Railway Tales: Vol. 1 - Thomas the Favorite Tank Engine

"Thomas the Favorite Tank Engine" is the first volume of Loco123456's series, Railway Tales.

## Foreword

Dear Friends,

Life on the Ffarquhar Branch Line is full of excitement, and this year is no exception. Thomas and Percy aren’t getting along too well after an incident near Hackenbeck Tunnel. Meanwhile, Bertie deals with a rude double decker bus and Charlie gets what he deserves after not being really useful for so long.

The Author

## Story1: Bulgy the Useless Bus

Bus TSB 1654J, based at Tidmouth Bus Garage was in need of some repairs. The previous day while running empty back home the driver ran through an intersection and rammed into the side of a lorry. Both drivers were injured and the bus driver was relieved of his duties for good. Until Bus TSB 1654J could return, they were short of buses to help with the summer peak period passengers. After calling many bus garages, the Ffarquhar Garage was pleased to be of assistance and sent Bertie.

“Oh look, there’s useless Bertie,” said Bulgy rudely as he pulled up with passengers for the Little Western. “I thought you’d be scrapped by now.”

“At least I don’t get stuck under bridges nor was I turned into a vegetable stand on wheels!”

“At least I’m more useful than you are. I can carry more passengers than you ever will!”

And before Bertie could say another word Bulgy drove back into town with more people aboard.

At Knapford Junction Bertie told Thomas and his coaches about Bulgy.

“I’d get back at him,” agreed Thomas crossly.

“I understand your frustration Bertie,” said Annie kindly, “but getting back at him will only get you into trouble.”

Meanwhile Bulgy was cheerfully picking up passengers and taking them to the Big Station.

“Right on time! I bet Bertie wouldn’t cope with a full load.”

He became more cheerful and boastful as the evening rush hour drew nearer and nearer. He usually ended his day with taking passengers from Arlesburgh to the Big Station, with the passenger train leaving five minutes after he left.

“I’ll get to the Big Station before those stupid engines! Then there’ll be no use f-”

HISS!

Bulgy’s driver brought him to a gentle stop.

“We have a flat tire folks,” explained the conductor,” but don’t worry; we’ll find a way to get you home.”

He ran off to the level crossing a few yards away from where they’d broken down.

At the station Duck’s train was held up as the guard looked through Alice and Mirabel.

“The train is full,” reported the guard to the stationmaster.

“Then we’ll send for another bus,” sighed the stationmaster as he left for his office. He first called the nearest signalbox to make sure they didn’t stop Duck, and then telephoned the Arlesburgh Bus Garage, and finally the Tidmouth stationmaster.

At Tidmouth Bertie had finished his work for the evening.

“You’re to take some of Bulgy’s passengers home,” said the stationmaster, who explained everything.

Bertie could only take up to 28 passengers, but he just drove off and took them to their stops along the route in Tidmouth, with his driver following the directions provided by the stationmaster. The next morning the two buses met again.

“Oh look, there’s useless Bulgy,” teased Bertie as the last of his passengers were climbing aboard. “What a shame breaking down.”

“It was out of the blue,” protestled Bulgy.

“I’d say you weren’t looking after yourself. Maybe if you were useful, you would make sure you’re in working order. Now I must hurry; I wouldn’t want my passengers to worry about getting to the station!”

Bertie’s driver feared that if Bertie and Bulgy continued their rivalry, it would cause trouble for everyone else. He spoke with the Bus Manager, and Bus KLA 5474S was assigned to work Bus TSB 1654J’s services, and Bertie was sent back to Ffarquhar.

## Story 2: Fire!

(inspired by a real event; http://www.nwemail.co.uk/detailedstory?p\_p\_id=DetailedStory\_WAR\_portalsuite&p\_p\_lifecycle=1&p\_p\_state=exclusive&p\_p\_mode=view&controlPanelCategory=portlet\_DetailedStory\_WAR\_portalsuite&\_DetailedStory\_WAR\_portalsuite\_javax.portlet.action=doclickcount&\_DetailedStory\_WAR\_portalsuite\_uuid=f20c6683-38f6-475a-9c15-dc7555722847&\_DetailedStory\_WAR\_portalsuite\_start=1&\_DetailedStory\_WAR\_portalsuite\_category=%2FNEWS%2FBarrow&\_DetailedStory\_WAR\_portalsuite\_pubDate=2008-06-09T11%3A13%3A00Z)

“We’ve been asked to take some railway enthusiasts on a tour of the branch line,” said the driver proudly, seeing Thomas smile with delight. “I’ll come early tomorrow and help the cleaners give you a thorough rubdown.”

