Sodor, The Ringing Bell

Whats the matter with Bertram?

It had been several months since Bertram had been found. And the Mid Sodor engines were glad to have another engine to help run the line, although he did feel kinda, uneeded. Bertram was an engine from the Mid Sodor, built from some scrap parts and one of Duke's old saddle tanks and a coal bunker, he was an 0-6-2 of a...unique design. He used the be a private engine for a company on the Mid Sodor, this meant he was really good with trucks, which he preferred and took regularly. Although the other engines were worried he might be made into a spare engine due to the rather high amount of engines on the railway. But, the manager had a plan, and came to the engines later one night to tell it. "Morning lads" the manager said, the engines replying in a chorus of welcomes. "Bertram, how are you adjusting to modern life? And the new name of course?" The manager asked and Bertram smiled "wonderfully sir, just wish there was more for me to do" he said rather awkwardly, Bertram was deeply happy to be restored so it felt rude to ask for more, so he tensed up when the manager laughed. "Ah well, lucky for you! We are doing an expansion!" He said and all the engines eyes lit up as their manager pulled out a tablet and held up a map. "I marked out the path, should be quick, and get us more goods work" he smiled proudly, and when the engines looked, alot of them looked happy...all except Bertram and Duke. "This is great! It's even an old line from the Mid Sodor!" Peter Sam said jollyly and Sir Handle just grumbled about work, but it was easy to see he was hiding a smile. The manager was about to say something else when Bertram blurted out "Sir if you build that line you might as well scrap me!" and with that, everyone froze and looked towards Bertram. "...What?" The manager said, not entirely sure he heard the engine correctly or not, and it took a second for Bertram to realize what he had said...and looked down. "Sorry...sir, I didn't mean to blurt out" Bertram mumbled, and when anyone tried to speak with him they got no response, he was just...dead quiet. So they decided to leave it for the night, everyone worried about the new engine.

The next few days Bertram had remained dead quiet. So quiet that alot of people forgot he was there, everyone knew something was definitely wrong. Not just because of him being quiet and what he said before, but because even when they tried to make a fool of themselves, he didn't reply with a sarcastic or whitty comment. He seemed to grow more and more distant as they days went by, only really talking to Duke who seemed to be the only one that Bertram would talk to. Eventually enough was enough and at the shed one night Bertram moved into the seemingly empty shed to rest, when all the other engines crept out of the darkness, Duncan buffering up before Bertram could even realize what was happening. "Bertram, it's time we talk" Skarloey said as Rheneas comes around a corner...and the engine looked at both of them, kinda annoyed. "What, is this gonna be some good cop bad cop kinda stuff?" He snorted sarcastically, looking at the engines straight in the eyes before they heard a whistle and Duke puffed around a bend and slowed to a stop beside them. "Bertram..." Duke said softly, and the tank engine looked at him worriedly "it's best to just tell them" "but...but...we promised never to tell about it...to never allow anyone to go back there, it why I stayed at the mind" Bertram said, tearing up and Duke sighed. "I trust them Bertram...please, you know what happened better then I do...it's best if you tell them" he said in a reassuring voice causing Bertram to just sigh. "Right...alright...well, it started a week after Peter Sam and Sir Handle went out for overhauls."