Here now is Part 2 of 4 for the 'Barry the Rescue Engine' stories. I know it's been a long wait, but hopefully you find that it's been worth it. Also, like the original 'Thomas & Friends-The Untold Stories', many of these stories will be based on real life events.
The Untold Sudrian Stories
Season 1-Episode 2: Barry & the Dirt (1995)
Final tests were being made on Barry the next day. He was brought out of the workshops by Wendell just so he could see the outside world again. He sighed happily, "it's so wonderful to see the sun again," he said to Wendell, "I've seen it rise and set over the years of being in the scrapyard, but this time, I'm not watching it with worry about my fate."
"And you'll never have to," smiled Wendell the works Diesel, "as an engine of the North Western, you'll never have to experience the terror of the gas axe."
"I certainly hope..." he began, but was cut off by the sound of a diesel horn.
Wendell and Barry could see BoCo coming into the works and pushing a blue tender engine in. He looked worn out and depressed.
"Oh dear, what happened to Donald?" Wendell asked.
"Some of his pipes had burst, and his tender got damaged from a sudden stop," BoCo answered. "It took till thirty minutes ago to clear up the mess and get Donald here."
"Aye," groaned Donald, "and naw, poor Douggie will 'ave ta wurk alone." He then noticed the other tender engine, "who are ye?"
Barry was about to answer when Mr Richardson, the works manager, came walking out to speak with Barry, "I'm afraid all other tests with you are just going have to wait Barry," he said. "I just recieved a phone call from the Fat Controller, he wants you at work right away."
"Me Sir?" Barry was surprised.
"Yes, with both Edward and Donald here, and Douglas busy on the Little Western, you're the only engine that can work on the Wellsworth branch. James the red engine would've been sent, but he's not too fond of branch lines."
From inside the workshops, Edward chuckled and rolled his eyes. He knew why.
"Just watch how much you pull and you'll be fine."
"If you say so Sir, I'll give it my best shot."
"That's the spirit. You'll be brought back to the works once either tender engine is back at work."
Once his new Driver and fireman arrived, they built the fire up nicely, then they collected a brake van and puffed off for Wellsworth.
The Stationmaster was waiting when Barry arrived. He was quite surprised to see another tender engine, but was pleased by Barry's arrival, "there's a huge load of china clay that needs to be brought down for the main line, Bill and Ben should have the trucks ready for you. You'll have to be quick though, Bear's heavy train will be here forty five minutes from now and it cannot be delayed."
"I'll do my best Mr Stationmaster," said Barry.
"Just remember what Mr Richardson said," advised the driver. "Don't pull too hard or you'll break something."
"Don't worry Driver, I know better than to take more than what's required of me."
The signalman soon changed the points, and Barry set off along the line.
He soon reached the harbour in good time. He looked all around, but could find no other engines about. The harbour master came up, "Bill and Ben are running late with your train," he said. "Steaming problems with Bill according to the manager."
"How long will they be?" Barry asked.
"About five more minutes I believe," came the reply.
The Driver groaned, "then that means we'll be late for Bear's goods train."
"Oh well, these things happen," sighed Barry. "It can't be helped."
They waited and waited, but it was longer than five minutes. At last, Ben arrived with the goods train with Bill pushing from behind, "that's the last time I wait for you," snapped Ben, "I could've had the train here in no time at all."
"Pah, you wish," scoffed Bill, "you wouldn't be able to move one truck."
"I can pull more than one truck, unlike you, you can barely move yourself let alone a truck."
Bill was about to retort when both twins were silenced by a whistle, "I hate to interupte your little banter," said Barry, "but this train is already late, so may I have it now?"
"And who are you suppose to be?" Ben asked as he looked at the engine. Although painted, Barry didn't have a nameplate, numbers or letters of his old railway. "We don't really trust engines who hide their identity."
"Bill, Ben!" snapped the harbour master. "Now's not..."
But Barry interupted him, "it's either me who takes the train, or you take it and your work falls behind at the china clay pits. You wouldn't want that to happen now would you?"
Not saying another word, Bill and Ben were quickly uncoupled and puffed away.
"Impressive," smiled the Harbour master, "usually it takes more than that to keep them in order."
"I've handled engines like them before, so it's not really a problem for me."
Barry switched tracks and was coupled up. The guard gave the all-clear and Barry set off. By now though, dark clouds were starting to roam in and that meant only one thing; rain was coming.
