A Rusty Rescue

By Miipack603

It is a blustery autumn day at the Blue Mountain Quarry, and all the engines work their best against the wind tunnel the valley creates.  All the engines have their own jobs in the quarry:  Rheneas dumps slate at the rock crusher; Luke takes loaded cars from the Upper Terrace down to the standard gauge loading docks, and Peter Sam works with Merrick to bring slate down to the quarry floor.  Rusty works with Owen the Incline, pushing hopper cars onto his platforms day after day after day.  His monotonous workload makes him yearn for something different to do; towards the end of one particular work day, Owen notices Rusty’s discontent. “Aw, cheer up, Rusty!” he says enthusiastically, “The day’s almost done!”

“I know, Owen,” Rusty responds, “I guess I’m just tired is all.”

“Well, we’re all tired, certainly!” Owen chuckles, “It’s been a very busy day."

“No, not like that,” Rusty says, “I’m tired of doing the same job every day.  I’d be grateful for a change of pace every so often.”

“I can see where you’re coming from, Rusty,” Owen says, “Look at me; I can’t move around like you engines can.  But I don’t let that get me down, and you shouldn’t either!  You’ll catch a break one day, I’m sure!” Rusty, however, isn’t so sure.

The engines soon make their way back to the depot, but Rusty hangs back from the group, lost in his thoughts.  Skarloey notices this, and once they arrive at their sheds, he asks Rusty about his behavior.

“It’s nothing, really, Skarloey,” Rusty says, “I’ve just been thinking.”

“What about?” Skarloey asks.
“Well, about my work at the quarry,” Rusty explains, “The rest of you get to move freely about the quarry with your jobs, while I’m usually stuck at the incline.  Nothing against Owen, but I wouldn’t mind a change of pace every once in a while.”

“I know what you mean, Rusty, but you must understand,” Sir Handel explains, “The Blue Mountain Quarry is like a well-oiled machine; we must do each of our parts to keep things running smoothly.  Even the tiniest change to the system could mean disaster for the entire operation!”

“I do understand, Sir Handel,” Rusty complains, “but I don’t see anything wrong with me leaving the incline to do something else at the quarry every so often.”

“Pah!  Puff and nonsense!” Duncan exclaims, “I think yer jus’ being lazy, Rusty.”

“I am not!” Rusty says annoyed.

“Yes ye are,” Duncan retorts, “Ye don; wanne do the work ye were meant fer; in my book, that’s pure laziness.”

“Yeah, and you’re the one to talk about what qualifies as laziness, aren’t ya, Duncan,” Rheneas interjects.

“All right, that’s enough everyone!” Skarloey shouts above everyone else, “We should all get to sleep; tomorrow’s bound to be another busy day.”

The other engines puff back into their sheds; Rusty, on the other hand, sits where he is and sighs.  Suddenly, Peter Sam lights up. “Say, Rusty, I’ve got an idea!” he says excitedly, “I can talk to Luke tomorrow; if he agrees to take your spot at the incline, you can shadow me for the day helping with my jobs.”

“Really?” Rusty says, brightening up, “You’d do that for me, Peter Sam?”

“Of course!” Peter Sam says, “That’s what friends are for,” and the two soon fall asleep.

The next day, Rusty follows Peter Sam to the quarry to help out with his duties.  He puffs over to Luke and offers his proposition; when he returns, a smile spreads across his face.  “Luke would be more than happy to let you work with me,” Peter Sam says.

“Alright,” Rusty says excitedly, “what’s our first job?”

“Well, I’ve got a lot to do, luckily for you,” Peter Sam says, “I have to get some cars from the rock crusher and bring them to the wharf,” he adds, eying the long line of slate cars underneath the hopper.
“Mind if I give it a try?” Rusty asks.

“Sure, why not?” Peter Sam replies.  So Rusty pulls up to the line of cars and begins to pull with all his might, but the cars refuse to move.  He tugs again, but they do not budge.

“Are you alright, Rusty?” Peter Sam asks, noticing his friend’s red face.

