On a calm morning, Braedey was making his way on forth to Barrow-in-Furness with a goods train behind him. He had a good head of steam, and he is going to make good time. He had some goods to go to Sodor, with others to go further on within the mainland itself.
'Today is gonna be a darn-good day.' Braedey thought to himself. 'Clear blue skies above, green signals, and no issues whatsoever.'
When he arrived at Barrow-in-Furness, Braedey was uncoupled from the train, and he made his way over to get his tender loaded and boiler topped up. But as he does so, he can hear the sound of a fast-approaching engine coming up fast. He was about to call out, but before he could, a streak of blue shot by him with the sound of loud chugging, the engine racing on down the line without whistling 'hello' to Braedey.
"What in the...?" Braedey wondered in surprise. "That was a fast engine. Who in the name of William Stanier was that?" He asked.
"I don't know, old boy." Braedey's driver answered to him. "But I have a feeling someone is going to find out soon."
"Yeah. Though that tender... it looks similar to that of both James and Edward's tender." Braedey now mused to himself. "I wonder..."
While still thinking on the matter, Braedey collected some empty trucks and the crimson locomotive heads off back to the Josephine Railway, just as Anna passes by him with the Josephine Flyer express on the other line towards Sodor.
Over on Sodor, James was sulking in the sheds all by himself. He fumed in frustration about what occurred to him just yesterday, and he really wanted to explain about what happened to someone that it wasn't his fault in the first place.
James was just getting some trucks for his goods train ready at the goods yard at Knapford when the trucks started to taunt and tease him, much to his annoyance, him bumping the trucks to try and make them stop, but to no avail as they still laughed and mock him. One coal truck then said something it shouldn't at James, the red engine getting fired up and angry in response, now reversing so fast to ram it, he was inadvertently switched onto another track and he rammed into one of Gordon's express coaches, causing some damage and putting that coach out of action until repairs were made. In response to this, Sir Topham ordered James to stay at the sheds until he'll talk to him later.
"It wasn't my fault to begin with. Those blasted trucks were taunting me." James fumed in frustration as he looked down at his buffers. "I was switched off my goods train and accidentally ran into the coaches. I didn't mean to run into that coach." He sighed, seeing there was nobody around that'll listen.
Sure enough, Sir Topham Hatt arrived at the sheds, James noticing he was not happy. "James, I am very disappointed in you." He began sternly. "Your actions today have caused delays with Gordon's express, and it has left one coach needing repairs done to its buffers and it's brakes."
"But sir-" James tried to interject.
Sir Topham's glare was enough to stop the red engine from speaking. "James. You are to remain in your shed until I can trust you or want you again. Do I make myself clear?" James' silence and looking down at his buffers was a clear answer to him. "Very well. For the time being, I have had to outsource for another engine to take your place for the time being. I hope you learn your lesson, James. I really thought you were better than this."
With that, Sir Topham turned on his heel, now walking off back to his car, and he drove away back to Knapford, heading off to do some paperwork and make arrangements.
James now felt disappointed, sad, and worried about what'll happen to him. He made a fool of himself, he let Sir Topham Hatt down, and now, he's getting replaced by some new engine. He sighed sadly, looking down at his buffers, not sure of what will inevitably happen to him and what'll come of him.
A moment goes by, then the sound of an engine could be heard approaching the sheds. James looked up from staring at his front buffers to see Thomas backing down on the tracks he's on towards the shed berth next to James. The blue tank engine could see James was not his cheery and fun self he is usually.
"James? What are you doing here in the sheds on such a nice day?" Thomas asked curiously.
"Well, I kinda got into some trouble. And things don't look good for me." James answered, Thomas looking on in concern and confusion. "Okay, I'll just say it. I got angry at some trucks when they taunted me, then I was about ram into them backwards, only to run into one of Gordon's coaches. Now, I'm stuck in the sheds for now until Sir Topham Hatt trusts me again, and lets me out." He finished with a sigh.
