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Description
April the Class 15!

April was built by British Railways at Sheffield Works in November 1957, and was delivered to the Midlands Region along with her nine cousins, all of whom were faceless, thus, not sentient. While in the Midlands, April and her cousins were evaluated against two separate designs. Soon after, however, her entire class was allocated to depots on the Eastern Region, but April was left behind. She soon found out that a shedmaster by the name of Daniel Gotch had requested that she work out of his sheds as a goods diesel.

April arrived at her new home and was greeted by a Jinty named Joey and a Mogul named Hugo, who took the Class 15 under their wing. The next morning, she was assigned to work on a local goods train, which she double-headed with Hugo, to help orientate her with the jobs she would be given. April turned out to be a fast learner, quickly gaining skill as a local goods hauler, and would also take empty coaching stock now and then.

One warm September day in 1959, April was pulling a short coal train when her air intake began to malfunction. Stopping on the open line, the guard ran back to the nearest signal box while her driver investigated the problem, which was revealed to be caused by a buildup of gunk due to neglected maintenance. Fortunately, Hugo was coming down the opposite line, having just delivered a goods train of his own, and offered to pull April and her train to the station, as his design allowed him to run tender-first at speed. She, her driver and the guard agreed, Hugo switched over onto her line, was coupled up, and they set off.

During the journey, Hugo consoled the glum Class 15, pointing out that any engine could suffer a break down. April was reluctant to believe him at first, but then Hugo told her about an incident back in 1952, where he had broken one of his crankpins right on a junction, delaying an express AND a fish train. Once April had stopped laughing, Hugo went on to tell her that she shouldn’t let mishaps like these get her down, stating that she was a good engine. This incident was the starting point when April began falling for the Ducker Mogul.

During the the subsequent weeks after that, April tried and failed multiple times to tell Hugo how she felt, often embarrassing herself in the process, not at all helped by the fact that the Ducker Mogul seemed to become nervous around her. This trend of humiliation would finally end on Christmas Eve of that year, when the Class 15 was parked next to the Ducker Mogul in their shed. Before she could stop herself, April poured out her feelings, only realizing what she’d done after she’d finished. And before she could scuttle away in embarrassment, Hugo blurted out that he returned her affections, both of their faces as red as their buffer beams by the time he was done. Realizing that their affections were mutual, both engines’s embarassment quickly turned to joy as they settled much more comfortably into their shed for the night.

The next few years went by in a blissful haze for April and Hugo, working with goods all day and talking late into the night, their bond growing stronger all the while. Both the Class 15 and the Ducker Mogul felt like they were on cloud nine. Then one day in 1968, Hugo was told that he was to be withdrawn from primary service within a month. All the engines in the shed were devastated by this, as was shedmaster Gotch, as Hugo had always been there as far back as any of them could remember, having been in service since World War 2, but none more so than April, who felt like she was losing her whole world. Even at their lowest points, they had always had each other, but now, April was losing the engine she held most dear.

As the end of the month drew near, all the engines prepared to say their goodbyes to the last Steam Engine in their shed, when Shedmaster Gotch drovin in with a bright blue car behind him, leaping out of his vehicle and practically dancing over to the shed and told them that a certain stout gentleman was interested in Hugo’s case. As if on cue, out of the blue car stepped the controller of the famous North Western Railway, Sir Topham Hatt himself. He walked over to the shed, introduced himself, and told Hugo about how his Railway had a need for a mixed-traffic engine like him and if he would like to become a part of said Railway, to which the Ducker Mogul responded with a resounding yes.

April was was sad to see Hugo leave, and of the possibility that she might never see him again, but was happy he would be going to a better home, and after an emotional farewell was shared between the two, she and all the other diesels in the shed let out a chorus of toots and honks as Hugo left for the Island of Sodor. April continued her work for the rest of the year, but it just wasn’t the same anymore. Even working alongside a pleasant Class 20 diesel named Dean barley lifted her spirits. But that all changed one day in March of 1969 when Sir Topham Hatt visited her shed yet again. This time, he offered to purchase April! The Class 15 needed no convincing, and was on her way to Sodor by days end.

Following a swift inspection at Vicarstown, April was assigned to work on Edward’s Branch Line, handling the goods work alongside BoCo. She also reunited with Hugo not long after, meeting at Wellsworth one day, and spending the night together in the shed, catching up and shooting the breeze.

April is now as happy as can be, hauling goods trains up and down Edward’s Branch Line all day.

