New Trucks for Mavis

Based on "Thomas' New Trucks"

A large order had been made for stone from the Ffarquhar Quarry Company, which meant alot of work for Mavis and Toby. The two engines didn't mind the heavy workloads, but they did mind working with the trucks. They were old - very old, they squeaked as they rolled along on the rails and they creaked when loads were poured into them.

Mavis grew concerned, "I don't know if these old trucks have what it takes anymore," she said to Toby, "the more loads we keep pouring them, something comes loose and they are on the verge of breaking to pieces. Something has to be done before it's too late."

"I quite agree with you Mavis," said Toby, "but don't worry, the Fat Controller's already got a plan in motion."

"What plan?" Mavis asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh you'll soon find out," Toby said mysteriously.

She found out a few days later when Percy and Thomas arrived at Ffarquhar with brand new trucks, some in blue and some were in dark green, "cor, they look grand," smiled Mavis, "and they look like they'll run along smooth and steadily."

"They might look like it," grumbled Thomas, "but they're not. Percy and I had a hard time dealing with them all the way from the junction."

"Take care with the trucks you two," advised Percy, "They are right down terrors and they will make work a living misery."

It wasn't long before Mavis and Toby were coupled up to the trucks and were on their way to the quarry. Thomas and Percy both felt sorry for the quarry engines and watched with concern as they disappeared into the distance.

The quarry men were quite impressed with the new trucks, "I bet we can load lots of stones into these smart looking trucks," said one of them.

"Well there's only way to find out," said another, "let's load 'em up."

Toby was first, he pushed the trucks under the chute and awaited the workmen to load them up. All was going on, that was until there came a cry, "On! On! On!" the trucks jerked backwards and pulled themselves and Toby towards the chute. Toby's driver quickly applied the brakes and stopped the train, but with the trucks half loaded.

"What were you playing at?" the workmen asked Toby's Driver, "did you forget to apply the brakes?"

"Of course not," he answered, "it was the trucks, they just pulled us back."

The trucks giggled in their silly way, even when Toby scolded them. It took a little bit of time to clear up the mess and load up the trucks, but finally Toby was ready to go down to the harbour. But by the time his trucks had been loaded up, Mavis was running late, "never mind," she thought to herself, "we can always make a fast run down the line to make up for lost time." Or so she thought.

She began to load the trucks underneath the chute, but before she could stop, they surged again, "On! On! On!" they cried. They pulled on the couplings and dragged her underneath the chute, just as the quarry foreman pulled the chain. Stones poured down all over Mavis and covered her in dust.

Mavis coughed crossly, "What'd you do that for?" she cried.

"It was just plain fun," they sniggered.

"Stupid trucks," grumbled Mavis.

There was a big mess left all over the place and time was lost clearing up the stones and loading up the trucks. When Mavis was finally ready to go, Toby was already returning with his trucks. He looked tired and worn out.

Mavis rumbled away, but the trucks continued their mischeif by holding back and bumping Mavis' buffers.

"Behave yourselves you silly trucks, you're being nothing but troublemakers!"

"Why thank you," they said with a giggle in their voices.

Mavis and Toby tried hard, but the trucks made work a misery, which meant by the end of the day, the two engines were tried and had only brought half the loads needed for that day's order.

The harbour master was not impressed and scolded the two engines for it.

"Don't blame us," protested Mavis, "it was the trucks, they..."

"I don't want to hear excuses," he said angerily, "we have an important delivery to make and you two are going slower than snails. If this keeps up, I'll have to report you to the Fat Controller and I don't think he'll be happy."

Toby and Mavis gulped while the trucks giggled in their silly way. Mavis was already starting to miss working with the old trucks, "they might be awkward, but at least they work with little trouble," she thought to herself.

The next morning, Mavis purred her way over to the goods siding where the trucks were waiting. They smirked at Mavis. She glared angerily at them, but then she noticed the old trucks sitting on a siding. They were meant to be taken away to the junction after the day's work, from there they would be taken to the smelter's yard to be broken up, but Mavis thought they deserved another chance.

So she came up with a lie for her Driver, "I heard from manager today that we're suppose to be using those old trucks for the stone loads."

