloe and Laura coming towards them, as Flying Scotsman was ready to leave the depot to pick up his train that would be heading to York in a short while.
"Well, Carrie…it's time for us and Flying Scotsman to be off on our way back to collect our train and then be off to the main land." Chloe said.
"Can I just say it was nice to work with you two during the summer. And it was also nice to work with you as well, Scotty." Carrie said, as she spoke to Chloe and Laura, and then turned her attention to Flying Scotsman.
"It was nice to work with you as well, Carrie. And it was a still a shock when you told your story to me and all the others a few weeks back." Flying Scotsman said.
"Well…I did tell it so that you would understand a little bit more about me, and why I'm here on Sodor in the first place." Carrie said.
"Oh, of course." said Flying Scotsman.
"And are you really heading back home today?" Carrie asked.
"We are, Carrie. After all…we were only here on Sodor for a few weeks during the summer. And that's now come to an end." Chloe said.
"I understand that. But when do you think we'll see you back here on Sodor again?" Simon asked.
"A lot sooner than you may think, Simon. But I'd rather not say when that'll be." Flying Scotsman said, as he gave them a slightly sly look.
"Oh, okay then. I guess it's best to wait for that to happen." Carrie said.
"Absolutely! Anyway, I think it's time we were off to fill up the tenders with water, and then off to the station to collect our train." Chloe said, as she climbed up to Flying Scotsman's footplate followed a moment later by Laura. After a few moments, they blew the whistle and then set off out of the shed to refill the tender tanks with more water.
"Best of luck today! And we'll see you all soon!" Flying Scotsman said, as he slowly rolled out from the shed.
"Thanks, Scotty!" Carrie said, as she waved.
"And good luck getting home!" Simon called, as he also waved. From where he was standing on the line beside where Flying Scotsman had just been, No.3286 also blew his whistle.
"Best of luck, Scotty!" No.3286 called, and they all watched as Flying Scotsman rolled away into the yard and out of sight.
A few minutes later, with the final preparations now complete, it was time for No.3286 to be off to collect his train from the station. With everything ready, his crew, along with Simon and Carrie, stepped aboard the footplate. Given the all clear to go, the driver blew the whistle and then gently opened the regulator a little, and they slowly set off out of the shed and into the yard. There was no need to use the turntable before they left, as they were already facing the direction they were going to be going when they left Vicarstown with their train.
"This cab doesn't look like it could provide much protection." Carrie said, noticing how limited the shelter was from the small cab, which seemed smaller as the back of the boiler intruded back quite a bit into the footplate and the roof of the cab didn't look like it could offer much protection.
"Well…that's because it doesn't really, Carrie. It's fine for a nice day like this when there's bright sunshine, but in the wintertime, or if it rains, we do have to assemble a water-proof tarpaulin from the cab roof to the front of the tender to give protection." said the driver.
"And that doesn't give as much protection as it really should." added the fireman.
"Well…let's hope it won't rain today." Carrie said.
"It shouldn't. The weather forecast last night said the weather for today would be perfect." Simon said.
After leaving the depot, they slowly reversed along the main line towards Vicarstown Station to collect their train. As they made their way along, they were passed by L.M.S. Princess Coronation Pacific No.6222 Queen Mary, with her streamlined appearance with the Caledonian Blue livery and silver stripes having been smartly polished, and a long passenger train of 15 coaches behind her, which were in the exact same livery as she was with silver stripes running down their sides. Mary was heading to Knapford with one of the morning non-stop express trains, and her coaches were full of passengers making the journey to the western side of Sodor. Giving a loud blast from her Caledonian-style whistle as she went by, she headed on down the line with her coaches rattling along behind her. The driver of No.3286 blew his own whistle in reply as they reversed along the other line.
They soon arrived in Vicarstown Station, and reversed gently along the line to Platform 3, where their train, consisting of 10 coaches, waited for them. Standing on the long platform were the passengers who would be taking the train to their respective destinations, as well as members of the station staff who were helping out the passengers with moving their luggage or helping them board the train. After No.3286 had gently buffered up to the train and was being coupled up, Carrie and Simon looked back along the platform to see how many passengers there were.
"Looks like we're going to have quite a packed train this morning." Simon said.
"It sure looks like it. I wonder if there'll be enough room in the coaches for everyone to have a place to sit down." Carrie said.
"I'm sure there might be. I've been around quite a long time, and I've seen more people than that on a train like this." said the driver.
"Well, let's hope you're right about that." Carrie said.
