ThomasAngryBirds' Remakes and Stories

Remake 29: Rusty Red Scrap-Iron

Based on the annual story by Christopher Awdry

While Henry was at the works, Victor kept him company as much as he could, but often was called away for shunting duties near the works. As Victor was shunting trucks, the trucks were laughing.

"There's the engine looking after Old Square Wheels!" they giggled.

"What are you talking about?" Victor asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Diesel said that Duck is calling Henry 'Old Square Wheels'," the trucks explained, while laughing.

But Duck wouldn't say such a thing about Henry, could he? "I don't think it's funny," Victor said firmly, "it's not nice to make fun of someone after a mishap! People could have been hurt!"

The trucks just didn't care, but Henry overheard, and he was cross like Gordon.

"I'll give him, Duck!" Henry said furiously, "Just wait until I see him again once I'm repaired!"


Everyone knew that James was not used to diesels, but it came to a surprise that James and Diesel seemed to get on just fine. James showed Diesel where things were at Tidmouth yards, and Diesel worked hard once he settled down, but was still full of self-importance.

"I'm up-to-date and revolutionary," boasted Diesel, "soon, I'll have this yard working like clockwork!"

The trucks didn't really like Diesel when he first arrived, and when he was ordering them about and bumping them, they liked him less. Of course, they were sly and didn't show their true feelings.

"Keep on the right side of him," they told each other, "we'll get back at him when he doesn't expect it!"


One morning, before Henry was due back in service, James asked Diesel to get some trucks ready for him.

"I need the vans on the far side of the yard," James explained. But Diesel, so full of himself, misunderstood and didn't listen properly. He thought James told him to the leave the vans on the far side of the yard.

Diesel took no notice of the vans, collected all the rest and put them ready for James to take away. When James returned, he found that he had the wrong train, and Diesel was nowhere to be seen right now.

"Where is that foolish Diesel?!" James snapped crossly, arranging his own train. He hated shunting very much. "Off being somewhere 'revolutionary', as he says! I'll give him 'revolution'!"

James was now running late, and he couldn't return home to Tidmouth that night, and James got even crosser still. He did meet Diesel next day, and Diesel was left in no doubt of what James thought about him. He slunk growling crossly to himself.

"It was an honest misunderstanding," he grumbled, "how was I supposed to know where he meant to have those vans? I'll teach him!"


The next day, Diesel spoke with the trucks for the third time.

"I bet James has been here for a long time," he said, "he must be old!"

"Not as old as Edward and Thomas," a truck replied, "Thomas arrived to help build the railway, and Edward helped him as well, along with several engines before Henry and Gordon. The big engines used to make fun of Edward for being old, but he proved them wrong."

"Did he?" Diesel asked, interested, "How did he prove them wrong?"

"The way I heard it," said an old truck, "one day, James ran away, and he trundled down the line without his driver and fireman!"

"Good gracious!" exclaimed Diesel, "Then what happened?"

"Edward was nearby," the truck continued, "and an inspector got a cable, then rode on Edward's running plate so Edward could be side by side with James, you see, running on the line next to James. He dropped a loop of cable over James' buffer, and they slowed James down with Edward's brakes so that James' fireman could jump into the cab and bring James to a stop. Never did they tease Edward afterwards."

"Indeed," agreed Diesel, "I'm sure James did feel embarrassed. Can you imagine if James stood out in the rain for a long time, he'd be just the color he is? Red with rust!"

The trucks giggled, and a devious idea popped into Diesel's engine.


On the day Henry was due back, Diesel spoke to the trucks again.

"That story you told me about James being saved by Edward," he began.

"Yes?" said the trucks.

"I told about it to Duck, and can you believe what he said?"

"Tell us!" said the trucks anxiously.

"Duck said," Diesel continued impressively, "'it's no wonder Edward managed to catch up with James, because James is a Rusty Red Scrap-Iron!' How rude of him, right? Duck's word, not mine."

The silly trucks believed him, and laughed again when Diesel left. "Let's tell James what Duck said!" they tittered.


Like the Galloping Sausage and Old Square Wheels stories before, the Rusty Red Scrap-Iron story spread fast, and when James arrived at the yards, the trucks mocked him mercilessly.

"It's the Old Scrap-Iron!" they chortled, "Seriously, look at him - a heap of Rusty Red Scrap-Iron!"

James was livid! "That DUCK!" he hissed with rage, "I'll make him, Duck!" When he told Henry and Gordon, it was the straw that broke the camel's back.

"Disgraceful!" said Gordon.

"Disgusting!" said James.

"Despicable!" said Henry.

"We can not allow it!" The big engines consulted together. "Yes," they said, "he did it to us. We'll do it to him, and see how he likes it!"

But I must say no more, or I shall spoil the next story.


And that leads up into the events of the second half of "Dirty Work". The next story, as I said, is a season 6 rewrite, set during "A Close Shave". Three stories in a day; a new record!