Author's notes: My goodness. This story is the darkest one I have ever read in any children's book. Despite that, this was actually pulled off very well and again, we get an insight into Mr Holden's father and Miss Ravens' mother's past.

Bad Lookout

Narrator: The next morning, Miss Ravens, Mr. Holden, Pipsqueak, Featherweight, Apple Bloom, Babs Seed, Peter Sam, Rusty, Rheneas and Skarloey were talking quietly to Culdee.

Culdee: I honestly don't understand guys. I was told to take 2 coaches to the summit when usually…

Narrator: He got no further when Duncan stormed up with Mr. Roberts Scootaloo followed by Sir Handel with Mr. Hawkins, and Sweetie Belle.

Rheneas: (Chuckle) Hullo. Here we go.

Babs Seed: What happened to you Duncan?

Duncan: I nearly came off! Those blasted coaches push. The Thin controller says they didn't and so did Princess Luna, they said I've kept a bad lookout. 'We've no money to mend you' says the thin controller 'and if it happens again thou shall be placed at the back of thy sheds', says Princess Luna. I mean seriously, why do they always pick on me? It's no fair. They're prejudice it tell you.

Scootaloo: Well it was actually your fault really. You were the one who was not paying attention when we hit that bump near Glennlock.

Duncan: Oy! I'll have you know was being very careful!

Sir Handel: Besides, you wouldn't know what prejudice means…

Duncan: Oh shut up! Stand still Handel!

Sir Handel: Hey! At least I keep on the rails bad look out….

Narrator: Skarloey said nothing. He just winked at Rheneas and Pipsqueak.

Rheneas: Ahem, as you were saying Culdee, you had two coaches on your trial trip? Do you ever take more?

Culdee: No. Two coaches are pretty much a rarity Rheneas. Our line so steep that we're only allowed to take one. We each have our own. Mine is called Catherine and I know her very well. We've worked together for years, and that's most important.

Sir Handel: Why? They're only coaches…

Culdee: Ours Sir Handel, are something more. You pull your coaches, so you can see ahead. We on the other buffer, push ours, so we can't see, they watch the line for us. The guard watches too of course, but Catherine is so clever that I know at once if anything is wrong.

Skarloey: Well, that must take a load of your mind.

Narrator: Culdee smiled and chuckled.

Culdee: Yeah, but not my buffer beam. I tell you, climbing up that mountain is no day at the seaside for us, it's very hard work and needs a lot of strength and steam. I tell you, my fireman and I have tiring time, but never the less, it's still worth it.

Pipsqueak: That's the spirit Culdee, so is tough coming down too?

Culdee: Heh you'd be surprised young Pipsqueak. Coming down is actually quite different. Catherine and I just simply roll down with the aid of our brakes. We need no steam for the descend down.

Narrator: Sir Handel sighed enviously.

Sir Handel: (Sigh) I should like that. Extra eyes looking after you and automatic brakes, it sounds rest cure. Just what the fitter order.

Applebloom: Seriously Sir Handel?

Scootaloo: I really highly doubt that.

Rusty: Uh oh. He's cocky again.

Culdee: You two took the right words out of my mouth. That was just the mistake that poor Godred made.

Everyone: Who is Godred?

Culdee: Gorded is .. or was our railways No.1 and he was named after a king too.

Mr. Holden: Ah yes. King Godred MacHarold, the king of both the isle of mann and the Island of Sodor from 979 A.D to 989 A.D. His reign known as the golden age of Sodor during the Medieval age for his great courage and his outstanding military tatics, thus gave him the title of the giver of the ten years of peace of both islands. The most chivalries king since king Arthur and the knights of the roundtable of Camelot. He was famous for the many thwartings of Earl Sigurd of Orkney, until his tragic slaying at Sigurd's hand in 989 A.D. Am I right Culdee?

Narrator: Culdee was impressed with the young railway and history buff.

