Chapter Text
The first thing you notice about Tidmouth Sheds is that it never truly sleeps.
Even when the morning mist still hangs low over the yard, even when the platforms are quiet and the passengers have not yet begun filling the station, there is always something happening.
A signal arm moving into place.
A porter calling instructions.
A distant whistle echoing across the harbour.
The steady rhythm of engines beginning another day's work.
A railway is never truly still.
And after two weeks away from it, you notice that more than ever.
⏳
The journey back to Tidmouth feels both familiar and strange, even with Harris and Lewis.
The rails beneath your wheels are the same ones you have travelled countless times before. The curves, gradients, and signals are all exactly where they should be.
Yet everything feels sharper.
The sound of your motion.
The warmth of your fire.
The steady pull of your machinery.
Each part reminds you of something simple.
You are moving.
You are working.
You are home.
Crovan's Gate Works had been full of questions when you finally opened your eyes again.
Fitters had examined every pipe, every rod, every unusual part of your construction. Engineers had debated things that had never needed debating before. Inspectors had looked at your design with expressions that shifted between confusion and admiration.
But Tidmouth was different.
Crovan's Gate Works was where engines were repaired.
Tidmouth was where engines belonged.
And before you have even fully reached the yard, a familiar voice makes certain you understand exactly how much you were missed.
“PHOENIX!”
The excited whistle that follows nearly makes half the yard turn around.
An all to familiar, small blue tank engine rolls forward with more enthusiasm than caution, his eyes wide and his smile impossible to miss.
Thomas.
Of course.
“You’re back!” Thomas calls happily.
You give a warm laugh of steam.
“Thomas, I have only been gone for two weeks.”
“Two weeks is a very long time!” Thomas replies immediately. “Especially when everyone is waiting for you to come back!”
You glance toward the sidings.
There they are.
The six coaches of the Wild Nor’ Wester Express.
Jasmine.
Violet.
Lily.
Heather.
Clover.
Willow.
They stand neatly in their siding, polished and ready, waiting for the next time they will race across the Main Line behind you.
Thomas notices where you are looking.
“They’ve been waiting too.”
You look back at him.
“Have they told you that?”
Thomas pauses.
“No.”
A second passes.
“But I know them.”
That answer earns another amused hiss of steam from you.
Thomas beams proudly.
“I missed that.”
⏳
The yard continues around you.
Workers move between engines.
Porters carry messages.
Signals change.
The railway does not stop simply because one engine has returned.
Thomas, however, clearly believes this moment deserves attention.
“You know,” he says, moving alongside you, “everyone was worried.”
You become quieter.
“Everyone?”
Thomas’s expression softens.
“Well… yes.”
A pause.
“Some people tried not to show it.”
That sounds exactly like several engines you know.
You look toward the sheds.
“I suppose some engines thought I might not return.”
Thomas looks curious.
“Did you think that?”
For a moment, you consider the question.
Then you release a small, confident breath of steam.
“No.”
Thomas tilts his eyes slightly.
“No?”
You let the silence last just long enough.
Then you answer.
“The Iron Phoenix will always rise again.”
For a moment, Thomas simply stares.
Then he bursts into laughter.
“That is the most Phoenix thing I’ve ever heard!”
You give a proud whistle.
“Because it is true.”
Thomas laughs even harder.
“I really did miss you.”
⏳
Soon, Thomas returns to work.
Or rather, Thomas returns to work while still being extremely excited about the fact that he is working.
The six Wild Nor’ Wester Express Coaches need arranging before the next departure, and Thomas eagerly takes charge.
“All right,” Thomas says. “I’ll shunt them into place.”
You look at him.
“Carefully?”
Thomas immediately looks offended.
“I am always careful!”
A pause.
“Usually.”
You laugh.
Thomas begins moving the coaches.
Jasmine rolls smoothly into position first.
Then Violet.
Then Lily.
Heather follows behind.
Clover and Willow settle into place last.
Each coach clicks gently against the next until the full formation is ready once more.
Thomas looks extremely pleased with himself.
“There!”
You look over the finished train.
“Excellent work.”
Thomas tries very hard not to look proud.
He fails.
“I knew you’d say that.”
⏳
After the shunting is complete, the workers guide you toward the turntable.
You know what comes next.
