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Tim and the Barometer

Based on "Postman Pat and the Barometer" by John Cunliffe and Ivor Wood

Adapted by BNSF1995

Isle of Sodor, 1986

It was a cold November day on Sodor. All across the island, people were wearing coats, hats, mittens, and earmuffs. Despite this, the Met Office was forecasting a clear day for Sodor and clear into the weekend.

At Knapford Harbor Sheds, Tim was the last out. Chloe, Ruby, Yang, and Blake were already out, yet Tim's first scheduled train, the daily pickup goods from Knapford to Barrow via Ballahoo, wouldn't be until 10 AM. He had already lit his fire and was waiting patiently for his driver and fireman. Tim wasn't a very social engine, and usually stuck with his shedmates at Knapford Harbor.

Presently his crew came along to start the day's work.

"Mornin', Pat, mornin' Alf." said Tim.

"Morning, Tim." replied his driver, Pat, "Time to be getting a move on. I wonder what sort of day it's gonna be. Let's see what the old barometer says..."

Pat took one look at the barometer on the shed wall and didn't like what it said.

"Oh, dear. Just look at that. It's pointing to snow!"

Tim suddenly felt a pit in his boiler. He got anxious rather easily, whether it be his sister Chloe or girlfriend Ruby going to the works, the recent tensions between the NATO and Warsaw Pact in Europe, or simply snow. He always trusted the barometer back on the Settle & Carlisle, but would the other engines on Sodor believe it, or the Met Office?

"Not a cloud in the sky…" said Tim, looking up, "but you know what they say about the weather turning British."

Pat tapped the barometer, just to make sure.

"That's what I thought it said," he mused, "snow!"

"Snow?" questioned Tim's fireman, Alf.

"You mark my words," replied Pat, "we'll have snow today. I've never known a barometer to get it wrong."

"Snow?" said Alf again, "Never in this world! There's not a cloud in the sky!"

"You never worked in the Midlands like I did, Alf." said Tim, "We got snow in November from our first year on the S&C to our withdrawal by that...horrid man. Chloe and I would always believe the barometer over the Met Office. What do they know with their fancy computers and complex satellites? The one time I believed them, I looked like a fool going out with my snowplow on a completely sunny day."

"We'd better tell The Fat Controller." said Pat.

"It might not happen." said Alf, still skeptical of a device he considered obsolete.

"We'd better get going before we're late." said Tim.

So, Tim's crew got into his cab, Tim whistled two short blasts to signal he was moving forward, and he made his way to Knapford.

It was cold outside, even though the sun was shining. Tim hurried along to Knapford station, where his train was being assembled.

The Yardmaster had his scarf on, a sure sign that winter was on the way.

"Morning, Jim." said Pat as Tim pulled into the yard, "By gum, it's cold today!"

"The stopping goods is none-too-hot, either." replied Jim.

"I reckon it's gonna get colder. The barometer at the Knapford Harbor Shed was pointing to snow this morning."

"Snow?" asked Jim, worriedly, "Oh, God, not already! Surely not snow! Such a nice, sunny day! Now, what was Percy saying when he popped in with the milk from Toryreck? His driver had the radio on in his cab. It said it was going to be cold but dry today, not a word about snow!"

Tim sighed. "Those folks at Stonyhurst. What do they know about the weather on Sodor? Now, a good ol' barometer, I've NEVER known it to be wrong!"

Tim looked at his stopping goods. It was a lot longer than usual, with a variety of open wagons, vans of different shapes and sizes, tankers, flatbeds, cattle wagons, and even a few of the new Grainflow covered hoppers.

"Gonna be a long day…" muttered Tim.

After coupling onto his train, Tim marshalled it to the goods bypass track at Knapford station to pick up the guard and the shunting list. Presently, he saw the Fat Controller walking towards him.

"Good morning, Tim." he said, "Sorry about the long train today. There was a backlog at Knapford Harbor caused by the recent points maintenance."

"It's perfectly fine, sir." replied Tim, "I'm just more worried about the snow."

"So your barometer said it, as well?"

"Yes indeed, sir," said Pat, "and Alf here won't believe it."

"Why should I believe an old piece of junk when the sky says otherwise?"

