Chapter 69: A Very Mixed Morning
(Wednesday, December 19th 2012 – 7:13am, Vicarstown Station)
Okay ladies and gentlemen, in this chapter that you're about to read, Chris Hargensen, Tina Blake, and Donna Kellogg, the main bullies of Carrie White, are finally gonna get some punishment for what they did to Carrie back in Chamberlain over the years. I'll be honest, I really enjoyed writing this chapter and seeing those three big bullies finally getting what they deserved for everything that they did. Please read on ahead to see what happens...
The fire burned bright and hot within the firebox, and then there came the sounds of another fresh shovelful of coal being placed into the fire, with the coal being thrust into the firebox as far as it would go. With a slight groan after placing this latest shovelful of fresh fuel into the firebox, Carrie stood up straight within the comfortable shelter of the cab and then she reached forward for the handle and closed the firebox doors up tightly.
"And there we are." Carrie said, as she went and looked over at the main boiler pressure gauge on the back of the boiler on the fireman's side of the cab; the indicator arrow showed that the boiler pressure was right about 210psi and very slowly rising. Feeling a smile cross her face, as she sat down on the fireman's seat, Carrie leaned out from the window and looked ahead while they waited for the time to set off. Over on the other side of the footplate to Carrie's left, the driver was sitting on his own upholstered seat and waiting for the guard to blow his whistle so that they could set off with their train. Off to the side, the fireman was also waiting for the off, having closely watched Carrie to make sure that she was doing everything correctly.
On this very cold and frosty December morning, having risen early and then having made her way over to the Tidmouth depot with her father, Carrie had been assigned to work with Murdoch, the orange-painted B.R. Standard Class 9F 2-10-0 after she had changed into her work clothes and clocked in for the day. After getting out from the crew building after having had a quick breakfast there, Carrie met up with the crew she would be working with for the morning and then stepped up onto the footplate. When she stepped outside earlier that morning after she got up at 3:55am, Carrie had been shocked by just how cold it had been, especially as she had gotten quite used to the warmth of her bed since she had turned in. In fact, it seemed to have gotten far colder during the night, and it certainly felt like it; far more snow had fallen in the night, causing drifting in places, and there had been a slight wind in the air which caused a wind chill to anyone out and about. But once Carrie had stepped aboard Murdoch's footplate with the driver and fireman, she was deeply relieved to feel the heat of the fire burning away inside the firebox spreading its warmth out through the cab, and she was hoping that she would be able to stay as warm as possible for the work that they had to do on this very cold day.
After leaving the motive power depot at 4:35am, Murdoch made his way over to Knapford Harbour in order to collect his first train of the day; it was an oil train, complete with three barrier vans coupled up at each end of the train. Leaving Knapford Harbour on time at 5:05am, Murdoch headed out onto the Northern Main Line and headed on to his first destination of Barrow-In-Furness. As they went along the line, slowly building up speed as they headed along, Carrie took the chance to use the shovel to place coal into the firebox, as the work would help to keep her someway warm, even though the heat of the fire coming from the firebox were already doing a good enough job to keep her warm. When she finished the first round, Carrie went to sit down on the fireman's side of the footplate and looked out through the forward cab window to keep an eye out of the track ahead of them, as well as for the state of the signals they would be coming across.
As they went along the Northern Main Line with their train, they passed on through the different stations that were along the way, and Carrie could see that every single one of them were brightly illuminated with lights, although there were very few people to be seen about, mostly just members of station staff who were helping to get the stations ready for passengers, including the first commuters of the morning. The bright station lights illuminated the fresh snow that was laying on the ground and there weren't any marks or footprints to be seen on it. Taking a glance up to the sky, Carrie could see that the sky was still totally dark without any stars to be seen at all. This was due to the fact that there were still thick snow clouds overhead and stretching all over the sky, and they threatened to unleash more fresh snow over Sodor at any moment. For Carrie, it was a sort of a magical experience to pass through these brightly lit stations at such an early hour and to see them quiet and near deserted.
The rest of their trip along the Northern Main Line went without any incidents, and with green signal lights shining brightly all the way there. Due to the snow and the risk of icy rails, they couldn't go as fast as they would normally go at other times of the year, but they still made quite good progress nevertheless. After passing through Vicky Road, which was the main rail junction just to the west of Vicarstown Station, they passed through Vicarstown at 6:10am before making their way over the long bridge that crossed over the strait and into Barrow-in-Furness. Making their way through Barrow, they soon arrived in the main freight yards on the outskirts of the town, and went into one of the long sidings where they dropped off the long line of heavily-laden oil tankers. After Murdoch was uncoupled, he made his way over to the turntable and way turned round before going over to another of the sidings within the yards and being coupled up to another line of trucks that needed to be taken over to Vicarstown.
Once he was given the all-clear to proceed, Murdoch departed from the yards and took the train back across the bridge to the freight yards at Vicarstown where they dropped off the trucks before heading over to the engine depot near to Vicarstown.
By the time they arrived within the engine depot and reversed into the shed, Murdoch was feeling very pleased to have gotten the job finished and was looking forward to having a good rest before going out again for his next jobs. In the meantime, Carrie as well as the driver and fireman, feeling pleased with the jobs they had completed that morning, went off to the crew building to have a more substantial breakfast there and to rest up before going back out.
(Back to the present)
Standing at Platform 6 at Vicarstown Station, Murdoch had been coupled to a long line of vans that had been loaded up at the platform. He was feeling eager to get these vans to their destination, which was down to Brendam Docks so that it could be loaded onto a ship who would take it away. From where she was sitting and waiting for the off, Carrie leaned out from the fireman's side of the cab and looked up at the clock over the platform. The seconds ticked on by until the time finally showed 7:15am and then, turning round to look back along the length of the train, she heard the sounds of the guard blowing his whistle and then, father back along the train, she saw him waving his green flag. At the same time, the signalman in his signal box set the points and the signal to clear.
"Okay, driver! Right away!" Carrie called over to the driver.
"All right, Carrie! Here we go!" the driver said, as he blew Murdoch's whistle and then opened the regulator a little, allowing steam to flow into the cylinders.
(Insert soundtrack – Murdoch's Theme – Season 7)
Slowly, taking up the weight of his train, Murdoch set off out of Vicarstown Station and headed out over the points and made his way out. Looking out and up to the sky as they set out, Carrie could see that it was now getting brighter as it was now later on in the morning and the sun was rising into the sky to the east. However, the entire sky was covered with dark grey clouds that stretched from horizon to horizon, and to cap it all off it had started snowing again, and quite heavily as well, with the snow topping off that which was already on the ground. In fact, the snow was already coming down very heavily and there was no doubt that it would soon pile up into deep drifts that would mean other engines would need to put on snowploughs to keep the lines clear.
Heading out over the viaduct out of Vicarstown, Murdoch headed along with his heavy train following along smoothly behind him. As they passed through Vicky Road, Carrie took another go at the shovel while the fireman stood aside and watched her go about it, and pointed out the areas where the coal needed to go as well as making sure that Carrie didn't pile too much coal onto the shovel when she stoked the boiler. But by this time, Carrie was already well-versed in how to stoke engine boilers having done it for close to a full year by now, and so she was able to undertake the job without too much trouble.
The trip along the Southern Main Line went very smoothly, passing through the different stations that were dotted along the way, and passing by a number of other engines and trains that were going in the opposite direction towards Vicarstown, including James, who was up early and taking a short freight to Crovan's Gate.
Things went very well until they reached the junction that went down to Brendam Docks, which was located between Maron Station and the eastern slope going up to the summit of Gordon's Hill. The signal before the junction was at yellow, and so Murdoch had to slow down before they arrived there, but by the time they approached the signal box sitting right before the junction, the points had already been set by the signalman and they went slowly over the points with the train following along behind. Looking out from the fireman's side of the cab with a mug of hot cocoa in her hands, Carrie was feeling comfortable with the work she had done so far this morning and was hoping the rest of the morning would go just as well after they dropped off this load down at Brendam Docks.
The rest of the run down the line to the docks went without incident, with the only things that needed to be done being to slow down a little when they were passing by a signal which was shining a yellow light. Looking out from the cab after taking another go on the shovel, Carrie was wondering what they would find when they arrived at Brendam Docks, as well as how busy it was.
She found out very soon; as Murdoch slowly pulled into the docks, Carrie could see that despite the snow and bitterly cold weather, Brendam Docks was still just as busy as ever. She could clearly see that there were still different activities taking place, including cranes loading ships with supplies or unloading cargo from the cargo loads and placing them onto trucks, workers strapping down loads on trucks with straps and large pieces of canvas, welders and workers fixing machinery in the workshops, and even trucks being moved about from one part of Brendam Docks to another. Taking a look up at some of the tall buildings and chimneys, Carrie could see columns of grey-white smoke rising up from the chimneys, showing that there was still work being done within those buildings.
"So, where do we need to bring these trucks?" Carrie asked the driver, as they went slowly through the docks.
"We just need to head over to the main terminal area where cruise ships and ferries dock, and the freight will be loaded onto the ships there." said the driver, as he adjusted the position of the regulator and kept one hand very close to the brake controls.
"All right." Carrie said, as she looked out ahead, while the fireman went about stoking Murdoch's boiler with more fresh coal.
Puffing slowly through the docks towards the main terminal area, Murdoch was hoping to be uncoupled from this train and then be on his way again, as he liked peace and quiet, and didn't like staying around a noisy area for long periods of time.
(Insert soundtrack – Salty's Theme – Seasons 6 & 7)
Then, with the sounds of a horn from a little down the line, Salty the dockyard diesel came into view hauling a long line of trucks away from another of the long quays. He was singing away some nautical tune as he went along, and the trucks behind him were also keeping in time with him. Carrie, leaning out from Murdoch's cab, saw Salty as he went along singing the nautical tune, and she couldn't help but smile. Having been on Sodor for over a year, she was well aware of Salty's way with managing the trucks and couldn't help but be impressed with his talents of keeping the trucks in order. Approaching along the line, Carrie waved to Salty as they got closer.
"Good morning there, Salty!" Carrie called out.
"Ahoy there, Carrie matey!" Salty called out, as he blew his horn in greeting while going on past. In reply, Murdoch blew his whistle for a few seconds as his driver closed the regulator and put on the brakes some more.
With the points having been set for them by the signalman a few moments before, Murdoch slowly went over them and onto the long quayside where the main cruise terminal building was and where they would drop off their train. Looking out as they went along the long straight stretch of line, Carrie could see that there was a large cargo ship secured to the quayside where the large cruise ships would usually dock, and there was cargo being loaded aboard it from large pallets sitting on the quay. She could see that the workmen helping to load up the ship were well wrapped-up in warm clothes to keep the cold away, as well as bright orange safety suits so that other people could see them.
Pulling up to the platform and then coming to a stop, Murdoch looked up at one of the cranes that were loading up the holds of the ship and watched as a large pallet was lifted off the dockside, and then swung over the side of the ship before being slowly lowered down through an open hatch and into the cargo hold.
"I wonder what it is that we have in our train that needs to be loaded onto that ship?" he said quietly, as he watched the crane go about its job of loading the ship up.
"Well, it's not our job to be concerned about that, old boy. We just need to deliver the goods that we need to deliver, and then pick up another train to deliver that to where it needs to go." his driver said, as he leaned out from his side of the cab.
"Yes, sir." Murdoch said, as a shunter got in between his tender and the first vehicle in the train and uncoupled him. Once he did that job, he stepped out and went up to the side of the cab and informed the crew. With that, the driver released the brakes, wound the reversing gear into full forward, and then slowly opened the regulator a little; slowly, Murdoch moved forwards and away from the terminal station, heading over towards the area where the turntable was located so that he could be turned round and then move off to his next job.
(A few minutes later; 8:30am)
After being turned round on the turntable, Murdoch moved off to another of the quays within Brendam Docks so as to pick up his next train. Slowly reversing along the dockside and then buffering up to his train, Murdoch was coupled up to the new train and then having the brake pipe connected together. And then, as his driver used the ejector controls to create a vacuum within the length of the train, Murdoch stood and waited for the time to set off. Leaning out from the cab, Carrie looked back along the train to see what the train was made up of. She saw that there were a wide variety of different wagons coupled up together, with the flat wagons she could see often being covered with canvas sheeting that were securely tied down with straps to keep them covered. She also saw men loading up things into a number of different vans within the train, while other van doors were being closed up ready for the journey.
Then, she heard the sounds of a man step up to the side of the footplate on the driver's side, and she turned to listen what was being said. It turned out to be the harbourmaster, and he was giving the driver the information on what was in the train and where it was going to be heading off to. She clearly overheard the harbourmaster telling the driver that the train was bound for the enormous marshalling yard at Heathfield within the north west of the island.
Turning her attention over to the fireman, she saw him build up the fire by placing more coal from the coal space in the tender into the firebox with the shovel. With the firebox doors fully opened up, Carrie could feel the heat of the fire and she deeply appreciated the heat coming out from there, as it helped to keep the cold winter air away.
Then, over the various different sounds of the docks that she could hear, she heard the sounds of another whistle being sounded from somewhere else within the docks, followed after by the sounds of chuffing as an engine began to approach the quayside.
"I wonder who that could be." Carrie said, as she leaned out from the cab and looked forward to see which engine was coming. She didn't have long to wait, for soon out from the swirling clouds of flakes of snow coming down from the sky above was G.W.R. Modified Hall Class 4-6-0 No.7917 North Aston Hall, who was arriving at Brendam Docks to collect a train that he had to take to Barrow-in-Furness.