"When did he tell you that?" he asked, sounding quite confused, "I heard nothing about that this morning."

"He came to speak to me long before you showed up for work," she answered, "he wants to give them one last day of work before they are meant to be dismentaled."

"Well if that's what he wants, then we'll take them."

Mavis smirked at the new trucks. They gasped at being left behind. Mavis went over to the siding and collected the old trucks, they creaked and they groaned as they moved out of the siding, but at least they were not being troublesome. Mavis loaded up the stone with no trouble and soon, she was on her way down to the harbour.

She thought she was being very clever, "now we can be on time and teach those silly trucks a lesson," she said quietly to herself, "I don't know why I didn't think of this yesterday. Clever me, clever me."

But she wasn't as clever as she thought. She had not counted on the old couplings on the trucks. One minute, she was coupled up to the trucks, then in the next minute - the coupling snapped. Now her trucks were on the loose and without Mavis pulling them.

Mavis' Driver looked back and gasped in horror, "We lost our trucks!" he cried.

"Rattle my cowcatchers!" gasped Mavis.

Then the Driver made a poor decision. He applied the brakes and brought Mavis to a stop. He then jumped from the cab and ran for cover. Mavis shut her eyes and awaited the crash. The trucks smashed into her back end, making the stones and splintered wood fly everywhere.

"Ow!" she groaned.

"Uh, I don't think I was suppose to do that," said the Driver as he surveyed the wreck.

"You think?" Mavis asked crossly.

The Driver quickly got out his mobile phone and called for help.

It soon came with Harvey and some flatbeds behind him, but he wasn't alone as the Fat Controller was in his cab, "Mavis, what do you think you were playing at?" he asked crossly, "Those trucks were not meant to be used, they were to be broken up at the smelter's yard and now thanks to you, they're all over the countryside and so is your stone order."

"But sir, we were told to take the old trucks," said Mavis' Driver, "it was manager's orders."

"No they weren't, I told him that the old trucks were not to be used."

"But then why did Mavis..." the driver turned to Mavis.

The Fat Controller, Harvey and his crew all looked at Mavis crossly, "Care to explain yourself Mavis?" The Fat Controller asked crossly.

"I just didn't want to work with those new trucks, they were too troublesome yesterday and made both Toby and myself late," she answered sadly, "So I thought maybe we could do better with these old trucks."

"Well Mavis, as you can see, that plan of yours did not work out as well as you had hoped," said the Fat Controller.

"It certainly didn't," Mavis groaned as she looked at the mess all around her.

Harvey went to work in clearing up the mess and soon the line was cleared. "Now Mavis, you can collect the new trucks and try to make up for lost time," the Fat Controller said to her.

"Yes sir," Mavis said unhappily.

Before she purred away, the Fat Controller whispered some advice to her, "speak kindly to them and remind them how useful they could be if they work, it could work."

"Yes sir," said Mavis and she rattled away.

Mavis soon returned to the quarry and buffered up to the trucks, "you came back for us," they said, "oh that's a relief, we thought we were being left for scrap."

"Well I'm sorry about that, it's just that I didn't want to deal with your antics." The trucks all started to grumble, so Mavis decided to try the Fat Controller's advice on the trucks, "how about we just forget about yesterday and this morning and get to work. This order needs to be filled and we sure could use the help of really useful trucks."

The trucks stopped grumbled and smiled.

After that, Mavis and Toby, who arrived later on, found that the trucks weren't troublesome at all. They waited patientlly underneath the chute as the stones were loaded up into them and they were smooth rolling all the way to the harbour. They worked quite well and soon the order had been filled out with time to spare.

Even the harbour master was impressed, "nice job there you two, our customers will be very happy with the stones you've brought."

"Well thank you sir," said Mavis, "but you should say the same to the trucks, if it weren't for them, we wouldn't have been able to bring the stones to the harbour."

"And don't you forget it," the trucks boasted.

"Well thank you very much trucks," said the harbour master.

After that day, the trucks learned to become really useful. Oh sure, they still have their moments when they play their tricks, but thanks to the advice the Fat Controller gave to Mavis, she now knew how to handle them and get the job done on time.