After what could be maybe a few months on Sodor, it was now time for the Josephine Railway engines to go back home. It was a bit saddening for the engines to say goodbye, but it wasn't goodbye for them all. More like 'see you later'.
At Knapford Station, Braedey and Diana were ready to go, with Austin, Max, Belle, and Liliana both on the well-wagons. They were ready for the off. Sir Topham and Mr. Franklin stood at the platform, the latter about to board the coach.
"We thank you for what you've done for my engines and my railway." Sir Topham said to Mr. Franklin, tipping his top hat to them.
"It was definitely an enjoyable time for us all, sir." Mr. Franklin smiled back. Then, he gave a salute. "Maybe we'll come over another day."
"Maybe another day or so, sir. But we have got a railway to go home to and take care of." Braedey reminded to his controller.
Mr. Franklin smiled, looking to the GWR 4900 engine. "Of course, Braedey. I get it." He laughed, then he gave a final salute to Sir Topham. "Hope to see you soon."
"Take care on your way home. The tracks are clear for you." Sir Topham said.
"Come back and see us soon." The NWR engines whistle to the Josephine Railway engines.
"And we hope to see you all very soon." The Josephine Railway engines replied back with smiles on their faces.
The engines then gave a chorus of whistles, the Josephine Railway engines whistling back, and they all began to make their way down the rails, heading off to Vicarstown Station. The NWR engines soon began to make their way back to work, while the Josephine engines headed off down the line.
Soon enough, Braedey and Diana made their way down to Vicarstown Station, the GWR 4900 locomotive and Caledonian engine both needing a small rest before they continue on with their journey. The two engines began to take on more water, before they head off for the mainland.
As they waited, the sound of a large steam locomotive approaching the station. As they looked over to the platforms, they see a large red locomotive pulling in, coming to a gentle stop with a hiss of steam from her pistons. The engine was none other than Anna, who had the newly-formed Josephine Flyer express.
Anna is a LSWR (London & South Western Railway) Class T14 4-6-0 tender locomotive. Her type of engine was a class of ten 4-6-0 locomotives designed by Dugald Drummond for express passenger use on the London and South Western Railway (LNER) and constructed at Eastleigh in 1911–1912. Anna is painted in deep crimson red with yellow lining on the boiler, pistons, splashplate, wheel covers, as well as on the tender. She has the number 444 on her buffers, and on both sides of her cab. Anna has eyelashes, while she looks rather important.
The T14's were the most successful of Drummond's abysmal 4-6-0 designs for the LSWR, though displayed the old, costly liabilities of heavy coal/water consumption on a railway that didn't employ water troughs, which was combined with a high frequency of hot axle boxes. Both were complaints that had afflicted all previous 4-6-0s, and not endear to locomotive crews. In service, all were based at Nine Elms from new and were used exclusively on express duties to Bournemouth and Salisbury. However, the class struggled on these 'racing stretches.' This was true in the case of the tightly timed Salisbury workings. With intermediate stops at Surbiton and Woking, a D15 was the preferred power because they kept better time than a T14. In consequence, the T14s were utilised on the LSWR 'top link' for only 8 years, and were replaced upon grouping in 1923 by Maunsell's N15s, as they became available. However, their potential in 2nd duties gave Maunsell the opportunity to attempt to right problems associated to the original design. Superheating helped to solve the problems of efficiency in terms of coal and water, whilst the removal of the splashers meant ease of access to the wheels and airflow to the axleboxes. The first withdrawal took place in 1940 with 458 suffering air raid damage at Nine Elms shed. The rest continued into public ownership in 1948. However, the remainder continued to be withdrawn from November 1948, and the last one surviving until June 1951. As a result, none were preserved.
