The Sudrians: The Archive Collection

Reunion

~1940~

War wasn't the thing engines liked. Especially when you have to go through two. As you expected, I didn't take it well and neither did Matthew.

The S.R.F. needed another pair of buffers to help with the extra workload and chose me. I was the most experienced out of all the others and I showed it too. Too much.

I was still working for North Western, I only had more work to do and I kept going to the mainland and return with ammunition, guns or any other type of armaments.

The others saw this and were concern about this.

Gordon and Henry watched in interest one morning as I puffed past them with a train of guns some in vans, some on flatbeds, it some built to be moved by rail.

"What James is doing," said Gordon, "Is abnormal."

"I agree," said Henry, "I mean, you need skill for that type of job. I mean, Matthew said he was in training for six years."

"But then again, he was suppose to be in a higher position than other engines."

"But it still doesn't make sense for they to choose James," said Henry, "I thought they would've me or you to do the work. But no, they chose James and he was taking gunpowder trains on the first day he started."

"It is odd," agreed Gordon, "Then again, apparently back in the First World War, engines were chosen randomly to go to France to help in the front-"

Gordon cut himself off. Henry raised a brow. "Um... hello Gordon," he called, "You haven't finished your sentence."

"Henry," said Gordon, "You don't think James went to France?"

Henry thought for second. "I don't think so," he replied, "I mean, he would've told us by now or we'd have already figured it out by now. I mean it has be fifteen years since James came here, and he is pretty bad at hiding secrets."

"Yeah, you're probably right," said Gordon, "But I'm still going to keep an eye on him."

"Suit yourself," replied Henry, "I'm not stopping you. But I'm not helping either."

And he puffed off. Later that day, Henry was at Vicarstown yards. He was waiting for one of the loaned tank engines to bring his goods train. When he heard a whistle.

"Oh great," he groaned, "Another one of those London North Eastern engines. This won't be a fun week."

If there was an engine that came from the LNER, Gordon would be boasting about it all week about his little brother and many other successful tests done by the railway company.

But this was different, very different. Instead of an engine coated in apple green, covered in the letters LNER. A black engine came into site, pulling a train of armaments. The engine looked like it was from the pre-grouping era. With a less modified look and it carried the letters: R.O.D and a number, 231.

Henry looked at the engine. "Did Sodor Royal Forces send you?" he asked.

The engine looked back at the Henry. Just like me, it had yellow eyes. "Yes."

Henry blinked. "You're-you're female?" he stammered.

"Got a problem with that?" asked the engine.

"No no, not in the slightest," replied Henry quickly, "Just never expected a female engine to be apart of the Railway Operation Devision."