FUSSPOT!

Mavis the Quarry Diesel was busier than ever. The Harwick Harbour Project had doubled her journeys, and she was constantly sent back and forth between the site and the quarry, hauling heavy trucks. Mavis didn't mind, as she loved being able to take regular journeys outside the quarry. As much as she enjoyed her work, it had really stretched her for time, and had begun to wear her out. Early one morning, Mavis was doing her morning organization of the quarry, as well as preparing trains for later in the day.

"And Toby's over here..." She began shunting some trucks towards the end of a siding, but suddenly saw them swerve. The points had been set in the wrong direction!

"Oh no!" Mavis cried. The trucks surged into more, setting off a chain reaction that moved every truck in the quarry from its original spot. Mavis gasped.

"I don't have time to fix this!" Suddenly, the Quarry Manager walked up to her.

"Mavis, you're needed to take a train to Harwick Harbour, on the double!" Mavis looked around at the messy quarry, wincing. She groaned and rolled away to fetch her trucks.

"Fiddlesticks!" She grumbled, as she coupled up to her trucks and rolled away, leaving the quarry in disarray.


Later in the morning, Toby arrived with the workers. It was his usual routine, but this morning was different.

"Enjoy your work today!" Henrietta called, before chuckling. She then looked to Toby.

"Toby, are we going to collect our trucks now?" She asked. She got no response.

"Toby? Toby!" The tram engine snapped out of his thoughts.

"Oh, sorry, Henrietta. It's just that...the quarry's a mess! How does Mavis get anything done? This place is a pigsty!" Henrietta winced. Toby had known Mavis since she arrived, and as result he was rather quick to be hard on her.

"Now, Toby, I think it looks messy too, but I'm sure Mavis knows where everything is, so we shouldn't touch-"

"That's it! I need to reorganize this, this is utterly ridiculous! I can't even find my train, much less anything else! Come on!" Henrietta looked rather worried as Toby began shunting the trucks, but she decided to remain silent. Toby had soon enough reorganized the quarry his way, which was significantly different from Mavis'.

"Perfect! Much easier to find things now!" Toby and Henrietta were coupled to a train of stone trucks, and Toby rang his bell before pulling away.

"I hope so..." Henrietta muttered, as the two left the quarry radically different than from how they found it. Little did Toby know, a line of trucks he had moved to the other side of the quarry was going to cause a lot of trouble.


Mavis returned from the harbour that afternoon, searching for more stone. However, when she returned to the siding where she had set up her train this morning, she found that it wasn't there.

"What? I put the trucks here this morning! Where are they?" She sped around the quarry, checking every siding she could find, but nothing seemed to be the same!

"I organized the quarry this morning! How is it already such a mess?" She rumbled around the quarry, bumping trucks out of the way, frantically looking for her train.

"You trucks move all on your own, huh?" She grumbled, as the giggling trucks began laughing at her plight. Finally, she found herself on the opposite end of the quarry, where she shunted a truck out of the way to find her trucks on a siding.

"How did you get over here?" She asked, bewildered. The front truck of the train blew her a raspberry as she coupled up to the trucks and sped away towards the harbour, trying to make up for lost time.


However, when Mavis arrived at the harbour, she saw a very stern foreman waiting for her.

"Mavis! You're thirty minutes late! We've got to get this stone unloaded as soon as possible or we'll be behind the schedule! You can bet I'll be calling your manager about this!" Mavis winced.

"But, sir, it's not my fault!"

"No excuses! Get back to the quarry ASAP so we can actually accomplish something today!" He stomped off, leaving a very upset Mavis behind. She tried to think of something to say, but couldn't and simply resigned herself to reversing away to try to make up for lost time.


Mavis really tried to make up the time, but the world seemed to be against her! She rounded a bend to find group of cows on the line in front of her, nearby a broken fence that Terence the Tractor was trying to repair. She groaned loudly as she came to a stop.

"Fff...FIDDLESTICKS!" She screeched in anger. Terence grimaced as birds flew away from nearby trees.


When she finally arrived with the last stone train of the day, she had lost a lot of time, and was feeling miserable. She dropped off her train and immediately returned to the quarry, determined to not get chewed out by the foreman.

"How did the quarry end up in such a mess this morning? I knew I left it a little messy, but I'm sure it wasn't that different!" She rounded a bend, approaching the quarry. There, she saw Toby and Henrietta picking up the workmen. The tram engine did not look pleased when he saw Mavis. She grimaced.

