After welcoming Ella to the Josephine Railway, the blue GNR Stirling Single was very pleased to be in a new home, and one where her owner/controller takes care of his engines like they are family. She was polished and cleaned by her new crew, and she was treated fairly. Ella even got her own rake of blue coaches to take with her.
The engines were very happy to have Ella amongst their group and family, the workmen and passengers all taking a liking to the blue engine. In addition, Mr. Franklin and his family were happy to welcome her in.
But all the while, trouble is brewing behind closed doors...
On a calm Monday morning, the sun rose above the horizon, shining across the landscape. Over at Marion Station, Mr. Franklin drove up into the carpark. He made his way to his office, and he prepared himself for a long day today. As he made his way inside, he got himself a cup of coffee, and he began to check out the latest of information regarding the Josephine Railway.
As he does so, Mr. Franklin was cut off from his calm morning due to the sound of screeching tyres outside. He looked to the window and sighed when he saw an Aston Martin Vantage parked up outside. He knew who this was.
'Why, out of all the days?' Mr. Franklin sighed to himself. 'And I was really hoping for a stress-free day today before I get ready.'
A moment goes by, then someone swung the door open to Franklin's office, revealing that someone to be his father-in-law, Jackson Dayton, who is Caitlyn's mother. He has short brown hair with green eyes behind thin-framed rectangular glasses, plus a green shirt under a black suit jacket and tie, black pants and shoes.
"Franklin. We need to talk. Right now." Jackson spoke out.
Mr. Franklin sighed. "What is it now, Jackson?"
"It's about this." Jackson pulled out some files and slammed them down onto the desk in front of Franklin. "I've been doing some number crunching with what has been happening ever since I got back from my month-long vacation, and the financial state of this railway could leave us with nothing left." He declared.
Franklin calmly looked at the papers, and he shook his head in exasperation. "Did you really take a look at the numbers correctly? Including the stamped date on top? If not, perhaps you need to get your glasses checked." He hands back the paper to Jackson.
Jackson eyed the date stamped on the paper and he saw it was marked around 2007 and 2008, the same time as of the financial crisis, and it's well-over four years since then. "Whatever. You and I still need to talk about-"
"Listen. Jackson, you may be my father-in-law, but it doesn't mean that you get to boss me about on how I run my railway." Franklin stated back.
"You've been buying and keeping new engines about, and it's eating all of our money away with each repair and each carefully-made piece for them." Jackson spoke back with frustration rising. "Why can't you just accept it?"
Franklin raised an eyebrow at him. "Accept what?"
"That there's only one way to make a profit here on this railway and now to keep us financially stable." Jackson spoke back. "All you have to do is sell one of the engines and-"
"Stop right there, Jackson." Franklin leaped over the desk to stand in front of his financial director. "Those engines are family, and we don't sell our family."
Jackson couldn't believe what he was hearing. "You think of those antique smoke-belching and horrid machines as family??"
"Yes, as does everyone else in the family." Franklin now moved to the door to his office. "Jackson, you may not like it, but this is my final decision: NONE of the engines on this railway, whether they're steam or diesel, will NOT be scrapped or sold off unless I decide to, which will never happen at all."
Jackson was infuriated. "Thanks to you and this place, my daughter doesn't even come home and spends every waking day here on this stupid railway, the very thing that you're forcing me to work on."
Franklin looked stern. "It is Caitlyn's decision to make, not yours. She even offered you a place to work here after your last business went bankrupt. You might be her father, but she can make the right decisions. Ever since we got married and we had begun to work on this railway with the rest of our growing family, we have stood beside one another and make the right decisions."
Jackson was tempted to do something he'd regret, but he kept himself calm and collected. "You must know that the more you do this, the less there will be to support any one of us in case something happens."
Franklin stepped out of his office, Jackson following him. "I will see how the operation of this railway works under MY supervision. You have no authority over what to do here on this railway."
"You know as well as I that I can cut your financials off due to my position. I'm your financial director." Jackson spoke out.
Franklin stopped and he turned to him with a sharp and form glare. "You threaten me like that again, and I'll do something I might regret later in life." With that, he turned on his heel and began to walk away, Jackson sighing in exasperation as he heads back to his car. Franklin shook his head, then got on his phone as he began to make some arrangements for something.
