Hello readers, and welcome to my third adaptation of the Season 6 episode 'Harvey to the Rescue'. My first attempt had been done in 2009, where as the second one was done in 2011. Recently, I had been asked if I do a new version of the adaptation, but due to work around the house and other projects, I haven't been able to get this one done, at least until now, so I apologize for the delay.

It's Okay To Be Different

Based on "Harvey to the Rescue" (2002)

The sun shone brighly on a warm summer's day as Thomas the Tank Engine puffed into the junction with Annie and Clarabel. They had had a good run and were actually two minutes ahead of Bertie the Bus.

"I'd like to hear that silly bus say he's faster than me now," Thomas chuckled quietly to himself.

Annie and Clarabel rolled their eyes. Nearby, Percy was shunting some quarry wagons for the main line engines. He was just finishing when he saw Bear come into view with a long goods train behind him.

"Cor Bear, that's quite a lengthy..." but then he stopped.

"Percy, can you ever finish a sentence?" chuckled Thomas.

Soon though he was in shock, so were the people on the platforms and so was Bertie when he arrived. In between the thirteenth and fourteenth trucks was a tank engine in a sort of chocolate brown livery with yellow stripes. The engine had a number 27 and his name printed on the side of his tank, which read 'Harvey'. What shocked everyone though was that the engine had a crane in front of it's cab.

"What in the name of Sodor?" gasped Thomas.

Bear came to a stop as he was to pick up some trucks. As he was being uncoupled, he explained about the engine, "That's Harvey, the Fat Controller recently bought him to help Judy and Jerome with their duties, and to help out with odd jobs when required."

"He's a real engine?" gasped Percy.

Harvey smiled, "indeed I am, I am a self propelled steam crane engine. I was designed so that I could help others on lines which bigger cranes can't get to, like branch lines for example."

"I never knew there were steam crane engines," said Bertie.

"Nor have I," agreed Thomas. "What region of the United Kingdom did you work?"

"Well my brother and I actually worked for the Shelton Iron & Steel Works in Stoke on Trent until we were retired, then we went to work on the East Somerset Railway in the 70's until we came down with boiler issues. However," he added, "we're not the type of engines to be silenced for long. My brother has gone to work for the Foxfield Railway while I went to the Mid Hants Railway where they overhauled me and sold me to the North Western."

"So you never worked on British Railways?" Percy asked.

"Nope, never. Although I had one odd adventure there, but I'll save that for later, I don't want to make Bear late."

By now, Bear had coupled up to his trucks and shunted them onto the train.

"I'll be doing demostrations tomorrow in the Big Station yards," Harvey added as they started to leave, "and if all goes well, I will be working with Judy and Jerome."

Bear roared his engines and the long train started once more.

"What's a dimmer station?" Percy asked curiously.

"That's Demostration Percy," explained his Driver, "it means showing off what you can do. In the case of Harvey, he'll probably just be lifting crates or fronts of wagons for inspectors."

"Too bad he's not being judged on speed, then he could really prove his metal," said Bertie. Then he added as a joke; "although, he'd probably be faster than Thomas. Then again, anything is faster than Thomas."

"Yeah anything is faster than...HEY!" cried Thomas. "Why you..."

But Bertie didn't stick around to hear the rest. With his passengers on board, he was now ready to go, so he left, leaving Thomas to fume.

Later that evening, Barry was returning home after a hard day's work. As he was coming up to the sheds, he could hear the engines talking about Harvey, and by the sounds of things, there were mixed feelings about him.

"He doesn't even look like a proper locomotive," grumbled Gordon. "I certainly wouldn't want him to shunt my express coaches."

"He's not here for your beck and call," said BoCo crossly, "he's to help out in an emergency."

"Oh really?" chuckled James, "he doesn't look that strong to me. Why, I bet he couldn't lift me up."

"Nor me," added Oliver. "He looks to be another Cranky on wheels, all talk and no show."

"Stop it you lot!" snapped Edward. "That is no way to be treated. What if you were judged upon your arrival, how would you feel then?" That silenced the engines up at once.

Barry puffed in and noticed Harvey in a part of the shed away from the engines. He didn't look too happy.

He whispered to the crane engine, "I wouldn't bother listening to what Gordon, James or Oliver say, sometimes they get too big for their smokeboxes. As history shows, usually it takes an accident to make them see some common sense again. You just wait and see."

That cheered Harvey up a bit, and he cheered up even more when Barry asked to be parked next to him. They swapped stories from their old lines until they went off happily to sleep.

As he slept that night, Harvey thought back on the words the three engines said, then he dreamt back to a conversation he had with his brother many years before.

"What if those main line engines make fun of me? What if they say I'm not really useful?"

"Harvey, don't let their words get to you. It's okay to be Different my brother, it doesn't matter what they say, as long as you prove just how useful you are, their words mean nothing."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. Sticks and stones may break our frames, but words can never hurt us."

