New Zealand, an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island and the South Island—and over 700 smaller islands, covering an area of 268,021 square kilometres (103,500 sq mi). New Zealand is 2,000km (1,200mi) East of Australia across the Tasman Sea and 1,000 km (600mi) South of the islands of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga. The country's varied topography and sharp mountain peaks, including the Southern Alps. New Zealand's capital city is Wellington, and its most populous city is Auckland.
After touching down in New Zealand, Mr. Franklin hailed a taxi, and he made his way over to the Museum of Transport and Technology (MOTAT), a science and technology museum in Western Springs, Auckland.
The museum has large collections of civilian and military aircraft and other land transport vehicles. An ongoing program is in place to restore and conserve items in the collections. This work is largely managed by volunteers but, since the passing of the Museum of Transport and Technology Act in 2000, has been supported by full-time professional museum.
After explaining about what he's doing at the museum to the staff, Mr. Franklin was given access to go forth and find the locomotive he's looking for here. He looks around at the multitude of preserved aircraft: one of New Zealand's largest collections of civil and military aircraft, all with genuine New Zealand aviation pedigrees, plus a collection of over 20 electric, steam and cable trams, railway carriages, including stations, wagons and other rolling stock, trolley buses and even petrol and diesel buses.
'Have to say, there is a lot of history here and there.' Franklin thought to himself.
Eventually, after looking about the vast collection of machines and vehicles around the museum, Mr. Franklin found the machine he was looking for. There, sitting on its own on a set of tracks that lead out of the museum, is a big steam locomotive. The engine is a NZR K Class 4-8-4 tender locomotive. She has green eyes and red lips, while her body and frame is in black with red buffers. She also bears the name No. 949 in white on her buffer beam.
"There you are..." Mr. Franklin said softly, now walking up to the engine. "Excuse me, Madame."
The engine looked away from her buffer beam to see a redhead gentleman walking over to her. "Who are you?" Her voice sounds soft and dainty, it was almost like a whisper. Fortunately, Mr. Franklin could hear her loud and clear.
"I am Franklin Robinson, controller of the Josephine Railway from the United Kingdom." Franklin introduced himself to the engine. "Who might you be?"
"I... I am Darla." The locomotive gave her name. "But... everyone knows me as the Tangiwai Engine, the one that caused that horrible disaster." She muttered sadly.
Franklin was confused by this. "What do you mean?" He took a closer look at the plaque that's situated in front of the engine, and his eyes widened. "Oh, my..."
Darla is the VERY SAME locomotive that was involved in the Tangiwai Disaster in 1953, where a Lahar broke out into the Whangaehu River and destroyed a keystone of the bridge that she derailed off of, which resulted in the deaths of 151 passengers.
"Now you know." Darla muttered.
"Actually, I've only read a little about the incident." Mr. Franklin corrected to Darla. "But I'd like to hear from your perspective of those events, if you could..." Darla took a deep breath, and began to tell about what happened in 1953.
On 24 December 1953, the 3PM express train from Wellington to Auckland, consisting of Darla hauling eleven carriages: five second class, four first class, a guard's van and a postal van. With 285 passengers and crew, the train was stated by a witness—the station agent at Tangiwai railway station—to have passed through on time at 10:20pm at about 40mph (64km/h). The specified maximum track speed between Hīhītahi (to the South of Tangiwai) and Ohakune (to the North) at the time was 50mph (80km/h). Approaching the bridge over the Whangaehu River at Tangiwai, in response either to Cyril Ellis, a passerby, standing by the track and waving a torch or on seeing the condition of the bridge, engineer Charles Parker immediately shut off steam and initiated an emergency air brake application, while his fireman, Lance Redman, shut off the oil supply valve for the fire. Darla gave everything she got to try and stop before the bridge. However, these actions could not stop Darla from running onto the bridge, which collapsed, pitching the locomotive, tender, and five second class carriages down into the river with a deafening crash. The leading first-class carriage teetered on the edge of the bridge before its coupling to the rest of the train snapped and it, too, rolled into the river. The remaining three first-class carriages, the guard's van, and the postal van all luckily remained on the tracks.
