Chapter Text
The year was 1925.
Spring had arrived on the Island of Sodor, with the last traces of snow finally melting from the tracks and fields, transforming them from a frozen white into a burst of colors and scents.
Henry’s engine was running smoothly—probably for the first time ever—after tests with Welsh coal proved to be the solution they needed for its steam problems, a solution far simpler and cheaper than sending it away for a complete rebuild.
However, although the big green locomotive could now operate at full capacity, it was clear that the ever-increasing workload had already become too much for the small fleet of engines on the North Western Railway’s main line. Passenger services needed to be expanded, freight trains were growing larger and heavier, and the work in the yards was becoming more demanding with every passing minute. Sir Topham Hatt knew that Edward was a competent driver, capable of handling any task assigned to him, but his old 4-4-0 K2 Class was starting to show its age, and so, the decision was made to purchase a new locomotive.
That morning, Edward was in the yard at Knapford waiting for Sir Topham Hatt.
He kept himself busy by lining up a row of freight cars for Henry’s next delivery when he heard the sound of wheels moving closer, accompanied by a whistle he had never heard before. He backed the ‘Large Seagull’ onto one of the sidings—the machine releasing a gentle cloud of steam as it settled into place—and stepped down from the cab just as an engine came into view.
It was a medium-sized tender engine, just like his own, although larger and certainly more powerful. It sported a black livery with red lining and boiler bands, with a 2-6-0 wheel arrangement, and Edward deduced that it was a one-off model of the L&YR Class 28 locomotive. The engine stopped a few inches from where he stood, releasing steam along with a faint smell of wood, and Sir Topham Hatt peered out of the cab.
“Ah, Edward! Just the face I wanted to see! Good morning! I see the work here is going well.”
The small man, whom the railway workers affectionately nicknamed ‘The Fat Controller’, greeted Edward with a warm smile and a tip of his signature top hat as he walked toward him. Edward returned the gesture, tipping his cap.
“Good morning, Sir! And yes, things have been quite manageable. I see the new engine has arrived.”
“Indeed. So, what do you think?”
“A sturdy engine for mixed traffic… Well, it’s simply perfect for what the North Western needs.”
“Haha! I knew you’d appreciate it as much as I do. But that’s not the only reason I called you here today, my good man.”
“Oh?”
Edward raised an eyebrow. It wasn’t unusual for his boss to present his employees with ‘surprises’, but that often meant they’d have more work to do. The smile on the short man’s face widened as he turned toward the engine's cabin he just arrived in, as if he were expecting something.
“Come on out, James!”
A moment passed, and Edward watched with curiosity as a new figure stepped out of it. It was a young man, probably in his early twenties, wearing a black uniform with red accents that matched the paint job on his engine. His skin had a beautiful tan, and his short, dark, wavy hair was slicked back with a little extra gel to keep it from falling out of place, though a few stray strands still managed to stick out in the front and rested on his forehead.
The stranger locked eyes with Edward for a few seconds before looking away and walking over to stand beside Sir Topham Hatt, his arms behind his back.
“Edward, this is James. He was the driver of this locomotive since the days of the Lancashire and Yorkshire. As you know, with the railway workload increasing every day, we need not only steam power but also manpower, which is why I offered James here a trial period working alongside his engine.
I want you to show him around the facilities and teach him the basics of yard work for now. I’ll be monitoring his progress during this time, and if all goes well, he’ll join you and the others to work on the main line.”
Edward smiled brightly at the prospect. It was great to have another engine to share the workload at the yard, but a new face was always welcome on his team too.
No offense to Henry and Gordon, of course, since both were experienced workers who did their jobs efficiently and had already proven their worth to the railway. But, work matters aside, they hadn’t exactly been the friendliest toward Edward since they arrived, and he doubted that would change much in the long run.
This was a chance to get some fresh air, away from their sarcastic comments and rude remarks; besides, Edward had always enjoyed teaching newcomers and helping them grow. He knew how difficult it could be to adapt to new places and new ways of working, and it often reminded him of his early years on the Furness Railway, back when he and his engine were at the top of their game.
“Yes, Sir, of course, Sir! It will be my pleasure.”
“Excellent! Well then, James, I’ll leave you in Edward’s care. I know things can be… different around here, but I’m confident you’ll handle them just fine if you follow his instructions.
He is, after all, my most reliable employee."
Said Sir Topham Hatt, turning to Edward and giving him a wink. Edward smiled again at his boss’s compliment.
“Y-yes, Sir!”
James replied firmly, and Edward noticed how his posture stiffened—he was clearly nervous.
“Well, then it’s time for me to get going. There’s a lot of paperwork to attend to…*sigh*”
And so their day began.
Edward spent most of the morning showing James around Kanpford: the station, the yards, the warehouses, the harbor, and a few other places he thought might be interesting as they passed by them. Just as he’d suspected, James was more of a quiet type, limiting himself to nodding and giving short answers when asked what his thoughts were.
Coming from someone who worked on a bustling railway, this was nothing out of the ordinary—Edward knew that talking was not encouraged beyond what was necessary, all in the interest of keeping the work flowing. However, it was clear that James seemed to be holding back his thoughts, as he often appeared to want to add something but then quickly gave up on the idea.
That afternoon, they began working together in the yard.
There were several trucks and cars loaded with all kinds of goods that needed to be delivered throughout the island; this gave James a good opportunity to demonstrate his caution and attentiveness.
