A/N: Will say the remainder of this season, all stories are based in 1975. This was hard one since I didn't know where to go with this one, then thought since I wanted to write one of the worse stories from the classics and I wanted to write something about Bertie and I also wanted to do a story about Oliver too! So this turn out well I guess.
After going to the scrapyard, Thomas felt very ill, white covered his usual darker tone face and he couldn't steam properly. The Fat Controller decided to have the tank engine be put out of service for a while until he felt better, this meant that Thomas' passenger services were in need of another engine. So the Fat Controller decided to bring in Oliver from the Little Western branch line. The western engine felt happy by this, he hadn't work on other parts of the railway before and was keen to impress. But with one problem solved, another began.
The viaduct on the mainline was in need of maintenance and the Fat Controller decided to have Harvey and the permanent way to go and strengthen it's arches. This made life difficult for the mainline engines, with only one track to get across, and having a restricted speed limit when crossing the viaduct with their train, this made go at risk for being delayed and this can cause them to be late throughout the remainder of the journey, including connecting trains on branch lines.
Oliver understood the situation and felt for the mainline engines, but was still a little annoyed by this. One morning, the western engine was waiting at the junction for Alice's branch line flyer. When she arrived, she was seven minutes late. "Viaduct kept you again?" asked Oliver, an annoyed expression on his face.
"Indeed," Alice sighed, "I do apologise for this, but I can't do anything about it, otherwise if we go across at our top speeds, the viaduct might collapse!"
"I understand what can happen," Oliver said, "and I'm not cross with you."
Alice then raised an eyebrow. "Then who you're cross with then?" she asked.
The western engine was about to reply, but the guard's whistle blew and he had to leave, with Annie and Clarabel coming along behind him.
You see, it wasn't only the railway that was effected by this maintenance, the Sodor Bus company had a contract with the North Western, where some buses and trains had no choice but to wait until the other arrived, Bertie the Bus had one of these guaranteed-connections and usually arrived after Thomas did, but his passengers found out that instead of being greeted by a tank engine at the station, filling up on water for the return run back down to the junction, there was no engine insight.
Bertie grew impatient, he would usually leave to head back to Ulfstead with Thomas' passengers but Oliver hadn't arrived yet making him wait and getting late. And today Bertie was fed up and was cross with the western engine.
"Late again," he remarked, as he heard Oliver's whistle and the green tank engine panted wearily in.
Bertie noted Oliver's exhausted expression, but was too cross to care. "You're getting later and later every day!" he said, "I can't wait around just for you y'know! There are other passengers on my route and they cannot be delayed by you!"
Oliver felt hurt. "It's not my fault that trains are getting delayed!" he said defensively.
"Oh really?" Bertie replied, as Thomas' passengers quickly got into him, "none of this ever happened when Thomas was here."
"Well, I'm not Thomas!" said Oliver.
"Evidently not!" said Bertie, "he's never usually late and his line runs like clockwork!"
"I don't think it does all the time."
"Well, my services always do! Never a complaint that's me."
"Better late than never for me," Oliver muttered.
"Well, my manager is making arrangement in until your trains become more reliable, we won't be having our connections with you as much as we use to." And Bertie fumed away, leaving Oliver cross and hurt.
Later that night, he told Toby and Percy all about what Bertie had said.
"He's just like Thomas," Toby soothed, "he wants things kept to time and he just wants to be seen as reliable."
"He's not keen on being sympathetic though," Oliver said.
"Give him time," Toby added, "he'll come round to you eventually."
Oliver knew the tram engine was trying to be helpful and wise, but he wasn't all too convinced on his last sentence.
The next day, Oliver was waiting at the junction once more, sizzling nicely coupled up to Clarabel. James soon came in, whistling frantically and very late indeed. "I'm sorry Oliver," he said wearily, "I was held up at Vicarstown and the viaduct made it worse."
"At least you've got my passengers here safely," Oliver said, knowing full well, that he was later than yesterday and Bertie would be gone half an hour before he'd even arrive at Ffarquahar.
He left the junction and rushed down the branch line. "Hurry along! Hurry along!" he called to the coaches.
"We can't be late! We mustn't be late!" sang Annie and Clarabel, trying to do their best. But Oliver wasn't use to them unlike his own Isabel and Dulcie figured he couldn't make up most of the time he had lost.
"Oh dear," he panted, "I'm sure Bertie is gone by now!"
Oliver eventually arrived at the top station and his crew couldn't see Bertie anywhere! "Bother!" exclaimed Oliver, "this week couldn't get better can it!"