"Morning Murdoch!" Aston said, as he slowly went on past on the other line on his way to pick up his train.
"Good morning, Aston!" Murdoch said, while watching the G.W.R. Modified Hall head on past him, with the other engine blowing his whistle in greeting and releasing clouds of smoke and steam from his funnel as he headed off.
Soon, with the last of the trucks loaded up, the loads tired down, the couplings all checked, and the brakes in order, it was time for Murdoch to be on his way with his train. After the signalman set the points and set the signal to show the line was clear, Murdoch's driver released the brakes and blew the whistle for a few seconds before opening the regulator a little. Slowly, Murdoch headed off while taking up the weight of his train. At one point, his ten driving wheels slipped a little on the icy rails, and the driver had to activate the sanding gear to spray sand onto the rails so the wheels could grip them better.
"Come on…let's move! Come on…let's move!" Murdoch groaned, as he set off and moved his heavy train, with the loud sounds of the chuffing from his chimney echoing all around the docks as he moved off.
"You can do it, Murdoch!" Carrie called, as she leaned out from the fireman's side of the cab and watched as the big orange 9F moved out from the quayside, releasing great clouds of white steam out in front. With this encouragement, Murdoch moved along the line and set off through the docks and out of it along the same route that they had come in earlier on. As they made their way out of Brendam Docks and along the route heading up towards Wellsworth Station, Carrie's mind couldn't help but wander to the hotel where her classmates and their families, as well as her teachers, were staying. She was wondering whether or not Chris, Tina, and Donna would be getting ready to set off to do a few hours of work in one of the nearby depots, and whether or not the work that they were to do would teach them a lesson for all the bad things that they had done to her over the years back in Chamberlain. She had no doubt that the three of them wouldn't be very pleased with having to work in the cold today.
(Meanwhile, over at the hotel in Knapford)
Having finished breakfast in the hotel's restaurant not too long before, Chris, Tina, and Donna were being readied to head off to the depot for the work they had to do with the engines as punishment for what they did to Carrie, as well as for not sincerely saying sorry to her. To say that the three of them weren't too happy about doing something like that would be a massive understatement; the three of them were quite cross and moody, and so much so that the three of them didn't speak to anyone so far that morning. In fact, the three of them would often just go right on past people without speaking to any of them, or even just glared angrily at anyone who said anything to them. Chris even hissed angrily at a few people who dared to say anything to her, such as "good morning, Chris."
When Tommy and Sue were heading down for breakfast together, they clearly saw the moods that Chris and her two lackeys were in, and they wisely decided to keep their mouths shut and steer clear of them while they were on their way downstairs. Sue and Tommy were feeling deeply relieved to be downstairs in the restaurant where they could not only get breakfast, but also sit down together at a table where they could stay as far away as they could from Chris and the other two girls.
"You know…something tells me that those three are gonna be beyond angry by the end of today." Sue whispered to Tommy, after they had gone by Chris, Tina, and Donna upstairs while they were on their way down to breakfast in the elevator.
"Yeah…and I think that if we should see them covered in ash and coal dust by the time they get back, we should just steer clear of them as much as possible." Tommy said in agreement, as the elevator doors slid open on the ground floor. The young couple stepped off and made their way into the restaurant.
After a few more minutes, Chris, Tina, and Donna arrived back on the ground floor of the hotel and stepped into the main lobby, where they could see that there was a man standing close to the reception desk. He was dressed in a smart blue railway uniform, which looked no different than the uniforms many other Sodor railway employees wore when they went out to work every day. Sitting or standing off to the sides of the reception desk, there stood the parents of Chris, Tina, and Donna and watching the three teen girls approach them.
"So…are the three of you keen to head on up to the depot to work on the engines for a few hours?" the man asked, as he felt himself smile in a slightly smug way towards the three girls who had no choice but to do it.
"I wish that we weren't doing it! I think that it's a complete waste of my time over here!" Chris said, as she glared towards the man with a heavy frown on her face.
"Yeah, and I don't fancy working with dirty steam engines for a few hours! I'd rather be doing something else to pass the time here!" added Tina, as she and Donna both frowned heavily as well. But the looks on the faces of the three girls didn't seem to bother this man at all.
"Well…I'm afraid that's what the three of you deserve for all the bad things you did to that girl. So, maybe this will teach the three of you a jolly good lesson that you'll never forget." the man said, as he looked towards the door, where a minibus waited for them.
"And where's the depot that they'll be working at?" Tina's mother asked, with some concern in her voice.
"It's not too far from here, miss. A little over a mile and a half away, and they'll be back safe and sound later on this afternoon. And not to worry, they'll be in good hands while they're over there." the man said, as he turned his attention from Tina's mother to the three teen girls. Give a movement of his head, he said "Follow me please." and then he headed on out the front entrance doors. Reluctantly, the three girls followed along behind, with Chris leading the way. From where they were sitting or standing, the parents watched as the three girls went out the front doors and then got aboard the minibus, with the man following along behind them. Then the side doors closed, and the bus headed on up the street towards the depot.
"Do you think that they'll be okay over there?" Donna's father asked, as he sipped his coffee.
"I think that they will be. Though something tells me that they'll probably not be in the best of moods when they return later this afternoon." Tina's mother said, as she looked out the window in the direction that the minibus had just gone.
"Well, maybe they should've been more sincere when they were apologising to Carrie yesterday." added Donna's mother. But from where they were sitting off to the side, John Hargensen and his wife had been unusually quiet for the past few moments; they were somewhat concerned with what the three girls were going to have to do in the nearby engine depot, but decided to wait until later to see how the three girls were after their work.
(Meanwhile, at the Knapford Motive Power Depot)
With a slight swerve, the minibus pulled into the main gate and finally arrived at the engine depot, located only a mile and a half or so away from the hotel. Pulling up in front of the two entrance doors of the main crew building, the side doors were opened and Chris, Tina, and Donna stepped out. They looked up at the main crew building while listening out; they could hear the sounds of engines puffing away or being moved nearby, as well as the sounds of whistles being blown, trucks being moved about, and various other clattering noises. Taking in deep breaths through their noses, they three of them could smell the scent of coal smoke drifting along on the freezing winter air, as well as other smells that they couldn't describe.
"This place stinks! I'll be glad to be away from here later on!" Chris said, as she looked around and not being particularly impressed with what she saw.
"Me too!" said Tina.
"And me!" added Donna, as she looked around and scoffed.
"If you'll follow me this way, please. Head up to the ladies changing rooms on the first floor, and there you'll find work overalls and Hi-Viz safety vests to wear for the next few hours. Once you're changed into them, come downstairs at once and you'll be instructed on what to do next." the man said, as he indicated towards the stairs. Slowly, Chris and her two closest lackeys went up the stairs to the first floor, and then from there down the corridor to the ladies changing room. Entering, they saw that it was empty of anyone else, but saw three sets of work overalls and orange safety vests by three unused lockers. After getting changed and putting on the overalls, warm coats, and orange safety vests, as well as making sure to have their winter hats and some gloves on, the three girls headed on downstairs and then on out the back doors and into the depot, and the freezing mid-December cold.
The man who had brought them here was standing outside by a rack with a lot of different tools that Chris, Tina, and Donna would be using while they would be working for the next couple of hours. Bu now, the man was dressed in a warm winter coat, a set of solid work boots, and gloves on his hands. Behind him were a series of sheds with tracks going into them, with long concrete inspection pits set into the ground in between the tracks that the engines would go over to have their ashpans emptied out. And the girls realised that they would need to work down in those long pits and getting themselves covered in ash and soot as a result.
The girls also noticed that there were a few sidings over a short distance away, and they could see that there were a lot of different trucks stored in those sidings. The girls could see all that these trucks had faces on their fronts, and from the way that these trucks were looking around and whispering to each other Chris had a feeling deep down that this work they were to do was going to be closely watched by the trucks.
"Okay, you three…here are some of the tools that you'll be using to clean out engine fireboxes and ashpans. Also, many of the engines here on Sodor have rocking grates and hopper ashpans to make cleaning out the ash and clinker easier. But there are many who don't have them, and those are the engines which will take the longest to clean out." the man said, as he felt himself staring slightly smugly towards Chris, Tina, and Donna.
"And where are the engines that you expect us to clean out?" Chris asked, as she tried to keep her attention under control while exhibiting the personality she had that showed she wasn't fazed by authority figures. But as she finished speaking, there came the sounds of a whistle from the other end of the depot as an engine arrived.
"Ah Chris, here's the first engine for you and your friends to service now." the man said, as he turned his head to see which engine it was. With a blast of his whistle as he went over the points, Duck the Great Western 57XX Class Pannier tank engine (127) arrived and rolled slowly along the siding towards the sheds. As he approached, he noticed the group standing off to his left, and he quickly recognized Chris, Tina, and Donna standing by the side of the line. When he saw them, he frowned quite heavily as he slowed down before stopping by them over the inspection pit.
"Oh, it's you three!" Duck said, as he glared very sternly at the three girls he had first seen yesterday while letting off some steam.
"Yes, and we're here to clean out some of you engines out for a few hours today! And I hope that we'll be able to get through all this work as quickly as possible, and then get back to the hotel and stay out of the cold!" Chris said, as she and her two lackeys sneered at Duck. But the Great Western tank engine, having been around for quite a long time and dealt with all kinds of people, wasn't the least bit intimidated by the temperaments of these three girls. And he had no intention of taking any nonsense from these three girls who had make Carrie White's life a living hell for many years.
"And we'll prove to you and to everyone else…but especially to that freak, that working out here on cleaning out engines of ash will be a complete cinch!" Tina added, as she glared angrily at Duck.
"Oh, believe me you three, it isn't! And Carrie went through the exact same thing when she started off on the apprenticeship scheme earlier on this year! And she's proven herself to be quite good at it as well, just like everyone else on the apprenticeship scheme!" Duck said, sternly.
"And you think that your worthy Fat…" Donna began.
"Sir Topham Hatt to you!" interrupted Duck.
"Whatever! Your boss shouldn't have made us do such dirty work like this!" Donna said, as she sneered at Duck in a rage that she had never felt before in her life.
"Well, you three deserve it after what you did to Carrie for all those years! And maybe this'll knock some sense into your heads to remind you not to bully Carrie or anyone else like her!" Duck said sternly.
Fearing that the argument between the three girls and Sodor's main Great Western engine might get out of hand, the man decided to intervene.
"Okay, I think that's enough for now you three! Now, if you'll follow me along here please, and I'll show you on how to empty out an ashpan and clean out a firebox of clinker." the man said, as he grabbed hold of a fire-iron and then stepped down into the inspection pit in between the rails. Groaning in utter frustration, Chris, Tina, and Donna followed him down.
(127): The Great Western Railway's 57XX Class 0-6-0PT Pannier Tank engines were designed by Charles Collett and were intended to be used on light goods work and shunting in yards, although they were used all over the G.W.R. network on a wide variety of different duties on many different lines. They were easily the largest class of engines that ever built by the G.W.R., with 863 engines being built in total, with the class becoming an icon of the Great Western.
The G.W.R. had been building 0-6-0T tank engines ever since 1860, and continued on right up until construction ended in 1956, with around 2,393 such engines being built in total. Many of these early tank engines had either saddle tanks or side tanks fitted, and a few were fitted with Belpaire fireboxes, though these were quite difficult to combine with saddle tanks.
George Jackson Churchward's time as the Chief Mechanical Engineer (C.M.E.) of the G.W.R. didn't include any new 0-6-0T tank engines designs. In fact, the G.W.R. didn't introduce any new 0-6-0T designs from 1897 to 1928, with the exception of five 0-6-0ST saddle tank engines of the 1361 Class which was introduced in 1910 for use in dockyards and sidings where other larger engines couldn't go.
From 1902, various 0-6-0T tank engines were rebuilt with Pannier tanks and Belpaire boilers. Among the other changes made included fitting improved and fully enclosed cabs, adapting the engines for working with G.W.R.-style autocoaches that were used on push-pull trains, and increasing the boiler pressures in order to increase the tractive effort. Superheating elements were also fitted to the engines, though by 1929 this was more often than not removed as it was found to have been of little use on shunting engines.
When the railways were grouped together in January 1923, the G.W.R. had a collection of 0-6-0T tank engines taken from 28 different companies that had been absorbed into the G.W.R. These engines came from a variety of different manufacturers, and varied by size and their state of repair, which meant that it was a major headache for the company in keeping so many different tank engines designs with so many different nonstandard parts working. So, in order to deal with this problem, Charles Collett decided to design a brand-new 0-6-0PT for the company.
A number of different companies were involved in building the 57XX Class. These engineering locomotive workshops included;
Armstrong Whitworth; built 25 engines.
W. G. Bagnall; built 50 engines.
Beyer, Peacock and Co.; built 25 engines.
Kerr Stuart; built 25 engines.
North British Locomotive Co.; built 100 engines.
Yorkshire Engine Co.; built 25 engines,
Swindon Works; built 613 engines,
The very first examples of the 57XX Class Pannier Tank engines to be built were rolled out by the North British Locomotive Co. in 1929, and with Swindon Works building the first ones to come out of there later on in the year. The fact that many members of the 57XX Class were built by outside contractors instead of at Swindon was rather unusual, but at the same time not unheard of, as it helped to ease the load off of Swindon Works, which was usually very busy building engines of other classes. It also helped to relieve unemployment in other areas, especially as the Great Depression began in October 1929.
