The 'B' Class Bullies

*The 'B' Class Bullies* is the first volume in the North-Western Railway Series. It was written by TARDIS9, and released on Sodor Island Forums on June 4th, 2016. An audio adaptation of the volume was released on YouTube in April 2020. This book covers the theme of 'bullying'.

## Synopsis

As part of an arrangement between his owners and the Fat Controller to raise funds for his overhaul, Beyer arrives on the railway to pull several railtours, while Thomas is sent to the North Norfolk Railway to host some *Day Out with Thomas* events. He is confused as to why Gordon and Henry give him the cold buffer treatment. Edward is all too aware of the truth behind their strange behaviour, but Gordon is too harsh on the newcomer and insults him whenever he sees him. In an attempt to help Beyer understand, Edward tells him about two engines, 98462 and 87546, the trouble they caused, and how they ended up leaving the railway. But it may take a near-disaster to change Gordon's heart about Beyer...

## Stories

### *Vandalism*

When Beyer is upset by Gordon's harsh words towards him, Edward decides to intervene by telling him about 98462 and 87546.

98462 is rude towards Thomas, dismissing his work as a station pilot. Thomas tries to defend himself but ends up looking very silly when some miscreants damage the points with rocks, jamming them and causing him to derail just as he crosses over them! Eagle helps Thomas to the works, while 98462 just hurls insults at him.

However, further trouble strikes when 98462 takes the express on the day Thomas is due to return. An inexperienced signalman named Jack mistakes 98462's whistle for 87546. So he sets the points against the oncoming train, causing 98462 to derail and mount the platform! The Fat Director is furious, and forbids 98462 from ever pulling another passenger service again.

Back in the present, Edward is forced to leave off further stories when he reminds Beyer that his railtour is due out, before taking some china clay trucks to Bill and Ben

### *Trouble on the Tidmouth Express*

Beyer's run proceeds very smoothly. His train is on time, the passengers are happy, and his owners and the Fat Controller are very pleased with him. Back in the sheds, he is put off by Henry's dismissive attitude towards him. Edward again pacifies this by telling everyone a story, this time about 87546.

A particularly nasty bend lies at the bottom of Gordon's Hill. Every wise engine knows to take extra-special care when navigating it. Too fast and they will derail on it! But, after a day of multiple delays on a passenger service (not helped by Henry's stay in his tunnel and Gordon's breakdown), 87546 is far too impatient, and, pushed by the coaches, goes much too fast and derails on the curve. The resulting crash injures several people, including the Vicar of Wellsworth. As a punishment, the Fat Director confines him to the sheds indefinitely.

Edward is about to tell Beyer about how 98462 and 87546 were sent away when...

### *End Of The Line*

...Gordon backs down into the shed. He is exceptionally angry to see Beyer next to him, and proceeds to insult him further, not listening to the protests of the other engines. Edward, furious at this, snaps at him, and, after realizing this has upset Beyer, apologizes to the B12. He then proceeds to conclude his stories about 98462 and 87546.

Vengeful and spiteful towards the Fat Director, 98462 and 87546 do not learn from their mistakes. Convinced of their apparent superiority over the other engines, they hatch a plan to disobey his orders. Lying to both Thomas and the Shedmaster, they take a stopping passenger train to the other end of the line.

At the yard, Edward is shunting Annie and Clarabel into a siding, when Neil arrives, struggling with his ballast trucks. Just then, the signalman warns them that an express is due to come through, and orders Neil to move the trucks onto a siding. Seeing how tired the latter is, Edward offers to take over for him, but the trucks have their own ideas.

Now there are two delayed passenger trains on the line - Gordon's service was delayed by some railway maintenance, while 98462 and 87546's service was halted by the Fat Director who instructed them to finish the train and leave the railway, as punishment for their disobedience. All three engines are furious and desperate to make up for lost time. 98462 and 87546 approach the yard much too fast! Edward's trucks hold him back as he tries to move them out of the way. 98462 and 87546 try to stop, but the coaches, having had enough of their foul behaviour, push them onwards! They collide head-on with Edward, and cause significant damage to him and themselves. Worse is to follow when Gordon arrives... and ploughs straight into the wreckage, scraping Annie and Clarabel's paint and causing a fire!

In the aftermath, it is revealed that Eagle, Neil, Annie and Clarabel are repainted; though only their being given to Thomas when he was awarded his own branch line helps the two coaches to recover from the shock of the accident. Edward and Gordon are badly damaged - so much so that Edward requires a full rebuild to return to service at all! The passengers suffer the most - the couplings on some of the stopping train's coaches break, and they roll in the opposite direction before being rescued by Thomas, thus saving some of the passengers; but over two hundred and forty-six people are injured in the crash, while two hundred and twenty-six perish, with eighty bodies burnt beyond recognition in the fire. As for 98462 and 87546, their remains are nothing but scrap metal.

