Services

**Services** is the eleventh episode of the third season of the Stories of Sodor and the forty-sixth episode overall.

Services/Transcript

## Plot

As long-lasting as Britain's railways have been, they wouldn't have been that way without the support of essential services. The Fire and Rescue Service originates from when the Furness Railway closed down after an explosion; This proved how vulnerable a railway could be. Because of the closure, there was conveniently a well-maintained fleet of mix-traffic locomotives available for use, which the Railway Board immediately took control of. The Fire & Rescue Service was founded and named from the fact that the Board didn't want to pay to repaint the engines. Throughout the nation, the engines served as firefighters. Edward then also reveals that Mickey is his brother in a technical sense. The Board had made plans to build more engines, aside from the ones they already owned. Mickey was built in 1912, but didn't arrive on Sodor until 1923, and has been a welcome addition to the Island ever since.

One day, Edward, Mickey and Diesel are talking to Wilbert Awdry who offers to write about Mickey in a future book, though he prefers not to get the attention. Wilbert decides to write about James for his next book, much to Diesel's annoyance. Mickey then wonders if Diesel would be modest if Wilbert a wrote about him. After he, Edward and Diesel discuss the story potential for Diesel's book, when they hear thunder as Wilbert leaves Sodor. Mickey complains about rainy conditions, as Diesel thinks the storm will be lasting for a few days, though Edward is skeptical in believing the weather forecast, given their inaccuracy.

Soon, the storm begins its rampage across Sodor. The flood also closes down tracks, such as the one leading to the Toryreck Mines. Mickey and his workmen worked hard, banking Peter up Gordon's Hill, clearing the line of any fallen trees and branches, pulling Gordon out of a mudslide and helping Neil and Adam evacuate the China Clay Pits.

A week after the storm began, Thomas and Kate are at Marston Heights Coal Mine. Kate tells Thomas they had a flood drill the week before, as the men are working underground and during these downpours, the tunnels can flood and they need to react. Suddenly, they hear a sound coming from the entrance. Thomas and Kate go over to find that a mud pile has trapped them inside. To make matters worse, Kate notices the water is beginning to pond.

At Crovan's Gate Works, Mickey learns about Thomas and Kate's situation and sets off quickly to the rescue. He arrives at the scene, and Kate tells him that all the workmen have gotten out. Since the water is rising fast, Mickey tells Thomas and Kate to drop their fires while the workmen work through the mudslide. Workmen pour out of the Works Unit carriages with spades and shovels and begin shovelling through the mudslide.

Two hours later, the workmen are still working through the mud and the water level is up to Thomas and Kate's buffer beams. Mickey finally realises how long the task is taking. A workman named Sam remarks that Terence could plough through, if he wasn't having maintenance. This gives Mickey an idea to use a snowplough to ram into the mud, since the rain has made the mud soft. Mickey tells Sam to run to the signalbox to tell Sir Topham Hatt to call over two mixed-traffic engines right away.

Soon, James and Donald arrive, with the former having brought his snowplough. Mickey instructs the two mix-traffic engines that he and them will couple up together and charge at the mudslide. Mickey goes over to couple up behind Donald, as James gripes about working with mud. Soon, the three engines have been coupled up together and have backed up some distance so they can gain speed and momentum. They charge into the pile at full speed, making a sizable dent in it before they back up to try again. This time, they successfully break through. Mickey congratulates Donald and James, as he remarks he'll need a repaint once they're done.

Soon, the mudslide had been cleaned up and Thomas and Kate were pulled out. They hadn't suffered any serious damage, however, the mine had. The rain finally stopped after three days, and it took another week to empty out all the water. After thoroughly inspecting the mine, the extent of the damage was revealed. However, since it had been nationalised and was an important asset to the National Coal Board, a massive reconstruction effort was undertaken. The China Clay Pits had also been seriously damaged by the rainfall, but as it was privately owned, repairs were too expensive and it had to close, much to the dismay of the engines on the Brendam Branch. Neil was especially depressed losing his home. However, he was able to find work at the Killdane Scrapyard which needed another engine after its previous one had broken down.

At Joey's annual security lecture at Vicarstown on August 27th, 1949, Neil talked about how wonderful his new job is to Percy, Samantha, Edward and Joey. Joey then tells the engines to get back on topic, and warns them to be aware of any suspicious talks or activities as Britain's security could depend on it. Joey concludes his lecture with the threat of communism having to be taken with utmost seriousness. Samantha then asks Joey about the first case he ever worked, as she hadn't met a police engine before she arrived on Sodor. Edward, Neil and Percy are also interested to know about Joey's first case as well, so Joey begins his story.

When the Fire and Rescue Service was formed, the Railway Board decided to have a Police Force to compliment it. The Railway Security Directorate was formed. Instead of having its own fleet, locomotives from other companies were simply repurposed as police engines to ensure the security of the railways. The RSD was incorporated into MI5 in 1943 and was renamed the Railway Inspector's Unit.

The first case Joey had worked was in 1928. He had been built the year before and was assigned to the RSD under the tutelage of Lenny, a hard-nosed officer. Before telling the engines about his first case, Joey told them about the first engine he pulled over, who was Wendell. Joey was going to give him a ticket for speeding, but decides to let him off with a warning before Wendell sets off again. Later, Joey told Lenny about his first solo patrol and how he let off Wendell with a warning since he was remorseful and decided to show him leniency. Lenny then informs Joey that criminals are masters at faking remorse and even if they are sincere, they still broke the law and he needs to be firm and unflinching in his duties, as compassion has no place in the law.

However, Joey's story is interrupted when the stationmaster informs him that he is needed over at Barrow-in-Furness immediately. Edward hopes it isn't anything serious and hopes to hear Joey's case sometime. Joey departs saying, "Until then, that's a story for another day!"

Soon, Joey arrives at Barrow and meets up with Eliza and Lenny. Joey remarks how much of a coincidence it is since he was about to tell some of the engines on Sodor about their first case they worked together. Lenny remembers that as well, but says that one of those engines won't get to hear it, as an arrest warrant had been issued for that engine, which is a world first and He and Inspector Eliza are both at Barrow to carry the charge out and will need Joey's help. The charge for the arrest warrant is war crimes, coming from Geneva. Joey sighs, saying that he should have known that this would catch up to  him eventually and isn't looking forward to it…

## Characters

* Thomas
* Edward
* James
* Percy
* Donald
* Diesel
* Samantha
* Neil
* Kate
* Mickey
* Joey
* Lenny
* Wendell
* Wilbert Awdry
* Fire and Rescue Workmen
* Railway Worker
* Winston *(does not speak)*
* Albert *(does not speak)*
* Eliza *(does not speak)*
* Peter *(does not speak)*
* Henry *(cameo)*
* Gordon *(cameo)*
* Douglas *(cameo)*
* Eric *(cameo)*
* Adam *(cameo)*
* Reginald *(cameo)*
* Clive *(cameo)*
* Duncan *(cameo)*
* Trevor *(cameo)*
* Terence *(mentioned)*
* The Fat Controller *(mentioned)*

## Trivia

* The events of this episode take place in 1948 and 1949. Joey's story takes place in 1928.
* Joey mentions that China has fallen to Communism, but his speech is on August 27th, and the People's Republic of China wasn't formally proclaimed until October 1, 1949.