And indeed it was. The rain poured down hard around Barry, making it all the more difficult to pull the train. To make matters worse, the china clay hoods and tankers were holding back on the newcomer.
"Hold back, make him slack! Hold back, make him slack!" they giggled. "We won't go with newbies. We won't go with newbies."
Having worked for the LMS and British Railways, Barry knew enough on how to handle the truck's antics. As he stormed up a steep hill, Barry put all his best efforts into pulling the train, but was careful not to strain himself. They pulled back and he pulled forward. It was a struggle, but Barry was winning.
"No we must win! No we must win!" groaned the trucks.
"Oh no you don't! Oh no you don't!" Barry retorted.
At last, Barry got over the top of the hill and down the other side safely. The trucks held back a little bit more, but soon they discovered it was best not to play tricks on Barry, so they gave up. This was a relief to Barry and his crew.
However, when they reached Wellsworth, they found no goods train waiting for them.
"Bear had to leave without you," said the Stationmaster. "Turns out he was running late too. Signal problems at the big station from what I heard. You'll have to take the train to Crovan's Gate, they're sure to have another engine there to take the train."
"Yes sir." With a toot of his whistle, Barry set off for Gordon's hill.
There are many steep hills on the Island of Sodor, but Gordon's hill is the steepest on the North Western Railway. In normal calm weather, with plenty of sand, an engine can get it's train over the hill and down the other side safely. In wet or snowy weather, an engine will struggle and sometimes stop halfway up.
The rain had finally stopped by the time Barry left Wellsworth.
"Here we go, here we go," he puffed to himself.
They started up the hill perfectly at first, but soon trouble arrived. Barry began to find himself going slower and slower. His wheels were spinning on the wet rails.
"I need more sand!" he cried.
The fireman gave him more sand, but Barry continued to slow down. His speed decreased and soon, he stopped with all six of his driving wheels spinning on the wet rails. The Driver stopped him for a moment so he could get his breath back, then they tried again, but Barry's wheels spun and he didn't move.
The fireman got down and inspected the sand boxes. She groaned a moment later, "You're all out of sand Barry. We must've used all of it earlier on the branch line."
The Driver groaned, "Well that's just terrific. BoCo's busy on another job, and there's no one else that can give us a push."
"What a dilemma," sighed the fireman and leaned up aganist Barry's buffer beam.
Barry pondered over the situation, then came up with an idea, "why not use dirt?" he suggested. "It may be messy, but it could work. It's thick after all, and it's not easy to wash away."
"Yes you do have a point Barry," said the fireman. Then she groaned as she looked up the slope, "but that's going to require alot of digging."
"I don't think we have much of a choice," said the Driver.
The fireman sighed and began to dig at the dirt. The guard and Driver got out to help too, and within half an hour, the rails were covered in dirt. As they were preparing to leave though, the guard noticed something, "Barry's worn the rails down. When we get to the next station, I'll inform the Fat Controller about this."
Once onboard, the Driver opened the regulator and Barry puffed out of the grooves in the rails, and onto the dirt. It felt odd to Barry, but it was working none the less. He puffed slowly up Gordon's hill and went slowly down the hill. Thankfully some of the dirt went with them and they made it down safely.
The fireman mopped her brow, "whew, that was hard work. I'm glad I don't work in gardens."
At the next station, the guard phoned the Fat Controller. All trains had to go down the other tracks while workmen replaced the ruined rails, and cleaned the rest. They also had to fix the landscape as it looked horrible.
Barry soon reached the works where the train was given to Wendell to take away.
Later that day at Wellsworth, the Fat Controller came to see Barry, "I heard about how you got over the hill today Barry, that was quite impressive," he said.
"Oh it's nothing really sir," said Barry. "I just had to think of what to use instead of sand."
"Indeed, and thanks to you, although the train was late, it's reached it's destination. Well done." He turned to leave, but before he did, he added, "oh and the workmen asked me to tell you that if your crew wants to do gardening in the future, they should do that kind of stuff at home."
Barry chuckled quietly to himself.
The stand-still on Gordon's hill was inspired by a real life event that occured to steam locomotive #75055 when she too slipped to a stand-still on a hill in damp welsh conditions and because they had no sand left. Numerous attempts were made to get the engine and train over the hill, but the attempts only left grooves in the rails. In the end, ordinary dirt was used to get the train up and over the hill. The rails were later replaced and no damage was reported on the locomotive.