Rheneas' Risky Ride

**Rheneas' Risky Ride** is the eighteenth episode of the first season.

## Plot

It was a cool day on the Island of Sodor and the engines on the Skarloey Railway were doing their usual jobs. Today was an important day as some railway inspectors were to be visiting The engines weren't as pleased however as the railway inspectors had came to the railway a couple of times and they were very bossy, and plus wrote bad reviews about the railways.

"Why are those railway inspectors coming to our railway again?!" fumed Rusty.

"I don't know," huffed Bertram, "but last time they visited here, they were very bossy indeed, making rude remarks about us engines and even the environment."

"I remember last time they visited the railway, Sir Handel was tasked to show them around," chuffed Rheneas, "but it didn't turn out well."

"He bumped the carriages in anger," said Rusty, "and then the railway was definitely given a bad review."

"And it wasn't even his fault," added Rheneas, "the inspectors were hurling insults at him for no given reason and he eventually just snapped at them. That makes me wonder, but why does the Thin Controller never believe that it's the inspectors that are causing all the trouble? It doesn't make sense?"

"I don't know, Rheneas," sighed Rusty, "but it seems the Thin Controller just

"Am not takin' the railway inspectors either." huffed Duncan. "They ain't gonna give me grief!"

"Then who will be chosen to take the inspectors around the island this year?" asked Bertram.

"Shouldn't we be doing work here rather then sitting in the sheds?" asked Skarloey.

"I think you're right." said Rheneas.

"Then come on everybody, time to work." Skarloey said sternly and the other engines chuffed off to work.

A few days later, the Thin Controller came to the sheds. "Rheneas, I want you to show the railway inspectors around the island." he said.

"Yes sir." said Rheneas, but he wasn't happy that he was taking the railway inspectors.

"I feel sorry for you, Rheneas." sighed Bertram, "Taking those mean passengers."

"Good luck." called Rusty.

"I will, Rusty, I hope." Rheneas worried as he chuffed away. When Rheneas arrived at the station, the railway inspectors were in the building, Mighty Mac were at the station too collecting some passengers.

"So are you taking the railway inspectors this year?" asked Mighty.

"Yes." sighed Rheneas.

"Good luck," chuffed Mac, "those inspectors are so mean to us engines."

"Yeah, what he said." huffed Mighty. Then the railway inspectors exited the station and saw Rheneas, they scoffed.

"Who is this little engine here?" asked one of the inspectors rudely.

"He looks old-fashioned to me." said another.

Rheneas was furious "Why you little-"

"Woah Rheneas, keep your cool!" Mighty puffed.

"I'll try." Rheneas huffed.

"Anyway, let's board this stupid coach and let's see what this stupid railway looks like now." said one of the railway inspectors. Rheneas wanted to respond back to the railway inspectors, but didn't want to get into trouble by the Thin Controller.

The first place Rheneas visited was Sodor Castle.

"Puh!" snorted one of the inspectors. "What's this old-fashioned castle?"

"It looks incredibly **ugly**!" another one remarked.

"It's Sodor Castle!" Rheneas huffed, the railway inspector was cross.

"You dare talk to me like that little engine, I'll report this to the Thin Controller." Rheneas was shocked.

"Mr. Percival to you!" he said crossly.

"Whatever," the inspector scoffed and then Rheneas remained in silence after that and chuffed away.

Then they arrived at Valley View. "That view looks terrible." commented one of the railway inspectors.

"Certainly not for me to look at." another said. Rheneas' driver heard the inspectors and was cross.

"If you inspectors keep making rude remarks about the railway, then I'll tell Mr. Percival never to bring you to this railway again." he warned. But the railway inspectors didn't care, Rheneas rolled his eyes and set off.

Then they came to the viaduct. "This viaduct looks old. It should be scrapped!" scowled a railway inspector, Rheneas' fireman heard them and responded back.

"Excuse me. But this viaduct is called Rheneas Viaduct and it was named after this engine here."

"So this engine's name is Rheneas?" said a railway inspector. "That's a weird name..."

"Plus, a silly one!" the other one retorted Rheneas was about to fume with rage, but then his driver called him.

"Calm it, Rheneas!" he said. "Ignore the inspectors and chuff to the next location."

"If they dare make one rude remark," Rheneas chuffed, "then I'm not going anywhere else, someone else can handle them." so he tried to ignore the inspectors as he puffed away.

Rheneas was puffing along the line still trying to ignore the inspectors, who were talking to each other inside the coach about the railway. He was so busy thinking of what they would say next, that he didn't notice that the points were leading to the mountains rather then the station. Rheneas suddenly noticed he was on the wrong track. "Oh no, this is the wrong track! I must stop!" he cried, he tried to stop but he couldn't. Rheneas raced past Rusty who was doing track repairs.

"Be careful!" warned Rusty. Then he raced on the Rocky Ridge Line, he was now a runaway.

"HELP!" cried Rheneas, the inspectors were surprised, they rocked and rolled, and bounced about like peas in a pan all over the carriage. Rheneas didn't notice and was going even faster and faster, his driver applied the brakes, but Rheneas still didn't stop, he just went faster and faster. He raced across the Trestle Bridge, he was going so fast that an inspector's hat nearly blew off.

