It was a Brisk, Autumn, Night. Halloween was up around the corner. But nevertheless. Work continued as usual, Day or Night, Rain or Shine. There is one thing that the engines wanted to do other than head back into their nice, warm, cozy sheds. That was Listening to Edward’s Ghost stories, The Engines sit around the turntables to listen to his Unsettling Tales... Some engines got spooked, some however were skeptical...

One Night, Edward told some of his spooky stories. “And then, he still roams the mountains, attempting to reach-“ 

before Edward finished, James interrupted, “We heard this type of story a hundred times! Engine Does Something Bad, Comes back as a Ghost!” He complained. “Look, I get it, Godred’s Story was told... actually likely more than a hundred times, maybe about an old abandoned mine that-“

“No! We heard of the gnomes before!” Percy Protested, Eying Donald & Douglas. “Aye, Dont ye all think we need a new & interesting story?” Questioned Douglas.

“Well, How about some Personal Experiences with the unnatural?” Asked Duck, “Like when I was anything other than my lovely shade of red?” Said James, “He said Unnatural, Not your Egotistical Commentary!” Replied Toby. 

“Personally, I think an Unnatural Thing to occur Is Not having an Accident anytime someone, Myself Included, Takes the Flying Kipper.” Said Henry, Recounting the Various Incidents, Including Recently, the One with James. 

“Is it just me, Or am i the only one who thinks their is something... Cursed about the Kipper?” Asked Percy, “Pah! Your just Superstitious” Replied James.

“Hmmm, well, I have a story about the Kipper... Now if you remember, the Flying Kipper is quite infamously known for... quite getting into well... disturbances”, Explained Edward, “Thanks Captain Obvious” Said Gordon In a Sarcastic Tone, “Shush!” Yelled Toby, “Edward is Telling us a Spooky Story, Go on Edward” Said Emily.

“Alright, it starts in the late 1920s, Assuming you were here before 1927, you could guess what happened here, you might want to pay attention James”

Edward began his story right there....

It was the 1920s, the North Western Railway was Successful for its first years in service, various Engines Worked on this Line, Some still in Service today, Like Edward & Thomas, There was the Skarloey & Mid-Sodor Of Course, and a few member of the S&M railway, Numbers 1 & 3, and of course, Neil, S&M’s Number 2. Engines Far & Wide Entered the Railway, Either as New Additions or just to visit. Of course, the late 1920s of course, lead way to the start of the Great Depression.

Thomas & Edward Had to Take various trains to Port, Eventually the work increased when Henry & Gordon arrived, one of these trains was a special one... a New Service was made to help bring said food, particularly fish, either to port or Canneries. This service was the Flying Kipper, It took fish from Tidmouth To Manchester, at Night, At High-Speed, With 2 Stops at Cronk & Barrow-In-Furness, With Some Extra stops at Kellsthorpe Road & Vicarstown.

The Year is 1927, There was only four engines for Multiple Jobs, Thomas, Edward, Henry & Gordon, Henry’s steaming issues were fixed thanks to welsh coal. We Gathered at Tidmouth Sheds. There was the First Baronet Sir Topham Hatt, “Good Evening, I have notice your performance today, and I’m quite proud. However, I thought you might need a little help, so I purchased a new Engine. He will handle Main Line Goods Runs, Including The Kipper Run.” He explained, “He will be Arriving in Brendam Docks in the Morning, that is all”.

By Morning, The new Engine Arrived

“What did he look like?” Asked Percy, Edward Smiles, “He was a LB&SCR J1 Class, Colored Green, He was Repainted with NWR Lettering, As Well as the Number 5, He had a nameplate, it read “Kipper”.” He Explained, James was Annoyed, “Another Number 5? Hmph! Probably not as Splendid as me”

“Silence!” Yelled Toby, “go On Edward.”

Kipper was Quite Boastful & Arrogant, While he would do his work without fuss, he would brag about it, Pulled a lot of coal trucks? He’d brag about it, He was basically you, James.

