A not so Happy New Year

A Not So Happy New Year
A Not So Happy New Year is the start of 'The Last Year' saga. It was written by Michael White.

Plot
The Model Engineers Society are preparing for the new year and with it the new roles that are given to various members of the society. Casey is especially looking forward to becoming in charge of express trains, which truthfully are no different to his own passenger trains with the addition of an extra coach. But no word of these new roles have been brought up and only the Chairman knows who is doing what come the New Year.

When the New year arrives, The Chairman sadly informs that the coming year is to be the Railway's last year in operation as a new bypass is due to make its way through the railway's land. The society was not informed of the coming of the project until a few days ago when the deadline for an appeal had concluded several months prior.

Upset by the news, everyone wonders what they are going to do and what could the future bring for their little railway.

Trivia

 * Although this story was originally a work of fiction, the events are inspired by the closure of the Real Miniature Railway and how the society are trying to save it from being closed down. Unlike in the story, the news of the closure was given on the week of the society's 75th Anniversary, when plans were going to be made for new projects that would bring even more enthusiasm for model engineers. Sadly these plans were dropped.