In memory of Britt Allcroft, without whom, the stories of Thomas and his friends would not have been well known around the world.

1943 – 2024

GOODBYE, BURNETT STONE

Written by Zack Wanzer and Rachel Ravens

Set during Series 9-10

"…I now pronounce you, husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride!"

Patch and Lily beamed at each other as they exchanged a passionate kiss. From the crowd, Burnett Stone wiped away a tear of joy in his eyes.

"Tasha…" he whispered. "Look how far Lily's come. So much like you and our daughter."

On the tracks down below, the Little Western engines, Tasha – the engine named after Burnett's late wife – Toad and Old Slow Coach were watching in great awe.

"They look very sweet together," Tasha giggled.

"I never really understood the ceremony though," Oliver commented. "Isn't commitment to your partner enough?"

"Aye," agreed Douglas. "Humans ur welcome tae it, dinnae git me wrong, bit it's mair important tae spend time wi' those ye care aboot."

"You're right there, Douglas," Duck put in. By now, the engines watched as Lily and Patch had their first dance together as husband and wife. "Regardless, they do look happy together."

"I can't wait to share this news with the other coaches," said Old Slow Coach. "Oh, I imagine Annie, Clarabel and Henrietta will love it!"

After a while, the ceremony and after-party were over, and the bride and groom left to go on their honeymoon. Burnett kissed his granddaughter's forehead before joining the rest of the human guests in waving goodbye. The engines and rolling stock started to disperse, as did the human guests.

"We'll see you tomorrow, everyone!" Toad called as he and Oliver left.

"Catch ye later!" said Donald; he and Douglas headed in another direction.

"Thank you for having me over for the day, Monty," smiled Tasha. "I wouldn't miss this for the world."

"Of course, Lady," Duck grinned. "You always brighten up the railway with your smile." The reddish-violet engine blushed bright red and giggled. Before they could depart, they heard the sound of something – or rather, someone – collapsing.

"Burnett!" cried Tasha. "Are you okay?"

"Uh… yes, Lady," Burnett called, scrambling to his feet. "There must have been a… a rock or a speed-bump I missed while I was walking."

Duck and Tasha both glanced at the roadway. It was difficult to see with the darkening sky, but Duck was sure that there was no such thing in Burnett's way.

"Just… be careful where you step, Burnett," Duck cautioned. Burnett thanked the engines for their concern before continuing on his way.

"He is getting old…" Tasha said quietly. "And while we can be mended… humans cannot."

Duck sighed. "Let's hope he can meet any potential great-grandchildren Lily and Patch have…"

Seven Years Later – 1996

Not much had changed on the Little Western since Lily and Patch's wedding, but during that time, the couple had had a daughter named Sally, and at Haultraugh, Dilly and Dallas would become grandparents themselves to a new batch of ducklings. Ducks had an average lifespan of about five to ten years, but some could live up to twenty if well-looked after.

Meanwhile, Tasha had settled nicely on the Rolling Hills Railway, safely under the control of Charles Topham Hatt and his wife Amanda.

"…and that's how Duck and Oliver found me," Tasha was explaining to one of the newer engines, Charlotte, a blue tank engine with four driving wheels and four trailing wheels.

"You sure were lucky to have someone taking such great care of you," grinned Charlotte. "Ugh, I was in a scrapyard for quite a while. I'm glad I was saved, but… I'm not sure where William ended up!"

"Heritage railways can't save everyone, I'm afraid," sighed Tasha. "I wish they could though…"

"Don't we all," agreed Charlotte. "He was a nice tank engine too. He never minded taking even the most minimal of tasks. He actually got nicknamed–"

"Ah, Tasha!" called a voice. "There you are!"

Tasha blinked in surprise, certain she had seen these faces before. "Are you… Stephen Hatt?"

"That's him, alright," said Helen. "And I've come with him as well."

"Oh, well, welcome to the Rolling Hills," Tasha greeted. "Mr. and Mrs. Hatt, this is Charlotte. She joined up about a week ago."

"Pleasure to meet you, Charlotte," said Stephen. "Looks like the workers did a great job restoring you."

"Thank you, sir," she beamed. "Oh my! I'd better get going – it's my turn on taking tours around the line. Cheerio."

"Have fun, Charlotte!" called Tasha. "So, Mr. and Mrs. Hatt, to what do we owe the pleasure of this visit?"

"Well…" said Stephen Hatt, his eyes clouding with sadness, "we've come with some news for you."