Culdee: You absolutely correct, the very same king too. Heh I can definitely see you've done your homework. It's probably because of rich history of his name that went to his smokebox and made him very conceited, as he always acted like he was the master or king of the railways, to make matters worse he never kept a good lookout. He would roll down the line in a lordly way with his coach Guinevere looking at anything but the track.

(Flashback, Skarloey Road 1900)

Culdee: Look Godred, you better be careful. I've seen how've you been travel with Guinevere and I'm worried about you. If you keep going on like this you'll more likely have an terrible accident.

Godred: Poh! I've got automatic Brakes haven't I and Drivers got his air brake, a complete rest cure. What more do you want?

Culdee: More sense from you for a start.

Godred: Pah! Thou are the one whom needs sense young Culdee

Culdee: No engine can stop at once if he or she isn't ready to obey his or her drivers controls. Not even a No.1 with a royal name.

(Pause flashback)

Skarloey: That's the first thing a young engine should learn.

Culdee: Unfortunately Godred never learned sense.

(Flashback Kirk Machan 1900)

Culdee narrator: Mr. James Holden, Miss Marie Ravens, the other drivers & fireman and even the manager all spoke to him.

Mr. James Holden: We've all tried reasoning with him, but it's no use. He's still behaving the same way.

CFR Manager: Perhaps. It's a mechanical defect. We'll need to thoroughly examine him from top to bottom Mr. James Holden.

Miss Marie Ravens: Yes Sir.

Culdee narrator: And they did they even took him to pieces to see if anything was wrong. He still went on in the same old way though.

Godred: There is nothing wrong with me! All you are just paranoid! I AM THE KING OF SODOR! THE MASTER OF ALL SODOR! THE AIR TO THY ROYAL THRONE OF…

Mr. James Holden: OH SHUT UP! (Sigh) I knew should have named him Clarence.

Miss Marie Ravens: (Titters to self) Heheheheheh! Oh, that's a good one James.

Gordred: I heard that thou ungrateful whelp!

Mr. James Holden: (SIGH) Why me?

Culdee narrator: He was so bad that the manager had to draft Mr. James Holden to operate him on the opening day to keep him in check. On that day, I was heading up and waiting at Devils Back station with Miss Marie Ravens for Godred coming down to pass us. As the 2 of us waited with Catharine, Marie was having lunch at the time just on the station platform, so it happened. Godred seemed to be coming down too fast. One moment he was there on the track, the next Mr. James Holden and the fireman jumped clear as Godred rolled over and tumbled down the Culdee fell mountain with a loud crash. You could hear it from there to Tidmouth.

Mr. James Holden: We've lost braking power, the air brake isn't enough fireman! We're out of control! JUMP!

(Mr. James Holden and the fireman jump clear as Godred rolls over)

Godred: GGGGGGGGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

(Godred crashes down to the bottom)

Miss Marie Ravens: Good lord Culdee and Catharine. What was that?!

Culdee Narrator: Silence was immense.

Fireman: You okay Mr. James Holden Sir?

Mr. James Holden: Yeah I'm alright just bruised. What about you?

Fireman: Yeah I'm okay, but what happened to Godred?

Mr. James Holden: Oh my goodness! Fireman get over here I think I found him.

Fireman: OH GLORY! It's good thing that there were no passenger trains down there!

Culdee Narrator: No one was hurt. His coach Guinevere stayed on the rails, and the guard braked her to a stop. Miss Marie Ravens then brought me and Catharine over.

Miss Marie Ravens: James, Kevin, do you 2 need a lift back?

Catharine: I've still got some seats free inside.

Kevin: You 2 don't mind?

Culdee: Not at all. We'll also Guinevere back too.

Mr James Holden: Ah, thanks you guys. That's very kind.

Narrator: They brought Godred home next day.

Godred: It was the coach Guinevere. She uh… played mutiny and pushed! Uh… the rails were slippery, uh… there was a wasp! It was a blustery day…

Culdee narrating: The manager just shook his head in disappointment.

CFR Manager: We've no money to mend you, so you'll go to the back of the shed.

