Chapter 65: Catching Up On Things
(Monday, December 17th 2012 – 1:30pm, Tidmouth Sheds)
At 1:30pm, having finished her shift, Carrie clocked out at the crew building's main entrance, along with Simon and Alice. The other three girls, Sophie, Saoirse, and Olivia, wouldn't be clocking out until much later on, as they had started their shifts later in the morning at the usual time. As she, Simon, and Alice made their way out from the crew building and down towards the street, Carrie's mind was still on the events that had happened earlier in the morning at the airport where she had seen her classmates again after more than a full year of being away from them.
But what was also on Carrie's mind was what her father would say when he was told about it. In fact, she had wanted to tell him as soon as she returned to the depot a few hours earlier, but unfortunately he was still out working somewhere on the main line. Likewise, she had wanted to tell the Fat Controller about it too, but he was away attending a series of very important meetings with other railway executives and some very important business people at a convention centre off in the northern part of the island and wouldn't be back until much later this afternoon.
"So, where shall we go now?" Alice asked, as they stepped out into the car park and back into the freezing cold December air, with the combination of snow and grit on the ground crunching beneath their feet.
"Well, my mother asked me to go over to the large bakery in Knapford once I finished work today and to pick up a few things over there for Christmas. So, I think I'll go into Knapford and do that right now." Simon said, as he looked out the gate, as if to imagine the journey to Knapford.
"Do you want some help with that, Simon?" Carrie asked.
"Sure, Carrie. I think I could use some help, considering what my mother's asked me to get today. Do you want to come along too, Alice?" Simon asked.
"Why not? I haven't been to that bakery for the last while, and I'd like to see what things they have on offer there for Christmas." Alice said.
"Well, come on. Let's go then!" Simon said, and the three of them walked over to where Caroline was parked.
Within a few moments, Caroline had pulled out of the car park onto the main road, and Simon drove her carefully along the road towards Knapford. Carrie was sitting in the front passenger seat beside Simon, while Alice was sitting in the back. They had placed their bags into the boot, and now just tried to relax as they went along. Although she tried her best not to think about it too much, Carrie knew that her classmates, along with their families and some of the teachers from Ewen High School would be staying at the biggest hotel within Knapford, and she knew that there was a very high chance that she and her friends might run into them, as there was a very good chance that many of them would be out in town and looking round after checking into the hotel.
Carrie also knew that her main arch-bully, Chris Hargensen, and some of the girls in her group might want revenge against her for what she had written into the notebook she left behind in her school locker before she ran away, where she noted down everything that had happened to her with regard to the bullying, harassment, and abuse she had suffered. Those thoughts got her the most nervous of all, and she was hoping that they wouldn't encounter Chris or any of the other girls in her group while they were out and about.
"Are you feeling all right, Carrie? You're being very quiet." Alice said, noticing that Carrie hadn't said anything since they had pulled out of car park.
"Well, Alice…not really to be honest…" and then Carrie told Alice and Simon of what her thoughts were going through her head right now, especially her concerns of what might happen if they came face to face with Chris Hargensen.
"It's all right, Carrie. You're not alone. You have us to help you, just in case we do encounter her. Then again, I wouldn't mind having Sophie, Saoirse, and Olivia with us as well. After all, you know what they say; safety in numbers." Simon said, as he gently turned them round a bend and drove down the street into the centre of Knapford.
"Yeah, better to have a larger group." Carrie said, as Simon pulled them into a car park and then parked into an empty space. As they got out, Carrie couldn't help but look around in some concern; there was no obvious sign of Chris or anyone else she knew from Chamberlain, but then again, she couldn't be too careful.
"So, where's the bakery?" Carrie asked.
"It's not too far away from here, Carrie. Only down the road a little way. Follow me." Simon said, as he locked up Caroline, and then he, Carrie, and Alice set off. Making their way along the pavement towards the bakery, Carrie couldn't help but be amazed by the Christmas displays she could see in the fronts of different shop fronts as they went by, as well as the lights and decorations crossing the street high up, and the sight of people going about. Many of the people she saw had smiles on their faces and were carrying bags in their hands, clear evidence of the Christmas shopping they had already done. From speakers fitted over the doors to some of the shops, the familiar sounds of Christmas music could be heard playing as customers went about and did their Christmas shopping.
"Ah, and here we are!" Simon said, as he stopped in front of the bakery; it was called Sweet Tooth Cakes N' Pastries, and the front of it was painted in a bright sky-blue colour. The building had three stories, including the main bakery on the ground floor, which also doubled as a coffee shop. Through the large window, the three friends could see that it wasn't too busy right now, which was ideal for the task that Simon had been given.
"Do you have a list of the things that your mother wants you to get, Simon?" Alice asked.
"Yes, I do, Alice." Simon said, as he opened up his coat a little and then pulled out a list from the inside pocket.
"Well, come on. Let's go inside and out of the cold." Carrie said, as they opened the door and stepped inside, with the tinkling of the bell sounding when the door opened.
However, what Carrie didn't know at that moment was that the hotel that her classmates, their families, and teachers were very close by to the bakery, and some of them were out walking along that street right at that moment. Among them was none other than Chris Hargensen, as well as Tina Blake and Donna Kellogg, and the three of them had been walking about and taking in some of the nearby sights when they noticed Carrie, Simon, and Alice on the other side of the street and going into the bakery.
As the three girls watched Carrie and her friends go inside the bakery, Chris felt a smug smile cross her face and she looked at Tina and Donna, and they also smiled the same smug smile as she did. Reaching into the inside pocket of her winter coat, Chris grabbed hold of her phone and logged into it.
Inside the warmth of the bakery, among the half dozen other people who were enjoying mugs of hot coffee and pastries while taking a break from their Christmas shopping, Simon set about getting the things that his mother wanted him to get while Carrie and Alice helped him. From behind the long counter, those who were working helped him to get the baked goods and cakes that Simon needed to get. Carrie was a little surprised by how much was on offer under the long glass display case that occupied much of the length of the counter, and how colourful the display was, with brightly decorated Christmas cookies and confections, as well as bright Christmas cakes of all sizes and types.
"Wow…I'm not sure what I'd get if my dad asked me to come here and get something to have on the dinner table for Christmas day." Carrie said, as she looked over the immense display of mouth-watering treats spread out before her.
"Yeah, my own parents still have difficulty choosing what to get when they come here to get things in the days before Christmas." Alice said, as she also looked over the display. But it was clear that Simon had no such problems, as it appeared his mother already knew exactly what she wanted to get, due to the list that he had in his hands. And thanks to that list, it didn't take very long for Simon to get all the things that his mother needed to have.
After Simon was handed the change for what he purchased, he turned to look at Carrie and Alice.
"Hey, do you two fancy having a hot drink and something here before we go back to Caroline?" Simon asked.
"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea to me. After all, it is quite cold out and I think a cup of tea would be good right now." Carrie said.
"I agree, and I do love the cakes and pastries in here." Alice said.
"Okay, let's see what you want to get." Simon said, as he and the two girls looked over to see what they wanted.
A few minutes later, the three of them were sitting on one of the tables by the front window and enjoying the hot drinks and cakes or pastries they wanted to have. As they sipped their drinks, they looked round and took in what was going on inside the shop; there was the low and comforting sounds of Christmas music being played over speakers, as well as the low sounds of conversation that others in the space were having, and the clinking sounds of coffee cups being placed onto the tables. There were also the sounds of work being done behind the long counter, as the staff placed more freshly-prepared treats and cakes from the main kitchens under the display case for customers to choose from.
From off to the side, there was also the sounds of crackling from the old fireplace as a hot fire, which piled high with wood, burned merrily away and kept the room warm and cosy for those who were enjoying the warm atmosphere as well as each other's company. In the corner off to the side of the fireplace, there was a well-decorated Christmas tree with a number of boxes beneath it that were wrapped up in bright paper with ribbons around them.
