Great Northern the A1 Pacific: Chapter 14
The Bulldog's New Tricks
Duke the old Mid-Sodor engine had been thoroughly enjoying his time with the permanent way gang of The Skarloey Railway. Up and down the line they went, looking for any small problems on the track of which were rectified before they had a chance become worse. Even though track maintenance, to most people, seemed quite uneventful and boring, it is very important to the maintaining of a railway. Poor track conditions were one of the reasons why the old Mid-Sodor Railway had closed down, and Duke knew this fact very well.
Duke took pride in helping the way gang keep the track in working and pristine order. Sometimes, it was the little things that had the biggest impact. Thanks to the slow and gradual work of the way gang, Duke was able to take in and enjoy the scenery that The Skarloey Railway offered. Before, with his picnic train and other passenger trains, Duke never really got a chance to slow down, relax and take in everything about his new home. With this job however, it gave him the exact opportunity he had been craving.
During this time, Rusty, who was usually the maintenance engine of the railway, had been assigned more common jobs by The Thin Controller. In the mornings, he would help with the passenger trains and in the afternoon, he would take slate trucks down to Crovan's Gate from the slate quarry. Rusty thoroughly relished this change of work but was still looking forward to when he would return to his usual duties with the way gang.
However, there was one track maintenance job that Rusty abhorred. The kind of train that only came around one a year. The weedkiller train. This year though, Duke was the engine to take it, and Rusty was very thankful.
"Duke can take the weedkiller train every year if he wants," Rusty told the other engines once Duke had left early that morning with the weedkiller train in tow. "Whenever I take it, I get so hot and bothered thanks to all that dawdling along the line."
The weedkiller train was actually a flat-truck with a large tank on it. A pipe hung across the line behind the truck's buffers and when the man in charge turned the tap, liquid sprayed out onto the track through holes in the pipe.
"Let's just hope he's not too slow," Duncan sniffed. "I dinnae want to be caught behind him and that train. But given how old he is, that very well might be the case."
Sir Handel was very offended. "How dare you, Duncan! You have no right to speak of Duke that way!"
"Duke might be old," Peter Sam cut in. "But he'll surprise you yet. We didn't call him the Bulldog for nothing back on the Mid-Sodor. Don't you remember the stories we told you all about Duke saving Sir Handel from a cliff edge and surprised me with a bump after I had to help with his picnic train. We both made fun of Duke, and we both paid for it in the end. Duke is stronger than you think."
"Oh, pah!" Duncan snorted. "Unlike you two, I'm not so careless."
Skarloey shot Duncan a knowing grin. "Bold words coming from the engine who liked to 'rock n roll' a few years ago."
Duncan spluttered. "Derailments could happen to any engine, Skarloey! I seem to recall you being derailed once when you were a young engine."
"I was, but that was thanks to Agnes, Ruth, Lucy, Jemima and Beatrice. Nevertheless, Sir Handel and Peter Sam are right, Duncan. You don't have to the right to insult Duke the way you just did. He has done wonders for this railway already and continues to do so. I would be more respectful if I were you, and you could learn a thing or two from him as well."
Duncan wheeshed steam angrily. "Have that old fusspot teach me something? Och, aye! I'll learn something from Duke when old dogs can learn new tricks." And with that, Duncan puffed away to the station to collect his train.
Sir Handel and Peter Sam began to discuss Duncan and how rude he was until Skarloey finally got the pair to calm down. It was well-known by the other engines that Sir Handel and Peter Sam were very protective of Duke, their Granpuff. They had both missed him for over two decades and they now had him back, and there was no way they were going to stand anyone insulting Duke. Including Duncan.
Later that day, Sir Handel met Duke at Skarloey Station. He told Duke all about what Duncan had said and was still very cross indeed.
"It was just plain rude, Granpuff!" he admonished. "I don't know why, but Duncan just seems to complain about anything and everything. Even more than I do!"
"So, I see," Duke remarked. "Well, Falcon, all I say is that maybe Duncan has always been like that and may always will be. Some engines just like to complain and to hear the sound of their voice. Things like that is hard to shake off of an engine."
