With both Class 33s in the works for repairs, things were tough on the railway, which had largely switched over to steam operation. Whilst popular with the tourists, it also caused no end of operational headaches when the bigger engines had to return tender first. The sooner they got the two diesels back into service, the sooner normal service could resume.
As both were in the workshops for maintenance, the staff had taken the opportunity to repaint them. Both engines had been stripped down to the metal, which looked very odd.
"Have you noticed something?" Charles said.
"No," Sophie said. "Was it something specific?"
"Seeing as we are both the same class," Charles said, "we now look precisely the same. The colour and nameplates tell us apart. And there's another thing- the liveries on this line are too confusing. Everything should be in one colour to keep it consistent."
"It does make for a very boring colour pallette," Sophie said. "Colour is the spice of life!"
Outdoors, there was a loud whistle as Rebecca pulled away from the station.
"That's the lunchtime train, isn't it?" Charles asked.
"I think so," Sophie said. "There's no clock in here so I've lost all track of time. What day is it?"
"Why would I know?" Charles replied. "Anyway, I would usually be pulling that. And there's another thing."
"Another thing on top of the other another thing?" Sophie asked.
"Yes. And there shall be another thing on top of the another thing on top of the first another thing at this rate." Charles sighed. "But I think Rebecca whistles too much. I know we have to whistle or blow our horns when crossing lines or moving off, but it's all very noisy. She probably thinks she's very important."
Sophie chose not to comment on Charles completely missing the irony in those words. "We all have jobs to do. And I hope I can resume mine soon when they've finished repainting us."
"I know I shall look magnificent in blue," Charles smiled. "Monastral blue is the only proper colour for an engine."
Just then, they heard confused shouting from outside.
Later on, some workmen arrived to begin the repainting process. Sophie was taken off first for repainting, and they seemed to be at it for quite a while. Charles soon began to get bored, and drifted off to sleep whilst nothing was going on in the depot.
When he awoke a while later, he was greeted with a rather strange sight. Sitting there, before his eyes, was a blue diesel with yellow front ends and black lining around the windows. The cab side bore the number 33021, and the nameplate read Captain Charles!
Charles spluttered. "What in the name of Eastleigh is this?"
Sophie seemed just as confused. "They've given me your livery, number, and nameplates!" she said. "I've no idea how they got us mixed up!"
Charles groaned. "Just trust a bunch of cowboys to get it wrong. If we can get a message to our drivers then-"
"And he's all yours, Zipp," said the shed manager. "All fixed up and ready to go."
"Thank you," Zipp replied, and climbed into the cab of the engine she thought was Charles before firing the loco up. Within minutes, they were off on their way.
"Stop!" Charles called. "That's not me! That's another engine!"
But Zipp didn't hear him. She had the windows up and was focused on driving.
Charles sighed. "Oh, the indignity."
Meanwhile, on Sodor, Gordon looked annoyed. "That's my line!" he said.
"Gordon, who are you talking to?" Henry asked.
Things were only going to get worse for Charles, however, as it was his turn to be painted- into Rail Express Systems red and black, with the wrong running number and nameplates!
Minutes later, Pipp arrived to take him for a run in the mistaken belief he was Sophie. The doors were soon opened, and he was driven out of the shed and onto the access line back to the yard.
Things were not looking good for the two diesels to say the least.
When out on the line, it didn't take Zipp long to notice something was wrong. "What is up with the control layout?" she asked. "Why is there an ETS handle over there? I don't remember Charles having one of those."
She backed the engine she thought was Charles onto the train. Considering the weather, they would need the steam heat. Once buffered up, she hopped out to couple the engine up and add the brake pipes. But when she dropped down to connect the steam heating pipes, she ran into a very serious problem.
The steam heating pipework was nowhere to be seen!
"What is going on?" she asked. "Charles, did they remove your pipework?"
"I'm not Charles!" the diesel said. "I'm Sophie!"
Zipp pulled herself up, now seriously confused. "But the number, livery, and nameplate suggest you aren't!"
"They painted us the wrong colours!" the diesel said. "Just wait for Charles to appear!"
Moments later, a diesel with Sophie's nameplates and livery arrived in a nearby siding. Pipp leaned out of the cab. "I thought Sophie didn't have a steam heating boiler, so why is there a steam heating panel in here?"
"Because they got our engines mixed up, that's why!" Zipp said. "I've got Sophie over there, and you've got Charles over there!"
Charles groaned. "I would say, 'oh the indignity', but it appears to be a bit of an understatement."
They eventually got both engines back to the works to be repainted- again. However, they were eventually returned to the correct colours, and were back in service by the afternoon. That night, both diesels were back in the shed, and celebrating.
"That was quite the day, eh?" Sophie said.
"Indeed," Charles replied. "But it is good to be blue again. Blue is the only proper colour for an engine."
"I don't mind being green," Rebecca said.
But at least people knew which of the diesels was which once again!