“How lovely tomorrow will be,” he boasted to nobody specifically. “Everyone taking photographs of me! Oh, it’s nice to finally feel like a number 1.”

“Passengers take photographs of me too,” said Daisy crossly.

“Really? I haven’t seen anyone standing round you.”

“Of course you haven’t. You’ve never been round to watch.”

Thomas ignored her.

“People take pictures of me,” chimed in Percy.

“You?! Rubbish! Who’d want a picture of a goods train?”

“Anyone who’s REALLY interested in railways and engines,” said Percy, his voice beginning to rise in fury.

Early in the morning the cleaners and his driver were oiling up his joints and scrubbed his boiler until all the soot was gone. The fireman took care of cleaning the cab; just in case anyone wanted to ride with them or take a look at the controls. Daisy was also there;

“Where’s my driver?” she grumbled. “I’ve got a serious job rather than posing for people!”

“LIke what, pulling stone trucks?” teased Thomas.

“I take the platelayers to inspect the line so that we can be really useful.”

Daisy was still waiting for her driver by the time Thomas had left. At last someone came.

“Where have you been?” snapped Daisy.

“Don’t blame me; I was rung up at the last minute to replace your regular driver, who has decided to play hooky.”

Although they were late, Daisy wasn’t allowed to go to the maximum speed limit. She would stop, let the platelayers inspect the line for a mile, and then proced to repeat the process. While this was happening, Percy was coming up the line with a goods train of fuel for the Quarry. He was about to run through Hackenbeck Tunnel when something strange occurred.

“I feel quite weak! I feel quite weak,” he complained.

As the fireman tried to build up steam again the driver looked back and applied the brakes.

“You’ve thrown your fire out,” said the driver. “You and the guard must stay and warn near-by residents. I’ll go and get help.”

Daisy had nearly reached Hackenbeck when she was stopped at a red signal.

“You’re to pull Percy up to Ffarquhar. He’s waiting at the tunnel.”

Daisy pulled her hardest as she brought Percy and his train to Ffarquhar.

“Nothing you could have controlled,” said Daisy kindly. “I’ve had to learn that today.”

Meanwhile Thomas’ tour ended at Elsbridge.

“The Fire Brigade doesn’t want anyone to get hurt,” explained the stationmaster. “You folks shall return to Tidmouth on an Up local train. It arrives in 20 minutes.”

“How dare you ruin my fun,” said Thomas crossly in the shed that night as Percy was having his ashpan doors repaired.

“Can’t blame me; I couldn’t help it.”

“You can’t help being accident prone,” sneered Thomas.

The two engines decided not to speak to the other for a long time.

## Story 3: Charlie's Dive

(inspired on an event at a harbour;

http://www.fifetoday.co.uk/news/the-day-they-hauled-a-train-out-of-kirkcaldy-harbour-1-3604302)

After finishing his morning shift the next day, Thomas’ driver Bob drove down to Tidmouth; he wanted to see the Fat Controller. Bob wanted to punish Thomas for his poor behavior towards Percy.

“I’ll see what I can do,” said the Fat Controller.

He leaned back, thought things over and made arrangements. Thomas would be working as a station pilot at Tidmouth, Percy would do passenger duties, and he’d bring Charlie back to work.

“If I ever get out and running again, I’ll show those engines that I’m funny and deserves attention,” grumbled Charlie. “If they gave me attention, I wouldn’t have derailed some trucks in a siding and delay the 7:10 slow goods from Wellsworth to Tidmouth Harbour.”

He stopped grumbling when he spotted the Fat Controller.

“I’m having you do shunting at Knapford Harbour.”

Charlie kept his feelings to himself until the Fat Controller left.

“I won’t shunt! I won’t shunt!” he complained as his fireman built up steam.

He worked all through the night and into the next day; he glared jealousy as Rosie puffed away with a long line of milk vans to be returned to the owner, St. Pedroc’s Dairy in Elsbridge.

“What spoiled private trucks! I’d like to show them a thing or two,” she grumbled. Rosie knew that Charlie must have bumped them hard. In the afternoon, she returned to take away the vans to the harbour. They were overloaded with butter, cheese, and milk.

“Charlie wanted me to tell you that he plans on treating you lot poorly.”

“But we’re private trucks,” they protested.

“He doesn’t care; he plans to shove you into the sea once you’ve been unloaded.”

All the way the trucks were plotting revenge, but they didn’t know that Rosie had made this up.

