After the short eventful visit from Eli the red LNER A4, the engines of the Josephine Railway were now anxious and concerned about the Railway inspector visiting. This was a make-or-break moment for them.

One evening before the inspector arrived, Mr. Franklin and his family have gathered up all the engines in the sheds. They all had worked as hard as they can, and they got the yards as clean as ever, the coaches and trucks all in their proper position, and the stations were all cleaned up.

"Now, everyone. I am sure you are aware of the railway inspector." Mr. Franklin began to explain. "This was bound to happen eventually, but we will just have to stick with it and keep going."

"I agree." Jonson spoke up.

"Also, I've been having to deal with British Railways." Caitlyn added in. "For the past three months, they've been pestering us into merging with them, and modernising the railway."

"You would never do that, would you?" Jane

"No, of course not. I would never do that." Caitlyn shook her head.

"Don't you worry, all of you." Mr. Franklin reassured to them. "We will get through this, and whatever comes our way, we will work through it."

"Gave a good sleep, everyone." Josephine said to the engines, and they headed off to their car for home, the engines now going to sleep.

~*~*~

The next day, Mr. Franklin was down at the platform at Barrow-in-Furness, waiting for the inspector to arrive on Pip and Emma's train. Braedey was also sitting by the platform with two coaches coupled up behind him.

After only half an hour, the sound of an approaching high-speed diesel could be heard, Mr. Franklin looking to see Pip and Emma heading towards the station. He smiled in response, but internally, he was dreading of what might happen.

The blue Intercity 125 train pulled up at the platform, with many passengers disembarking to get on other connecting trains. As he looked on, Mr. Franklin now saw a well-dressed gentleman step out of one of the coaches, and saw the owner of the Josephine Railway.

"You must be Mr. Franklin of the Josephine Railway." The gentleman said to the man.

"Of course. I want to say thank you for coming." Mr. Franklin said calmly to him.

"Of course, now if we could talk about the railway." The inspector said. "And just so you know, another inspector will be taking an examination of the engines."

"Of course. I have just the engine to take us along the railway." Mr. Franklin said, turning to Braedey.

The inspector looked at the GWR 4900 Class engine with curiosity, while also boarding the train with the other passengers and Mr. Franklin alongside him. Among the passengers that boarded the coaches were a four-person family known as the Silverbacks.

The father, Scorcher Silverback, is a lean, muscular young man of average height with a slightly tan skin tone, black eyes, spiky pink-colour hair, and has abnormal sharp canines; he has a scar on the right side of his neck, hidden by his scarf. He has on an open-collar, one-sleeved long black overcoat, which is tucked in. The sleeve covers his left arm with a faux leather brown armband, leaving his mark, as well as his entire right arm, consequently exposed, a leather brown belt around his waist with an oval-shaped silver buckle, white knee-length trousers with black ribbon ties, a thick black wristband on his left wrist, and black open-toed sandals.

The wife, Sheeva Silverback, is a woman with short jaw-length violet-coloured hair and green eyes with a round face, her skin having a gentle tone. She has a slender yet curvy hourglass body. Her attire consists of a lime green-coloured blouse with a green neckline and trim, complimented by a long, white skirt. She is also wearing green boots.

The first of the two daughters, by the name of Emma, is a kind girl like her mother and father. She is 16 years old. She has blue eyes and has an innocent and childlike expression on her face. Her reddish hair is tied up in two short pigtails with orange bows. She has on a pale blue mini skirt, a pink, sleeveless top with a dark blue centre and a folded collar with another orange ribbon tied around it, a heart emblem on her left breast and an "X" on her right. She has short white gloves coupled with orange wristbands on top of a longer pink fabric reaching her upper arms and kept in place by armbands that match the ones on her wrists. For hosiery, she has long black stockings and white leg-warmers atop black shoes.

The second daughter, by the name of Maria, is 10 years old, a petite girl with fair skin. She has long, dark blue hair reaching down to her waist, with two bangs framing her face that reach down to her chest alongside her brown eyes. She has on a flowing dress with a triangular pattern near the top and crossing pattern around the rest of the dress. She wears a thick band around each of her arms and ankle tied sandals on her feet.

"This is gonna be fun." Maria said to her parents.

"Ease up, Maria. We're going to get to where we're going." Scorcher reassured softly to his daughter.

"We will get there, please sit down." Sheeva asked to her, Maria begrudgingly sitting down in her seat next to her mother.

Once all the passengers had boarded, the guard blew his whistle and waved his green flag. At once, Braedey pulled out of the station, heading on forth to the Josephine Railway with a blast of his whistle.

Soon, the inspector had seen the whole railway. He had seen the signals, checked the points, he even took a look at the rolling stock, as well as the coaling plant and goods. He also took a look at the schedules to see if there's any flaws and such, but nothing seemed to catch his attention. He even saw the efficiency of the railway. He was rather impressed by what he's seen.

