Starting Over Again

by J.T. Shee

A year and a half BEFORE the infamous Black Prom takes place in Ewen High School, Carrie runs away from home in Chamberlain and ends up on the Island of Sodor. There, she meets Sodor's engines and people and sets about getting her life back on track (No pun intended). While there, she also meets someone she never expected to see in her life. Reviews are much appreciated.

69. 68: Making a Genuine Effort

Chapter 68: Making a Genuine Effort

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(Tuesday, December 18th 2012 – 2:05pm, Knapford Station)

After being given a very stern talking-to by the Fat Controller within the privacy of his office, where he made it very clear to them all that stalking and taking photos or videos of his employees was something that he would never tolerate at any time, the four police officers from Chamberlain – Spacek, Brian, King, and Irving – left the office feeling somewhat exhausted, as well as quite embarrassed from what they had done earlier on in the year. After the last several minutes of being sternly lectured by the Fat Controller about stalking, even if it was for legitimate reasons, wouldn't be tolerated, they realised that they would have to report this to their superiors back in Chamberlain.

"Do you think it was worth it confessing what we did to the railway's boss?" Irving said, as they went on downstairs to the platform.

"Thinking back…I think with hindsight it was a mistake to have done so…but I do feel they would have found out about it eventually…as it's likely a few others who came over with us probably might have told Sir Topham Hatt eventually." King said, as he placed his warm woollen hat back on.

"That's probably a fair point, King. But I just hope that we never have to face Sir Topham Hatt again in the time that we're over here…at least when he was very cross with us." Spacek said, as the four of them stepped out onto the platform and into the cold air that was blowing along from the north.

"So…where shall we go now?" Brian said, as they went and made their way out of the station and into the car park. By now, Toby, who had brought the four officers and the Fat Controller down to Knapford Station on his coach Henrietta a little while before, was now gone from the station having set off to do his next jobs for the day. The only train that the four officers could hear was the sounds of a freight train that was passing through the station right now and heading northwards towards Knapford Yards.

"Well…let's go to the Christmas market and see what's going on there. After all, I think that most of the others are probably over there right now." Irving suggested.

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea to me. After all, I think that having some good food from the many stalls in there would be good right about now." King said, as they stepped off the platform and through the main entrance into the car park.

"Come on…let's go over there while there's still plenty of daylight left." Spacek said, and they all headed out of the station car park.

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(Meanwhile, over at the Christmas Market)

Standing in front of the entrance to the Christmas market, Carrie stood anxiously with Simon and her friends while they waited for her classmates to arrive so they could all go in together. Carrie was hoping things would go well with her classmates and that some form of effort could be made in them showing that they were genuinely sorry for what they had done to her over the years back in Chamberlain.

Knowing that a Christmas market would give them all the chance to try and made some progress to forming a friendship with them, Carrie was determined to see that things would go well this afternoon, as well as to try make some friends with those from Ewen High.

"Try not to be so concerned, Carrie. Everything's gonna be fine." Sophie said, as she tried to reassure her friend.

"I'll try not to, Sophie…but I just can't help it." Carrie said, as she looked around anxiously.

"We'll be there for you, Carrie. Don't worry." Simon said.

"Thanks, Simon." Carrie said, as she looked down along the footpath, where she now saw many of her classmates were approaching them. She saw that Sue Snell and Tommy Ross were in front of the group, and she also noticed that there were quite a few of the adults there as well, including Rita Desjardin, as well as a few others that she recognized. There was no sign of her father yet, though there was no doubt that he would be on his way soon.

"Well…I guess this is it." Carrie said quietly, as she looked at her friends. They nodded back in reply, and then turned their attention to look towards the approaching group.

Slowly, those from Ewen High and Chamberlain approached Carrie and her friends, and then stopping in front of her, with the teenagers from Ewen High standing in front of her and looking towards her with some concerns on their faces. Luckily, Carrie couldn't see Chris Hargensen or her two lackeys, Tina and Donna, amongst them.

"So…are you all ready to go into the Christmas market?" Simon asked, being the first to break the uneasy tension.

"Yes!" all the seniors from Ewen High said anxiously, as they were quite keen to get in and explore to see what was there.

"Just first of all…I don't believe that we've been introduced to each other." Sue said.

"Oh, you're right there. My name's Simon." Carrie's boyfriend said, as he introduced himself to Carrie's former classmates. Then, the four girls, Alice, Olivia, Saoirse, and Sophie did the same thing as well, followed by Stephen and Bridget Hatt, who mentioned that they were Sir Topham Hatt's grandchildren.

In the meantime, each of Carrie's classmates introduced themselves to Carrie's friends one or two at a time, as well as with Carrie's teachers introducing themselves. And then, once all that was done, they all went into the Christmas market.

With a lot of people going about in between all the stalls and looking to see what was there to get, there was still plenty of good business underway at the Christmas market as people did their Christmas shopping in the last days before Christmas. Among the people who were there and enjoying the atmosphere there were many of the people from Chamberlain, and Carrie was with a few of them along with her Sodor friends to keep her safe, just in case. Most of the adults had gone in one direction, while all the teenagers had gone in another direction, with a few of the teachers and other adults going along with them, just to help keep a close eye on them, as well as to make sure that Carrie was all right. Rita Desjardin was amongst them, and she was determined to see that nothing bad would befall her favourite student today.

As those who had come over from Chamberlain looked all around in awe, their senses were under attack from a wide variety of different things that were going on around them, including the many different smells from the stalls that were still selling a good variety of foods, including Christmas food, as well as the sights of many other people enjoying themselves around the grounds, and hearing the sounds of Christmas music being played over the speakers as well as people laughing and enjoying themselves in this very festive place at this time.

Looking around as they went along part of the grounds towards some of the food stands, Sue Snell couldn't help but look around in amazed awe at what she saw, heard, and smelt going on around her. She saw the enormous variety of different foods, including very tasty and tempting pastries, cakes, and brightly coloured sorts of candy, at many of the stalls they saw as they went by, as well as the varieties of different gifts and Christmas decorations on offer at other stalls, and took in the rich and tasty smells that were coming from many other stands. At a few of the stalls that sold gifts, Sue saw a variety of different things on offer, including hand-made wooden toys, hand-crafted candles, spice bags, hand-painted mugs, nutcrackers of different sizes, and a whole choice of other things, including warm hats and coats, fur-lined boots, and woollen hand-knitted scarves. There was even a large white marquee tent that was within the grounds as well, where there were cookery demonstrations being held, including how to prepare certain foods for Christmas, such as brining and stuffing a turkey, how to make the perfect roast potatoes, and how to make the best mulled wine ever.

"Wow…I wish that there was something like this held back in Chamberlain each year. I think that everything would be much more interesting and festive in the leadup to Christmas." Sue said to Tommy, as she looked around in amazement at everything that was going on.

"Yeah, I think that would be a good idea, Sue. I think it would also bring in quite a lot of people into Chamberlain as well, and not to mention make things nicer with so many bright Christmas decorations." Tommy said, as he looked round and wondered at which stall they should stop at first.

From where she was within the group, Carrie White went along with Simon by her side and was feeling a little bit tense to be here with her former classmates around her. She was hoping that they would keep their word and never bully her again while they were here, and she was also hoping that Simon and her friends would be there when she needed them.

"Hey, take it easy there, Carrie. Everything's gonna be all right." Simon said, as he tried to reassure his girlfriend.

"I hope that you're right about that, Simon. Even though they've said that they're all sorry for what they did to me…I feel like I still need to be on my guard, just in case any of them do try anything." Carrie said.

"Try not to worry too much, Carrie. We'll be there for you all the way. After all, if any of them want to try and get you, then they'll have to get past us before they get to you." Bridget Hatt said in support of her friend.

"And so far, they haven't tried to play any tricks on you today…though I do agree that we'll need to keep a really close eye on some of them, just to be on the safe side in case any of them do try anything." Stephen Hatt said.

"Yes, I agree…but let's give each of your old classmates a chance, and see if they can live up to their word." Sophie said.

"Especially Chris Hargensen, and her two lackeys. Though I don't think that's very likely to happen." Saoirse said.

"Thanks guys…I think that I really could use the support." Carrie said, as they all went along.

They paused in front of one of the many stalls that lined both sides of the path they were going along, and this one they stopped by sold a sort of artificial snow, which covered the front counter of the stall and could have almost passed for the real thing. As a few of Carrie's classmates placed their hands within this fake snow, and were amazed to feel the coolness of it around their fingers. A few of them brought the snow out and shook it in their palms, allowing it to fall back down to the rest.

"How is this stuff formed?" Heather asked one of the stall attendants, as she moved her left hand through the fake snow.

"Oh, it's very simple…" said the attendant, as she lifted a large, already opened bottle of the stuff, "…just let me place some of it into the palms of your hands." And so, the Ewen High seniors lined up in front each stretched one of their hands forward, with their palms opened up and facing upwards, and then the attendant gently poured some of the fake snow powder into their palms. Then the second attendant poured a little bit of water from a bottle he had into the fake snow powder, and the Ewen High seniors watched in amazement as the fake snow rapidly expanded in size into something that was very similar to the snow that was on the counter of the stall.