The first engines of the 57XX Class to be built included medium height chimneys, mid-boiler dome, safety valves with covers, and an enclosed cab to protect their crews. They were initially given the G.W.R.'s Blue route colour, which meant that they could only run on lines that could only take engines with a 17-ton axle-loading, which totalled around 70% of the G.W.R.'s network. However, this was later changed in 1950 to Yellow route colour, as it was found that the hammerblow they created was much lower than expected. The Yellow route colour meant they could travel on more lines within the B.R. Western Region, which eventually totalled 90% of the old G.W.R. network.
The G.W.R. 57XX Class had two inside cylinders that were 17.5in in diameter with a 24in piston stroke, six driving wheels that were 4ft 7.5in in diameter, and a boiler that was pressed to 200psi. All this combined to give the class a maximum tractive effort of 22,515lbf. Their coal bunkers could carry 3 tons of coal, and their side tanks could hold 1,200 gallons of water. The valve gear they used was Stephenson valve gear, and their cylinders were paired with slide valves. The class were also fitted with steam heating equipment, vacuum brakes for the trains, and steam brakes for use on the engines. The class were also fitted with Automatic train Control (A.T.C.) for when they were running on the main line.
There were a number of sub-classes that were based off of the 57XX Class;
The first subclass was the 67XX Class; the 50 engines of this class were limited to working in shunting yards and some short freight duties. As a result of that, these engines were not fitted with steam heating, vacuum brakes, or with A.T.C.
The second subclass was the 8750 Class; this came about in 1933, and featured an improved cab with a higher roof, rectangular windows and grills, as well as sliding shutters and hinged doors to allow for more protection from the elements. Vacuum brakes, steam heating and A.T.C. were fitted as standard to most of this sub-class, though a few engines, No.6750 to No.6770, were fitted with steam brakes and three link couplings only.
The third subclass were the 97XX Class; they were a direct development of the 57XX Class, and were specifically built for working on the Hammersmith & City Line in between Paddington and Smithfield Meat Market, replacing the earlier Metro and 633 Classes. The eleven engines within this class were fitted with a special condensing apparatus that fed exhaust steam back into the water tanks, which were themselves shortened in order to make room for the external exhaust pipes and were also extended down to the footplates in front of the cabs in order to increase their capacity. The total coal and water capacity of these engines was about 2.8 tons of coal and 1,480 gallons of water. These engines were fitted with reciprocating Weir pumps to be used as a boiler feedwater pump, as standard injectors wouldn't work with hot water.
In order to work over the electrified underground lines, the 97XX Class engines were fitted with a special type of A.T.C. equipment that was kept clear of the centre rails, as well as special tripcock brake valves that matched those that were used on the London Underground signalling system. The weight of these engines had increased to around 50 tons, and the axle-loading of these engines had also gone up to a little over 17 tons.
A number of different changes were made to the 57XX Class in between 1936 and 1942. Among these changes included having a whistle shield added in front of the cab to deflect steam from the cab windows, as well as fitting pocket steps and extra railings being added to the fireman's side in order to improve access to the coal bunkers.
There were also a number of different variants of the class; from 1937 to the end of World War II, 13 members of the class were fitted with special spark arresting chimneys for working in industrial and military sites, such as ammunition depots, that had significant fire risks. In 1958, No.3711 was converted to oil burning by Robert Stephenson and Hawthorns, and in 1946 No.7722 was fitted with winding gear in order to work on the Pwllyrhebog Colliery Incline on the former Taff Vale Railway.
The class were numbered in a series of different numbers, including No.3600 to No.3699, No.3700 to No.3799, No.4600 to No.4699, No.5700 to No.5799, No.6700 to No.6799, No.7700 to No.7799, No.8700 to No.8799, No.9600 to No.9682, and No.9700 to No.9799. The first examples of the class were initially painted in the G.W.R.'s standard green livery of the time with GREAT WESTERN painted in yellow lettering on the sides of the water tanks. They were painted in black livery from 1942 to 1945, and after nationalisation in January 1948, some members of the class were painted in B.R. green though they all were later painted in plain B.R. black livery. Those engines that were bought by London Transport between 1956 and 1963 were painted in maroon livery with yellow and black lining, while those that were bought by the National Coal Board (N.C.B.) were painted in a light green livery.
When they came into service, the 57XX Class were used on a wide variety of duties all over the G.W.R. network, including on shunting work in freight yards, pilot work at stations, light to medium goods work, as well as on commuter trains, branch line work, and on short main line passenger trains. They were used on standby duties for other, more powerful locomotives, and sometimes produced spectacular effects from their chimneys as they moved heavy loads around. The class were never used for work on the auto-trains as they were never fitted with the remote-control gear for those duties, and so those tasks were left to the 54XX and 6400 0-6-0PT Classes.
The engines of the 67XX Series worked in the marshalling yards that ran between the South Wales coal fields and the ports of Llanelli, Swansea, Cardiff, Barry, and Newport. Those of the 97XX Series worked specifically on the line between London Paddington and Smithfield, with them being allocated to Old Oak Common.
Apart from a few areas where they were barred from running due to the axle-loading, members of the entire class were distributed throughout the G.W.R. and later Western Region system. By 1954, there were only five depots on the Western Region which didn't have an 57XX Class engine allocated to them.
In British Railways days, the class were used on both the Western and Southern regions as boundaries shifted around a number of times, often being seen in Weymouth running on the line to the Isle of Portland where they replaced the L.S.W.R. O2 Class 0-4-4T tank engines, and even seen hauling boat trains through the streets of Weymouth. Six engines were allocated to work in Nine Elms where they worked on empty stock trains between London Waterloo and Clapham Junction, replacing the older L.S.W.R. M7 Class 0-4-4T tank engines, and also on the short Folkestone Harbour branch line from Folkestone Harbour Station to Folkestone Junction where they worked on helping to bank trains up the steep incline, replacing the older S.E.R. R1 Class 0-6-0T tank engines.
Thirteen members of the class were bought by London Transport between 1956 and 1963, with these engines being numbered from L89 to L99, though only eleven engines were in use at any one time. During their time running with London Transport, the engines were used only on permanent way trains and never on passenger services. Three of the engines lasted until 1971 when the use of steam on LT ended, thus becoming the last steam engines used for regular main line work with B.R.
A number of the class were also used by the National Coal Board at coal pits in South Wales, with the engines retaining their original B.R. numbers. They didn't receive maintenance and were run into the ground, without getting any overhauls while they worked with the N.B.C. Another example, No.3650, was used by F.D. Fuels to move spoil to slag heaps at the Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen colliery near Ammanford, Carmarthenshire. No.9642 was used for three years to shunt other engines that were being scrapped in Hayes Scrapyard near Bridgend after it was withdrawn in 1964.
Withdrawals of the 57XX Class began in 1956 when four engines were withdrawn from service that year. The withdrawals continued over the next 10 years until 1966, when the final 27 engines still running then were removed from service. They were the last class of steam locomotives to be used on the Western Region.
Amazingly, of the 863 57XX Class engines to be built, a very respectable 16 examples have survived into preservation. Of these engines, 11 were built at Swindon while the rest were built by outside contractors. The 16 surviving engines include;
No.3650; built at Swindon in December 1939, she was withdrawn from service in September 1963 having covered 493,100 miles during its career. She was bought by P.D. Fuels to move spoil to slag heaps before a lack of maintenance forced her to be withdrawn. After being bought again in 1969, she was moved to Bulmer's in Hereford where some restoration work was carried out before she was moved to Didcot in 1970. Further restoration work began in 1984 and took more than 20 years to finish, but by July 2008 work on No.3650 was completed and she ran for the first time in preservation, running at the Didcot Railway Centre and heritage railways like the Severn Valley and Bluebell. She was taken out of service in 2016 with an overhaul commencing at Didcot in July 2018.
No.3738; built at Swindon in September 1937, she was withdrawn from service in August 1965 after covering around 500,000 miles and taken to Barry Scrapyard. She was rescued from Barry in 1974 and taken to Didcot for restoration, which was completed in 1975. After a number of other overhauls, she was taken out of service in 2013 and is on static display at the Didcot Railway Centre.
No.4612; built at Swindon Works in 1942, she was withdrawn in 1965 after covering 427,707 miles in her career. She was sent to Barry Scrapyard before being rescued and taken to the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway in 1981 as a source of spares for No.5775. She was then bought by private owners in 1987 and restored at the Forest of Dean, which was fully completed by 2001. No.4612 was run at the Bodmin and Wenford Railway, where she's currently based in full working order.
No.5764; built at Swindon in 1929, she was sold to London Transport in 1960 and renumbered as L95. By the time she was withdrawn in 1971, she had covered 668,771 miles in her career. She was bought by the Severn Valley Railway after being withdrawn and was soon operational on that line. She has appeared in a number of television shows, including the BBC production of Charles Dickens Winter Tale in 1976. As of 2024, No.5764 is in storage at Kidderminster on the S.V.R. and waiting for an overhaul.
No.5775; built at Swindon in 1929, she was withdrawn in July 1963. She was sold to London Transport and renumbered as L89, and ran until 1970 when it was sold to the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway. She famously appeared in the movie The Railway Children painted in the brown livery of the fictional Great North & South Railway (G.N.&.S.R.). She also appeared in an episode of The Last of the Summer Wine in its London Transport livery with K.W.V.R. painted on its side tanks. In May 2014, No.5764 went on display at the Locomotion Museum in Shildon and painted in the same livery it was painted in for The Railway Children. As of 2024, it's currently on static display at Oxenhope on the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway.
No.5786; built at Swindon in 1930, she was sold to London Transport and renumbered as L92 in 1958. After being withdrawn in 1969, she was sold to the Worcester Locomotive Society in 1969 and was based at Bulmer's Railway Centre until 1993. After being overhauled, she returned to service in 2013 painted the London Transport maroon-red livery running on the South Devon Railway and the Chinnor & Princess Risborough Railway. As of 2024, No.5786 is undergoing an overhaul at the South Devon Railway.
No.7714; built in 1930 by Kerr Stuart in Stoke-on-Trent, she was withdrawn from service in January 1959 but was sold to the National Coal Board and used in the Penallta colliery. When it was sold to the N.C.B., it had covered 520,259 miles during its career with the G.W.R. and B.R. She was bought by the Severn Valley Railway in 1973 and returned to steam in 1992 after an extensive overhaul. After being withdrawn in 2009, it underwent another major overhaul which was completed in November 2016. As of 2024, No.7714 is in full working order on the Severn Valley Railway and is painted in B.R. unlined black livery.
No.7715; built at Kerr Stuart in Stoke-on-Trent in 1930, she was transferred to London Transport in 1963 and given the number L99, while being painted in the LT maroon red livery. After being used on works trains and for shunting duties, she was withdrawn from service in December 1969 and bought by the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre in January 1970. After being overhauled in 1972, she ran once again as No.7715 and ran until 1979 when she was overhauled again, but this time to a standard where she could run on the main line as L99 on steam specials running on the London Underground to Neasden. Sometime after 2011, No.7715 was withdrawn from service due to a crack in its boiler foundation ring, and is currently sitting in a dismantled condition at the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre while undergoing its latest overhaul.
No.7752; built by the North British Locomotive Company in Glasgow in November 1930, and was later sold to London Transport in November 1959, was repainted in maroon livery and renumbered as L94. She worked mainly on engineering trains, but she was known for hauling the final steam-hauled train on the line in June 1971. After being withdrawn, she was bought by the 7029 Clun Castle Society and visited many heritage railways during her career in preservation. In 2011, she was repainted in London Transport maroon livery in order to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the last steam run on the London Underground. As of 2024, No.7752 is in storage and waiting for its next overhaul.
No.7754; built by the North British Locomotive Company in December 1930, she was withdrawn from service in January 1959 and sold to the National Coal Board in July that year. She was used at the Talywain Colliery in South Wales with four other tank engines. When she was withdrawn from service on that duty, she was donated by the N.C.B. to the National Museum of Wales, who then placed the engine on permanent loan to the Llangollen Railway in 1975. Restoration work was completed by 1998, with the overhaul having gone on longer and cost more than had originally been expected, and which included using parts from No.3612, including the frames and cylinders. She ran on heritage railways around the U.K., including the Llangollen Railway, but is currently based on the Llangollen Railway where she's in full running order.
No.7760; built by the North British Locomotive Company in 1930, she was withdrawn from service in December 1961 when she was sold to London Transport and renumbered as L90. In 1971, she was bought by 7029 Clun Castle Ltd and then used on many heritage railways around the U.K. and was even certified to run on the main line in 2000. As of 2024, No.7760 is stored at Tyseley and waiting for her next overhaul.
No.9600; built at Swindon in 1945, she was withdrawn from service in September 1965 and was sold to the National Coal Board where she was used in the Merthyr Vale colliery until April 1973. She was then bought by 7029 Clun Castle Ltd, who began an overhaul of No.9600 which took place at Tyseley until 1997 when she finally steamed again. In 1999, she was allowed to run on the main line, regularly pulling special excursion trains. She was recertified to run on the main line in 2009, with her being fitted with O.T.M.R. and T.P.W.S. so as to allow that. As of 2024, No.9600 is in storage in Tyseley where she's waiting for another overhaul.
