Conrad was enjoying his time at the Steamworks. Victor, Kevin, Ruth and the workmen raced about repairing him. Conrad was very grateful, but he soon began to feel bored. One day, Belle arrived, and Conrad watched as she shunted three other engines into the main shed. Conrad could hardly believe what he was seeing. "Malcolm, Adrian, Pierce?!"

"Hullo to you too, old friend," Adrian grinned.

"But…I thought you were all sent away from Sodor years ago."

"We were," said Malcolm, "but we didn't stay long."

"What do you mean?" Conrad asked.

"Well, it's quite a story," chuckled Pierce, "but it seems we'll have plenty of time to tell it." And with that, the three engines began.

A long time ago, the North Western Railway was much smaller. Back then, four little engines worked on the Branch Line from Wellsworth to Brendam. Wallace and Willoughby were twins, and they were the first engines on the line. Pierce was Number 3 and some years later, a fourth engine arrived. His name was Bramley and he seemed to have more experience than any of them. The four engines became very good friends and worked their line for many years.

As the North Western Railway was built, bigger engines could be seen on the new Main Line. Conrad was one of them and was joined by two tender engines called Edward and Isaac. Gradually, Pierce heard about the new main engine sheds at Tidmouth and he and his friends were treated to the grand sight of their new friends passing through Wellsworth together.

One day, Pierce arrived at Wellsworth with some trucks and saw a dark green tank engine waiting for him. "Hullo," he said, "I haven't seen you around here before."

"I'm Adrian," said the new engine. "Sir Topham Hatt has borrowed me to help out for a while."

"Will you be working on the Main Line?"

"Yes, but he wants me to help on your Branch too, starting with laying new rails."

Pierce understood. With the Railway getting busier, some of the old tracks needed replacing. Adrian worked hard and the Branch Line was soon ready for longer and heavier trains.

Sometime later, Adrian was at Knapford Station when another tank engine steamed in. It had six wheels and wore the same dark red paint as Conrad. A porter walked up. "Hullo," he said, "who are you?"

"My name is Malcom, Sir," said the engine. "I was asked to help build the North Western Railway, but I was delayed by trouble on the Mainland. I think I might be too late to help now, but I was still asked to come here."

The porter scratched his head. "But…we did have a tank engine arrive to help us. This is very strange. I'll tell Sir Topham Hatt at once."

When Sir Topham Hatt heard the news, he was surprised too. He quickly checked his papers and telephoned the Dock Master at Kirk Ronan. One piece of confusion led to another, and it was quite some time before Sir Topham Hatt finally made his way to the Yard to speak with Malcolm, his Driver and his Fireman. "Greetings, Malcolm," he said. "I am Sir Topham Hatt, and I am in charge of the North Western Railway. It seems that there was some confusion and the ship you were supposed to leave on collected another engine instead of you. You're Controller has informed me that he has found another engine to do you're work, so you will be staying here until further notice. In the meantime, I will find work for you and this matter will be sorted out."

"I do work hard, Sir," wheeshed Malcolm, "and I promise to help however I can."

The news of Malcolm's arrival soon spread, and Adrian told Pierce and his friends when they next met. "Fancy, someone making a mistake like that," chuckled Wallace.

"Poor engine," added Willoughby, "all dressed up with nowhere to go."

"Come on, you two," frowned Bramley. "I'm sure it's not funny to Malcolm. I hope Sir Topham Hatt can find work for him."

"I'm sure he will," said Pierce. "My old Controller told me that a railway can always use another engine."

"He does seem friendly," agreed Adrian. "I say we all try to help him however we can." And everyone agreed.

A long time afterwards, many changes happened on the Railway. Goods trains became heavier, and passenger trains became faster.

Pierce and his friends found themselves with less work to do and soon, Wallace and Willoughby were sent to work in the Yards at Knapford. Thomas had been given the Branch Line up to Ffarquhar and the Fat Controller wanted to see if the Twins could handle his work. They soon made friends with Thomas and saw Conrad and Adrian quite often and they all couldn't help but laugh at James when he made a hole in one of his coaches' brake pipes only to have it mended with some newspaper and a passenger's leather bootlace.

The Twins worked as hard as they could, but the work at Knapford was too heavy for them and they were soon sent back to their Branch Line. One morning, the Fat Controller came to see the engines. "I am pleased with your hard work," he said. "Ever since you came to Sodor, you have all been Really Useful Engines…but I'm afraid that times are changing."

Wallace and Willoughby expected the worst. "Please don't scrap us, Sir," they said. "The work at Knapford was just too heavy for us. We still work hard and so do Pierce and Bramley."

"I know," said the Fat Controller calmly, "and I would never scrap any of you. Malcolm and Adrian will be going back to the Mainland soon and I will be sending you and Pierce with them."

"What about Bramley," Sir?" asked Pierce.

"He will be staying here for a while longer, but hopefully, someone else will be able to find work for rest of you." He paused and sighed. "I wish it didn't have to be this way. I'm sorry."

When Malcolm and Adrian heard the news, they were upset too. They had made so many friends and Sodor was the most beautiful place they had ever known. The other engines were sad to see them go, but they did their best to make their last days on the island something to remember.

At last, the day came. Malcolm and Adraian were lined up with some other engines who were also going back home and left to a chorus of cheers and whistles. They stopped at Wellsworth to collect Wallace and Willoughby…but someone was missing.

"Where's Pierce?" Malcolm asked.

"We don't know," said Willoughby.

"We thought he was called away for an emergency," explained Wallace, "but he seems to have disappeared."

"Disappeared?" exclaimed Adrian. "Impossible."

"The Fat Controller's trying to sort this out," said Bramley, "but it seems you'll have to go on without him."

Wallace and Willoughby were coupled up and the engines continued on their journey back to the Mainland, but Malcolm and Adrian had a lot on their minds. The two engines couldn't stop wondering where their old friend had gone.