"Wow! That's incredible!" Norma Watson said, astonished by what she had just seen take place in the palm of her hand.

"I've never seen anything quite like that before!" Vicky said, as she shook her hand about and allowing the snow to fall in between her fingers and onto the snow that was spread out on the counter.

"Yeah, this fake snow is great stuff, isn't it! It can be used in all manner of different ways that you can think of, including on movie sets, for snowy winter scenes on model railway layouts, for use around Christmas markets like this one, as well as to create a snowy winter scenes in front gardens." said the second attendant.

"And is this stuff easy to clean up after the Christmas holidays are finished?" asked Brian Maxwell, who was the boyfriend of Heather.

"Yeah, it is. And it's also fairly easy to keep looking fresh; all you need to do us just add a little bit of water to it every now and then, and stand back to watch the magic happen." said the first attendant.

"Are you guys thinking of buying any?" asked the first attendant.

"No, not at all. We actually only saw this stall and only stopped by here to have a look." said Vicky, as she looked along the pathway at the other Christmas stalls.

"Oh, okay then. Please enjoy the rest of your time here." said the attendant, as the Ewen High Seniors turned and began to walk away.

"Thanks!" the Ewen High seniors said, as they headed off on their way.

It wasn't too long before they came upon another stall, and it was a very bright one that sold all different sorts of fudge. And there was a whole variety of different flavours on offer for them, including lemon, vanilla, cherry, pumpkin spice, vanilla chocolate chip, chocolate, salted caramel, and butterscotch among others. Taking a look over all the different flavours spread out before them, the Ewen High seniors were amazed to see such an enormous selection of fudge flavours and didn't know what to get first.

"Wow! I've never seen so much fudge together in one place before!" Jessica Upshaw said, as she looked over the wide selection and tried to decide what to get.

"I've seen something like this before, and it was a few years back when I went with my family on a long trip to Wilmington, North Carolina. There was a shop in that town that sold a lot of different flavoured fudge like this stall. The only difference being that the shop we went to was open all year round." Sue said.

"And was it as extensive as this, Sue?" Nicki asked.

"No, it wasn't as varied as this, but it was still quite an extensive selection nonetheless. And I intend to splurge a little here today." Sue said, as she grabbed hold of a small box from the front of the stall and set about choosing which flavours she wanted to get, as did all the others. While they chose what fudge flavours that they all wanted to get, Carrie and her friends stood off to the side and just watched them before they moved on.

"Are you gonna get any more fudge here, Carrie?" Alice asked.

"Not just yet. I've actually got some back home that I haven't finished yet. But I am planning to get some more here before Christmas. After all, this Christmas market is going on until this Sunday, December 23rd." Carrie said.

"I think that's quite a fair point, Carrie." Olivia said.

A few minutes later, having gotten the fudge flavours that they all wanted to get and having paid for them, the rest of the Ewen High seniors joined up with Carrie and her Sodor friends before making their way along to see what other stalls there were that would attract their attention.

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(With the adults)

Meanwhile, over at one of the many stalls in the grounds that were selling drinks, a few of the adults from Chamberlain were enjoying a warm glass of the traditional Christmas drink of mulled wine, mostly based on varieties that were enjoyed on Continental Europe. Taking sips of the mulled wine, they felt much better as the drink warmed them up and taking in deep sniffs through their noses, they savoured the familiar scent of the different spices used in the mulled wine, including cinnamon, orange and lemon zest, cloves, nutmeg, and ginger, as well as the flavours of other ingredients used, such as brandy. To many of them, the warmth of the mulled wine, as well as the scent of the different spices used, brought back many memories of past Christmases to them all.

"Hmm…this is really good." Principal Morton said, as he took in another long sip of the mulled wine from the mug in his right hand.

"Yes, sir…" one of the other teachers said, as he sipped from his own mug, "…it certainly reminds me of a few memorable Christmases from a few years ago."

"I want to try out as many different things here as I possibly can before the day is out. There appears to be so much on offer here, it's difficult which things I should try out next." said Sue's father, as he looked round at all the different stalls that he could see.

"Well…I know what I'm gonna try out next; there's a stand close by where I saw a lot of delicious-looking cookies on offer, and I want to buy a box or two of those." said Sue's mother, as she looked down in the direction where the stand was located.

"I saw another stand not far from here where I can lay my hands on a few traditional wooden hand-made Christmas decorations that might look good on the Christmas tree back home." said Tommy Ross' mother.

"I want to get a few things while we're here as well, including some very delicious-looking brownies from a stall just over there." said Ms Drew, the art teacher, as she took a long sip of her mug of mulled wine.

"Yeah, it sounds good to me…" Principal Morton said, as he looked over towards the gate as he then stopped speaking when he saw something.

"Is something wrong, Morton?" asked the mother of Rachel Spies, noticing the look on Principle Morton's face.

"Here comes Ralph White everyone…" Morton said, as he looked toward to the main gates, where Ralph White, now in clean clothes as well as with a warm coat and warm woollen hat on over him, arrived and slowly as well as apprehensively made his way over to the adults from Chamberlain. At the same time, those adults from Chamberlain, remembering what Ralph had been like many years back when he was married to Margaret, watched with some concern as he stepped over towards them.

"Afternoon, Ralph…" Freddy Holt's father said, as Ralph stepped in front of the group.

"Afternoon, Jake…afternoon, everyone." Ralph said, as he looked at each of the people that he had known from many years before back in Chamberlain.

"So…how are things with you, Ralph?" asked Rachel Spies father, keeping a little cautious.

"I'm feeling fine…though I'm still feeling a little bit disappointed in what the police did in showing where Carrie is now after she left to make a fresh start." Ralph said.

"Yeah, I think that many of us are feeling a bit unsure of whether or not that was a good idea." added Ms Drew, as she thought about what might happen when the press came over to the Island of Sodor in the very near future.

"Listen, let me get myself a drink at the stand, and then I'll be right with you lot." Ralph said, as he went over to where the drink stall was at, wanting to get something hot to drink so as to stay warm on this freezing cold December afternoon.

"All right, Ralph!" the adults said, as they watched Ralph head over to the stall that they had been at and had gotten their hot drinks a short while before.

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(With Carrie and the other teens)

Meanwhile over at an area where there were plenty of food stalls grouped closely together, as well as a special covered seating area with plenty of tables to sit at and heaters fitted to the walls to keep those eating warm, all those in the group of teens, having already gotten what they wanted to get at the food stands, were now sitting inside the covered seating area and eating their food. There were quite a few local people sitting around them at many of the other tables, and they were enjoying food they had gotten from the food stalls, as well as drinks they had gotten from the bar that was lined up against one wall of the covered seating area.

From where she was sitting and enjoying her food, Carrie was looking along the length of the long table; Simon was sitting beside her to her right, while sitting immediately across the other side of the table from her were Sue Snell and Tommy Ross, with Norma and Freddy sitting beside them, and the others sitting round at a few other tables close to theirs. Rita Desjardin was sitting close to Carrie at the head of the table and enjoying the food she had bought a few moments earlier.

"So…have you been to this Christmas market many times in the last while, Carrie?" Sue asked, as she looked up to look at Carrie.

"Yeah, I've been coming over here with my friends each chance that we can get. With the market due to finish up when it closes on Sunday evening, we're gonna be coming here and enjoying the food and festive atmosphere that's here." Carrie said, as she looked at Sue.

"And did you go last year when you came to Sodor?" Tommy asked.

"We did, and I must admit I really enjoyed it all when I first came here with Simon. He told me all about this Christmas market, and how it keeps getting better and better each time that it comes here." Carrie said.

"I wish that we had something like this back in Chamberlain. I think that it would make the holidays much more special." Norma said, as she took a long sip of her Coca Cola.

"Why do you guys think that there's no Christmas market back in your home town?" Sophie asked, as she looked up at Carrie's classmates.

"We actually don't know why that is, Sophie. Maybe it's because some people feel like there wouldn't be much place for a Christmas market like this one in a small town like Chamberlain that there would be in some of the bigger cities, like Chicago, New York, or Boston." Heather said, as she looked up from enjoying her food.

"I wish that we had something like this back in Chamberlain though. In the time we've been here so far, I'm already very impressed with what I've seen, heard, smelt, and tasted today." Jessica Upshaw said, as she took in another bite of her burger.

"Well, this isn't the only Christmas market here on Sodor; there's a few others held around the island in some of the other towns, but this is the largest one and always draws in the most visitors each year." Simon said.

"And have you ever been to any other Christmas markets, Simon?" Vicky asked.

"I've been to two other similar markets over in Europe, one of which was in Erfurt in Central Germany back when I was twelve years old, and the other of which was in Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic when I was fourteen years old. And both of those Christmas markets were very good in their own right, but sometimes the best Christmas market to attend at this time of year is often the one that's being held right at home." Simon said.

"So true." Rachel Spies said, as she enjoyed her spiced noodles, vegetables, and beef that she had gotten from a stand that sold Chinese food.