Thomas sat there and looked to James. At first, he was not happy about what the red engine did, but on the other buffer, the trucks shouldn't have taunted him like the way they did. In fact, some of the trucks actually get along with the engines, especially those on the Little Western, for in fear of being ripped apart by either the Scottish twins or Oliver after what happened to the Spiteful Brakevan or Scruffey.
"Now you know." James muttered.
"Don't you worry, James. I'm sure you'll be out and about soon." Thomas reassured to him.
"You sure?" James asked.
"I'm sure. Just you wait." Thomas answered back. With that, the blue tank engine left the sheds to get back to work, leaving James alone to think on Thomas' words.
'Maybe...' James thought to himself.
Back with Thomas, he made his way over to the yards to get to shunting some trucks and coaches for the others to collect. As he does so, he took notice that some of the red express coaches were being shunted in line for a train. He made his way over to see who was shunting the coaches, and he was in for a surprise.
There, shunting the coaches in line, is a mixed-traffic steam engine. She is a Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Class 28 2-6-0 engine, painted in deep blue with black lining and faint gold boiler bands, her buffers and running board in red and grey. She has fair skin and big blue eyes. Her dome is brass and a number 5 is painted on the sides of her tender in yellow with black lining.
Thomas pulled up alongside. "Hello. Who are you?" He asked to the blue engine.
"Hello, Thomas. My name is Belinda." The engine replied to him, Thomas looking on in surprise. "Yes, I know who you are. Your controller told me that I have to meet you."
"Ah, Thomas." The blue tank engine saw Sir Topham walking up to the two. "I'm glad you've met Belinda. She will be here to take care of James' work while he is shut up in the sheds for the time being." He turns to the other blue engine. "Now, Belinda. I understand that you have experience with goods and passenger work, but I would like you to learn from Thomas and the others. They know more about what to do. Learn from them, and you'll do well."
"Understood, sir." Belinda smiled back as Sir Topham walked back off to his office. She looked to Thomas. "So, why don't you show me around the place?"
Thomas smiled and whistled in response, now puffing ahead. Belinda whistled back, her whistle sounding like it's higher than James', and she followed after Thomas.
As the two engines go along through different shunting yards, stations, and the dockyards on Sodor, Thomas showed Belinda what to do and what James does. The blue mixed-traffic engine thanked Thomas for his advice, and she handled the shunting of trucks and coaches with ease, the others impressed with her fast initiative. She even got praise from the passengers for her smooth operation and control.
Later on in the day, Belinda was down at Brendam with both Gordon and Henry, Thomas and Percy also there, and the blue mixed-traffic engine was currently talking to them about her past life and what she did.
Belinda was designed by George Hughes and built by Horwich Works at some point between 1912 and 1913 alongside her sibling James. James and Belinda were both designed as an experimental variation of the Class 28 locomotives, with a front pony truck installed at the front and 5'6" sized driving wheels instead of the class' usual 5'1" (added in an attempt to cure the "nose-diving" the class experienced when travelling at high speed). Sometime after the Railways Act of 1921, James was soon purchased by Sir Topham Hatt 1 to work on the North Western Railway, with Belinda soon being sold to the London, Midland, and Scottish Railway (LMS), but instead of being re-designated into a different class, she requested to keep her Class 28 designation, while getting her wooden brakes replaced with proper steel brakes. She worked on local passenger and heavy goods trains with LMS 8Fs and Jinty Class of engines, even meeting the Coronation Class. During WW2 and the Modernisation Plan, Belinda kept her black paint job throughout this time as she worked in shunting yards and took goods and passenger trains, before she was finally retired in 1960. After about three years of being left to languish in a scrapyard, Belinda was finally purchased and saved by a Scottish heritage railway, and as she was being restored, she was repainted in a rich blue colour and given the Number 5 on her tender. She was soon told about what James has been up to, thanks to the Railway Series books her driver and fireman told her about, much to Belinda's amusement. Nowadays, Belinda takes charter trains about the heritage railway, but one day, she hoped to see her brother James once again.