No.9629; built at Swindon towards the end of 1945, she was withdrawn in 1964 and sent to Barry in 1965, and was rescued from the yard in 1981. She was brought to Steamtown in Carnforth for a cosmetic restoration before being put on static display outside the Holiday Inn in Cardiff for nine years. She was donated to the Pontypool & Blaenavon Locomotive Group in 1995. As of 2024, No.9629 is undergoing restoration to working order at the Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway, with its original boiler being acquired in 2012.
No.9642; built at Swindon in 1946, she was withdrawn in November 1964 and taken to Hayes Scrapyard and used to shunt other engines that were being scrapped. After being saved in 1967, she was used to give brake van rides over N.C.B. lines after being steamed again in 1969. In 2005, she was bought for private use by the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway, but was soon withdrawn for an overhaul, which is still ongoing as of 2024.
No.9681; built at Swindon Works in May 1949, she was withdrawn from service in August 1965 and sent to Barry Scrapyard, from where she was rescued in 1975. After being taken over to the Dean Forest Railway, she was restored to full working order by 1984. In 2013, she was taken out of service again for another overhaul, which included having the cylinders re-bored, a new chimney cast, and the boiler fully overhauled. All the work was completed by November 2022, and she's in full working order on the Dean Forest Railway.
No.9682; built at Swindon in 1949, she was withdrawn in August 1965 after covering more than 250,000 miles and sent to Barry Scrapyard. She was saved from Barry in 1982 and taken to Southall to be overhauled to working order, which was completed by 2000. She ran on a number of different heritage railways around the U.K., before being taken out of service in June 2009. As of 2024, she's currently at the Dean Forest Railway where she's in a dismantled state while waiting to be fully overhauled.
Another member of the class was also saved from Barry Scrapyard, and it was No.3612. But she was never returned to working order again, having been bought for use as a source of spare parts for other surviving members of the 57XX Class.
(Meanwhile, over at Knapford Station)
With a short blast of his whistle as he approached along the lines leading up towards the southern end of Knapford Station, Murdoch slowed down as he neared the end of his journey. From his footplate, Carrie leaned out from the fireman's side and looked forwards to the station to see how busy it was; she could clearly see S.R. Lord Nelson Class 4-6-0 No.851 Sir Francis Drake standing at Platform 1 and taking on passengers to take to Vicarstown, while standing at Platform 3 stood B.R. Standard Class 7MT 4-6-2 No.70046 Anzac and he was waiting for passengers to board his own train so that he could take them to Barrow-in-Furness on the main land. Carrie could see no other engines standing in Knapford Station, but she knew that she would see more of them as they took their train over to the yards near the station.
Then with a squealing of brakes, the driver brought Murdoch to a halt as the signal was at red and so they had to stop and wait until the line was clear before they could proceed on their way.
"What do you think's going on?" Carrie asked, as she looked at the driver.
"I've got no idea, Carrie. But we need to wait here until the signal goes to green before we can go on." the driver said, as he checked on the brakes and then wound the reversing gear into full forwards, ready for them to set off again once the signal light went green again.
"Well, let's see what's going on." Carrie said, as she leaned out and looked towards the station. She watched for a few long moments, and then watched as, with a loud blast of his whistle, Sir Francis Drake set off from the station with his coaches. As they left, Carrie counted the coaches that were coupled behind the S.R. Lord Nelson 4-6-0 and counted 10 coaches. She could see quite a number of passengers were aboard the train, with many of them looking out the windows as the train made its way out of Knapford Station.
A minute or two later, once Sir Francis Drake had left with his train, there came the sounds of another whistle from the north side of the station followed by the sounds of chuffing as another engine approached. A few moments later, the engine came into view as he passed through the station on his way towards the Southern Main Line; it was L.N.E.R. O2 Class 2-8-0 No.2433, and he was hauling a long and heavy mixed freight train that was made up of all different types of rolling stock that were carrying all types of different things. Giving a blast of his whistle as he went on past with his train, No.2433 rolled on past with his long, heavy train, with all the different wagons making plenty of rattling sounds as they went on past, heading off on a slow pace along the line.
After a few more seconds of waiting, the signal for the line Murdoch was on dropped and showed a green light, meaning they were clear to proceed on their way. With the driver blowing the whistle for a few seconds, he released the brakes, and then opened the regulator a little. As Murdoch slowly moved forwards, his wheels slipped a little on the icy rails as he took up the heavy weight of his train, but his driver activated the sanding gear which allowed the ten driving wheels to grip better. Slowly, he moved through Knapford Station and headed north towards the main yards nearby. Looking out from Murdoch's cab as they went through Knapford Station, Carrie took in the sight of a number of station staff working on the platforms, as well as the sight of the Christmas decorations that were really helping to brighten up the station for the coming festive season. She watched the coaches of Anzac's train as they waited for the last of the passengers on the platform to board the train so that they could set off on their journey.
It wasn't too long before they finally arrived in the extensive yards at Knapford, and they rolled into one of the long sidings there in order to drop off the train. Even on this very cold day, there was still plenty of activity taking place in the yards, which meant that it was very noisy and Murdoch didn't like that. He wanted to be finished in dropping off the train here and then leave the yards as soon as possible, so that he could get away from the noise and get to a place where he could get some peace and quiet. As the shunter got in behind the tender and set about uncoupling the tender and disconnecting the brake pipes, Carrie took the opportunity to take the shovel and stoke the firebox with fresh coal. Sliding open the firebox doors, she checked to see where more coal was needed and then she used the shovel to place the coal to where it was needed to keep the fire burning brightly.
After she placed six shovels of coal into the firebox, the fireman reached forward and told her that enough coal was put on the fire for now. Acknowledging the fireman's advice, Carrie stood up and closed the firehole doors while placing the shovel back into the coal space in the tender. At the same time, the driver turned his head to look at them.
"Okay, let's head back to Tidmouth Sheds! And then we can take a rest for a long while and get warmed up with a cup of tea!"
"Sounds like a good idea to me!" the fireman said, as he turned his head and checked the main boiler pressure gauge.
"Me too! I think that I could do with a good rest and a hot drink after the work we've been doing so far this morning!" Carrie said, as she sat down on the front of the tender. Once they were given the all-clear to go from the yards, Murdoch was able to set off on his way and headed straight back to the sheds.
(Meanwhile, at the Knapford Motive Power Depot)
With an angry and frustrated groan, Chris Hargensen emerged from the inspection pit having just emptied out the ashpan for Duck's boiler. Her face and her boiler suit were already covered with a layer of ash that had blown about as it had been emptied out, with a breeze having blown it everywhere. Even though she had worn a set of goggles to keep the ash out from her eyes, the ash had gotten all over her, into her hair, and even into her mouth. There had been a lot of ash to empty out as Duck had been out working for quite a while over the last few hours.
At the same time, both Donna and Tina were also feeling quite cross and frustrated as well, as they had to clear out all the hot clinker in Duck's firebox, and that had proved to be quite difficult stuff to remove. They needed to use special fire-irons to break through the heavy layer of clinker and divide it into smaller pieces so that it could then be removed from the firebox with a special shovel and other tools. By then, the three girls were finished in their first engine of the day, and they were already feeling tired, dirty, and sweaty from that first job.
"I'm really glad that that job is done!" Chris said, as she, Tina, and Donna met up together by the side of the line.
"Likewise! I just hope that there aren't too many other engines to clean out today!" Tina said in agreement, as she rubbed down her sweaty forehead.
"Me too! I can't stand working on the engines here!" Donna said, as he removed her woollen hat and allowed the cold winter air to cool her down.
"Oh, believe me you three! There's gonna be quite a few more engines for you lot to work on before you can leave this afternoon." the man assigned to keep an eye on them said, as he looked over them with a slightly smug look on his face.
"Oh no!" Chris groaned, as her two cronies did the same as well. From beside them, Duck couldn't help but chuckle when he heard the three girls groan in frustration.
"Hey, Carrie can do it quite well by now, and she never complains about it at all when she does it!" Duck said, as he glanced towards the three with a smug look on his face.
"Oh, does she now?!" Chris said, as she and her minions looked angrily towards Duck.
"Pah! I bet that she does it just to keep you lot running because she likes working with steam kettles like you!" Donna snapped. Duck frowned heavily and sighed for a moment before he spoke again.
"No, she does it because she likes doing it! She really likes the job that she's doing! Just like all the good friends that she's made over the last, as well as all the other apprentices!" Duck said, as he glared at the three girls sternly.
But before the three girls could say anything else in reply to what Duck had said, the yard manager came up from the offices.
"Okay, I think that's enough talking for now, Duck. You'd best be on your way to collect your next train over in Knapford yards. And you three had better get yourselves ready for the next two engines to come in here to have their ashpans emptied out." said the yard manager.
"Yes, sir." Duck said, as he blew his whistle for a few quick seconds and then slowly reversed out from the yard.
"Who could the next two engines be that we have to clean out?" groaned Tina, as the unwanted thoughts went through her head.
The three of them found out soon enough, for there came the sounds of two deep-toned Caledonian-style whistle from within the yard, followed by the sounds of chuffing as two engines approached. It was none other than the Scottish Twins Donald and Douglas, and they both frowned heavily when they saw Chris, Tina, and Donna standing by the side of the lines and waiting for them to arrive.
"Oh, it's you!" Donald said, as he approached and then came to a stop, while frowning sternly at them as he did so. He was coming into the yards just ahead of Douglas and stopped, with his twin stopping on the adjacent line. Douglas also frowned very heavily on seeing the three girls who had bullied Carrie the most.
"Yes, it's us! Who else did you expect it to be?! The President of the United States?!" Tina hissed at the twins.
"Huh! You three are a muckle nuisance for what ya did to Carrie! It's to teach you three a jolly good lesson I'd be wanting!" Donald said, as he glared crossly at the three.
"And Carrie already has a lot on her mind since you and everyone else from her home town arrived recently! And we all know about all the bad things that you lot did to her back in that town over the years! So, you lot better stay away from her!" Douglas added, as he glared sternly at the three bullies.
"Oh, and she told you all the things that we did to her, did she?!" Donna said angrily.
"And what makes you think that it was us and not someone else who was leading everyone in bullying that freak?!" Tina added, as she almost shrieked in anger at the Scottish Twins.
"Well, let me think…oh, yes! She told us about all the bad things that you did to her over the years, whether it was in school or out of it! And she also gave us very good descriptions of the three certain girls who had bullied and harassed her the most over the years, as well as how they got lots of other people to join in with bullying her too, and giggling as well while Carrie was getting harassed by others! Coincidence? I think NOT!" said Donald.
"And we're gonna make sure that you three can't bully or harass Carrie ever again!" added Douglas.
"You can't! We can go to all sorts of places that you can't, and so you won't be able to know if we're going near Carrie or not!" Chris said, as she sneered at the Twins.
"Oh, is that right?! You're all nothing more than a screeching and a noise when all's said and done! Spite Carrie would ya! Take that!" and then Donald blasted lots of hot steam over the three girls, which also blew some of the loose ashes and soot from the ground all over the three. When the steam had cleared away, Chris, Tina, and Donna were covered from head to foot in the detritus that had been on the ground a few moments before, and they were clearly not too happy about it.
"Hey! I could tell my father about this! And he could sue the railway for you blasting soot and ash all over us!" Chris said, as she shouted angrily at the Twins. But she didn't manage to say anything more as the Twins blew more steam over the three girls.
"OH! Hey!" the three girls cried, as more ash and soot blew over them in the cloud of steam.
"There's more coming! Should ya misbehave!" Donald said, as he and Douglas then stopped blasting steam over the bullies. Once the steam cleared away, Chris, Tina, and Donna, with the man assigned to keep an eye on them watching them closely, went about the filthy job of emptying out the ashpans and removing clinker from inside the fireboxes.
(Meanwhile, over at Tidmouth Sheds)
Having arrived back at the sheds not too long before, Murdoch slowly reversed back into one of the empty sheds near to the main crew building. Standing by the side of the line inside the shed was a small team of people who would get Murdoch ready for his next duties later on in the day. As well as emptying out the ashpan and removing any clinker from the firebox, they also had to top up the levels of coal and water in the tender, and even top up the level of oil in the oil reservoirs of the moving parts if needed. They also intended to give Murdoch a good rub down and a quick polish to make sure he looked as presentable as possible for when he had to go back out again.
In the meantime, the driver, fireman, and Carrie stepped off of the footplate. As the driver spoke with the shed team about anything that needed to be done, Carrie went over to the crew building to get cleaned up a bit and have a break before going back out to work again. Looking at her watch as she went inside the building, Carrie saw that the time was 9:30am, and she and Murdoch's crew would have an hour of rest here before they had to go back out to work again. At the moment, Carrie was unsure if she would be going back out to work with Murdoch again or if she'd be assigned to work with another engine for the rest of her shift, but regardless of which engine she would be working with, she intended to do the best work that she could.
Entering the crew building, Carrie deeply appreciated the feeling of the warm air as she stepped inside. Looking to her right, she saw a few other engine crews, as well as a few of the apprentices she recognized, sitting down within the main canteen and enjoying hot food and drinks. Taking in a deep sniff through her nose, she was instantly hit by the familiar and comforting smells of good food being cooked in the kitchen behind the buffet line. Feeling hungry after her shift, Carrie decided what some hot food would certainly hit the spot right now, but decided to go and get herself cleaned off first before she did so. Turning away from the canteen, she went up the stairs to the ladies changing room in order to wash her hands and face, as well as use the toilet, before she went back downstairs to get something to eat.