To Edward’s surprise, James didn’t need as much guidance as he’d expected— after a few demonstrations of what needed to be done and the scheduled departure times for the trains, he discovered that James was a quick learner and quite skilled at maneuvering and organizing freight cars, even if he did so a bit roughly at times.
Edward would offer him gentle reminders whenever he noticed this happening, which earned him a few eye rolls and sour expressions, but other than that, there wasn’t much else he could point out. By the end of the day, the yard was the tidier it had been at any time in the past few months, and Sir Topham Hatt seemed very pleased with what he saw when he arrived.
“Amazing work! It’s been a while since I've seen this place looking like this… And, James? Your progress is remarkable, I’m very impressed.”
Edward seemed pleased as he glanced to the side, watching James’s cheeks turn red as he struggled to hold back a smile that threatened to form on his lips. But the short man wasn’t finished yet.
“Since you’ve done such a good job today, I have a favor to ask of both of you.”
He approached Edward, handing him a clipboard with some papers. These detailed a shipment of heavy goods that needed to be delivered and sorted at the Crovan’s Gate yards. He quickly scanned the contents and noticed that James was also peering at the papers.
“Edward, as you know, Henry is usually in charge of delivering heavy freight, but due to some unexpected events, I’m going to need him to handle another heavy delivery coming from the Mainland.
So, I’d like you and James to take this freight train to Crovan’s Gate tomorrow afternoon. You can stick to your usual morning schedule, since there’s plenty of work to do before the two of you can leave, but from what I saw today, I’m sure you’ll be able to finish it in time.”
“Yes, Sir!”
The two drivers replied in unison. After doing so, they exchanged a surprised and awkward glance; James quickly looked away and coughed lightly to clear his throat, while Edward and Sir Topham Hatt shared a soft chuckle.
----- xXx -----
The next day got off to a rough start.
Edward could tell that James was nervous about the work they were supposed to do together that afternoon, as they shunted the cars that had been unloaded during the night. James kept shunting them roughly and often forgot to check whether his engine was uncoupled before moving on to the next set of trucks—something he hadn’t done the day before. Edward would give him small reminders whenever their locomotives crossed paths on the tracks, but James avoided his gaze and kept going.
However, Edward only realized how nervous James really was when they finished their work on the yard and began to plan. Since the train was long and would require a lot of pulling power to get moving, Edward suggested that James’s engine lead the train, since it was larger and more powerful than his own, while his would be on the back of the train, providing additional pulling power.
James seemed unsure of this suggestion as he looked at the cars, then at his engine, scratching the back of his neck. Edward let out a sigh.
“It’s not ideal, I know. And I don’t expect you to get used to the island’s main line in just one day, but it’s the best option we have to get this delivered on time.”
“Are you sure about this?”
“I think you can do it just as well as I would have. Besides, I’ll be right there with you.”
He said this in an encouraging tone, patting James on the back. Finally, they coupled their locomotives and pulled out of Knapford Station.
The main line held no secrets— it was the island’s biggest line, with few distinct junctions leading to branch lines that James didn’t (yet) know about, the perfect test for both the engine and its driver. Edward knew that this ‘scheduling incident’ was just an excuse the Fat Controller often used to test a locomotive’s power and speed, while also evaluating the driver’s abilities in terms of teamwork and the like.
Despite all his worries, James was performing the task just fine.
His engine pulled the freight train with ease and at a good speed, even though the stops seemed quite… bumpy, and Edward discovered that this was because James’s locomotive was equipped with wooden brake blocks instead of the usual metal ones. He noticed this when James had to brake suddenly to avoid colliding with Edward’s engine earlier in the yard; embers had flown from the wheels, accompanied by a faint smell of burning, as he did so.
Edward assumed that the Fat Controller knew about this and had planned to see just how far it was possible to push it safely—he would never understand how the builders still thought that wood, iron, and friction could work together. Edward pushed that thought aside and gave the train a little more power as they approached Gordon’s Hill, focusing on helping it maintain a steady speed during the descent. After that, it didn’t take them long to reach Crovan’s Gate Station.
James slowed down as they approached their destination, and the train came to a steady stop when both locomotives pulled into one of the platforms. Sir Topham Hatt was waiting for them there, holding his golden pocket watch in one hand and a brown paper folder in the other. He waited patiently while James took his time getting out of the cab and walking over to where he and Edward were standing; the man knew that the young driver had already figured out his intentions and, just like Edward, realized that James was surely nervous about what he would have to tell him.
“Welcome to the North Western Railway, James!”
That was all the small man said when James stopped in front of him, tucking away his pocket watch and extending his hand for a handshake.
Edward gave James an encouraging smile, while the latter seemed stunned by the words he’d just heard from the Fat Controller. James returned the gesture with trembling, sweaty hands, after recovering from his apparent shock, and apologized for it.
“I… T-thank you, Sir! I’m sorry, I was… a little nervous…”
“There’s no need to worry about that! Here are the documents you need to sign… that is, if you want to work here, of course.”
Sir Topham Hatt said, raising an eyebrow as he handed the folder to James. Edward noticed that James seemed to ponder the matter for a moment before accepting it and mimicked his boss’s reaction.
“Oh… I… Yes, of course!”
“Wonderful! I’ll be delighted to have both you and your engine on my railway; you’ve proven to be really useful.”
Sir Topham Hatt said firmly with a smile as he patted James on the shoulder, and the driver smiled sheepishly.
“Now, I know you still have some personal matters to attend to on the mainland; feel free to do so for the rest of this week. I can also arrange for someone to show you the available rooms in the apartments near Tidmouth, if you’d like.”
“That would be a huge help. Thank you, Sir.”