Gordon is unmoved by this story and gives one final insult to Beyer, before leaving to take his late-night passenger run. Edward, seeing how upset Beyer is, follows on after him, while the latter expresses his hopes for Gordon's comeuppance.

### *Rescue in the Snow*

Edward talks sternly to Gordon about his behaviour, but the latter dismisses him for being a little engine. However, on his run with the express, Gordon sees a burning car. The cries of the car cause Gordon to remember Edward's and Beyer's words, and he begins to feel remorseful for his actions.

The next day, Beyer is being prepared for his final railtour to Barrow-in-Furness before returning home for his overhaul. The run goes well, and Gordon follows immediately afterwards with the express. But bad weather causes an Electric Multiple-Unit with a full load of passengers to fail outside of Barrow. Gordon tries to start off to rescue the stricken train, but is unable to - his vacuum brakes have jammed 'on'!

Hope, however, comes in the form of Thomas, Henry and Beyer. Thomas arrives first, light engine, on his way back to Ffarquhar, just as Beyer pulls in with the railtour. He is initially unimpressed that Gordon is now asking him to help, but realizes the severity of the situation when the Fat Controller begins to scold Gordon. Beyer reminds him that the passengers' situation is of more significance, asking the Fat Controller to consider Gordon's predicament and inability to help out as a suitable punishment for him, and comes up with a plan of action. Thomas takes two coaches full of passengers who are disabled or have young children home first, and cannot resist teasing Gordon for his predicament! Meanwhile, Beyer heads out into the snow, and rescues the passengers, while Diesel arrives to bring the EMU home.

Gordon and Beyer talk to each other again when Beyer returns. This time, the big engine is much more humbler towards him, and they part on good terms. Gordon now realizes that the only similarities between Beyer and 98462 are their design, and that, while 98462 was callous and despicable, Beyer is truly a Really Useful Engine.

## Real-life bases

* *Vandalism* was based on two separate events:
	+ While Thomas’s accident was fictional, the idea of young men jamming the points was inspired by an incident on the Bure Valley Railway in 2013, in which points were jammed by vandals.
	+ 98462’s accident however, though it involved two engines in real life, was based on an accident involving the Sheffield to Birmingham and Bristol express, at Dure and Totley station in 1907, in which the double-headed express ran foul of the points. The front engine climbed up and onto the platform. The driver and fireman were thrown off the footplate, and survived, and, because the coaches remained on the rails, no passengers were hurt or killed.
* *Trouble on the Tidmouth Express* was based on two separate events:
	+ The derailment was based on an accident at Sleaford North Junction, in which LNER B17 No. 2829 ‘Norwood Castle’ derailed, due to excessive speed on a curve. While no one died in the story, four people were killed in the accident in real life. Sixteen people were also injured, one seriously. That person’s fate is unknown by the author.
	+ The delays 87546 experienced were based on those also experienced by the author travelling between Chichester and High Hurstwood between April and May, 2016
* *End of the Line* was based on the Quintinshill Rail disaster of 1915, when a delayed troop train collided with a local passenger train, and caused an express coming on the opposite line to hit the wreckage and derail, and a fire to break out that consumed all the coal in the tenders of the troop train. 226 passengers died, not counting four unidentified bodies (assumed to be children). Two other trains in the loop were blocked off by the wreckage. The signalmen on duty were held responsible for culpable homicide, and subsequently arrested and sentenced to prison.
* *Rescue in the Snow* was based on two separate events:
	+ The rescue was based on an incident during the winter of 2009, in which stranded passengers were rescued by LNER Peppercorn Class A1 No. 60163 ‘Tornado’, after a power failure caused their EMU to break down in the middle of the line.
	+ The car on fire was based on one witnessed by the author who was travelling home from the airport in Moscow, early 2010. Gordon’s breakdown was partly based on that of Flying Scotsman, who, on the 20th of March 2016, suffered a failed vacuum brake, and was taken out of service for some repairs, cancelling two DMU services as a result.
	+ Diesel’s appearance and subsequent rescue was based on the fact that some Class 08 shunters are still used around industrial sites, as of 2011.

## Characters

Thomas

Edward

Henry

Gordon

Duck

Bear

Neil

98462

87546

Eagle

Annie and Clarabel

The Troublesome Trucks

The Fat Director

The Fat Controller

Bill and Ben *(mentioned)*

Pip and Emma *(mentioned)*

Albert *(mentioned)*

James *(does not speak)*

Diesel *(does not speak)*

The Vicar of Wellsworth *(does not speak)*

## Characters introduced

Beyer

Jack the Signalman

The Mainland Engine

The Burning Car

The Grumpy EMU

## Trivia

* This volume was not only the first of the *North-Western Railway Series,* but also the first Thomas fanfic written by the author.
* Elements of the first three stories were adapted into a half-hour short film by Benedictine Spirit as *The B Class Bullies: A Recreation for TARDIS9* in July 2020.[1]