Description
April the Class 15!

April was built by British Railways at Sheffield Works in November 1957, and was delivered to the Midlands Region along with her nine cousins, all of whom were faceless, thus, not sentient. While in the Midlands, April and her cousins were evaluated against two separate designs. Soon after, however, her entire class was allocated to depots on the Eastern Region, but April was left behind. She soon found out that a shedmaster by the name of Daniel Gotch had requested that she work out of his sheds as a goods diesel.

April arrived at her new home and was greeted by a Jinty named Joey and a Mogul named Hugo, who took the Class 15 under their wing. The next morning, she was assigned to work on a local goods train, which she double-headed with Hugo, to help orientate her with the jobs she would be given. April turned out to be a fast learner, quickly gaining skill as a local goods hauler, and would also take empty coaching stock now and then.

One warm September day in 1959, April was pulling a short coal train when her air intake began to malfunction. Stopping on the open line, the guard ran back to the nearest signal box while her driver investigated the problem, which was revealed to be caused by a buildup of gunk due to neglected maintenance. Fortunately, Hugo was coming down the opposite line, having just delivered a goods train of his own, and offered to pull April and her train to the station, as his design allowed him to run tender-first at speed. She, her driver and the guard agreed, Hugo switched over onto her line, was coupled up, and they set off.

During the journey, Hugo consoled the glum Class 15, pointing out that any engine could suffer a break down. April was reluctant to believe him at first, but then Hugo told her about an incident back in 1952, where he had broken one of his crankpins right on a junction, delaying an express AND a fish train. Once April had stopped laughing, Hugo went on to tell her that she shouldn’t let mishaps like these get her down, stating that she was a good engine. This incident was the starting point when April began falling for the Ducker Mogul.

During the the subsequent weeks after that, April tried and failed multiple times to tell Hugo how she felt, often embarrassing herself in the process, not at all helped by the fact that the Ducker Mogul seemed to become nervous around her. This trend of humiliation would finally end on Christmas Eve of that year, when the Class 15 was parked next to the Ducker Mogul in their shed. Before she could stop herself, April poured out her feelings, only realizing what she’d done after she’d finished. And before she could scuttle away in embarrassment, Hugo blurted out that he returned her affections, both of their faces as red as their buffer beams by the time he was done. Realizing that their affections were mutual, both engines’s embarassment quickly turned to joy as they settled much more comfortably into their shed for the night.

The next few years went by in a blissful haze for April and Hugo, working with goods all day and talking late into the night, their bond growing stronger all the while. Both the Class 15 and the Ducker Mogul felt like they were on cloud nine. Then one day in 1968, Hugo was told that he was to be withdrawn from primary service within a month. All the engines in the shed were devastated by this, as was shedmaster Gotch, as Hugo had always been there as far back as any of them could remember, having been in service since World War 2, but none more so than April, who felt like she was losing her whole world. Even at their lowest points, they had always had each other, but now, April was losing the engine she held most dear.

As the end of the month drew near, all the engines prepared to say their goodbyes to the last Steam Engine in their shed, when Shedmaster Gotch drovin in with a bright blue car behind him, leaping out of his vehicle and practically dancing over to the shed and told them that a certain stout gentleman was interested in Hugo’s case. As if on cue, out of the blue car stepped the controller of the famous North Western Railway, Sir Topham Hatt himself. He walked over to the shed, introduced himself, and told Hugo about how his Railway had a need for a mixed-traffic engine like him and if he would like to become a part of said Railway, to which the Ducker Mogul responded with a resounding yes.

April was was sad to see Hugo leave, and of the possibility that she might never see him again, but was happy he would be going to a better home, and after an emotional farewell was shared between the two, she and all the other diesels in the shed let out a chorus of toots and honks as Hugo left for the Island of Sodor. April continued her work for the rest of the year, but it just wasn’t the same anymore. Even working alongside a pleasant Class 20 diesel named Dean barley lifted her spirits. But that all changed one day in March of 1969 when Sir Topham Hatt visited her shed yet again. This time, he offered to purchase April! The Class 15 needed no convincing, and was on her way to Sodor by days end.

Following a swift inspection at Vicarstown, April was assigned to work on Edward’s Branch Line, handling the goods work alongside BoCo. She also reunited with Hugo not long after, meeting at Wellsworth one day, and spending the night together in the shed, catching up and shooting the breeze.

April is now as happy as can be, hauling goods trains up and down Edward’s Branch Line all day.