Taking a few moments to look around the station towards the other platforms, Carrie tried to see if there were any other trains around, but to her surprise there was nothing else around.
"Where do you suppose Flying Scotsman is?" Carrie asked, as she looked around, expecting to see him.
"Oh, I suppose he's already left from here and gone back to the main land by now, Carrie. After all, with an engine as famous as Flying Scotsman, a train full of railway enthusiasts can't wait around for long." Simon said.
"Yeah, I suppose you're right about that, Simon. After all, Flying Scotsman can't wait around now, can he?" Carrie said, as she looked back along the platform at the passengers boarding the coaches.
Among the passengers who were getting aboard this train were three American businessmen, and who were pulling their larger bags with all their things behind them and had their laptop bags over their shoulders. They had been on Sodor for a series of business meetings over the past 10 days, and they were now on the first leg of their journey home to the United States, which was Chamberlain, Maine.
"I tell you what…I'm looking forward to getting home after the meetings we've been attending here." said one of the businessmen.
"Indeed, and although the Island of Sodor is a great place to be and to visit, I'm really looking forward to seeing my wife and kids again." said the second businessman.
"Me too. I really love my wife and daughter, and I can't stand being away from them for very long periods of time." the third businessman said.
"Likewise. I'm looking forward to a smooth ride on the train to the airport, and then the long flight home to Maine." the first businessman said.
"And let's hope that the process of going through the airport goes smoothly today. I hope that nothing goes wrong and we'll get through security without a problem." said the third businessman.
"Agreed!" the second businessman said. And then the three businessmen climbed aboard the first-class coach at the very front of the train and made their way to their compartment, where they placed their bags onto the overhead luggage racks, and then sat down and waited for the moment when the train would set off from the station. At the same time, they began chatting with each other about what to get from the buffet coach, which was coupled right behind the first-class coach.
The minutes ticked on by, and soon the time was 9:20am, and time for the train to set off. With the doors to the coaches closed up, and all the luggage loaded up, the guard stepped out from his compartment in the front coach and blew his whistle while waving his green flag. At the same time, the signalman on duty in his signal box had set the points and also set the signal to show the line was clear for No.3286 to depart.
"Okay, here we go!" the driver said, as he blew the whistle and then opened the regulator.
"Hang on to yourselves, you two! The ride on one of these Atlantics can be quite rough at times!" the fireman said to Simon and Carrie.
"How rough do you mean?" Carrie asked, as No.3286 started to move slowly forwards out of the station.
"Well…if you're trying to keep the firebox stoked…you'll need to have very wide and flat feet to be able to stand up on one of these engines at speed." the fireman said.
"Well…it sounds like a challenge to me!" Simon said, as he reached for the coal shovel and got ready to stoke the boiler. Carrie wasn't feeling so such, and she placed her hand onto the front of the tender so as to keep herself steady.
As the train rolled steadily out from Vicarstown Station and onto the long viaduct that took the line off to the west, the buffet coach in the train opened for business, with those working away behind the counter starting to serve out a good selection of food, including hot breakfast food, sandwiches, snacks, and drinks, while a trolley service began with other servers serving passengers at their tables in the other coaches.
In the first-class coach, the three businessmen were chatting away with each other as the train began to pick up some more speed as it went along the line. Then there was a knock at the sliding door, and it was opened by a woman with a serving trolley in the corridor outside.
"Can I offer you any refreshments from the trolley?" she asked. So, the three men each ordered a cup of hot coffee, along with either a sandwich or a pastry, before the woman went on her way to the next compartment.
"Second coffee of the day." the first businessman said, as he took the first sip of his coffee.
"Likewise. No idea how many coffees I'll be having before the day is out." said the second businessman, as he unwrapped his sandwich from its packet.
"I'm gonna try to not have too many coffees before we get onto the flight. After all, I want to try and have a good sleep on the plane so that I'm rested up when we get back." said the third businessman, just before he took a sip of his own coffee.
"That sounds fair enough, but I'm still feeling a little tired and I feel I need an extra caffeine boost to help wake me up a bit." said the first businessman.
"All right then." and all three men were silent for a while as they enjoyed their coffee and sandwiches or pastries.