The death toll of 151 consisted of Parker, Redman, 148 second-class passengers, and one first-class passenger. 20 of the bodies were never found and were presumed to have been carried 120km (75mi) downriver to the ocean.
After the crash, Darla was later craned out and she was lifted out of the river where she was taken away to be repaired at her sheds. She was planned to be scrapped after being deemed too expensive and beyond repair, but she was luckily saved from scrap, rebuilt to her former glory. She still holds some trauma from the incident back in 1953 while taking the Christmas train that day. As a result, she has a case of PTSD, and every Christmas, she always stays in the shed, not wanting to come out.
"I fear that history may repeat itself one day with that train. All of those people..." Darla whispered after telling her story, and Mr. Franklin could see tears start to roll down her face. "They all just wanted to go home to enjoy Christmas with their loved ones..."
Mr. Franklin walked over to the locomotive and gently patted her buffer beam, the engine looking down to him. "Darla, I am sorry about what happened to you all those years ago. But times have changed. Railway safety has increased and has gotten better." Just then, his phone started to ring, getting his and Darla's attention. "Excuse me." He stepped back, pulling out his phone and began to answer it. "Hello. Yeah, I see. Oh, has he? Well, don't you worry, honey. I'll be back home soon. Just try and keep everything intact for the time being. Okay, goodbye." With that, he ends the call.
Darla then took notice of a photograph on the cover of Mr. Franklin's phone: it is of him, his wife, as well as their daughters. "Excuse me, sir. Was that your wife on the phone?" She asked.
"Yes. She's been taking care of the railway while I'm here on holiday." Mr. Franklin answered to her. "She, my daughters and I, we all run the Josephine Railway. In fact, the railway is named after one of my daughters." He added.
"I see..." Darla mused.
"Darla, I'm afraid something has happened on my railway, so I'll have to go." Mr. Franklin said to Darla. "But I can promise you this: I'll be making sure to make arrangements for you, and make sure you'll get something nice in return."
Darla was surprised by this. "You... you would do that for me? An engine like me with such a history?" She asked to him.
"I believe engines like you deserve a chance to be let out and about rather than be here." Mr. Franklin replied back to her. "I'll be contacting the museum owner, and I'll see what I can do for you. Despite your history, I believe you deserve that chance."
Darla couldn't help but show a smile to Mr. Franklin, seeing this man as someone who would help her out. She blinked back and smiled to her, as Mr. Franklin now walked away, leaving her to think about what he said...
(PRESENT DAY)
(JOSEPHINE RAILWAY)
"...and that's what happened." Mr. Franklin finished his story to his engines and family about what happened in New Zealand.
"I could imagine she'd be feeling happy about that." Diana commented.
"Aye." Anna agreed.
"I feel bad for Darla, especially since she didn't cause that accident back in 1953. It was because of natural forces." Liliana added in.
"I agree with you, Lili." Max included.
"What will you do now, sir?" Diana asked to Mr. Franklin with concern.
"I'll be making some calls to the museum owner to see what he could do for Darla." Mr. Franklin answered to her. "For now, all of you continue on with your work and take note: two new engines will be arriving here on loan to assist you. These engines are from the Godson Railway, a heritage railway much like our own. They should be arriving by about tomorrow, so please, make them feel welcome when they arrive here."
The other engines whistle/blow their horns in response, and they all head off to continue with their work. As they head off away, Mr. Franklin walked off with his wife to their car, and they drove away to their home.
Throughout the day, the engines carry on with their work, whether it be passengers or goods, even doing some light work. All the while, they have the thought of the new engines and Darla the Tangiawi Engine on their minds and in their smokeboxes. They all wondered what the new engines could be like, and whether they'd be either steam or diesel. They were curious about the engines, but they would have to wait until tomorrow to meet them.