"Never trust the sky or the experts." said The Fat Controller, "In my experience, a barometer is never wrong. Tim, you should get a snowplow at once, and I'll pass the word around to get the plows fitted on the other engines."

"Very good, sir." replied Tim.

A couple of minutes later, Tim had found a ZZA and coupled up to it. He couldn't see ahead of him, but his guard was riding in the plow's cab to keep an eye on the line. Just then, James bustled in with the Round Robin, and looked over at Tim.

"Oi, Tim!" he called, "Are you playing bulldozer today?"

"First, shut the fuck up. Second, no. Snow's on its way."

James expected that first part, but not the second. "Snow?" he replied incredulously, "There isn't a cloud in the sky! And the radio and newspaper both say clear skies today!"

"Not according to the barometer at Knapford Harbor Shed."

"You actually believe an antique like that?"

"Don't say I didn't warn you to get a plow on."

"Ha!" laughed James, "I don't need no damn plow! You'll see! It'll be sunny today, and I'll be laughing for once!" And he chortled away to his next stop at Crosby.

Tim said nothing. "Pride before a fall." he said to himself, "That ol' Sudrian karma will get him by the end of the day…"

Soon, Tim was out on the mainline with his stopping goods. His first stop would be Crosby to exchange loaded and empty open wagons for the Coaling Plant on the Loop Line. When he reached Crosby, he found Dennis was there, ready to make the exchange.

"Morning, Dennis." said Tim, "Got your snowplow ready?"

"Snowplow?" asked Dennis, "Whatever are you talking about, Tim? We'll not be seeing snow this side of Christmas!"

"Don't be so sure. The barometer at the shed says-"

"Oh, bollocks to your barometer! I go by the radio!"

"Hmm, just as I feared." thought Tim, "Overconfidence in the Met Office."

"Well, mind how you go."

Next, he stopped at Wellsworth. As one of the main junctions, this would require a bit of shunting. Zoey had just come down with the wagons for his train, and to take the wagons he was dropping off along the Brendam Branch.

"Ready for the snow, Zoey?" asked Tim, "Plenty of rock salt in your cab, eh?"

"Snow?" asked Zoey, "What's all this about snow, Tim? It's a lovely, sunny day, and I ALWAYS have a good stock of rock salt in the cab, never know when you need it!"

"The barometer at Knapford Harbor Shed says it's gonna snow today."

"Oh, Tim, I'd rather go by the Met Office. More scientific, they have computers, you know. Anyway, look at the sky! You and your barometer…"

Tim soon had a problem: getting over Gordon's Hill with his long train. Fortunately, Jake the 7F Britannia Class was available to bank his train, and in no time at all, he was up and over the hill.

"Thanks for the push, Jake!" Tim called.

"No prob!" Jake replied.

Tim's next stop was Maron, where he would have to exchange with both the Ulfstead Branchline AND the Main Line Loop.

He pulled forward of the station, then reversed into the bay platform. Presently, Henry came along with a stopping passenger service to Barrow.

"Morning, Tim!" said Henry.

"Morning, Henry." replied Tim, "Have you reserved a plow?"

"Plow, Tim? What plow?"

"Snowplow, in case you encounter a snowdrift."

"But there isn't any snow, Tim! Not a flake! The man in the paper said it was set fine for two weeks!"

"That's not what the barometer at Knapford Harbor Shed says this morning."

"Ah, you use one, too? The barometer at my driver's house said nothing about snow."

Pat got out of the cab and walked over to talk to Ted, Henry's driver.

"Did you tap it to make sure it wasn't stuck?"

"Well...no." replied Ted.

"We'd better assume snow is on the way." said Henry's fireman, "Never mind, old boy. We'll get you fitted once we get to Crovan's Gate."

"If it doesn't start coming down by then…" muttered Henry, worriedly.

"I'd say you have a good few hours before the system comes in," said Tim.

It took Tim an hour to complete the exchange, mainly because his snowplow blocked any shoving moves and pulling wagons out of facing-point sidings, forcing him to resort to chain-shunting these. At last, he was ready to get on the road again.