It began raining hard when the journey ended. Charlie was to shunt them over to a warehouse where their load could be stored for the time begin. He started to reverse.

“NOW!”

The trucks surged forward, knocking the crew off the footplate. The driver had landed on the ground, while the fireman had landed on some sleepers on the near-by track. The driver helped the fireman to the office. Meanwhile shunters and workmen were trying to stop the runaway. They were switched onto a siding.

SMASH!

Charlie’s wheels left the rails, and he ran towards a three foot tall barrier to prevent lorries from falling into the sea.

CRASH!

SPLASH!

Many of the vans had hit the debris from the cement barrier and were piled atop each other. Charlie and seven vans were sunk. Stanley and Rosie helped take away the vans that stayed on the quayside, while barrages and nearby cranes lifted the sunken vans and Charlie out of the sea, ending the rescue when Charlie was perched on a flat truck, ready for the Works.

“I’ve been fair with you Charlie,” scolded the Fat Controller, “but you’ve clearly decided to not learn from your mistakes. Once you’re mended you’ll be put in the NWR’s museum in Cronk. You can then get attention from visitors, and you’ll finally be really useful.”

When Percy returned to doing goods duties he was furious;

“If Thomas had never left, Charlie wouldn’t had caused trouble here!”

## Story 4: Cavity In the Wheel

(Inspired by a real event; http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/docsummary.php?docID=2137 )

“I hope you understand now that every engine is special in their own right, and that I don’t have any favorites,” said the Fat Controller sternly.

“Of course not Sir,” said Thomas weakly.

Thomas tried his best to improve, but the biggest thing on his mind was making amends with Percy.

“Morning. Are you having a boiler washout?”

“Of course I am,” grumbled Percy. “Can’t you see I’m standing over the ash pit?”

“Oh...I er, see. I hope they don’t find anything wrong.”

Percy was finally able to get away from Thomas and went to the sheds for the work to begin.

“Thomas will have to do more if he wants to be friends with me again,” said Percy crossly.

The Fitter tapped his hammer on Percy’s tyres, and found that they were worn out. He began his journey to the Works that evening.

When he returned to service he ran swiftly along the line with long lines of trucks.

“I’m glad you’re back,” called Thomas as Percy waited in a passing loop at Toryreck Junction. Percy just ignored him.

“I might as well stop trying,” he said crossly. “He just can’t get passed my mistake.”

“He’ll eventually see you’re truly sorry,” said Clarabel kindly.

“I doubt that’ll happen.”

Percy had to take some stone trucks down to the harbour. He bumped the trucks hard, even when he started his journey.

“We’ll show him. We’ll show him,” hissed the trucks as they made their plan.

Percy was running at about 35 mph as they charged up a hill.

“Now we’ll help you! Now we’ll help you,” laughed the trucks as they lurched forward.

“You won’t get the better of me,” groaned Percy as he ran on with his brakes screeching. They neared Crowe’s Farm Crossing, when the worst happened - Percy’s crew barely managed to escape the cab. Percy felt himself leave the rails near the end of the level crossing, in which he ran on towards the signalbox, which controlled the signal and the gates; the signalman jumped and landed inches from the road.

CRASH!

Percy smashed through the signalbox, came out the other end, and with rubble under his still spinning wheels toppled to his side, with the first few trucks with him. The rest of the signalbox fell upon him.

An inspector was brought to the scene to investigate. Fifty yards away was a broken piece of one of Percy’s front driving wheels.

“Looks like they did a poor job casting it, for there’s a cavity,” remarked the inspector.

It took all afternoon and late in the evening to clean up the demolished signalbox, then they could winch Percy onto a low-loader, in which he was taken to the Works. At the Works his other three wheels were broken up without inspection. He was very silent once he returned.

“I’m glad you’re back,” said Thomas kindly. “I think you’ll find the trucks won’t be playing tricks on you for a while. They say that you tried to break them when they and you demolished the signalbox. I told them you did, but with no luck!”

“I’m sorry if this caused problems for you,” said Percy weakly.

“The crossing gates were mended in a couple of weeks, and the signalman easily stood outside to wave us through with his flags. They finished building the new signalbox just a few days ago.”

Even though they didn’t officially apologize, they both knew they forgave the other

## Trivia

* There are a few RWS aspects in this volume which would be seen if this were published or produced for TV.

- Ffarquhar Branch Line is single tracked as seen in the RWS
- Daisy, Duck, Annie, and Clarabel all appear in their RWS liveries and Duck has his GWR number