Lee's Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends

Stories

Courage in Catastrophe

The narrow gauge railway is just as busy as the Fat Controller's mainline, even though there are fewer engines under the leadership of Mr. Percival. Despite this, it is never short of work. This is especially true at the Wharf where Colin the crane works. He is busy most of the day loading and unloading boats full of goods and produce going to and coming from the Mainland. Even when he is busy, Colin loves his work as he is surrounded by his good friends.
"Long days mean nothing to me…" Colin huffed as he creaked and cranked about with his work. "The more the merrier…"

It was early one morning when Mr. Percival arrived on his bike to meet Colin. He was here to tell the green crane of the long day of duties to come.
"Colin" he boomed "You will be extremely busy today as we have got to ship away more slate than we ever have before. It is set to be our biggest shipment of slate ever to the mainland."
"Oh good..." huffed Colin. "It means more work for me" he added with a laugh. Mr. Percival chuckled too and then rode off to set everyone else their duties for the day. He rang his bike bell loudly as he passed Fearless Freddie and Freddie tooted his whistle in return. He soon arrived at the docking port to meet his great friend.
"How you doing Colin?" asked Freddie brightly "You look a little tired" he added jokingly.
"I've been busy" said Colin "Haven't really slept." he added. "I'm not complaining though. It's good to be always on your lifting crane. The busier the better."
"If you say so" laughed Freddie. He liked working too but much preferred a rest like any other engine but Colin always like to be different. He was a crane and cranes like to work. Engines are nearly always on the move going to and fro across the hills and around the valleys whereas cranes just swivel around from their static position. Freddie did feel sorry for Colin at times as he was firmly concreted into the ground. He wasn't like Cranky who could be moved around Brendam Docks, Colin was just there at the docking port. Always and forever. Freddie's moment of feeling sorry for Colin was soon cut short though as a whistle was heard in the distance, it was Sir Handel looking on disdainfully.
"Come on Freddie!" he shouted "We've got work to do! You don't want Mr Percival angry at you, do you?"
"Oh no" agreed Freddie. "I best be on my way, Colin." he then said to his great friend. Freddie then steamed off to do his work but chimed a happy whistle to his friend as he departed into the distance. Colin was now all on his own once again. Colin felt sad as he creaked back to looking at the sea. Luckily, he had no work to do for a while, so he had a well-earnt rest, but he still didn't feel particularly happy though. He was getting bored of the same scenery and was in need of a change.
"It's never going to happen though, is it?" he sighed to himself.

The biggest ever shipment of slate meant that the slate mine was extremely busy as a result. It meant that all of Mr. Percival's engines were working there in some form or another. Many, upon many trucks were filled with slate and were clunked and clanked along to Colin who'd load them onto a barge. It was a very repetitive job and there was a very strict deadline to meet. Mr Percival rather regretted taking it on at this moment.
"We'll never make it like this…" he sighed to Madge who was having to help out to.
"We'll make sure it happens, sir." Madge beamed cheerily. "I can guarantee it!" she added as she tooted along towards the Wharf. Mr Percival though was still unsure and was worried Colin wouldn't be able to cope with the demand. His fears were proved right as down as the Wharf Colin was starting to feel overworked. He'd been working now many hours and it was extremely repetitive.
"All I do is pick up slate and load it on boats and barges…" Colin sighed to the Wharf manager. The manager agreed the work was becoming far too much in such a short space of time but however much he tried to tell Mr Percival on the telephone from his office, the Thin Controller wouldn't stop the work.
"We have a deadline to meet…" Mr Percival insisted. "We have to keep working…" he added. When Colin heard the news, he was extremely disappointed. He wanted a rest but knew he couldn't. He knew the fact he was in a fixed position wasn't helping matters.
"If only I was a bigger crane or one that could be moved around the Wharf." he sighed. "It would make this job a lot easier…" he added but what he and no-one else knew was that the slate trucks were on a sabotage mission for the big shipment and it was soon to be rolled out into action.