Unbeknown to the two gentlemen, Austin had been shunting some trucks and box vans nearby in the yard, and he had overheard the conversation between the two men. Austin was curious as to what they were even arguing about, but he had to focus on his work. After he had finished up his shunting, Austin made his way back over to the sheds, where he saw Braedey, Diana, Max, as well as the others getting fired up and ready.
"Morning, Austin. What's on your mind?" Max called, the diesel shunter having his fuel tank topped up.
"I just saw a curious exchange between Mr. Franklin and that financial director." Austin answered, though he did look concerned. "I think that guy is threatening Mr. Franklin regarding the financial situation about our railway."
"Oh, you mean Jackson Dayton." Anna rolled her eyes at the individual. "He can be a penny pincher which has made him unpopular among us and the staff. He always has this idea of streamlining operations, and by that, I mean he wants to sell some of us."
"That's barbaric!" Ella exclaimed.
"Beyond it." Liliana agreed with Ella.
"Totally..." Max muttered.
"Okay, everyone. Relax now." The engines looked over to see Mr. Franklin walking up to them. He seems to be much calmer after what happened. "Now, I understand that you all don't like Mr. Dayton and his attitude, but like it or not, we just have to contend with him until another time."
"Sir, what brings you over here much earlier than normal?" Braedey now asked. "Is something up?"
Mr. Franklin now stood before his fleet of locomotives. "Engines, I am going to be taking a vacation to go forth to New Zealand. I've taken notice there is a particular engine at the Museum of Transport and Technology, and I wish to go and see the locomotive that's there." That did peek the other engine's interest as to what Mr. Franklin was mentioning about.
"Who will be watching over us while you're gone on vacation, sir?" Liliana now asked.
"My wife will take care of you all while I'm gone, along with my daughters." Mr. Franklin answered to her as he patted Liliana's buffer beam. "Don't you worry, Lili. Everything will be alright."
"Well, hope you enjoy your holiday, sir." Max said. With that, the shunter diesel rolled away to the coal yards.
"Sir, take care of yourself while on the other side of the world." Braedey said to Franklin.
"I will, and you all take care too." Mr. Franklin said back to his engines. "Braedey, you shall take charge of the others with my wife alongside." With that, he took his leave and walked out of the yards to get to his car.
Braedey looked to the other engines, knowing that he is now in charge of them and has to do what's needed. "Alright, everyone. We all have our assignments and what to do: Shadow, Anna, Ella, and Charlotte, you four and I are on passenger duties. Diana, Austin, Max, Belle, Jonson, Kieron, Jane, you folks got the goods and shunting duties. Any engine who finishes up their work early and can help another, do so and help out as much as you can. Good luck and take care!" He now announced to them all.
All the engines now whistle/honk out, and they began to head on forth to do their jobs. Unbeknown to them, Jackson Dayton had overheard what's going on and he smirked to himself. He got out his phone, and prepared to make some arrangements with a contact he knows.
Throughout the day and into the next one, all of the engines worked around the clock to take passengers and freight all around the Josephine Railway, not slowing down for a second. For Caitlyn and her daughters, they were impressed by the engines and their work ethic, and they smiled to them.
But by the afternoon a day later, everyone was soon getting their tenders topped up and the boilers filled with water for their next trains. As they were preparing to go to their next runs, they heard the purring of a loud diesel engine coming in close. It got their attention and they looked at one another. Then, to their shock, a big blue diesel rolled ahead and pulls to a stop before the group of engines.
The diesel is a British Rail Class 46 "Peak" 1Co-Co1 diesel-electric engine. The diesel is painted in BR Rail Blue livery. He has yellow warning panels on his front and back end. The BR Double Arrow logo is painted on his sides in white and "D199" is painted on the sides of his cab in white. His rooftop is in light grey. His buffer beams are painted red with black buffers.
The diesel gave a scowling look at the steam engines and lone diesel. "Another railway with outdated steam engines? Whatever next?" He said with a snark tone of voice. "Why can't I go to one that only has diesels?"
That got the engines into a bad mood. However, when Braedey looked the diesel over from cab roof to wheel axle, his eyes widened a little when he saw this very diesel. "Wait a second... I know you. You're that horrid diesel that was on trial on Sodor in 1967, but you complained about your fitter after you failed. You're Spamcan, aren't you?" Braedey said.