"Well, I'd wish he'd stop. It's like he doesn't care about the work you've been doing lately. The way gang and the weedkiller train are very important. Without them, our line would be in a terrible shape. I remember Skarloey and Rheneas telling me and Peter Sam about the days when it was just the two of them on this line. They said that the line was in a terrible state and I think it's a miracle that this railway didn't close down like our old one. Skarloey even said that he didn't recognise the railway after Rusty and the way gang had cleaned up the line."
Duke could only agree. "You are right, Falcon. However, I think that day, some engines and people, take things for granted. Some people just don't realise what they have until it's gone."
"Isn't that the truth?"
"Yes, quite. Now then, Falcon, I think you'd better get going with your passengers," Duke looked over to Gertrude and Millicent behind Sir Handel. "Make sure to keep Falcon in line, won't you, my dears?"
"Not to worry, Duke," snickered Gertrude.
"We'll certainly try," giggled Millicent as Sir Handel started pulling out of the station.
"Keep in line? Me?!" Sir Handel spluttered. "Oh, the nerve! I resent that remark, Duke!"
"Now, now," Duke called, chuckling as Sir Handel trundled away. "Keep calm and carry on, that's the spirit!"
Sir Handel couldn't help but groan. "Ugh... Granpuff might be old, but he still likes to crack jokes. He really hasn't changed, even after twenty years of being stuck up in a shed!"
"Heheh, young'uns," Duke chortled as he then left with the way gang once more.
A couple of days later, Duncan was getting his first passenger services of the day ready and was just about to shunt his coaches to the platform when he saw The Thin Controller making his way over to him. Duncan hoped he was passing by, only to watch as the Controller stopped in front of him.
"Duncan," he said. "I need you to stop what you are doing and to head up to the Slate Quarry please."
Duncan was surprised. "The Slate Quarry, sir? Whatever for? I have my own passenger train here to take care of."
"I'm afraid that Rusty has overheated his engine and needs to be taken to the works. So, while he is being repaired, I need you to handle his work with the slate trucks. Skarloey will take over your passenger runs."
"Trucks?!" Duncan exclaimed. "But, sir! I'm taking enough trucks as it is! I'm barely taking any coaches now thanks to Duke on maintenance duty!"
"Maybe so, but engines on this railway do as they are told." The Thin Controller gave Duncan a stern look. Duncan wisely subsided. "Good. If that is all from you, Duncan, then make your way to the quarry as soon as you can."
"Come on, lad," said Duncan's driver. "The sooner we sort out Rusty's trucks, the better."
"Sooner isn't soon enough," Duncan grumbled, reluctantly making his way out of the yard.
By the time he arrived at the quarry, Duncan saw that Peter Sam had just coupled up to Rusty as black fumes were just starting to die down from Rusty's radiator. Duncan wasn't sympathetic as he trundled into the quarry in a right royal mood.
"Typical!" he snorted. "Rusty overheats and I'm forced to do his work. Just typical!"
"Oh, stow it, Duncan!" Peter Sam snapped. "Did you just happen to forget the time you burst your safety valve a month ago?"
"Pah! Burst safety valves could happen to any engine! Overheated engines however, do not. At least not on this railway anyway." He shot a nasty glare at Rusty.
"It's not my fault!" Rusty protested. "The trucks were being silly and put on their brakes. I ran my engine too hard to try and shunt them about."
Duncan wasn't convinced. "Then next time, get your driver to lift off their brakes. I thought ye would've known that by now."
Rusty didn't reply.
"Ignore him, Rusty," Peter Sam advised. "He's just upset that he has to do more work now. Come along, we'd better get you to Crovan's Gate as soon as possible."
"R-Right..." Rusty murmured as Peter Sam pulled the little diesel out of the quarry and headed down the line.
In the meantime, Duncan got to work. He angrily bumped and bashed the trucks into place. He took no nonsense from any of them as he shunted them into place. Naturally, the trucks were upset. They hated it when engines shunted them about so roughly and Duncan's bad mood quickly rubbed off on them as well. The trucks all spoke to each other in whispers.
"Pay Duncan out. Pay Duncan out," they whispered to each other.
Soon, Duncan had his first train organised, ready to take down to The Transfer Yards. As he backed down, Duncan gave the trucks another hard bump for good measure. Only to not realise that this last show of force only solidified the trucks' determination to pay him out.