From where she was sitting at the table, Carrie could see that the friends she had made over here on Sodor over the course of the last year were trying to forming some sort of a relationship with her classmates. While she pleased deep within to see this, she could also see that her Sodor friends, who were all aware of her past, were somewhat wary of her classmates and were being careful not to reveal too much during their conversations with her classmates. But at the same time, many of Carrie's classmates could also see that Carrie's friends, especially her boyfriend, were also being cautious about how they were speaking to them, and they could all understand why that was. They knew that in the year she had been over here on Sodor, Carrie had told her friends about everything she had gone through under their constant bullying over the years back in Chamberlain. So as a result of that, the Ewen High teens were being very wary of what they said, just in case they said anything that might upset Carrie.

"You feeling all right, Carrie?" Rita asked, as Carrie slowly turned her attention towards her favourite teacher.

"Yes, Ms Desjardin…it just feels a bit awkward with my friends from Sodor meeting my fellow classmates from back home." Carrie said, as she looked at her gym teacher.

"It's all right, Carrie. It may seem a bit strange at first, but most of your classmates from back home are genuinely very sorry for all the trouble they put you through over the years." Rita said, as she tried to reassure Carrie.

"Well…that one thing…but I also told the engines that I work with about what I went through. And as a result of that, I think that they also could be quite cautious with my classmates as well." Carrie said.

"Just give it a little bit of time, Carrie. Eventually, once all the engines you've worked with see that…at least most of your classmates here are sorry for what they did, then the engines will warm up to them and accept them as friends too." Rita said, with a reassuring smile.

"I do hope so…but then again, I'm very glad that Chris, Tina, and Donna are all getting their just desserts for what they did to me. And I just hope that they have a really bad time when they have to clean out the engines for a while tomorrow." Carrie said, as she smiled at the thoughts of how disgusted and angry Chris and her two cronies would be once they were finished with emptying out ashpans and cleaning out engine fireboxes the next day.

From where she was sitting at the table, Sue took in a deep breath to calm herself and looked over to where Carrie was sitting.

"So, Carrie…what's it like to work on the railway over here?" she asked, as Tommy and a few of the other girls and their boyfriends turned their attention to her.

"Well…it's not too bad, Sue. It's a lot of hard work as you'd expect, with a few occasions where I have to be up really early in the morning. And it's not exactly the cleanest job to do, considering that I've sometimes ended up covered in ash, coal dust, and soot at the end of many days that I've been working here on the railway. But even so, it's a job that I realise I really enjoy doing, and all the engine who I've worked with over the last year are just a joy and a pleasure to work with. And the people I've worked with are good as well." Carrie said. A lot of her classmates were quite amazed to hear that Carrie really liked working on the Sodor railway system, having never expected their school's former outcast and scapegoat to have done something like working on steam locomotives pulling fast and heavy trains.

"And…did you ever expect your father to have been over here on Sodor for all these years?" Nicki asked.

"No…I had always thought my father had passed away in the big accident at the construction site he worked at back then before I was born. It was a really big surprise and shock to me to find out that he was alive and had been living and working over here all the time." Carrie said.

"And how exactly did you encounter him?" Tommy asked.

"It was completely unexpected really, and under some quite dangerous circumstance…" and then Carrie told them all the story of how she had managed to save Arthur from the landslide that had occurred along the Ffarquhar branch line only a few days after she had arrived on the Island of Sodor and how she had met her father in the Fat Controller's office not too long afterwards when Arthur brought his train back to Knapford. By the time that she finished telling this story a few minutes later, her classmates were looking towards her with some astonishment clearly seen on their faces.

"That landslide must have been a very frightening thing to see, Carrie." Sue said, as she took a long sip of her bottle of Coca Cola.

"It was, Sue…and I'm just glad that I was able to help stop Arthur from crashing into the rockfall in time." Carrie said, as a few memories of that day more than a full year before flooded back into her head.

"And did you miss any of us over the last year?" asked Jessica, as she looked at Carrie. And on hearing that, they all looked towards Carrie, and waited for her answer.

"Well…to be honest…no, I didn't, really. Although, the only person I did miss was Ms Desjardin, as she was the only one who treated me with any kindness at home." Carrie said. And her fellow classmates nodded their heads in understanding; that answer didn't really surprise them all, especially considering what they had all done to Carrie over the years back in Chamberlain.

After a few moments, where they all took the chance to enjoy more of their food and drinks, Heather took in a deep breath and spoke next.

"When you work out on the engines, have you ever driven any of them?" she asked, as they all turned their attentions to Carrie, eagerly awaiting the answer.

"Well…yes, I have, actually." Carrie said, as a few of her classmates leaned in little, their eyes widened and their jaws having dropped a little, amazed to hear that Carrie had actually done something that some of them had wanted to do since they were kids.

"And is it all the time?" Lizzy asked.

"No, I've only done it on a few occasions over the course of the last year. And it's always with the close supervision of the drivers, as they've done it for a lot longer than I have." Carrie said.

"You know…I'm actually sort of envious of you, Carrie." Freddy said. "And it's because that you're doing the sort of job that I always dreamed of doing all the way back when I was a kid."

"Well…that's just the way things work out sometimes, Freddy. And in getting onto the apprenticeship scheme…I guess that I had sort of an unfair advantage, considering the fact that my father is a driver on this railway." Carrie said.

"And I suppose that it was the same thing for me as well…" Simon said, as everyone at the table turned their attention to him. "…as my father is also a very respected driver on this railway, and has been for quite a few years."

"Have any of your relatives worked on this railway, Simon?" Vicky asked.

"Yes, because working on the Sodor railway system is firmly within the blood of my family; I'm the fourth generation of my family to work on the railway, following in the footsteps of my father, grandfather, and great grandfather who all came before me." Simon said.

Every one of Carrie's classmates were amazed to hear all of this; it was clear that Carrie had been in very good hands since she started working over here.

"Have you ever had to start very early in the morning, or even work the night shift?" Tommy Ross asked, as Rita looked at Tommy before looking over at Carrie.

"I have had to start work very early in the morning at times. For instance, I had to do so yesterday morning. I was assigned to work with Henry, and I had to be up at 4:00am to start work." Carrie said.

"Wait a second, you had to be up at four o clock in the morning to start work?!" Jessica Upshaw said, as she and the others looked towards Carrie with slightly stunned looks on their faces, as if they couldn't believe what they had just all been told.

"Yes…and all the other apprentices who I've worked with…included the ones who are here with us now…have also had to be up very early at times over the course of the last year as well. But luckily, so far I've not been assigned to work the night shift yet, though my father has done such work like that many times in the years that he's been living here on Sodor." Carrie said.

"And what's it like to be up that early in the morning to start working on the engines who work on the railway?" Brian Maxwell asked.

"When we first started getting up early to work, I'll admit that it is something that takes some time to get used to…but once you do get used to getting up very early every now and then, it becomes second nature and you do it just as much as you would do at seven o clock in the morning." Simon said, as he took a long sip of his mug of hot chocolate.

"And what was the train that you had to take with Henry yesterday morning, Carrie?" asked Rachel Spies.

"It was a fish train, and one which is known to all the railwaymen on Sodor as the Flying Kipper." Carrie said.

"The Flying Kipper?" Sue said, having not expected a fish train to have been given a name.

"And is Henry the engine who pulls it?" Tommy asked.

"Henry usually does take it, and many of us on the apprenticeship scheme have worked with Henry when he takes that train. But I have seen other engines take the Kipper from time to time over the years, and normally at times when Henry is unavailable for whatever reason." Saoirse said.

"And have you guys worked with Henry taking the Flying Kipper at times as well?" Brian asked.

"Yes, we've all taken the chance to do that. And each time we've always managed to get the train from its starting point at Knapford Harbour all the way to the train's destination over to the large freight depot over at Barrow-in-Furness on the main land." Sophie said.

"So, as well as driving engines occasionally on the railway, what are your normal duties on your average day out on the main line?" Norma Watson asked.

"Well…when working on the footplates of the different engines, I usually have the duty that the fireman would have, and shovel lots of coal from the tenders or bunkers into the fireboxes to keep the fires burning. The firemen on the footplates are there to help me to work the controls they would use, including the controls to put water into the boilers, and the dampers to allow air into the fireboxes to help the coal burn efficiently." Carrie said.

"And stoking the fireboxes with fresh coal is one of the main things that everyone on the apprenticeship scheme is doing. We're all learning the ropes of how to run engines on the railway, as many of us on the scheme want to work on the railway." Alice said.

"And is there anything else that you're all doing, besides working on engines out on the railway?" Rita asked.

"Yes, there are selected days in each week where we all have to work in the main depot, and among the jobs that we do there include emptying out the ashpans, clearing out the fireboxes of any clinker and unburned coals, as well as even lighting new fires in the fireboxes if the engines are going to be going out again. Other jobs we have include oiling up the moving parts on all the engines, so that they all run properly…and another important job is to help clean down all the engines so that they all look their best when they do out. And we also help to perform any repairs to the engines if any such repairs are ever needed to be made." Olivia said.

"And that even includes getting inside engine fireboxes on occasion as well, in order to clean them out and undertake any repair jobs." Saoirse added.

"Hang on...going INTO the fireboxes?" Sue asked, as she and a few of the others leaned in a little, and unable to believe what they had just heard.