The next morning, Shadow was taking a heavy goods to Barrow-in-Furness, making good time and hoping to get to the station early. He has a good fire going in his firebox, and he was in a happy mood. As he goes along, Shadow noticed a cloud of steam in the distance above the trees, and the chugging of another engine coming in on the opposite line. He carried on down the tracks, just as he heard the whistle of an LMS locomotive, then he can see an unfamiliar engine approaching with some trucks behind him.
This engine is a London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) Stanier Class 'Black Five' 4-6-0 locomotive. The engine's paint scheme is a bright yellow with red lining, and white silvery lining on his wheels.
"Whoa..." Shadow commented, seeing the yellow engine passing by, who whistled to Shadow as he goes by. "Guess he's one of the new engines. He looks to be pleasant." He noted as he does along.
Sure enough, back at the yards, the new engine had arrived with his load of trucks, introducing himself as Lenry of the Godson Railway, the main heavy goods engine among the fleet.
Lenry was built in 1937 for the LMS by the Armstrong Whitworth Company at Spotswood, Newcastle-on-Tyne. When new, he was delivered to Kettering where he worked for a considerable time on the Midland mainline, taking passenger and goods, but mostly been allocated to goods work. After the nationalisation of the railways in 1948, Lenry was designated as number 45407. Since 1948 to 1968, he had been allocated around different BR motive power depots. He's been about Sheffield Grimesthorpe, Millhouses, Derby, Saltley, Kentish Town, Nottingham, Burton, Speke Junction, and Lostock Hall. Eventually, Lenry was withdrawn from service when steam operation ended on BR in August 1968. Lenry was purchased from BR by David Davis for 3,300, and he's subsequently moved to Carnforth for restoration. In 1974, Lenry was bought by the Godson Railway, and he was allocated to be the heavy goods locomotive to handle heavy trains.
"Well, on behalf from us all of the Josephine Railway, we welcome you." Braedey greeted to Lenry, the yellow LMS locomotive smiling back to him.
"I have to say, it's nice to see a fellow railway like my own." Lenry smiled back. Lenry is generally well-behaved and friendly. He is at heart, and is a very hard worker. He mostly works on the mainline pulling goods or passenger trains, sometimes he shunts his own trains.
"We thank you for coming here, Lenry." Jonson thanks, now shunting the trucks the yellow 'Black Five' had brought along. "We could use all the help, especially with the influx of goods from the dockyards."
"Well, I'll help out and do whatever we can." Lenry smiled back at the others.
Braedey looked at the yellow engine. "By the way, do you know of a fellow 'Black Five' by the name of Henry, by any chance?" He quizzed.
Lenry looked like he was struck by lightning. "Henry?? You mean he's still around?" He asked in surprise.
"Yes. He lives on the North Western Railway over on Sodor." Diana called as she passed by with a stopping local train. "It's just past Barrow-in-Furness."
"Well, that is surprising." Lenry mused. "Well, yes. I have heard of Henry back when I was built in '37. How I learnt how he was a mix-breed engine before being rebuilt into an LMS engine like myself."
"Yeah, he's been through a lot, but he's lucky enough to be given a second chance." Jonson agreed.
"Well, I hope I get to see him one day." Lenry then got himself focused again. "Okay. What do you need me to do for today?"
"Well, there's some empty trucks to be taken away to the docks, on top of some loaded flatbeds with some steel needed for a construction site not far down the line." Liliana informed to the yellow 'Black 5'. "If you can handle those, it'll give a load-off of Madeline and Kieron."
"Of course. I can do that." Lenry acknowledged, ready to go and do some work. With that, he blew his whistle and began to puff out of the yards to the docks.
"Huh. He seems to be a rather pleasant fella." Liliana said to the other engines.
"I agree. He definitely looks like he wants to help out others." Shadow agreed with the green inspection engine. "But it also makes me wonder what the second engine might be."
The others didn't have to wait for long. By late in the afternoon, an LNER whistle echoed out, as a cloud of steam rises above the trees, and sure enough, a green locomotive arrives on the line nearby, backing down into an empty berth, the others looking at the engine.