"Oh no." She guiltily sidled up alongside Toby, who raised an eyebrow at her.

"Evening, Mavis." Mavis smiled sheepishly.

"Evening, Toby." She muttered quietly.

"You had an off day?"

"..."

"Mavis?"

"Yes, Toby. I had an off day." Toby sighed.

"The manager wants to speak with you. I assume it's not good." Mavis looked away guiltily.

"I know..." Toby chuckled.

"Talk to me tomorrow, okay?" He rang his bell and puffed away.

"Night, Toby." She rolled towards her shed and reversed in, before seeing the quarry manager walk up. She winced, knowing what was coming.

"I know I was late, sir..." She sighed. The manager looked at her for a brief moment before looking down.

"Yes, Mavis."

"Sir, it won't happen again, I swear! Tomorrow, the quarry will be ship-shape! I-"

"Mavis, you can't handle the work on your own. We're getting a new, stronger engine to take the stone trains to the harbour while you stay here and keep the quarry on track." Mavis was horrified.

"B-but, sir! Those trains are the only chance I have to leave the quarry! Without them, I'm cooped up here all the time! You can't take those away! Please!" Tears began to form in her eyes. The manager sighed.

"I'm sorry, Mavis. I truly am. Throughout tomorrow, other engines will be coming to the quarry to take the trains. I expect them to be ready for them." Tears streamed down Mavis' face, but she sniffled to be able to spit out a few words.

"Yes, sir." The manager walked sadly away, leaving Mavis with her own tears. As he disappeared from sight, Mavis sobbed into the empty quarry.

"Why? Why? I-" Suddenly, as Mavis stared out into the " disorganized" quarry, she began to see a familiar pattern. She inspected corners of the quarry from the comfort of the shed and the origins of the quarry's "disarray" hit her like a lorry. Her misery turned into pure rage as she stared out at the familiar quarry.

"'Talk to me, tomorrow', indeed!" She growled angrily, before going to sleep, still drowning in her own sadness and anger.


The following day, Toby was puffing up towards the quarry with Henrietta to drop off the workmen. He looked towards the quarry, expecting to see Mavis, but was surprised to see Stanley rounding the bend with stone trucks. The silver tank engine whistled as he passed Toby, leaving the tram confused.

"Huh?"

"Mavis must be ill. Easy, Toby." Henrietta soothed. Toby sighed, and continued on towards the quarry.


Toby arrived at the quarry, and spotted Mavis across the way shunting her trucks into the sidings. He spotted her angry glare as the workmen climbed out of Henrietta. The coach saw it too, and winced.

"Be gentle, Toby. You can be very hard on her." Toby, however, was already puffing towards her, leaving Henrietta behind by the sheds. The tram rang his bell as he approached the shunter.

"Morning, Mavis! What's got you in such a state? I-" Toby was cut off by trucks surging past on the points in front of him,

"Go away." Mavis was angrier than Toby had ever seen her. Toby was taken aback.

"Pardon?"

"I was taken off Harwick Harbour trains until further notice because of yesterday's delays."

"Mavis, I'm so sorry, that's awful-"

"And do you want to know why I was delayed in the first place?"

"Mavis-"

"Because you reorganized the quarry without telling me, and I couldn't find anything! I've been running this quarry for ages now! I don't need your help, so buzz off!" It was Toby's turn to get angry now.

"Excuse me? The quarry was a mess when I saw it! You wouldn't have been able to find anything anyway!"

"I had my quarry organized exactly the way I wanted!"

"Your organization wasn't working!"

"You're just cross because it's easier than your's ever was!"

"You need to learn to take criticism!"

"Why can't you ever let me do anything for myself, you...FUSSPOT!?" The quarry went silent as Toby stared at Mavis, his mouth open in astonishment. Finally, after what seemed like forever, he backed away from Mavis and onto a horrified Henrietta.

"Henrietta, we're leaving." His voice was icy cold. He rang his bell and puffed away from the quarry. Mavis watched him leave, and her anger bubbled into tears once again before she kept shunting the trucks into their sidings for other engines to collect.

"Fiddlesticks..." She swore under her breath.


Henrietta was very worried about Toby. He hadn't said a word since they left the quarry, but she could sense his anger. Finally, she decided to gently prod him.

"Toby, what did Mavis say to you?"

"You heard the whole thing, Henrietta. Don't pretend." Henrietta sighed.

"Clever, Toby." Toby looked down at the rails in front of him.

