Lord Harry sat in the shed for many days. Or rather, I should say that Number 6 sat in the back of the shed for several days. Mr Richards had decided, as a punishment, to take his name away and simply refer to him by his builder's number.
"Come on, Number 6!" Mr Richards shouted, one morning, "you have work to do!"
"I have a name, you know," Number 6 replied. "Stripping off a nameplate does not take a name away."
Mr Richard's eyes narrowed. "You are not Lord Harry, and you are not a living being. You are a pile of metal parts with a number attached."
"How would you like it if somebody said you were no longer called Mr Richards but were now called Mr Bottomley?" asked a voice. Stepping forward through the shed was Sugarcoat. "And he isn't a lump of metal, as the fact he can reply to your words makes clear."
Mr Richards sighed. "He is still Number 6," he said. "But, regardless, both of you have work to do, as you, Sugarcoat, are the only person capable of driving Number 6. The passengers don't trust either of you, I'm afraid, so both of you are on freight duty. You've got the truck."
Alaric sniggered. "I pity the poor soul who has to get that thing up the mountain."
"Yeah!" said his driver, a girl with peach skin and orange hair with multicoloured blue hair, as well as being dressed in the company uniform. Her name was India Zabel, or Indigo Zap to her friends. "Too bad, Sugarcoat!"
"Nice to see you too, Indigo Zap," Sugarcoat sighed as she opened Number 6's regulator. "The sooner we get this job over the better."
At first, they were taking supplies to the top of the mountain. There was a large hotel for the climbers, who would travel up by foot, and then spend the night at the hotel. Then, they would come down the next day by train. Due to its isolated position, there was no road to service the hotel, which was at 2,048 feet above sea level, so all food and drink, as well as cleaning supplies and bedding, had to be brought in by train. It was for this purpose the truck was built, a vehicle built by sticking a 12 ton van body on the front of a low loader. Number 6 found the work dreadfully boring, not to mention he was hugely overpowered for it anyway.
"It's important work!" Wilfred told him. "And it's tough too!"
"Tough?" Number 6 snorted. "That lot? Don't be ridiculous. That thing weighs about as much as a piece of paper."
"Have you ever been across Devil's Back in a raging storm?" Culdee asked.
"What's Devil's Back?" asked Twilight.
"Just beyond the station of the same name is an exposed ridge on the line," Culdee explained. "There is absolutely no cover at all, and the wind and the rain whip around you like angry bees. We call it Devil's Back, and it is similar to Clogwyn over on Snowdon. It's also where Godred-"
"Doesn't exist!" everybody chorused.
"When the wind and wet are high," Culdee went on, "the passenger trains terminate at Devil's Back, and then go back down. But no matter what, the supply and stores trains must get through."
"I see," Number 6 replied. He hadn't been paying much attention, and rolled away for his next job.
Jet Set sighed. "Let's hope he isn't up there when it's bad. He'd fall off!"
A few days later, Number 6 was waiting with the truck at Devil's Back, waiting for Eric to come down. At last he rolled through, with his driver, a girl with pink skin, wild green hair, and orange eyes.
"Yeah!" she cried. "That storm was wicked!" Her voice carried over the noise coming from her headphones, which appeared to be loud rock music.
"Take my heed!" called Eric. "The weather is very bad. Watch your footing! Lemon Tart, turn the music down!" And he puffed on down.
"I don't have feet," Number 6 said.
"That was Lemon Zest," Sugarcoat sighed. "Or Lara Zablocki. I really don't care." The clock now showed 5:15 in the afternoon, and the station master came out.
"You two!" he called. "Best be getting going. According to the weather forecast there'll be a storm in half an hour. Get the staff and get back down here as fast as you can!" He went back indoors to set the points when suddenly his phone went. "Yes?" he asked. "Good gracious!" he cried. "Well? They need rescue? I'll send a train at once!"
He went back outdoors with his crew of men. "Fill the ballast tanks!" he shouted. "And weigh the truck down with sandbags! Sugarcoat! Get Number 6 refilled, make him as heavy as possible!"
"What is all this?" Number 6 asked, confused.
"There's been a climbing accident!" shouted the station master. "One of the climbers is seriously injured. Culdee and Catherine are coming up with a doctor, but there's no way they could take this storm. "You're much heavier, as is the truck. You'll be able to take it, but do you think you can do it?"
"I'll try, sir," Number 6 replied, seeing a shot at redemption. A few minutes later, Culdee arrived, and the doctor switched over into the truck. Twilight looked out of Culdee's cab to Sugarcoat.
"Good luck," she said. "And if you don't make it back, I want you to know it was an honour working with you."
"Thanks," Sugarcoat replied. "It was an honour knowing you too."
"Culdee?" Number 6 asked. "If I don't make it back... I'm sorry for what I said to you."
"All is forgiven," Culdee replied. Just then the signal dropped, and Number 6 thundered away into the pouring rain and howling wind. "He's got guts, I'll give you that."
The wind roared around them and the rain lashed down as Number 6 did his best on the climb. The wind slammed into him, and he wobbled briefly. "By Riggenbach, this is bad!" he cried.
Culdee whistled loudly, and he, Twilight, and Catherine cheered loudly. "Keep it up! You can do it!" Number 6 heard them for a moment, but then they were gone. He, Sugarcoat, and the truck were on their own.
The wind tore around them, battering the truck in front of him. It shook back and forth as it ascended the climb, groaning as it did so.
"We're halfway there!" called Sugarcoat. "Come on, keep it up!"
