James is a splendid red tender engine on the fat controllers railway, he is a mixed traffic engine which means he can easily pull coaches and trucks.
he is not the only mixed traffic engine on sodor there are others to engines like Donald and Douglas who can handle them after an incident with a spiteful brake van. it was an accident but no one told the trucks that and they thought that the Scottish twins deliberately did it on purpose.
then there's also Edward and henry. who also pull trucks and coaches.
you don't really like pulling those trucks? James asked in amazement one day to his fellow tender engines.
och. replied Donald. if we dinnae some other body would. he finished.
James marveled at this, now he hated pulling trucks him self but he was willing to admit that the others had kept the trucks in order.
one day he was taking Donald's goods train to the other railway and bring back loaded ones, the journey up to Barrow-in-Furness was a very peaceful one since he had some lessons from the others on how to keep the trucks in order.
(sighing) ah we got them licked in tae shape as the Scottish twins would say. James said. but the trucks he was about to bring back to sodor where new and hadn't been liked into shape by anybody before.
Truck one: WHATS THIS WE WANT A PROPORE ENGINE NOT AN OLD FASHIONED STEAM KETTLE.
and the trucks laughed at that.
old fashioned steam kettle ooh I'll show you take that. and with that said James bumped the new trucks hard causing them to bump into each other.
oh-oh-oh. they said then snickered to each other. he's getting up tight lets have a little fun.
I wouldn't do that my friends. a voice startled both James and the new trucks.
James looked around to see to his amusement the spiteful brake van in a siding.
hullo what ave we got here? James asked the yard foreman.
that's spiteful he's been there for years he'll be broken up when we find the time. the foreman said. but before he could leave James had an idea it was crazy but it had to work.
uh excuse me Mr. foreman? he asked.
yes ,the yard foreman replied.
could you fix him up and then shunt him on my train I think he deserves a second chance. James finished.
alright but I will let sir topham know at once. he said.
why are you doing this? the breakvan asked with tears in his eyes.
well I learned long ago that we all deserve a second chance and even though yo caused trouble in the past I and a certain Scott would be more than happy to give you that chance. James said at last.
so it was arranged and James puffed out of Barrow-in-Furness.
they where going well until they reached Crovens gate. one of the trucks axel rods had run hot. and they had to shunt that one off the train.
another time they had just shunted some of the goods in to the junction for the little western, when Douglas noticed who was at the back of James's goods.
och what in Glasgow are ye doing here? he snapped.
I a being given a second chance by James and I know I caused problems in the past but I am a changed van and I really want to say sorry. spiteful said in sorrow.
I can see ye are soory about what happened in the past but like yon Gordon said we live and learn. Douglas said.
just as James returned from the water tower spiteful had trouble keeping his brakes off which a truck had slipped on accidently on purpose as the old saying goes anyway one delay followed the other causing James to become crosser and crosser.
stupid things. he muttered.
what's he know anything about it lets face it we're modern were not of date like his sort. truck one said. the others agreed with him.
ha-ha steam kettle. they laughed little did they foresee but the spiteful breakvan did see the change put in place.
now when they stopped on the summit of Gordon's hill to check the trains breaks. the guard told the driver and fireman of James to tell him of his plan. spiteful here has a plan that hopefully will teach these nuisances a lesson on the definition of payback now here's what where going to do we will back down to the bottom of this hill and we will set the plan in motion. he finished. so they brought the trucks down to the bottom of Gordon's hill that's when they began the plan, unbeknownst to the trucks that the driver had loosened the coupling between James and the first truck . when they where at the top of the hill James heard spiteful shout.
now. shouted spiteful. and with an almighty jerk at the coupling James broke the coupling, James was now halfway down the hill but coming after him and gradually gaining speed, where the trucks spiteful was laughing as he shouted to James to couple up. just as the first crossing track appeared.
they had told the fat controller about the plans and it was approved. James then coupled up to the van and increased his speed to the max off one hundred miles per hour. he decided to mimic the trucks and shout along with the breakvan.
spiteful and James: on-on-on.
and they rushed through wellsworth yards and through henrys tunnel and headed toward knaphord yards. but then there was trouble James didn't realize that the first truck had wooden brakes and where smoking when they reached knaphord yards. the trucks from the other railway where screaming for help.
help. they screamed in fright, they are pushing us, their pushing us!
Thomas saw James breaks begin to smoke and then there was even more trouble Oliver and toad where returning to the yards when the runaway trucks being pushed by James rushed passed.
James! shouted Thomas. in his mind though he thought as he gave chase: deja vu much. he thought.
whaaahhhh! James started to scream with fright as well and the break van was scared too.
James's driver and fireman shouted on-on-faster.
we don't want to go any faster. James and the first truck shouted.(sounds of metal on wood and metal on metal screeching could be heard from truck one and James) my brakes shouted the first truck. then James's breaks went. my brakes. no stop. the front truck shouted and James replied we want to stop.
the guard that was on spiteful sized up the situation and slammed on the vans brakes hard on but it was no use. when the front truck saw the bend where James had his first accident he well he screamed.
whaaahhhh! the truck shrieked. James saw the bend too and also screamed. no. Thomas shouted.
I'm going off the rails. the first truck said. and came off bouncing on his side.
oh no. the screaming trucks well screamed.
when the dust settled there in the field was a un happy James and a un happy breakvan. don't worry James I will get help for you and spite-! Thomas was cut off.
it's ted. spiteful now ted said with a groan.
James's crew and the guard had jumped clear but James was in a terrible mess he was in pain. luckily no one else was hurt.
when Thomas returned with the breakdown train he first took away the un hurt trucks and ted away, then the hurt re-railed trucks.
oh dear- go gently- go gently. they quavered uncertainly.
I hope this will teach you trucks a lesson. Thomas scolded them.