The other engines looked at Braedey, then back at the diesel, and they all laughed hysterically at the diesel. The blue diesel locomotive gave a darkened look, but the engines didn't seem bothered by it.
D199, or nicknamed Spamcan, was built Derby Works in 1963. In 1967, he came on trial to Sodor with another, more friendly diesel engine, known as D7101, or who'll later be known as Bear. D199 soon made himself an enemy of the steam engines when he claimed that "steam engines spoil our image". Vulgar noises greeted this until Duck and D7101 managed to shut up D199. The next day, D199 ironically failed with a train of fuel and oil tankers at a signal box, blocking the crossing. Henry, whose regulator had already jammed, came to help. However, after D7101's ejector leaked, making him unable to pull his passenger train, Henry was asked to help him as well. Henry, with some help from D7101, was still able to move and bravely pulled D199, the tankers and the passengers to the next station. The Fat Controller was not impressed with D199, and he was soon sent home in disgrace for insulting the steam engines on the North Western Railway.
"That's enough!" Everyone stopped when Mr. Dayton now walked up. "His name is not Spamcan. His offical name is D199. He will be here for the next six months, and he will be running services around the railway-"
"Oh, no he's not." Caitlyn Robinson suddenly walked up with a stern and hardened expression on her face. "Did you really think you can loan an engine behind my back? This engine has got a very bad reputation and I don't want him-"
"This engine is here now, and I'm not letting any money be gone to waste to those steam kettles here." Jackson spoke out firmly, Caitlyn stepping back in response. "He will be taking services around-"
"My husband has put me in charge of this railway, not you. You don't get to make any orders around here." Caitlyn stepped up. "You just brought this diesel in to see which engines could be replaced and scrapped. Do you have any idea what you'd be throwing away?"
"What are you talking about?" Jackson wondered.
"The experience, knowledge, emotion, and everything that these steam engines have within their frames and their boilers is worth much more than what this Spamcan has inside of his engine." Caitlyn stated firmly, jerking a thumb at the blue diesel. "These engines have been running for over a century, some of them just recently, but they have something that modern diesels don't have: a soul and emotion."
"I am D199, not Spamcan. Show some respect, ma'am." The diesel sniffed snootily at the woman, the engines all going silent in shock. Nobody dared to speak to Mrs. Robinson in that tone.
Caitlyn gave a sharpened glare, one that made the diesel look gobsmacked. "Respect is not given, it must be earned first. And don't ever call me ma'am again." She turned to face her father. "You might act like such a high-and-mighty individual, but you will never be worthy of ever obtaining a title like The Fat Controller." She inwardly smirked, remembering the nickname the engines on Sodor would call Sir Topham Hatt.
The tension around the yard was very strong. All the engines looked at the humans, wondering about what could happen next. Jackson stared back at his daughter, his own flesh-and-blood, then he turned on his heel and walked away, Caitlyn breathing a sigh to herself.
Caitlyn turned to look at D199/Spamcan with a stern expression. "Now, you are going to listen to me and only me. You will do as you are told. In addition, you can forget about that six-month loan my father made with you; you're only going to be here for three-to-six days. If you foul up in any way, I'll make sure you never come back to this, or any other, railway anywhere in Britain, ever again." She threatened. "Now, you are to take some light freight from the yards to Barrow-in-Furness for now."
Spamcan looked at Caitlyn, then he simply rolled away to do his job. Caitlyn now turned to the Josephine Railway engines, giving a small smile and gave them a thumbs-up, reassuring them that she'll be keeping a very close eye on both her father and the BR Class 46.
Caitlyn now got a phone call. She saw it was from her husband, so she answered it. "Hey, honey. You made it to New Zealand on time?"
"Just made it to my hotel, sweetheart." Mr. Franklin answered back, Caitlyn now walking away from the yards as the engines head off to do their work. "I'll be heading to the museum soon enough. I'm just gonna he taking the scenic route. Anything happening back home?"
"Well, my father has brought in that Spamcan diesel, and he thinks he can try and replace the engines with modern diesels." Caitlyn explained to her husband. "He planned to have him here for six months, but I only plan to have him here for three days."