“Hey! Atleast I know one difference.” Said James, “Ah, but that’s where the differences come into play, Now...” said Edward

Kipper was also, to put it simply... Reckless, He Barely Paid attention to the Rules. He would dart past Red Signals at the Last Minute, He would Bump Trucks Very Hardly onto Buffers, And he would go extremely fast, Regardless of what he was pulling. “Your a Very Naughty Engine”, His Crew said to him, But he didn’t care.

One such Example happened One Day, “Hurry Up You” Gordon said to Thomas, “Hurry Up Yourself!” Thomas yelled back, This of course, Lead into Gordon Paying back on Thomas By Towing him Behind the Express. Kipper overheard about and teased Thomas about it.

“On my Old Line, We Always had someone to check for any Mice... Or to be Specific, Smaller Tank Engines than Myself.” Kipper explained, albeit, rudely. “Infact, we had no accidents!” He Continued.

“Oh, so nearly KNOCKING EVERYTHING FRAGILE IN THE VANS WAS NOT AN ACCIDENT!?” Yelled Thomas, Angrily Wheeshing Steam. “Please, They Do not count... it’s just a slight hiccup. Nothing valuable was lost, it could simply be rebuilt.” Kipper Argued Back.”

“Oh, but the load you were carrying was quite important, They were Lightbulbs for the various lighthouses & lamps. That is Just in case there was a storm, and the lamps need spares.” It was Edward, who overheard everything. “Oh Please, we can just get more lightbulbs from the Mainland.” Kipper argued back.

“Wow, I Can’t Believe that he would be so vain, that he wouldn’t even consider lost goods as an accident?” Emily Inquired, With a worried look on her face. “Talk about Impatient & Recklessness”

“But he was far from Reckless... Some of you may remember what happened next.” Edward said, Thomas, Henry & Gordon Looked at each other. They knew about what happened next.

“What Happened?” Asked Percy,

Edward then sighed, “Well....”

It was the New Year, 1928. The Railway was still in the grips of winter, The Engines had to work hard to get their deliveries done. All the engines knew to take care on the Icy tracks, Ice & Snow can cause Accidents, This didn’t matter to Kipper... He would Speed down Hills Extremely quickly. “Take Care on the Main Line” Edward Warned Him, but Kipper Scoffed. “Oh please, I had my brakes modified. I don’t need to worry about silly snow, your just jealous.” Kipper argued back.

But snow wasn’t the only thing to worry about, The Lamps at the Dockside had to be Refurbished, Each Light was Important for the docks, Helping Ships & Crew Members see where they went. Neil, who was working at the harbor at the time, Helped Shunt goods in & out of the Dockside, Mostly with Help from the Lamps overhead. He would arrange The Various Trains that leave out of port. Including the Flying Kipper, “Be Careful Tonight, The Lamps may not be working when you return.” Said Neil to Kipper, Already Waiting for the Kipper, “That is Assuming you Want to be Careful in the First Place.”

But Kipper Scoffed, “I Never Have Accidents, The Incident with the Lightbulbs was just a Slight Slip-Up. Your just a Crate on Wheels Who likes to Complain A lot.”

Neil Grinned, “At Least I didn’t Smash Anything to Pieces!” Neil said, chucking a bit. Kipper Got a bit annoyed, He coupled to the kipper and set off.

While that was happening, Gordon was taking the Express, Having arrived at Vicarstown, He waited for Clearance, Kipper Had to Stop Aswell. “The Trip to Manchester Is Going to be Hazardous, There are Reports of a Blizzard Ahead.” Gordon Warned, It was Still Winter Outside. The Wind was Blowing Strongly Amongst the Outside of the Station, But Kipper just chuckled. “It’s Just Wind, A Big Strong Engine such as Myself can Easily Navigate through this Nasty Weather. I have a Snowplow, Don’t I? And My Sandboxes are at Full Capacity. They Never Run out!”

