Crovan's Gate Sheds, 1985

It was a cool, quiet evening on the Skarloey Railway, and Duke, Sir Handel and Peter Sam were the only engines wide awake. They were reminiscing on the good old days of the Mid-Sodor Railway, when something came to Sir Handel's smokebox.

"Granpuff, Stuart," he said, using the latter's old name, "do either of you get this feeling that, after he… well, got trapped at Cas-ny-Hawin, Stanley took his revenge on us and we were separated for twelve years?"

"What makes you say that, Falcon?" asked Duke.

"I was the one who gave him that nickname 'Smudger', and then the rest of us stuck to calling him that, even Mr. Jones. Even you, Granpuff, didn't take kindly to his attitude and work ethic either, saying that it wouldn't suit His Grace. Puffma being sold on probably didn't help either."

"And Atlas was furious with all of us," added Peter Sam. "And when our line closed down, Falcon and I suffered from abuse at the hands of Mr. Hockings at Peel Godred, and we lost Bertram, Freddie and Colin due to his cruel nature. He even threatened to do the same thing with you, Granpuff."

"Hmm… I'm not so sure about that," said Duke doubtfully. "Yes, bad things happened after the Mid-Sodor closed, but good things also came with it; Mr. Percival is our controller now, and he's taken great care of you, from what I understand, even going so far as to give you new names." He gave a quiet chuckle. "Mind you, I'll have to get used to calling you Sir Handel and Peter Sam now, but don't be surprised if I use your old names every now and again."

"You can call us whatever you like, Granpuff," said Peter Sam. "Stuart or Peter Sam, it's all the same to me."

"Likewise with Falcon or Sir Handel," added the dark blue tank engine.

Duke chuckled warmly. "I sure missed you two. Though I can't help but wonder… what happened to the rest of our fleet?"

Sir Handel and Peter Sam blinked in uncertainty. They hadn't heard from any of them since they left the Mid-Sodor Railway. However, I can shed some light to you on what became of these engines who came and went…

Following her retirement from active running service, Jennings had become a static exhibit in a park on the mainland. Although she'd been cosmetically restored, as the years would roll on by, she would be covered in dirt, rust and bird droppings, and survived many rainy and snowy days exposed to the elements. Jennings' fortunes would soon change, however, when the park was closed down and would be turned into an office block, and she was purchased by Amanda Hatt for the Rolling Hills Railway. Due to tight fundings, Jennings would once again find herself on static display, but this time, she would be looked after and cared for, and even have a roof above her cab to protect her from the elements. She's not alone, for she found the company of other engines on static display, telling visitors of their many escapades in the past. Whether or not Jennings will run again is uncertain, but it is hoped that one day, she will have a physical reunion with Duke, Sir Handel and Peter Sam.

Gerry and John were both transferred to work at a mining railroad in Quebec, Canada, moving overburden to be taken away in little wagons. They've both had uneventful careers prior to dieselization at the mines, and one day, John suffered a catastrophic breakdown while hauling some wagons that resulted in a final firing. On the other hand, Gerry was lucky, for she was bought out by representatives on the Indian Valley Railroad in the American state of Wisconsin. Due to her size, she only gives demonstration runs to visitors, alongside two other narrow gauge engines named Andrew and Arnold, and although it's the same routine, Gerry is at least thankful that she has many engines and visitors to talk to.

Albert, Jim and Tim were all dispatched to work for the military on the mainland. Upon arrival, they were repainted into an unlined dark green livery in lieu of camouflage. Albert's time with the military did not last very long, for on one of the munitions trains, some vans had caught fire, and he acted quickly to get them out of harm's way. Albert and his driver did not survive the explosion, and his fireman was badly injured. Their heroics did not go unnoticed, for they were all awarded the George Cross for preventing a worse catastrophe.

Jim and Tim, meanwhile, continued to serve many years with the military before being honorably discharged and preserved; Tim now resides at the Arlesburgh Maritime Museum, and Jim at the Spring Lakes Railway alongside Atlas. Between the closure of the Mid-Sodor Railway and her arrival on the Spring Lakes Railway, Atlas bounced from mine to mine in an attempt at finding work. Because of her evasiveness, much of Atlas' life during this time is shrouded in mystery, but hopefully one day, she will open up to tell some fascinating stories.

And what about Smudger, you ask? Well, he remains at the abandoned mine at Cas-ny-Hawin, trapped underneath water and rubble. When the mine began collapsing, Smudger alerted the workmen to get out of here, but he couldn't be rescued, for large rocks had crushed his smokebox and boiler, ending his life. A rescue operation seems very unlikely to dangers involved, and so, Smudger has remained trapped at the mine ever since. Those who were around when Smudger became a pumping engine – especially Duke and Sir Handel – wonder how much differently his life could've gone had they given him a proper chance to prove himself a really useful engine, and if the Mid-Sodor Railway could've lasted a little longer…

The legacy of the Mid-Sodor Railway survives with those who have proudly served it from its humble beginnings all the way up to its tragic closure. However, this is not the end of the story, for several years later, it was discovered that spoils from the lead mines had been used as ballast from motives of economy. When testing had been done to prove that this spoil was weed-resistant, the North Western, Skarloey and Culdee Fell Railways joined ranks to exploit it, and Sir Charles Topham Hatt suggested that a new railway be constructed along the former Mid-Sodor trackbed to transport it. A man by the name of Fergus Duncan would be elected to serve as controller for what would become the Arlesdale Railway…

But I mustn't say anymore, for there are many stories yet to be told.