A small smile came to Harvey's face and in his sleep, he muttered; "thank you Will."

The following morning, all the engines had gone off to work, except for Harvey. The driver and fireman were doing minor checkups and polishing him till he shone like gold.

"Ohh, shiny," smiled the fireman as he looked at his reflection.

The driver smacked him on the back of the head, "when you're done looking at your reflection," she said, "we need to get moving. Come on Harv, let's show those inspectors what you're made of."

Once on board, Harvey puffed out of the sheds and over to the yards to begin his demostrations.

Meanwhile, on the Little Western, Oliver was bringing a load of ballast towards the Big Station. Today, the ballast wagons were being more troublesome than ever and were making Oliver's journey a misery.

"Come on you stupid trucks, get moving!" Oliver shouted crossly.

He pulled and he puffed, puffed and pulled, but the trucks continued to hold back. Oliver's Driver opened the regulator a little bit more, which was a mistake.

"Now! Push! Push! On! On! On!" giggled the trucks and shoved hard aganist Oliver.

The Auto tank engine shot forward at a high speed. His Driver slammed on the brakes, but they were useless.

"Stop it!" shouted Oliver, "or I'll break you all like I did with SCRuffy!" But the trucks weren't listening, they just wanted to have fun. However, it would soon come to an end at Bulgy's bridge.

There was a bump and before anyone knew it, Oliver and his train rolled down the hill and come to rest on the road. Three of the rear trucks and the guard's van stayed on the rails, but the rest of the trucks were in a heap. Oliver's crew didn't have time to jump, but despite having cuts and bruises, there were no serious injuries.

"Typical of you railway engines, always causing accidents," smirked Bulgy from his field, "that's why roads are better than rails."

"Bulgy, do me a huge favour and be quiet!" snapped Oliver.

The guard climbed down the hill and went to check on the crew, "we're fine Richard," said the Driver, "just call for help."

The guard went to the nearby farm house and phoned the yards. As it turned out though, Judy and Jerome were busy dealing with another derailment. It was Henry, who went over the points a little too quickly, due to a Driver in training.

The yard manager hurried to the yards and found Harvey lifting some crates.

"You'll have to leave these Harvey," he said, "Oliver's come off at Bulgy's Bridge and he needs some help."

The inspectors watched on as Harvey puffed out the siding, collected the workmen and a coach, then set off for the Little Western.

By the time Harvey arrived, he found long cues of cars and lorries on both sides of the bridge.

"Cor, what a mess," gasped Harvey. "Well, I guess it's time to get to work." He looked up to his crane, "ready when you are."

He started by bringing up some of the trucks and shunting them into place. Damaged trucks were taken away by Butch the Tow Lorry when he arrived. The trucks grumbled, but Harvey and Butch took no notice.

By the time the Inspectors arrived at the bridge, the workmen were deciding on what they could do for Oliver.

"It is steep up the hill, but if he goes along the grooves he made, Harvey should be able to pull him back up and put him back on the rails."

"I'll give it a try," said Harvey with determination.

The inspectors watched as Butch got Oliver facing the right way, then watched as long chains were attached in between the two engines. Just to make sure Oliver didn't topple over, some workmen stood near the grooves to keep watch. At last, all was ready.

"When you're ready Harvey, pull away!"

Harvey responded with a blast of his whistle, and slowly pulled. It was easy at first, but once Oliver got to the grooves, it became difficult. Butch wondered if he should just take Oliver to the works himself, but the workmen insisted on Harvey doing it. Often Harvey would have to stop to catch his breath or for the workmen to make sure Oliver wouldn't tip over.

It took a quarter of an hour, but soon Harvey was able to pull Oliver onto the tracks, then using his crane, lifted him back onto the rails.

People started cheering and cars and lorries honked their horns. Harvey smiled at this, "yes, it is good to be different."

Duck soon arrived and towed Oliver away while Douglas, who had been held up at the chute, came to take the trucks away. The inspectors walked up the embankment to speak with Harvey, "that was wonderful Harvey, you certainly proved your metal there. It was the best demostration we've ever seen."

"Indeed," nodded another, "and after some talk, we've all decided that you are the perfect engine to work with Jerome and Judy on a regular basis."

"Oh thank you Sirs," smiled Harvey. "If only my brother could hear this wonderful news."

"Don't worry about that," said a third inspector, "We're due to check him out soon, and we'll be sure to tell him." And with that, the inspectors turned and left for the big station.

Word of Harvey's rescue soon spread down the line. All the engines were quite pleased with him and said he was a true rescue engine, even Thomas and Percy were impressed.

"A tank engine he may be, but he's got the strength of a big tender engine," they would say if James or Gordon were at the junction.

The two big engines remained respectfully silent after that. As for Oliver, once he was repaired, he apologized to Harvey.

Harvey doesn't mind of what others may say, for he knows that although he's not be like most steam engines, he can still show just how useful he can be.