"Have to say, you've been through quite a lot." Henry commented to Belinda.
"I could say the same for you, Henry. I mean, think about it: I've been separated from my brother after being built, then I end up in a scrapyard before being bought and restored up on a heritage railway." Belinda countered. "You, on the other hand, you were built from stolen LNER plans, and were dealt with a bad hand, but you were given a chance by Sir Topham's relatives, then you got rebuilt into an LMS Black 5 after your fish train accident back in 1935."
"Yeah, I guess you're right, Belinda." Henry chuckled.
"Maybe you'll get the chance to see James." Percy said to the blue mixed-traffic engine. "He's been sulking in his shed since he's been acting silly."
"Oh, has he now?" Belinda mused.
"Oh, you absolutely have no idea." Gordon rolled his eyes in amusement. "He complains about not taking the express and being given goods trains instead, even though he's a mixed-traffic engine."
"He does means well, but his vanity and pride gets the best of him at times." Henry added in.
"That's not far from the truth." Percy chuckled, both he and Thomas sharing a laugh.
"Well, I hope I soon get the chance to talk to him later." Belinda mused. She then saw her crew climb back into her cab after their break. "Sorry, boys. Gotta get going on the next job." With that, she departs the area to collect some wagons for a mixed goods train.
Throughout the day and such, Belinda was able to juggle with all of James' work, whether it be goods or passenger services. Many were impressed by her hard work ethic and motive, and Belinda thanked them for their kind words.
Later that evening, the engines were all resting up at Tidmouth Sheds after a long day's work, but Belinda wasn't there with them: she was up at Vicarstown after delivering a goods train over there earlier and won't be back until the next morning.
"If Belinda and I were the same make and model, I'd have to call her my twin sister." Emily joked.
"I think we've got enough twins here." Henry joked, referring to Donald and Douglas, the others laughing in response.
"Still, Belinda is quite a pleasant engine." Percy spoke up to the others.
"Yes, I can agree with little Percy here." Gordon agreed, then took notice of everyone's bewildered expressions. "What? What did I say?"
"It's just the fact you agreed to something Percy said." Thomas stated, the others now laughing in response, Gordon and Percy also laughing with them.
As the engines spoke about Belinda and how well she performed today, even assisting Edward with banking engines on Gordon's Hill, James sat silently and looked down at his buffers. His firebox was flying about with questions about this engine, and how she was doing practically everything he can do but so much better. As the other engines soon fell asleep, James just sat there as he sadly went to sleep.
The next morning, the engines of the NWR all head off for another hard day's work. However, James sat there in the sheds on his own, nobody going near him at all. He was still in trouble for what happened, and he has no idea when he'll be allowed out to take trains again.
James breathed a sigh. "Okay. If nobody wants me around... I'll take my leave." He said to himself, a fire now igniting inside his firebox as he now steams away.
As he leaves, unbeknown to him, Annie and Clarabel were in the carriage shed with the other coaches, and they both saw the red tender engine departing, and they both look on in concern after hearing what they heard from the red engine.
"Annie, did you hear...?" Clarabel began.
"Yes. I did, Clarabel." Annie answered back.
"Poor James." Clarabel sighed sadly. "He feels left out."
"I guess something about this new engine got him in a bad mood." Annie added in.
"What should we do?" Clarabel asked.
"I'm not sure, but we should tell someone when they come here." Annie answered to her.
A little later on in the day, Belinda was arriving over at Knapford with a set of flatbed trucks and box vans after her sleep over in Vicarstown. After arriving at the station, she decided to go ahead and see her cousin, maybe try and talk to James after their time away. She heads off out of the shunting yards to go and see him, the others watching her go as she leaves the docks. Belinda made her way through Knapford, eventually heading off towards Tidmouth Sheds. But as she made her way over to the sheds, to her surprise, there's no sign of James at all. It's as if he vanished from sight.
"That's strange. Where did he go?" Belinda wonders in confusion. She then saw Sir Topham Hatt drive up, also confused as to what he and Belinda could see. "Sir, I thought James was here in the sheds."