Anna was a recently constructed locomotive like that of Shadow. She had been built from original blueprints and design drawings from the LSWR, and built by the people in the National Railway Museum in York, who worked on Shadow, Madeline, and Flying Scotsman. Anna had spent some time at the museum. It took some time, but she was fully built and after trail runs, Anna was 100% ready for action. Once restored, instead of being bought by a businessman like Shadow, Anna began to run trains from London to Edinburgh, giving her the opportunity to stretch her wheels, and to take the 'Flying Scotsman' service to and from London and Edinburgh as special trains set up by the N.R.M to showcase Anna in action.
"Hello there, folks." Anna called to the Josephine engines. "On your way back home?" She asked.
"Yeah. How were things while we were away?" Braedey asked to Anna.
"The passengers didn't mind the change of engines, but they do miss their favourite league of engines." Anna explained to the engines. "Shadow and Madeline handled the express work, with Gwen and Johnny handling the shunting work and small trains, while Charlotte dealt with the tourist trains."
"That's good to hear. Glad to know the folks on our railway are adjusting to changes." Braedey sighed. "But, I will miss out Sodor and it's engines."
"Hey, it's okay. You might come over again one day." Anna reassured to him. "I mean, look at me. I never thought I'd be running at all, and yet, here I am."
"That is true." Diana agreed.
"Same here." Liliana implied.
"We are lucky." Austin called in.
"Yep." Belle smiled.
"The sooner we get back home, the better." Austin called in.
Just then, the signal had turned to green. Braedey and Diana blew their whistles, and they began to make their way down the line. Anna whistled to them, and she then headed off to get prepped for her next train back to Barrow-in-Furness.
Braedey and Diana soon passed by Barrow-in-Furness, seeing Madeline and Shadow with their trains, and they whistled hello to them, in which the LNER cousins whistled back to them. Belle and Liliana was more than happy to see their home rails again, with both Braedey and Diana also happy to be back home. Austin and Max were more than pleased to get back to work. Soon enough, the GWR 4900 locomotive and Caledonian engine pulled to a stop down at the shunting yards and engine sheds, now finally at home. Braedey and Diana got themselves uncoupled and they headed off to rest their wheels, while Liliana, Austin, Max, and Belle were unloaded from the well-wagons, lowered down onto their wheels on the tracks.
"I can't wait to get back to work." Austin rumbled, his engine coming to life. "Man, it be great to do some shunting now."
Mr. Franklin then got a phone call, which he responded to it, and he listened to the call. After five minutes, he ended the call, putting the phone into his pocket, then he looked over to both Belle and Liliana. "We've got trouble up the line. Seems like Johnny has had trouble with the coaches." He informed to them.
"I'll handle the coaches. Belle can handle Johnny." Liliana said to them. "Besides, I'd like to have a word or two with the coaches."
With that, the two female engines headed off down the line quickly, whistling out. Braedey and Diana were both resting by the water tower, their crews cooling off their rods and axles. Max and Austin were unloaded off the wagons, and they soon got back into shunting the trucks and coaches. With both Liliana and Belle, the two of them made their way up to part of the railway. The two were concerned about what has happened to Johnny, as well as the passengers. The two engines soon found Johnny and his passengers down the line, with Johnny derailed but fortunately sitting upright.
Johnny is a Midland Railway 2000 Class 0-6-4T steam locomotive designed by Richard Deeley. The class of engine was known as 'flatirons' or "hole-in-the-wall tanks" because of their distinctive shape; their side tanks extended to the front of the smokebox and they had a distinct cut-out in the side tanks to access the motion. He is painted in GWR green, black wheels, with the numbers 2040 in yellow on his side tanks, and a railway crest behind his cab.
The Midland Railway 2000 Class were originally developed from 0-4-4T types that were designed for commuter work with an extra set of driving wheels. Acceleration and stability, however, were poor and, after a derailment, they were relegated to freight work. All were rebuilt with Belpaire fireboxes and superheater between 1920 1926. The superheated engines had slightly longer smokeboxes, which extended slightly in front of the side tanks. The locomotives were passed off to the London, Midland, and Scottish Railway (LMS) in 1923. They kept their Midland Railway numbers and the LMS gave them the power classification 3P. All were withdrawn between 1935 and 1938. The standard parts would've mostly been used for spares rather than scrap. None were preserved.