It wasn't too long before No.3286 finally arrived at his first stop for this journey, which was Crovan's Gate. During the first part of the run Carrie had tried to stoke the boiler with coal from the tender but, due to the speed they were going at, the back of No.3286 was rocking back and forth in such a way that keeping her feet so she could stoke the boiler with coal proved quite a challenge. She did manage to get some coal into the firebox, but at the cost of spilling some coal over the footplate while trying to do so. Eventually, after placing three shovelfuls into the firebox, she had to admit defeat and handed the shovel to the fireman, who took over of stoking the boiler while they were on the move. Simon and Carrie decided, however, that they would still do what they could to stoke the boiler of No.3286 for the rest of the journey, even if it meant risking spilling coal from the shovel or even losing their footing and falling while trying.
Once they came to a stop at the platform at Crovan's Gate, the doors to the coaches were opened, and the small number of passengers who were waiting to catch this train boarded and took their seats. In the first-class coach, the three businessmen were chatting with each other about a meeting they had been to the day before in Vicarstown when the door to the compartment opened and a man appeared in the doorway.
"Excuse me, I have a place to sit in here. You don't mind if I sit with you?" he asked. He was dressed in a smart business suit, and from his accent the three American businessmen could tell this man was Scottish.
"Oh sure, not at all. There's plenty of space." said the second businessman, as he gestured his hand to an empty seat.
"Thanks. It's a relief to sit down on this trip." the man said, as he sat down while placing her laptop bag beside him.
"Oh, I know what you mean by that. Having to stand in a crowded train for a whole journey is no fun at all." the third businessman said.
It wasn't too long before the last of the passengers had board the train and, with the last of the doors on the coaches closed up, No.3286 could proceed on his way again. With the signal showing green and the guard having blown his whistle and waved his green flag, the driver blew the whistle for a few seconds and then opened the regulator a little.
Slowly, with steam blowing out in front, No.3286 headed on up the line, taking up the weight of his coaches as he did so. As they set off, Carrie took another go with stoking the boiler, and this time as they were going at a slower pace, and the back end wasn't shaking about as much, stoking the boiler with coal was a much easier task than it would be if they were going at a faster pace.
Eventually, as the speed gradually built up, Carrie felt the movement beneath her begin again, and already finding it difficult to keep her feet as they went faster, she stood up straight after placing a fifth shovelful of coal into the firebox.
"It certainly is difficult to keep your feet when the footplate moves back and forth on this engine." Carrie said, as she handed the shovel to the fireman.
"Well, it is difficult when you start, but once you've been working on one of these engines for a long while, you do get used to this rough riding and can master the technique for keeping the boiler stoked while keeping on your own two feet." the fireman said.
"Let's hope so." Carrie said, as she went over to the fireman's side of the cab and looked out ahead while keeping her hands on anything that wouldn't move to keep herself steady as they went along the line.
As the train went along the Southern Main Line, the passengers back in the train all relaxed and enjoyed the trip, with many of them chatting together or reading books, magazines, or the newspapers, or even working on their laptops. In the compartment in the first-class coach, the three American businessmen were chatting together with the Scottish businessman who had stepped into the compartment at Crovan's Gate.
"And so, which part of the United States are you three boys from?" the Scottish businessman asked.
"We're all from Chamberlain in Maine. That's in the north-east corner of the United States." said the third businessman.
"Hang on a second, Chamberlain…Chamberlain…why does that name ring a bell for some reason?" the Scottish businessman said, as he rubbed his chin in thought.
"Oh, that's the town that a teenager girl ran away from last November. Her name is Carrie White, and she had been badly bullied in her high school as well as having been abused by her abusive mother." said the second businessman, as he turned his attention to the other man.
"Oh, Carrie White! Now I know why Chamberlain popped into my head. Yes, I heard quite a lot about that girl in the press when it first emerged back November. And considering what I heard about what she had gone through in that town over the years, I really don't blame her in the slightest for running away from home like that." said the Scottish businessman.
"And neither do I. I think I would have probably done the same thing as well if I had been in her position." said the first businessman.
"Fair point. But has there been any recent reports about that girl's disappearance or any updates in the search for her?" the Scottish businessman asked.
"Yeah, there was a recent news article that came up this morning regarding the search for Carrie White. It says the police received information about a possible sighting of her in the area of Boston, and some officers have been assigned to investigate this avenue of interest." said the second businessman, as he checked his phone for the article and then showed it. At the top of the article was a photo of the missing Carrie White, and below it was the latest story regard the search for her.
"I hope it doesn't turn out to be another false alarm. I think there's been around about half a dozen or so of them this year." said the first businessman.
