NO CRANE, NO GAIN
Based upon "Misty Island Rescue" and "Henry's Health and Safety" by Sharon Miller
Diesel was grumbling as he bustled about the yards, bumping the trucks, causing them to complain loudly.
"Ow! Ow! Ohh!" they complained. "Watch it, you smelly black box on wheels!"
"Oh, keep quiet, you!" snapped Diesel, and bumped them again. "It's not fair! Why should Henry get to be the one that gets to take lumber for the new search and rescue centre? I could do that job just as well, probably even better!"
James was nearby, waiting for Charlie to bring his trucks for him. The red engine was tired of hearing Diesel's complaining.
"Aww, why can't you quit your complaining, Diesel?" groaned James.
"Can I help it if I'm bored or something?" oiled Diesel. "Besides, I-"
"If you're going to say you should be the one to take lumber for the new Search and Rescue Centre," James interrupted, "I'll tell you why you weren't given the job; it's because you're reckless and have a history of causing trouble."
But before Diesel could come up with a reply, Charlie had come up with James' trucks behind him.
"There you go, James!" he called to the red tender engine. "Care to hear a joke before you set off?"
"No, thank you!" retorted James, before puffing away with his goods train. Charlie groaned with disappointment.
"Grrr… That James!" fumed Diesel. "How dare he say I'm reckless?! I can be just as careful as the next steam engine! Probably even more careful!"
"Are you sure about that?" quizzed Charlie.
"Yeah! I know it!" yelled Diesel almost immediately. "I'll show you all; just you wait and see!"
Meanwhile, Henry had arrived at the building site for the Sodor Search and Rescue Centre with Judy and Jerome in tow. The two cranes have been a part of the North Western Railway since its early days, but as of late, they were feeling their age, which was why Sir Topham Hatt had purchased Rocky to supplement them and Harvey in case of emergencies a few years ago.
"Boy, I sure am glad Sir Topham Hatt purchased Rocky a while back," said Henry innocently. "While no offense to Jerome and Judy, they were kind of getting worn out."
In the nearby siding, Judy and Jerome overheard Henry's remark and were most offended.
"Us?! Worn out?!" exclaimed Judy indignantly.
"We're still just as sprightly as a newly-built engine!" agreed Jerome.
"I know," insisted Henry, "but I'm just trying to point something out."
Before too long, Sir Topham Hatt arrived.
"Good afternoon, sir," Henry greeted. "What brings you here to the site?" Before Sir Topham Hatt could answer…
"Sir, Henry called us worn out!" complained Jerome.
"Now, now, I'm sure Henry didn't mean it in a negative way," chuckled Sir Topham Hatt. "After all, you and Judy both have been on this railway for many, many years."
"But we're still as useful as we always were!" protested Judy.
"You are, but even you both have your limits. Rocky, meanwhile, can take care of rescues and clean ups that are too much for you to handle."
"Too much for us to handle?!" the two cranes objected together.
"Whatever happened to 'two cranes are better than one'?" asked Jerome. Sir Topham Hatt sighed.
Meanwhile, Diesel was still sulking from earlier on.
"What can I do to prove myself?" he asked himself, before remembering something. "Wait a second…" Diesel started remembering something about lumber, and how Henry was chosen to take some to the Sodor Search and Rescue Centre. An idea began to form in his head.
"If I take the lumber to the building site instead of that Henry," Diesel grinned deviously to himself, "maybe everyone will see how useful I really am!" With that being said, Diesel snickered away.
At the lumber yard, a train of wagons containing the lumber for the Sodor Search and Rescue Centre awaited in the siding, and the owner of the mill was waiting for Henry to arrive. Soon, he heard a diesel horn.
"Wait, wasn't Henry supposed to arrive here?" he asked himself, before approaching the arriving Diesel. "What are you doing here, Diesel? I thought Henry was supposed to come and collect the lumber?"
Diesel quickly came up with the first excuse off the top of his radiator.
"Henry, er, had a bit of a derailment near a bridge," he fibbed. "I was quickly called in to help."
The mill owner glared for a few seconds, making Diesel think that his little trick was going to backfire. Fortunately, the mill owner nodded.
"I see. In that case, make haste to the Sodor Search and Rescue Centre, since they are waiting for the lumber shipment."
Diesel sighed with relief and was coupled up to the lumber wagons; he was in such a rush that he didn't think about coupling the train up to a brake van.
