Day of the Deltic

"Day of the Deltic" is the 15th episode of The British Railway Series: The End of the LNER.

Plot
In the weeks following Nigel's disappearance and return, the engines are still unsure about who moved Nigel to the Out of Use line. Gronk, meanwhile, is feeling very guilty, as he hadn't known that Nigel would be on that line.

One day, the engines are talking about the incident, when a sudden arrival startles them: a large blue diesel which sits almost silently in front of the engines. The engines begin to talk about the diesel's shape and livery, and see that the name of the diesel is Deltic. All of a sudden, however, Deltic vanishes, and that night, he is all that the engines can talk about. Next morning, Gronk wakes up to find Deltic on a siding near the yard. He goes over to say hello, but Deltic doesn't reply. Gronk is just about to leave, when Deltic suddenly says that Gronk is hiding something, and asks him who he was told to remove. Gronk leaves without replying, and Deltic falls silent again.

Gronk is worried all day, and is frightened when he returns to his siding that evening. Deltic is also on the siding, and he begins to interrogate Gronk, finally making him confess about moving Nigel to the Out of Use line. Deltic then tells Gronk that steam engines will soon be banished from British Railways, and that Modernisation is taking place quickly. He soon stops talking, and Gronk is left feeling very guilty indeed, unaware that Nigel had never actually been going for scrap.

Later that night, Allen and Sir Ralph are arguing about express duties when Deltic pulls up in front of them. Soon, he has told all of the engines the same thing that he told Gronk earlier, and finally, he reveals the truth about Gronk moving Nigel. He leaves the engines in absolute shock, but not before Allen stands up to the diesel. He threatens Allen, but ends up over-revving his engine and flees. The engines are all furious with Gronk, but Allen tries to point out that they have never really treated Gronk as an equal, but fails. They suddenly notice Deltic passing the yard again, but as he runs past, loud bangs suddenly erupt from his engine, and he stops dead in front of the signal gantry.

Deltic is moved into the sidings and Allen takes his train for him. Early next morning, just as Deltic is about to be taken away, he apologises to Gronk, telling him that he is a good diesel and asking Gronk to forgive him. He falls completely silent before he can tell Gronk what to forgive him for, and he is taken away.

That night, Gronk is interrogated by the steam engines. Whilst Allen believes that Gronk didn't mean to send Nigel for scrap, everybody else believes that Gronk should be punished, Geoffrey even saying that Gronk should be thrown out of the shed. Allen soon manages to point out to the others that Gronk was obeying the Foreman's orders, leading to Nigel and Sir Ralph to stop and wonder if they would have done the same. Geoffrey, however, still believe that Gronk should be thrown out, and an uproar breaks out from the tank engines, only to be stopped by a loud, furious shout.

Stephen backs down onto the shed looking furious. Everybody tries to explain what is happening, but Stephen bellows at them to be quiet. He then asks Allen, who tells him everything that has happened. After talking briefly to the tank engines, Stephen turns back to Gronk, telling him that he must leave Copley Hill. He tells Gronk that he can work at Leeds Central instead. As Stephen kindly says that he will come and see Gronk later, the little shunter sadly leaves Copley Hill.

Stephen then turns his attention to the other engines. He angrily tells them that they have disgraced their heritage, and that the end of steam really is coming. He reveals that he is now the last engine of his kind left, and that there is no hope for any of the engines if the Preserved Engines List can't fit an engine like Flying Scotsman onto it. He then leaves the yard, leaving the engines shocked and realizing that the end is coming for them all...

Meanwhile, Gronk arrives at Leeds Central, where several steam engines are waiting on the Out of Use line. He goes up to the diesels, and 1 of them flashes its red lights.

Characters

 * Allen
 * Stephen
 * Sir Ralph
 * Herbert
 * Nigel
 * Geoffrey
 * Gronk
 * Deltic
 * The Green Works Diesel (does not speak)
 * Tavish (does not speak)
 * Arthur (cameo)
 * Brush (cameo)
 * The Claud Hamilton (cameo)
 * A LNER J94 (cameo)
 * A LNER J72 (cameo)
 * A L&YR 21 Pug (cameo)
 * A LMS 4F (cameo)
 * A BR Class 25 (cameo)
 * Scott (mentioned)
 * Jerry (mentioned)
 * Clan Stewart (mentioned)

Goof

 * As Stephen arrived back at Copley Hill to stop the argument, his face was wet due to the smoke generator fluid in which his model was equipped.