"Yes, and don't worry everyone; the fireboxes don't have any fires inside them when that happens, and the engines are always allowed to fully cool down completely before we're allowed to go inside the fireboxes." Simon said.

"Oh, that's a relief." Sue said, as she settled down a little bit. The others did so as well, feeling a little relieved that people weren't going inside steam engine fireboxes when they were full of burning red-hot coals.

"And what's the best part of working on the railway at this time of year?" Norma asked, as she finished off her Coca Cola.

"I guess that would have to be that in freezing winter weather like this, when we're on the footplates of the engines we're working with, there's always a very hot fire inside the fireboxes to keep us warm. And those fires are often much hotter than what you'd get in a fireplace at home." Alice said.

"And those fires always warm us up quite quickly in this cold weather." Sophie added.

"I guess that would be so." Norma said, as she and the others at the table realised there was a major advantage of working on steam locomotives in cold weather.

"And also..." Saoirse added, "...on each engines there's always metal plates fitted over the tops of the firehole doors, which are normally used for keeping the oil cans handy, and the heat coming out from the fireboxes does a very good job of keeping the tea cans warm."

"I suppose that's another handy thing to have when the weather's as cold as it is right now." Rita smiled, as she took another sip of her hot chocolate.

But then, taking in a deep breath, Sue asked the question that had been on her mind for the last few minutes.

"Carrie...earlier on at the depot...we saw your father and Chris' father have that confrontation and short argument. Was that something that both of them have had for a long time?" And on hearing Sue ask that, all the others remembered what had happened and turned their attention to Carrie, wanting to know what was the background between Ralph White and Jon Hargensen.

For several moments, Carrie was quiet...but then she took in a deep breath and decided to tell them what she knew.

"Well...my father didn't tell me all the details of what happened between him and Chris' dad...but he did mention to me that Chris's dad would often do things to harass, bully, and annoy him...and other things like that, which lead to some sort of a confrontation between them not long after they finished high school where they fought each other. And that was just one of many physical fights that the two of them had gone through over the years. My dad said the rivalry between the two of them had gone back years, all the way back to when they first went to elementary school together." Carrie said.

"Good grief." Sue said in some shock, as the realisation of why Chris Hargensen had been the ringleader in bullying Carrie hit her and everyone else around the table; the cycle of bullying that had gone on between Ralph White and John Hargensen so many years back had clearly been repeated with their daughters. The thought that John Hargensen had been encouraging Chris' bullying behaviour against Carrie for all this time made many of them, but especially Rita Desjardin, disgusted with Chris and her parents for her behaviour.

"No wonder Chris never faces an consequences for her actions at the hands of her parents." Heather said, now feeling somewhat shocked by that realisation.

"I hope that a fight doesn't break out between you father and Chris' while we're all over here. That would be bad." Tommy said, as he began to worry about that scenario.

"Well...I hope it doesn't happen either." Carrie said, as she thought about how her father might be able to avoid that.

---

(Meanwhile, with the adults)

Over in one of the larger covered and sheltered bars that were within the Christmas market, many of the adults who had come over from Chamberlain were socialising together while enjoying some of the different foods they had bought at the different stalls that were very close by. And Ralph White was amongst them, and many of them were chatting with Ralph and trying to catch up with him about what they had all been doing over the last few years.

"And have things been going okay for you over here, Ralph?" Principal Morton asked, as he took a long sip of a glass of German beer.

"Well, things have been much better here than it was back in Chamberlain, I'll be honest. It's still a lot of hard work, but it's a job that I think is much better that what I originally had back home." Ralph said, as he took a bite out of his burger.

"Is it much better for you ever since you left Chamberlain, and left Margaret behind?" asked Mrs Harrison.

"I can safely say that it has been. Without any form of domestic abuse from Margaret, or any form of opinions from anyone else in Chamberlain, I felt much better being over here, and the fact that all the people who live here are very welcoming helped me to settle in here quite well all those years back." Ralph said.

"Well…if Margaret was giving you such a hard time in that old house all the way back then…why didn't you just divorce her like a sensible person might have?" asked Ms Drew.

"Look…with the obvious benefit of hindsight, I should've done just that. But just remember, I was a younger man all the way back in those days, and so just like most young people that age, I didn't know any better." Ralph said.

"Oh, come on, Ralph. There would've been no shame at all for you to have done something like that. And people in Chamberlain would've understood that you made a mistake in marrying Margaret, and no-one would've given you a second thought for it." said Mrs Watson, the mother of the twins Nicki and Lizzy.

"Yes, I think that you're probably right about that." Ralph said, as he finished off his glass of beer.

"And how's Carrie been getting on ever since she started working on the railway over here? Has she been doing a lot of work?" Sue's father asked.

"Oh, she's taken to the role the way that a duck would take to water, just like all the other apprentices on the scheme have. And she's really learned a lot of different skills on how to work on the railway and the engines who pull the trains within the course of the last year." Ralph said, feeling a sense of pride inside him.

"And is she constantly learning new things as time goes on?" Sue's mother asked, as she took a long sip of her coffee.

"She is, and I've seen that she's also getting much better at doing things that need to be done on the railway and with the engines who work on it. She was a little bit unsure on how to go about things when she first started…just like I was when I first started all the way back when…but as time when on, and with the help of those people who've worked on the railway for years, Carrie has been getting much better and far more confident in how to go about the different jobs that she needs to do." Ralph said.

"And has she ever driven any of the engines while out there?" asked Principal Morton, as he and a few of the other parents and teachers at the table leaned in to hear the answer.

"She has on a few occasions, as have all of the other recruits on the apprenticeship scheme. But it's always done with the close supervision of the crews that they're working with on a day-to-day basis." Ralph said.

"Oh, I'd say that would be the case. But it sounds like a very exciting thing to do all the same." Mrs Watson, Norma's mother, said.

But before anyone could say anything else, Mrs Harrison suddenly noticed something and looked up towards the main entrance to the seating area.

"Oh, look who's coming towards us." Mrs Harrison said, as she glanced towards the entrance, and everyone turned their heads to see who it was. And then they saw the four police officers, Spacek, King, Brian, and Irving coming towards them with looks of slight relief clearly seen on their faces.

"I think what they have to tell us should be interesting." Mr Holt said, as he and the others watched them approach the table.

"Did everything go well with Sir Topham Hatt, you lot?" Ralph asked, as the four police officers arrived by the table and looked at a few of their fellow townsfolk who were enjoying good Christmas market food and drinks.

"Well…let's just say that he gave the four of us quite an earful for stalking one of his employees." Irving said, as she took off her woollen hat and wiped down her forehead while letting out a slow breath.

"I bet he did!" Mrs Holt said, as she took a long sip of her mug of spiced and hot mulled wine.

"But to be fair, he did have a good point; we really shouldn't have stalked Carrie the way we did all the way back in September…though I'm sure our bosses back home would probably disagree, considering the circumstances." Brian said.

"Are you four glad that's over now?" asked Sue's father, as he finished off his glass of beer.

"Yeah, we are. And we're keen to relax for the rest of the afternoon too." Spacek said.

"And to enjoy what different foods and drinks are on offer at this excellent Christmas market as well." King added, as he glanced back towards the doors.

"Well, you should. There's always so much on offer here, but you'll be spoilt for choice as to where you should start first." Ralph said.

"Well, let us meet up with our families first and then we'll go and see what's there for us to enjoy." Irving said.

"And get something hot to drink as well. Goodness me, it's freezing out there!" Spacek said, as she rubbed her gloved hands together to keep them warm.

"Come on. They're still serving hot drinks over at the bar, so let's go and get some." King said, as he and his fellow officers went over towards the bar, where there were a few other people lined up and getting drinks, hot or cold, and alcoholic or non-alcoholic.

---

(Meanwhile, in another part of the Christmas market)

As most of the adults were socialising together and Carrie was catching up with most of her fellow classmates, Chris Hargensen, Tina Blake, and Donna Kellogg were together, along with Kenny Garson and Jackson Talbot, and looking round the Christmas market for any stalls that caught their attention. The three girls were still in quite a foul mood at being forced to work in one of the depots on the railway in the morning for not being genuine when saying sorry to Carrie for what they did to her over the years. Chris was hoping that the work they had to do wouldn't be too difficult to do and that it would be over quickly. She also hoped that they wouldn't get too dirty while they were working, and that they would be in a covered environment like in a shed or under any form of a covered structure.

Tina and Donna were also not too pleased to be forced to work with what they saw as dirty steam engines for a few hours in the freezing cold; after all, that's not what they had come all the way over here for.

"I'll be glad when we're finally finished tomorrow. I don't think that I could stand doing it day after day." Donna said, as they went along the stalls and looked for things they wanted to get while they were at the Christmas market.

"Me too. I don't know how that freak can do a job like that, in working with dirty steam engines and all the noise they can make, for long periods of time…and without any sort of trouble at all!" Chris added, as they strolled along side by side.

"Well, let's just show her that it's easy to do work like that with those engines! Let's show her that we can do it better than she can!" Tina added.

"Yeah, let's show her!" added Donna. Chris couldn't help but feel a sense of oncoming determination; she was hoping that she and her two closest minions could show Carrie that they could at least do as good a job that she could do.

