Ghost Train: the Untold Story of Timothy

by The Blue EM2

Chapter 3: A Nightmare on Sodor

It seemed as if all had gone back to normal. Many weeks passed by, and there were no sightings of the mysterious red engine. People even began travelling by train again, much to the relief of the North Western. Unfortunately, this was merely the calm before the storm. One late night, Henry was pulling a late running stopping service to Vicarstown. The service was running badly late, having been delayed by failed signals at Knapford and then by a broken down Class 60 at Marron. Not surprisingly, Henry was exhausted, and so was Fluttershy, who had stepped in to drive him as Blue Angel had fallen sick with the annual Autumn Bug.

Henry yawned as the train approached Ballahoo tunnel, where he had been shut up 30 years earlier. "Phew!" he said. "I am tired, Fluttershy."

"It's OK, Henry," his driver reassured him. "Just a few more miles and we'll be able to take a nice rest. Then I can take you back to Knapford in the morning."

"Who will handle the empty coaching stock move?" Henry asked.

"The Spam Can they've hired in," Fluttershy replied. "She's good, but her driver has a thing or two to learn about stopping distances."

As they cleared the tunnel, the signal ahead was suddenly at amber, indicating the next light was red. Fluttershy reached for the controls and slowed Henry down, eventually bringing him and his train to a complete stop at the red light.

"Oh, not another blockage," Henry sighed.

Fluttershy reached for the radio. "Vicarstown box, this is 4010, over?"

"4010, this is Vicarstown box, please state your message, over?"

"Vicarstown box, requesting permission to pass the red signal at Ballahoo Tunnel and proceed to Vicarstown station, over?"

4010, permission denied. Line ahead is blocked, hold your position. I will contact you when we have further details. Out."

Henry was annoyed, but soon stopped being annoyed when more fog rolled in inexplicably. "Where did this fog come from? And why is it so thick?"

"I can barely see in front of my nose!" Fluttershy exclaimed. As they waited, they suddenly heard a piercing, high pitched whistle, followed by laughter.

"What was that?" Henry asked, in confusion. "Is somebody out there?"

Seconds later, the source of the noise became clear. A red tank engine suddenly appeared on the Up line, whistling erratically and shouting loudly.

"He will be mine," the engine said, as he roared towards them. "They will be taken to Hell, along with me, and I shall finish what I started. I shall end him, and the rest of you will be sent to an early grave."

He continued to whistle uncontrollably, and screamed at Henry as he shot into the tunnel portal and vanished.

"That was the red engine!" Henry exclaimed. "The one we haven't seen for weeks! How can he be here again?"

Fluttershy was too shaken to speak. She shrieked when the cab radio buzzed.

"4010, line ahead is clear, you may proceed. Out."

Fluttershy merely nodded, and opened Henry's regulator. They weren't the only ones getting a visit from the red engine that night.

---

Thomas, Toby, and Percy knew something was wrong when mist suddenly seeped into the shed, under the doors.

"What's going on?" Thomas asked.

"It's that red engine!" Percy wailed.

"I'll bet my left lamp iron on it," Toby replied.

"And you win the bet," said another voice from outside, a voice they had become very used to recently. "Tell me, have you ever considered why I'm still here, haunting the railway, haunting your nightmares and every waking hour? Children are too scared to go outside at night for fear of seeing me, and parents curse my name when they consider travelling by train, as I may rush past and frighten them. Of course, eighty years on, nobody has asked why the crash occurred, or why I did the unthinkable... taking lives."

The three engines looked at each other in shock. This engine had just confessed to murder.

"I was here in the dying days of steam, and saw how little anybody cared. I was the trailblazer, and yet nobody seemed to give a damn! I was meant to be a relic of a lost age, and yet they worked us into the ground. I destroyed them, but I still see no change around here. The same railway lines, the same faces, even a few of the same landmarks." The tone of the voice changed, becoming much more ominous. "But enough of that. I will take him to the Underworld, and the rest of you shall suffer for all eternity, as I have suffered."

A sharp whistle blast later, and the mist vanished. The engine was gone.

Toby glanced over to the others. "What was that all about?"

"I don't know!" Percy replied. "What's all this talk of them and trailblazing and 'him'?"

Thomas looked over. "I think I know who he wants to kill."

"Who?" Toby asked.

"Me."

---

Thomas spent much of the next day working hard with trucks and wagons in the quarry, and was absolutely exhausted when he started his treck home to Knapford. The bad weather didn't help things. The complete lack of light was causing him to become drowsy, and he could tell Luster Dawn was pretty tired too. As they rolled along, the weather progressively got worse. The fog got thicker, and the moon's sickly light was almost completely blocked out. Luster decided to call it quits. "We'll stop here until the fog clears," she said.

"Alright then," Thomas replied. "Should we telephone for help?"