"Now I'll show James and the other engines that I can be careful!" purred Diesel with determination, before oiling away, pushing the lumber wagons.
Later, Henry was making his way to the lumber yard when he suddenly stopped at a red signal.
"That's strange," he said with surprise. "I should have a clear run to the lumber yard." What Henry saw next took him by surprise. There was Diesel, pushing a long train of lumber wagons in front of him, and with no brake van in sight!
"Diesel?!" exclaimed Henry. "What is he doing?"
"Look at me! Look at me! I'm being careful!" laughed Diesel. Soon, he was out of sight.
The mill owner was surprised to see Henry.
"But Diesel said that you had derailed at a bridge," he observed.
"Clearly not," said Henry crossly. "That Diesel must have lied to try and steal my job from me! I'd better get a crane in case something goes wrong."
Henry soon found Rocky being taken back to the yards by Donald. They had just helped James out after a few of his trucks had derailed on a sharp bend.
"Lousy trucks," grumbled James. "Why did they have to derail?"
"Tis a' th' same wi' thaim, Jeumas," said Donald. "Thay wouldn't hae derailed oan mines or Douglas' watch."
James pouted in response; he was going to be late now, and Sir Topham Hatt would not be pleased about that.
"Excuse me," said Henry, "but are you just finishing up, Rocky?"
"In a jiffy, Henry," replied Rocky. "Is something the matter?"
"Not yet, but I have a sneaking suspicion that there will be…"
Somewhere down the line, Diesel was enjoying himself.
"Nearly there to the building site!" he chuckled to himself. "Nothing can go wrong for me, now!"
But Diesel had spoken too soon. Yes, he was close to the building site, but he was on the track that was heading towards a half completed bridge instead.
"Huh?" Diesel's driver looked out the window and saw the danger ahead. "Uh-oh! We have to stop!"
Diesel's brakes went on, but it wasn't enough to stop the momentum of the trucks from dragging him closer and closer to the unfinished bridge! One by one, they began to fall off the bridge, their couplings breaking as they did so.
"Grease and oil!" panicked Diesel. "The lumber!"
With every wagon's length closer to the edge, Diesel regretted his trick more and more. Just when he thought he would be sleeping with the fishes…
"That whistle… Is that Henry?" Diesel asked himself. Yes, there was Henry coming to the rescue, pushing Rocky with him.
"It is Henry! Oh, thank goodness, I'm saved!"
"Diesel! What in the world do you think you're doing?" demanded Henry.
"I'd say I'm hanging around," deadpanned Diesel, "but that wouldn't be appropriate in the face of myself in grave danger!"
Soon, the rescue was underway. Rocky's hook was attached to Diesel's coupling, and the big red crane pulled hard, saving Diesel and his driver from the edge just in time. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to save the last lumber wagon, which fell into the sea below.
"Thank you, Henry," gasped Diesel with relief. "And thank you, Rocky."
"Anytime," smiled Rocky.
"What possessed you to do something like this?" asked Henry, having calmed down slightly.
Diesel felt sorry for what he did, but before he could say anything James puffed up. In his cab was Sir Topham Hatt.
"What on earth has happened here?" he boomed. "I want an explanation, now!"
Later that evening, Henry, James, Rocky and Diesel were gathered in the yards. Sir Topham Hatt was not pleased with the black engine's actions.
"Diesel, what were you thinking?" said Sir Topham Hatt crossly. "It will be another week before more lumber is ready for delivery. This could potentially hold the opening ceremony back a few days!"
"I'm sorry, sir," apologized Diesel. "I was only trying to prove myself."
"Prove yourself?" Sir Topham Hatt repeated. "Prove yourself in what?"
"He's very much proven himself to be reckless today," smirked James.
"That's enough, James," scolded Sir Topham Hatt firmly, and the red engine quickly became quiet. "Now, please continue, Diesel."
"You see, James told me that I wasn't able to take the lumber delivery because I was always reckless," explained Diesel. "I wanted to prove that I could take a train without being that."
"I see," said Sir Topham Hatt.
"But," continued Diesel, "I ended up lying to the manager of that lumber yard that Henry got into an accident and that I was picked to fill in. Unfortunately, I didn't take the consideration of adding a brake van to the train before departing."
"Oh, Diesel…" sighed Sir Topham Hatt, shaking his head in disappointment.