"What is it?" From the way Stephen sounded, it couldn't be good.

"Tasha…" Helen breathed, "Burnett Stone… he died."

"…wh-what…?" Tasha felt as though her boiler had been ripped from her frames. "H-how– Wh-when did this happen?"

Helen and Stephen exchanged a look, sadly shaking their heads.

"Duck and Lily explained this to us," Stephen confessed. "It happened last night…"

Past

Lily, Patch and Sally had gone over to visit the family for a get-together at Burnett's house. Duck had taken them in Old Slow Coach.

"Great-grandpa!" Sally cried, rushing over to hug him.

"Easy, Sally!" called Lily. "Be very gentle with your great-grandpa."

Burnett just chuckled and embraced his five-year-old great-granddaughter. "You're as feisty as your mother when she was your age." Patch also chuckled, as Lily looked at her feet in embarrassment.

"Did she climb trees and over fences too?" asked Sally excitedly.

"She sure did," smirked Burnett. "And ride horses; she still does."

"Ooh!" cried Sally. "You're amazing, mom!"

"Well, it was thanks to your dad and his horse Moonlight that I got interested," Lily admitted. "Maybe we can get you into riding lessons too. I'm sure there's a quiet pony at the farm we can start you out on."

"Wow!" giggled Sally. "I'd love that! Thank you."

"But for now," said Burnett, "how about ice creams for all of us? It is quite hot today."

Sally jumped for joy. "Yay! Thank you, great-grandpa!"

Burnett got up from his seat and headed over to the freezer. I went out yesterday to get some Neapolitan, he thought to himself. My great-granddaughter loves chocolate, vanilla and strawberry. It's perfect for her…

CRASH!

Patch, Lily and Sally scrambled up.

"Grandpa?!" cried Lily. "What's happened?!"

"I… I just… tripped…" he panted. "Ugh…"

Without thinking twice, Patch rushed to the phone in the living room, calling 999. "Hello? Yes, I would like an ambulance…"

"Great-grandpa…" whimpered Sally. "Are you going to be okay?"

"Sally, go with your father," Lily instructed. "Stay with him while I go to the hospital with your great-grandpa."

"O-okay, mom…" Still shaken, Sally raced off to find her dad.

Please be okay, grandpa, Lily thought worriedly. It can't be time… you've been through worse…

Present

"…the hospital staff did their best," Helen sighed. "But… there was nothing they could do."

"No…" whimpered Tasha. "No… not Burnett! Anyone but him!"

"We're sorry, Tasha," sighed Stephen. "Truly, we are."

"It's not your fault…" gulped Tasha. She couldn't believe it. Burnett, the man who built her, her first driver, and the man who took care of her after her branch line closed… was gone in the blink of an eye. What frightened Tasha the most was how she could carry on, knowing that her old friend would no longer be around to help her when she needed it most. Without another word, she rolled into the sheds, sobbing…

Back on Sodor, those who had known Burnett Stone were still reeling from the news of his passing. Edward and Duck in particular were quite shaken by this.

"He would always talk to me when driving Tasha," Edward said quietly, "and he got on so well with my crew."

"Life isn't going to be the same without him," sighed Duck. "I only wish the rest of us could've met his wife when she was still alive. Tasha Stone seemed like a lovely woman."

"Oh, she was," Edward agreed. "According to Sir Handel and Peter Sam, she stood up to Jacob Hockings when they first arrived at the Aluminum Works. And… she died of a heart attack shortly after."

"Do you think… that's how Burnett died?" Duck asked quietly. "I mean, Burnett collapsed like Tasha Stone did; Lily told me that when she went to the hospital."

Edward fell quiet. "Well… unfortunately, I'm not a doctor," he admitted, "so I can't say for certain. But it is possible…" Just then, Edward's guard blew the whistle. "I'll see you around, Duck."

"Likewise, Edward," the pannier tank replied. "Thank you. We both needed this."

The old blue engine puffed away, and shortly after that, Sir Topham Hatt walked out of the office. "Ah, Duck," he said, "I'm glad I found you so quickly."

"Sir?" he asked. "What can I do for you?"

"Tasha hasn't left her sheds since she was told the bad news," he explained. "Given the unfortunate circumstances, it's hard to fault her for grieving."

"Oh dear…" gasped Duck. "Is there anything that we can do to help her?"

"I was hoping for you and Old Slow Coach to go to the Rolling Hills Railway to help her out," Sir Topham Hatt explained. "Don't worry about the branch line; Oliver and the twins can handle it until you get back."