Culdee narrating: As time went on, poor Godred sat there, getting smaller and smaller till nothing was left.

(Flashback pause)

Scootaloo: . What happened to Godred?

Culdee: It's, not really nice to talk about.

Duncan: But what happened? Why isn't it nice?

Narrator: Culdee took a deep breath and finished the grim story.

(Flashback kirk Machan 1900)

Culdee narrator: The manager was in the office when…

CFR Manager: Come in.

Culdee narrator: Mr. James Holden and Miss Marie Ravens came in. James was looking very guilty.

CFR Manager: Oh Hullo Mr. James Holden and Miss Marie Ravens. What's the matter? You look very sad.

Mr. James Holden: I just want to say, I'm so sorry about the accident with Godred. I tried very hard to keep him in control but…

CFR Manager: Hey, its alright. I know you did your best and proud of you I'm even more happier that you, the fireman and the passengers weren't hurt at all.

Miss Marie Ravens: Indeed James. You were very brave.

Mr. James Holden: Thank you Sir, thanks Marie. Oh by the way, the chief mechanic wanted me to inform you that we need order in some new parts for Culdee, some of his parts are getting worn.

CFR Manager: Order them? Order them? (Devilish laugh) He ha hahahaha oh you make me laugh Mr. James Holden. Why order new parts? We aren't using Godred anymore why not just salvage the parts from him?

Mr. James Holden: Oh yes Sir.

Miss Marie Ravens: Uh… sir? That's dark. I don't know about this.

CFR Manager: I know Marie, but sometimes we have to take desperate measures.

Miss Marie Ravens: I don't like hearing engines crying when they get scrapped sir... (Gulp)

CFR Manager: I understand Marie... I know, why don't you work with Wilfred? He's passenger service starts in 10. That should make you feel better.

Miss Marie Ravens: Oh, yes sir.

(Mr. James Holden walks away with a cutters torch to the shed where Godred was)

Godred: Ah hullo there thou old friend. I'm sure to running good as new in not time.

Culdee Narrator: But Mr. James Holden was smiled devilishly.

Mr. James Holden: I am afraid you won't old friend… perhaps this will teach you to heed others advice and it'll teach you not to call me an ungrateful whelp! (Turns on the cutters torch) believe me Godred this hurts all of us more than it will you. Goodbye old friend. ( devilish laugh) hehahahahahahaha.

Godred: (agony) NO! STOP! I NEED THAT! I'M FINE! I'M NOT DAMAGED NO! NOOOOOOOOOO! GGGGGGGGGGGGGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!

(Outside)

Miss Marie Ravens: Oh my… That doesn't sound good. (Gulp)

Whitney: Oh gosh… that's scary.

Wilfred: I know. Let's get out while we still can.

(Miss Marie Ravens opened the regulator and they headed out with Wilfred's coach Whitney.)

(Flashback ends)

Culdee: (mournfully) Our drivers salvaged Gordred's parts to mend us. In all my years of working on the Culdee Fell, I have never heard Godred scream so painfully. Poor Marie Ravens was too scared to even do it, so she had to ride with one of us while that was happening.

Miss Ravens: Honestly, I don't blame my mother. I don't like seeing engines being cut up as much as she does.

Mr. Holden: Yeah, and following the accident from what my father told me, the line was closed for the rest of that summer while stringent measures were taken to eliminate the possibility of future accidents. It wasn't until 1901 when the line was reopened on Easter Monday. It has since operated with an unblemished safety record.

Culdee/Mr. Holden/Miss Ravens: And as they say goes down in history.

Narrator: Scootaloo, Sir Handel, and Duncan and the rest of the foals were unusually silent long after Culdee went home.

Sir Handel: (In his mind) My goodness. If he wasn't with me on that doubleheader, I probably would ended up like Godred.

Narrator: Neither Skarloey, Rheneas or the Main 4 drivers ever mentioned that Culdee had made the story of Godred up. In reality, Godred had been put as static display at a railway museum on Sodor. And his reckless behaviour cannot do any harm to anyone.