"Oh, it feels nice in here. I think that it feels almost like Christmas in here already." Alice said, as she sipped her mug of hot chocolate.
"Yeah, it does. I'm looking forward to a good long rest over the holidays, as well as the extended leave, before going back to work again in January." Simon said, as he settled back into the armchair with the high back and took in what was going on inside the bakery.
"I hope that we'll be able to have as good a Christmas as we can. And I hope that there'll be some more snow to come before then. I think some more snow will make Christmas just that bit more special." Carrie said.
"I know what you mean by that, Carrie. I do like the idea of making snow-angels and making snowmen over Christmas as well…just like when I was younger." Alice said, as she fondly remembered to the Christmases she had experienced in her youth. At the same time, Carrie remembered back to the winters that she had experienced in her younger years back in Chamberlain, Maine where she saw lots of heavy snow falling for the winters, as well as the memories of seeing houses decorated with decoration and lights for the festive season, as well as the sights of snowmen in the front yards of many houses…all except hers, due to the way her mother was like, and so their house was never decorated with bright twinkling lights or and decorations for the Christmas holidays.
But then, Carrie suddenly got the very uneasy feeling that someone was watching her from somewhere nearby, and much closer than she thought. Turning her head and looking outside the window to see out onto the pavement, Carrie saw no one standing out there, except for two women on the other side of the road. Both of them were well wrapped-up in warm winter coats and had bags in their hands, meaning they had been doing their Christmas shopping, and both of them were likely on their way to other shops nearby to get more things. Feeling herself relax a little, Carrie turned her face away from the window and settled back into the armchair she was sitting on.
A few moments later, just as Carrie, Simon, and Alice settled down to chat again, there came the sounds of the bell ringing over the door, followed by the sounds of feet as some people entered into the bakery. Alice looked up from her mug of hot chocolate to see who it was, and she saw a number of people standing close by to where they were sitting and they seemed to be looking around for something. It was then that one of the girls in that group looked over towards them, and then laid her eyes on where Carrie was sitting.
"Ah, Carrie…" Alice whispered, while her eyes glanced from Carrie up to the people that she could see, especially to the girl who was looking towards them and now whispering to some of the others who were in the group as well. Suddenly feeling a little bit tense and taking in a deep breath to keep herself calm, Carrie slowly turned her head round to see who it was…and when she did, she felt the colour drain from her face and her eyes go a bit wider. There, standing a few feet from her, was Chris Hargensen, along with Tina Blake and Donna Kellogg, and they seemed to be pleased to have caught Carrie alone.
"Well, well, well…if it isn't the FREAK who vanished from the school more than a year ago!" Chris said, as she glared an evil smile at Carrie.
"We've got a score to settle with you for ratting us out the way you did in your notebook!" Tina said, as she and Donna also looked at Carrie, but with angry looks on their faces.
On seeing her three main bullies standing a few feet away from her, Carrie suddenly felt very afraid; it was almost like the scenarios that she had suffered nightmares over a few nights over the past year was about to become reality.
But then, seeing his girlfriend afraid from the three girls standing before her, Simon stood up and stepped over in order to be in between Carrie and the three bullies. Having been told by Carrie about what happened earlier on, he knew who these three girls were, and he had no intention of letting them anywhere near her.
"Hey! Don't go anywhere near her, you three!" he said, as he looked down at Chris and the other two. Carrie saw that Simon was a little bit taller than Chris, Tina, and Donna were, and the fact that Simon had suddenly stood up and prevented them from getting to Carrie had really surprised the three of them.
"And who, may I ask, are you?" Chris said, as she looked directly into Simon's face while crossing her arms.
"I'm Simon, and I'm Carrie's boyfriend, and have been for the best part of the past year." Simon said, as he looked at Chris with a hard look on his face. He had no intention of taking any form of nonsense from any bullies, especially Chris Hargensen.
"And I'm Alice, one of Carrie's good friends over here on the Island of Sodor." Alice said, as she too stood up and stood beside Simon, while crossing her arms and glaring at Chris and her two lackeys. On hearing the two of them say that, Chris and her lackeys couldn't help but chuckle, and not very nice ones at that. But that didn't worry Alice or Simon at all, as they were used to sticking up to difficult people.
"Oh, I think that she could never make good friends with anyone! She never did with anyone else when she was back home in Chamberlain!" Chris said, as she sneered at Alice and Simon, while Tina and Donna laughed.
"And I'm not at all surprised…especially with the attitude that the three of you have!" Alice said, as she frowned while glaring at Chris and her lackeys. For several long moments, there was an awkward silence; Chris, Tina, and Donna were shocked, as no other teen girls had ever spoken to either of them in that manner before.
But before Chris could recover her composure and speak out in reply to what had just been said to her, there came the sounds of the bell ringing as the main door opened up and someone else stepped inside. Looking over to see who it was, Carrie signed with some relief when she saw who it was; it was her gym teacher, Rita Desjardin, and it looked like she had arrived just in the nick of time too.
"Okay, you three! Don't even think about doing anything stupid! And don't go anywhere near Carrie either!" Rita said, as she glared at the three girls whom she had dealt with many times in gym class back in Ewen High School. The three bullies turned to look at their gym teacher, and they could clearly see from the look on her face that she intended to punish them if they did anything to Carrie, especially in a public place like this.
For several long moments, there was a tense silence as the three bullies stared at their gym teacher, who also stared back at them rather sternly while crossing her arms. Then, the three girls decided discretion was the better part of valour and so they turned and left the bakery. But before she stepped back outside onto the street, Chris turned her head and glared at Carrie for a few seconds. For Carrie, the look on Chris' face seemed to say to her, "This isn't over! I'm gonna get you for what you did to us!" and then she, Tina, and Donna stepped back outside the bakery and walked away.
After a few seconds, where she watched the three girls walk away, Rita then turned her attention to Carrie, who had stood up from the armchair she had been sitting on.
"Carrie!" Rita said, as a smile crossed her face while stepping over to Carrie.
"Ms Desjardin!" Carrie said happily, as she stepped forward and gave her gym teacher a big hug, and Rita happily returned it.
"Oh, Carrie, it's so good to see you again!" Rita said, as she hugged her favourite student. More than a year before, Rita had been deeply unsure if she would ever see Carrie again after she ran away, but now to see Carrie again before her, and looking very different now than she had been a year earlier, Rita felt deeply relieved to know that Carrie was all right.
"It's good to see you too again, Ms Desjardin! I've missed you so much over the last year!" Carrie said, as she released the hug.
"Me too! And who are these two people with you, Carrie?" Rita asked, as she looked towards Simon and Alice.
"Ms Desjardin, this is Simon, my boyfriend, and Alice, one of the girls who I've become good friends with over here." Carrie said, as she introduced her two friends to her gym teacher.
"It's nice to meet you two." Rita said, as she shook hands with Carrie's two friends.
"And it's nice to meet you two as well. Carrie's told us quite a bit about you in the time that she's been over here on Sodor." Simon said.
"And I never thought that we'd ever get to meet you in person!" Alice said, as she smiled while also shaking Rita's hand.
"May I go and get a cup of coffee and then I'll join you at your table?" Rita asked.
"Okay!" Carrie said, as she, Simon, and Alice sat back down at their table and Rita went over to the counter to get a cup of coffee. Carrie was feeling pleased that she had been spared from the wrath of Chris and some of her minions, at least for the moment, and she was looking forward to spending some time with her gym teacher and catching up with her about how things had been back in Ewen High School and Chamberlain over the past year. But she was also quite keen to find out how everyone from Chamberlain had found out that she was on the Island of Sodor in the first place.
