Fog

**Fog** is the fifteenth and final episode of the third season of the Stories of Sodor and the fiftieth episode overall.

Fog/Transcript

## Plot

As the Mid-Sodor Engines had arrived on the Skarloey Railway, Edward admits he did make the reality of the situation that led to relocating the Mid-Sodor Engines more simple than it was. After Sir Handel left his engines that night, he attended a meeting with several bank executives. The MSR had taken out a large loan to stay above water and now needed to be repaid. Sir Handel could have sold his engines, but told the executives he needed to think about it, as he was very reluctant. The next morning, Sir Handel's old friend, Mr. Peter Sam, owner of the Skarloey Railway, told him he needed more engines and rolling stock to support his growing company and he purchased all of the MSR's engines along with several pieces of rolling stock. Sir Handel used this money to pay off the debt and the relocation effort began. During the relocation, Wilbert Awdry returned to Sodor. He spoke to several of the MSR engines and brainstormed some story ideas with them, which Wilbert would publish many years later. By June of 1955, the last Mid-Sodor engine, Stanley, arrived.

One day, late in November of 1955, Stuart and Ivo Hugh are talking. Ivo asks Stuart if he'd had let himself be sold if Mr. Peter Sam hadn't bought him and the others. Stuart hadn't thought about it, but still owes Sir Handel if it still helped his debt. Ivo and Stuart then start talking about what's going on with politics. Presently, it starts snowing, surprising both engines, since neither of them remember when it started this early. Ivo sighs, as he already hears Duncan's complaining.

This year brought the usual ice and snow, along with a very thick layer of fog which was difficult to avoid on an island. At night, numerous trains had to be cancelled and those that did run were very slow because of the poor visibility. 1955 also marked 18 years since  Arthur's Ghost disappeared, and long periods of fog have a way of bringing up old stories and legends.

One night, a few days after the fog came, Henry is telling Geoffrey and Samantha about the legend of Arthur's ghost. The three engines discuss the ghost and about the woman who looked inside one of the coaches. Henry then chuckles, having remembered the day after the ghost vanished; They were at the sheds and James asked what the ghost looked like. Lily said it sort of resembled Thomas, and he asked, "You mean it was wickedly handsome?" Samantha chuckles, remarking that Thomas' relentless humour is what she loves about him. Geoffrey then reminds her to not say that in Kate's presence. Henry then goes off to take the Flying Kipper.

Later, at Elsbridge, Henry has been shunted, as the signalman said it was to allow another train to pass. Henry wonders if something always has to happen when they take the Kipper before they hear the puffing of an engine steadily growing louder. The train sounds rather small, making Henry think it's one of the Ffarquhar engines going alone, but changes his mind once the engine passes. Henry doesn't know who the engine was, neither does his driver. To Henry, the engine looked like a tank engine pulling a brake van, but he didn't see any numbers or a face. Henry's Driver decides to ask about the engine once they reach Barrow-in-Furness and Henry continues his run.

The next morning, he talks to Gordon and Toby about his encounter. Henry isn't entirely sure the engine was faceless as he couldn't see much of it, but knows for a fact it was black. Gordon mentions nothing of the description Henry gave him had went through Knapford and asks what they said at Barrow. Henry answers that they didn't say anything, since no trains went out that night due to the fog, aside from the Flying Kipper. Of how important of a train it was, the train Henry saw obviously had a higher priority.

That night, James is taking a goods train travelling west. Coleen, who was in the train, is talking about the situation in South Vietnam, though James thinks Britain should stay out. James' driver reminds him to focus when they're suddenly diverted into a siding just before Maron. James' driver stops the train. Just then, a disturbingly familiar noise to James is heard. Coleen thinks it's only the wind, but James says he's heard it before. Suddenly, he hears the puffing noises of a train growing louder as the same engine Henry had seen passed by. James heard it, but couldn't see because of the train blocking his view. Coleen had caught a glimpse of it. She told James what it looked like, as well as Eric and Adam at Brendam the next morning. Adam and Eric are uneasy, knowing that was the same train Henry saw. James also mentions that the noises he heard just before the train went by sounding very similar to Dominick back when  he was lurking about, leading them to fear he has come back. Unbeknownst to them, Edward had overheard the conversation.

Later, he tells Sir Topham Hatt about the conversation. They had predicted that the sightings would happen, and Edward wants to tell the others, but Sir Topham tells him they can't, as ministers remain ignorant despite massive evidence. With no choice but to let the situation play out, Sir Topham decides to alter the schedules to minimise the sightings so that the situation won't escalate.