Gordon Was Losing his Patience, “Look, Were Both Pacific’s, Aren’t We?” He Asked, Kipper Just Glared at Gordon, “Your a Tender Engine, I’m a Tank Engine, that means it is safe for me to Reverse, I don’t even need to worry about shunting. I don’t even need to be Bossed around by Bigger Tender Engines, As I’m their Size & Speed. I’m Immune to Breakdowns.” He Said to Gordon, “Your Immune to Common Sense” Replied Gordon Back. The Signal turned Green, Gordon Continued onto London, While Kipper Traversed out to Manchester.

Thomas, Henry & Gordon Looked at each other, they knew about what happened next. Although, they still had many questions, the ones of which only Edward, The Wise Engine, Knew. James Slowly Began getting Nervous, He had a feeling this wouldn’t go well.

“Now, Some of you Maybe Asking... What Happened? Well... Nobody knows for Show” Edward Explained in a Hushed Tone, James then asked a question, “W-W-Well, What did happen?” Now Usually, James tends to Be Skeptical about Edward’s Stories, But for some reason, this seems to be not the case. “Come to think of it, Kipper Was Actually Kind of Like You James, Only Nastier” said Henry.

“Can we head back to the story now?” Asked Toby, “Oh, Yes, Ahem...” and Edward continued...

After Kipper Parked in Manchester, He headed to the Turntable to turn Around. Usually, Tank Engines don’t need to Reverse; However, As Kipper was a Larger Tank Engine, He needed to be turned around for the Main Line. As he waited for the All-Clear, a few Inches of Snow Fell. “Pah! It’s Just Snow.” He said to himself.

“Who needs That Teapot That is Edward & That Galloping Sausage That is Gordon? Worrying about Silly Soft Stuff! And Besides, My Steam can just Melt the Ice Away!”

And That was the Mistake He Made...

As Kipper Approached towards Vicarstown, He Failed to Notice a Signalman Waving a Red Flag. “Slow Down!” Yelled his Fireman, Kipper Just Rolled His Eyes, “He’s Just Being his Worrisome Self, I’m not letting a Silly Red Flag Stop Me!”. But that Red Flag was Important, Ice & Snow Had caused the Telegraph Poles to Malfunction. As a Result, The Next Signal box Didn’t get Alerted about the Flying Kipper. The Kipper Was Switched from Henry’s Tunnel towards Ballahoo, As Soon as the Signal Box There Heard about it, They Used the Avaliable Telegraph System to Alert the Signal Box at Crovan’s Gate.

As Kipper Rounded

Up Ahead, At Killdane, Henry was Taking a Slow Goods Train. Up Ahead he saw a Light, “That’s Odd, I thought Kipper was coming through the station later.” He said, and then he gasped in horror. “SLOW DOWN KIPPER!” He said, blowing his whistle very loudly. 

“There’s Old Square Wheels Being Paranoid! Who needs him?” Kipper asked himself. His driver & firemen were slowly getting fed up, “I tried Warning you, And you can’t seem to listen!” Said the fireman.

As Kipper Climbed up Gordon’s Hill, He began pouring sand on the tracks. “Ok, that’s enough” said the Driver, “Then Why am I Going so Slow?” Asked Kipper, already getting cross. And then, out of nowhere and at the top... they halted. “What is the meaning of this?” Complained Kipper, the driver & fireman climbed out. “You brought this upon yourself, So you’re on your own.” The Fireman said. But Before Kipper could protest, he began moving downward. The Crew in the Brake van stepped out of it, as they knew it was against regulation to park in the middle of main line. As the Two crews argued, It happened...

At Tidmouth Sheds, Thomas & Edward were slowly building up steam. “Hey Edward, Do you think it’s possible for a Crew to Abandon their Engine?” Asked Thomas, Edward smiled, “No, Why do you ask?”.

“Well, Before Kipper Left, I overheard his Driver & Fireman talking about how Fed up they were with Him. In fact, from what I heard, They were going to Simply try and be rid of him.” Thomas Explained, “look, even if the engine is causing a disturbance, the Crew would know than to leave them behind.” Edward Answered, And then they heard a whistle.