After a few moments, Rita had gotten herself a mug of hot coffee, along with a slice of her favourite chocolate cake, and then made her way over to the table where Carrie and her friends were sitting together and sat down on the spare armchair, after taking off her warm coat and placing it onto her chair.
"How long have you and all the others been on the Island of Sodor for, Ms Desjardin?" Carrie asked, as she watched her gym teacher sit down on the armchair beside her.
"We actually arrived at the airport just late last night, after an uneventful flight over from the Western Maine Airport. And we were waiting for the train to take us to Knapford to arrive when you arrived on Henry this morning." Rita said.
"And so, tell me, what do you think of Sodor so far?" Simon asked.
"So far, I'm very impressed with it. I think that it's quite a nice place to be, and the people are certainly very welcoming." Rita said.
"Well, that's quite a good thing to hear. Lots of tourists who come over here throughout the year really have a good impression of Sodor after only a few days of being here." Alice said.
"So, Carrie…how have things been for you here on Sodor since you ran away from Chamberlain?" Rita asked, as she took a sip of her coffee.
"Well, things have been much better since November of last year. Not too long after I arrived here on Sodor on the big ship I stowed away on, I spent a few days living out in the countryside before I found a more permanent place to stay." and then Carrie spent a minute or two telling Rita about how she had saved Arthur from a nasty accident from a rock slide not long after she arrived, "…and it was shortly after that rockfall that I found out that my father was still alive, after having thought that he was dead for all these years. And I'm currently staying with him at his house, and contrary to everything that I heard about him over the years…he's actually a very nice person. He just made a mistake when he got married to my momma all those years ago." Carrie said.
"And what's he been doing over here on Sodor in all that time?" Rita asked, even though she knew the answer from the pictures that had been shown back in Chamberlain all the way back in October.
"He's been working on the railway over here ever since he left Chamberlain all the way back in the summer of 1995, due to the confusion that had been caused by the horrible accident that took place at the construction site he worked at all the way back then. And not to mention all the horrible things that my momma did to him at home for the time that they were together." Carrie said.
"Oh, you mean that he was also a victim of Margaret's abuse, just like you were?" Rita asked, somewhat surprised to hear that from Carrie.
"Yes, and he realised that he made a really big mistake three months after he got married to my momma. She did a lot of horrible things to him when they were together behind the walls of that old house, and my father thought long and hard about the ways he could legally end his marriage to her without admitting that he made a mistake." Carrie said, as she took a sip of her hot chocolate.
"Goodness me…that must have been quite a rough marriage." Rita said.
"I'd say it was…and when the accident took place, he took the chance to leave the abusive relationship he had with her and start a new lift somewhere else. He said that he'd had enough of her nonsense by that point in time." Carrie said.
"And I can't say that I'd blame him for it either. I think that I probably would have too, if I'd been in such a position." Rita said, as she took a long sip of her coffee. The thought that Carrie's father had been subjected to the same forms of abuse at the hands of Margaret that Carrie had had to endure for years was a major shock to her, and certainly would be to everyone else when they were told.
After having a bit of the chocolate cake she had, Rita then turned her attention to where Simon was sitting beside Carrie.
"So, Simon…have you been looking after Carrie since she arrived here on Sodor?"
"Yes, I have…and I think I've done a good job too." Simon said, as he turned to Carrie and smiled at her. Carrie smiled back at him.
"Well, that's a good thing to hear. And do you have any other friends over here as well?" Rita asked, as she turned to look at Carrie.
"Yes, I have a few other friends who I'm close to and with whom I hang out with on a regular basis. But many of them are out working out on the railway at the moment and won't be back until later." Carrie said.
"And that's the work that you've been doing since you arrived here on Sodor?" Rita asked, as she took a sip of her coffee.
"Well, actually since early in January. That's when the apprenticeship scheme started up, and we've all been working on the railway ever since then, and we've worked on many of the engines that run on the railway taking all kinds of different trains to where they're needed to be, as well as working in the yards getting engines ready for work, and even dropping their fires and emptying out the ashpans at the end of the day. And even doing basic repairs and maintenance on the engines as well." Simon said.
"And I can see that all that work has changed your appearance since then, Carrie." Rita said, noticing how much Carrie's overall appearance was considerably different than what she had been more than a year before. She appeared to be so much brighter, and her blonde hair also seemed to be different than before, and the weight that had been around her waist had now gone, meaning that Carrie was much fitter than she had been a year earlier. Not only that, but the fact that Carrie had managed to become friends with some good people showed just how much her personality had changed over the last year. Rita clearly remembered what Carrie had been like the year before, where she had been a very shy and very quiet sort of person, and had always kept her head down to the floor and didn't speak to anyone. The bullying from those in school and the constant abuse that she had suffered at home from her mentally unstable mother had caused Carrie to be that kind of person for a long time.
"Yes, it has. Previously, I couldn't lift very heavy things, but now with all the exercise and work that I've been doing on the railway since I started on the apprenticeship scheme…well, it's changed me quite a bit, and I can now lift heavy loads of coal with the shovels into the fireboxes of engines without too much difficulty. And I can also do all sorts of maintenance work on different engines, though I do need some help when lifting some of the heavier items on or off some of the engines." Carrie said.
Before Rita could ask her next question, Carrie spoke up first.
"How's…how's my momma getting on back home?" Carrie asked. She knew that her momma was still securely confined within the Arkham mental institution back in Maine, but it was only a natural thing to know about what had happened to her momma since January.
"Oh, the last that I heard from a few weeks back is that she's still securely locked up in the Arkham institution for her various mental illnesses…and based on what I heard, her mental state has deteriorated even further since she was brought there back in January." Rita said.
"Oh, dear." Carrie said.
"And if you don't mind me asking…but just how badly has her condition deteriorated?" Simon asked, as he took a sip of his tea.
"From what I've heard…and this was back in mid-October…her mental state had deteriorated to the point where she's having regular mental breakdowns inside Arkham, including many instances where she's had to be put into a straitjacket and then placed into a padded room for her own safety, as well as the safety of other patients and staff there." Rita said.
"And do you know if she attacked any other patients and staff there as well?" Alice asked.
"Oh, she did quite a bit in the first months she was there…and she also went on her religious rants at times, and a whole lot of other different things as well. Many times she would have to be taken away and securely placed into one of the padded rooms there to keep her out of the way of other patients and staff there." Rita said.
"And so there's no hope for her ever getting out of there at all?" Simon said.
For several seconds, Rita was quiet and then she shook her head. "No, I'd say there's no hope at all. And considering what she did to you, Carrie…the courts ordered that Margaret be confined in Arkham for the rest of her life. So, I'd say that Margaret got her just desserts for everything that she did to you in that old house over the years."
"Well…I'd say that's something." Carrie said. Being told that her mother had been put into a straitjacket and then locked into a small padded room for all the real things that she had done certainly felt like payback to Margaret for all the times that she had placed Carrie into that small and lonely closet in that lonely old house over the years.
"Absolutely, and it certainly serves her right for what she did to you for all the years." Rita said, as she finished off the last of her coffee.
There were a few more moments of silence between them as they finished off their hot drinks, before Carrie then took in a deep breath and asked the next and most obvious question that was on her mind.
"Ms Desjardin…how…how did you all find out that I was over here on Sodor?" Carrie asked, as she looked towards her gym teacher. For several long moments, Rita was silent as she looked at Carrie and wondered how she should break this story to her. Carrie could tell from the somewhat anxious look on her gym teacher's face that it was quite a long story…and one that would be a bit awkward to tell right now.
"It's…it's a bit of a long story, Carrie…and I'm not sure what would be the best way to tell you about that." Rita said, as she rubbed the back of her head and looked out the window onto the road, while wondering what Carrie's reaction would be when she was told.