"He was. But he seems to have run off to somewhere." Sir Topham answered back to Belinda.
"Excuse us, sir." The two now looked over to see both Annie and Clarabel in the carriage shed.
"Wait. Are you two Thomas' coaches?" Belinda asked.
"Yes, Miss Belinda." Annie answered.
"We're here for now since Thomas is busy." Clarabel added.
"Now, tell me, you two." Sir Topham spoke up. "Did you see James leave the sheds?" He asked firmly.
"Yes, sir." The two coaches answered in unison.
"James just steamed away." Annie added in.
"He left about ten minutes ago." Clarabel stated next.
"Where to?" Belinda now asked.
"We're not sure as to where." The coaches answered.
"I see..." Sir Topham now looked over to Belinda, just as Thomas pulls up after taking some slate trucks. "Okay. Thomas, Belinda. You two, we are going to go look for James." He declared.
"Yes, sir." Thomas and Belinda acknowledged, as the controller climbed into Thomas' cab. "Where do we go first?" Belinda now asked.
"If I were James, I'd travel along the mainline." Thomas answered to her.
"Very well. Then that is where we go first." Sir Topham announced, the two engines now leaving the sheds at once.
For most of the day, the two engines began to travel down the mainline, asking anyone they come across if they have seen James anywhere along the mainline. Some of the signalmen informed to them that they've seen James racing by, but seems to be running without his crew onboard. This got their attention, and sounds concerning, so they continued on forth.
Speaking of James, the red engine eventually made his way to the place steam engines fear: the Sodor Ironworks and Scrapyard. The outside of the ironworks is littered with many twisted pieces of rusting scrap metal and ruined parts of machines, including those of old steam engines. Because of this, many engines find the Ironworks to be rather spooky, especially during the night, when falling sparks illuminate scary shadows inside the shed.
James slowly puffed through the multitude of tracks that lead forth towards the main smelting/scrapping sheds, all the while looking around in uncertainty at the scrapped and ruined steam engines around the place. He felt sick in the boiler about this, but he didn't care: if nobody wanted him around, he felt like he should be here among the remains of his fellow steam engines.
'At least nobody will have to deal with me anymore.' James thought to himself as he sadly looked down at his buffer beams.
One scrapyard worker looked over and took note of the steam engine there. "Hang on. What's this engine doing here?" One asked to his fellow workers.
"Dunno. Isn't this one of the North Western engines?" Another spoke up. "Why would it be here?"
"Maybe it's here to collect scrap." A third worker suggested.
Arry and Bert, however, decided to take this chance to try and get rid of a steam engine. "Nah. Maybe he's been sent here to be cut up." Bert scoffed. "Another worthless piece of scrap for the pile."
"Yeah. Let's do it." Arry agreed, he and Bert now going forth to catch and be rid of a North Western engine.
Just outside of the scrapyards, Belinda and Thomas pulled up to the entrance of the smelter's yard after they got word from a rail yard worker that James took the tracks there. Thomas looks on in concern and with fear in his frames, Belinda narrowing her eyes.
"James went in there?" Thomas asked in concern.
"But why would he do such a thing?" Sir Topham asked in confusion about James' decision.
"Maybe it's because of me." Belinda realised. "He must have gotten word about what I've been doing regarding my work ethic and how I've done his work better than he would. He must've thought I'm here to take his work or to replace him."
Suddenly, the sound of James' whistle echoing out from the scrapyard got their attention. It sounds like he is in trouble. Belinda immediately shot ahead before Thomas or Sir Topham could stop her, she charges into the scrapyard at full speed with a burning fire in her.
'Do not worry, James. I'm on my way.' Belinda thought to herself as she charges on ahead, the mist floating around being stirred up as she races through to the main smelting shed.
Inside the huge shed, Arry and Bert dragged James along, the red engine trying his hardest to try and get free, now realising his mistake and trying to get away, but to no avail as the two diesels dragged him into the shed.