"Well…I guess that's to be expected when someone goes missing. But the poor girl…to hear about what she went through when she was back in that town…to be bullied day after day in school…and to be abused by her own mother behind closed doors…that just isn't right." said the Scottish businessman.
"I know…and I hope that Carrie White is okay, wherever she may be." said the second businessman.
"Here, here." said the third businessman.
The four men continued on with chatting with each other as the trip went on, being interrupted only when they were pulling in at Kellsthorpe Station, and then at Kildane-Upon-Barn a little further on, as well as by one of the train stewards going around with a clear plastic bag and collecting the rubbish.
Soon, the train turned off from the Southern Main Line at the spur to the north west of Kildane-Upon-Barn, and made its way along the stretch of line towards the airport. As they approached, and the lines opened out to more lines the closer they got to the airport station, Carrie was wondering just how many of the passengers would be getting off from here and getting flights to where they needed to go to. They would have to stop here for a bit longer than at the other stations, as they needed to top up the water in the tender tank before they could set off on their way again.
As the driver closed the regulator and gently put the brakes on, Carrie looked up to her left and saw the airport hotel that was standing on the raised embankment and that seemed to tower over the different lines they were going along, as well as the railway station only about two or three hundred yards in the distance.
They soon pulled into the station at the line that ran alongside Platform 8, which was right in the middle part of the station. With a gentle squealing of the brakes, the driver brought No.3286 to a gentle halt. The time on the clock over the platform showed the time as being 10:10am, and they had arrived right on time. At the same time as the train came to a stop, the porters opened the doors to the coaches and the passengers who were to get off here stepped off the coaches one by one before making their way up the stairs to one of the footbridges that crossover the platforms and lines to the side of the station that was closest to the airport terminal.
In the first-class coach, on being told by one of the coach attendants that they were arriving at the airport station, the three American businessmen set about gathering up all their things and preparing to leave the coach compartment. One of the things the first businessman grabbed was his camera, as he was hoping to get a picture or two of the crew of the engine who took them here to the airport.
"Good luck to you three on getting home to the States." said the Scottish businessman, as he watched the three American businessmen leave the compartment.
"Thanks, and it was great talking to you!" the first businessman said, as he stepped out from the compartment with his bags and down the corridor.
"And good luck with your meeting later on today!" the second businessman said, as he stepped out of the compartment, followed a moment later by the third businessman.
"Thanks! I think I might need it!" the Scottish businessman said, as he finally had the compartment to himself at last.
Once they had stepped off the first-class coach, the three American businessmen walked forward a few meters to where No.3286 had stopped, and where the crew was preparing to top up the tender tank with more water. The first businessman, with his camera in his hand, stepped up to the footplate.
"Hey there!" he said, as he stepped up.
"Oh, can we help you, sir?" the driver asked, as he turned from having just adjusted the controls for setting off again. Carrie, Simon, and the fireman also turned their attentions towards this American man who had just stepped up to the side of the footplate.
"No, I just want to thank you guys for giving us such a smooth ride and getting us here bang on time!" the first businessman said, sounding pleased.
"Oh, it's no trouble at all, sir! After all, on the railways of Sodor, we always strive to get our passengers to their destinations on time!" Simon said.
"Anyway, I was wondering if I could get a photograph or two of the engine's crew before I have to get up to the airport terminal? Just one for the album you know." he said, as he showed them his camera.
"I don't see why not." said the driver, and so the first businessman switched his camera on, brought it up to his eyes, and he snapped a picture of the driver, fireman, Carrie, and Simon together. And then he snapped two more pictures for luck, including one where Simon and Carrie were standing together side by side. Carrie had already removed her cap from her head a moment before, and so the first businessman was able to get a really good shot of her whole face.
"Thanks for these, you lot! Best be on my way now! Thanks again!" and the first businessman turned and went to meet up with his colleagues before they went to the airport.
"No problem there, sir!" said the driver, as he and the others on the footplate watched the three men walked up the steps to the footbridge and then head off in the direction of the airport terminal.
"Typical thing to experience." said the fireman.
"What do you mean?" Simon asked.
"Whenever tourists or holidaymakers get off the trains, many of them come up to the side of the cab to thank the crew or to have a quick look inside before they move on their way." the fireman said.
"Indeed, and we've all seen it many times over the years…and it doesn't matter at which time of the year it is too!" said the driver.
"Anyway…shall we get the tender tank refilled with more water while we've got the time to do so?" Simon said.