"I understand." Mr. Franklin answered back. "The other engines have already seen the newcomer, haven't they?"
"Yes, and they all are definitely not happy about it at all." Caitlyn added in. She breathed a sigh. "Honestly, of all the dumb things my father had to pull..."
"Honey, just keep your head high and stay strong for them." Mr. Franklin said to them. "Also, make sure you don't try and burn the place down. Take care."
Caitlyn rolled her eyes as the call ends. She puts her phone away, now seeing the engines going off to do their work, but all the while, she was concerned about what Spamcan might cause trouble.
Throughout the rest of the day and the next day, Spamcan rumbled about the rails, taking any and all trains he had been ordered to. The other engines stay well away from him and his arrogant ways, leaving him to try and take any train he can at time. Spamcan tried to talk to Max, but the shunter diesel did not give him the chance, and focused on his work. The other engines did not even look or talk to him. Unfortunately for Spamcan, he had been allocated and set to taking goods rather than any passengers, but for a good reason: Caitlyn can't trust him with that kind of responsibility, especially with his irritable behaviour.
In addition, Jackson had been berating the steam engines about how slow, useless, and outdated they were, despite the fact they were all ahead of schedule and were sometimes early with some of their trains. They didn't seem to listen and just ignored him and his horrid words, much to his annoyance and frustration. He even tried to force the steam engines to stand aside and let Spamcan take other trains, including any and all passengers, but Braedey and the other engines did not listen and continued on with their work, not letting Spamcan even take any of the passenger trains, and they ignored Jackson's words.
Spamcan eventually expressed his frustration and his thoughts to the engines one night down in the sheds. "Why is it that your controller doesn't allow me to take passengers? I am clearly more superior than any of you." He said to them out of exhaustion.
Braedey finally sighed. "The reason why she hasn't allocated you to take passengers is because she does not trust you. You'll cause more trouble than good."
"I agree." Shadow added in.
"Yep." Anna agreed.
"Yeah. She doesn't trust you." Diana included.
"She'd choose us more than you." Liliana added.
"Aye." Kieron cuts in.
"Indefinitely." Jonson acknowledged.
"You're just horrid." Jane added in at Spamcan.
"What nonsense. My kind is far more superior than yours." Spamcan spoke back with assertion, the engines all sighing in exasperation. "We diesels can get started much faster than you lot, and can run much better-"
"Oh, shove it down your air intake, you ugly buzz box on wheels." Max grunted in exasperation. "Your class of locomotive have been withdrawn between '77 and '84. There's only one of your class that's been preserved, including you. You are not as revolutionary as you think you are. Your kind has fallen into extinction." He gave a long hard stare at Spamcan. "Just remember this: you could end up scrapped like those engines you have sent away all those years ago."
"Yes. He's right." Diana agreed.
"Now please. Shut up, and go to sleep." Anna added in, going to sleep in a huff.
As the other engines head off to sleep, Spamcan now looked over at the shunter diesel with suspicion in his eyes. He had considered what Max said, but he thought the old shunter was just being a paranoid so and so. He was going to show off to everyone that he is the best of his kind and nobody is gonna stop him...
Early the next morning, Spamcan had soon gotten fired up and prepped for his final day here. However, he was not going to listen to Mrs. Robinson and what she'll tell him what to do, and he'll do things his own way, the way of the British Rail.
Spamcan rolled out of the sheds before the others woke up, and made his way over to the carriage shed. As he does so, he collected some coaches and made his way forth to the main station Marion. He collected the passengers that were already there, but before the stationmaster could step in and intervene, Spamcan raced out of the station and passed a red signal before anyone could stop him. Spamcan rattled along the rails, but he was rough with the coaches, bumping the passengers around like they were popcorn kernels in a pot. Spamcan raced through the stations but did not stop at the right ones, much to the annoyance and frustration of passengers. Luckily, Penny and Benson the Buses were able to take on the passengers to the proper stations.
Shadow, who had been taking a mixed goods in the opposite line, had taken notice of what Spamcan is doing. He breathed a sigh. "He is going to be in big trouble."
Eventually, Spamcan arrived back at the main station with the express, and about five minutes ahead of schedule. He was feeling boastful as he got himself uncoupled from the coaches, and he made his way up to the fuel depot to top up his diesel tanks.