"On the road again" Tim sang to himself. He tended to sing to himself but would never do it in front of other engines.

Next stop was Killdane.

When he arrived, Gilbert was waiting at the platform for his guaranteed connection with a down stopping service.

"Morning." said Tim.

"Morning, Tim." said Gilbert in his low, somewhat depressed-sounding voice that called Eeyore to mind, "Lovely day for the time of year."

"Unseasonal, I'd say." replied Tim.

"Mind you, it was never like this when I was a newbuild. Come November, the snow would be coming down like feathers. The South London Line would be cut off for weeks. No one could get around, you know."

"You mark my words," said Tim, "we'll have snow today. Well, mind how you go."

Tim completed the exchange with little fuss, thanks to how many trailing-point switches there were at Killdane. Before he could depart, though, a stopping service from Barrow to Knapford had to stop. At the head was Chloe, and she had a ZZA snowplow, as well.

"So, you saw the barometer, too?" she asked Tim.

"You know it." he replied, "Nobody believes me, though. They put too much faith in the Met Office."

Chloe groaned. "You'd think they'd have heard the expression about the weather turning British by now."

"Did Ruby get a plow?"

"Yes, and so did Yang and Blake."

"Good, that's very good."

Chloe's guard's whistle blew, and she was off.

"See ya, tonight, Tim."

"You too."

Tim passed right through Balladrine and stopped for a quick exchange at the Kellaby Textile Mill.

He soon arrived at Kellsthorpe Road, the junction for the Kirk Ronan Branchline. It's sole engine, Eric the LNER V3, had just arrived for the exchange.

"Morning, Eric." said Tim as he pulled in.

"Hullo, Tim!" replied Eric.

"Eric, you haven't fished out the old ZZA, haven't you?"

"Why should I? It's like a spring day today! You get warm doing a bit of work and all that! And by the looks of your train, you've been working hard enough for three engines!"

"I'd get it out now, if I were you. There's a real cold snap on the way. If you'd seen the barometer at my shed this morning...I've never known it to be wrong!"

"Nay, Tim, that's old-fashioned stuff! It's best if you leave that sort of thing to the Met Office! My driver listens to the radio!"

"Hmm, I don't know about all these new-fangled knick-knacks. Give me a barometer anytime."

The exchange was soon completed since Donald had the foresight to arrange the train into "blocks", and Tim was on his way again to Crovan's Gate.

Along the way, he passed Ruby going in the other direction with a Freightliner container train for Brendam. As Chloe said, she was pushing a ZZA.

"Hullo, Tim!" she whistled.

"Hullo, Ruby!" he whistled back.

Tim arrived at Crovan's Gate, just as James was arriving with his return stopping service for Knapford.

"Still playing bulldozers, are we?" James asked cheekily.

"Still expressing a devil-may-care attitude towards barometers?" Tim fired back. James tried to find the right words to respond to that.

"I'd listen to him if I were you, James." said a voice. It was Skarloey at the narrow gauge platform. He had the old coaches, Agnes, Ruth, Jemima, Lucy, and Beatrice, ready for a service to Lakeside.

"Oh, what would you know, Skarloey?" asked James.

"I know that barometers are never wrong. We've relied on one since the very beginning in 1864."

"Well, that was then, and this is now! We've got satellites to do the job of some Old Ir-I mean, uh, antique." James caught himself, having not liked the term Old Iron since it had been an insult Archibald used on Edward during the Second World War and then used by the Reverend as an insult made by James in his books. Recently, the television adaptation of said story had aired, and kids had been walking up to him asking why he called Edward that term.

"Besides, look at the weather in the newspaper. Set fair to the weekend! You couldn't ask better than that! Still, it is getting colder out here..."

"Best get on with it, James." said Skarloey, "That system could come any time now."

Secretly, James knew Skarloey was right. His guard's whistle blew, and he was off once more. Tim departed eastbound a few minutes later.

"Eh, makes you wonder, Skarloey. Then again, I could be wrong."

Tim's next stop was Ballahoo. There wasn't much shunting to be done since the branchline to Norramby had been shut down by Beeching. Presently, Neville came in with a train loaded with new ties.

"AFTERNOON, TIM!" he boomed.