“Ay, it’s just –” Rusty pants, “I usually don’t pull more than two or three cars at a time, so I’m not used to these long trains.  These old joints of mine aren’t helping, either,” he adds as he gives another heave.

“Well, well, Rusty,” Duncan, who saw everything from a distance, puffs up to the duo, “Can’t pull some measly slate cars?  Yon diesel’s not that useful, ey, Peter Sam?”

“Be quiet, Duncan,” Peter Sam says sternly, “Never mind him, Rusty,” he adds when Duncan leaves, “I’ll push from behind, and get back here together.  We’ve still got a lot of work to do!”

Rusty smiles at his friend’s attempts, “Thanks, Peter Sam.”  Peter Sam couples up to the back of the train and the two set off.  “Hey Peter Sam, what are those cars over there for?” Rusty asks when he notices a peculiar-looking train on a siding, consisting of a workman’s van and flatbeds of climbing tools and a spotlight.

“That’s the rescue train, and it’s for emergencies only,” Peter Sam says, “If anyone gets stuck here in the quarry and needs help, an engine takes that train up to rescue anyone in danger.”  Rusty ponders this information as they make their way to the wharf.

When they return, Rusty tries his best to keep up with Peter Sam’s duties, but everything he does seems to backfire on him.  Peter Sam tells Rusty to bring some empty cars to the slate cutter beneath Merrick, but winds up above the cutter next to Merrick, earning him some disapproving stares.  Next, Rusty brings some loaded cars down from the Upper Terrace, but he forgets about Sir Handel’s schedule; when Peter Sam come up to check on Rusty’s progress, he finds Rusty and Sir Handel’s cars strewn across the intersection before the bridge over the entrance.  Later that day, Rusty rests in a siding when Peter Sam pulls up alongside him.

“Come on, Rusty,” he says enthusiastically, “I have another job for us.”

“Forget it, Peter Sam,” Rusty says, “I appreciate your attempt to make me feel useful, but it’s just not working out.  Guess I’m just meant to stay stuck on the incline,” he sighs.

“Well, at least ye’d actually be gettin’ some work done,” Duncan suddenly appears next to Rusty and Peter Sam, “None of us want te deal with yer moping around.”

“You’re certainly one to talk about that, Duncan,’ Peter Sam retorts, “I haven’t seen you work here all day!”

“That’s because I’ve been off doing better, more important work,” Duncan says matter-of-factly, “In fact, I’m about to take some workmen up to the Upper Terrace to stabilize one of the tunnels; there have been complaints about some rocks causing a blockade.”

“Are you sure you’re the best engine for the job?” Peter Sam says, smiling, “Remember your last run-in with tunnels?”

“Pah!  I’ll surely fit,” Duncan says snootily, “Besides, they surely want a reliable steamie than a dirty diesel for the job,” he adds as he speeds off.

Rusty sighs, “Maybe I’m not fit for any type of hard work.”

“Nonsense!” Peter Sam says, “You’re a very hard worker; anyone else here can vouch for that.”  He looks up at Owen, “Right, Owen?”

“Oh, absolutely!” Owen replies, “I’ve never seen anybody else shunt cars back and forth as fast as you can, Rusty.”

Rusty smiles slightly, “Thanks you two.  I feel a bit better now.”

Meanwhile, Duncan and the workmen arrive at the unstable tunnel.  The workmen gather their equipment and disappear inside the tunnel to clear the line and stabilize the ceiling.  Duncan waits outside the entrance for what seems like forever.  Finally, he decides to make a move.

“Ugh, this is taking too long,” he whines impatiently, “They probably can’t see anything in there with their tiny little headlamps.” He ponders for a minute, “I know!  I’ll go in with my lamp on; that way, they can see and I can get back to my shed for a rest.”  As a precaution, his fireman decides to stay behind as Duncan and his driver make their way into the tunnel.

Neither of them could know, however, that Duncan’s funnel is too tall to clear the ceiling at some parts; just as Duncan arrives at the workmen, his funnel knocks some rocks loose, causing part of the ceiling to collapse on top of Duncan’s cars, blocking them in!  A stray rock falls and breaks Duncan’s front lamp, cloaking them in darkness.