"Hold onto your hats!" cried the inspector. Rheneas splashed under the waterfall. The inspectors covered their eyes in fear.

At last, Rheneas arrived at the station, the Thin Controller was there, Rheneas was worried, what would the Thin Controller say. The railway inspectors were soaking wet after Rheneas went under the waterfall. They were furious.

"Peregrine Percival, I am never traveling in this engine again!" snapped one of the inspectors.

"He bumped us about in the carriage!" snapped another, the Thin Controller was cross.

"Rheneas, you have caused delay and confusion." he said.

"Sorry sir." said Rheneas, but then Rheneas' driver explained to the Thin Controller what actually happened.

"It wasn't Rheneas' fault sir." he said.

"Was it?" asked a puzzled Thin Controller.

"It was..." Rheneas' driver paused for a couple of seconds and then the spoke up... "The Railway Inspectors!" the railway inspectors gasped.

"Why was it their fault?" asked the Thin Controller.

"First they called Rheneas old-fashioned, then they called Sodor Castle old-fashioned, then they said the view at Valley View looked terrible and said that the Rheneas Viaduct is old and should be scrapped." the Thin Controller was cross, he was crosser then he had ever been before.

"You inspectors have been doing nothing but trouble." he boomed. "Calling my railway old-fashioned is not what I like to hear!" the railway inspectors didn't care.

"We don't care about this stupid railway anyway!" said an inspector rudely. The Thin Controller was shocked, he fumed with rage. Rheneas, his crew and the inspectors gasped as the Thin Controller's face grew red and then. "YOU DARE!!!!!!!!!!" he shouted loudly. The railway inspectors shivered. "That's it! You too are fired from being railway inspectors, and I'll report this to your manager." he said crossly. Soon, the manager arrived, the railway inspectors gulped, the manager was very cross.

"I heard from Mr. Percival that you two have been saying that this railway is terrible." he said. "I've visited this railway before and it is beautiful. But you two seem to not care. GET IN THE CAR NOW!" snapped the manager, the inspectors sadly got into the car and the manager drove away. Then the Thin Controller turned to Rheneas. "I apologize for being cross with you." said the Thin Controller.

"It's ok," said Rheneas, "I'm just glad the railway inspectors were punished by their manager."

"Oh sir, remember all the times the inspectors did come and the engines would say that they made rude remarks?"

"Yes." said the Thin Controller quietly.

"Well, you wouldn't believe the engines, but they were right after all."

The Thin Controller froze. "I know," he sighed, "I've been such a bad controller for blaming my engines yet it's their fault." he was sad.

"Don't worry, sir," encouraged Rheneas, "everyone makes mistakes."

"You've made a point there, Rheneas." chuckled the Thin Controller. "I think this is the last we'll see of those inspectors." he said.

"I agree with you sir." wheeshed Rheneas.

"And the railway will be up and running as usual again." the Thin Controller added.

"Though, to be honest, it was kinda funny seeing the inspectors being punished by the manager." said Rheneas meekly.

"Well, I have to agree myself, Rheneas." agreed the Thin Controller and they both laughed.

That night at the sheds, Rheneas was the last engine to come back. "So how was your day then?" asked Rusty.

"It was good," said Rheneas, "but I became a runaway on the Rocky Ridge Line."

"Another runaway?" exclaimed Duncan. "First ye became a runaway when takin' those children on a mountain trip, then another runaway wit' th' railway inspectors." he huffed.

"Yes, but the railway inspectors were calling our railway old-fashioned and everywhere I went the inspectors said rude things about the places. Skarloey was shocked.

"Why would they say such things about our railway?" he asked. "I mean, I know they've made rude remarks about the railway before, but they wouldn't say that it is old-fashioned."

"I know," steamed Rheneas, then when I arrived back at the station, the Thin Controller fired the inspectors and were punished by their manager," he said, "and it was kinda funny."

The engines were surprised. "So the Thin Controller finally believes it was the inspectors?" asked Bertram.

"Yes, he does now." said Rheneas. "My driver explained everything to him."

"Well, thankful for that." sighed Rusty.

"Though, I have to agree with you, Rheneas," chuckled Bertram, "it was sort of funny that the inspectors got punished.

"I agree." said Rusty.

"Me too." chuckled Skarloey and all the engines laughed, Duncan wasn't laughing, but he thought it was a bit funny and started to laugh as well. Now, all the engines were laughing, Rheneas was glad that the inspectors had finally come to their fate, he was also pleased to be second leader of the Thin Controller's railway.

## Characters

* Skarloey
* Rheneas
* Rusty
* Duncan
* Bertram
* Mighty Mac
* The Thin Controller
* The Railway Inspectors
* Sir Handel (*does not speak*)
* Peter Sam (*cameo*)
* Duke (*cameo*)

## Locations

* Sodor Castle
* Tea Room Station
* Skarloey Railway Engine Sheds
* Valley View
* Rheneas Viaduct
* Rocky Ridge Line
* Trestle Bridge
* Whispering Waterfall

## Trivia

* A reference to the seventh season episode *Rheneas and the Roller Coaster* is made.