Transcript/Rebecca and Murdoch

**Narrator:** One morning, Murdoch was puffing into Vicarstown Sheds to rest before his next train, when he saw a certain cheerful, yellow tender engine in the left berth.

**Murdoch:** “Oh, uh, hello. I’ve never seen you before, you must be new.”

**Rebecca:** “Weeeell, actually, I have worked on Thomas’ branch line for six months. That’s probably why you’ve never seen me and- Oh sorry, I’m Rebecca by the way.”

**Murdoch:** “Um, Rebecca. Right.”

**Narrator:** Murdoch didn’t expect her to be so lively and full of energy.

**The Fat Controller:** “Ah Murdoch, you’re here.”

**Narrator:** He pulled onto the turntable in Winston, with an urgent job.

**The Fat Controller:** “For the past few days, there had been some terrible fog over the sea, so a huge shipment of steel girders to Scotland has been delayed. So, to try and make up for lost time, I need you and Rebecca to transport the girders from here to Brendam. Do you think you can handle that, Rebecca?”

**Rebecca:** “Delivering steel? With a big, strong engine like Murdoch? Oh, yes please, Sir.”

**The Fat Controller:** “That’s a good engine. Now, on your way please, you two.”

**Narrator:** The two big engines made their way to the yards. When they arrived, they could see a big, silver engine shunting a lot of steel flatbeds. As Murdoch was being coupled up to his first train of girders, he thought he noticed something unusual about that silver engine.

**Murdoch:** “Is it me or did that engine have… three funnels?”

**Narrator:** Soon, he and Rebecca were puffing fast and hard along the mainline. Or at least, Murdoch was, more than Rebecca. She panted along behind, trying to keep up.

**Rebecca:** “My word! This steel is much heavier than I thought."

**Narrator:** To make matters worse for her, they soon approached Gordon’s Hill.

**Rebecca:** “Oooooooh no.”

**Narrator:** She had been up a few inclines on Thomas’ branch line, but not ones as huge as this one. And even she knew that heavy trucks and steep hills don’t go well together. Meanwhile, Murdoch was already at the top of the hill. Since he knew Rebecca wasn’t as strong as him, he decided to wait at the top for her. Eventually, with a huff and a puff, a gasp and a pant, she made it to Murdoch’s buffers. They both raced down the other side.

**Rebecca:** “Bust my buffers! I don’t know how you do it, Murdoch. I mean, you’re carrying 20 heavy, loaded flatbeds, while I’m only pulling five. I knew these trucks were going to be heavy, but not this heavy. Well then again, I spent six months pulling two small coaches.”

**Narrator:** Murdoch was starting to see that Rebecca was quite the chatty engine, even when she’s out of breath. Rebecca couldn’t help talking to him when they arrived at the docks. And during the next two trips. And even when they parked themselves into Knapford Sheds that night.

**Rebecca:** “Honestly, I don’t know how you can pull so many trucks. Does your fireman give you special water that makes you super strong? Oh no wait, it’s because of your ten big drive wheels, isn’t it? The more wheels you’ve got, the stronger you are. I’ve only got six, so I clearly can’t pull as many.”

**Narrator:** At this point, Murdoch was getting tired of her constant talking. He hoped that he would get his lovely peace and quiet once she was asleep. But to his dismay, even her snoring was too loud for him to sleep. It was even louder than Harvey’s snoring. Murdoch grew so fed up, that he decided to move to another shed, further away in the yard. Emily was there.

**Emily:** “Murdoch? What are you doing here? Aren’t you working with Rebecca?”

**Murdoch:** “Well, the thing is… You know on my first day on the railway, I had to deal with Harvey and Salty’s… constant talking?”

**Emily:** “I don’t like where you’re going with this."

**Murdoch:** “Well, it’s happening all over again with her! Even her snoring is too much for me. All I want is some peace and quiet and… I don’t know how to say it to her.”

**Emily:** “Well, if you want my advice? Tell her as politely as possible. No one likes to be yelled at for something as common as talking.”

**Narrator:** Murdoch knew he could do so, but he was longing for some quiet work, he didn’t know if he could. He found out the next morning. Since the two engines had delivered all the girders, the Fat Controller asked them to deliver ice cream tubs to all the beach stations, ready for the afternoon sales.

**Murdoch:** “Now, please, Rebecca, I would like to do this job calmly and quietly.”

**Narrator:** But Rebecca was so excited to be carrying something as special as ice cream, she didn’t stay quiet for long.

**Rebecca:** “Oooh, ice cream! Have you ever delivered ice cream before, Murdoch? If you haven’t, this will be great. You’re going to love seeing the children’s happy faces when they dig into those cones and lollies. Ooh, what flavours do you think are in these vans? Vanilla? Strawberry? Chocolate? Mint? Orange? Raspberry? Oh, there are just so many!”

**Narrator:** Murdoch tried his absolute hardest to resist snapping at her, but…

**Murdoch:** “Alright, that is enough! I can’t take it anymore!”

**Rebecca:** “Wh- What do you mean?”

**Murdoch:** “Your constant, CONSTANT talking. It is too much for me. I mean, firstly, we have jobs that we need to do and secondly, all I want in life is some peace and quiet. I’m not the chatting type, I’d prefer doing quiet work in a quiet environment. If you want to talk endlessly, do that to some other engine, but NOT TO ME!”