“Fizzling fireboxes, we’re stuck!” Duncan exclaims; the workmen cry out or help, but they cannot tell if anyone hears them.  Luckily for them, Duncan’s fireman had heard the avalanche and rushed to the nearest telephone box to sound the alarm.

Back on the quarry floor, Peter Sam and Rusty are about to leave with some more cars when they hear the command center blare the emergency siren.

“Oh no, what’s happened!” Rusty exclaims.

The quarry manager rushes over to the duo and explains the situation, “We’ve received word that Duncan and some workmen are blocked in a tunnel on the Upper Terrace,” he pants.

“Oh dear!” Peter Sam says, “Someone needs to get up there and help them!”
“Why should we?” Rusty says angrily, “Serves him right for talking to us like that.”

“Rusty, how can you say something like that!” Peter Sam exclaims, “I mean, I can understand your feelings towards Duncan, but think about the workmen!  They didn’t do anything to you.”

“Well, I guess you’re right about that,” Rusty reluctantly agrees, “Then you should do it, Peter Sam.”

“I don’t think I should,” Peter Sam says, “My pistons could set off another avalanche if I get too close.  You’re quiet enough, Rusty, you should do it!”

“That particular tunnel is more unstable than the others, so Peter Sam does have a point,” the manager agrees.

Rusty considers the situation and his failures earlier in the day; finally, he makes the decision to help his friend.  He couples up to the emergency rescue cars and makes his way up into the mountains.  When he arrives at the tunnel, he slows down to a crawl as he enters; he feels another tremor ripple through the ceiling and refrains from using his horn to announce his arrival to the others.  Soon enough, however, Rusty arrives at Duncan’s end of the blockade, where he sees the workman’s van sticking out from underneath a pile of rocks.  The rescue crew makes quick work of clearing the train, while Duncan and the workmen are overjoyed to see Rusty.

“Rusty!” Duncan exclaims, “Am I glad to see you!  I-I’m sorry abou’ what I said to ye earlier,” he apologizes.

“It’s alright, Duncan,” Rusty says matter-of-factly, “Let’s just get you back to safer grounds.”  Suddenly, they feel another tremor, yet it doesn’t stop; they soon realize that the tunnel could cave in on them at any time!

“Hurry, Duncan!” Rusty exclaims, beginning to back out, “Move those pistons of yours, and quickly!”

“I. .I cannae!” he calls out, “I think there are some rocks cloggin’ me coupling rods!”  The tremors continue to grow, and as more rocks fall, Rusty rushes forward and couples up to Duncan.  He then pulls all of them back as quickly as he can just as the ceiling caves in ahead of them, completely blocking the tracks.  Once safely out of the tunnel, Rusty rests his wheels as the workmen clear Duncan’s wheels of any obstructions.

“Thank ye fer rescuing me, Rusty,” Duncan says gratefully, “I cannae believe ye’d come rescue me after the things I said te ye.”

“Well, as someone once told me not too long ago,” Rusty says, smiling, “That’s what friends are for!”

When the engines return to the quarry floor, Rusty is welcomed as a hero and give high honors from the quarry workers as well as Mr. Percival himself.  When all is said and done, the quarry manager decides to give Rusty the official title of Quarry Rescue Engine for his bravery.  Nowadays, Rusty has returned to his routine of loading cars onto the incline.  He does not mind it as much, however, because whenever an accident occurs or someone gets trapped, he is always called upon to save the day, which is more than he could have asked for when looking for a new job.

## Characters

* Owen
* Rusty
* Sir Handel
* Skarloey
* Duncan
* Peter Sam
* Rheneas
* Rusty's driver
* Mr. Percival
* Workmen
* Blue Mountain Quarry Manager
* Luke (*does not speak*)
* Merrick (*does not speak*)

## Location

* Blue Mountain Quarry
* Skarloey Railway Depot
* Wharf (*mentioned*)

## Trivia

* This is the first time in the TV series to star only the narrow gauge engines.
* This episode was inspired by the Wooden Railway multi-pack, Rusty to the Rescue.