They soon came upon a stall that was selling all different sorts of cupcakes, including lemon meringue, strawberry and cream, honeycomb crunch, and vanilla sprinkles, as well as a favourite for all three girls, death by chocolate.

"Hmm…now these cupcakes look very nice, if I say so myself." Tina said, as she looked over the mouth-watering selection of cupcakes spread out before them.

"Yeah, and I think I could certainly use one or two of these right now." Donna added.

"Well, let's get some while we're here." Chris said, as she lined up behind the customer who was already at the counter and getting the cupcakes he wanted to get. Standing beside their friend, Tina and Donna also waited for their turn.

---

(Meanwhile, out on the Southern Main Line)

(Insert soundtrack – Donald and Douglas' Theme – Season 2)

Hauling a heavy freight train together from Kildane to Knapford, both Donald and Douglas were making good time together as they puffed through the cold and snowy landscape with their train. The tracks had been cleared of snow earlier in the afternoon by engines fitted with snow ploughs to their fronts, and both of them could proceed without too much trouble. They had both been at Tidmouth Sheds earlier on, and they had overheard the Fat Controller saying that Chris and her two lackeys would have to work for a few hours tomorrow as punishment for what they did. The Scottish Twins were hoping that the three girls would be taught a very good lesson for everything they did to Carrie, and they were hoping that the three of them would have as bad a time as possible while they were working with the engines tomorrow.

"I just hope that yon Chris learns her lesson for what she and her two friends did to Carrie!" Donald said, as they passed through Maron Station.

"Ach, aye Donal! I hope that those three are really pushed to the point where they could never do anything like it again! To Carrie, or to anyone else!" Douglas said, in agreement with his twin.

After carefully making their way down Gordon's Hill with their heavy train rattling along behind them, they approached Wellsworth Station. The signal before the station was set to yellow, meaning they had to slow down on their approach to the station. Passing by the junction leading down to Brendam Docks, the twins saw another train heading in the opposite direction towards Gordon's Hill on the other track; it was a long and mixed fitted freight, being hauled by G.W.R. 43XX Class 2-6-0 No.4317. As the train went by, the banker pushing very hard at the back came into view; it was Bertha, the former Midland Railway 0-10-0 Lickey Incline banker. Whistling in greeting to the two engines as they went by, Donald and Douglas approached Wellsworth, slowing down all the while as they came closer.

The signal was red before the end of the platform going along the southern side of the main line, and so the twins had no choice but to stop. With a squealing of brakes, the two engines came to a stop alongside the platform.

"No telling how long we'll be here for, but we may as well take the chance to top up the tenders with some more water while we're here." Donald's driver said, making sure the regulator was firmly closed as he turned to the fireman.

"Sounds like a good idea to me. Let's go and do that." Said the fireman, as they stepped off the cab and walked round to the back to the tender. The driver and fireman of Douglas also stepped off and set about to the back of the tender to top up the tender with more water.

For several minutes, the Scottish Twins sat quietly at the platform and waited for their tenders to be topped up and for the signal to drop so that they could see off on their way again. But then, they heard the distant sounds of another whistle coming from the line in the direction of Knapford, followed shortly afterwards by the sounds of chuffing as another train approached Wellsworth.

"I wonder who could that be, Dougie." Donald said.

"I think we'll soon see, Donal." Douglas said.

Soon, the engine came into view ahead; it was No.1540, an L.N.E.R. B12 Class 4-6-0 with a passenger train of 8 coaches coupled up behind him (126). His G.E.R. dark blue livery with red lining had been polished down so that it looked very smart, and he seemed to be making good time despite the snowy winter weather and cold temperatures.

"Good afternoon, you two!" No.1540 called cheerily, as he blew his whistle while he slowed down and pulled into the station.

"Good afternoon to you too!" Donald and Douglas called, as they watched No.1540 and his passenger train come to a gentle halt on the opposite platform.

But before the Twins could talk with No.1540, their drivers and firemen stepped onto their footplates, and at the same time, the signal ahead of them dropped and showed its green light, showing the way ahead was clear for them to proceed on their way.

"Okay, you two. It's time for us to be on their way again." Donald's driver called, as he leaned out from the cab.

"Okay!" the two engines said, as their drivers blew their whistles loudly. Slowly, as their regulators were opened, the two engines set off on their way, taking us the weight of their heavy freight train behind them which slowly moved forwards through the station.

(126): The L.N.E.R.'s B12 Class (Great Eastern Railway's S69 or 1500 Class) 4-6-0 engines were designed by S. D. Holden, and were intended to be used on express passenger trains that ran from London's Liverpool Street Station along the Great Eastern Main Line to Norwich in East Anglia. When they were first introduced into service, the previous engines that had been running trains on the Great Eastern Main Line were being hauled by the earlier Claud Hamilton 4-4-0 Classes. Though the G.E.R. D14, D15 and D16 Classes were good engines with a light axle-loading and a short wheelbase that were suitable for East Anglia, they were becoming increasingly outclassed by the express trains becoming heavier all the time.

Originally, an enlarged 4-4-0 design was considered for the job, but it was realised that this design would have too high an axle-loading for the route that it was intended to run on. Another restriction was that due to the short turntables that were in use at the time. So as a result of those issues, it was decided to use a 4-6-0 design instead, with the new design being relatively short compared to other similar designs of the time. Using a 4-6-0 wheel arrangement meant that the axle-loading would be kept low, allowing the new design to run over lines that couldn't take any heavier engines.

Although design work began in 1908, the first member of the new G.E.R. 1500 Class, No.1500, entered traffic in December 1911 after being built at Stratford Works. In total, 81 engines were built between December 1911 and October 1928 at three works; Stratford, which built 51 engines; William Beardmore and Co in Glasgow, which built 20 examples, and Beyer, Peacock and Co in Manchester, which built the final 10 engines under the L.N.E.R.'s auspices, by which time the class became known as B12s. The early members of the class originally had elaborate framing over their wheels, but this was later removed. One of the early members of the class, No.1506, was damaged beyond repair in an accident at Colchester in July 1913 and withdrawn not long afterwards, only seven months after being built, with only its boiler and tender still being usable. A replacement was built in the form of No.1535.

The B12 Class had two inside cylinders which were 20in in diameter with a 18in piston stroke, which combined with a boiler fitted with superheating elements and pressed to 180psi and six driving wheels that were 6ft 6in in diameter gave the class a maximum tractive effort of 21,970lbf. The tenders that the class were paired with ran on six wheels and carried 4 tons of coal and 3,700 gallons of water. When many of the first examples of the class entered service, they were painted in the G.E.R.'s dark blue livery with red lining. When the G.E.R. was absorbed into the L.N.E.R. after the 1923 Grouping, the class were repainted

In L.N.E.R. days, one experiment that was made with the class was the fitting of a Worthington-Simpson feed pump and heater to No.8509 in 1926 as a way to try and retain the heat, before it was removed in 1929. In 1927, another three members of the B12 Class, No.8505, No.8517, and No.8523, were each fitted with an A.C.F.I. feed water heater, which were mounted on their boilers behind their chimneys and giving the engines a rather unique appearance, which resulted in the engines being nicknamed as "Hikers" due to the water heaters looking like back packs, or even "Camels." The experiment proved to be a success and 50 more members of the class were fitted with A.C.F.I. feed water heaters. But from November 1937 onwards, the A.C.F.I. equipment was removed as the maintenance costs weren't offset by the fuel savings, and it was usually done as new boilers were fitted to the class. One of the main problems with the A.C.F.I. water heaters was that the system tended to scale up and so it was required to be dismantled and acid cleaned every six weeks. But this sort of cleaning in turn tended to cause damage to the pipe joints. However, the B12s fitted with A.C.F.I. equipment that worked in Scotland didn't suffer from this problem as they used softer water which didn't cause scaling. So, the Scottish-based engines didn't have their A.C.F.I. equipment removed until 1941.

Another experiment made, largely due to the increasing train weights and poor-quality fuel, was the fitting of Lenz poppet valves to the members of the class built in 1928 and six members of the class built by the G.E.R., which resulted in these engines so-fitted being classified as B12/2. These engines could be easily identified as they had slightly longer smokeboxes than the rest of the class. The Lenz valve gear was eventually removed from the class between 1931 and 1934, with piston valves being fitted in their place.

From 1932, a programme was begun where the class were rebuilt with larger diameter boilers, which resulted in the engines being fitted with the new boilers being given the B12/3 classification. The new boilers had round-topped fireboxes as opposed to the original Belpaire fireboxes. One disadvantage of this rebuilt was that he axle-loading went up to 17 tons, thus limiting the routes the rebuilt engines could run on. However, the B12s that were working in Scotland weren't fitted with the new boilers and so were not affected by the programme.

Another sub-classification of the class, the B12/4, was due to the Scottish-based engines being rebuilt with new round-topped boilers that were built at Doncaster and Stratford between 1942 and 1946, and the new boilers could be shared with the J20 Class 0-6-0 engines.

One modification that was made that had great success on the class was the modifying the trailing coupled axle-boxes of the class so that they moved 1.5in from side to side, which was a great advantage when going around curved tracks, and became a standard feature of the B12 Class.