"Afternoon, Neville." replied Tim, who had learned to live with Neville's loud voice, "Bringing in some new ties?"

"Right you are! The Permanent Way Department is building a new line at Suddery Junction. I think they're calling it the Eastern Chord, or something like that."

"Makes sense. Any trains that need to go from Brendam to all points east of Wellsworth won't have to turn around anymore."

"You know, it's strange. There I was, thinking snow was on the way, then the wind turned, and out came the sun."

"I do hope you're right, Neville. I best be on my way." Tim had only had to shunt two vans into the goods shed. "Cheerio!"

Tim arrived at Vicarstown, the last station before the mainland.

"Hmm, it certainly is a mystery. You never know. Mind, that wind's getting up." A large shadow soon rolled in. "And here come the clouds!" Tim looked at the sky, and dark clouds were descending.

Vicarstown's exchange would be especially busy, due to it being the junction with the Higher Sudrian Rail (HSR). Elizabeth soon arrived with a goods train for the exchange.

"Hello, Tim." she said. Tim had worked with her on the Somerset & Dorset during the war.

"Afternoon, Liz." he replied, "There's some Grainflows on the train today. My guess is the grain elevator at Shining Time is shipping out the last of the Autumn crop."

"Yes, it has been slowing down a bit, but we'll soon be busy enough delivering coal for the wint-oh, Tim, look!"

They looked up and saw…

"Snow at last!" cried Tim, "The ol' barometer was right, after all! We'd both best get this exchange going before it gets really bad!"

"The barometer in my shed said snow, too. Glad I'm not crazy!"

Tim and Elizabeth went to a siding while the Vicarstown pilot, Brooke, completed the exchange.

Yang and Blake were at Elsbridge. Yang was taking her turn on the Round Robin and waiting for Thomas, while Blake was doing a goods exchange with Percy.

"Well, I'll be damned." said Yang, "First November snow I've seen since '59."

"I remember that year." said Percy, "Worst blizzard on the island up to that point."

Just then, Thomas bustled in with Annie and Clarabel.

"Son of a bitch, the barometer was right!"

"You use a barometer, too?" asked Blake.

"Ever since that time I got stuck in a snowdrift just outside Hackenbeck Ridge. Last time I ever listened to the Met Office."

"I know Tim is really anal-retentive about barometers." said Yang, "He's probably been warning others all day."

"At the least, James won't believe him." added Percy, "Too many engines AND people on this island put too much stuck in the Met Office! When's the last time Stonyhurst was right?"

"From what I can gather," replied Thomas, "their forecast accuracy has been down in recent years. Makes me wonder if the Reds are feeding us false information…"

Out on the mainline, James had just crossed over the Suspension Bridge, and was making good time with his stopping service.

"Ha!" he laughed, "No snow! One in the headlamp for that silly bulldozer!"

It probably would have been better if he had shut the hell up…

That evening, Tim was returning with his stopping goods from Barrow. For the return trip, Tim would simply go back to Knapford and drop the train off to be sorted for the next day's stopping goods. This train was always an all-day affair, but Tim didn't mind. As long as he was being productive, he had no qualms. Besides which, the stopping goods was one of his favorite trains, as the work was quieter than a through goods or passenger service.

Tim arrived at Crovan's Gate and was stopped by a red signal. He didn't mind, as it gave him a bit of time to rest.

Suddenly, Pat and Alf were called to the station office. When they came out, they looked worried.

"James hasn't arrived at Knapford with his stopping service." said Pat, "In fact, nothing has arrived at Knapford since the express! We must assume James is stuck!"

Tim didn't like James, mainly because of how horrid he had been to Ruby in the past, but at the same time, he never wanted any harm to come to him, as he believed the North Western engines should stick together.

"We'll go ahead and see what's become of them." said Alf.

"Better bring the breakdown gang along, too." said Tim, "No telling if James is stuck in a large drift. That, and it's getting dark."

Tim left his train at Crovan's Gate. Another engine would pick it up later, as it wasn't time-sensitive like the mail trains. He was pushing his ZZA and pulling his brake van. Following one block behind was Penny with the breakdown train.