The engine is a female LNER A1 locomotive, no doubt a relative to Gordon and Flying Scotsman. She is an emerald green colour with lining across her boiler and tender, while she has noticeable eyelashes. She is Henrietta, the express engine of the Godson Railway.
Henrietta was built at Doncaster, at a cost of 7,944 pounds, in February 1923 for the LNER. When new, she worked for a considerable time on the LNER mainline, taking passenger and goods, but mostly passengers. Since 1948 to 1968, she had been allocated around different BR motive power depots. She's been at Doncaster, Kings Cross, New England (Peterborough), Leicester Central, and Grantham. Eventually, Henrietta was withdrawn from service in January 1963. She was purchased from BR by David Davis for 3,300 pounds, and she's subsequently moved to Doncaster for a restoration. This time, she's repainted in a traditional Darlington Green livery with black and white lining. In 1974, Henrietta was bought by the Godson Railway, and is allocated to be the premier express locomotive, and been repainted in her now iconic livery of green.
Throughout the next few days here on the railway, Henrietta and Lenry got along with the engines of the J.R, and they helped out with whatever was there to be done. Lenry handled the heavy goods with little to no effort, Jonson, Shadow, Madeline, and the others impressed by this. Henrietta handled the passenger trains along with Anna, Braedey, Madeline, Diana, Charlotte, Ella, and others, but she has occasionally pulled goods trains, much to her dislike. She can be vain, boastful, and overconfident, but she means well and is a hard worker.
One afternoon, the engines have finished up their day's work and were now resting in either the sheds or in the sidings nearby. Lenry and Henrietta were nearby, the two of them getting their boilers and coal tenders topped up with coal and water.
"Have to say, we thank you for helping us out." Braede thanked to the two. "You have done a lot for us and handled the surge of passengers and goods here."
"It's the least we can do." Henrietta smiled back.
"Besides, if we could, we might be able to handle every single train with little to no effort at all." Lenry added in with a smirk.
"You do that, there won't be anything for us to take." Jonson joked.
"We'd be out of the job if you did." Jane commented, the others laughing in response to that joke.
"Glad to see you all are getting along." The engines now look to see Mr. Franklin walking up with his wife Caitlyn.
"Mr. Franklin, sir. We didn't expect to see you here." Jonson greeted.
"What brings you here, sir and ma'am?" Braedey now asked.
"I'm afraid I've got some bad news for Lenry and Henrietta." Mr. Franklin answered as he looked to the two locomotives. "Your controller called me to tell you he needs you both back on your railway. Turns out an influx of goods and passengers is causing issues. The other engines are being overworked and they fear of entering gridlock, all sidings with trucks and coaches blocking all entrances."
"I see." Lenry looked over to the J.R engines. "Seems like our time here has come to a close. Hope we get to see more of your railway soon."
"It's been a blast." Liliana thanked to the two engines.
"Thanks a lot." Henrietta thanked, and with two toots of hers and Lenry's whistles, the two Godson Railway engines left and departed the Josephine Railway.
"There they go." Jane smiled softly.
"Those two were really something." Liliana added in.
"Sir, you didn't come here just to tell us that Lenry and Henrietta had to go home to help his railway." Braedey now spoke up as he looked to his controller. "You're here to tell us something."
"Yes, Braedey. You are right. And it is about Darla the Tangiawi Engine." Mr. Franklin spoke up.
"What about her, sir?" Ella asked.
"I've just gotten a call from the New Zealand museum curator, and I was able to purchase Darla from the museum." Mr. Franklin explained to his engines, Kieron, Diana, Austin, Belle, Shadow, Madeline, Anna, and Charlotte also arriving. "Yes. Darla will soon be part of the Josephine Railway and part of our family."
Everyone immediately blew their whistles and horns in response to what they heard. They were getting a new engine, one that's from the other side of the world. They were really excited for Darla's arrival...