Lee's Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends

Stories

The Bossy Tanker

The Island of Sodor is a beautiful place full of fast engines and those who aren't as fast. Whether the engines are big or small, they all do their jobs well and that's what keeps the Fat Controller happiest of all. Percy is one of the less quick engines that the Fat Controller has at his disposal, but it doesn't mean that he can't do work well. One morning, when the green engine was working at the fuel depot, he was surrounded by lots of noise. The fuel tankers, ranging in all sorts of colours, were causing a commotion. They were being noisy and were revelling in it.
"Stop it!" called the depot manager, but they simply wouldn't listen. Percy and his crew tried as well to calm the noisy tankers, but again they were having none of it.
"Who are you to tell us when to be quiet?" asked one.
"We're important, so you can't boss us about..." said another. Percy and his crew just sighed. It was a tough job of late at the depot and it was getting worse each time. The noise wasn't getting any quieter, but then a voice sounded loudly.
"Silence!" it called. The tankers fell quiet almost immediately. Percy, his crew and the depot manager looked over to where a yellow fuel tanker wasn't looking too happy. "Do you want to be useful?" it asked loudly and sternly. The other tankers didn't answer. "Well?" the voice asked.
"Er...of course, y...y...yes...of course we would." said several tankers all at once.
"Well, behave and be quiet. Do as your told." said the yellow tanker firmly before smiling in Percy's direction. He was very much impressed.
"Who's that?" he asked to his crew. They didn't know, but what Percy knew already was that he liked them...

Later that day, Percy returned to the depot to fill up more tankers and it was noticeably quieter, much to his pleasure.
"That tanker really did work." he muttered.
"Hmm," agreed his driver. "I'll ask the manager about them." and once Percy has pulled up to the stop and was waiting for the tankers to be filled, his driver went and asked.
"Oh, that's Josephine." answered the manager. "She speaks when she wants and that isn't a lot."
"She keeps your tankers well in order." remarked Percy's driver.
"Don't I know it?!" chuckled the manager. "I don't know what we'd do without her at times. You can take her with your next delivery if you want, I can manage the rest of the tankers...hopefully." he added. Percy's driver smiled and told Percy who the tanker was when he returned.
"If she can keep them under control, then that's fine by me if we add her to the train." he smiled. His crew agreed and soon they buffered upto Josephine with the yellow tanker coupled up directly behind the green engine. She was a little surprised by this but took it in her stride with the other tankers coupled up behind her.
"Everyone behave," she ordered calmly as Percy pulled off. Josephine smiled, she liked the control she had and appreciated a run out on the line; it had been a while.
"How long have you been on Sodor?" Percy eventually asked along the way. Josephine took her time to respond.
"Not too long and not too short," she said simply. Percy was confused.
"What does that mean?" he asked.
"A little while," Josephine answered. "I was on a mainland train that was brought to Sodor but was left here at the depot, they didn't want me, so I stayed. I didn't have much choice really but I don't mind that." she explained. "It wasn't easy at first, but you get used to life somewhere new." Percy didn't say anymore and neither did Josephine for the rest of the journey but the green engine really admired her and as the journey went on, he and his crew could see why the depot manager found her useful. At any moment she felt anything going wrong, she'd order her fellow tankers into line and put things right. She barely had to speak as the tankers didn't want to mess about with her. The journey went well and when Percy returned to the depot that night, he peeped his whistle loudly at Josephine.
"See you again soon!" he said, but Josephine didn't say a word, which didn't surprise Percy's crew at all.

"A bossy tanker?" asked Thomas to Percy as Tidmouth Sheds the next morning. "Whatever next for Sodor?"
"I never said bossy," retorted Percy. "I said she can boss the other tankers about well."
"Isn't that the same as bossy?" cut in James.
"I was just about to say the same thing." added Thomas. Percy just sighed.
"Uh, neither of you two understand," he said. "She's like the Fat Controller of the tankers."
"And who is this she you speak of?" called a familiar voice in the distance. Percy gulped as James and Thomas smiled.
"Er...Josephine, sir. She's a tanker. She's really good I promise." Percy said nervously to the Fat Controller.
"I see," he smiled. "Well, you'll be seeing her again today then Percy as I need you and Thomas at the depot as soon as possible please. That'll be all." he added before leaving.
"Well you'll see how good she is now, Thomas..." smiled Percy.
"Hmmm..." sounded Thomas doubtfully. "Of course."

When the pair arrived at the depot, they had a big order of fuel to deliver with Thomas and Percy both put at the front of the train. Josephine was put at the front of tanker queue but she wasn't feeling herself. Percy could see something wasn't right with her.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"I don't think that run out did me any good." she said. "It had been a while."
"You'll be fine." he reassured her, but the yellow tanker wasn't so sure. She could feel something wasn't right and the tankers behind her were already playing some silly tricks. They rattled themselves loudly and clanked as they were placed into line. They were biffing one another and Josephine wasn't happy at all.
"Stop it!" she called and for the time being the tankers fell silent, but Josephine wasn't convinced that was the end of things. And as she and her fellow tankers were pulled out of the depot by Thomas and Percy, the trouble began once more. From biffing and rattling to just noise along the way, the tankers were being a nuisance today and no-one could seemingly stop them. Those nearer the back were hatching a plan as well and they were far enough away from Josephine that she couldn't hear them. As the train carried on its way, Thomas and Percy were getting nervous as they too could feel something wasn't right.
"They're up to something, aren't they?" asked Thomas.
"I hope not." said Percy but then as the pair braked for a red signal ahead, they heard one tanker shout out to push and push hard. Suddenly, a clatter of tankers biffed into one another.
"Stop it now!" called out Josephine but she too was biffed hard. "How dare you?" she said loudly and sternly. Some of the tankers immediately wished they hadn't biffed her so hard. "You are members of the Sodor railway, you should respect everything on this line, not biff it into submission." she continued in a raised tone. Thomas was surprised at how stern she was, but now saw what Percy meant.
"Wow..." he said.
"I told you." muttered Percy as the pair listened on to Josephine.
"This railway is to be respected by everyone, whether that's trains or freight. I had to put with some misbehaving tankers on the mainland but never this many before. Now, just stay quiet and behave." she added firmly as the tankers fell silent in an instant. When the signal turned green, the only noises heard were those from Thomas and Percy. After an initial struggle, Josephine had done it again and she'd surprised even herself that time.

When evening came and the delivery was loaded up to take away, Thomas, Percy and Josephine talked.
"He said you could be bossy, but I never expected that." smiled Thomas.
"That wasn't bossy, that was just commanding respect." laughed Josephine. "Which I suppose was needed if neither of you two were prepared to speak up. What would you have done if I wasn't there?" she then asked. Thomas and Percy weren't sure and couldn't exactly answer.
"I'm glad you're here," said Percy eventually.
"I'm glad too..." smiled Josephine. "I may have been left behind but I've got a new use here." And to this day, Josephine still commands her fellow tankers about well. They know to respect her and it makes for pleasant journey for any engine who takes the tankers. To some, they think that Josephine is bossy, but to the yellow tanker herself, she just thinks that's she very useful indeed.