"Do you think you could tell me, Ms Desjardin?" Carrie asked.
"Well…four officers from the Chamberlain Police Department have come over with us as well, and they could probably tell you much better than I possibly could." Rita said, as she looked back at Carrie. On being told that some police officers had come over with them, Carrie suddenly looked very nervous and wondered what would happen when she came face to face with them at a later point.
"Don't worry too much about what they'll say to you, Carrie. They read through the note book that you left behind before you disappeared, and they were just as shocked to hear about your story as everyone else in Chamberlain was after you disappeared." Rita said.
And Carrie was a bit surprised to hear that everyone back in Chamberlain had read through the note book she had left behind. "So, does that mean that everyone back there knows what I went through and what my momma did to me?" Carrie asked.
"Yes, Carrie…after you left, the police took the notebook that you left behind in your locker and they looked through it extensively before they arrested your mother at your house. Afterwards, they uploaded the whole thing to the internet and put it onto a site where everyone and anyone could upload it and read through it." Rita said.
"And did everyone from school read through it?" Carrie asked, a little bit surprised to hear what her gym teacher had just told her.
"Yes, and some of it also ended up being published in the newspapers, as well as being shown in the news on the T.V., and so everyone knows what you went through for all those years." Rita said.
For several long moments, Carrie was very quiet, and was unsure of what she should say next. But she cleared her throat and spoke again.
"And so…does that mean that everyone from Ewen High School, as well as everyone else who bullied me, is sorry for what they did to me for all these years?" she asked, while being very cautiously optimistic.
"It certainly seems to be so, Carrie. After the news got out of your disappearance from Chamberlain last November, a lot of those who went to Ewen High School, including myself and all the teachers, were wondering what the circumstances had been after you left. But it wasn't until that the police mentioned your notebook and what they had read in it, as well as unloading it to the internet where we could all read it…that we all realised just how bad that things had been for you for all these many long years, both in school and in your private life. And because everyone has read through your notebook and understands what you went through, almost everyone from Ewen High School, as well as their families, has flown over here to apologise to you face to face for what happened. We haven't come over to ask you to come home, as we know that's probably not possible, but we came here to try put things right." Rita said.
"Well…I'm sorry that I had to run away from home in order to get away from the abuse and bullying that I was going through on a daily basis…but I didn't think that anyone would help me even if I told anyone. Anyway, I was too scared to even open my own mouth." Carrie said.
"Hey Carrie…" Rita said, as she put her hand on Carrie's left shoulder, "…if you had told me about what you were going through, I would've tried to have helped you."
"Really?" Carrie said, as she looked at her gym teacher, who nodded in return while giving a small smile.
"Of course, I would have tried to help you. And I know that you were afraid to tell someone about what you were going through…which is understandable for anyone who might be going through what you were going through…but you should always tell someone, anyone in fact, if you're going through difficult times, whether it's in school or at home." Rita said.
For several long moments, Carrie was silent while she thought about what Rita had said, as Simon and Alice watched her and waited for what she was to say next. Then Carrie turned to look at her gym teacher.
"I guess that you're right about that, Ms Desjardin. Looking back...maybe I should have told someone about what I was going through rather than suffer in silence like I had always done." Carrie said.
"And that's something you should always remember, Carrie. And don't ever be afraid to tell someone if you're going through a really hard time. There'll ALWAYS be someone out there to help you get through it. Even if it isn't me or someone in school, then it could easily be someone else." Rita said, as she smiled.
"I will, Ms Desjardin." Carrie said, as she smiled too.
Then, Rita turned her attention to Simon and Alice, whom she noticed had both been quiet while she and Carrie had talked.
"And how have thing been for you two and your other friends since you began working on the railway here?" Rita asked.
"Oh, things have been very good for us all. Ever since we started on the apprenticeship scheme back in January, we've all gone from strength to strength in learning new skills on how to work on the railway, as well as learning how to work on all the different engines we're assigned to work on." Simon said.
"And we've all been doing a lot of very good work on many of the engines since then, and I guess that we're all quite skilled in learning how to work on them." Alice said.
"And does that include driving the engines at times as well?" Rita asked.
"Sometimes, yes. And that's something that we all look forward to doing. But then again, the apprenticeship scheme is going on for a few years and so we've all got a long way to go yet until we're fully qualified to drive any of the engines out on the main line alone. And so, each time that we've been going out, we're with the already experienced crews in order to get the necessary experience we need." Alice said.
"And are there any situations where you would need to do anything in a classroom setting?" Rita asked.
"Yes, and we've had quite a few of those at times within the last year as well. And we usually have at least one or two such sessions per week." Simon said, as he thought back to those times in the last year when all the apprentices were in a classroom situation together and learning about anything mechanical or anything else that they needed to know about on how to operate a steam locomotive.
"And what times did you start this morning?" Rita asked.
"Oh, it was a very early start for the three of us…" Simon said, "…we were up around 4 this morning in order to start work."
"Whoa! Whoa! Hang on a second! You guys were all up at four o clock in the morning?!" Rita said, as if unable to believe what she had been told.
"That's right, and I was assigned to work with Henry the big green engine this morning. And we were both assigned to take the Flying Kipper out from the harbour at Knapford over to Barrow-in-Furness on the mainland." Carrie said.
"And what's the Flying Kipper?" Rita asked, a little curious as to why a train would be given an odd name like that.
"It's a special fish train that runs in the early mornings, and Henry is usually the engine that takes that train when it runs, although other engines have occasionally taken it as well during times when Henry's unavailable." Simon said.
"It must be tiring to get up much earlier than usual to take a train like that." Rita said, as she looked at Carrie while wondering how difficult it would be to get up at 4am to start work, having never done it herself.
"Oh, it certainly was difficult to get up at that hour, as I've never done it before. But then again, I did go to sleep very early last night in order to be up at the time for us to leave the depot and head over to the harbour on Henry to collect the train." Carrie said.
"And I saw how Henry and the other two engines stood up to Chris at the airport station earlier on this morning. I was impressed with that to say the least." Rita said.
"Oh, you mean Gordon and James? Yes, I told them, and almost all the other engines here about what I went through back home. They were all shocked to hear my story, and I'm sure that they all decided to do whatever it took to stand up to Chris if and when they saw them…though I don't really believe they ever expected to see them here in the first place." Carrie said.
Then, just before Rita was about to ask Carrie another question, there came a buzzing sound. Looking to his coat, Simon knew what it was and, after excusing himself. he pulled out his phone and looked at the screen.
"Who is it, Simon?" Alice asked, though she already had a feeling who it was.
"Oh, it's just my mother. She's wondering where the stuff we bought here for her is, and when we'll be bringing it over to the house." Simon said, as he replied to his mother's message before he then put his phone back into his coat pocket.
"So, you guys have to be off on your way now?" Rita asked, a little bit disappointed that they needed to be on their way again, and with so many questions that she still wanted Carrie to answer.
"Yes, Rita. I'm afraid we need to. After all, we need to get these cakes and baked goods over to the house where Simon and his parents live. And his mother is expecting them to be delivered there soon." Alice said.
"Don't worry, Ms Desjardin. We'll get to see and speak to each other again in the time that you're here." Carrie said, as she stood up and reached for one of the bags with the baked goods in them.
"All right, Carrie. We're all gonna be here on Sodor until just after Christmas, and so I'm sure we'll see each other again many times before then. And good luck on getting all that to Simon's place." Rita said, as she smiled.
"Thanks, Ms Desjardin! It's been really great to see you again!" Carrie said, as a big smile crossed her face and then hugged her gym teacher.
"And it's been great to see you again too, Carrie! And I'm really pleased to see how much you've changed since I last saw you last year!" Rita said, as she gratefully returned the hug.