**Narrator:** Murdoch breathed heavily. Rebecca was in shock.

**Rebecca:** “Well, uh… I… Well, fine! If you don’t want me to bring joy in my work, I’ll do it somewhere else!”

**Murdoch:** “Rebecca, wait. I didn’t mean to…”

**Narrator:** But she was already too far away to hear. Even if she could, she was too sad and cross with Murdoch to listen anyway. Murdoch was glad that he let out his honest feelings, but he felt much more bad about himself.

**Narrator:** Murdoch still felt as much when he delivered his first load to Tidmouth Beach. Just then, Emily arrived at the station, dropping off some holidaymakers.

**Emily:** “Hi, Murdoch. So, did you talk to Rebecca?”

**Murdoch:** “Well, I did, but…”

**Emily:** “But? What did you say to her?”

**Murdoch:** “Look, I didn’t mean to snap at her. I had so much negativity inside of me that I wanted to let out.”

**Emily:** “So, you yelled at her anyway?!”

**Murdoch:** “I couldn’t help it! I was longing for some quiet.”

**Emily:** “That’s no excuse! You should’ve just asked her politely, like any other engine would. Angry or not, yelling is never the right answer, especially to someone like Rebecca. Where is she?”

**Murdoch:** “Well, she didn’t say where she was going, she just stormed off. Maybe she’s gone to deliver her ice cream load by herself.”

**Emily:** “But, she’s a new engine. She doesn’t know the beach routes. She’s going to end up lost on the other side of the island.”

**Murdoch:** “Oh, you’re right. We’d better find her.”

**Narrator:** So, Emily parked her coaches into the nearest siding, her driver asked the signalman for a spare engine and she and Murdoch started the hunt. They puffed all along the Main Line and called as they went.

**Murdoch:** “REBECCA?

**Emily:** “REBECCA. REBECCA, WHERE ARE YOU?”

**Murdoch:** “REBECCA.”

**Narrator:** Emily was right. Rebecca didn’t know the way to any seaside station. So instead, she arrived at the smelter’s yard, then the Blue Mountain Quarry and she was so lost, that she decided to stay in a siding, just outside of Great Waterton. She was still cross with Murdoch.

**Rebecca:** “How does he find a conversation irritating? Everyone likes a good chat. And a nice someone to talk to. He doesn’t know that! His head is just as hot as his boiler! Hot? The ice cream!”

**Narrator:** She had spent so long in the siding, her load had already melted.

**Rebecca:** “Oh, no. Oh, no, oh, no, oh, no, oh, no, oh, no! The children will be disappointed if they just get ice cream soup. I have to hurry, I have to hurry!”

**Narrator:** She was panicking so much about the ice cream, she raced forward without noticing the buffers straight ahead. She crashed into them at such a speed, all six of her drive wheels ended up in the woodland grass.

**Rebecca:** “Ohh! This can’t be happening! HELP! HEEEELLP!”

**Narrator:** Meanwhile, Emily and Murdoch were still searching at Green Hills Junction.

**Emily:** “Ugh! This is hopeless. She could be anywhere.”

**Narrator:** But, just before they were about to give up, Murdoch could hear a faint whistle in the distance. It sounded a tad familiar.

**Murdoch:** “Emily, shh. Can you hear that?”

**Emily:** “Could that be her?”

**Murdoch:** “It has to be. I haven’t heard much of it.”

**Narrator:** He puffed further along the branch line and Emily followed. As they got closer to the sound, Murdoch called out.

**Murdoch:** “Hello? Is that you, Rebecca? It’s me, Murdoch!”

**Rebecca:** “Murdoch? MURDOCH! Yes, it’s me! Please help me, I’m stuck!”

**Narrator:** And she continued blowing her whistle as a guide. A few minutes later, she could hear the strong puffs of a big engine. Murdoch and Emily puffed into her sights.

**Murdoch:** “Rebecca. There you are. I thought we’d never find you. Wait, how are you off the rails?”

**Rebecca:** “I… kinda... panicked a bit.”

**Emily:** “Uh, Murdoch? I believe there’s something you’d like to say to Rebecca here?”

**Narrator:** Rebecca had forgotten all about her falling out with him.

**Murdoch:** “Listen, I… I’m so sorry I yelled at you. I’m just usually surrounded by lots of noise, that I was just starving for some peace and quiet. And I didn’t know that you were just trying to bring some levity into a hard day’s work.”

**Rebecca:** “Oh. That’s alright. And I’ve met so many engines on the Other Railway who love a laugh and a chat. And I thought you would be another one of them. But, I guess not. Soooo… are we good companions again?”

**Narrator:** Murdoch smiled warmly.

**Murdoch:** “Yes.”

**Narrator:** Emily coupled up to Rebecca’s train, ready for her and Murdoch to pull her back onto the rails, when she saw her dripping vans.

**Emily:** “Uhh, Rebecca? I think your ice cream has melted.”

**Rebecca:** “Oh, I don’t mind that too much. I’m just glad Murdoch is positive enough to work with me again.”

**Narrator:** Murdoch smiled even wider as she was coupled onto Emily. And from that moment, from rescuing Rebecca to the day she returned back to the Mainland, she and Murdoch worked wonderfully together. She tried her best not to talk as much as she did before, but now, Murdoch didn’t care how much she did so. He knew that she was making his journeys a lot more cheerful.