Mankind, the most intelligent species in the world. They have big, massive emotions, even the youngest of their sons and daughters can tell what happiness and sadness is like. But there are other species that share this world too. There are dogs, cats and many other living being which are called animals scattered across the globe. Some help humanity to survive such as cows and sheep. But there's another type of species too, the second most intelligent living creatures in mankind's world to date. Transport.

We don't know how we were created, or why we suppose to be here, but those are the same questions humans ask themselves. So after a few experiments with seeing how we are born, there is still no answer. Transport and humans are very similar in some ways. But unlike humans, transport have less rights, for a long period of time, the machines have worked for them. And they still do, since that is their purpose and the reason why they are in this world. But back in the 18th and 19th centuries, we didn't get any rights, and we didn't complain because of that, but unlike cars or aeroplanes, my kind have been around the longest from coming out of workshops.

I am a locomotive, a steam engine otherwise known to humans. We came after boats, but were the first to work properly on land. But we weren't safe from the clutches of people's greed for money and power. With this greed, they could put us endangered of being withdrawn, and scraped. But there has been a place, where engines could be free, to work on a railway that takes care of them and you could trust that they'll keep you safe. This railway, is located far away from your home, on a island off of the north west coast of Cumbria, England. No, it is not the Isle of Man, but between it and England, which we call the mainland. Is a much bigger island, this place, is called the Island Of Sodor. Home to the North Western Railway.

I use to work there for over a century. With a lot of colleagues, some were steam, some were diesel. Either big, small, fast or slow, every engine did what they could to show that they weren't out of date and can be useful

But I have forgotten formalities haven't I? My name, is Edward, the Blue Engine, built as a Furness Railway Class K2 "Large Eagle". But wasn't given my full title name before a man showed up and changed our world. My name was just Edward, I was just given a random name when I first came out of Atlas Works in Glasgow in the year, 1896. I worked on the Furness Railway for a few years. Pulling whatever I needed to do. I mostly did passengers, but I did did some shunting and goods. I didn't this type of work, it was a sport I would say in my smokebox, even though some of the other tender didn't like this taste. Even so, I would work on the Furness for many, many years and I wouldn't want it to change one bit. But one evening, in the year of 1915, I was chosen to be sold off to Sodor, with another engine I would meet. An engine that would be a good friend for the rest of my life.

I met him when I first came to the sheds I was located at. It had been a busy day, it would have been my last day working on the Furness, and I was suppose to take a train to Sodor full of supplies that would be needed, for that the railway was being formed from three separate railways. I was about to go to sleep, just so I would gain more strength when I take the train, when I heard laughter coming nearby. I opened my eyes and looked over to the other side of the yards. I soon forgot about resting as I saw two J1s laughing at an engine I had never seen before.

I narrowed my eyes. "Driver," I said, "can you move me over to those tank engines please?"

"Hmm? Oh sure," replied the driver, he quickly got into my cab and took me over to the tank engines.

Once I got closer to them I could understand them what the tank engines were talking about. "He's definitely a Brighton engine don't you think?"

"Oh he is! I mean, look how weak and weird he looks."

"I'm not weird looking! I'm just a knew type of class called the E2s. And besides, I don't belong in Brighton anymore."

The J1s sniggered. "Then where are you from then?" asked one.

"W-well I haven't gotten there yet, I-I'm travelling," replied the E2.

The J1's burst out laughing. "Silly tank engine!" bursted out the other, "he doesn't know where he belongs!"

"Actually Harry he belongs where I'm heading," I called out as I came to a stop between the J1s on one side and the E2 on the other. "I believe he is travelling with me to Sodor."

Harry and his brother rolled their eyes. "Really?" said Harry, "I don't think he could make it with that size of a bunker."

The E2 wheeshed steam. "You shouldn't really mock someone's appearance Harry, and you too Roland," I replied, "why when you two were built, apparently you were teased about how your wheel arrangement was."

Harry and Roland looked at me in shock. "H-how did you know about that?" asked Roland.

"One of the older engines told me about this after I first met you two," I replied with a smirk on my face. "Now leave the engine alone now."

"Huh," scoffed Harry, "he's two decades younger than us and he's ordering us about like children."

I over heard this and gave back a response I remember clearly. "Well you two are acting like children!"

Harry and Roland growled and puffed away to do work. The E2 looked over at me and snarled. "I had that under control!" he snapped.

I looked at him astonished. "Well I'm sorry for coming in to aid you and make them go away," I replied.

"Pah," wheeshed the E2.

An awkward silence fell upon us both. I didn't know what to say, I was expecting a thank you from the young tank engine. But instead I got a lashing by him.

"So," I started, trying to start up a conversation. "Are you going to Sodor?"

The tank engine pondered. "Yes, that's why I'm here."

"Oh," I said, "sorry, I don't mean to be rude but I thought you'd be a distant cousin. Or at least a tender engine."

The E2 opened his mouth to speak. Then closed it shut. It seemed to me he was reconsidering his words. At last he spoke up. "Sorry for disappointing you, but at least I'm here!"

"Why?" I asked, puzzled.

"Well, at least I'm a shunting engine," he recorrected himself, "apparently all the shunting engines on Sodor are too small or weak to shunt bigger trains. So I was brought for a good price to shunt at the main station on the new railway!"

"Really?" I chuckled.

"So what are you doing when you get. there?" asked the E2.

"Oh, well... I'll probably do some goods or shunting work to help with the construction of the railway. But afterwards I've been told to pull the railway's express."

"An express!?"