"What I did was wrong," admitted Diesel. "Now I see why other engines think I am reckless."
"Yes, I know," agreed Sir Topham Hatt. "I'm not happy at all with your actions, Diesel. However, you have admitted to your mistake, and for that I'm pleased."
Despite Sir Topham Hatt saying he was not happy with him, his assurance on how he was pleased that Diesel truthfully admitted his mistake made him feel a little better.
"So, when the new shipment of lumber is ready, who will deliver it, sir?" asked James. "Because, you know, I believe I-"
"Sorry, James, but Henry will still be the one doing it," Sir Topham Hatt interrupted, staring sternly at the red engine. "After all, I need an engine who's careful and patient. You, James, need to learn to not be reckless with trucks too."
James was aghast!
"He's right," joked Rocky. "You did derail your trucks at that bend."
"And you called Diesel reckless," added Henry. "You're not one to talk, you know, James."
James groaned. "Why me?" he whined. "Why is it always me?"
Everyone, even Sir Topham Hatt, shared a laugh.
"Anyway," said Sir Topham Hatt, turning to Rocky, "you've done good work in performing rescues for the railway for the past few years. How would you like to be a part of the Sodor Search and Rescue Centre when it's completed?"
Rocky was delighted. "Sir, it would be an honor!"
Nearby, Judy and Jerome had heard about Rocky's promotion and felt devastated.
"Why not us?" Judy asked Jerome.
"We're still useful!" added Jerome enviously. "But how can we show it to Sir Topham Hatt?"
The next few days went by without further incident. Then one day, Henry arrived back at the Sodor Search and Rescue Centre.
"Henry! What's going on?" called Jerome.
"There's been an accident at the junction, and Rocky is needed to clean up the mess," said Henry urgently.
This was the moment Judy and Jerome had been waiting for; it was a chance for them to prove they could be as effective as Rocky was.
"You can take us, Henry!" suggested Judy.
"Are you sure this is a smart idea?" asked Henry.
"Judy and I are cranes, too!" insisted Jerome. "We can handle the work ahead."
"Well, if you're sure," said Henry, and was coupled up to them. Unfortunately for Judy and Jerome, they had not had maintenance done on them for a long time, which meant that a lot of their old parts were in need of replacement. But the two cranes were so excited and determined that they had forgotten about this detail.
Near the junction, a spillage of steel laid upon the tracks. Douglas had taken charge of the train, but the loads hadn't been tied down properly, and when the Scottish engine rounded the bend a bit too fast, the steel had fallen all over the tracks. Some of the engines were left unable to proceed until the mess was cleared up.
"Oh dear," said Stanley.
"I hope the mess gets cleared soon," put in Rosie.
"Sae dae Ah," said Douglas. "Ah'm sae sorry this hud tae happen, lads."
It wasn't long before Henry, Judy and Jerome had arrived at the scene. Henry looked at the steel that had spilled all over the tracks, and then back to the two cranes with a concerned expression.
"Are you two sure you want to do this?" he asked.
"Are trees green?" asked Judy.
"Well, so is his paint," Jerome pointed out.
"I'll take it as a yes then," sighed Henry. Judy managed to grab hold of some steel pipes, carefully lifting it up.
"H-Hey!" she cheered. "I'm lifting it! I knew I was as strong as Rocky!"
Then there was a creaking sound.
"Um, Judy?" said Jerome. "I think I heard something from your arm."
"I didn't hear anything," replied Judy. "Now, I'll just-"
There was a sudden, loud snapping noise, and the pipes landed on one of Douglas' flatbeds, almost breaking it in half.
"Oh no! What's happened to me?!" cried Judy.
"One of your cables has broken," remarked her operator, "and now you can't lift anything."
Judy was dismayed, but Jerome was still able to work. This time, he was lifting some steel beams and was just loading them onto another flatbed when…
"Oh!" groaned Jerome. "I feel something cracking!"
Suddenly, something flew off of Jerome and hit Stanley on his saddle tank, leaving some scratches behind. Jerome, meanwhile, ended up dropping his load of steel beams onto the tracks once more.
"Oh my! Are you okay, Stanley?" asked Rosie, concerned.
"I've come back from worse," the silver tank engine sighed. "But now look at the mess!"
Judy and Jerome both looked broken.