At the slate mine, the trouble was starting to begin as the slate trucks rattled and rocked as much as they could to tip slate out of themselves and make it smash onto the ground.
"Rattlier and rockier… laughed the trucks as they shook like mad. "This slate isn't going anywhere near the Wharf let alone the Mainland!" they then giggled. Engines were quickly losing their patience.
"Please be quiet!" scolded Skarloey scornfully.
"Do as you're told!" commanded Rheneas with an authoritative tone. MightyMac wished they were just as strong-willed to keep the trucks at bay as they were struggling to cope. Duncan was struggling just as much but seemingly didn't care.
"If you're going to rattle, I'm going to rock and roll!" he insisted with a proud Scottish flare in his voice but the trucks didn't agree. They soon unleashed the main part of their plan and soon pushed at pace against Duncan. He was building pace quickly on the track towards the Wharf but no-one had noticed his predicament as he wasn't calling out for help.
"Keep pushing!" cackled the trucks loudly as Duncan's speed increased by the moment. His driver and fireman tried their best to stop Duncan going any quicker but the brakes were locking and were ineffective.
"STOP!" cried Duncan as he began to realise the seriousness of the situation. He blew his whistle loudly as he realised he was heading to the Wharf at speed. No other trains were aware of what was happening until Duncan rattled past Rusty.
"Oh dear…" he cried. "I best warn Mr Percival…" he said as he rushed away but Duncan was still speeding along. The trucks were rattling and creaking and cranking loudly and smiled when they saw the Wharf was now their surroundings. The warning message still hadn't reached the Wharf by this point and Colin only noticed something was wrong when it was too late.
"Oh no!" he cried as Duncan neared the docking port. Duncan tried his brakes once more but it was simply too late. His high speeds meant he de-railed at pace straight into Colin. The loud impact resonated across the Wharf and even broke some of Colin's steel supports. The slate trucks then collided with Colin as slate flew into the air. People ducked for cover as this impact broke the final support holding Colin in his now cracked concrete base. Colin began to wobble a lot as he teetered and tottered.
"Help, help me!" cried Colin as he fell. "Ahh!" he called out as he fell on his side right into the sea with a big heavy splash. Duncan was dazed and confused as the trucks giggled one last time.
"What are you doing in the sea, Colin?" Duncan asked hazily.
"I don't know…" said Colin as water sloshed over him. "But I don't like it…"

Help was soon dispatched to help bring Duncan and the trucks back onto the line before they were sent to the works. The slate was lost and now broken up in the sea and meant the shipment was behind schedule but Mr Percival wasn't bothered.
"My crane, our important crane to help give you the slate has been damaged…" he informed to his Mainland counterpart on the telephone. "I'm sorry but we cannot fulfil this shipment." he added simply as he surveyed the disaster site. Floating crane were soon sent from docks near the Fat Controller's railway to the Wharf to help Colin out of the freezing sea. He was being very brave despite the conditions and the damage he had suffered to his body.
"The sooner I'm out, the sooner I can work…" he said simply as cranes began the lifting process. As he lifted Colin just thought about how he'd finally seen a very different view indeed. He was now seeing the Wharf from a completely different perspective altogether but he didn't like the circumstances in which it had happened. It took many hours to secure him back into his old position but it would take much longer before his crane would be in working order once again. Colin felt sad but knew that everyone was there to help him through the pain of not being able to work. Menders were working on him constantly as Freddie came to visit him with Mr Percival one evening.
"You were incredibly courageous throughout this ordeal Colin. I don't think many others would have been so brave…" commented Mr Percival with a grand smile.
"Thankyou sir…" said Colin.
"There is one good thing to come out of all of this though isn't there?" smiled Freddie.
"And what's that?" inquired Mr Percival.
"I finally got a different view for once…" smiled Colin. "Albeit briefly!"