Duck weakly smiled. "Of course we will, sir."

Of course, when Oliver, Donald and Douglas were told about Duck's impromptu visit, they were more than happy to fill in his wheels while he and Old Slow Coach were gone. Lily, Patch and Sally also joined the pannier engine and coach for their visit.

"Thanks for bringing us along, Duck," said Sally. "I… I can't believe it… how can someone just die like that?"

"Well, dear…" Lily explained, choosing her words carefully, "sometimes, death happens… just because. Your great-grandfather lived a very fulfilling and long life."

"Indeed he did," agreed Patch. "Burnett was a great man; often helping me around the farm when he wasn't busy looking after Tasha."

"On rare occasions, I would see him assisting at the Steamworks," added Duck.

"Duck?" called another voice. "By the Great Railway, is that you?"

"St. Mawes Castle?!" cried Duck. "Bless me! I didn't know you were here!"

"I had a few minor repairs before being put into main line service," she explained. "Tasha wouldn't stop raving about you and Oliver when she first got here. I was so relieved you both made it to Sodor."

"I got lucky," Duck explained. "I headed to Sodor just before the dieselization hit. As for Oliver… well, it's best if he tells that story. Speaking of which, where's Tasha at?"

"She's… still not moved from the shed I'm afraid," sighed St. Mawes Castle. "Some of the others have tried talking to her, but to no avail."

"Well, that's what we're there for," said Old Slow Coach. "I used to work with Tasha back when we were part of the Wellsworth and Suddery Railway."

"Tasha?" called Duck. "Hello?"

"Hmm…" The reddish-violet engine looked up. "Duck… Old Slow Coach, when did you…"

"We're not alone," said Old Slow Coach, and hopping out of one of her compartments was Lily, Patch and Sally.

"Hello, Lady," smiled Lily.

"H-hello, everyone," stammered Tasha. "I-I wasn't expecting you to visit too!"

"It is hard when someone you love dies all of a sudden," Duck said quietly.

"Yes…" Tasha swallowed hard. "I… I wanted him to come with me to the Rolling Hills. But… he turned it down…" She closed her eyes, tears flowing out, as she thought back to that day seven years ago…

Past

"What?!" asked Tasha in shock. "Why not, Burnett? I… thought you never wanted us to be apart."

"Listen, Tasha," said Burnett gently. "I'm an old man. I can't go on forever. For fifteen years, I've kept you hidden away from the possibility of scrap. But now that Albert Regaby is out of power and Jacob Hockings back behind bars, the danger has passed. You need a younger crew; ones who can keep up with you when you take trains on the Rolling Hills."

"I… I guess that does make sense," Tasha admitted. She had seen many engines on Sodor have crews changed over throughout the years. But it still seemed surreal to lose her first driver – her builder at that – to retirement. "But who will be at my controls if you're not there?"

"I've looked into it," Burnett explained, "and Lily has helped me find two capable individuals." He gestured over to the humans in question, who were standing on the platform.

"Hello, Tasha," said the first. "I'm Holly Mitton, and this here is Dave Wright."

"We'll be your new crew for the Rolling Hills Railway," added Dave.

"It's… nice to meet you two," said Tasha, still a little unsure.

"It's okay," Holly said gently. "We'll take it one step at a time. How about we take a quick trip down the line? Just to test us out."

"I… guess we could do that," Tasha commented.

The two new crew members stood at Tasha's footplate, with Burnett observing the duo. Holly carefully opened Tasha's regulator while Dave shoveled coal into her firebox. Tasha eased her way forward, gradually building up speed to her normal pace.

"That sounds good," nodded Holly. "How do you feel, Tasha?"

"Actually… I feel great!" Tasha smiled. "Have you and Dave done this before?"

"Only a few times," Dave admitted. "We hadn't officially been assigned to an engine until today."

"You're both very good for beginners," Tasha replied. "Maybe this will work out in the long run."

Burnett smiled and nodded. "Think of this as a chance to spread your 'wings', Lady," he explained. "You've been cooped up in the workshops for far too long. My age would for sure hold you back from your true potential."

"But… what about you? What will you be doing without me?"

"I want to spend as much time as I can with my human family," Burnett explained. "I promise you, I'll write you letters at your new home, and visit whenever I can."

"O-okay, Burnett," smiled Tasha weakly. "Thank you."