During their working lives, the B12 Class worked initially on the Great Eastern Main Lines where they hauled express passenger trains from London to Norwich, as well as to Cambridge, and on the London to Horwich boat trains. During their time on these express trains, they proved themselves to be very reliable engines, often able to pull trains of up to 15 coaches in length and reaching speeds in excess of 75mph on many occasions, and even reaching speeds of 86mph at times. One example of the class, No.8535. even reached 90mph, the fastest maximum speed ever recorded by any member of the B12 Class.

As soon as large numbers of Gresley's new B17 Class 4-6-0s came into service on the Great Eastern Main Line, many of the B12s were transferred to March, and some even went to work on the former Great North of Scotland Railway lines, where their low axle-loading made them ideal for many of the lines up there. While in Scotland, the B12s worked well on all sorts of trains, including passengers, fish trains, parcel trains, and freight trains. They would work well there until the arrival of large numbers of new Thompson B1 Class 4-6-0s in 1947. Initially, the Scottish-based B12s didn't prove very popular with their crews, mainly due to the distance from the coal space in the tender to the firehole doors, but once the crewmen mastered on how these engines worked, they became very popular engines.

During the Second World War, those B12s that were still based on the former G.E.R. system were used to good effect on the extremely heavy loads that were needed in order to support Britain's war effort. Although they weren't in the best of condition, they still proved themselves capable of hauling very heavy loads when required. They were also used to support the increasingly large numbers of American troops that were arriving in Britain, and after D-Day they were used to haul American ambulance trains full of battle casualties across the country.

The first member of the class be withdrawn, apart from the accident-destroyed No.1506, was No.1534, who was removed from service in June 1945, followed by No.1548 in December 1946. Withdrawals of the class continued over the next 15 years, until by the end of September 1961, the final member of the class still in service, No.61572, was finally withdrawn from service having outlived the rest of the class by two years.

Thankfully though, one member of the class, No.61572, has survived into preservation after being withdrawn in September 1961. Built by Beyer Peacock in August 1928, it's the only British inside cylinder 4-6-0 engine to be preserved. It was used for some rail-tour work after being withdrawn before then being put into storage in 1967 at March. It was later moved to the North Norfolk Railway and cosmetic restored before being put on static display.

By March 1995, after a very lengthy restoration, No.61572 was finally restored to working order on the North Norfolk Railway, in its L.N.E.R. guise of apple green livery and carrying its L.N.E.R. number of No.8572. The lengthy restoration work had included sending major components, such as the boiler and main frames, over to the Netherlands and Germany to be fully restored. Since then, No.8572 has travelled extensive along the NNR and has visited many other heritage railways around the U.K., including the East Lancs Railway. She got involved in an accident in September 2015 when she ran through the buffer stops at Holt Station and rode up onto a low wall. After being removed, she was taken away to have the damage repaired, and then she returned to steam in 2016.

As of 2024, No.61572 is undergoing a major overhaul to return her to full working order at the North Norfolk Railway, with the aim of having the overhaul completed in time for the engine's 100th anniversary in August 2028.

---

(Meanwhile, on the Little Western)

(Insert soundtrack – Duck's Theme – Season 3)

Heading out of Arlesburgh Station with a passenger train bound for Tidmouth Station, Duck made his way along the line southwards. From what he had heard at Tidmouth Sheds earlier on when Carrie's classmates, their families, teachers, and a few people from Chamberlain…or at least most of them…had given their apologies to Carrie, it was quite clear that Chris Hargensen and her two closest lackeys would be facing the music for what they did to Carrie, and Duck was hoping that those three girls would be taught a very good lesson by doing hard and dirty work in the cold weather at one of the depots tomorrow.

From the personality that he had seen of Chris, Duck was also fully understanding from what Carrie had told him and the other engines earlier on in the year, and the confrontation that he and the others had had with her earlier on, he knew that Chris was one of the most self-centred, and rudest people that he had ever met. The fact that her too closest lackeys, Tina and Donna, had also made quite a bad impression earlier on as well meant that Duck and the other engines who had been there and seen what happened wanted the three girls to be taught a very good lesson for all the bad things he had done. He still didn't trust the others who had genuinely apologised to Carrie, but just like all the other engines, he decided to give them a chance and see whether or not they wanted to make things up with Carrie.

As he made his way along the line towards where the Fishing Village was, Duck couldn't help but take a glance off to his right side every now and then; with the winter now really and firmly upon the Island of Sodor, all the white, sandy beaches were empty of people, and that was no surprise at all as a freezing cold wind that was blowing in off the water from the north west would make standing on the open beaches in December quite an unpleasant experience. However, due to the fact that he had a hot fire burning in his firebox and that he was working very hard, Duck didn't notice the cold too much. Back in his coaches, his passengers were being kept quite warm due to the fact the heating system was turned on, and they were sitting on very comfortable seats and reading books and magazines, or else chatting with friends, or enjoying food at their tables. Those who took a glance outside the windows as they went along the sea, they saw a grey and dull scene, with thick grey snow clouds to be seen over the sea, and making the water seem darker and far less friendly than it would be in the summertime. The fact that a very cold wind was blowing outside too, as well as the fact the clouds threatened to unleash more snow at any moment, made everyone aboard the train feel glad to be aboard the train instead of outside in the cold.

As he approached the Fishing Village, Duck slowed down a little as his driver and fireman looked forward to check on what state the signal would be; to their relief, the signal was down and showing a bright green light, which meant they could continue on with their train. Going round the bend at a slower speed and into the Fishing Village, Duck saw that while there was a few fishing boats securely tied up to the quayside off to his right, there were no vans at all lined up on the long siding and no men working to unload fish from the boats.

Passing by, Duck looked over towards his left and into the Fishing Village; there were a few people to be seen going about on various jobs they were doing, but generally it was fairly quiet there. Giving a quick blast on his whistle, Duck made his way by and headed on past the Fishing Village and down the line towards the gentle slope that would take him on towards the Coastal Village a little further down the line.

As he went up the slope past the Fishing Village with his train, Duck dug his wheels into the climb as his driver opened the regulator some more and adjusted the reversing gear to lengthen the cutoff, as well as activating the sanding gear to help the wheels grip the track. As he climbed up the gentle slope, Duck heard the sounds of another engine coming in the opposite direction along the other line. Then, as he reached the top of the climb and began to pick up some more speed, he saw the engine and train coming along on the other line towards him; it was No.8203, the G.W.R. 82XX Class 2-10-2T heavy tank engine, who was heading on his way northwards to Arlesburgh with a long train of heavily-laden coal hopper wagons.

"Afternoon, Duck!" No.8203 called, as he headed on by, while blowing his whistle in greeting.

"Hello, No.8203!" Duck called, as he whistled back in return.

It wasn't too long before they finally arrived at Tidmouth Station, where they saw that Oliver was standing at the opposite platform and waiting to set off with his own train bound for Arlesburgh.

"Hello there, Duck." Oliver said, as he saw Duck approach the station and then slowed down before coming to a stop.

"Hello Oliver; did you hear what happened over at the sheds earlier on today?" Duck asked, after he came to a stop at the platform.

"Yes, I did. Thomas and Percy told me a little while ago. I can't believe that Carrie's classmates found out that she was over here! I also heard how rude her main bully, Chris Hargensen, was to the others!" Oliver said, still appalled to have heard how Carrie's classmates and teachers had found out that Carrie was over here on Sodor after all this time.

"Yeah, and you also heard that Chris and her two friends have been forced to do some work in one of the engine depots tomorrow morning?" Duck asked.

"Yes, I have. And I just hope that the work they have to do tomorrow teaches the three of them a good lesson for all the bad things that they did to Carrie." Oliver said

"I hope it does too. After all, the last thing that Carrie wants now over Christmas time this year is to be bullied and harassed by those people!" Duck said.

Then there came the sounds of a guard blowing his whistle loudly from the platform that Oliver was standing alongside.

"Oh, that's my guard! It's time for me to be on my way!" Oliver said, as he blew his whistle and then slowly started to move out of Tidmouth Station, taking up the weight of his coaches coupled up behind him, along with his brake van, Toad.

"Okay, Oliver! See you later!" Duck said, as he watched Oliver set out from the station.

---

(With Thomas on his branch line)

(Insert soundtrack – Thomas' Theme – Season 1)

Heading up the line towards Ffarquhar from Ulfstead with Annie and Clarabel coupled up behind him, Thomas made his way along through the snowy landscape. He had seen what had happened earlier on at Tidmouth Sheds, including where Chris and her two closest friends were given their punishments for now sincerely apologising to Carrie, and he was hoping that the three of them would face the music for what they had done.

Soon, he pulled into Ffarquhar Station, where there were a few passengers waiting on the platform for him to arrive. Coming to a stop, those passengers who were getting off here stepped off of Annie and Clarabel, as those who were going to be continuing on down the line to Knapford waited to step aboard. While Thomas waited for the passengers to board his two coaches, he heard the sounds of another engine coming along the single line ahead of him, along with the sounds of a whistle being blown for a few seconds. Then he heard the sounds of a very familiar horn beeping from up the road that followed the railway and going up the gentle sloping hill.

