Old ‘Sad Eyes’, aka number 13 ponders over his short and generally miserable life. For most of his time, he’s been in and out of workshops having bits and pieces fixed. Being an unreliable type, he’s very rarely ever been allowed out on express trains, but instead been relegated to backwater goods, breakdown trains and more recently demolition trains. And now he’s residing deep in Forest of Dean almost forgotten pottering about with a few rusty coal wagons getting covered in sticky honeydew from all the aphid covered trees. He’d really love a proper wash and a view looking across wide open fields with the sea beyond, recalling those rare halcyon days taking holiday makers to Devon and beyond.
The other day he heard that some of his old school mates, Class 25 and Hymek have been repainted in some snazzy blue colour with yellow ends, something he can only dream of with his dowdy steam era green honeydew and oil covered coat. But things could be worse, at least he has a small fly covered yellow painted panel, but that addition is from at least 2 or 3 years ago, actually maybe even 4. Maybe just maybe, he’ll be allowed out of The Forest next year for his own new shiny blue coat with full yellow ends.