"And it's been really nice to see you too, Ms Desjardin." Simon said, as he and Alice reached forward and shook Rita's hand.
"It's nice to meet you as well…and just call me Rita." Rita said, as she shook the hands of Carrie's friends.
"Okay…eh, Rita." Simon said.
"I hope we'll get to see you again soon, because it's been really nice meet you." Alice said.
"Oh, I really do hope so too. And may I say that it's been really nice to see you two as well, and I hope that I'll get the chance to meet the rest of your friends in the near future." Rita said, as she smiled.
"Don't worry, Rita. I guarantee that you'll get to meet them soon." Simon said, as he took hold of one of the bags of the things he had bought a little earlier on.
"And good luck on getting all that back to your home, Simon!" Rita said with a smile.
"Thanks, and we'll see you later!" Simon said, as he, Carrie, and Alice took hold of their things and then stepped outside the main door. As she watched them leave, Rita couldn't help but smile broadly; having just seen Carrie and taken the chance to speak with her again, Rita was really deeply pleased to see how much she had changed over the last year, as well as the fact that Carrie was all right. Rita was amazed by how much Carrie's social skills had improved compared to how she had been the year before, especially the fact that she had a boyfriend who seemed to have strong feelings for her, as well as a few teen girls who she was good friends with as well. But then again, other thoughts that entered Rita's head was what would happen with Carrie when she had to go close to her former classmates sometime in the near future. That did get Rita concerned, as she knew that would have to happen, regardless of whether she or Carrie liked it or not.
Deciding to worry about that when the time for it inevitably came, Rita decided to leave the combined bakery coffee shop and head back to the hotel, in order to report to the other adults and teachers from Chamberlain who were there about her meeting with Carrie, as well as having met some of her new friends. After all, all of them were eager to hear what had happened.
(Meanwhile, with Carrie and her friends)
Feeling somewhat pleased with her meeting with her gym teacher, Carrie made her way along back to the car park with Simon and Alice. The December air seemed to have gotten colder in the last while, though that was probably due to the effect of having been inside a warm room enjoying hot drinks for the last half hour.
"Your gym teacher seems like quite a nice person, Carrie. Though those three girls we saw before she came in are certainly quite the opposite in nature." Alice said.
"Yes indeed, Alice. The girl in the middle with the black hair and fake tan was Chris Hargensen, who was my main bully back home. The girl to Chris' left was her second-in-command, Tina Blake, while the other girl was Donna Kellogg, and they bullied me almost as badly as Chris did." Carrie said.
"And where were the other girls you said who were in that group?" Simon said.
"I saw them all back at the airport, though I don't know where they all are right now. I hope that they're somewhere else and not close by to us." Carrie said, as she looked around slightly anxiously. She just knew that somewhere close by there were people from Chamberlain watching her. And as it turned out, she was right about that; somewhere nearby, a few of those from Ewen High School were watching her, and among them were Sue Snell, Tommy Ross, Heather Shyres, as well as the Watson Twins, Nicki and Lizzy. They were hiding behind a low stone wall that had a line of bare trees on the other side of it along with some old bushes, and from there they could easily see Carrie, Simon, and Alice as they made their way along towards the car park. For the past while, they had been discreetly following Carrie and her friends, almost as if they were waiting for the right opportunity to step out and apologise to her for what happened over all the earlier years back in Chamberlain. However, something in each of them told them that it wouldn't be a good idea to confront Carrie out in public when she was with her friends, especially so soon after what had happened earlier this morning at the airport.
"When do you think we should go and apologise directly to Carrie?" Tommy asked, as he kept low and watched as Carrie and her two friends walked on by them from the other side of the street.
"I'd say just hold back and wait, Tommy. I think that it's actually far better to wait until we're in a much better setting to give our apologies to Carrie." Heather said.
"Yeah, I'd say that's a good idea, Heather. After what happened at the airport earlier, I think that it's best if we didn't suddenly descend upon Carrie like a pack of wolves. I think it'd upset her…especially after her being away from us all for so long and having rebuilt her life after having arrived over here." Sue said.
"Do you think that Carrie might have some more of her friends with her if we and when we see her up close again?" asked Nicki, as they all watched Carrie, Simon, and Alice disappear around the corner at the end of the street.
"I wouldn't be surprised if she did. After all, she seems to be quite close to the two others we just saw her with…especially the boy." said Lizzy.
"Yes, indeed." Rachel Spies said.
"Anyway, now that Carrie and her two friends are out of sight…shall we all get ourselves out of here and go somewhere a bit warmer? I'm freezing right now." Vicky said, as she rubbed her gloved hands together over her face to get some more heat in.
"Yeah, I think that sounds like quite a good idea to me. Let's get back to the hotel, or over to one of the nearby coffee shops." Jessica Upshaw said. And so, they all turned quietly away from where they were hiding and then made their way to where they could find a way to get warm as quickly as they could.
(Meanwhile, out on the Southern Main Line)
(Insert soundtrack – Gordon's Theme – Season 5)
After having dropped off the large group from Chamberlain at Knapford Station not too long before, Gordon was now back out again and taking the express from Knapford all the way over to Vicarstown. He was still feeling quite cross from what had happened earlier on, and hoped that Carrie would be all right now that she had clocked out for the day. Back in the train, all the passengers were enjoying themselves as the scenery went by outside, with many admiring the white snowy landscape outside. From the two buffet coaches, hot drinks and some different hot foods were being served out to passengers who wanted to get warm, while others just sat back and read through their books and magazines or worked on their laptops while the train moved on ahead.
Soon, with a blast of his whistle and a wheesh of steam, Gordon arrived back at the airport station to collect passengers who were waiting to be taken to collected and taken to Vicarstown. By that time, he was feeling a little bit uncertain to be back here after what happened here earlier on, but tried to put those feelings aside as he rolled into the station. Going in on the line running adjacent to Platform 2, Gordon saw that there were quite a few passengers standing on the platform and waiting for him to arrive. Many of them had arrived on a number of different flights that had landed at the airport not too long before, and were feeling eager to head on their way to their next port of call before the day was out. There were plenty of other passengers, including plenty of children, who were standing about and waiting for their trains on some of the other platforms as well, and many of them were also waiting inside the waiting rooms and cafés where it was warm. Many of the passengers also had a lot of luggage on hand with them as well, clear evidence that they were planning to be on the Island of Sodor for some time.
With a squealing sound from his brakes as he slowed down, Gordon came to a slow halt and then stopped at the very end of the platform. Afterwards, the station staff opened the doors on the coaches and the passengers who were to be travelling on this train clambered aboard, often needing some help to get their bags and stuff onto the coaches as well if it was needed.
At the front, Gordon sat and waited for the passengers to board before he could set off on his way again. His mind was still on what happened earlier on, and he wondered what would happen if and when he happened to see Chris Hargensen and the others from Chamberlain again. Then, his thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of an approaching engine who was coming into the airport station from somewhere behind him. A few seconds later, with a short blast of his whistle and a squealing of brakes, the engine came to a stop on the line adjacent to Platform 1, and it turned out to be S.E.C.R. N Class 2-6-0 No.1403, who was on his way from Knapford to Kirk Ronan with a stopping train coupled up behind him (122).
"Afternoon Gordon! How are you this afternoon?" No.1403 said, as he came to a stop.
"I was feeling good until earlier this morning…but then you wouldn't believe what happened when I arrived here earlier on…" and then Gordon told No.1403 about what had happened earlier that morning here at the airport station about Carrie's classmates and teachers suddenly appearing at the airport this morning. And once he had finished, the look on No.1403's face was of shock and uncertainty, having never expected to hear this.
"Are you absolutely sure of that, Gordon?" he asked, still unsure of whether to believe this news or not.