A few seconds later, with the sound of his whistle sounding again, L.N.E.R. V3 Class 2-6-2T No.7684, who was running in reverse with a short line of trucks coupled in front of him, came into view. The signalman had set the points ahead of the station for No.7684 to run into the siding off to the side of the station in order to keep the line clear for Thomas to run out of Ffarquhar Station. As No.7684 slowly reversed over the points, over the road, and into the siding, there came the sounds of a familiar horn as Bertie came over the crest of the hill. The red bus had to come to a stop and wait for a minute or two while the line of trucks hauled by No.7684 went over the crossing.

"Hello Thomas…" No.7684 said, as he came to a stop in the siding, "…did you hear what happened earlier on at the sheds?"

"Yes, I did. I was there earlier, and I saw everything that happened." Thomas said.

"And will the girls who bullied Carrie get what they deserve for everything they did?" Bertie asked, as he stopped beside Thomas.

"Well, the Fat Controller has told the three girls that they have to report to Tidmouth Sheds tomorrow morning for a few hours as punishment for what they did to Carrie." Thomas said.

"And where's Carrie now?" asked No.7684.

"She's with most of her other classmates and teachers at the Christmas market in Knapford. I just hope that Carrie's all right and that her classmates are making some effort to become friends with her." Thomas said.

"Be patient, Thomas. I'm sure that we'll all find out by tomorrow morning." No.7684 said.

But then, before Thomas could say anything more, there suddenly came the sounds of the guard for Thomas' train blowing his whistle loudly, meaning that it was time for him to be on his way again.

"Oh, I'd best be on my way! I've got passengers to deliver!" Thomas said, as the driver blew his whistle and then set off on his way again.

"See you later on, Thomas!" Bertie and No.7684 said, as they watched they watched him set off on his way off the line.

It was the same all over the Sodor Railway system, where all the engines who had witnessed what had taken place at the sheds at the Tidmouth Motive Power Depot between Carrie and her classmates and teachers earlier that day were spreading the word around to the other engines wherever they were working. On hearing the news, many of the engines were hoping that Chris, Tina, and Donna would get what they deserved fro all the bad things they did to Carrie over the years. However, all the engines were hoping that the rest of Carrie's classmates and teachers would try and make some form of amends with her for all the different forms of trouble that they had put her through over the years.

---

(Meanwhile, at the Christmas market)

Having left the sheltered seating area with her classmates and friends a few minutes before, Carrie was feeling a little bit relieved to be back out in the freezing cold December air. From what she had seen and heard over the last while from her former classmates, she was clearly pleased to see that they were all genuinely sorry for everything that they did to her; however, Carrie also knew that she still had to be very careful around them, just in cast any of them tried to do anything to get back at her for exposing many of them in the notebook she had left behind before she disappeared. She also knew that she had to be especially careful around Chris Hargensen and her two closest lackeys, just in case they tried to do anything, which Carrie knew was very likely to happen and so she had to stay alert. Simon and the four girls who she was friends with had promised to keep an eye out for her and to intervene if Chris tried to do anything. Rita Desjardin was also going along with her as well, and promised to help Carrie as well.

"So…where should we go to now?" Carrie asked, as they all went along together.

"Well, let's go to this stall. I like the looks of the treats being sold here." Norma Watson said, as she looked over to the stall that caught her interest. This one was a candy stall and sold an enormous variety of brightly-coloured candy on offer, and it was candy that all those from Ewen High were very familiar with from their childhoods. There was also a wide variety of different flavours of fudge on offer as well, and there were even different bars of chocolate of various sizes.

"Wow…now this looks really good." Sue said, as she and the others looked over the wide selection of confectionary on offer. There were small paper bags placed in front for people to take candy away, and a few tongs to use to fill the paper bags with.

"May as well take some while we're here. After all, I think that it would really be a shame not to." Heather said, as she picked a paper bags and began to fill it with the candy that she really liked. The others did the same as well, but there was no rush as everyone waited their turn to get a bag and fill it with candy before paying for it with the man who was sitting by the till at one end of the stall.

"Are you gonna get any of the candy there, Carrie?" Rita asked, as she watched the others line up to get the candy they wanted.

"Not right now, Ms Desjardin. I've already bought candy from there quite recently, and I haven't finished it yet." Carrie said.

"Same with me, Rita. I'll wait for a little bit before I buy any more from there until later in the week." Simon said.

"Well, I think that I might go and see what's there to buy. After all, I can't resist something sweet every now and then." Rita said, as she went up to the stall and waited her turn.

A little while later, after getting the candy that they wanted to get, the Ewen High seniors went along with Carrie and her friends around the Christmas market. More than a few of them took a glance up to the sky as they went along; the bank of clouds overhead was quite dark, and it was clear that they threatened to unleash more snow upon the Island of Sodor at any given moment. The temperature was very cold now and everyone who exhaled through their mouths could see their breath come out in dense white clouds that swirled around them for a few moments before it dissipated.

"It looks like we're gonna be in for some more snow this evening." Nicki said, as she looked over at her twin sister.

"Yes, it does look like it." Lizzy said, as she took a long sip from her cup of hot cocoa. Just like their fellow classmates, the Watson Twins had seen how much snow was already on the Island of Sodor, but they weren't aware of just how much snow could fall over the island when it got really cold. But they were all to find out very soon, as it was forecast to snow very heavily all over the island tonight, with temperatures very likely to drop even more as the night went on.

Sue and Tommy were with Carrie and Simon and going along in front of a few of the other stalls. Sue was looking at each of the stalls, and wanted to buy something really nice as a Christmas present, while Tommy was doing the same.

"So, have you two ever worked together out on the railway?" Sue asked, as she turned her attention over to Simon.

"We have, Sue…and more times than I can mention. I've helped Carrie with a lot of things over the course of the last year, and just like her I've also driven more than a few of the engines on occasion as well." Simon said.

"It must be quite an experience for you to have to drive a steam engine on the main line with a very heavy train behind you." Tommy said, wondering what it would be like to work on the footplate of a steam locomotive running at speed.

"It is, and it's a sort of excitement that never leaves you at all. And with me being the fourth generation of my family to work on the Sodor railway system, and with my father and grandfather having taught me a lot of things that they know and having read plenty of books, as well as having some prior experience of driving engines on a driver experience course a few years back, I guess you could say that I've already got plenty of experience in working on the engines of the railway." Simon said.

"And I guess that your father was already working on the railway gave you a sort of an unfair advantage in getting onto the apprenticeship scheme as well." Sue said.

"It did, and the fact that both my grandfather and great grandfather had been drivers on the railway for many years before my dad joined the railway also gave me sort of an unfair advantage in getting here." Simon said.

"And is your aim to be a driver just like them?" Tommy asked.

"It is, and having been along many of the lines on the island over the course of the last year, I know where all the landmarks are along the lines, including where all the signals and bridges are, where to slow down on the approaches to certain stations, as well as where all the signal boxes are located. It's no different than travelling along a road in an area where you live and knowing where all the road junctions and buildings are." Simon said.

"Yeah, I suppose it is." Tommy said.

They soon arrived in front of another stall, and this one sold burgers and fries to customers. There were the sounds of sizzling from the pans as the burgers were cooked, and the smells that drifted through the still, cold air quickly drew Sue, Tommy, Simon, and Carrie towards the stall to get a burger.

"Hmm, now this looks good." Tommy said, as they stood in front of the stall and looked at the menu board fitted to the side of the stall to see what was there to get.

"You guys fancy a burger right now? I know that I sure want one about now." Simon said.

"Yeah, a burger sounds good right about now. After all, I think that it would be a shame not to get one while we're here." Tommy said.

"Let's get one then." Sue said, as the four of them lined up and waited their turn to get the burgers that they wanted to get.

A few minutes later, having gotten the burgers they wanted, along with fries and the cans of sodas they wanted, the four of them went over to another sheltered seating area close by, and sat down at one of the unoccupied tables to eat their food.

"Hmm…this is good." Sue said, as she tucked into her burger and savoured it.

"Yeah, I love the burgers that are sold here. And everyone else loves them as well." Simon said, as he opened his can of Coca Cola before tucking into his own burger.

"Yeah, I could tell from earlier on." Tommy said. He had seen the long queue of people that had been lined up and waiting at that stall earlier on in the day, and it seemed quite clear to him that Simon was quite correct about that.

"I love the burgers that stall sells. I always try and get at least one burger there each time I come to the Christmas market." Carrie said, as she started on her burger.

"What other stalls do you like to go to while you're over here, Carrie?" Sue asked.

"I love to go to a stall where you can roast marshmallows over a gas-fired flamed grill, as well as get s'mores. I also like going to the food stalls on the other side of the market where you can get all different kinds of hot foods." Carrie said.

"Oh, I love the food there as well. And it all smells really good too." Tommy said, as he took a long sip of his can of soda.

"And I also love the stalls where you can get all sorts of desserts, including the brownies and cookies, and a particular stall where you can get all different sorts of Christmas-themes baked goods, as well as things like Yule logs and gingerbread houses." Carrie said.

"Yeah, I saw where that stall is, and I want to go and see what's there once we've finished in here." Sue said.

"You'll love the things they sell there. It's one of the most colourful stalls in here." Simon said, as he ate some of his fries.