His driver went to the stationmaster and came back with a curious expression.
"What's the matter Jacob?" asked the fireman.
"Bertie hasn't even arrived yet," said the driver, "he was meant to leave here to ten minutes ago too!"
Oliver was puzzled. "But how?" he quizzed, "he's never usually this late."
He went to go around the train, Bertie didn't show up. He stopped at the water collumn in front of the platform, still, Bertie didn't show up. And when Oliver was fill to the brim with coal and water and backed down on Annie to couple up and reheat the coaches, Bertie still hadn't showed.
He was beginning to get concerned, some passengers boarded the train but not as much as Bertie would've brought. By now, Bertie would've made two trips from Ulfstead today, but none had been made.
The guard whistle soon blew, but Oliver didn't leave. "What are you playing at Oliver?" asked the driver, "y'know we have to go."
"But our passengers haven't all arrived yet," protested Oliver, "we mustn't let them down."
"Y'know Bertie would've left us anyways if we came in late," the fireman said, "y'know this is utter karma for him."
"But I'm not leaving because of him," scowled Oliver, "what about the passengers? They don't deserve being left behind!"
"Oliver," said the driver sternly, "we have to go."
"Not yet!"
His driver then turned the control lever, with him now able to control his engine. He was about to turn off the brakes and open the regulator, when there were two honks coming from the road. He looked back and saw two, unfamiliar buses come skidding into the station yard, panting heavily.
"Thank goodness you're still here!" groaned one of the buses. Oliver looked to see all the missing passenger scramble out of the buses and towards the station.
"What happened?" asked Oliver.
"That silly ol' Bertie," the other bus said, a scowl came across his face, "his radiator failed and he overheated, took a while to get there since the roads aren't the best and another of us was ordered to fill in on the other trip Bertie missed out on."
"And we're still running late too," the first bus finished, "did you wait for us?"
"Well... yes I did."
"Brilliant! Absolute brilliant!" cried out the second bus.
"Quick Oliver!" called the driver, "our connection isn't guaranteed and I don't think Henry will be too pleased if we're late!"
The guard blew his whistle again and Oliver quickly left the station. The western engine was luckily built to go fast with his big wheels. He expected to be a late at every station, but no fuss was made when he was at them. Passengers got in quickly and porters rushed around frantically. Oliver guessed they knew he was running late and passengers were at risk for being left behind at the junction if he got there late.
The western engine hurried along, he was going faster than ever before. Oliver tried not to overwork himself and he bucketed along the line. His driver watched carefully as they ran and at last they puffed into the junction's station, where Henry had just arrived.
The green engine looked surprised by Oliver's red and exhausted face.
"What happened to you?" he asked and the western engine explained everything. Once he was finished, the green engine smiled back at him. "Good work then," he complimented, "you certainly showed that bus company a thing or two!"
The guard blew his whistle and Henry set off, in high spirits indeed, leaving Oliver rather tired out, but pleased.
A week went by and the railway was doing very well indeed. Oliver's story had been passed around and the mainline engines were motivated by this, they ran their trains like clockwork. Going slow over the viaduct, coordinating with each other on which train had priorities over which at night or morning, and would try there best to gain back the time they had lost on the viaduct. It wasn't the best, with trains still running late, but it was better than before and the Fat Controller congratulated them.
"Once the viaduct is finished you'll all get new coats of paint," he promised, this left the mainline engines very pleased indeed.
One morning, Oliver was resting at Knapford, when he heard a honk of a horn. He then saw a familiar red bus screech into the yards. "Sorry Bertie," smirked the western engine, "but you're a week late."
Bertie went bright red as his paintwork. "I—erm, sorry about my previous behaviour," he said apologetically, "I was being selfish and didn't understand how it was effecting you the same as me. I've never met you before this y'know, and with Thomas out of action for unexplained reasons well..."
"You're just worried about him," Oliver finished, Bertie hummed a response and then there was silence.
"Listen..." said Bertie, breaking the silence at last, "I think we should start again, don't you agree?"
Oliver grinned. "Of course!" he said. And with a last cheerful greeting, the two new friends headed back to work.
Thomas soon got better and Oliver was eventually sent back to the Little Western. Duck and the Scottish twins had to cope with his bragging for a while about how he put the railway back together, but eventually managed to shut him up.
As for Bertie, he is running his service as splendidly as he did before and I don't think that'll ever change. Don't you?
*
"I will find a way."
