New Arrivals

It was another wonderful day on the Island of Sodor, all the engines from the big railway to the narrow gauge were working very hard. The autumn season was nearing it's end, but the visiting of people coming to the Island didn't. The mainline and branch line engines needed help and fast. On the railway, there are many different types of working locomotives. They all want to be really useful. But some times there can be too much work for them to handle and thats when the Fat Controller finds a way to bring new engines to Sodor. Sure enough, he found two new locomotives for the North Western Railway from the Other Railway in the UK.

The new engines arrived a few days later, Thomas and Henry were there at the Big Station with the Fat Controller to welcome them, however their expressions were in near disbelieve. The new engines looks and shapes were almost very much like their own. The big engine was painted green but was much darker and looked slightly younger than Henry, while the little tank engine was more of modern look of Thomas but painted mate black with red lining with the British Railways logo on his side tanks.

"Welcome to the North Western Railway," said the Fat Controller. "I trust you will find your stay here most comforting."

"Thank you sir"

"Yes, we will, sir."

The two engines then saw Thomas and Henry.

"Hi there, you must the one of famous engines on this railway! It's a pleasure to meet you!" said the little tank engine.

"Yes, we are," said Henry, still having a surprised look on his face. "What are your names?"

"Call me Xavier."

"And I'm Jerome."

"I'm Henry and this is Thomas The Tank Engine." said Henry.

"We've heard about you from the famous Reverend W. Awdry and TV series," Jerome said. "It truly is an honor to meet you. It really is."

Thomas looked at Xavier all over, finding him interesting but also had a very cautious look.

"I thought all my class members were scrapped," he thought. "But how... how can this be possible?"

Xavier noticed the way he was being looked at.

"What's with that look?" he asked?

"Oh sorry, I'm just surprised to see another engine who looks like me," Thomas said. "I guess you're a replica of my class."

Before Xavier could reply, the Fat Controller interrupted and told Henry and Thomas that they needed to carry out their work for the day. Jerome and Xavier both proved to be a success with the mainline engines. Both passenger and freight trains were kept to their timetables and ran like clockwork. They could not have been so proud of themselves.

One night a the sheds, they told the other engines all about their early days.

"How fascinating." said Percy.

"You two seem very close, knowing how your friendship bond has occurred for all these years." said James.

"Well let's just say when me and Xavier first started working together, we didn't quite get along at first because both of us came from different companies," said Jerome. "However as time went on, we put our differences aside and became good friends after Xavier rescued me after I had an accident."

"I can remember it well," said Xavier. "And in return you came to my aid after I ran out of water due to a leaky tank."

"If I may ask," Thomas asked Xavier. "You almost look like me in someway. Can you tell us about where you came from and how you came to our railway."

And so Xavier began his story.

"I was the second prototype of the E2 class after Timothy's accident. I was made to fill that space and after several tests, I went to work for British Railways in 1964. When steam was nearing it's end, I was withdrawn and placed at the back of the shed in the scrapyard. Unlike the other engines, I was in better condition and my crew attempted an escape one night and succeeded. We ran to an abandoned branch line that lead to some mines and we hid there for days. But while I was there I unexpectedly reunited with Jerome. We hadn't seen each other for sometime and it turned out that I had ran onto his railway with even knowing, ending in the abandoned part of it. We stayed together in the lost part of the line until a group of men from the North Western Railway founds. A few days later we were taken to your railway and here we are. But soon we're indeed to be inspected since we need new parts for our old ones are weakening."

Thomas remained silent, hearing the name of Timothy made him shiver, memories of his encounters of him came flooding back.

"He's the new prototype of my class," he thought to himself. "If Timothy were here, I'm not sure what he'd think..."

The little blue engine tried to dismiss the thought as he went to sleep as did the others.

The following day was the same as any other day, the engines all got to work, hauling passengers and freight. With Jerome and Xavier's help, they still worked like clockwork... but only several weeks later, the amount of work caught up again this time, the Express and Local trains were getting more busy. The big engines needed help and they needed it fast.  


A few days later at the Big Station, Gordon was preparing the depart with the express when he saw another engine. To his surprise, the engine had a near identical shape to his own but had a smaller tender, painted in LNER colours. At first glance he thought it was Flying Scotsman.

"My Jove! What are you?" Gordon asked with his eyes wide open.

The big engine didn't respond, only giving him a friendly grin.

"You look familiar... have we meet somewhere before?" Gordon asked again.

This time the engine spoke.

"Hello... Gordon... I never thought we meet again. It's been so many years since."

Gordon was shocked.

"Are you one of my Doncaster brothers?!" he asked, feeling the sense of reality.

"... I am... or so... I use to be..." said the big engine, now frowning.

Before Gordon could say anything else, the guard blew his whistle and he had to leave. Still in a shock the big blue engine hauled his train away.