"Did I really get her in trouble from just trying to help her?" His faithful coach chuckled.

"I don't have all the answers, Toby." Toby harrumphed.

"Neither do I, I guess. But she still has so much to learn, and-"

"Red signal, Toby!" Toby applied his brakes and rolled to a gentle stop at the signal, which was nearby a tree. He heard a tweeting and looked up to see a bird's nest on a branch above. A baby bird was perched on the nest's edge, and was clearly about to try flying. Toby smiled as the baby bird flapped its tiny wings and tried to jump from the nest. However, it didn't get very far before beginning to lose balance and fall. Toby gasped in horror, but a larger bird swooped down, caught the baby, and flew it back up to the nest. The mama bird chirped at the baby inside the nest, before turning it around with her feet and putting it back on the edge of the nest. The mama bird chirped, and the baby bird prepped to take flight again. This time, it leaped off the edge and managed to stay in the sky through furiously flapping its wings, and the mama bird chirped happily. Toby thought for a moment, before puffing onwards when the signal dropped.


Back at the quarry, Mavis had organized it just the way she wanted, and was working like clockwork. However, she was still upset with Toby, and as a result was bumping the trucks.

"Ouch! Mind our buffers!" One truck shouted as the others groaned. Mavis simply glared.

"Be quiet, you lot! We've important work to do!" Mavis rammed a few trucks under the hopper and stone tumbled into them. The trucks growled and began whispering to each other.

"Mavis' got a temper!"

"That's not a good habit!"

"We should give her some...intervention!" They giggled and began making a plan to pay Mavis out.


Toby had made his way up to Knapford, where the Fat Controller was waiting in the platform for him.

"Toby! Just the engine I was looking for!"

"Hello, sir. How can I help?"

"I need you to take a train of stone trucks from Anopha Quarry up to Harwick Harbour, they're due for another load." Toby frowned; this would have meant he had to see Mavis, and that was sure to not go well. The Fat Controller noticed this.

"Don't worry, Toby, I'll make sure you're signaled through this time!" He joked. Toby chuckled.

"Of course, sir. Come on, Henrietta." He rang his bell and rolled away towards the quarry. Henrietta sighed, knowing Toby was nervous.

"It won't be so bad, Toby." Toby sighed and looked ahead.

"I hope."


Up at the quarry, Mavis had finally shunted the next train and was shunting another one when the trucks put their plan into action.

"Hold back, hold back!" They giggled, and slipped their brakes on. Mavis was not in the mood.

"I don't have time for this! GET MOVING!" She went back and rammed into the trucks. They remained still and laughed. However, one truck felt a creaking and looked down at his brakes. They had begun to experience a significant amount of strain. He grimaced as Mavis went back for another go.

"Uh, lads, maybe we should-GAH!" Disaster struck. Mavis barreled into the trucks once more, and the truck with the damaged brakes felt his brakes snap. He left the rails, derailing right across the points and falling onto his side. Mavis gasped as the dust settled.

"Oh no!" She cried. The junction was blocked. Before Mavis even had any time to react, she heard a bell and saw Toby pulling into the quarry.

"Mavis! Mavis! I-" He stopped and saw the accident and gasped.

"Mavis, what happened?" Mavis, however, was still upset with Toby, and simply ignored him as she began to try pulling the derailed truck back upright.

"Nothing I can't handle!" Toby watched as Mavis strained, and noticed that the derailed truck had gotten caught on one of the rails in the junction. As Mavis pulled, the truck had begun to pull the other trucks down with it. Toby gasped.

"Mavis, stop! You'll take the other trucks down too!" The stuck truck giggled as Mavis cut her engine off.

"Keep pulling, Mavis! You'll show that old fusspot!" Mavis tried to glare at Toby, but only saw genuine concern on his face. Her face softened, and tears began to appear in the corner of her eyes.

"Toby, I'm sorry. I can't do this on my own. I just can't. I need your help. Please. I don't know what to do..." Her tears began streaming down her face.

"I guess I'm the fusspot..." Toby rolled alongside her with a grave, determined expression.

"Mavis, take my train. You're faster than I am, you can make up the time. I'll get the quarry in shape..." Mavis sighed. Toby chuckled.

"...Just after you tell me where everything goes." She gasped in surprise. She sniffled up her tears, and let out a nervous smile.

"Put the next trains on the up line, empties on the right side, full trucks without a train on the sidings so they can be arranged into trains." Toby grinned.