The Wild Nor’ Wester Express will soon need to run.
And before that can happen, you must be turned.
The familiar machinery begins moving.
Slowly.
Steadily.
The world shifts around you.
Tidmouth Sheds rotate into view.
The platforms move past.
The rails change direction beneath you.
And as the turntable completes its movement, you notice three engines watching nearby.
Edward.
Gordon.
And Paget.
⏳
Edward is the first to speak.
The older blue engine has never been one for grand displays.
Edward’s happiness is quieter than that.
“Welcome back, Phoenix.”
You answer with a warm whistle.
“It is good to be back.”
Edward looks over you carefully.
“I think the railway noticed you were gone.”
You consider that.
Then reply:
“I think I noticed too.”
Edward smiles.
“That sounds like you.”
⏳
Gordon moves forward next.
The big blue engine studies you for a moment.
Once, that sort of attention would have felt like judgement.
Now it feels different.
Gordon has changed.
The confidence remains.
The pride remains.
But there is something calmer beneath it now.
Something learned.
“You look even better than I expected.”
You release a small laugh.
“That almost sounds like a compliment.”
“It is a compliment.”
A pause.
“Do not make me say it twice.”
You laugh again.
Gordon tries to look serious.
He does not quite succeed.
“It is good to see you working again.”
That means more than Gordon probably intends it to.
⏳
Then Paget arrives.
Unfortunately.
“Well,” the experimental engine says.
He pauses dramatically.
“I see the great Iron Phoenix has finally decided to leave the workshop.”
Thomas immediately looks annoyed.
“Paget…”
But Paget continues.
“Two weeks away while everyone else continues their duties. Very impressive.”
You glance toward him.
“Impressive?”
“Yes.”
Paget examines you critically.
“I was beginning to wonder whether the famous Iron Phoenix had forgotten how to move.”
You give a short whistle.
“Good to know you missed me.”
“I did not say that.”
“You did not need to.”
Paget looks away.
“Ridiculous.”
Thomas laughs.
Edward smiles.
Even Gordon looks amused.
Paget notices.
“I fail to understand what is funny.”
Thomas answers immediately.
“You.”
Paget huffs.
“Typical.”
⏳
The turntable stops.
You are facing the correct direction again.
Ahead lies the railway.
The line.
The work.
The journey waiting to begin.
Thomas looks toward Jasmine, Violet, Lily, Heather, Clover, and Willow.
Then back toward you.
“So,” Thomas says eagerly.
“Ready?”
You look ahead.
At Tidmouth.
At the coaches.
At the rails stretching into the distance.
Then you answer.
“Always.”
⏳
The others watch as preparations begin.
Edward watches with quiet happiness.
Gordon watches with respect.
Thomas watches with barely contained excitement.
And Paget watches while pretending very carefully that he does not care.
But even Paget cannot deny what everyone else can feel.
The railway feels right again.
Not because everything is exactly as it was before.
It is not.
Things have changed.
Engines have changed.
You have changed.
But the important things remain.
The work.
The friendships.
The rails leading forward.
And as steam rises above Tidmouth once again, the Iron Phoenix returns to the line.
The journey continues.
The Wild Nor’ Wester Express waits.
⏳
The excitement of returning to Tidmouth does not disappear immediately.
For a while, you simply enjoy being there.
The familiar sounds.
The familiar faces.
The familiar feeling of being part of the railway again.
The yard moves around you in its usual rhythm, and for the first time in two weeks, everything feels properly balanced.
Almost.
Because there is one engine you have not seen yet.
⏳
Your eyes move across the yard.
Thomas is busy preparing another engine's work.
Edward is resting nearby.
Gordon is speaking quietly with his crew.
Paget is doing what Paget does best—complaining about something that probably does not matter.
But someone is missing.
You look toward Edward.
“Edward?”
The older blue engine turns his attention toward you.
“Yes, Phoenix?”
You hesitate.
Then ask:
“Where is Henry?”
Edward understands immediately.
“He is not at Tidmouth today.”
Your expression changes slightly.
“He isn’t?”
Edward releases a thoughtful breath of steam.
“No. He is at Vicarstown.”
You wait.
Edward continues.
“Do you remember the new sheds being built there?”
You think for a moment.
Then you remember.
The plans.
The work.
The new facilities being prepared.