Outside of Wellsworth, they came across the rear of a goods train.

"We'll have to use the middle track!" called Tim.

"Gotcha!" replied Penny.

The train they encountered turned out to be Bear with an empty tanker train. In front of him was an empty coal train from the power plant at Peel Godred pulled by Jessica, and in front of her was Chloe and her stopping service.

"We're here to sort this out, Chloe!" said Tim as he passed.

"Take your time, these Mark 1s are steam-heated, after all."

They soon came across the scene of the accident. There, stuck right in the middle, was James, whose coaches had been pulled back by the train behind him, which was a loaded china clay train pulled by Ruby.

Tim looked at the sight, and sighed.

"I tried to warn you, James, but you put too much faith in the Met Office."

He then turned to Ruby.

"How are the passengers?"

"They're doing okay." she responded, "Luckily, the 1922 coaching stock was the first batch with steam-heating. Did you bring help?"

"Penny's got the breakdown train."

"Looks like we got our work cut out for us" Penny said, pulling up alongside running wrong-road.

The rescue operation soon began. Tim charged at the drift with his plow, while the breakdown gang dug away with shovels and dynamite.

"Whew! Hot work, this!" exclaimed Tim.

At last, they reached James' front end...and found he had been derailed by a rock hidden by the snow!

"What next?" sighed Penny.

"Don't ask that," whispered Ruby, "or we'll have to hear James whinging."

Penny shivered. "A fate worse than death."

Tim cleared enough of the drift to allow Penny to pull up alongside with the breakdown train, and soon, James was back on the rails. He felt very foolish, indeed.

"T-t-t-t-thank y-y-y-y-y-you." James shivered.

"Just doing my job." replied Penny.

Penny pushed James to Knapford, while Tim took his passenger train, and Ruby, Chloe, Jessica, and Bear followed behind with their trains.

Tim stopped at Crosby, as per James' timetable, where Dennis was ready to exchange with Bear.

"You were right about the snow, Tim." he said, apologetically, "Your old barometer beats my driver's radio!"

"I wish it had been wrong," replied Tim, "and the mainline wasn't backed up."

The Fat Controller was waiting at Knapford, pacing the platform in worry. At last, he heard Penny's horn, and saw her pushing James into the station. Then, Tim came into the bay platform on Track 3, followed by Ruby passing through for the docks, then Chloe arrived at Track 5, followed by Jessica and finally Bear using the freight bypass on Track 6. He looked at James, and saw he was covered in snow.

"Well, James," he said, smiling, "this wasn't your fault, but I trust you now know the value of a barometer."

"Yes, sir." said James, sadly.

"Take him to Tidmouth Sheds, Penny, then you can spend the night at Knapford Harbor Sheds."

"Thank you, sir." she replied.

The Fat Controller then walked over to the bay platform.

"Well, Tim, you've certainly had a busy day, haven't you?"

"Yes, sir, I have."

"Just as well. You did well not to believe the Met Office. They've been full of shit as of late. That's why I use a barometer."

"You mean, WE, sir." said Tim.

The Fat Controller smiled. "Right you are, Tim. I'm very proud of the initiative you've shown today. I know many of the engines on this railway put a little too much faith in the weatherman, but you and I know better."

That night, Tim, Chloe, Ruby, and Penny had quite the story to tell Yang and Blake. Henry came up alongside to pick up the Flying Kipper.

"I heard all about your exploits today. Well done, the four of you! But I know one thing: next time I want to know what the weather's going to do, I'll ask one of you what the barometer says before I do anything else!"

"Champion!" cheered Blake, "Proper champion!"

From that day forward, all engine sheds on the North Western Railway, as well as those on the SKR, Arlesdale Railway, Culdee Fell Railway, and HSR, all had barometers installed, and a memo was sent out to all employees warning them that any forecast from the Met Office should not be taken at face value.

A later investigation proved Thomas wrong about the Soviets doctoring the forecasts. Instead, it was due to the satellites the ESA had recently launched on the Ariane rockets having multiple assembly errors that created false positives. It took at least three Space Shuttle missions to repair these, and afterwards, the forecasts became much more accurate.

But the engines always consult the barometers in their sheds first and foremost...