That night, Diesel meets up with Duck at Barrow. Duck is at Barrow because he has to deliver a special train to Sodor, which is to be taken to Wellsworth. Duck groans before telling Diesel he needs his help. Diesel guffaws loudly before finding out Duck is being serious. Diesel is puzzled, remembering Duck has been there before. Duck admits he hasn't been there in a while and would appreciate the assistance of having a guide in the fog. Diesel decides to help Duck, but tells him he owes him a favour. Duck refuses this and Diesel goes off. As Diesel is heading out of the yard, the black tank engine is approaching the station. Diesel sees the tank engine and is terrified, thinking it's Arthur's Ghost. Diesel scampers back to Duck, who decides it doesn't matter and tells Diesel to take him to Wellsworth and he'll owe him the favour. Diesel hastily tells Duck not to worry about the favour and he'll happily to escort him there. Duck is puzzled by Diesel's change of attitude, but decides to take the offer. He also has just thought up of a way to repay the favour: He won't tell the others that Diesel squealed like a little girl. Diesel frustratingly agrees, and escorts him to Wellsworth.

Two nights later, Thomas and Percy were double-heading a goods train and have apparently gotten lost. Since they had just crossed a river down from a bridge, Percy guesses they're on the loop when they're supposed to be on the Main Line. Percy thinks they're about 500 yards away from where Farmer McColl used to have his farm and they'll get their bearings if that's the case. Thomas doesn't feel certain about the idea as they don't know if another train is approaching them. Percy agrees, but decides they should go ahead and check. Thomas agrees, and they go off together. Percy then asks Thomas about what he thinks about Arthur's ghost apparently returning. Thomas doesn't believe the rumour with it coming from Diesel. They arrive at Farmer McColl's old farm, where they see the tank engine, along with fire spewing from the ground. The two tank engines brake and Percy decides he believes Diesel. Seeing the ground on fire, Percy assumes it might be hell and they reverse away in terror.

The next morning, they tell Diesel, James and Henry about what they saw. Just then, Edward has arrived back to explain that the engine they had seen isn't Arthur's Ghost because he was at Fort Sudrian on the day of its arrival. He tells them that the engine is taking part in a Ministry of Defence Trial called Operation White Fleet. Edward doesn't know, as the specifics are classified and that he and Sir Topham Hatt were sworn to secrecy until now because the project failed. The engine had broken down the night before and they had to drop its fire, which was what Thomas and Percy actually saw; Burning coals steaming in the snow. They had conducted the trial on Sodor to take advantage of the fog as they thought it would provide good cover, but they hadn't thought about the sightings. Diesel is furious learning that he embarrassed himself in front of Duck because the government wanted to run its test, and refuses to answer as the others pressure him. Thomas decides they can ask Duck when they see him.

While Thomas, Henry, James and Percy had fun trying to get Diesel to talk, it distracted Edward from his concerns. Everything he said, he admits, was true as far as he knows. The explanation heard is what Sir Topham Hatt and Edward were told by the Minister of Defence on the day the engine arrived at Fort Sudrian. They were instructed to perpetuate the cover story if the need arose. That same day, Edward was questioned by a group of people who didn't say who they were or where they came from and questioned Edward about Sodor's supernatural history. Edward told them about the various ghosts and the Lucky Lamp before they thanked him and left. Edward never saw them again, but the organisation they represented would have a part to play in Sodor's future. A few days later, the fog lifted and life returned to normal. With 1956 on the horizon, Britain's railways had experienced incredible changes in this past decade and much more, revolutionary changes were yet to come.

## Characters

* Thomas
* Edward
* Henry
* Gordon
* James
* Percy
* Toby
* Duck
* Eric
* Diesel
* Adam
* Geoffrey
* Samantha
* Stuart
* Ivo Hugh
* Coleen
* The Fat Controller
* Henry's Driver
* The Government Owned Engine
* James' Driver (Andrew)
* Duncan *(does not speak)*
* Sir Handel Brown *(does not speak)*
* Mr Peter Sam *(does not speak)*
* Wilbert Awdry *(does not speak)*
* Duke *(not named; does not speak)*
* Atlas *(not named; does not speak)*
* Falcon *(not named; does not speak)*
* Andreas *(not named; does not speak)*
* Stanley (No. 2) *(not named; does not speak)*
* Donald *(cameo)*
* Hurricane *(cameo)*
* Paul *(cameo)*
* Samson *(cameo)*
* Barry *(cameo)*
* Justin *(cameo)*
* Daisy *(cameo)*
* BoCo *(cameo)*
* D199 *(cameo)*
* Skarloey *(cameo)*
* Rheneas *(cameo)*
* Annie and Clarabel *(cameos)*
* Bertie *(cameo)*
* Lily *(mentioned)*
* Kate *(mentioned)*
* Arthur's Ghost *(mentioned)*
* Dominick *(mentioned)*
* Mr. Zorro *(mentioned)*
* Whiff *(indirectly mentioned)*

## Trivia

* This is the final episode of Season 3.
* This is the last episode to be filmed in Trainz: A New Era, not counting the deleted Season 4 episodes.
* This episode is based on the TUGS episode Ghost.
* The code name for the defense trial Operation White Fleet is the name of the fleet that appeared in the TUGS episode Ghost.

## Goofs

* When Diesel tells Duck he will owe him a favour, he retorts, "I'd rather owe a favour to Stalin then you!", though this episode takes place in December of 1955, more than two years after Joseph Stalin's death.