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Duke the no longer Lost Engine was adjusting to life on the Skarloey Railway. He’d only recently left the works, and was still getting his bearings. He enjoyed the work immensely, running back and forth up and down the little line and feeling the sun on his tanks for the first time in decades – but something just felt off. As much as the old engine tried, he just couldn’t find himself feeling at home.
The other engines could tell.
“I think Granpuff’s struggling to adapt,” admitted Peter Sam one evening. Most of the engines had returned after a hard day’s work, with only Duke and Duncan still out on the line. Skarloey frowned.
“I agree – he’s happy to be here, but I think he’s having trouble seeing it as a home.”
“He did work on our old line for decades before it closed,” agreed Sir Handel. “It must be a real struggle to lose all of that.”
“But what can we do?” asked Skarloey. “We want Duke to feel comfortable here.”
The engines thought and thought, but there was nothing more they could think of to help the old engine adapt.
Thankfully, the Thin Controller had overheard everything, and he had a plan. He hurried to his office, and began digging through his shelves – surely, the book was somewhere around…
Summer rapidly approached, and as usual, thousands of holidaymakers began making their way to Sodor. The Skarloey Railway got even more passengers than usual, all coming to see their newest addition. The Thin Controller came to the sheds early one morning, greeting all the engines as they yawned and tried to wake up. He held his hands behind his back – that quickly got all his engines’ attention.
“It has come to my attention that we have more passengers than ever wanting to see our line. I’ve decided to add a new service – it’ll not run to any timetable, dropping passengers wherever they want to hop off and see the countryside.”
Duke’s eyes widened in excitement.
“Sir, who will pull the train?” asked Rheneas. The Thin Controller smiled.
“I thought it would be best for Duke to pull the train – after all, what better engine is there to pull ‘The Picnic’?” He revealed a large, metal nameboard from behind his back, painted in blue with ‘The Picnic’ printed neatly on it in white. Duke gasped, his eyes wide in amazement.
“Sir! Thank you sir!” he exclaimed, looking very excited. The Thin Controller chuckled.
“While you won’t be meeting a ferry, you have been vaguely timetabled to connect with James’ morning and evening commuter trains. I know you’ve been having some trouble, so I hope you’ll enjoy this. And if it’s popular enough, we might make it a yearly thing!”
Duke was overjoyed! He practically demanded that his crew polish and clean him again, while the Thin Controller placed the nameboard on his lamp iron.
The old engine was as happy as a clam, puffing up and down the Skarloey Railway with his train. The passengers loved it too – they loved it so much it returned the next Summer, and then the next.
Now, the Picnic is Duke’s special summer train. Every year without fail, he makes sure to meet the passengers and take them up and down the line to their favourite destinations. His train now includes a special refreshment coach that the picnickers can buy sandwiches, cream cakes and drinks from. It’s more popular than ever – and every year Duke’s ‘regulars’ return, making sure to greet the old engine. He knows all of them by name, and he’s never been happier.
He's settled well into his new home, and he couldn’t imagine himself anywhere else. Perhaps it was that little bit of home that helped him, perhaps it was being specifically needed for something. Perhaps it was some mix of the two and being with his young scallywags once more – does it matter? All that mattered was the fact that all three were happy, healthy and reunited once more.