"Listen up!" Duncan boomed. "I want no nonsense from the lot of ye! We've got a schedule to keep and we cannae afford to dilly-dally. Understood?"
"Yes, sir," the trucks murmured, seemingly compliant but were actually devious.
They started smoothly at first with Duncan pulling the train fine through Skarloey Station and then Rheneas Station. However, just after crossing the Viaduct, Duncan was stopped at a red signal, so he could let Skarloey pass with the passenger train from earlier which Duncan was supposed to take. Skarloey whistled hello, but Duncan offered no reply.
"I should be the one pulling passengers," he grumbled. "It's bad enough I have deal with this lot and have to deal with right-of-way too. It's just not fair!" He was then stopped at another signal. "Oh, great! I bet I'm going to be late if this keeps up."
At this, the trucks waited for their opportunity to strike. As soon as Duncan started, the train gathered up speed, the trucks all bashed their weight up against Duncan. Pushing him down the line at a frightful speed. They had bumped Duncan so hard that his crew were knocked from the footplate. It was by sheer luck that the driver managed to pull Duncan's brake lever down as he and the fireman fell out of Duncan's cab.
"Ahh!" Duncan cried. "Stop! Stop, you bleedin' twits! Stop!"
The trucks didn't stop. "We thought you wanted to be on time, Duncan! Well, now you can be!"
"Gah! Not like this! This is the worst way possible!" Duncan cried as he shot down the line. Narrowly avoiding being dunked in the water of the Causeway as he screeched past Sir Handel who was sitting on a loop siding. "HEEEEEEEELP!"
"Cinders and ashes!" exclaimed Sir Handel. "Duncan's a runaway! Driver, sound the alarm!"
Sir Handel's driver then hurried to warn the closest signalman. In no time at all, points were changed, and signals were diverted. Meanwhile, Duke was idling at the Cros-ny-Cuirn when the station master came running up to him and his crew.
"Duncan's been spotted as a runaway!" he said. "He'll pass through here any minute."
"We'd better keep off the track then," said Duke's driver.
"No," Duke interrupted. "We need to help Duncan. We have to make him stop."
"Stop?" his fireman coughed, spitting out some of tea. "How are we supposed to stop a runaway train?!"
"Leave that to me," Duke replied. "I have an idea, but I'm going to need you both to trust me on this."
Despite their better judgement, Duke's driver and fireman reluctantly agreed as Duke crossed over the points onto the through line. The people on the platforms gathered around nervously with what was about to happen. Suddenly, there was a frantic whistle in the distance.
"Driver, back me away now!" Duke called as his driver opened the regulator wide open as Duke began reversing down the line. In no time all though, Duncan raced through the station. The trucks laughed while poor Duncan was scared out of his livery. Soon, Duke could see Duncan up ahead of him. "Driver!" he called again. "Slowly shut off steam and get me buffer to buffer with Duncan! Then, put my brakes on as hard as they can go!"
"I don't like this, Duke!" His driver exclaimed as he did what Duke told him to do.
He shut off steam as Duke slowly but surely got closer to Duncan. Soon, Duke and Duncan were buffer-to-buffer as they thundered down the line together. The driver then put Duke's brakes on as hard as they could go. Sparks flew from under Duke's wheels as they screeched against the rails. Once they reached a certain speed, Duke gave a shout.
"Driver! Fireman! Jump out of my cab, now!"
His crew quickly obliged. Leaping out of Duke's cab from either ends as they rolled across the ground with light bruises and cuts. Duncan, in his frantic state of mind, finally found his voice to speak.
"Duke! You crazy, old codger! What are you thinkin'?!" he wailed. "Now we're both going to die!"
"Not if I have anything to say about it!" Duke shot back. "My brakes on hard, how about yours?"
"They... I think they're gradually getting harder! My driver must have pulled my brake lever after he and my driver had been thrown from my cab."
"Good! Now brake as hard as you're worth! Or we're going to have quite a nasty end!"
Duncan gulped and tried braking as hard as he could.