"Yes, I'm more than quite sure! Just ask Henry and James, as they were here as well when that took place." Gordon said.
"Okay, I believe you, Gordon. But I'd just like to wait and see until I actually get to see them and see what they're like for myself." said No.1403, feeling a little unsure of what all those people from Chamberlain were like.
"Well, you just wait and see! I think they were some of the rudest people that I've ever met!" Gordon said crossly. That got No.1403 somewhat concerned, and he quietly hoped that he would never get to meet all those people.
(122): The South Eastern and Chatham Railway (S.E.C.R.) N Class 2-6-0 were designed by Richard Maunsell to be used on mixed-traffic duties on the S.E.C.R. system. The class was based off of George Jackson Churchward's 43XX Class 2-6-0 engines of the Great Western Railway, except that the N Class was an improved version of the G.W.R. design, as well as with some concepts brought in from designs used by the Midland Railway.
A number of different factors influenced the locomotive types that could run on the S.E.C.R. system, such as increased loadings of freight and passenger trains, the poor quality of the tracks, as well as the bridges, which were weak and lightly built. Increasing numbers of passengers travelled on the trains that ran to Dover and Folkstone, and the increasing weight of the goods trains that ran between Tonbridge and the marshalling yard found at Hither Green stretched the abilities of both existing infrastructure and of the locomotives that ran on the system.
Not only that, but the ballast that was used to keep the track in place on the former London, Chatham, and Dover (L.C.D.R) lines was made up of flint beach pebbles on a bed of ash, but this often failed to prevent the track from moving when it was put under strain by trains passing over it. These construction economies meant only locomotives with low axle loadings could run safely on the track, but these restrictions also meant the S.E.C.R. was unable to follow a coherent strategy that reduced costs and increased serviceability of its locomotive fleet. As a result of this, the S.E.C.R was forced to use mismatched, underpowered, and obsolete classes of 4-4-0 and 0-6-0 locomotives as they could run within the restrictions imposed by the infrastructure. But it also meant frequent double-heading that increased the railway's operational costs to an unacceptable level.
The Chief Mechanical Engineer (C.M.E.) of the S.E.C.R., Harry Wainwright, knew full well about the problems that the railway was facing in those times and he drew up a number of different plans for locomotives to try and solve the issue. However, his plans for a 4-6-0 passenger locomotive and for an 0-8-0 freight locomotive were turned down, likely due to heavy axle loadings and the state of much of the track over the system.
After Wainwright retired from the company in 1913 due to ill health, he had left behind a legacy of competent but unspectacular locomotives that always struggled to cope with the increased train lengths and loadings that were being placed upon them. And so as a result, the new C.M.E., Richard Maunsell, decided to improve some of the existing designs before he then introducing new designs in order to replace the older designs, which included a 2-6-0 for freight work as well as a 2-6-4T tank engine for use on heavy passenger trains, which eventually became known as the K Class. Maunsell's first new design was to become the N Class 2-6-0, the first step in the S.E.C.R.'s fleet standardisation programme.
The N Class was to be a sturdy mixed-traffic engine with a high route availability that could replace the older and obsolete 0-6-0 engine types. With the help of former G.W.R. engineer Harold Holcroft, who had recommended a 2-6-0 wheel arrangement for the new design in order for it to run on the poor-quality track in Kent, Maunsell set about designing the new class of engine for the S.E.C.R. The N Class had a longer wheelbase with a leading axle that allowed for much greater stability when they were running at speed on tight track curves. As the engines were longer, it also meant that a larger boiler could be fitted than on the older 0-6-0 designs, which promised to give the N Class much greater power to avoid double heading on the heavier trains.
Some principles of power and reliability were also incorporated from Churchward's 43XX Class of the G.W.R., including a Belpaire firebox, a regulator located inside the smokebox, long travel valves for free running, a sharply tapered and domeless boiler, and the driving controls set on the right-hand side of the cab. However, there was also a need to keep the weight of the class down, and so the N Class incorporated lightly braced main frames.
Some influences from the Midland Railway made their way into the design, including the shape of the cab, and drumhead-type smokebox. Snifting valves were also provided in order to prevent vacuum formation inside the cylinders when the engines were standing still. Maunsell also added a number of different innovations, such as steam-powered brakes, fitting the boiler top-feed into a dome-like cover with external clack-boxes, and fitting a new type of superheater inside the smokebox. A new screw reverser in order to control the valve events, which was much easier to use instead of the more complex steam reverser used on earlier S.E.C.R. locomotive classes. All the components used on the class were standardised for interchange with other similar locomotive classes in order to ease maintenance as well as to reduce the production costs.
Due to the outbreak of the First World War in August 1914, and the onset of the war priorities that the S.E.C.R. had to undertake, the first member of the class to be built didn't emerge until August 1917, when No.810 was rolled out from Ashford Works. After entering service, No.810 was put through a series of trials, where it showed its superiority over the companies previous goods engines, before another 15 engines (from No.811 to No.825) were ordered in 1919, and then built from 1920 to 1923, with their construction being delayed caused by a backlog of repairs caused by the war. A few modifications were made to No.822, the most notable of which was when it was fitted with three smaller-diameter cylinders instead of the two original larger-diameter outside cylinders, thus allowing No.822 to be the prototype machine for the three-cylinder N1 Class when it was built in March 1923.
In total, 80 members of the N Class were built at Ashford Works under the auspices of the S.E.C.R. and then the Southern Railway between August 1917 and January 1934. They had two outside cylinders that were 19in in diameter with a 28in piston stroke, a boiler that was pressed to 200psi and fitted with superheating elements, and six driving wheels that were 5ft 6in in diameter, all of which combined to give the class a maximum tractive effort of 26,035lbf. Two tender types were paired with the class during their careers; the first one carried 5 tons of coal and 3,500 gallons of water, but for engines built by the Southern Railway, larger tenders that could carry up to 4,000 gallons of water were fitted in order to extend their range.
The engines that were built by the Southern Railway were different from those built by the S.E.C.R. in order to expand their route availability on the S.R.; their cabs were fitted for left-hand drive, which was adopted as standard by the Southern. Their chimneys were also replaced by lower ones in order to allow the class to pass under lower bridges and tunnels, while smoke deflectors were also fitted in order to improve visibility for the footplate crews. Footsteps were also fitted beneath the forward buffer beam, and the dome was redesigned to incorporate the regulator in order to ease access to it during routine maintenance.
The Ministry of Supply drew up a contract for a second batch of engines built to the same specification – to be built at the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich. Building of the second batch went ahead to retain skilled labour at Woolwich as there was a decline in the need for armaments, but the construction of 119 boilers for allocation to the kits of parts was contracted-out due to limited production capacity at Woolwich and Ashford; the North British Locomotive Company built 85, Robert Stephenson and Co built 20, while Kitson & Co. built 14.
Despite the help given by Ashford, the whole exercise ended in confusion. By 1924, the prefabricated components stored at Woolwich formed 100 complete N Class kits for purchase. The George Cohen and Armstrong Disposal Corporation was asked to take the 100 locos built at Woolwich onto their books for sale to any interested parties.
The Midland Great Western Railway of Ireland bought 12 kits prior to its absorption by the Great Southern and Western Railway, which bought an extra 15 examples. The latter 15 engines were divided into eight G.S.R. Class 372 with 5ft 6in driving wheels and six G.S.R. Class 393 with 6ft 0in driving wheels: the final kit was kept for spares. The engines that were bought to run in Ireland were altered to run on the Irish 5ft 3in gauge.