It was tough work, but Number 6 knew he couldn't give up. With one last blast of steam, and a loud roar of triumph, he rolled to a stop in Summet station. The medical crews were there to help the injured aboard, and Number 6 then made the return trip to Devil's Back without any challenge. Eventually, the climbers were whisked to hospital, but the next day their leader came by the depot.
"Hello!" he said to Number 6. "Thanks for the help. My friend Patrick was injured trying to save me. He succeeded, and is now recovering well in hospital."
"I can't claim sole responsibility," Number 6 replied. "Without Sugarcoat, I'd never have got there."
"Strickly, without the truck we'd not have been much help at all," Sugarcoat said. "But I wish Patrick the very best. Say, would you like the name Patrick?"
"It's better than just 'Number 6'!" Number 6, or Patrick, as he was now, laughed. Patrick is now a well-valued member of the Culdee Fell family, and is prepared to take risks if need be. But he knows now that it is stupid to simply take risks for the sake of showing off.
I'm glad I started reading these, if only to read the stories that never became episodes.
Glad we saw Alaric and Eric for a brief moment.
My favorite of the Mountain Engines stories! Sugarcoat and
Lord HarryNumber 6Patrick are perfect together!Great the shadowbolts whiny stuck up bratty teens when are we going to get back to Thomas and the others
This was a great conclusion and now I know who's driving who on the Culdee Fell Railway.
But, if Godred was made up, then does that mean Sunny Flare was made up too?
But all in all, I do wish they had more stories about the Culdee Fell engines. And every time I read this story, I hear Toby's storm theme from "Toby and the Flood" playing when Patrick is going up Devil's Back
10133734
There's hope yet. With CGI, we can finally see these stories come to life.
10133795
In the original book, they were kinda just thrown in.
10133973
10134002
Very dramatic stuff indeed.
To answer your question, tomorrow.
10134104
Awdry stated that the nature of mountain lines makes it hard to come up with new stories.
10134204
That's true. But it would still be interesting if other stories were thought up.
10134209
YouTube may be your best bet.
10134212
True,
10134214
There some good fan media on there, such as this piece of randomness;
Poor Mr Stovolt...
10134200
I know. I wish the manager wasn't so rude though. Can't you just tone it down a little?
10134217
Ah yes, I remember that.
And I also know Thomas1Edward2Henry3 has made his own Culdee Fell Railway stories.
10134218
Well, Harry did make a big mess.
10134219
I've watched those.
10134225
I still find that cliffhanger story a very unique one indeed.
10134227
Yes.
10134224
I know, but with the way you're writing the controllers, it's making them like tyrants and I don't like that.
10134236
Well, when put like that...
10134254
They should be parental figures to the engines, not have the engines scared of them.
10134266
I get your point.
10134267
I recommend you watch WildNorWester's Winds of Change to see how a controller should act. Not saying too much, but let's just say we see the true meaning of the 'Fat Controller' nickname.
10134268
I'll give it a watch.
10134271
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-a7LejaTUjc Here it is
10134272
Thanks.
10134289
And here's a quick rundown of the OCs that are in that special:
Alice - A GNR Atlantic engine who Gordon helped save from scrap when her preservation society went bankrupted in the mid 70s-early 80s. More or less the "Emily" of WildNorWester's series, and is a sister figure to the other engines, particularly toward Gordon, who she shares a history with.
Peter - A Stanier 8F who is the most recent addition to the railway. Usually very calm and collected. He's also WildNorWester's answer to "Hiro".
Patrick - A BR Class 40 who is the polar opposite of Bowler and Old Stuck Up. He and Peter have a close working partnership.
Sheffield - The Austerity Tank mentioned in Wilbert the Forest Engine. Formally Sixteen. Can be blunt but is very hardworking. Unlike the other engines, he goes as needed and works all over the railway.
Eric - A young LNER V1/V3 tank engine who was built as a replica at Crovans Gate for the Kirk Ronan branchline. Due to his age, he can be naive sometimes, but he's well meaning. WildNorWester's answer to "Arthur".
10134296
Sheffield and Peter I know of from other writers.
10134304
WildNorWester is the original creator of those engines regardless.
10134308
OK.
10134340
Oh, I forgot to mention: Geoff is the name of The Works Diesel from James and the Diesel Engines, and even Diesel himself has joined the North Western Railway as station pilot. Diesel has also matured greatly from his days in Duck and the Diesel Engine
10134342
Good.
10134104
I heard the one from Percy's Promise and Gallant Old Engine.
10134427
As do I.
vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/ttte/images/8/81/%22Devil%27sBack%22RS5.png/revision/latest?cb=20160227191045
One of the best illustrations of the entire Railway Series, in my opinion. Bravo to Peter Edwards!
10134528
As we all are.
10134542
At least he stopped being conceited.
10134443
I conquer. That is still a memorable illustration to me
10134727
That it is. May we all be like Patrick in these trying times.
10134745
Aye.
10134799
And, happy St Patrick's Day.
Heh, what are the odds I would read this chapter on St. Patrick's Day? XD
Btw, heh, it can be so tricky whenever speaking in Sugarcoat's voice. She sure is quite a Motor-mouth!
10135132
She usually speaks in a monotone voice in extremely long sentences that often ramble endlessly and don't have enough comm-
*SHARP INTAKE OF BREATH*
10135145
Heh =3
Don't forget of what I said above ^^
10135152
Yes. Quite a coincidence, what?
10135173
Indeed =3
10135177
Fancy a pint of Guiness?
10135235
Oh, and Happy St Patrick's Day.
Why did you put hair twice, and Indigo's hair was always blue, not orange.
I hope not.
Good.