Once in the canteen, she grabbed a tray from the side and went along the buffet line, and chose what breakfast foods she wanted, along with a mug of tea, and then went to sit over at one of the unoccupied tables that were close to the windows. Sitting down, Carrie tucked into her breakfast and took the time she needed to relax and rest before going back out to work again.
As she ate, there came a voice from off to her side.
"Hey there, Carrie." said the voice, and Carrie turned her head and saw Alice and Saoirse standing close to her, with trays in their own hands.
"Oh, good morning there, you two." Carrie said, as a smile crossed her face.
"And good morning back, Carrie. May we sit with you?" Saoirse asked.
"Certainly, have a seat." Carrie said, as her two close friends sat down with her and placed their trays onto the table.
"So, how have things been for you this morning, Carrie?" Alice asked, as she took a sip of her mug of coffee.
"Well, to be honest, things were all right, if somewhat cold at times. And we managed to get all our deliveries to where they needed to be on time. I've been assigned to work with Murdoch so far this morning, though I think that I might be assigned to work with another engine for the rest of my shift." Carrie said.
"Sounds good. I was assigned to work with Arthur this morning, and we've been fairly busy this morning taking different loads about to where they need to be delivered to." Saoirse said.
"And I was assigned to work with No.96100 when I started early this morning, and we just took slow freights around the island, including from Knapford over to Crovan's Gate, and then to Brendam Docks and back to here." Alice said.
"Sounds like it's been quite a busy morning for all of us then." Carrie said, as she took another long sip of her tea while it was still hot.
"Do you know if Chris and her two closest friends have started work at cleaning out engines yet?" Alice asked.
"I actually don't know yet, Alice. I also don't know where or at which depot they're working. But I just hope that they're doing the kind of work that I enjoy doing, and that they'll be thought a really good lesson for why they shouldn't bully people." Carrie said, as a sly smile crossed her face.
"Yeah, and I just hope that the three of them have a miserable time while they're doing it too!" Saoirse added, and laughing among themselves, the three friends continued on with their breakfasts while chatting with each other.
(Meanwhile, over at Sodor International Airport)
Having gathered all their bags and other things and then having gone through the passport controls, a very large group of people who had just flown over from the United States on two flights and landed at the airport not too long before made their way out from the arrivals section of the airport terminal and headed over to the station to catch the train to Knapford. Among many of these people who had flown over for the Christmas holidays to spend with their families were a lot of members of different American T.V. news networks, newspapers, magazines, and other media outlets who had come over to the Island of Sodor in order to get a scoop from the Carrie White Case. Many of them weren't very pleased to have to come all the way over to Sodor with the Christmas holidays so near, but at the same time many of them were very keen to get a piece of the latest development of the Carrie White Case and sent the information back to their networks back in America. They knew the case had attracted considerable national and international attention, and the news that Carrie had been found over on the Island of Sodor had cause considerable surprise everywhere when it was broadcast on the news very recently. At the same time, reporters and other members of the press were assigned to go over to Sodor to get more information. It was really quite a last-minute thing for them all, as although there were still plenty of hotel rooms left on Sodor, getting flights directly there would be a problem, especially due to the winter weather that was being experienced on the island.
Among the many news reporters, photographers, and broadcasters who were making their way to the station to catch the train was a renowned fame-seeking T.V. news reporter by the name of Gale, who had a reputation in the media of stopping at nothing to get what she wanted whenever a good story presented itself.
For the best part of the last year, when news of Carrie White's disappearance had made the news in November 2011, she had been among many countless reporters who had been covering the case, and had been constantly frustrated by the many false alarms that had been popping up over the course of the past year. At the recent press conference in Chamberlain, she had been among the many reporters who had attended to be briefed about where Carrie had been found. She had been quite surprised to have heard the details of the story, and equally surprised at first to have heard that all the information gathered had been accomplished all the way back in September, but that the police had wanted to wait until the time was right to have informed the media about it. Once the entire press conference had been concluded, she immediately went and made the necessary arrangements to catch the next flight over to the Island of Sodor, just like almost all of the other reporters had done after the press conference.
The large group of people who had just arrived on the two flights entered the entrance to the station and lined up either at the ticket offices, or went over to the electronic ticket machines to get the tickets for the train they needed to catch. The train that they had to catch was due to leave the station at 10:00am, and they only had about three quarters of an hour to get their tickets and get down to the platform and wait for the train. Gale lined up behind the others, some of whom she knew for some years, and waited for her turn to get to the front of the line so that she could get her ticket at the electronic ticket machine. She was feeling tired from the long flight over from the States, which had involved an early start and an early flight from the Western Maine Airport, which had taken five and a half hours to cover. As a result of all that, Gale was feeling quite tired and, though she had slept for much of the flight, was looking forward to checking into the hotel and getting some rest before she and her colleagues went out to try and look for Carrie. She knew that the chances of actually finding Carrie in the limited time they had on Sodor was fairly small, though Gale knew that those chances were far better than no chance at all.
After Gale had managed to get her ticket from the machine, she and her colleagues made their way through the booking hall and down to Platform 14, from where they would all get their train to Knapford. Stepping down the stairs from the long footbridge that crossed one side of the station to the other, they set their feet onto the platform and made their way among the crowd of people, including other reporters, regular people coming to Sodor to spend Christmas here, as well as members of station staff who were helping the passengers with whatever enquires they had, Gale and her colleagues made their way to an empty space from where they could stay clear of much of the crowds and make their plans on what would they might do when they inevitably came close to Carrie White.
"What do you suppose we should do when we see Carrie?" her cameraman asked, as he placed down his heavy bags down on the platform.
"Simple; you just keep the camera firmly on your shoulder and film me as we try and get close to her before anyone else here can! And you keep your sound boom close as well when we get near to her!" Gale said, as she looked at her soundman, her voice full of determination like it usually was whenever she was on a particular good case.
"Yes, we both know that, Gale!" her soundman said, feeling a bit frustrated from the seemingly endless energy that Gale seemed to always have.
"I'm just more concerned about getting out of this cold for a long while as soon as possible and get some rest after we check in to the hotel." said the cameraman, as he looked down along the platform and the track adjacent to it to check whether or not the train was on its way. But there was no sign of it coming just yet, although they could hear the sounds of other engines working away in the depot a little way down the line, including the sounds of whistles being blown for short periods of time.
"Well, the train to pick us all up should be here quite soon. We just need to be patient and wait for it to arrive." the soundman said, as he rubbed his gloved hands together while watching his breath come out from his mouth in a dense swirling cloud.
"I'll go and get us some coffee while we wait. There doesn't seem to be many people over there right now." the cameraman said, as he went over to the stall to get them cups of hot coffee.
"Make sure that you get me a pastry of some sort while you're there. I can't have a coffee without some sort of a pastry to go with it." Gale said, as she watched her cameraman head off to the coffee stall.
After a few minutes of waiting, the cameraman arrived back with the coffees that Gale, the soundman, and himself wanted to have. He also handed Gale a pastry, which was a cinnamon roll, and then he began sipping his own coffee as well, and enjoyed the warming effect that the hot liquid gave as he sipped it.
While the three of them sipped their coffee and chatted with each other, they heard the sounds of a whistle sounding from down the line with the distinct sounds of chuffing as an engine with a train approached the station. As Gale and her two colleagues, as well as many of those standing on the platform, turned their attention to see which engine it was, there came an announcement over the station's P.A. system.
"May I have your attention please? The train approaching is not scheduled to stop at this station. Repeat, the approaching train is not scheduled to stop at this station. Thank you." and then the P.A. system went quiet.
"I wonder what the train is." the cameraman said, as he took another long sip of his coffee.
"We'll soon see. After all, that engine and its train is getting closer to us." the soundman said, as he and everyone else kept their eyes open while looking along the line to see the engine and its train approach. After another minute or so of waiting, the engine came into view, blowing its whistle as it did so. The engine was Molly, the bright yellow-painted L.N.E.R. D16 Class 4-4-0 engine (128), and she was making her way along the middle line going between Platforms 13 and 14 with a long line of fully-laden parcels vans and converted coaches clattering along behind her. She had been going along the Southern Main Line since leaving Vicarstown sometime before, and her train was loaded down with many countless sacks of mail and parcels that were bound for Knapford Station. On seeing Molly come through the station and the fact that they all saw that this engine going past them had a face on its smokebox, many of the media people couldn't help but stare in astonishment, and their mouths dropped and their eyes went wide.
"Hey Gale, are you seeing this?" her cameraman asked in amazed awe, as they all watched Molly head on past them all with her heavy train.
"Yes, I can see it." Gale said, with her eyes wide open as she watched Molly go by with her blowing her whistle in greeting to those on Platform 14 while calling out "Hello!" to them all.
"And the engine can talk as well." the soundman said, as his mouth dropped wide open.
"And I think that's something that we'll be seeing quite a lot of during our time over here." added the cameraman, while he and everyone else watched the parcels train head by and head off towards the junction to the north a few miles away.
"First the news that Carrie White's been found over here on the Island of Sodor, and then we see that the engines have faces on their fronts and that they can talk too? I think that this could easily be the story of the year for me." Gale said, as she thought about how the story that she was hoping to get would play out over the next few days.
"This could also be the strangest way to get information about what Carrie's doing over here…by interviewing engines with faces on their fronts." added the soundman.
(128): The Great Eastern Railway's S45, D56, and H88 Class 4-4-0 engines (L.N.E.R. D14, D15, and D16 Classes), better known as "Clauds" after the name that was given to the doyen of the class, were designed by James Holden and Alfred John Hill for use on the Great Eastern Railway system. They were among the largest express engines on the G.E.R. at the time that they were built, becoming the flagship class of the company, and were certainly well-proportioned locomotives and attractive in their smart G.E.R. blue livery.
The design had a number of features that would appear on later G.E.R. locomotive classes, including circular polished steel smokebox surround and decorative splashes over the main driving wheels. The very first member of the class to be built, No.1900 Claud Hamilton, also featured red lining and connecting rods, copper-capped chimneys, and a G.E.R. coat of arms when it was put on exhibition at the 1900 Paris Exposition.
The first member of the class, No.1900, emerged from Stratford Works in 1900, and a total of 121 engines would be built between 1900 and 1923. The first 40 engines to be built were classified as S46 by the G.E.R., but were reclassified as D14 under the L.N.E.R. The next batch of engines to be built were classified as D56 under the G.E.R. and featured a Belpaire firebox added to the boiler design with the last four to be built being fitted with superheaters. These engines were classified under the L.N.E.R. as D15. The last engines of the class to emerge were built after the Grouping in 1923, and they had larger-diameter boilers paired with Belpaire fireboxes. Although they were classified as H88 under the G.E.R., they were built under L.N.E.R. auspices and were classified as D16s, but they were also nicknamed as "Super Clauds."
The class had two inside cylinders that were 19in in diameter with a 26in piston stroke, four main driving wheels that were 7ft 0in in diameter, and a boiler that was pressed to 180psi, all of which combined to give the class a maximum tractive effort of 17,095lbf. The two inside cylinders were paired with slide valves, which were operated by Stephenson valve gear. The class were paired with tenders that ran on six wheels and that carried 5 tons of coal and 2,790 gallons of water. The tenders of those engines that were fitted with oil burning equipment carried up to 720 tons of oil, with 1.5 tons of coal to help the engines for lighting up. The tenders were also fitted with water scoops so that the engines could replenish their water tanks from water troughs. The engines were later paired with larger tenders that could carry up to 3,300 gallons of water.
Under the L.N.E.R., the original D14 Class engines were rebuilt as D15s by replacing the older boilers with those fitted with Belpaire Fireboxes, with most of these engines being fitted with superheaters, as well as having extended smokeboxes fitted from 1926 onwards. These engines initially had two sub-classifications, with the rebuilt engines being classified as D15/2 and the un-rebuilt engines with short smokeboxes were classified as D15/1. However, by 1938 all the D15s were rebuilt to the D15/2 standard and so they were reclassified as D15.
The L.N.E.R. also rebuilt 29 examples of the D15 Class fitted with Belpaire fireboxes to Super-Claud D16 Class engines, but this was stopped in 1931 when there were a total of 40 D16s in existence. Nigel Gresley also rebuilt a number of the D15 Class with larger-diameter boilers with round-topped fireboxes, which were classified as D16/3. When the rebuilding programme ceased in 1949, a grand total of 104 D16/3s had been rebuilt. Many of these engines had kept their original cylinders and slide valves, but 20 had new cylinders fitted which were paired with piston valves, with half having 8in diameter valves and the other half having larger 9.5in diameter piston valves. The piston valves did a good job at improving the engines efficiency, and allowed the engines to prove that they were at least equal to the B12 Class 4-6-0 engines. However, no more D16s were ever fitted with piston valves, due to problems with the increased power causing severe stresses to the main frames causing them to fracture on occasion, which resulted in a number of engines being withdrawn prematurely due to their frames being severely cracked. A number of repairs were tried out, including patch welding along crack lines, but many of these problems hadn't been corrected by the time the Second World War broke out, and so as a result many of the members of the class that were converted to a D16/3 retained their original slide valves instead of being paired with piston valves.
All members of the class, with the exception of those that were fitted with piston valves, were fitted with reversing gear that could be operated from compressed air provided by a Westinghouse air pump, and which also provided compressed air to operate the tender's water scoop, as well as to the brakes. To provide the necessary compressed air for the brakes, water scoop, and reversing gear, two reservoirs were fitted in a large casting beneath the cabs.