Johnny is a unique locomotive: he was constructed by the same railway company who purchased Shadow. Johnny was built around March of 2005, and was in service in the October of that year. He was grateful to be built, and he promised to do a good job, if not better, than his predecessors did back in their prime years. Johnny was always one to help out, but sometimes, he would have slight teething troubles.
"What's happened here?" Belle asked to Johnny.
"I was told to take these passengers, since Shadow and Madeline were preoccupied." Johnny sighed. "The coaches weren't being friendly, and when I slowed down because of my sticky brakes, they thought I bumped them, and they shoved me right off the rails."
"Okay. I'll get you back on the rails, and Liliana will handle the coaches." Belle said to Johnny.
As this was happening, Liliana buffered up to the back of the coaches, and once they were uncoupled, she began to take them down the line back to the station. She was not happy with the coaches.
"I am ashamed of you!" Liliana scolded the coaches. "You might have not only damaged Johnny, but maybe even hurt your passengers." She snapped, as she goes along down the tracks.
The coaches quivered in response to one another. "We're sorry, Liliana." They whispered.
Liliana didn't say anything else, and she continued on down the line. She fumed to herself, as she headed back down. Eventually, she arrived at Marion Station, and waited for the passengers to disembark. They weren't happy about what happened, but understood the circumstances. After the passengers were finally off, Liliana shunted the coaches into the coach sidings, then she made her way over to the water tower.
"Those coaches..." Liliana muttered to herself in frustration. "They should know better than to just bump an engine off the rails, especially when they have passengers..."
"Something troubling you?" Madeline pulled up next to Liliana, coming to a gentle stop.
"Just the coaches being rude to Joseph, and causing him to derail." Liliana sighed.
"I see." Madeline replied. "Some coaches and trucks just don't know when to do something or anything right."
"Ain't that the truth." Liliana scoffed. "I mean, the trucks back on Sodor were troublesome in their own right. The only ones out of us that could put them in their place were Diana and Braedey."
"Well, those trucks should learn a thing or two from them." Madeline agreed with Liliana.
A few minutes later, Belle pulled in with Johnny. The latter didn't receive any damage from derailing, so it's rather fortunate. Still, it be best for him to be checked over to be on the safe side.
Now, Belle will take care of the tourist trains with Charlotte, with Liliana handling the maintenance trains as normal, with Braedey and Diana taking the passengers along. Austin and Max continued with the shunting, while also taking the occasional goods back and forth. Madeline and Shadow also handled the Josephine Flyer express with Anna, the three engines working the heavy express train like clockwork.
Everything seemed to be back to the way things were.
That evening, everyone arrived back at the sheds after a long day's work. Shadow and Madeline, along with Anna, were having their wheels and axles cooled down by special cooling vents under their rails. Braedey and Diana were next to them, while Austin and Max were on the other side of the sheds. Gwen and Johnny, along with Charlotte and Liliana, were in the middle of the sheds.
"Well, today was definitely one of the longest journeys we've had." Braedey sighed. "Travelling from Sodor to back home, then we get back into the fray of things. It's definitely been a workout day for us."
"For you and Diana, yes." Liliana countered. "Me and the others were sitting on well-wagons, and we just sat there."
"At least we're back on familiar tracks, and we can get back into the routine of things." Austin spoke up.
"That is true. We managed to handle things on your own while you guys were gone." Shadow informed to Braedey and his crew. "Well, we're gonna be here for a few more days, so things should eventually settle down for you fellas before we leave." He added on.
"Thanks to you and your crew for helping us out, Shadow." Braedey thanked. "Now, let's get some rest." He yawned.
With that, the engines soon went to sleep, resting their weary wheels, axles, and siderods, as they all fall into a deep sleep, waiting for the next day to come around.