Chapter Text
Sodor’s mail services are almost always associated with Percy. The little green engine has become famous around the world for pulling mail vans - but he isn’t the only one. Percy looks after mail along Thomas and Duck’s branchlines, while Edward brought mail from his branchline up to the Big Station and Arthur brought post to Barrow. These trains are supplemented by a single, fast, night express that runs non-stop from Tidmouth all the way to Manchester on the Other Railway called ‘the Night Mail’. It’s been the premier express service of the railway since its inception right the way back in 1915, when it was pulled by Edward. Since then, Gordon, Bear and Bowler have all taken turns pulling the prestigious train - but recently, there’s been less demand. Less mail has been sent by rail year after year, and both the Wellsworth and Norramby branchlines had had their mail trains replaced with vans - and poor Percy only needed one or two mail vans for his run.
The Fat Controller decided to change how the train ran.
“Emily, I’ve decided to make the Night Mail a lighter train, and I would like for you to pull it.”
“Oh sir, thank you sir,” grinned Emily. She was very excited to pull an express again, and bubbled excitedly about it all day. But when she got to the Harbour to collect her train, she was stunned to see three large TPO vans and four coaches.
“Isn’t this a little… much?” she asked Salty.
“No,” replied Salty. “This is exactly what they wanted on the train - I even checked!” Emily kept her smile on her face, but secretly she was rather worried. The coaches weren’t light after all.
The Night Mail met a ship from Ireland at the Big Harbour, and then the mail was loaded into the vans and the guard waved a green lantern. Emily took a deep breath, and dug her large driving wheels into the rails, slowly heaving the heavy train into motion. She slipped for a moment, but found her grip and began to speed up. Soon, she was thundering down the mainline, the coaches swaying and humming peacefully behind her.
“This is better, this is better!” she chanted.
Now, the TPO vans are special, because they have a special net to scoop up mail from cranes positioned alongside the line. These are use in towns that are too small to warrant the train stopping. Sodor was the last place in Britain to use the system - and it was very delicate. Emily knew this, and she made sure to keep at a consistent pace when they scooped up the first bag. But then, she reached Gordon’s Hill.
Emily sped at the gradient, but quickly found she was losing speed. The heavy coaches were holding her back!
“Come on! Come on! Come on!” she panted - but the weight of the train forced her to go slower and slower until she was practically crawling up the hill.
“Where is Edward when you need him to bank?” groaned Emily. At last, she saw the summit of the hill.
But, just as she crested the hill - she felt the entire weight of the train shift from dragging on her coupling to pressing on her buffers. Emily’s eyes went wide.
“Oh no… oh no oh no oh no!” she yelped, as her driver slammed on her brakes. But the weight of the train was now too much for Emily! She rocketed down the hill, her brakes screaming as she tried desperately to fight the heavy coaches pushing her on.
The mail hook suddenly appeared.
“Look out!” cried Emily, as the mail scoop opened. The scoop hit the bag too hard and too fast - the mail bag burst open as it was flung into the coach, sending letters and parcels everywhere! The metal mail hook was bent out of shape too.
Emily barely got her coaches under control before she reached Killdane. By then, she was exhausted. Poor Emily tried to keep going, but she had to admit defeat, and came to a stop at Barrow. Bowler picked up the train, and Emily crawled to a shed to rest.
She was rather worried - all the work on the mainline was just getting to be too much for her.