A further six were bought by the Metropolitan Railway, which sent them to W.G. Armstrong Whitworth & Co. for conversion to K Class 2-6-4T tank engines, which eventually numbered six engines in total and were numbered from No.111 to No.117 . Thereafter they worked principally goods services on the Metropolitan Railway. In 1937, these six engines were transferred to the L.N.E.R. who renumbered them from No.6158 to No.6163 and classified them as the L2 Class. They were used on passenger services in 1938 and 1942 before being withdrawn from service between 1943 and 1948 and then scrapped.
The newly created Southern Railway, which absorbed the S.E.C.R. in the 1923 Grouping, undertook trials in the spring of 1924 to compare the performance of its freight locomotives. Because the N Class were designed to haul both freight and passenger traffic, Maunsell, as the Southern's newly appointed C.M.E., decided to compare the design with the N1 Class, the L.S.W.R. S15 Class, and the L.B.S.C.R. K Class in trials that involved hauling trains of 65 loaded wagons. Although the S15 was superior in its overall freight haulage capacity and operational economy, the N Class's good all-round performance on passenger and freight meant that the type was adopted as the company's standard mixed-traffic design.
The Southern Railway subsequently bought fifty "Woolwich" kits for assembly at Ashford between June 1924 and August 1925, which were identical to the S.E.C.R. batch and numbered in the series A826–A875 . The fifty bought by the Southern were variously distributed between the Eastern and Western sections.
The remaining 17 kits at Woolwich were bought by the Southern, and formed the basis of later locomotive classes, like the three-cylinder SR W Class 2-6-4T tank locomotive. The prototype W Class was produced in 1932 from N Class parts with the addition of side water tanks, a coal bunker, a rear bogie and a third cylinder fitted in between the frames.
The N Class were used to haul services over most of the S.E.C.R. network and became a familiar sight on the difficult cross-country route from Tonbridge to Reading, where steep gradients taxed older 4-4-0 and 0-6-0 engines. The success of the class in traversing this route was due to their higher-capacity tapered boilers that provided an ample steam supply, and the small 5ft 6in driving wheels that delivered considerable tractive effort when climbing gradients like the 1 in 100 between Gomshall and Shalford.
After the 1923 Grouping, the N Class stayed on the former S.E.C.R. network, which was incorporated into the Southern Railway's Eastern early 1924 No.A815 and No.A825 were transferred to the former L.S.W.R. mainline between Waterloo and Guildford for trials. These proved successful, and paved the way for the allocation of most of the Woolwich batch to the Southern's Western type regularly replaced the older L.S.W.R T9 Class 4-4-0s on portions of the Atlantic Coast Express over the steeply graded lines west of Exeter.
The class was also successful on the Southern's Central Section, where they worked alongside the L.B.S.C.R. K Class 2-6-0s, as the large cylinder and cab sizes prevented the class from being used on the Eastern section's line from Tonbridge to route's narrow bridges and tunnels were unable to take the class, and provided the necessary justification for using the 3-cylinder N1 Class 2-6-0 on the route. Despite these restrictions, the class was perfectly capable of hauling heavy loads at moderate speeds, a useful attribute that was exploited during World War II.
When they were first introduced, the N Class proved more than capable of hauling both passenger and freight on the S.E.C.R. system, and were well liked by their crews who appreciated the general robustness of the design. However, the lightly built frames did cause excessive vibration and instances of rough riding when they were worked hard. Despite there being little wrong with the original design, the full steaming potential of the class wasn't realised due of the failure to capitalise on a larger boiler, which was a consequence of Maunsell's standardisation policy. Instead, the S.E.C.R. batch were trial-fitted with stovepipe chimneys in an attempt to improve draughting, which was initially applied to No.812 in 1921, although two more were fitted to No.817 and No.819 during building because of a shortage of chimneys at Ashford Works. The chimney fitted to No.819 was transferred to No.818 sometime between 1921 and 1924, and the performance of No.818 with that chimney was very bad with coal consumption being quite high. By April 1927, the standard N Class-type funnel, which was based off of the funnel that G.W.R. 43XX Class used, had replaced the stovepipe-type chimneys and which was then subsequently used on all S.R. 2-6-0 classes. Another trial saw the addition of a second slide-bar to No.825, which helped to give better support to the valve gear and helped to protect it from loose sand spilling from the driving wheel sander fillers.
When classes of Drummond-designed engines were replaced west of Exeter, a series of faults were found with the N Class, including steaming problems, tyres that were loose on their wheels, axle-boxes running hot, and piston valve trouble, which were all down to faulty workmanship of those who built or repaired the engines. But once all these problems had been found and rectified, the N Class settled down into the work they did.
A number of different changes were made to the N Class during their working lives, including receiving new domes on their boilers and front footsteps being fitted during overhauls. They were also fitted with smoke deflectors to try improve forward visibility for the crews, as well as fitting U1 Class chimneys and removing the piston tail rods from earlier engines. When Oliver Bulleid took over as the Southern's C.M.E. in 1937, he didn't fit the class with Lemaitre multi-jet blastpipes and wider-diameter chimneys, but he did have the smokebox-mounted anti-vacuum valves removed at the end of the Second World War in order to reduce maintenance. He also had new 4,000-gallon tenders built especially for the left-hand drive engines.
A rather unusual experiment was also made with the class when No.A816 was fitted with a Worthington feed pump in 1924, and which remained fitted until it was removed in 1927. The trials with it were modestly successful. Then in June 1930, No.A816 was fitted with an experimental Anderson steam conservation equipment at Eastleigh Works. The idea with this was to use a fan system to condense spent steam and improve the draughting on long-distance runs in areas with poor water access. When put on testing with this equipment, No.A816 was found to suffer from water leakage. Various different modifications were made, but performances were found to be below the other members of the class, and so No.A816 was converted back to standard form in 1935, re-entering service as No.1816.
A final experiment with the class was made in October 1933, when No,1850 was fitted with Marshall valve gear in place of Walschaerts valve gear. During testing on the Southern's Western Section, No.1850 showed promise with the new valve gear at slower speeds, with a reduced coal and water consumption, but problems emerged when travelling at speeds in excess of 50mph with knocking sounds reported by the footplate crew. During a run with a passenger train on the line from Basingstoke to Waterloo, the Marshall valve gear disintegrated near Woking, but luckily no one was hurt in the incident. After being withdrawn from service, No.1850 had its original Walschaerts valve gear refitted in April 1934.
No.31831 was converted to oil burning during the coal crisis that was experienced in the time after the end of the Second World Was, but it was later converted back to burn coal after the crisis eased, having successfully run a distance of just over 30,000 miles as an oil-burning engine.
The entire class came into British Railways' ownership in 1948 and could be seen working away in most areas of the Southern Region, pulling whatever trains came their way. They were given the power classification of 4MT in 1949, although this was later changed to 4P5FB in 1953, the "B" denoting the brake power rating when used on unfitted (non-vacuum braked) goods trains. The class was also renumbered to the B.R. standard numbering system: the earlier locomotives being numbered from No.31810 to No.31875, and the final 15 engines being numbered from No.31400 to No.31414.
The N Class was heavily used by B.R.: 29 members of the class needed their cylinders replaced between 1955 and 1961 due to excessive wear, with the steam circuit being revised when the new cylinders were fitted. The original inside steam pipes were replaced by outside steam pipes emerging from the sides of the smokeboxes going down to the outside cylinders from behind the smoke deflectors. From 1957, some members of the class had larger-diameter chimneys from the B.R. Standard Class 4MT fitted in order to improve draughting through their boilers with poor-quality coal, with some reductions of coal and water consumption being noted by their crews, though the decline of steam on the Southern Region prevented the entire class being fitted with these final set of modifications. Other changed made to the class included the fitting of new injectors, spark arrestors in the chimneys, feed-water treatment, fitting manganese liners to to the coupled driving wheel axle-boxes, as well as the fitting of Automatic Warning System (A.W.S.) equipment.