A variable blastpipe was fitted to the class, which was quite an innovative feature at the time, and helped to provide much better economic running. The first seven Clauds were built with both a live steam ejector and an exhaust injector fitted. However, from the eighth engine onwards, two live steam ejectors were fitted instead, and the exhaust injectors were quickly replaced on the earlier locomotives.
The 41 D14s and 10 D15s were fitted with a special oil burning apparatus designed by Holden, and the device proved to be a great success, allowing the engines fitted with it to perform far better than they would have if they had been run on coal. However, the oil firing gear was removed when oil prices began to go up and it was felt that using it was no longer economical. The members of the class fitted with oil firing gear had it removed and were reverted back to coal firing in 1911, but the oil burners would occasionally be refitted to some members of the class over the next 15 years due to coal strikes and various industrial depressions that took place within those years. But by July 1927, the oil burners were removed for good from all the engines.
When they were first introduced, the Clauds were quickly put to work on the Great Eastern Main Line taking passenger trains out of London to Ipswich, Norwich, Cromer, Clacton, and on boat trains going to Parkeston Quay. The class quickly proved themselves to be excellent engines, and gave some impressive performances during this period, mainly due to the regular crews and the oil burners. Some of their most notable work was on the North Norfolk Express which ran in between Liverpool Street and Cromer. The class were also used on the Great Northern and Great Eastern Line, where they hauled nightly fast freights from Spitalfields to the north of England. They were also based at Southend to compete with the London, Tilbury, and Southend Railway. They rarely double-headed trains, as double-heading wasn't allowed on the G.E.R. system, but in the 1920's it was allowed due to the heavy morning expresses that were running between Clacton and Walton. When the B12 Class was introduced, double-heading was eliminated as the B12s could haul the heavy express trains better than two Clauds could.
Once the later B12 Class 4-6-0 engines came into service, they displaced the Clauds from the main routes they worked on, and so they were reassigned to the main line running to Cambridge and on various cross-country lines. They were also fitted with superheaters around the same time, but as the class had been displaced to working on lesser services on other lines, they were never able to demonstrate their improved performances that the superheaters provided, particularly in terms of improved fuel and water economy.
After the grouping in 1923, the Clauds, which had been painted in the G.E.R.'s blue livery with red lining with bronze highlights, came under the control of the L.N.E.R. were repainted in the company's apple-green livery with L.N.E.R. on the tenders and cab-side numbers painted in yellow. From 1924 onwards, the class were often seen working on Great Northern Railway line into King's Cross on special passenger trains, which would usually be Royal Trains running to Cambridge or to King's Lynn. Up until 1938, the class continued to haul many of these special trains, sometimes with Great Northern C1 and C2 Atlantic Classes being brought in to help them with the loads.
The class were allocated to a number of different depots during their working lives, including Stratford, Ipswich, Cambridge, Norwich, Yarmouth, March, Lowestoft, and Doncaster. The engines that were rebuilt were rarely re-allocated to different depots during their working lives, despite the increased boiler capacity of the D16 Class engines.
When nationalisation took place in January 1948, a total of 117 Clauds managed to make it under the control of the newly formed British Railways, of which 14 were D15s with the rest being D16s. The last of the D14s had been rebuilt to D15s by 1931 and so none of the D14s made it to come under the control of B.R. By that point, four of the class had already been withdrawn from service, with No.8866 being withdrawn in 1945, No.2550 and No.2595 being removed in 1946, and No.2500 being withdrawn in 1947 and its name being transferred over to No.2546.
However, withdrawals of the class continued on even after the class came under B.R. control, with more being withdrawn from service through the late-1940's and into the 1950's. The engines that were fitted with piston valves with their problematic and cracked front frames were usually the very first ones to be withdrawn from service. Yet despite this, the class continued to do useful work on the Eastern Region, often being seen on late evening expresses running from Liverpool Street to Yarmouth, as well as on extra services running on Saturdays. The greatest number of engines ever to be withdrawn took place in 1957, when 28 engines were removed from service that year. The oldest member of the class was No.62524 who had a career of exactly 58 years.
By 1960, the final four members of the class that were still running, No.62524, No.62597, No.62604, and No.62613, were withdrawn from service, with No.62613 being the last one withdrawn, which was before the end of September that year. Sadly, no examples of the class have been lucky enough to have survived into preservation. However, there's a project being done by the Claud Hamilton Locomotive Group to build a new D16/2 in the form of No.8783 Phoenix.
After Molly went on by with her heavy train, all those who were waiting on the platform didn't have to wait for much longer for the engine who was to take them all over to Knapford. With his whistle sounding loudly for a few seconds, followed by the sounds of slow chuffing and the sounds of his brakes being slowly applied, B.R. Standard Class 8P No.71001 Duke of London slowly rolled into the station with 16 Pullman coaches coupled up behind him. Each of the coaches were polished to a very high standard, and so they all looked very smart indeed. At the same time, Duke of London's paintwork had also been polished and rubbed down so that it shone brightly. On seeing this big and imposing heavy express engine come alongside the platform, all the media people who were there couldn't help but be impressed by his size and how easily he could move the coaches he had coupled behind his tender.
After coming to a gentle halt along the platform, the porters opened the doors to the coaches and then the passengers standing on the platform began to board the train. Members of station staff helped some of those onto the train if they needed help, and the porters also helped to load large items of luggage onto the train as well, mostly into a special luggage coach that was coupled immediately behind Duke of London's tender.
Stepping into the First-Class coach close to the front of the train, Gale and her two colleagues sat down on their seats and waited for the train to leave the station. As she settled into the seat, Gale couldn't help but admire how comfortable and plush it was, as well as how cosy the atmosphere in the coach was with the heating on. A few other reporters and photographers went by to the seats in the coach, as others placed their luggage onto the luggage racks over the tables before sitting themselves down on the seats.
"I hope that there won't be any delays before we get to Knapford. A delay is the one thing that I don't want, especially after the long flight we've had over from Western Maine Airport." Gale said, as she looked out the window after she settled down.
"Yeah, me too." her cameraman said, as he also settled down. The soundman didn't say anything, as he was just glad to be aboard the train at last. After settling into his seat, he pulled out a favourite book and settled back to read. The fact that they were at last sitting in a warm coach and out of the cold also seemed to help him relax.
It wasn't too long before the last of the passengers had boarded the coaches and the platform was empty. With the clocks over the platform showing the time as 10:00am, it was time to be on their way to Knapford at last. With the porters having closed all the doors to the coaches, the guard leaned out from his compartment at the front of the lead coach and blew his whistle while waving his green flag. At the same time, the signalman in the signal box had already set the points as well as having set the signal to show that the line ahead was clear.
From the cab of Duke of London, the driver blew the whistle for a second or two and then released the brakes and opened the regulator, allowing high-pressure steam to flow into the three cylinders. Slowly, Duke of London moved forwards out of the station, taking up the weight of his heavily-laden train behind him.
"Come on! Come on!" Duke of London said as he moved forwards, with the driver getting ready to activate the sanding gear to provide added traction to the six driving wheels if it was ever needed. But luckily, there was no need for that as they were able to get the train out from the station, as they were soon passing over the points and heading northwards towards the junction connecting the airport line to the Southern Main Line. On the footplate, the fireman began to stoke the boiler with fresh coal from the tender, while the driver adjusted the positions of the regulator and reversing gear to allow the train to pick up some more speed. Keeping a sharp eye on both the steam chest pressure gauge and the speedometer, the driver made sure to keep the train going at the speed limit while also watching ahead at the states of the signals that were ahead at the side of the line.
(A little later that morning, at Tidmouth Sheds, time 10:28am)
"Well…our break's almost over. Let's finish up here and then we'll clock back in, and go back outside." Saoirse said, as she gulped down the last of the tea in her mug and then stood up.
"Sounds fair to me, Saoirse. Let's do that." Alice said, as she also stood back up.
"Let's get back to work." Carrie said, as she stood up and grabbed hold of her tray. After the three girls placed their trays over onto one of the stands where used trays would be placed, they stepped back outside into the main entrance way, clocked back in, and then stepped back outside into the freezing December day.
"I wonder which engines we'll be working on for the rest of our shift." Alice said, as she put her woollen hat back on.
"It could be the same engine we've been working on so far, but let's see whether of not that's the case." Saoirse said, as she put on her thick work gloves as quickly as she could so as to keep the cold off her hands.
"I can't wait to get close to a hot fire in a bit. It'll help to keep all this cold away for a bit." Carrie said, as she buttoned up her warm jacket and placed her hat back on.
The yard manager soon met them close to the sheds, and he had a very familiar clipboard in his hands while he waited for them to arrive.
"Ah, are you three ready to get back to work?" he asked, as he saw the three girls approach.
"Yes, sir!" the three girls said together.
"Very good, and now let's see…" he said, as he looked at his clipboard, "…okay Saoirse, you're going to be with Murdoch for the rest of your shift."
"Very well, sir." Saoirse said. Carrie felt herself smile a little, but then again it was fairly common for recruits to be assigned to work on other engines when they clocked in again after finishing their hour-long lunch breaks.
"Alice…you're going to be working with Nelson for the rest of your shift." said the yard manager, as he looked over towards where Nelson, the L.M.S. 5XP Jubilee Class 4-6-0 was being prepared for his next train.
"All right, sir." Alice said.
"And Carrie…you're going to be working with No.63786." said the yard manager. From behind him off within the depot, No.63786, an L.N.E.R. Thompson O1 Class 2-8-0, could be seen being readied for his next jobs he had to do for the day.
"Sounds fair to me, sir." Carrie said, as she looked over towards No.63786.
"Now ladies, best be off to the engines and get back to work…and I need to be back off to the office." said the yard manager, as he turned and went back over to the offices.
"Well, ladies…let's get to our engine and get back to work for the rest of our shifts." Alice said, as they set off.
"Yeah, and I suppose that we'll all see each other later on." Carrie said.
"Yeah, and best of luck with the rest of your shifts, ladies. We'll meet up with the others after work and then go and meet with Carrie's classmates, and see where we should all go." Alice said.
"Okay, see you later then." Saoirse said, as they all set off towards the engines that they were to work on for the rest of the morning.
(Meanwhile, at Knapford Motive Power Depot)
With herself now covered in a layer of ash, soot, sweat, and coal dust, Chris Hargensen stepped out from the inspection pit, having just emptied out the ashpan of No.4933 Himley Hall, while at the same time, both Tina and Donna stepped off from the footplate, having just emptied the firebox of the clinker there and then shovelling coal back inside to build the fire back up. Tina and Donna were just as filthy as Chris was, and they were feeling somewhat exhausted as well, but they couldn't stop yet as they weren't going to be let go until around lunch time. The three of them had already worked on a number of different engines within the depot, and they were sure to work on more before they could leave.
"Oh, I'm just so SICK of this!" Chris said, as she and her two lackeys stood round a brazier that had been set up close by and in which a fire burned brightly.
"I'll be glad to get finished here! I just hate cleaning out the fireboxes and emptying out those dusty and hot ashpans!" Donna added, as she thrust her hands out to warm them over the glowing red-orange coals in the brazier.
"And I also can't wait to find some way to get even with that freak for putting us in this mess!" added Tina, as she warmed her hands over the heat. Her face was covered with sweat and to that stuck quite a bit of ash and dust from the ashpans that she had been made to empty out.
"And what do you have in mind for us to do that?" Donna asked, as she looked at Tina.
"I don't know yet…but I hope that we find a good way to get back at Carrie for making us do this stupid, filthy work in this freezing cold!" Tina said, as thoughts went through her head of how they could all get back at Carrie.
However, from behind them, Himley Hall overheard everything that the three girls were talking about, and he clearly didn't like what they were plotting, as it meant that there was a chance that Carrie might get hurt.
"I wouldn't recommend doing anything like that, you three!" Himley Hall said, as he glared sternly at the three of them, "Doing something like that will get you into serious trouble, and I'm sure you don't want to do anything that could get you there! And especially this close to Christmas!"
"Hey, you just keep your oversized bulk out of this, you oversized kettle on wheels! This is something that we want to do to get back at that freak!" Chris said, as she snapped at Himley Hall, who kept glaring sternly back at the three of them.
"Seriously, you three! Don't do anything stupid, because the three of you may end of regretting it sometime in the future!" Himley Hall said, as his driver and fireman climbed back onto his footplate and got ready to set off for their next jobs.
"Stay out of this! It's not your business" Tina screamed, as the levels of anger rose up inside of her. Rolling his eyes up, Himley Hall sighed heavily and then, after wheeshing off some steam, he slowly moved off in reverse, heading off to do his next job out on the main line.
It wasn't too long before the next engine for the three girls to work on rolled into the yard; it turned out to be B.R. Standard Class 5MT 4-6-0 No.73125, who slowly rolled in reverse towards the three girls. Seeing another engine slowly roll towards them the three girls sighed heavily, as it meant that there was another engine for them to work over and empty out the hot and dusty ashpan, as well as remove clinker from the firebox.
"Here we go again!" Chris said, with a heavy sigh, as she knew well that the yard manager was keeping a sharp eye on the three of them to make sure that they weren't trying to slacken on the job.
"When will this end?" Donna said, as she sighed and rolled her eyes up.
As soon as No.73125 came to a halt, the fireman closed the firehole doors and made sure that the dampers were closed up while the man supervising the three girls spoke with the driver to see what needed. From to the side, Chris, Tina, and Donne stood and waited for what needed to be done with this engine once they were told to move in. After another two minutes or so of waiting, the man turned from talking with the driver of No.73125 and stepped over to them.