"Sounds like a good idea to me! Let's get to it!" the fireman said. And so they set to it, with Carrie climbing up into the tender from the footplate and making her way to where the cap over the water tank was. Simon stepped off the footplate, and walked back along the platform to where the water column was standing, and they set to work at refilling the tender tank.
(Meanwhile, inside the airport terminal)
The three American businessmen, having walked from the main station building about three hundred yards away, entered the departures section of the terminal building and lined up at the queue of people who were catching the flight to Maine, which was due to depart from the airport at 12:50pm. As they waited in the line for their turn to check in their luggage at the desk, the first businessman couldn't help but think back to the girl he had seen on the footplate of No.3286 back at the station just a short while before; there was something about her face that looked…awfully familiar…but he just couldn't put his finger on WHERE he had seen her before.
Once the three men had checked in their larger items of luggage at the check-in desk and had their tickets confirmed, they went off upstairs to go through airport security, where they had their carry-on bags go through the x-ray scanners, and then went into the duty-free area. Here there was a wide variety of different shops to get various different duty-free items, books, and other things, as well as a variety of different places to get things to eat, and the different airport lounges.
After having gone through some of the duty-free shops, where they bought a few things, they went into one of the lounges for first-class passengers. This lounge occupied two levels and offered plenty of comfortable places to sit in a quiet environment, as well as to work on laptops, chat quietly with other people, and, of course, to get something to eat. After getting a few things to eat and drink while they waited to go to the gate to board their flight, the three businessmen went over to one of the tables to enjoy their food and chat with each other. They also had a wide-open view over the airport apron that was spread out before them, and could see different aircraft being serviced and made ready for their long flights, as well as seeing aircraft take off and land on the long runway stretched out before them.
As they sat and chatted with each other, while they enjoyed their food and took in the sights of the activity going on within the apron, the first businessman still had his thoughts on the very familiar girl he had seen a short while before after they disembarked from the train.
"Hey…what's on your mind?" the second businessman asked, noticing the look on his colleague's face.
"You know when I got the pictures of that engine crew before we left the station?"
"Yes?"
"And you saw there was a girl on the footplate as well?" the first businessman said.
"Of course." said the third businessman.
"Well…there's something about that girl that looked VERY familiar." the first businessman said, as he took out his camera, turned it on, and then showed his two colleagues the pictures of the girl who had been on the footplate of No.3286. The two of them looked at the pictures carefully, and then they looked at each other in some realisation.
"Hang on…she DOES look familiar. Wait a second…let me just check something here." the second businessman said, as he pulled out his phone and checked the news article that he had shown the Scottish businessman on the train earlier on. He found it very quickly, and then he compared the picture of Carrie White in the news article to the pictures taken of the girl on the footplate of No.3286 a little earlier on.
"Oh…my goodness…" he said, as he looked between the two pictures again and again.
"What?" asked the first businessman.
"I think that girl we saw a short while ago was likely the missing Carrie White." the second businessman said, as he looked up at his colleagues.
"Wait…are you sure about that?" the third businessman asked, as he himself checked the two pictures himself to be sure.
"There's no doubt about it in my mind. The girl that we all saw down at the station a short while before…she matches the appearance of Carrie White in just about all respects. It HAS to be her." the second businessman said. There was a moment of stunned silence amongst the three men as the realisation of who they had seen a short while before sunk into their minds.
"Do you think we should report this sighting to the police department in Chamberlain when we get back?" the first businessman asked.
"I think you should. After all, you did get a very clear shot of her." the second businessman said, as he handed the camera back to his colleague.
"All right. As soon as we get back to Chamberlain, I'll take this shot down to the police and report it. Though it will depend on how tired I am when we get back." the first businessman said, as he took his camera back and switched it off.
The three men stayed in the lounge for another hour or so, before an announcement came out over the P.A. system, which was proceeding by a dinging sound.
"May I have your attention please? Would all passengers who are boarding AA Flight-8653 to Western Maine Airport please proceed to Gate 10? AA Flight-8653 is now ready for boarding, so would all passengers please proceed to Gate 10."
"Come on, boys. That's our flight." the second businessman said, as he gathered up his things.
"Let's go then. Time to be off on our way home." the first businessman said, as he stood up from the armchair he was sitting on.
"It'll be good to be on that plane and then back home again." the third businessman said, as he picked up his laptop bag and whatever else he had with him. The time on the clock fitted to the wall showed the time as being 12:15pm.
