Duke the Lost Engine

"Duke the Lost Engine" was first published in 1970. It was written by the Reverend W. Awdry and illustrated by Gunvor and Peter Edwards.

=Stories=

Granpuff
Duke, Falcon and Stuart are three engines who live on the Mid Sodor Railway. Duke is a pompous engine who wants everything "just right", and if something goes wrong he says "that would never suit His Grace (the Duke of Sodor)", but Falcon and Stuart are cheeky, often making fun of Duke, or "Granpuff" as they nickname him, until he tells them the story Stanley, a rough engine who was pushed by being turned into a pumping engine. The three have many adventures together, until their line closes down. Falcon and Stuart are purchased, sent to the Skarloey Railway, repainted red instead of their respectively blue and green and renamed Sir Handel and Peter Sam respectively, but Duke isn't wanted. His crew shelter him in his shed and leave. Duke, unaware that the new Duke (the old one was killed during World War I), goes to sleep, while his line falls into disarray. ..

Bulldog
Sir Handel and Peter Sam, disheartened after finding the Duke was a person, tell the engines about Duke. Duncan is dismissive, but Skarloey asks the two to tell them about him.

In the old days of the line, when Sir Handel was blue and named Falcon, the Manager arranged for him to double-head a train with Duke to learn the "mountain road". Falcon ignores Duke's warnings, and soon derails, hanging dangerously over the edge. Duke holds back, and soon gathers enough strength to pull Falcon back. Falcon is grateful, but Duke says he only did what he did because he didn't want Falcon's paint spoilt if he rolled down the mountain!

You Can't Win
Duke is old, and after being cleaned one day Stuart jokes that he and Falcon will have to keep him in order. Duke shrugs it off, and collects his picnicing passengers. However, his valves begin leaking, and after stopping at Arlesdale Green, waits for Falcon and Stuart to come help. At the next station, Falcon takes Duke's passengers while Stuart takes Falcon's train with Duke coupled behind. Duke and his driver, hearing Stuart's triumphant chortles, make a plan, and on the last hill he gives a great effort. At the station, a boy enquires as to why there were two engines, to which his father replies Stuart needed help, so Duke came, making Stuart disappear in a furious cloud of steam.

Sleeping Beauty
The Small Controller, the Thin Clergymen and the Fat Clergyman hear the story of Duke, and go looking for him. They have a hard job, and at first their only rewards are scratches and cuts, although they remain optimistic. At last, they find Duke after the Fat One stumbles and lands (painfully, legs astride) on Duke's boiler. Although Duke is apprehensive of them at first, calling them vandals, he cheers up when he finds the Duke is coming. Duke is, to his dismay, sent to Arlesdale by lorry, but is happier to discover he is still popular, and Donald carries him to the Skarloey Railway on a lowloader. Later, Sir Handel and Peter Sam find him beside the shed, and tease him by saying they can now keep him in order. Duke plays along with their joke, and when they eave, falls asleep happily in the sunshine.

=Featured Characters=
 * Skarloey
 * Sir Handel/Falcon
 * Peter Sam/Stuart
 * Duncan
 * Duke
 * Rex
 * Bert
 * Mike
 * Donald (does not speak)
 * Duck (does not speak)
 * Rheneas (cameo only)
 * Douglas (cameo only)
 * Oliver (cameo only)