"Certainly, Mavis. It's your quarry." Mavis grinned as she reversed onto Toby's train. She was coupled up and honked determinedly.

"I won't let you down, Toby!" She pulled away with the trucks, surging away towards Harwick Harbour. She passed Henrietta, who Toby had left in the shed.

"Good luck, Mavis!" She called. Mavis sped away from the quarry, and Toby got to work by pulling the unhurt trucks away from the points.


Mavis rumbled along the line towards the harbour, determined to make up for lost time. She stormed up the line, tearing at the rails.

"I won't let Toby down!" The trucks groaned as she tore through a level crossing, causing Terence, who was waiting, to gasp in surprise.


Toby was shunting the trucks into their proper places according to Mavis, and was finding it surprisingly easy. He shunted some trucks under a hopper to have them loaded with stone.

"This system does work!" He muttered to himself.


The trucks had been caught off guard by Mavis' determination, and tried to hold her back. She wasn't having any of it however, and gave them a quick bump. They groaned and subsided to grumbling.


As Harvey lifted the derailed trucks back onto the line, Toby shunted them away back into the sidings. Henrietta, watching, grinned as she could see the organized quarry once more.


Mavis pulled into Harwick Harbour, where the foreman was waiting for her.

"Right on time! Well done, Mavis." Mavis panted, before grinning happily after looking at the clock.


Mavis returned to the quarry as soon as she could, and spotted Toby waiting for the workmen to board Henrietta. She rolled next to him, and came to a stop. She tried to find something to say, but Toby cut her off and spoke first.

"Mavis, I'm sorry."

"Toby, if anything I-"

"You're right. You've run this quarry for ages now, and despite a few hiccups here and there, you've done wonderfully. I haven't been letting you 'leave the nest and learn to fly', so to speak. So go off and fly on your own." Mavis chuckled.

"Toby, I-"

"However, I just want you to know that I'll be here to help you out whenever you need it. All you have to do is ask." Mavis smiled.

"Thank you, Toby. I'm sorry I called you a 'fusspot'." Toby smirked.

"You were right to say it; I was being a fusspot." Mavis laughed, and Toby smiled back.

"I talked to the Quarry Manager, and he agreed to give you some of your trains to the harbour back." Mavis smiled.

"Thank you, Toby." Toby chuckled.

"It's no problem. Night, Mavis." He rang his bell and began rolling away. Mavis smiled as she watched him leave.

"Night, Toby." She then rolled away to her shed. She felt proud of herself. And as he puffed away, Toby was proud of her too.


However, on the other side of the island, the Fat Controller had scheduled an important meeting at the Dieselworks. Winston was rather nervous as he was parked outside the works shed.

"I don't like it here at night, sir. It's too scary-GAH!" Winston jumped as he heard a horn and Class 40 rumbled by. The Fat Controller chuckled as he walked toward the shed.

"Sorry, Winston. This meeting is very important." Winston simply grumbled.

"That's the problem, sir."


The Fat Controller entered the shed to find Mr. Renchmore, the Manager of the Dieselworks. He was looking proudly up at their latest project.

"Are his modifications complete?"

"Very nearly, sir; we're about to test the last of them now."

"Brilliant. Can I watch?"

"Certainly, sir." Mr. Renchmore tossed the Fat Controller a pair of protective glasses. He then looked up to the workmen tending to the engine on the hoist.

"Alright, you lot, turn him on! Show the boss what we do down here at the Dieselworks!" Den and Dart rolled onto the upper part of the Dieselworks interior, and shared a glance as the workmen turned on the engine's bright lamp, causing his cowcatchers to cast a shadow down onto the Fat Controller. He grinned.

"Well done, Felix. He's perfect."

TO BE CONTINUED


Welcome to the first episode of Tramway Tales! Unlike last year's Sudrian Surprises, Tramway Tales will tell a continuous story throughout four of its six stories, while the other two will be influenced by actions in said stories. The chief bread-and-butter of this DVD is the Toby-Mavis dynamic, and I was very glad to expand upon that in this episode, as the dynamic has stayed rather stagnant in the show since Season 3. I tried to find a happy medium between Mavis' current maturity and her S3 feistiness, and I like to think I found it. The Toby-Mavis father-daughter dynamic was a fun one to write, and this episode will definitely have an impact on them in future. As for the ending of this episode, see that story continued in The Strongest Shunter, which will be two days from now. However, tomorrow will be a little story outside the narrative, so come back for Byron on the Loose!