"What happened to you two?" wondered Henry. "I thought you said you could handle the work?"
"We did," said Judy, "but I didn't think about our maintenance."
"Nor did I," agreed Jerome. "Now look at us; doomed for scrap."
Fortunately, Hiro puffed into the area with Rocky in tow.
"Greetings, my friends," smiled Hiro. He then saw the mess on the tracks. "Oh dear! Look at this mess… Well, it's a good thing I brought Rocky along."
Sir Topham Hatt was in the Japanese engine's cab; first he looked at Judy and Jerome, and then the mess caused by them trying to clear it up.
"Judy and Jerome!" he said sternly. "What's happened to you two?"
"We were only trying to prove that we could be rescue cranes like Rocky here," Judy explained sadly.
"But we'd forgotten that we hadn't been maintained for a long time," added Jerome.
"We're just as good as scrap," they said together.
"Oh, I don't think so," chuckled Sir Topham Hatt, his expression softening a bit. "But you'll need to go to the Steamworks to have your worn parts replaced. Hopefully it will allow the both of you to work as well as Rocky, and hopefully you'll understand your limits in the near future."
"Yes, sir," the two breakdown cranes agreed at once.
It wasn't long before Rocky had cleared away the mess. Because one of Douglas' flatbeds had been damaged when Judy dropped pipes on it, it was put on the "out of use" sidings. Douglas had to go and find a replacement flatbed which caused him to run further late. Fortunately, no one was cross with him when the news on what exactly happened broke.
Later at the Steamworks, Judy and Jerome were being mended by the workmen. Victor was surprised at how many of their old parts needed to be replaced.
"I wouldn't be worried, my friends," reassured Victor. "We'll have you two working again before you know it."
"But with how many of our old parts that'll need replacing," sighed Judy, "will we even be the same cranes we were when we first came here?"
"A part of me doubts it," complained Jerome. "We might as well be Grandfather Hatt's Brooms!"
A few days later, their opinions were soon changed after the repairs were completed.
"Hey, Jerome," said Judy. "I think I'm stronger than ever before."
"S-Same here, Judy!" Jerome added. "But how can we be so sure of it?"
It was then Henry arrived to collect the two breakdown cranes.
"Hello, you two," he greeted as he was coupled up. "Ready to go?"
"Is there a rescue that requires our help?" asked Jerome hopefully.
Henry didn't answer; he just smiled.
"What's with the smile on his face?" wondered Judy.
The two cranes' answer came when they arrived at the Sodor Search and Rescue Centre. It was nearly complete, despite Diesel's earlier mishap with the lumber, but there laid a small mess on the tracks.
"The new Sodor Search and Rescue Centre is almost complete," said Henry. "However, the workmen hit a snag when James accidentally derailed his trucks again. We were hoping for you two to clear it up."
"U-Us?" gasped Jerome. "But what about Rocky?"
"He's currently at a rescue operation. So, what do you say?"
Judy and Jerome looked to each other, then the derailed trucks, and smiled.
"You can count on us!" they both said together, and they set to work in clearing away James' trucks and their spilled contents.
"We did it!" cheered Judy.
"That we did!" agreed Jerome. The workmen all cheered and clapped. The two cranes now felt certain that they still had a place on the railway, though it would be a few years before they achieved their dream as rescue cranes… but that's a story you already know, don't you?
THE END
Author's Comments
The Judy and Jerome saga continues with a rewrite of Henry's Health and Safety, with a bit of Misty Island Rescue in the first half. I wasn't originally going to, but as the story developed, it really seemed to work as Rocky helping Diesel out of his mishap would give Judy and Jerome further motivation in wanting to prove they can be rescue cranes as well. Writing the pair as those going through some sort of mid-life crisis was a fair bit of fun, as well as the reality check they were given for overestimating their own abilities. Henry's role as the only sane engine in this scenario really rounded things out to make, what I think, one of the more entertaining stories of this redux. But this little story arc is far from over, as it'll be carried over in small doses for the next few stories. And yes, the ending narrative hinted at what happens in The Missing Breakdown Train.
Upcoming rewrites:
- Jitters and Japes - Toby, Annie and Clarabel, Henrietta
- Being Percy - Daisy, Rosie
- Victor Says Yes - Victor
- Surprise, Surprise - Oliver, Toad and Captain
- Thomas' Crazy Day - Donald, Douglas and Paxton