The Old Repair Yard

"The Old Repair Yard" is a story written by Loco123456

## Story

Butch’s finger of a hook held tightly onto Caroline as they made the final turn into Jem Cole’s Repair Yard. Aside from driving Trevor and occasionally George, Jem Cole owns his very own repair shop for vehicles. Butch’s eyes went as wide as tires at the sight of the yard.
“I’ve never seen a yard in such a horrible fashion in a while,” he said, looking around.
The repair shop walls had ivy rust red on them; they didn’t look safe. Nor did the equipment.
“It’s the fault of Jem Cole!” complained the workmen as they helped guide Butch inside. “He hasn’t been around here for a couple of weeks.”
“Can’t you call him up?” asked Caroline.
“We try to explain the matter to him, yet he doesn’t listen. He always says he’ll take care of it when he returns.”

On the other side of the Island Jem Cole pushed Trevor as if he were a boulder to work faster.
“What’s the rush Mr. Cole?” asked Trevor.
“I’m late for my other job; overseeing my repair yard.”
Trevor felt as if he had a fever as Jem raised his steam pressure to the maximum.
“If we’re to arrive at Wellsworth any faster, I suggest you mind how much coal you put into my boiler,” warned Trevor.
At Wellsworth the goods porters and Jem hastily unloaded Trevor’s wagon. Then he drove Trevor back to Wellsworth Orchid. The second Jem Cole had left Trevor felt as if he’d been stuck in the snow as his fire slowly went out.
“Thank goodness I won’t be working with him for the rest of the day. I’d rather have someone respect the fact that I’m old. I can go fast, but just like Caroline, I’ve got my limits.”

Caroline dangled on strings of cranes-making it seem as though she were a puppet. The workmen were going to repair her wheels and axles.
“Oh…I think I might fall!” exclaimed Caroline as they slowly lifted her off the ground.
The workmen stopped and instead of leaving her to swing in the air lowered her to the ground.
“We can’t put you in danger,” said a workman.
“Look! Here he comes at last!”
“Why is Caroline on the ground? That’s not how we fix wheels!”
“These machines are old,” pointed out a fat woman as stout as a peach. “She could have fallen and then there’d be more damage.”
“Nonsense! This place does a fine job. If there’s anything that needs changing I’ll make the decisions, not my workers!”
He walked away to leave the workmen and Caroline feeling stung with fiery.

Jem Cole left to continue work on Wellsworth Orchid.
“I don’t want to find Caroline still here when I return,” he ordered.
The workmen continued work. That afternoon at precisely 3:17 a delivery of fuel arrived. Hoses were connected from the lorries to the Fuel Pumps. No one noticed that even the least important of equipment needed replacing too. One of the hoes had a crack in it. Oil wormed its way over to the foundry. The workers were welding new parts for Caroline. Woodchip-shaped sparks flew from the tools and set the leaked oil alight!
“Evacuate! It’s not safe!” yelled the foundry workers.

Alarms were yelling at the Search and Rescue Center.
“Belle, Flynn, and Butch, report to Jem’s Repair Yard!”
The three team members rushed as quickly as lightning to the disaster. Tree-branch hands of flames were dancing in the gentle autumn breeze.
“Is anyone still in there?” asked Belle.
“Caroline.”
“Butch, you come with me,” ordered Flynn. Butch obeyed-secretly he felt nervous. He’d never been asked to help out with a fire.
The friends drove inside. Water shot out of Flynn’s hoses while Butch slowly backed up to Caroline. His fingernail of a hook got attached. Flynn honked his horn, giving Butch the signal to move. Eventually Butch emerged with Caroline. Just as the final flames were put out Jem Cole stepped forward. He had been told of the accident and came as soon as possible.
“How did this occur?” he demanded.
“You tell me!”
Jem Cole turned and saw the Fat Controller climb sluggishly out of his car.
“Think about what you’ve done Jem.”
Jem realized immediately what had happened.
“I understand Sir. I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
“Prove it by making amends,” were the Fat Controller’s final words of scolding before leaving.

Jem Cole apologized to everyone for the fire. He sent Caroline to a repair yard in Crosby due to closing his yard down for a complete overhaul. When it reopened, new equipment and sheds made it easier and safer to work. Jem Cole also has an assistant who oversees things and is in charge when he’s away. Jem Cole also has a planner and schedules everything: he now spends as much time at the Repair Yard as he does with Trevor.

## Characters

* Belle
* Flynn
* Caroline
* Butch
* Trevor
* Sir Topham Hatt
* Jem Cole

## Locations

* Jem Cole's Repair Yard
* Sodor Search and Rescue Center
* Wellsworth