"Finally caught you, you useless red kettle." Bert oiled with a greasy smirk. "You'll be fine scrap, indeed."
"After today, the railway will be without a number five." Arry added as he uncoupled from James' tender.
"NOT TODAY, OIL GUZZLER!" A female voice yells out.
Before either diesel could respond, Arry was rammed from behind and was knocked over onto his side with a deafening crash. Bert was about to reverse and see what happened to his brother, only for him to be pushed and sent crashing into some old scrap wagons.
James was stunned by what happened, just as he felt someone or something couple up behind his tender, now pulling him out of the scrapyard shed, now puffing away from the scrapyard.
"James, James, James." The red engine looked back to see Belinda coupled up behind him. "After all these years, I never thought I'd have to drag you out of the fire like I did back during our first trial runs."
"B-Belinda?" James stuttered in surprise as they leave. "I thought..."
"You thought I was gone? I got lucky to be found by a heritage railway." Belinda smiled as they finally met up with Thomas and Sir Topham Hatt. "I got him, sir. And not a moment too soon. Those two diesel bozos were about to get my sibling scrapped."
"What horrid diesels." Thomas scoffed.
Sir Topham walked up front to look at James, the red engine now looking in concern. "James, you know that I have been hard on you as of recently, but you know that deep down, I would never replace you." He said to his number 5 engine. "What you did today was rather silly and selfish of you. You have made many friends here on this railway, and they would be disappointed and saddened if you were to disappear." He gently pats James' buffer.
"We might have been hard on you, but we mean well." Thomas added in next. "Besides, we were only joking around earlier. We didn't mean to make you feel bad."
"Thomas is right. I would never think of replacing you." Belinda acknowledged. "You and I are one-of-a-kind. There's no other engine like us."
James smiled softly. "I am sorry about what I did, sir. I'm sorry for what I did to the express, and what I did here." He apologised. "I was just angry with the trucks that made me crash into the coaches."
"James. Everything is okay now." Sir Topham spoke up calmly. "After today, you need time to rest. Belinda, Thomas, you please take James back to the sheds. After you have had some rest, you'll go to the works and be given a new coat of paint." He added in.
James just smiled gently, Thomas now buffering up to his front. Sir Topham climbed into Thomas' cab, and the three engines all left the Killdane branchline to go back home.
After what happened at the scrapyards, everyone was rather stunned to hear what Belinda had done when she saved James. From news from Salty and Boco, the two having picked up the two ironworks diesels, the two will need repairs and be out of action for some time.
"Have to say, never thought you'd have the strength to take on both Arry and Bert." Henry commented.
"I've dealt with Class 40s, 08 Shunters, and other arrogant diesels before." Belinda said nonchalantly. "Dealing with those two old junkyard dogs, that's not something to bat an eyelash over."
"Still, I have to say, you put those two in their place." Edward stated next.
"Wasn't my first rodeo, ol' fella." Belinda giggled.
"I am impressed, though." Emily smiled.
"Yes. Great job out there." Toby complimented.
"Thank you, Toby." Belinda smiled back to him.
"By the way, Belinda. Thank you for saving my life." James thanked to his sister. "It means a lot to me."
"Anything for you, brother." Belinda smiled.
After tonight, everyone was able to get some sleep and relax after a stressful time, and finally fall asleep in peace, the stars shining above them.
After what happened, Belinda became an addition of the North Western Railway, the heritage railway that she came from even extending her stay on the island for around three more months, which was enough for Belinda to catch up with James, the latter happy to talk with a sibling.
Belinda got along with the engines very well, even with Salty, Daisy, Boco, and other engines, even getting along with the Skarloey Railway engines. Belinda even handled some of the troublesome trucks, putting them in her place without issue, and whenever she'd be confronted by Diesel, she told him what for and even threatened to smash him apart like she did to another 08 diesel if he tries anything, to the Diesel's surprise and quick retreat, everyone now giving the devious engine nothing but grief over that for the next week.
However, unbeknown to the Island of Sodor, something was bound to happen, in the form of a LMS Fowler...