“WHO NEEDS YOU CREW? ILL MANAGE MYSELF!” It was Kipper, Yelling as he sped past the sheds, heading towards the harbor. Edward & Thomas were aghast, “You got enough steam, get the breakdown train just in case.” Said Edward’s Fireman. Edward Hurried off, Heading towards Tidmouth Harbor.

At the Harbor, a Large Fishing Trawler was Relegated to a Pier. Inside it, the Crewmen were Having Breakfast, “Hey, isn’t the kipper supposed to be Arriving?” Asked the Captain, “Who cares... this is good breakfast!” Said the cook. The Navigator was checking a Map, until a telegram was called in. “Boss wants us to get onboard the other ship, the next crew is supposed to use this one.” He said. The Captain, Cook, Navigator and the Others on board the ship left, just in time...

“And then” Murmured Edward, “Kipper Derailed off a Sharp Bend at the Harbor, Smashing into the Trawlers Cabin. Thankfully the Crew of the ship left just in time... but the Pier however, It was a whole new story.”

“What happened?” Asked Percy, All the other engines stared at Edward. “Well... I got to the docks after chasing kipper, I didn’t tell the other engines other that Thomas, Henry & Gordon. I feared about describing it because... well, it was a rather haunting site. But I’ll tell you anyway.” Edward then told about, what he witnessed.

As soon as Edward arrived at the docks, Kipper was Impaled right into the ship’s cabin. One of the debris cut a rope that held the ship, a truck fell into the sea, creating a splash just about powerful enough the ship began to drift away. Edward then noticed something rather jarring, there were sparks coming out of kipper’s firebox; one of the pieces of coal in his firebox was knocked loose... falling into the ship floor.

And then... Everything happened at once. “Get out of here fast! The Ship is on fire!” Yelled the Dock Manager through a Megaphone, Edward Reversed out of the Dockyard quickly. The ship went faster and faster, but it was not over. Not only had the ship began burning, it also began sinking. Kipper darted his eyes around after waking up, seeing the carnage around him. By sheer luck, Kipper Fell over the ship.

“Hold On!” Yelled Edward, he blew his whistle, and told him about what was happening. The Coast guard was sent out to sea to try to Search Kipper & the Burning Trawler. But it was too late.... the Trawler exploded, some of the shrapnel hitting Kipper’s tanks. The Ship & Kipper later struck a Giant Rock, until finally... out of nowhere, a large wave of Sea ice smashed into both...

By Morning, Work was being done to retrieve the Ship & Kipper, Work was Difficult due to the ice... so icebreaker ships were sent to clear out a path for the Salvage ships. Finally, by the evening, the wreckage was recovered.

“It became talk of the island for many days,” said Edward. “Kipper was Unregconizable, There were dents, burn marks & some of the frozen sea ice inside... he was placed in the back of the shed... some parts of him were later used to build a new set of vans for the flying kipper... after which, its Notorious Track record of accidents had started. That wasn’t the worst of it, while the flying kipper was being overhauled, various fishing companies had been hard hit. This was made worst as the Pier the ship was at, Due to the wreck, had weakened... it sunk beneath the waves, meaning no ship could easily bring fish to the Harbor. A New Engine Wearing the Number 5 was brought in.”

James looked down at his buffers, he was silent for the rest of the night. The Incident of the Fish seemed to Suddenly make sense to him Now...

Edward continued, “and so, he haunts the flying kipper, His parts cursing the vans of fish. Some who pulled the train claimed to have seen an Engine that looked like him as they went through the Main Line. Due to the amount of accidents that had resulted since then, the Kipper nowadays Starts off at Brendam Docks... As a quick method to get the fish to Manchester before the curse kicks in....” and that was that.

All the engines looked at one another, even Gordon & Henry, Despite Usually Being Suspicious of these stories looked at each other worriedly, Granted, they were present during the incident...

Much later into the night, Henry was sent to collect the Flying Kipper. He backed onto it slowly, dashing his eyes about... being reminded of the incident made him rather wary of the trucks. The Signal turned green, and Henry steamed off... I wonder if those trucks really were cursed... don’t you?