Present

"…and he did." Tasha let out a weak laugh. "The only one who sent more letters over to me here was you, Monty."

"Well, it wouldn't be Great Western if I didn't send those letters to you on time, would it?" Duck joked.

Tasha giggled. "I wouldn't think of you any less if you were a little bit late, dear," she replied.

"Now… how do you feel about us and Old Slow Coach taking some tourists around the railway?" Duck asked. "Burnett wouldn't want us to be moping around doing nothing."

"That is a good point," Tasha admitted. "Okay, let's go, Monty. On one condition."

"What's that, then?"

"You couple in front," she giggled. "You don't know your way around here."

"Hey, I'm a fast learner; Percy said so."

"But you would like to see the scenery, right?" Tasha remarked.

"Oh… when you put it like that," Duck chuckled. "Okay."

As soon as Tasha was fired up, she, Duck and Old Slow Coach puffed out onto the main line. Duck was very taken with the line, now that he wasn't frantically looking for someone. The hills which gave the railway its name were covered in brightly colored flowers, and a few birds flew in to grace the landscape. He made friends with the other engines of the Rolling Hills too, once Tasha made swift introductions. Of course, he already knew Katie, Nicole, Jackie and Katrina, and he was thrilled to see three familiar faces amongst the rolling stock.

"Duck, hi!" called one voice.

"Oh, hello, Slippies!" he greeted; it was the middle coach, Mirabel, who spoke. "I couldn't believe it when Jackie said you three were rescued too."

"Better believe it," said Benjamin, the back coach. "We are glad you've come to visit."

The first coach looked away, a bit hesitant. "Er… Duck… do you mind that I…"

"It's okay, Alistair," smiled Duck. "Jackie told me everything. As a matter of fact, a couple of engines on Sodor went through a similar phase – Rusty and Skarloey. Honestly, I'm just sorry that I wasn't there to help support you through that."

"Oh, thank you, Duck," Alistair replied. "And don't worry about it. Collet and Jackie were both a big help."

Duck fell quiet and looked down at his buffers. "Yes… Collet…"

"It must have been horrible," Tasha sadly said. "No engine deserves to be killed in cold blood."

"But… engines don't have blood," pointed out Charlotte. "H-how can Collet be killed in 'cold blood'?"

"It's just an expression," Duck explained. "Simply put – Arry and Bert scrapped him for revenge." He then explained about how his last meeting with Collet ended with them on bad terms, what he heard about Arry and Bert's motives, and how it hurt that he was unable to make amends whilst Collet was still alive.

"Flatten my funnel!" gasped Charlotte. "And I heard those two monsters are on Sodor now! How could they ever be sent back over there?"

"That's what I'd like to know," huffed Jackie. "I don't care if they're not owned by Sir Topham Hatt; they should be kicked out for good!"

"Jackie," Tasha cautioned. "We'll deal with those scrap-thirsty engines later." She turned her attention back to Duck. "Listen, honey, I'm sure Collet wouldn't want you to beat yourself up over this. He'd want you to continue living a fulfilling life."

"You're right, Tasha." Duck gave a small smile. "And I know that Burnett would wish the same thing for us as well."

Tasha too gave a smile. "And that's what we'll do, my love." She winked at him. "Even those who are gone are with us as we go on."

And with that, Duck and Tasha had to be content. Unbeknownst to the pair, however, two ghostly spirits watched the engines from afar, smiling as they held one another in their arms.

THE END

Author's Comments

As you've probably heard by now, almost two weeks ago, we lost Britt Allcroft, the woman who brought Thomas the Tank Engine and his friends to the small screen. Whilst I have disagreed in the past with the many of the choices she made during her tenure, Series 5 (although, to be fair, a lot of it likely comes down to David Mitton, given his work on TUGS) and Magic Railroad especially, many of us would not have been where we're at today if she didn't believe in what Wilbert Awdry created. Chances are that the Railway Series would've faded into obscurity once Wilbert put down his pen in the early 1970s, and Thomas would never have made it beyond the United Kingdom to affirm his success. Britt may not have been as well known as the likes of Wilbert Awdry, David Mitton, Ringo Starr, George Carlin and Michael Angelis were, but she was the reason they're still talked about today, and it should never be taken for granted.

So, it is because of the impact Britt Allcroft left behind, noticed or otherwise, that we've chosen to write up this story as a dedication to her memory. Thank you, Britt, for creating countless childhoods and inspiring many to do bigger and better things. We are eternally grateful.