"Right, this way, you three." he said
(Meanwhile, at one of the Knapford hotels)
Having gotten off the train at Knapford Station not too long before, and with both her cameraman and soundman in tow with all their things, Gale was at last able to check into the hotel and head upstairs to the room that had been reserved for her. Her two colleagues were also able to step into their own rooms, which were both located a little way down the corridor. After hanging up her coat in the wardrobe, Gale went over to the window and took a look outside; she saw the snow-covered roofs of the town of Knapford, as well as the main railway station a short way from the hotel. Below on the street, she saw all the different activities of the local people who were going about and doing their Christmas shopping. Looking towards where the railway was, Gale saw columns of grey-white smoke rising up as engines went back and forth along the lines going in and out of Knapford Station, and taking their heavy trains to where they were needed. At times, she could clearly hear the sounds of their whistles being carried towards her over the still, freezing air. The idea of seeing engines with faces on the fronts of their smokeboxes had never been expected when she first made her booking to come over here to Sodor, but she knew that she would get used to it with time.
Right now though, she was exhausted after a long flight from the United States, as well as the early start in order to get to the airport to catch the flight, and she just wanted to get some much-needed sleep before going out to look for Carrie. After she removed her shoes, she then closed the curtains to the window, and then lay down on the bed, with her eyes closing as soon as her head hit the pillow.
Elsewhere within the hotel, almost all of the news reporters and photographers were also taking the chance to get some rest, as they were all tired after their long flight across the Atlantic and the early start in order to catch it. Many were going to their rooms and getting some sleep instead of going out, though a few were taking the chance to get some food in the hotel's restaurant before going back to their rooms and getting some rest.
(Elsewhere within Knapford)
Keen to enjoy this cold and snowy December day, many of those from Ewen High and Chamberlain were taking the chance to go around town and see what was there to see. Sue and Tommy were going along the main street and looking at the fronts of many of the shops that they passed. They were amazed by the many different scenes that they saw in the shop fronts, including moving Christmas figures, brightly decorated Christmas trees, and many other bright and cheery scenes, along with familiar Christmas music and even smells from different eateries, coffee shops, and cafés that they passed, where smells of roasting coffee, mulled wine, and hot chocolate, as well as smells of spices like cinnamon, cloves, gingerbread, vanilla, and roasted chestnuts.
"Wow…I can't help but feel like we're in some sort of a Christmas wonderland with everything that's going on around here." Sue said, as she and Tommy strolled along together.
"Yeah, and it seems very clear that everyone's having a really good time as well. And to hear all the cheerful Christmas music being played as we pass all these different stores, and to hear all the laughter and such with everyone enjoying the day…I think that it seems quite unlikely that anything would suddenly come in and spoil it." Tommy said, as he looked into the front of a coffee shop where he and Sue saw people sitting at some of the different tables inside and enjoying hot drinks and pastries. They also saw a brightly-decorated and lit Christmas tree in one of the corners, and they also saw a fire burning brightly within the fireplace over at the other side of the coffee shop.
"Yeah, and let's just hope that when Chris, Tina, and Donna get back after they finish the punishment work that they have to do, I just hope that they'll not to do anything to spoil the rest of the day, or the rest of our time over here. After all, that's the one thing that I'm sure none of us want." Sue said, as she and Tommy turned and made their way along the pathway.
"I agree with you, babe. Now let's go and see what else is there to see." Tommy said, as they went along.
They crossed the street at a pedestrian crossing, and then stepped into the park where they made their way into the park where they came upon the open area in the middle of the park. There they saw a bandstand with a lot of people gathered around it, and there was a brass band sitting around on seats inside the stand and they were playing a selection of different Christmas songs and carols, ranging from the old classic carols that everyone knew and loved all the way up to many of the most recent classics. Each member of the brass band were dressed up in warm clothes to keep the cold off, but even so they were still able to play their music without any problems. For a few minutes, both Sue and Tommy stood around the bandstand and listened to the music being played, and for a while they were carried back to the memories they had from their childhoods when they saw bands playing Christmas music back in Chamberlain and how excited they had been when they heard the music.
But after a short while, even though there were quite a few people gathered round and watching the band play their jolly, seasonal music for everyone to hear, and both Sue and Tommy were enjoying it like everyone else was, they eventually felt the cold start to get to them. Even though they were both well dressed in thick and warm clothing, the cold still found ways to chill them both.
"Could we get somewhere a bit warmer now, Tommy? And preferably a place where we can get a hot drink?" Sue asked.
"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea to me. How about that café we passed by a bit earlier on? We can get ourselves warmed up by the fire." Tommy said.
"That sounds good to me. Now let's go over there before we get any colder and freeze." Sue said, as they linked arms together and then turned to walk away from the bandstand and then out of the park and over towards where the coffee shop was.
A short while later, having arrived at the coffee shop and relieved to be inside in a warm place out of the cold, both Sue and Tommy ordered a hot chocolate and pastry at the counter and then went to sit at a table that was close to the fireplace. Feeling the heat of the hot fire flow over them as they sat down at the table near to it, Sue felt herself smile as she took a long sip of her hot chocolate.
"Oh, that's so much better!" Sue said, as she settled herself down into the armchair.
"Yeah, and let's just relax here for a bit before we go back to the hotel. After all, I don't want to go back outside into that cold weather for a long while." Tommy said, as he took a long sip of his hot chocolate after settling into the armchair he was sitting on.
"Me too." Sue said, as she took another sip of her hot chocolate. Her drink was topped with cold whipped cream which contrasted really well with the hot liquid, some chocolate shavings dusted on top, as well as a few marshmallows, and the smooth, thick, and hot velvety liquid certainly brought back many memories to her of the previous Christmases she had celebrated back in Chamberlain in years gone by.
After a few moments of sitting by the fire and warming up, Tommy reached for the inside of his coat pocket and pulled out a pamphlet.
"You know, Sue…there's a really big Christmas party being held over at Knapford Station on Christmas Eve. Would you be interested in going there?" Tommy asked, as he handed the pamphlet for Sue to look at. Taking it and having a long look through it, Sue became interested in going to the Christmas party on Christmas Eve, as it was a good chance to meet up with and socialise with other people her own age, as well as to try and socialise with Carrie and her friends, and also maybe get a chance to speak with any engines who would be attending the event, as the pamphlet mentioned that some of Sodor's engines would be in attendance at the party.
"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea to me. I think that we should also tell the others as well, and I'm sure many of them might also like to go as well." Sue said.
"And we should tell them all as soon as possible. And there's still plenty of time for us to do that." Tommy said, as Sue handed the pamphlet back to him.
"And let's hope that if we manage to go there, that we'll have a really good time too." Tommy said, as he took another long sip of his hot chocolate.
Just then, both Norma and Freddy approached the armchairs where Tommy and Sue were sitting, and they both had mugs of hot chocolate in their hands.
"Hey there, you two!" Norma said, as she flashed her usual friendly smile when she and Freddy approached.
"Hey there back, you guys!" Tommy said, as he looked up at them.
"Do you mind if we sit with you two?" Freddy asked.
"Sure. Do sit down, you two." Sue said, as she indicated to the empty couch by the fireplace. Smiling gratefully, both Norma and Freddy sat down and were very grateful by the heat coming off the fire.
"Oh, that's so much better." Freddy said, as he put his mug of hot chocolate down on the table and then took his coat off. Then he reached for his mug and took a long sip of the hot, thick, sweet liquid.
"I'm glad to get out of that freezing cold for a long while." Norma said, as she settled onto the couch and sipped her own mug of hot chocolate.
"Yeah, and the cold outside, along with all that snow, is no different to what we're used to back home at this time of year." Tommy said, as he took a long look outside the front window.
"We'll just have to put up with it, guys. But the good news is that it won't last forever." Norma said, as she took another sip of hot chocolate.
"And I'm thankful for that." Sue said, as she turned her attention towards the fire, and allowed the heat from it to keep her warm while she sipped her hot chocolate.
(Meanwhile, with Carrie)
Closing the firebox doors after stoking the firebox with more coal, Carrie handed the shovel back to the fire and then went to lean out from the left-hand side of the cab of No.63786 and looked ahead along the line. Having left the yards at Knapford not too long before, they were making their way northwards along the Northern Main Line bound for the large marshalling yards very near to Heathfield with a heavy coal train coupled up behind them. Although the trip had been very smooth since they had left Knapford Yards not too long before, it had been fairly slow due to the snowy weather and the risk of icy rails. Carrie was very grateful that the fire was burning bright and hot, as it helped to keep her warm whenever she wasn't doing any moving around. On the hot plate over the firehole doors, the heat was also keeping the tea cans warm, which meant that there would be hot drinks for her and the crew to enjoy as well as to keep the cold away.
"We should be arriving in Heathfield very soon, and we'll be able to drop off this coal train in the marshalling yard there and then pick up our next train to take away." the driver said, as he adjusted the position of the regulator to allow more steam to flow into the cylinders.
"All right then." Carrie said, feeling pleased to know that they were nearly at the end of this trip. Looking back along the length of the train, she watched the many steel hopper wagons, each of which were filled with tons of freshly-mined coal, clattering, clanking, and rolling along behind the tender. She saw some of them rolling very slightly from side to side as they went along the line round a gentle curve, and heard the sounds of buffers clanking into each other every now and then. Pulling her head back into the cab, Carrie looked back forwards as they got closer and closer to Heathfield.
Passing through the station a few minutes later, Carrie looked along the platform off to her right and saw that there were a few people standing out there and waiting for the arrival of the next train to take them south to Knapford. A few more were stepping out of the station's waiting room, which meant that the train to pick them up was due to arrive very soon. And then a whistle sounding ahead meant that the train was on its way. Carrie saw L.N.E.R. B16 Class 4-6-0 No.61475 approach the station, and slowing down with the intention of stopping at the station to pick up the waiting passengers. With No.63786 blowing his whistle in greeting to No.61475, they continued on up the line with their coal train towards the marshalling yards while the B16 came to a stop at the station to collect the waiting passengers.
They soon went over the points into the marshalling yards to the north of Heathfield, and going at a slow speed they went through the yards over towards the reception sidings where they would drop off the train. Looking out from the cab, Carrie gazed over what was going on within the yards, with other lengthy and heavy freight trains sitting in the sidings and waiting to be shunted over the hump at one end of the large marshalling yard where the trucks would be sorted out into the different sidings there, as well as a number of men standing about and discussing what needed to be done next.
With the points having been set ahead of them, No.63786 rolled into the long and empty siding and brought the long coal train into it. Moving slowly forwards, he brought the hopper wagons in the siding, and he soon came to a stop at the end of the siding, bringing his latest job of the day to an end.
"And there we are. All finished." he said, after coming to a stop. As a shunter uncoupled him from his train, No.63786 stood and waited to set off once given the all clear was given.
On the footplate, Carrie could feel a sense of pride by having helped to get this train to the yards in a safe and efficient way in this cold winter weather. Turning back into the cab, she opened the firehole door a little and allowed the heat from the fire to flow over her, and she felt so much better.
"Oh, that's so much better!" she said with a smile, as she warmed up from the heat of the intense fire that was burning brightly inside the firebox. For about a minute or two, she just stayed there and warmed herself up, before she then heard the driver speak up as he clambered back aboard the footplate.
"Okay then! It's time for us to be off and collect our next train!" he said, as he turned and spoke to Carrie and the fireman.
"And where is the train we need to collect?" Carrie asked, as she looked up at the driver.
"In another of the sidings at the other end of the marshalling yard. Which means that we'll need to go to the other side of the yards to collect it. But we'll need to be turned on the turntable first before we head over there." the driver said, as he sat down behind the controls on his side of the footplate and got ready to set off.
"All right then!" the fireman said, as he got ready to take the next go at stoking the firebox with the shovel. After standing up and going over to the fireman's side of the footplate, Carrie leaned out and looked forwards along the track that was going out of the other side of siding. After a minute or so, the driver blew the whistle and opened the regulator, and then No.63786 slowly moved forwards out of the siding with a dense cloud of swirling condensed steam shooting out in front of him.
As the fireman opened the dampers to allow more air into the firebox, Carrie thought ahead to the coming job they had to do next and where on the island that the train would need to be delivered. But she knew that she would find out soon enough, and so she settled down to relax for a bit until it was her turn to stoke the boiler again.
(With many of the adults from Chamberlain)
Taking the opportunity to have a look around some of the tourist spots around the Island of Sodor, many of the adults of those teens from Ewen High School, as well as a few other adults from Chamberlain, were together at the coffee shop located at the viewpoint very close to the top of Gordon's Hill. From in here, they could all enjoy hot drinks and pastries while staying inside the warmth there and watching all the different trains heading on by, either up or down the hill, with those trains going up the hill being banked from the rear by other engines. The four police officers who had been here earlier on in the year, Brian, Irving, King, and Spacek, were there at the coffee shop as well, having recommended this place to their fellow people from Chamberlain earlier on.
They had all taken a train from Knapford Station to Wellsworth earlier that morning, and after getting off at Wellsworth they took a bus from the station to the coffee shop along Gordon's Hill. The train journey had been fairly smooth and quick, contrast to the short bus journey which needed to go slower due to the risk of icy roads, but despite the slow bus trip they made it to the coffee shop without a problem.