"I... just... can't... believe it!" he said.

The big green engine was looking around for someone... but just who or what was it that he looking for? Just then, out the corner of his right eye, the Fat Controller walked up to him.

"Hello there, I take it you must've been the new engine I called for last night." he said.

"Yes, sir," said the engine. "If I'm correct, this is the North Western Railway."

The Fat Controller nodded to him.

"That's correct, since mostly everyone is busy, you'll get a later welcome in the evening. For the time being, you can commence your first work on the railway."

"Please sir, give me anything to work on and I'll do it."

The new engine was given the job in taking the local train. He liked this sort of job since he had pulled local services in the past. The journal was slow but that didn't bother him. While he was hauling his train, some of the other engines noticed him and looked in wonder. Pulling in to Elsbridge Station, the new engine looked across and saw Thomas chatting with Jerome who was taking a train of empty coal trucks.

"HUH! Jerome!" he gasped out.

"YOU!" burst out Jerome. "It's been like years! What an earth are you doing here?!"

"I was gonna ask the same thing!" replied the big engine.

"Wait do you two know each other?" Thomas asked.

But before answers could be told, the guard blew his whistle and the big engine set off again.

Approaching, Henry's tunnel, he started to feel feeble when suddenly, his entire cab blew into a cloud of smoke and he quickly came to a complete stop. His driver climbed down from the cab and examined him carefully.

"I knew it," he said. "Something broken inside you, old boy. It could be that the tubes in your boiler have cracked. You'll have to go to the repair yard for a check up and if the worse has happened it will be a visit to the works."

"Looks like we're not going anywhere now," said the fireman. "We'll have to call for help."

Lucky for the crew a telephone box was just a few yards away and the driver ran up the step grass hill to phone for assistance. The passengers were getting anxious but after the guard told them about the situation, they all stayed respectfully quiet. About an hour and a half later, Xavier, who was the only engine available, came to the rescue. The two looked at each other and then gasped.

"Huh?"

"No way!"

"Xavier?"

"Glen?"

"What are you doing here?" they both asked simultaneously.

After taking him to the repair yard, Xavier pulled up alongside the big engine.

"Hey there, Glen." he said.

"Hello Xavier." replied Glen. "Long time, no see."

"Yeah, long time, no see indeed," replied Xavier. "How did you find this railway? I thought you were scrapped or shipped abroad."

"No old friend, I'm still here in Britain," Glen said. "Well... let's say I was living there... until now."

"What happened?" asked Xavier.

"It's a long story." sighed Glen.

But before he could tell him, the workmen spoke.

"It looks real bad," they said. "Your tubes have cracked and we've found other parts that are so old and worn that they need replacing. What concerns us most is your boiler, you'll have to have a brand new one. Fortunately, there's one at the Tyseley Locomotive Works in Birmingham, England."

"That's good to hear," said Glen. "But what does this all mean?"

"It means, you'll be going to the works to undergo an expensive overhaul." said a voice.

Glen and Xavier looked to their side and saw the Fat Controller. He told the two everything about the situation of what happened when Glen broke down.

"It turns out that I made a bad mistake in allowing Glen to take the local train. After he left I was phoned by the Other Railway that he was no condition to haul any trains and had to be taken to the works for a major overhaul. At the time, I thought he was new and fully restored to working order... however I was wrong. Also Xavier and Jerome will going there for it turns that they too are in need of repairing."

"Jerome? He's here on this railway too?" asked Glen as a smile crossed his face.

"Indeed he is," said the Fat Controller. "I hear that you were all good friends and once worked together on the Other Railway long ago. He's already being taken to the works by Edward. You and Xavier will taken by Thomas and Henry and meet him there. The three of you will be there until you're all fixed up."


He was true to his word. Glen and Xavier were placed next to Jerome at the works and three engines had a wonderful reunion.

"You've changed since we last met." said Jerome.

"So have you," said Glen. "Only in paint wise that is. Xavier still looks the same as I last saw him only that as the years have gone by, he's gotten older."

"I maybe getting old but I'm still going strong, as strong as I've ever been." Xavier said. "I can remember our first time meeting when we had our own railway and had many friends. But we've lost many along the way and I'm not sure if there's any of them left still alive today."

"I'm sure there's plenty of them still with us," Jerome said. "I wonder if there are any of the engines we knew that are still around back on the Other Railway."

"Over there, where there's barely any coal or water in this day and age with all the modern technology that's taken over?" Glen said, almost sounding in a negative tone. "Highly unlikely. I only hope that they're in preserved railways or in museums being looked after."

The three engines looked at each other, not saying another word, only sighing. For now, they were together again for the first time in a long time. It was still early to say, but it seemed certain that Xavier, Jerome and Glen would become fine members on the Island of Sodor and have a great new life that they use to have so long ago on a railway they once ran on that was no longer there.