(Meanwhile, with Carrie and Simon)
By this point, the passenger train hauled by No.3286 had already terminated at Knapford Station and the last passengers had disembarked from the coaches. After No.3286 was uncoupled from the coaches, he made his way along the line towards Tidmouth Sheds, where he would be serviced and checked by the shed crew before he went out for his next train later on. In the meantime, both Simon and Carrie had finished with their first job for the day, and they went off to rest and have some well-earned lunch before they went out again for their next job in the afternoon.
By now, both Simon and Carrie were at the crew building close to Tidmouth Sheds. After having placed their bags into lockers in the changing rooms, they both went down to the cafeteria to have some good food and rest from their somewhat rougher ride than expected, due to the historical fact that the C1 Atlantic locomotives had a tendency for rough riding.
"I hope the next engines we're assigned to work on later today will be somewhat smoother riding than No.3286." Carrie said, as she took in another spoonful of soup.
"Here, here! No.3286 is a good engine to be around and means well…but the fact that he and the other members of his class are known for rough riding." Simon said, as he took in another forkful of his roast pork lunch.
As she finished off her soup before she started on the bowl of stew she had before her, Carrie took a brief look outside the windows; the sun was still shining brightly in a cloudless blue sky, but she knew that as they were now in September the weather was going to change as the month went on, with the temperatures gradually getting cooler with the nights slowly getting longer as the autumn went on and winter drew in.
By 1:00pm, both Carrie and Simon had finished their lunch and were ready to get back to work again. The yard manager was ready with the engines they were to work on for the rest of today, as well as the areas where they were to work.
"Okay, you two. Are you ready to get back to work?" the yard manager asked.
"Yes, sir!" Carrie and Simon said together.
"Very good! Now then…" the yard manager said, as he looked through his clipboard, "…oh, yes! Now, Simon…you're going to be working with No.7205 and doing whatever jobs need to be done on the Little Western for the rest of the day."
"That's fine with me, sir." Simon said.
"Good man. Now, Carrie…you're going to be working with No.2510 on Thomas' branch line for the rest of today, taking passengers along the line, as well as doing whatever other jobs that need to be done." said the yard manager (82).
"Thanks, and where is No.2510, by the way?" Carrie asked, as she looked around the yard.
"Follow me, you two. And I'll show you to your assigned engines." the yard manager said, as he turned and walked in the direction he knew to go, with Simon and Carrie following along closely behind him.
(82): The L.M.S. 3-cylinder Stanier 2-6-4T tank engine design was built to run on the busy commuter trains that ran on the London, Tilbury, and Southend Railway (L.T.S.R.). This line, which ran out from Fenchurch Station in London out to areas of Essex, Barking and Shoeburyness. There were also short stops in between stations along that line, which meant that the engines required to work on that line had to be both fast and powerful.
In order to meet this demand, William Stanier designed a brand-new class of 2-6-4T tank engines with three cylinders, of which 37 examples were built in total in two batches at Derby Works during 1934. They were essentially a development of the previous Fowler 2-6-4T Class tank engine design, but they were different in a number of ways, including having three cylinders with three independent sets of Walschaerts valve gear instead of two cylinders as per the original Fowler design, as well as having shorter smokeboxes and domeless boilers. Their boilers were of the taper design, and the tops of their side water tanks sloped down slightly at the front in order to allow for better visibility ahead for the crews. The class were numbered from No.2500 to No.2536.
Their three cylinders were 16in in diameter with a 26in piston stroke which, combined with a boiler fitted with superheating and pressed to 200psi and driving wheels that were 5ft 9in in diameter, the class had a maximum tractive effort of 24,600lbf. The three cylinders, all of which drove onto the second driving axle, gave the class a fast acceleration, which was important for the commuter trains they would be assigned to haul.
It had initially been planned to build 45 examples of the class, but production stopped after only 37 had been built. The reason for this was that Stanier had introduced a 2-cylinder version of the exact same design, which were numbered from No.2425 to No.2494, and from No.2537 to No.2672. These 2-cylinder tank engines were much easier to maintain than those with three cylinders, as the cylinders were on the outside of the engines, and so the 2-cylinder 2-6-4Ts were often chosen over those with three cylinders.
After being completed, the entire class was assigned to work on the L.T.S.R., and they proved themselves to be very popular engines with their crews, being very suitable for the job they were designed to do as well as having a good turn of speed as well, with speeds of up to and in excess of 70mph being recorded. However, their inside cylinder and valve gear did cause some maintenance issues, and so they were deemed to be unsuitable for other duties.