Now sitting within the warmth of the coffee shop, the large windows gave them all a good view out over the lines coming up the 1-in-40 gradient that could be seen stretching around two miles or so downhill to the curve at the bottom. The slope on the other side of the three lines going uphill was covered with snow, and the numerous bare trees that lined that slope reminded many of those who were enjoying hot coffee of different winter scenes they had seen over the years, either in books and magazines, or on T.V. or different movies.
Among those who were enjoying the hot drinks and pastries on offer here were the parents of Sue and Tommy, and they were sitting on two comfortable couches by the windows with hot drinks in their hands. They felt quite comfortable being in this warm building while trains passed by outside in the cold with heavy trains behind them.
"I never thought that I'd ever be inside a place like this where we could sit in such comfort and enjoy such good coffee, and yet still be able to see steam trains go past us." Sue's mother said, as she took another long sip of her hot coffee.
"Me too. And I'm still really astonished that even in this day and age of modern electronics and diesel-electric engines, the Sodor rail system is still mostly run by steam locomotives." Tommy's mother said, as she looked out the window towards the bottom of the hill.
"Well look, the world sometimes doesn't work in the ways that you'd think it would. Even in this day and age where diesel and electric engines have taken over work on railways around the world." Tommy's father said.
"You know…I actually sort of envy both Carrie and her father, as well as all their friends and colleagues who are working here. They're doing the kind of work that I always imagined and wanted to do when I was much younger than I am right now, but sort of gave up on many years back." Sue's father said, as he sipped his coffee.
"Well, you never know…if you play your card right, you may get the chance to have a footplate ride while we're over here. And if it's possible to do something like that, then I might like to try it myself." Tommy's father said.
"All right, I'll have a check on that once we get back to the hotel." Sue's father said.
Then, above the buzz of conversation from those in the coffee shop, there came the sounds of a steam whistle sounding from just above the crest of the hill. As people in the coffee shop quietened down for a few moments, the sounds of chuffing could be clearly heard as an engine approached. Then with a wheeshing of steam and a loud clattering, the engine was seen passing by in front of the large windows with its train. It turned out to be L.N.E.R. K3 Class 2-6-0 No.61901, and he was heading on down the hill at a steady pace of about 20mph towards Wellsworth and Knapford with a long, heavy train of fully-laden insulated and refrigerated vans that were filled with meat. Each of the vans were fitted with vacuum brakes that could be controlled from the cab, which meant that the driver had full control of the train as it went on downhill.
Those in the coffee shop watched as long train went on down the hill at a controlled pace, with many of them counting how many vans there were in the train as it went by. Eventually, the brake van at the end of the train went on past them, with the bright red tail lamp shining brightly at the back as it got further away from them. As the sounds gradually faded away, everyone turned their attention away from the railway lines back to their hot drinks and conversations.
"Now what a train that was!" Sue's father said, impressed by what he had just seen.
"Yeah, and I'm very impressed as well." Tommy's mother said, as she sipped her coffee.
A few minutes later, Tommy's father looked out the window down towards the bottom of Gordon's Hill, and he saw smoke rising up over the hill as another engine and train came into view, only this time it was going up the hill.
"Ah, here comes another train now." he said, as he pointed out the window. The other three turned their attention to look, and saw B.R. Standard Class 2-10-0 No.92064 head on up the hill at a steady pace with a line of 15 heavily-laden Tyne Dock to Consett iron ore hopper wagons coupled up behind him. At the back of the train, pushing hard, was the engine who was banking No.92064 up the hill; it was fellow 9F No.92020, who was pushing hard behind the brake van to get the train, with a column of grey-white smoke rising high over the tracks as No.92020 pushed as hard as he could at the back. As the train climbed the hill and got closer and closer to where the coffee shop was, the rising sounds of the chuffing getting louder and caused almost everyone there to turn their attentions outside again. Although they had already seen a number of trains being banked up the hill in the time that they had been there this morning, they couldn't help but be impressed by the sight of such a big and impressive engine heading on up the hill with a heavy train following along behind him and with another engine banking away at the rear. It was just a display of power that many of them couldn't help but be really impressed with when they saw it.
Rita Desjardin was among those who were watching this train head on by, and as No.92064 passed by outside the large windows, she smiled as the train went by in a cloud of swirling steam and smoke. At one point, Rita thought she saw the fireman of No.92064 looking directly into her eyes as the train went past, though she was surely mistaken about that. Then, after the 15 heavy iron ore hopper wagons went on past, the brake van went past with No.92020 pushing very hard at the back to get the train to the top of Gordon's Hill, with the sounds of chuffing from his chimney being clearly heard as he pushed hard.
After the train went on past, there were a few long moments of silence as the chuffing sounds faded away. Then, after hearing the sounds of a whistle blowing at the top of the hill, everyone saw No.92020 running in reverse along the line heading down the line that was the closest to where the coffee shop was, having banked the train to the top of the hill successfully. Those in the coffee shop watched as No.92020 ran backwards down the hill without too much noise, but with a light cloud of smoke and steam coming from his funnel as he did so.
From where he was sitting at one of the stools along the coffee shop bar and enjoying a hot chocolate, Principal Morton watched as No.92020 disappeared down the hill, and then he turned back to enjoying his drink. Sitting not too far away from him at one of the other tables, Chris Hargensen's parents were also enjoying hot coffee, but they were more concerned at their daughter's welfare at her having been requested to work on some of the engines for this morning. They were also concerned for Tina and Donna, though they were both careful not to let this show on their faces for fear that the other adults from Chamberlain would tell them off, especially for all the bad things that Chris and her lackeys had done to Carrie over the years back home. They hoped that Chris, Tina, and Donna would be all right after the work that they had to do, and that they wouldn't get too dirty by the time they finished.
(A little later on in the day; 12:50pm; Tidmouth Sheds)
Having at last finished up her shift for the day, and feeling eager to get herself cleaned off and then meet up with her friends so that they could out together, Carrie leaned out from the footplate of No.63786 as he slowly reversed into one of the empty berths in one of the sheds at Tidmouth. After collecting their next train at the Heathfield Marshalling Yards, which was a lengthy mixed freight train, they made their way along the Northern Main Line towards the junction that took them to the line that ran through the middle of the Island of Sodor. Despite the cold winter weather, occasional low snowdrifts, cold winds, and icy rails, they had made good progress along the Central Main Line as they proceeded eastwards and then southwards towards the Southern Main Line, which they joined up with and then proceeded towards the yards at Kellsthorpe, which was their destination with this freight.
After arriving at Kellsthorpe, they dropped off the train in the yards and then, after being turned on the turntable, they quickly picked up another freight train, this time made up of a lot of different sorts of tankers, and then set off again along the Southern Main Line, only this time they heading back westwards towards Knapford Station. Though the trip went slowly due to the risk of icy rails and snow, the run went very smoothly and all the tankers behaved themselves as they went along. During the two runs with those heavy trains, Carrie took her turns with stoking the boiler with fresh coal in order to keep the fire burning brightly, with the physical work she did helping to keep her warm in the cold air, as well as the heat of the fire helping to keep her warm.
After arriving back at Knapford, they passed through the station and made their way back to the yards where they dropped off the train. And then with all that accomplished, and keen to have a good rest after doing these jobs, No.63786 made his way back to the sheds.
"I'll be glad to have a good hot shower and get into some clean clothes. I think I've earned it after the work we've done today." Carrie said, as the driver fully closed the regulator and then put the brakes on fully, creating a groaning squealing sound as they came to a full stop.
"Yeah, and I'm also keen to get out of the cold, and to get some good, hot food as well. I reckon that we all need a hot meal after being out in this winter weather." the fireman added, as he checked on the state of the fire before checking the two water gauge glasses to be sure the water level in the boiler was all right.
As the driver made sure that the brakes were fully on, members of the shed staff came round to speak with him about any issues that had happened during the course of the morning. In the meantime, Carrie stepped off of the footplate and, after saying thank you to No.63786 for working with him today, she made her way towards the crew building in order to get washed up and changed.
When she finished her shower and then getting changed into fresh clothes, she met up with her friends, and then headed on downstairs to clock out for the day. By this time, it was just after 1:00pm and they were keen to relax for the rest of the day, and meet up with Carrie's classmates so that they could go out somewhere.
"I'll be glad to get some rest after all the work that's been done today! My arms are feeling a bit sore after all the coal that I've shovelled today." Simon said, as they lined up at the fingerprint scanner so that they could clock out after their day of work.
"Me too. And I'm really looking forward to enjoying a hot chocolate once we get to the Christmas market." Saoirse said.
"I want to get some hot food once we get there. I think that we've all earned it after the work we've done today." Sophie said.
"Here, here!" Alice said, as she stepped forward and put her finger on the scanner. After a second, the green light flashed with a beep following, showing that Alice had clocked out of work for the day.
Once the six friends, and a few of the other apprentices, had clocked out for the day they then stepped out through the main entrance and back into the cold December air. The cold air certainly felt bracing on their faces after their hot showers, but even so they were all in good spirits and didn't mind too much about the cold, especially as they were all well wrapped-up in warm clothing to keep the chilly weather off.
As Carrie, Simon, and the four girls made their way though the car park and then out the main entrance gates, they looked to see if Carrie's Ewen High classmates were in sight. There was no sigh of them anywhere yet.
"Come on, guys. Let's go to the Christmas market. I'm sure that they're over there and waiting for us to arrive." Sophie said, as she turned to the others.
"Yeah, let's get the bus and we'll make out way over there." Olivia said, and they headed on down the street to where the bus stop was. Carrie's mind couldn't help but wander to how Chris and her two closest lackeys were getting on right now. The thought that the three of them would be covered in soot, coal dust, and ash after working on cleaning out engines for several hours this morning certainly brought a smile to her face.
(Over at Knapford Motive Power Depot)
By now, Chris, Tina, and Donna had finally finished up their work for the morning, and they were filthy, having been covered from head to foot in soot, ash, clinker dust, as well as coal dust, sweat, oil droplets, and water splashes from having cleaned out engines for the past few hours, and they were quite furious from having to work here this morning. This had amused many of the engines they had worked on or who had seen them throughout the course of the morning, who all felt that the three girls deserved this sort of punishment for what they did to Carrie.
At that moment, as the three girls stood by a brazier and warmed up by the heat before going inside to get showered up and changed, they heard the sounds of another engine come to a stop behind them. Turning round to see who it was, they saw that it was Henry.
"YOU!" Chris hissed angrily when she saw him. Tina and Donna also hissed angrily at the big green engine, as he was the one who had suggested they be made to do this work. What really angered the three of them was the fact that Henry was glaring smugly at them.
"And how have the three of you been doing? I see that you're all quite filthy from the work that you've been doing." Henry said, as he smugly glared at the three of them, feeling a great sense of satisfaction that these three bullies had at last been given their just desserts for what they did to Carrie over the years.
"I swear that I'm gonna get even with all of you for what you did to me! You just wait! I'll get even with all you engines!" Chris said in a vicious, enraged manner. For a few long moments, Henry just laughed at the three of them for a few moments before he spoke again.
"I don't think that you'll be able to do that. After all, there's a lot of areas on the railway that Carrie can go to that the three of you can't, and I also think that you won't be able to get even with us. As I don't think that the Fat Controller would like that very much." Henry said.
But before the three girls could say anything more, Henry spoke again.
"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a train to collect over at Knapford Harbour." Henry said, and with a short blast of his whistle, he set off on his way, heading out of the depot towards the harbour.
Chris, Tina, and Donna headed on inside the crew building to get themselves showered and changed into clean clothes. The hot showers helped them to calm down somewhat from the rage that they had felt outside earlier on, and when they stepped out of the showers a few minutes later, they felt a bit better. After getting themselves dried off and changed, they gathered up their things and left the ladies changing room.
However, their day wasn't finished being spoiled yet, for as soon as they stepped outside the crew building, they heard the sound of a voice shouting out.
"Hey, there the three of them are, lads!" the voice called out, as the air was then filled with the sounds of laughter. Looking up, Chris, Tina, and Donna saw all the trucks in the sidings laughing at them. And then it got worse, as the air soon filled up with the sounds of singing as all the trucks sang a song directed at the three of them.
The song went something like this.
(Insert soundtrack – Pop Goes the Diesel Theme – Season 2)
"Work is waiting in the yards"
"Tackling it with ease'll"
"Show you this work will be a cinch"
"Gaily boasts the bullies"
"In and out they creep about"
"Like some stuck-up weasels"
"When they get covered in ash and soot"
"POP go the bullies!"
The song got louder and louder, as did the laughter, as it echoed all around the yards, as more and more of the trucks that were sitting in the different sidings all joined in with the singing. Chris and her two lackeys were both embarrassed and enraged to their cores by both the song and the laughter of the trucks, as it showed that the trucks had overheard what they said and seen what they did during the course of the morning. Growling in immense anger at being made fools of, the three of them scuttled away to sulk in the hotel.
And that's it for this chapter! Chris and her two closest confidents have received some well-deserved punishment for everything bad they did to Carrie, as well as other people like her. However, that's not the end of the payback that they're about to get, as I have something else in mind for them that'll be coming up as soon as possible. I'm feeling quite pleased at the progress made in the story, and I'm very pleased to report to you all that it won't be too long before we finally reach the figure of one million words! Once we reach that mark, then this will be the very first story in both the Thomas and Carrie story categories to reach this impressive figure, and we're on the final stretch to reaching that impressive figure!
I hope to have the next chapter written and uploaded as soon as I possibly can. So, until then…good reading, everyone!