"Let's hope so." Tommy said, as he took another bite of his burger.

As she ate her own burger and fries, Carrie thought long and hard again about how the afternoon had gone with her classmates; so far, they hadn't done anything, and Carrie was very surprised by how much she had conversed with them over the last few hours. She had thought that it would be a very awkward to talk to them, but she had been speaking to many of them like the bullying and harassment she had gone through for so long had never happened. Deep down, she hoped that maybe there was a chance that things could be put right with them all, and maybe she could be friends with them. Taking in another bite of her burger, she decided to wait and see what the future would bring.

---

(Meanwhile, in another part of the Christmas market)

The four police officers from Chamberlain, Spacek, Irving, King, and Brian, were together with their families and going round to the stalls and sampling the foods that were there, as well as buying whatever little Christmas gifts that caught their attention. With the four of them having been given a reprimand from the Fat Controller in his office a little earlier on in the afternoon for having stalked Carrie earlier on in the year, the four of them were trying to forget about that earlier and to spend time with their families.

"What about going over here?" King suggested, as they passed by a stall that sold doughnuts that were being made with batter from a machine that cooked them in a hot oil, and which were then served to customers.

"Yeah, that looks good to me." Irving said, as she and her colleagues went over to the stall, where they saw doughnuts being dropped out from the machine and then being fried in the hot oil for a few minutes.

"Fancy some of these while we're here?" Spacek asked, turning to her fellow officers.

"Yeah, might as well. I think a few of those mini doughnuts would be good about now." Brian said, as they stepped up to the stall. The four officers each ordered some doughnuts, including some for their families, and with a variety of different toppings, including flavoured sauces, different flavours of sugar – including vanilla sugar and cinnamon sugar, and even whipped cream. The doughnuts were served out in carboard sleeves, with nine mini doughnuts per sleeve, and with the toppings placed on top.

Once everyone had gotten their doughnuts, they left the stall and made their way over to where they could eat and stay out of the way of those who were going about and enjoying their time at the Christmas market.

"Hmm…this is really nice." King said, as he tried out one of the doughnuts.

"Indeed. And I like that they're still fairly warm from being fried in the oil as well." Spacek said, as she also sampled one.

"I think we should come back here again tomorrow and try out more of the food here. I don't know if we'll ever get to go to a Christmas market again, and so we should take every chance we can get." Irving said.

"Agreed." Brian said, as he finished one doughnut and then started on another one.

Nearby, many of the other adults from Chamberlain and parents of the Ewen Highs were going around the Christmas market and looking at the different stalls to see what was there to buy. Ralph White was amongst them, and he was still catching up with those people he had gone to high school with, as well as making sure that Carrie was safe. It had been somewhat awkward to have to socialise with people he hadn't seen in many years, but after a while of chatting back and forth with them, they were all talking like they were old friends. For Ralph, that had been a big relief that he was able to talk with these people and that there had been no hard feelings between him and them. At the same time, he was well aware that Chris Hargensen and her parents were going around the market too, and he was keeping a close eye on them all, just in case they tried to do anything. So far, nothing nefarious had happened, but Ralph knew that he couldn't be too careful.

---

(Later on, early evening)

At around 6:00pm, many of those from Chamberlain who had been to the Christmas market were making their way to the gates so as to head back to the hotel. Carrie and all her friends, as well as her father, were also heading to the gates to head off back home. From close by, Chris Hargensen, along with Donna Kellogg and Tina Blake, were also heading off with their respective parents on their way back to the hotel.

"Do you really have to head off home now, Carrie?" Sue asked, as they stepped out the front gates onto the pavement.

"I'm afraid that I need to, Sue. After all, Simon, myself, and everyone else who's on the apprenticeship scheme are rostered to start work at 4:00am tomorrow morning, and so we're gonna need to get an early night." Carrie said.

"I understand. But will we see you all tomorrow afternoon, Carrie?" Tommy asked.

"I hope so, Tommy. We're going to be finishing up at 1:00pm tomorrow afternoon, and so we should be able to see you all tomorrow once we finish up." Carrie said.

"Okay, Carrie. Best of luck in working out here tomorrow, and be careful if there's any heavy snowfall out there." Tommy said.

"I will. And I'm sure that we'll be careful in that snow." Carrie said.

"Anyhow, I think that we'd all be off home now. After all, we all need to be up early in the morning for whatever work needs to be done." Simon said, and after everyone all said their goodbyes to each other they then headed off on their way, either back to the hotel or to their own homes for the night. As she walked along with Simon, Carrie couldn't help but feel a deep sense of relief; despite her classmates showing up on Sodor, things this afternoon had gone very well and she was hoping that things would go just as well the following day once she had finished her shift. At the same time, all of Carrie's other Sodor friends were also feeling relieved that things had gone fairly smoothly with Carrie's classmates, and they were hoping to see this continue for the test of the time that they would be on Sodor.

---

(Later, at the White residence; time 8:05pm)

Having changed into her pyjamas, Carrie was resting on her bed and reading through a magazine before she turned in for the night. The curtains were drawn closed and the radiator was on and warming the room to a comfortable level. As she read through the magazine, there was a knock on the door. After she called out "Come in!" the door opening a little, and Ralph looked inside.

"You all right, Carrie?" he asked, as he looked inside.

"Yes, I'm fine, dad." Carrie said, as she looked up from her magazine.

"Are you feeling anyway pleased that things today went well with your classmates and teachers?" Ralph asked.

"Yes, I am. And I just hope that things will get a bit better over the next few days." Carrie said, as she let out a heavy sigh.

"Me too. I was able to catch up with a lot of those I knew back in Chamberlain from years before. And I think that it all went very well for me as well." Ralph said.

"Anyway, I think I better get to sleep now. After all, we both need to be up early in the morning." Carrie said, as she placed her magazine onto the bedside table.

"All right. Good night, Carrie." Ralph said, as he closed the door behind him.

"Good night, dad." Carrie said, as she turned off the bedside light and settled down in her bed. As she settled her head down onto the pillow, Carrie closed her eyes and fell asleep, tired after her day and looking forward to another day of work early in the morning.

---

(Meanwhile, over at the hotel)

Having finished their dinner in the hotel's main dining room not too long before, many of those from Chamberlain were socialising together in the main bar and chatting about how the day had gone. Those who had been with Carrie during the day reported how much Carrie had socialised with the others at the Christmas market during the day, and those who had been with Ralph during the day reported to those about how things had gone when they were with Carrie's father. Many of the adults were able to tell that everything had gone quite well when they were chatting with Ralph, and reported that he was a far more pleasant person than any of them had remembered.

Meanwhile, many of the Ewen High seniors were chatting together in the hotel's main lounge area. Many spoke of how different Carrie was now when they had been together earlier on, as well as of how decent her Sodor friends were. Sitting in one corner of the lounge, both Sue and Tommy were with Heather and Brian, and Norma and Freddy.

"I wonder where we'll go when we meet up with Carrie and Simon tomorrow." Norma said, as she enjoyed her glass of Coca Cola.

"Well, I wouldn't mind going to the Christmas market again for a bit, or even going on a stroll around town and seeing what other things are there to see." Brian Maxwell said.

"Me too. After all, I think this town and the Island of Sodor are such nice places. I wonder if we'll get to go to the other side of the island while we're here." Freddy said.

"We might. After all, we're all here until after Christmas and so we may as well take the chance to see around Sodor." Heather said.

"Yeah, I think so too." Tommy said, as he settled back into the couch that he and Sue were sitting on.

"Ah…have any of you guys seen Chris anywhere?" Sue asked, as she looked around the lounge to see if there was any sign of Ewen High's infamous queen bee.

"Oh, she's upstairs sulking in her room, Sue. Considering that she, Tina, and Donna have to work for a few hours tomorrow in cleaning out engines in the depot…she's clearly not in the best mood." Heather said.

"Yeah, and after dinner, the three of them just left the restaurant and headed upstairs without a further word. She never even said anything to any of the other girls." Norma said.

"And it's quite clear from what I saw that all three of them are in quite a foul mood. So, I'd steer well clear of them if I were you." Freddy said.

"Thanks for the advice, Freddy. But I just hope that the three of them don't do anything really stupid while they're out there tomorrow morning. That wouldn't look too good for the school, or for those of us from Chamberlain." Sue said, as she rested back.

"Well, there's one thing that's quite certain…those three are gonna be absolutely filthy by the time they're finished tomorrow." Brian Maxwell said.

"Yeah, there's no doubt about that. And I hope it teaches them for what they did. Maybe that'll get the message into their heads." Norma said.

"Let's hope so." Tommy said, as they all took sips of their drinks.

---

And that's it for this chapter, everyone! Things for Carrie went quite well with her classmates at the Christmas market, and there's no doubt that her classmates want to try do everything they can do to try and make up to her for what happened back in Chamberlain over the years. For the next chapter, we're gonna at last see Chris Hargensen and her two lackeys get their comeuppance for what they did to Carrie, and I hope that they'll get what they a really bad experience in cleaning out the engines of ashes and clinker to teach them a lesson for what they did.

I hope to have the next chapter written up and loaded as soon as I can. So, in the meantime, please enjoy this new chapter. Good reading!