Spamcan smirked to himself. "That will impress Mr. Dayton and even that woman has to admit I am much better than those old kettles! Now she'll have to scrap the steam engines and get modern diesels like me!" He proclaimed.
However, to his surprise, Caitlyn Robinson stormed up to him, and she looked very cross. In fact, she looks like a vein might burst from her forehead. "Spamcan! What in the world are you playing at?!" She demanded angrily.
Spamcan was taken aback by Caitlyn's sudden anger. "Wh-Whatever do you mean?"
"I gave you the goods work because I don't trust you to handle any passengers at all! And today has proven it!" Caitlyn snapped firmly. "I have received nothing but bad complaints about you! You have been stopping at the wrong stations, while charging through the right ones, and dropping the passengers off at the wrong places. Penny and Benson had to pick up those you have dropped off and took them to their proper stops."
"So what? He's done better than any one of those useless steam engines could do at all." Jackson spoke up, now walking up to face his daughter, while also looking over at the diesel with admiration. "In fact, I'll renew his loan for about six months-"
"No. He's not staying here any longer on this railway, nor for any moment longer." Caitlyn spoke back firmly at her father. "He has caused nothing but trouble."
"He'll be a permanent asset here and replace that huge ugly red engine." Jackson interjected, referring to Anna.
"No, he won't!" Caitlyn snapped.
"Yes, he will." Jackson spoke back firmly, even shoving Caitlyn back. "After today, I'll make sure only diesels work here on this railway! Not a single steam engine will ever work here while I'm here and when I take over as controller-"
"Wow, Jackson. I've always said you had a displeasure to engines, but now, I can see you have a prejudice against all steam." Caitlyn and Jackson both stopped and turned around to see Mr. Franklin Robinson now walk up, the engines of the Josephine Railway arriving on scene.
"Franklin. When did you get here?" Caitlyn ran up to her husband and shares a hug with him.
"Just in time to hear what has happened and the fight between you and your father." Franklin turned to face Jackson and Spamcan. "Now, I've been talking to the engines after I came home, and I've heard nothing but horrid words from the both of you. And now, even after hearing what you said, I'm disgusted, Jackson. I have made a mistake of allocating you amongst the ranks of the railway and being the financial advisor."
"So what?" Jackson spoke back. "This railway is eating up all the money-"
"Jackson, you have to accept the reality." Franklin now spoke out. "This railway is going to always be a part of the family, and that'll be so. If you can't accept it, then you're no longer part of the family."
Jackson looked at the engines around him, as well as Franklin and Caitlyn, the latter standing alongside her husband and locomotives. He was at a loss: this whole place, this railway, and everything about it... it has caused the rift between him and his own flesh-and-blood. He gave one more look at Caitlyn, who looked away, and with a grunt and a huff, Jackson walked off to his car, and he drove away with screeching tyres.
"He won't get far. The police will catch him." Jonson muttered to the others.
Franklin now looked to Spamcan, the British Rail locomotive looking at the Josephine Railway controller. "And as for you, Spamcan..."
"Sir, if you would let me explain..." Spamcan pleaded.
"No. I've heard enough from my engines." Franklin cuts off the Class 46. "I trust them with my life. I see my engines as part of my family, and family matters more than anything in the world." He gave a hardened look at Spamcan. "You are to leave at once, and never come back to this railway. I'll be sending my report about your attitude and behaviour to your controller."
After that threat, Spamcan abruptly left the Josephine Railway without saying a single word to anyone, and he heads off back to his home. After what happened, he knew he'll never get another chance to show off at all.
"Sir." Braedey got his owner's attention later on in the evening, he and the others all gathered back in the roundhouse after a long day of work. "How was your holiday?"
"Oh, I have enjoyed myself over in New Zealand. The temperature was rather enjoyable." Mr. Franklin answered to the crimson engine. "Anyway, I did get the chance to see the engine at the Museum of Transport and Technology, and I have to say, I was impressed and surprised by what the engine is and who she is."
"'She', sir?" Jane questioned.
"What kind of engine is she?" Shadow wondered.
"She is a NZR K Class 4-8-4 steam locomotive. Her name is Darla." Mr. Franklin started to explain. "And she actually has a very interesting story to tell..."
But that story shall have to wait...