"That's a good idea," Luster replied. "I'll go in search of better signal, as it's pretty poor here." She hopped out of the cab and set off into a field, shining a torch as she did so.

Thomas was all alone. And in the distance, he suddenly heard a whistle. A high pitched, loud whistle that pierced the landscape, soon accompanied by a loud Collett bark.

"Hello? I- is anybody there?"

The loud puffing continued, until it suddenly stopped, and brakes were applied in front of him. The fog cleared. Thomas gasped at what he saw in front of him.

Sitting there, with a twisted grin on its face, was the red tank engine.

"Hello Thomas. We meet at last."

Author's Note:

The opening scene here is based on a deleted scene from KaneFan701's adaptation of the original story, where Timothy threatens Henry with a strange message.

Comments

[Darth Wrex]

Brothers meet.

[JimmyHook19]

"I'll bet my left lamp iron on it," Toby replied.

Come to think of it.... I haven't looked at any clear images of Toby with another lamp iron other than the one above his face. ^^'

[Thomlight Sparkle 1]

I wonder which driver he's preferring to take with Thomas, Twilight or Luster? Or maybe both?

The additional deleted scene really adds to this!

[SonicStreak5344]

"And every year on the date of the accident it runs again as a warning to others! Plunging into the gap! Shirking like a lost Soul!"

[SonicStreak5344]

Let me guess Timothy used to be a E2 prototype that led to Thomas' and his siblings creation. Thomas and long dead brother have met face to face once again.

[The Blue EM2]

10502992
They do indeed.

[The Blue EM2]

10503005
That's because the modelmakers, for some reason, never changed the lamps around on the models. For example;

static.wikia.nocookie.net/ttte/images/8/85/ThomasGoesFishing24.png/revision/latest?cb=20180916175442

Thomas here is working a Class B train, or stopping passenger. However, his lamp arrangement indicates he is working a Class J train, or through mineral/empty wagon train. That's right folks; Thomas' lamps have never been changed in over 30 years!

[The Blue EM2]

10503275
The deleted scene was cut from the original film, or as KaneFan701 calls it the 'theatrical cut'. However, it is restored in the upload by SamTheThomasFan2, or the 'director's cut'.

[The Blue EM2]

10503380

10503406
Read the description of Timothy in the first chapter again.

[Thomlight Sparkle 1]

10503602
I honestly only seen the thumbnail for the deleted scene, but hadn't watched it and I only seen the theatrical cut. But I certainly will check out the Director's cut of it

[The Blue EM2]

10503609

[Thomlight Sparkle 1]

10503598
Yeah, not only on the TV version, but pretty much the majority of the merchandise.

Except the Hornby one, which has no lamp or lamp irons.

And didn't Thomas wear some different lamps or headcode circles in the Books?

[Thomlight Sparkle 1]

10503612
Ah yes, thank you.

[The Blue EM2]

10503615
Awdry did change the lamp codes around, but in the TV show the engine's faces cover the entirety of the smokebox which obscurs the top lamp iron.

[The Blue EM2]

10503617
No problem.

[Thomlight Sparkle 1]

10503618
Well, there's one reason.

But you'd think that when they gave the engines rivets and handrails they'd add in the other lamp irons, but those simpletons don't favor those Itty bitty details like that.

[The Blue EM2]

10503625
The issue was technical constraints of the 1980s, as the eye gear couldn't be made small enough to fit.

There's no excuse in the CGI era, of course.

[Thomlight Sparkle 1]

10503674
I knew the models weren't easy to install other needed details.

Yeah, that goes without saying

[The Blue EM2]

10503675
Or whatever new animation technique they want to use.

[Thomlight Sparkle 1]

10503678
Mmm

[The Blue EM2]

10503679
Is it adobe flash, or something?

[Thomlight Sparkle 1]

10503681
I have no clue

[The Blue EM2]

10503691
Me neither.

[Darth Wrex]

10503594
Afraid.

[The Blue EM2]

10503983
Are you.

[Darth Wrex]

10504039
Yes.

[The Blue EM2]

10504046
Good. It was my intention to write a scary story.

[Darth Wrex]

10504076
Oh.

[The Blue EM2]

10504098
Oh?

[Darth Wrex]

10504208
Nothing.

[The Blue EM2]

10504240
Aha.

[Darth Wrex]

10504258
What?

[The Blue EM2]

10504260
I was responding to your comment of nothing.

[Darth Wrex]

10504262
Oh.

[The Blue EM2]

10504299
Almost at 100 comments.

[Darth Wrex]

10504310
Cool.

[The Blue EM2]

10504315
And ae're there

[SonicStreak5344]

10503604
Ok. But what does Timothy want with Thomas in this story?

[The Blue EM2]

10504634
Oh, you'll find out...