"I must say, this railway has really surpassed all of my expectations." The inspector said finally when they moan stood at the platform of Marion Station. "The signals and junctions are functional, the coaling plant running efficiently, and have to say, the stations are in immaculate condition."

"Well, thank you." Mr. Franklin said with relief.

"But, there are some things I think could improve the railway. One: is the inclusion of an airfield. That way, people can come straight to the island without having to make so many stops." The inspector suggested to the controller.

"I had some thoughts about that." Mr. Franklin said. "Some people do prefer air travel over long distances."

"Indeed, and I was thinking, about replacing some of the ste...." The inspector was then cut off.

"Out of the question!" Mr. Franklin stated firmly with a sharp tone of voice. "These engines are preserved and will NOT be scrapped or replaced, regardless if they are steam or diesel." He stated firmly.

"But, we have many different, and newer engines that can be more efficient." The inspector insisted to him.

"I don't care!" Mr. Franklin spoke back. "This railway have been powered by steam since its opening in '72, and I don't intend to change anything as of now." He then kept calm. "Thank you for your time, I will see to some of your suggestions. Please leave them at my desk in my office, and I'll mail them back to you in due time." He asked.

A little later, Mr. Franklin sat in his office, drinking a cup of coffee, and he took a look at the list that had been left behind by the inspector. Some of the things he didn't like on it, however there were others he liked:

1. Increasing number of coaches on one train
2. Adding electric engines to help along the mainline
3. Building an airfield to help with the transporting
4. Add in more water towers and coal depots
5. Scrapping some of the older steam engines

When Mr. Franklin read the 2nd and 5th suggestion, he immediately crossed them off with a red highlighter. "None of the engines will be scrapped!" He stated firmly, and he mailed it back at once without a second thought. But now, he had to worry about the second inspector that'll arrive tomorrow.

~*~*~

Meanwhile, the Silverback family had taken the chance to enjoy the tourist trains around the railway. Maria and Emma were curious and excited whenever they saw the engines going by, all of them smiling at the tourists and those they know around them.

"There's so many engines." Maria said happily in awe. "I can't keep track of them."

"Yeah. They all look so happy and cheerful." Emma added in with a nod.

"This railway is their livelihood, girls." Scorcher said to his daughters. "Without it, they wouldn't be here at all, and that wouldn't be any good."

Eventually, the train stopped at the station Forest Halt. The station had a platform with a station building, with a loop track to allow one train to pass while one's in the station. There's also grassy stretches of land, as well as huge trees that covered over areas to give shade and comfort for those. Once there, the Silverback family disembarked the train and watched as the engine, which happened to be Jane, puff away down the line with the coaches.

"Hey, that engine looks just like the blue tank engine from Sodor." Emma noticed the red E2.

"Maybe they're related." Scorcher took a guess. "Now come on. Let's go and enjoy our time out here." With that, the family headed off to enjoy their time, as well as get a place in a hotel nearby the railway.

~*~*~

The next morning, the engines were sitting at the sheds, all of them waiting patiently for when the second inspector arrived. After the first inspector, they were uncertain about this next one and what'll happen.

"What do you think this inspector will be like?" Jane whispered to Belle and Liliana.

"No clue." Anna sighed, her with the other big engines looking to see a black car pull up to the main station. "But I think we're about to find out soon enough."

"Well, here we go..." Braedey said softly to everyone.

A woman in a formal black dress stepped out of the car. She held a clipboard in one hand, and she began to immediately write things on the clipboard. The woman now eyed the engines with sharp suspicion. She looked at the big locomotives, putting some notes down. She then looked at Jane, Liliana, Austin, Max, Belle, Kieron and Jonson, and she jotted down on the clipboard. She did the same to the other engines. After a few minutes, she was finished as she walked over to Mr. Franklin and his wife.

"Well, some of these engines are antique and should be withdrawn immediately! For example, that little four-wheel tank engine. She's obviously not fit for service and shouldn't be allowed on public railways!" The woman ranted. This was met with angry whistles and horns from all the engines.

"Liliana is a really useful locomotive!" Jane spoke out. "She's newer than any one of us put together."

"She's the one keeping our tracks in one piece." Jonson added in. "She can NEVER be withdrawn!"

"BE SILENT, you useless kettles!" The inspector snapped, Caitlyn clenching her fists. "Secondly, that huge red engine." She gestured to Anna. "Her class of engine shouldn't even exist! Where did you find her? Don't bother answering. She is too dirty and inefficient for express duties."

"Anna is a reliable engine, and one of the fastest." Jonson snapped.

"That's right. Anna is a tough one." Diana added in.

"Nobody can replace her. She's a one-of-a-kind." Jane included next.

"BE QUIET, YOU!!" The inspector spoke rudely. Caitlyn then gritted her teeth. "Now, as for the big engines here, I suggest you replace them all with high speed and efficient diesel locomotives or even electric ones, and donate these engines to museums or scrap them." She said without any remorse.

"How dare you!" Braedey thundered, as if his voice had strength to shake the very tracks.

"Have us donated?!?" Charlotte echoed. "I've already been in one! I'm not going back!"