“Yes.”
Edward continues.
“They are not finished yet. There is still plenty left to do before they are fully ready.”
A pause.
“But they are complete enough for engines to rest there safely.”
You listen carefully.
“Henry stayed there?”
“Yes,” Edward replies.
“Along with Lady and Adelina.”
That makes sense.
Especially after everything that had happened recently.
Adelina’s accident.
The work around Vicarstown.
The need for engines to have somewhere suitable while the railway adjusted.
Edward continues.
“Sir Topham Hatt thought it would be better for them to use the new sheds rather than travel back and forth unnecessarily.”
You give a quiet whistle.
“That was sensible.”
Edward smiles slightly.
“It usually is when Sir Topham Hatt makes the decision.”
You laugh softly.
Then you look toward Edward.
“Thank you for telling me.”
Edward looks slightly surprised.
“You do not have to thank me.”
You answer immediately.
“Yes, I do.”
A pause.
“You always remember things that others might overlook.”
Edward becomes quieter.
“That is what friends do.”
The simple way he says it makes the words mean even more.
You give a warm whistle.
“As always, Edward.”
Edward smiles.
“As always, Phoenix.”
⏳
Before either of you can continue, a sharp sound cuts across the station.
A whistle.
Not from an engine.
From the platform.
The station master.
The signal.
The timetable.
The reminder that, no matter how meaningful a reunion is, the railway still has work to do.
You feel Harris adjust himself in the cab.
The driver is already preparing.
“Well,” Harris calls, “that’s our warning.”
You look ahead.
The Wild Nor’ Wester Express is waiting.
Jasmine.
Violet.
Lily.
Heather.
Clover.
Willow.
Ready.
Harris leans slightly out of the cab.
“Time to go, Phoenix.”
You release a small breath of steam.
“Already?”
“Aye,” Harris replies.
“Railways have a habit of continuing even when everyone would rather stand around talking.”
That sounds very true.
Lewis, already in position, laughs.
“He’s right.”
You glance back toward Edward.
“Until later.”
Edward answers with a whistle.
“Until later.”
Gordon gives a respectful whistle of his own.
Thomas looks far too excited.
“Have a good run!”
Paget calls from behind.
“Try not to disappear for another two weeks!”
You ignore that.
Mostly.
You'd get him back after 10135.
⏳
The station master raises his whistle again.
The signal changes.
The railway waits.
You feel the familiar warmth build.
The familiar pull.
The familiar feeling of purpose.
And before you can stop yourself, an old tune comes to mind.
A silly one.
A cheerful one.
The kind of thing that somehow makes a difficult day feel lighter.
You begin to chant.
“Oh, come along, we're going to be rather late.”
Your voice carries down the platform.
The coaches immediately answer.
Jasmine’s voice comes first.
“We’re coming along, Phoenix! We’re coming along!”
Violet joins in.
“We’re coming along, Phoenix! We’re coming along!”
Then Lily.
Heather.
Clover.
Willow.
All together.
“We’re coming along, Phoenix! We’re coming along!”
The passengers on the platform look over.
The railway workers smile.
Even Lewis shakes his head with amusement.
“You know,” he says, “you’re still a very queer engine Big Crimson.”
You laugh.
"Yes, yes I am."
⏳
The regulator opens.
The wheels begin to turn.
Slowly at first.
Then steadily.
The Wild Nor’ Wester Express leaves Tidmouth behind.
The coaches roll smoothly behind you.
Jasmine.
Violet.
Lily.
Heather.
Clover.
Willow.
Back where they belong.
The station fades into the distance.
Edward.
Gordon.
Thomas.
Even Paget.
All watching as you return to the work your new (well, it's been nine months, so not really all that knew but still) built to do.
And as the rails carry you onward, you cannot help but laugh quietly to yourself.
Because after everything—
After the accident.
After the repairs.
After two weeks away.
After everyone wondering whether you would return—
You are back.
Pulling the Wild Nor' Wester Express.
Running the line.
Doing exactly what an engine should do.
And somewhere in the back of your mind, you remember a familiar saying.
A simple one.
A silly one.
A quote that somehow fits perfectly.
"Come along, then!"
You laugh again.
Because sometimes, even the most impossible journeys just need a little encouragement.
And so the Iron Phoenix rides again.