They spent their whole lives doing the job they were designed to do on the L.T.S.R., although they did venture farther afield to other places from time to time, including suburban duties from Euston Station. When the railways nationalised in January 1948, the entire class were renumbered from No.42500 to No.42536. In the early 1960's, when the newer electric multiple units (E.M.U.) were being introduced into service, withdrawals of the class began, with the first to be removed from service being No.42512 in November 1960. The rest of the class was slowly phased out over the intervening two years, with the final 29 engines being withdrawn en-masse in June 1962.
Thankfully, one example of the class has survived into preservation; this engine is none other than No.2500, the first member of the class to be built. Having spent its entire working life based at Shoeburyness, No.42500 was withdrawn from service in June 1962 and selected to become part of the National Collection. It was steamed at Bressingham between the early 1970's and the early 1980's, but has spent most of its time in preservation as a static exhibit at the National Railway Museum, bearing its original number No.2500 and painted in lined L.M.S. black livery. It's currently on loan to the Bury Transport Museum, with no plans to return her to working order.
The yard manager led both Simon and Carrie over to where No.7205 and No.2510 were being readied by their crews for the afternoon's work, with both tank engines having a full head of steam in their boilers and ready to start work. Their paintwork and all their brass parts had been fully rubbed down and polished as well so that they looked very smart for when they set off with the trains.
Once the yard manager had introduced Simon and Carrie to the respective crews they would be working with for today, he went back to the offices to finish whatever work he needed to do there, while Simon and Carrie helped the engine crews they were with get the last tasks on No.7205 and No.2510 ready before they could leave the yard.
It wasn't too long before No.2510 was finally ready to go, and with a friendly blast of his whistle, his driver released his brakes and gently opened the regulator. Slowly, with Carrie leaning out from the right-hand side of the cab, they rolled down the line to where they would pick up their train.
"I'll see you later on, Simon!" Carrie called, as she waved towards Simon.
"Good luck out there, Carrie!" Simon called, as he waved in reply.
"Let's go and get our train!" No.2510 said, as they rolled through the depot and towards the main line. Feeling herself smile as they rolled out onto the main line, Carrie wondered what the rest of the day would bring, and she hoped that nothing bad would happen before the day was over.
(In Chamberlain, next morning, 10:04am, Wednesday September 5th 2012)
"Hang on, sir…are you certain…absolutely certain…that this girl could in fact be the missing Carrie White?" the officer said, as he looked at the first businessman in some genuine astonishment. The picture of Carrie White as seen in many of the missing posters was on the desk before them, and right alongside of it was the picture that had been taken of Carrie White on the Island of Sodor only the day before.
"I still can't believe it myself, officer…but look at the two pictures…there's just no denying it in my opinion. That girl we saw at the airport station on Sodor yesterday has GOT to be the missing Carrie White. You can say all you like, but my mind's made up." said the first businessman. For several moments, the officer beside him, as well as three other officers with them, were all looking at the two pictures in some astonishment, as though they themselves were unable to believe that the two girls in the pictures were one and the same.
"All right, I understand that, sir. We haven't made too much progress in the last few weeks on the disappearance of Carrie White, and I think this could be the breakthrough we were hoping for." said the officer, whose name was Smith, as he rubbed his chin in deep thought.
"Well…this brings an entirely new front to the case, sir. This is a major twist that I don't thing any of us were expecting." said one of the other officers.
"Yes, but we need to make sure that this girl really is in fact the missing Carrie White. And we need to investigate on how she got over to Sodor in the first place. After all, we did track Carrie's movements as far as Portland, Maine…and then from there the trail went cold." Smith said, as he rubbed his chin in thought.
"What do you think we should do next?" asked one of the female officers.
"Well…I think we should get in touch with the harbour authorities down in Portland, and get information on all the ships that left from that port between the 10th of November and the 30th of November last year. And get all the information about them that we can, including the names of the ships, their cargoes, their destinations, the numbers of crewmen aboard them, the sizes of the ships…in fact, everything. Then, just to be absolutely certain this sighting is genuinely authentic…we should send a small team of officers over there on a reconnaissance mission to check and get some pictures of this girl…and be certain that she really is, in fact, Carrie White and not someone else." Officer Smith said.
"I think that sounds fair, sir." the female officer said.
After a moment, another of the officers spoke up.
"What about reporting this to the press, sir?"
"No! Not just yet. I want to make sure that this is a genuine sighting and, considering the number of false alarms that we've seen in the press in the last year, I want to go slowly and check this out carefully. I do not want to have any more false alarms in the press regarding this case." Smith said.