"You can never get rid of us!" Diana added.

"Same here." Kieron agreed.

"Another word out of any of you, I'll send you off at once!" The inspector snapped. Caitlyn had been getting more and more furious, and she looked like she was about to go off like a stick of dynamite. "Now, as for some of these tank engines here." The inspector now looked to Jane. "I'd say they've had enough time in the world. They should all be withdrawn, and have a newer engine replace them at once."

Caitlyn finally had enough; she couldn't restrain herself anymore. So, before her husband could even stop her, she let out a loud yell, and she punched the inspector right in the face, breaking her nose in the process, and she fell to the ground!

The engines were shocked by this. Caitlyn, the most level-headed, calm, and relaxed woman of the family, had just reacted out of anger and struck a person.

"HOW MANY TIMES MUST WE GET IT THROUGH YOUR HEADS!?!? THESE ENGINES ARE PRESERVED AND WORK ON THIS RAILWAY!!! NO ONE WILL BE WITHDRAWN, DONATED, OR SCRAPPED!!" Caitlyn began to rant on with such explicit and vulgar language, to the engine's surprise and shock.

Mr. Franklin and his children eventually restrained their wife and mother, the blonde woman eventually calming down as she walked away. As this happened, Mr. Franklin helped the inspector to her feet. "I am so sorry about my wife. I've never seen her do that ever." He apologised. He then got serious. "We also don't plan on joining British Railways with the Modernisation Plan, and your attitude to my engines or staff will not be tolerated. Please take your leave." He said to her.

The woman shook her head, while gripping her broken nose. "You will regret this." She swore, and she headed off to her car, driving away.

Over at Marion Station, the Silverback family were looking at the map of the railway to see where they would go to next, when they overheard the yelling and the angry whistling and horns from the sheds. They looked to see what was going on over there, but they couldn't hear what was happening.

"What's going on there, Dad?" Emma asked.

"Not sure. Maybe someone made a mistake." Scorcher shrugged back. 

Caitlyn, after her outburst, had finally calmed down and turned to fade the engines, who all were shocked and in surprise and silent from what they saw. "I am so sorry you all had to see that. "I'm sorry everyone. I was just so angry, I couldn't hold it in anymore."

"It's okay, ma'am." Braedey reassured to Caitlyn. "We have been there. Sometimes, we get so steamed up, we want to let it out against something or someone."

"Aye." Jonson agreed.

"Been there, done that." Kieron chuffed.

"Fortunately, we've got safety valves and cylinder cocks to let off steam whenever that happens." Jane joked. Everyone else laughed at the joke, even Mr. Franklin and his family. The engines always seem to know how to make them laugh at the oddest of things.

After the inspector left, however, the joking stopped. Caitlyn had been sued for assaulting a member of the British Railways board, but that was a mistake since Caitlyn and Mr. Franklin had an ally in the form of both Sir Topham Hatt and Emily Helen Hatt, who fought alongside the two. British Railways was then sued for trying to force the Josephine Railway to join them, after making steam the form of traction on the railway, and trying to get them to join the modernisation plan. After that, it damaged British Railways' reputation, and they stopped pestering the railway after that.

~*~*~

A few days later, Braedey had stopped at Lakeside Station with his local train to see Caitlyn standing on the platform, and she seemed to be calm and relaxed.

"Morning, ma'am." Braedey greeted.

"Oh, hello, Braedey." Caitlyn smiled gently.

"Are you feeling better, after what happened with the inspector?" Braedey asked hesitantly.

"Oh, I'm feeling better now. Just have to wear this on my wrist." Caitlyn showed she has a BPM watch to watch her heart rate. "If it gets too high, I just have to meditate to calm down." She added.

"Oh, that's good to hear." Braedey smiled.

"Excuse me." The two were interrupted when Scorcher and his family walked up. "You don't mind if we take a picture with you?" Scorcher asked to the crimson locomotive.

"Oh, of course. Your kids can stand on my buffer beam if they'd like to." Braedey offered. "Just be careful."

Emma and Maria, being careful, climbed up onto the buffer beam of the crimson locomotive, with Sheeva and Scorcher standing next to Braedey. Caitlyn smiled at the sight of the family's smiles, and she took the picture. Once done so, she handed it to them to show how good is the picture.

"Oh, that's great. Thank you so much." Sheeva thanked, shaking hands with Caitlyn. She turned to Braedey as her children climbed back on the platform. "And thank you so much for your patience."

"Oh, don't you worry about that. We don't really have stringent of a schedule." Braedey reassured to her. "If you wish, I'm heading off to Barrow-in-Furness."

"Thank you very much." Scorcher thanked back to the crimson locomotive, he, Sheeva, and the girls boarding the train with Caitlyn alongside.

Once all were onboard, Braedey blew his whistle, and he puffed off down the tracks through the forest off towards Barrow-in-Furness.

~*~*~
A/N: Scorcher, Sheeva, Maria, and Emma Silverback all belong to RickyArgueta60