"An express," I repeated with a light chuckle.

"Wow, I've always wanted to pull an express," smiled the E2, "maybe even a train."

"I see," I said, then the last part of what the E2 came to my smokebox. "Wait! You mean you haven't pulled a train before?"

"Well... no," replied the E2, "I've only been doing shunting duties as tests to see how I would work. I've never pulled any sort of train before."

"Well you will soon," smiled Edward, "we're suppose to double head a goods train to Sodor."

"Really?"

"Of cause!" I chuckled when I saw the look on the E2's face. He looked very eager and excited.

"Great! When are we going?" he asked quickly.

"At 7:30 PM," I replied, "so it'll be nightfall once we get there. I would suggest you get some rest before continuing the journey."

I then began to head back to my shed. "Okay! And thank you mister... number 125!"

I came to holt immediately when he said that. "What did you call me?" I called back to the E2. I wasn't angry at him, I was just a bit startled by what he said.

"I called you number 125," replied the E2, "isn't that your name?"

"Ohhh," I realised what the tank engine meant by calling me by my number. He must think my name is my own number. "No, no, my name is Edward," I responded.

"Edward?" repeated the E2, "But I thought only named engines are suppose to be named, like the terriers."

"No, us Furness engines are given humans names, so our crews, staff and engines can identify each other more efficiently."

"Really?"

"Oh yes, it is very handy," I then paused for a second, thinking of my next choice words more carefully. "You don't have a name. Don't you?"

"N-no," sighed the E2.

"Well, we have to give you a name, it isn't right for you to not have name," I said trying to sound as confident as I could.

But before I could suggest any names to the E2, my driver poked his head out of my cab. "Come on old boy," said my driver, "you better get some rest before you leave tonight. Don't want you to be over run a signal like those J1s."

The E2 laughed loudly. "If I see those idiots again before I leave, I'm going to make them pay!"

I chuckled as I was moved back to the shed. I pondered names for the E2, but none came to mind that would suit him. I didn't thought about it too much though as I slowly went to sleep.

I woke up as soon as the sun was about to set. I had my fire relit and steamed out of the sheds one last time. "Goodbye Jerry! Goodbye Carolyn! And goodbye Maude!" I called to the other engines at my shed. All different classes to each other, older or younger than me.

They all said goodbye in response as I puffed away to collect my train. I soon found the goods train in a siding near the station I was allocated at, well use to be. The E2 was waiting there for me, siting excitedly next to it. There across him were Harry and Roland. To my surprise, they didn't say anything rude to the E2, but both of them did look sulky. I puffed up next to the E2 and raised a mysterious eyebrow at him with sly smile too.

"Did you-"

"Yep!" interrupted Thomas, "they shut up right there and then, after I mentioned it!"

I laughed as I looked over to the two brothers. "Good one," I said, "now, best we get on to our train before we miss our path."

"Aren't you going behind?" asked the E2.

"Me?" I exclaimed, "no, no. Most experienced engine goes at the front of the train."

The E2's face fell. "Don't worry," I sympathised, "soon one day, you'll be experience as much as I am. Maybe even more!"

The E2 smiled and puffed to the front of the train. I followed suite and I was coupled in front of him.

"Good luck Eddie!" called Harry, "we'll miss you!"

"Yeah! What he said!" added Roland.

I chuckled. "Goodbye you two, and I hope I'll see you in the near future!"

"I thought they always acted like idiots," whispered the E2.

"They are arrogant and short-minded," I replied, "but have good hearts."

The guard then blew his whistle and waved his green flag, the signal dropped. The E2 and I then began to spin out wheels around on the solid rails and puffed out of the yard and on to the line towards the Island Of Sodor.

We thundered down the line, passing fields of cows and sheep. Villages and towns and station came passed us for only a few seconds as we travelled with our goods train down the line.

"So, what do the crews call you then?" I asked the E2 after a few minutes from the sun going down and the moon shining up.

"They call me 108," replied The E2, "the number is on my bunker so it makes sense."

"I see," I said, "well we must give you a name."

I pondered for a seconds. "How about Winston?"

"No, not my name," came the reply.

"John?"

"No thank you."

"Nigel?"

"No."

"Peter?"

"Nope."

"Simon? William? Arthur? Richard?"

"... No."

"Oh come on! You must like one of those names?" I asked.

"No, I don't," replied 108.

"Oh well," I sighed, "I guess I can think of some more once we get to Sodor."

I understood why 108 didn't want to just choose a name like that. There were lots of different names for an engine like himself, but I couldn't help but feel a little annoyed..

As we rumbled through Barrow-In-Furness, I felt my coupling between 108 and I tighten. "You nervous?" I asked gently.

"A bit," muttered 107 quietly, "I mean, this is a totally different railway! New yards, new landmarks, new engines..."

I smiled down at my buffers. I could feel he was already missing his old home. "Never mind 108," I said sympathetically, "I understand what you're going though too. But sometimes change is for the better. Saying goodbye to old ones is never a proper goodbye. You maybe even see them again one day at one of our stations. And besides, there are many other engines on this railway too you know."

"I know," said 108. I then felt the straining coupling loosen as the E2 class tank engine picked up my speed again. We then crossed the bridge off of the mainland to Sodor. Our new home.

But as we puffed off the bridge and on to the land of Sodor, I couldn't help but feel something different. Fourteen years I had been working on the Furness Railway, I had to say goodbye to everything I knew about the railway for another one. But I knew, that that adventure had finished. An a new adventure had begun.

And this one would be much much more longer than the previous.