Down at Crovan's Gate, Rusty had been left in a siding after being shunted into place by Peter Sam. He was waiting for Mr. Hugh to come and check over his engine when he heard the desperate sound of brakes squealing across track as he saw Duke, Duncan and the trucks round the bend. They were heading straight for him.
"Oh, no!" Rusty cried, shutting his eyes and braced himself for impact.
"We're not going to make it, Duke!" Duncan wailed. "We're not going to make it!"
"Just keep braking, lad!" Duke ordered as Duncan shut his eyes and continued to brake as hard as he could.
Duke also closed his eyes and grimaced as he used all of his weight against Duncan and the trucks to slow down the train. Just then, the screeching sound of brakes softened as the sparks from Duke and Duncan's wheels began to disappear. Duke could feel himself going slower and slower all until he felt a little chink on the bufferbeam of his tender. He looked back to see that he was now bufferbeam-to-buffer with Rusty. They had finally stopped.
"A-Are we dead?" Duncan asked, feebly opening an eye.
"No, lad," Duke smiled, his cheeks red after being worn out from all the braking. "We're quite alive." Duke looked back to Rusty. "Are you alright, Rusty?"
"I-I'm fine!" Rusty called back, still a little shaken.
Duke sighed in relief. "Well, it seems we avoided a nasty accident, didn't we?"
"You could say that again."
Suddenly, a crowd had gathered around the three engines. Congratulating Duke for his bravery as his crew came into the yard to check over their engine and Duncan. As Duke's crew looked over the two engines, Duncan looked nervously up to Duke.
"Duke, I... I owe you an apology," Duncan murmured.
"An apology?" Duke repeated. "Whatever for?"
"I might've said some unsavoury things about you to the other engines... I was being petty because I felt put-upon with ye doing the maintenance work while I was forced to take on some of your work and then Rusty's this mornin'." Duncan then chuckled. "Peter Sam was right. He and Sir Handel do call ye the Bulldog for a reason, don't they?"
"They do indeed," Duke grinned. "Apparently, I'm stronger than what most engines think."
"And you said you'd learn something when an old dog learns new tricks, Duncan," Rusty cut in.
Duke arched an eyebrow at Duncan. "Oh? Did you learn something, Duncan?"
Duncan looked at his buffers meekly. "I think I've learnt a lesson in respecting one's elders." He looked up to Duke. "Duke, I have complete respect for you."
Duke smiled at that. "And I have complete respect for you admitting that to me, Duncan. And you know what? I think this old Bulldog had learned something new as well."
"What would that be, Duke?" asked Rusty.
"How to stop a runaway!" Duke hollered as the two engines laughed as did the people in the crowd.
Soon, Duncan's trucks were shunted away by Rheneas who scolded them severely for nearly causing a terrible accident while Peter Sam came and shunted Duke and Duncan into their own sidings until The Thin Controller arrived to speak with them. During that time, Mr. Hugh looked them over and said that they should both be back to work the next morning.
Not long after, The Thin Controller arrived at the sheds. He spoke to Duke first.
"Duke, while I am not happy with the kind of situation you put yourself in, I am very proud of you for stopping Duncan and his runaway train. Now, would you mind being relieved of maintenance duties, so you can return to your old work? With Rusty needing repairs, I need all the engines I can get."
Duke smiled. "Of course, sir. The way gang did a fine job in helping me assimilate with the railway. I'll be more than happy to return to my own work."
"There's a good engine," he turned to Duncan. "Duncan, I understand that this has been a traumatic experience for you. If it wasn't for Duke's quick thinking, things could have ended up much worse for you and Rusty. However, I have been told by the other engines of your bad behaviour lately and the quarry manager claims that you have been shunting the trucks far too hard for his liking. As punishment, and as a way for you to cool off, I am assigning you to maintenance duties in place of Duke and Rusty. I hope you learn the importance of the way gang and what it does to keep this railway running."
"Yes, sir..." Duncan murmured as The Thin Controller tipped his hat and walked away.
Duncan looked to Duke. "Thanks again for saving me, Duke. I cannae thank ye enough."
"That's alright, Duncan," Duke chortled. "We all live and learn. I've certainly learned a lot over my long life."
"And for an old Bulldog, you're still learning new tricks," Duncan snickered as the two engines laughed.