"Sounds like a good idea, sir." another officer said.
"When do you think should we send a team over to Sodor to investigate this avenue of interest, sir?" the female officer, whose last name was Bettis, asked.
"Well…the sooner the better, I'd say. We should make the arrangements for a small group to go over there and have a look as soon as we possibly can." Smith said.
"Shall we mention this to the people over at Ewen High School, sir?" another of the male officers, whose last name was Keith, said.
"Not just yet. I need to confirm if this girl is Carrie White or not before we proceed any further. So, I'd advise everyone in here to keep quiet about this for the foreseeable future. No one says anything about this to anyone…is that understood?" Smith said to the others at the table.
"Yes, sir!" they all said at once. And then, Officer Smith turned to the first businessman standing near to him.
"Thanks for giving us this information, sir. There had been a lack of good information for us to take the case forwards, and I think the info you gave us really helped." Smith said, as he shook the businessman's hand.
"It's no problem at all, officer. I was happy to give you the information I had…which I managed to get by accident, you might say." the first businessman said.
"And thanks again for it, sir. Anyway, I think it's best if we let you go on your way. I'm sure you have other things you need to do today." Officer Smith said.
"And indeed, I do. And I need to get as many of them done as possible before lunchtime. Thank you for your time." and the first businessman and, after gathering the things he brought with him, he turned round and walked out the door.
"Well…it looks like the case of Carrie White's disappearance has just taken a massive and unexpected turned." said Officer Bettis.
"Indeed, it has." Officer Smith said, as he rubbed his chin in thought. There was no telling now where events in the immediate future would go, now that they had strong photo evidence of where Carrie was now, but there was no doubt that things in the investigation would suddenly start speeding up quicker than they had done before.
(Meanwhile, over at Ewen High School)
With a loud ringing of a familiar bell, one of the periods of morning classes in school had just come to an end, and in moments all the corridors of Ewen High School filled up with students who had just finished up with one of the first classes of the day and who were now on their way to their next classes.
Sue Snell and Tommy Ross were among those who were on their way to their next classes, and they were already back into the usual routine of coming to school after the summer holidays. As they walked along the corridor to their next classes, they both passed by the area where Carrie's locker was, except that for this school year there was another student using the locker instead of Carrie.
"Do you think something will happen about the case into Carrie's disappearance? It's been quite a while since we heard anything." Tommy said.
"I don't know, to be honest. But then again…anything could happen. I really hope something does happen soon, as I'm getting concerned that the police might have given up the case altogether." Sue said.
"Just be patient, Sue. I'm sure that something will happen in the near future. We just need to keep our eyes and ears open for it." Tommy said, reassuringly.
"I agree…let's just wait and see." Sue said, as they went along to their next classes.
They soon came close to what their next class for the day would be, history. Before they went inside the classroom, they both saw Norma Watson and Freddy Holt standing together and chatting together before they went into the classroom.
"Hey, Norma, Freddy." Sue said, as she and Tommy approached them.
"Hi, Sue…hey Tommy." Norma said.
"Ready for another class?" Freddy asked.
"Yeah, we're ready for the next class, Freddy. Shall we all head inside the room and take our seats before class begins?" Tommy said.
"Yeah, let's do that." Norma said, as the four went inside the classroom, where the others were all sitting around and chatting with each other before class began. Among the others they could see at the different desks were Chris Hargensen, Tina Blake, Donna Blake, as well as the other girls in the group known as the Mortimer Snerds. Chris and Tina were giggling with each other about something, but Sue wasn't sure what they were laughing about, though she had a feeling it wasn't about something nice.
Tommy and Sue sat down at desks right beside each other and waited for class to start; they didn't have to wait for very long, as soon the teacher came into the classroom and went up to the desk at the head of the room. Silence fell as the teacher sat down at his desk, and then told them to take out their history books which they all did. As they turned the pages in their history books to the pages they were to start on, Sue settled down and got to work, just like all the days of school she had been used to ever since she had started in Ewen High School some years before.
And that's it for this chapter, everyone! It's the chapter when someone from her home town discovers she's on Sodor by simple sheer chance. This is the moment when no one knows where Carrie has ended up going to knowing where she is and what she's doing now, and I plan to develop this part of the plot in future chapters as the story goes on. Also, Flying Scotsman will be returning to the story in a future chapter! Please stayed tuned for more chapters that are to come.
To be continued;