All the engines of the Fat Controller's railway on the island of Sodor loved being Really Useful. Big or small, everyone acted in a responsible manner and they all were very reliable too.
Trucks, on the other hand, dealt with mischief on the line. They always liked to cause trouble, which became a primary cause for accidents that engines were involved in. Poor Henry had found that out one cheerful afternoon.
That night, The Fat Controller addressed his engines in Tidmouth Sheds.
"Henry has had to go the works for repairs due to an accident caused by the Troublesome Trucks. As you are all too busy to complete his work and your own, and with a lack of engines available Diesel will be coming to help us until Henry is repaired."
"Yes sir." The engines replied respectfully, though no one liked Diesel. He was loud, boastful and was generally obnoxious to them.
"Oh - I hope Henry is repaired soon!" Said Percy
"I agree- he can pull more trucks than three diesels combined!" Thomas agreed.
"Trucks are nobody's friend," Gordon reminded them all.
No one could agree more with those four words.
...
The next morning, a black diesel weaselled his way around Brendam Docks.
"When Sir Topham Hatt sees how good I work, he'll get rid of those tea kettles once and for all!" He bragged to the trucks.
This gave them an idea.
As Diesel began shunting them all together they burst in to simultaneous song
"Is that all you can haul? Henry's loads are longer! Is that all you can haul? Henry must be stronger!" They sang.
Diesel stopped. He was very cross to hear the trucks sing that.
"I'll push you all at once!" He declared.
The trucks giggled and began singing again, as was their custom.
"Push us all, that's the law! Push up all, you'll be so strong!"
"That's me," Smirked Diesel "the world's strongest engine! That'll show stupid old Henry!"
He shunted five trucks, then ten, and then fifteen.
An addition of a further five trucks brought up his total to a solid round twenty! Soon, the line of twenty trucks was waiting for Diesel to push them.
"What's Diesel doing?" Percy asked Thomas curiously, as the two tank engines stopped to watch Diesel shunt the full trucks into a line.
"Why, he thinks he must be the world's strongest engine! This will be worth watching, Percy." Thomas said with a grin.
Soon Diesel had backed down on his line of trucks, and was coupled on. But, unbeknownst to him, the shunters had put on the trucks' brakes. The trucks knew that that was the case, but they let Diesel attempt to push them anyway.
"Push! Push! Push!" They encouraged.
Diesel pushed and pushed and pushed but the trucks would not move.
"Heave ho heave ho! You can pull us but we won't go!" they chorused.
Diesel was very cross on hearing that!
So he pulled instead-and pulled harder still. He pulled so hard, that a coupling snapped! Diesel shot forwards so fast that before his driver could apply his brakes he had fallen off the quay and into a barge waiting below.
"Grease and oil!" Sulked Diesel, whilst the trucks laughed to their hearts content.
Soo, the Fat Controller had heard, and he was not happy at all. He arrived in a newly mended Henry in order to punish Diesel. He was very, very cross indeed.
"Diesel I am ashamed at your appalling behaviour! I thought that you would have been a lot more respectful since coming here but it would seem I was wrong! As punishment, I am sending you back to your home, Diesel."
He turned to the railway's number three.
"Henry," he addressed. "I know you have just been mended, but can you make up for lost time?"
"Of course Sir!" Henry chuffed away, eager to be of service once more.
As they watched Henry chuff to collect the trucks, Thomas and Percy had learned a lesson.
"It seems that even Troublesome Trucks can be useful too!" Remarked Thomas
"Yes- for getting rid of that horrid smelly Diesel!" Agreed Percy.