One engine that had the new B.R. Standard 4MT chimney fitted, No.31848, ran without its smoke deflectors fitted for nearly a year and a half as it was though the new chimney and blastpipe arrangement would eliminate the need for them. But this didn't prove to be the case, and smoke deflectors were refitted to No.31848.
By the 1950's, many of the class were having their frames replaced, as their original frames were showing cracks and distortions. Originally the whole frames were replaced, but it was decided that replacing the front ends of the frames would be sufficient.
After the Kent Coast Route was electrified in 1959, suitable work for the class began to decline, with the first withdrawals beginning in late 1962, when No.31823, No.31409, and No.31414 were removed from service. Withdrawals only accelerated after this time, due to the boundary changes on lines west of Salisbury going to the Western Region in 1963. The greatest number of engines removed was 40, which took place in 1964. By the start of 1966, there were only six engines still in service, but by the end of June 1966 the final two members of the class, No.31405 and No.31408, had been removed from service. The engine that achieved the highest mileage during its career was No.31870, who covered a very respectable 1,110,161 miles during its time on the line.
Thankfully, one member of the N Class has managed to survive into preservation. This engine is No.31874, who was built at Ashford Works in 1925, and was withdrawn from service at Exmouth Junction in March 1964. After being sent to Barry Scrapyard in June 1964, it was rescued from the yard in March 1974 and taken to Mid Hants Railway for restoration work to begin. Work was completed by the end of April 1977 and No.31874 hauled its first trains on the Mid Hants Railway bearing the name Aznar Line , after the shipping company that helped to move the engine from Barry.
As of 2024, No.31874 is undergoing a major overhaul on the Swanage Railway to return it to full working order again, having last run in 1997.
It wasn't too long before the last of the passengers who were going over to Vicarstown had boarded Gordon's coaches, and then all the doors to the coaches were closed by the porters as the passengers made themselves comfortable at the tables. Once everything was ready, the signalman in the signal box set the points for Gordon to leave the station, while also setting the signals to show the line ahead was clear. From the front coach of the train, the guard leaned out from his compartment and blew his whistle loudly while waving his green flag to give Gordon's crew the all clear.
"Okay, right away!" the fireman called, as he turned to face the driver.
"Right-o!" the driver called, as he blew Gordon's whistle for a few seconds and then opened the regulator a little. Slowly, taking up the weight of his coaches behind him, Gordon pulled out of the station.
"Good luck, Gordon!" No.1403 called, as he watched the big blue engine set off on his way.
"Thanks!" Gordon called, as he pulled away.
(Meanwhile)
It wasn't just Gordon who was telling other engines he came across of what happened at the airport earlier; both James and Henry were also telling the other engines of what took place. All the other engines they came across were also quite shocked to hear what had happened, and even more curious as to how Carrie's classmates and teachers on how they all found out how Carrie was over here on the Island of Sodor after all this time. Slowly, the word spread all around the island, with each engine telling others that they came across as they went along with their trains.
On Thomas's branch line, Thomas was collecting passengers at Ulfstead Station while on his way back to Knapford. He had been having a very good day out working with his two coaches, Annie and Clarabel, and was wondering what else that the day would bring. He found out soon enough, for he heard the sounds of a whistle coming along the line from up the line in the direction of Ffarquhar. Looking up to see who was coming along, he saw L.N.E.R. L1 Class 2-6-4T No.67735 entering the station pulling a train of eight coaches, and from the look on his face, Thomas knew that No.67735 had something important to say.
"What's going on, No.67735? Is there anything happening?" Thomas asked, as he watched No.67735 come to a halt at the adjacent platform.
"Yes, Thomas. Something is going on. I heard it a little while ago from Henry, and you're not gonna believe it either…" and then No.67735 told Thomas everything that Henry had told him not too long before back at Tidmouth Sheds. When he finished, Thomas was surprised to have heard that and wasn't sure what to say.
"Well, how…how did they all find out that she was over here on Sodor?" Thomas asked, still somewhat unable to believe what he had been told.
"I don't know how they found all that out. Henry, Gordon, and James never found out, but I have a feeling that we all may find out very soon." No.67735 said.
Just then, there came the sounds of a guard's whistle being blown loudly from the platform that Thomas was stopped beside.
"Come on, Thomas! It's time for us to be on our way again!" his driver said, as he leaned out from the side of the cab.
"Okay!" Thomas said, as he blew his whistle and then slowly set off on his way with Annie and Clarabel.
"Good luck, Thomas!" No.67735 called, as he watched Sodor's No.1 engine set off on his way.
"Thank you!" Thomas called, as he set off on his way up the line.
(Insert soundtrack – The Fat Controller's Theme – Season 4)
Meanwhile up within the north of the island, the Fat Controller had just finished up with the important meetings that he had to attend with all the railway executives and the very important business people at the large conference centre not too far away from the town of Heathfield. Although each of the meetings that he attended today had gone very well, with all the necessary deals being made as well as all the new timetables and such being laid out, the Fat Controller was feeling very tired after his long day of attending different meetings and he was looking forward to getting back down to his office in Knapford Station and having a good rest before heading on home this evening.
After leaving the conference centre, he stood on the platform of the station and waited for the train to arrive and take him back to Knapford. He didn't have to wait for very long at all, for he soon heard the sounds of a steam whistle and the sounds of chuffing approaching the station, and soon L.B.S.C.R. K Class 2-6-0 No.337 came into view along the line with five coaches coupled behind him.
But as he watched No.337 approach, the Fat Controller noticed that the look on No.337's face seemed very different from what the normal look would be; he seemed to be very anxious about something, and that got the Fat Controller interested as he knew that something was happening and which might need his attention.
As No.337 stopped at the platform, the Fat Controller stepped forward.
"Oh, good afternoon, sir." No.337 said, as he watched the head of the railway step along the platform over towards him.
"You look to be very anxious about something, No.337. What's the matter?" asked the Fat Controller. For several long moments, No.337 was quiet, very unsure as to whether to tell the Fat Controller or not. But then he took in a deep breath and told the Fat Controller what he had been told about what had happened at the airport earlier on. He also mentioned that he had heard that story from James earlier this morning. By the time he had finished telling the story, the Fat Controller was stunned.
"Are you absolutely sure of that, No.337?" he asked, still unsure as to whether or not he should believe this news or not.
"Well, sir…James seemed to be quite certain of it. And he also said that Henry and Gordon were there as well this morning." No.337 said. For several long moments, the Fat Controller was silent as he thought long and hard about what to do about this.
"Does Ralph know anything about this yet?" the Fat Controller asked.
"I actually don't know yet, sir." No.337 said anxiously.
"Very well. I think I better go and inform Ralph about this as soon as I possibly can. And we'd better do everything we can to make sure that Carrie's kept safe as soon as we can. No.337, take me back to Knapford Station at once!" said the Fat Controller, as he made his way back and boarded the train with the few other passengers who needed to get back to Knapford.
Once all the passengers were aboard the train, it was time for the train to be on its way again; from his compartment in the front coach, the guard leaned out and blew his whistle while waving his green flag. Acknowledging the signal, the driver blew the whistle and opened the regulator. Slowly, No.337 rolled forwards out of the station, with his train following along smoothly behind him.
And I think we'll call a halt to this chapter right now at this point, everyone! As we've seen, Carrie's had a happy reunion with her gym teacher Rita Desjardin and introduced her to some of her friends during it. However, with the word spreading around Sodor about what happened earlier, things are gonna take an interesting turn in the story as it goes on. Not only that, but this chapter pushed the number of words in my story up to well over 900,000! We're not too far off from reaching the figure of 1,000,000 words, and I hope that it won't be too long before we reach that magical figure! I hope to see you in the next chapter! In the meantime, please enjoy this one!