BOCO'S NEW DRIVER
Written by Zack Wanzer
Set during series 21
BoCo is a large green diesel who is a proud member of the North Western Railway. When he first arrived on Sodor, Bill and Ben thought that he had stolen their trucks and played a trick on him by pretending they were the same engine! BoCo thought his eyes would pop out until Edward put a stop to the twins' tricks.
Since then, BoCo has proven to be a kind, loyal friend to many of the engines, and just recently, he had made his return to the island after working on the mainland on loan for an extended period.
"I'm surprised with how much has changed since I'd been away," BoCo was saying to Thomas and Gordon at Knapford. "We've got a new Search and Rescue Center, the Dieselworks and Ulfstead Castle have been restored, and we've finally extended to Harwick!"
"Well, you certainly have missed out on a lot these past several years," chuckled Thomas.
"And many of these incidents have had little Thomas involved," Gordon smirked. Thomas looked up at the express engine with an indignant expression, but BoCo just laughed.
"Still that same little engine who wanted to see the world, I see," the green diesel remarked. "I could also say the same for Bill and Ben when I came back. Everything's so familiar yet so different at the same time."
"All the same," said Thomas, "we're glad to have you back, BoCo. I bet you've got some interesting stories to tell from your time on the mainland."
"We've still got work to do, Thomas," Gordon reminded him. "Maybe he'll tell us that night in the sheds." And on that note, the three engines returned to their jobs.
Later that day, BoCo had taken some trucks down to Brendam docks. Salty was arranging them into place, so it gave BoCo the chance to get to know Porter.
"So, have Bill and Ben given you trouble since you came here?" asked BoCo.
"Oh, they made fun of me for having three domes on my saddle tank," Porter chuckled, "but it was all water off a duck's back. My two other domes keep my sand warm when I need to grip the rails better."
"That is rather clever," remarked BoCo. "It's not just Edward keeping those two in line, is it?"
"Oh, Salty and I try our best," said Porter, "but it's usually Marion and Timothy who try to keep those two in line whenever Edward's busy. It helps that they're usually at the clay pits with them."
"I think I've seen Marion once or twice since I've returned," said BoCo. "She's quite the character, from what I've heard. Haven't had the chance to meet Timothy yet."
At that moment, a whistle unfamiliar to BoCo sounded out, and a little dark blue oil-burning engine with four wheels pulled into the docks with some trucks full of china clay.
"Hello, Porter. Hello, Cranky," he greeted the American engine and grouchy crane, respectively. Then he took a look at BoCo. "Oh, hello there. I haven't seen you around here before."
"I'm BoCo," the big diesel smiled. "And I take it that you're Timothy?"
"That's right," the dark blue oil-burning engine confirmed. "Bill and Ben wouldn't stop going on about you for the past few weeks or so. I'm glad I get to meet you at last."
"Likewise," said BoCo. "Are those trucks meant for my next train?"
"They are," replied Timothy. It wasn't long before BoCo was coupled up to the trucks, and with a cheerful toot of his horn, he set off for the main line.
"Well, he seemed very friendly," Porter commented as he set off back to work. "I expect we'll be seeing a lot more of him in the future."
A few days later, Sir Topham Hatt came to see BoCo and his driver.
"Good morning, sir," the big diesel greeted.
"Morning, BoCo," said Sir Topham Hatt. "Now, I've got some news for you; you'll be getting a new driver to work with you, starting tomorrow."
"A new driver, sir?" asked BoCo with surprise.
"I'll be retiring tomorrow," the diesel's driver explained. "Today's the last day I work with you, old boy."
"What'll you be doing after today, driver?" asked BoCo sadly.
"Well, I've thought about opening up a hobby shop here at Wellsworth," said the driver. "So you'll be able to see lots of me whenever I have the time."
BoCo and his old driver's last day together was a very busy one, but it didn't make the big diesel any less sad about what would happen tomorrow; what would his new driver be like, and how would they get on?
BoCo soon found out the next morning at Wellsworth yards. He and Philip were in the sheds - Edward had started his first passenger run of the day - when they spotted an unfamiliar man coming into the yards.
"Hello there!" Philip called over to the man. "Can we help you out with anything? You look lost."
"Hello," said the man. "Now, which one of you two is the engine Sir Topham Hatt calls BoCo?"
"That would be me, sir," said BoCo. "I see you're to be my new driver starting today."
"That's right," said the man. "Well, BoCo, I see that you're a diesel engine."
"I am," said BoCo, frowning slightly. "You've never worked with diesel engines before, have you?" he asked as his new driver climbed into the big diesel's front cab.
"No, I'm used to driving steam engines," the new driver confirmed. "Now which lever do I have to pull in order to get you to start up?" He eventually found the starter, which caused BoCo to shudder.
"I need more throttle!" cried BoCo. His engine made a loud noise, which caused Philip to jump.
"Yikes!" the diesel boxcab cried as he raced out of the sheds.
"Sorry, Philip!" called BoCo. Deep down, the big diesel knew that he and his new driver were in for a rough first day together.
BoCo's first job of the day was to take some trucks from Knapford to Vicarstown, where they would soon be taken by another engine to the mainland. Charlie was the one arranging the big diesel's train as Stafford was shunting Gordon's coaches to the station and Stanley was helping out on the Little Western.
"Here you go, BoCo!" said Charlie as he shunted the trucks into place. "Say, do you think you could spare a moment to hear a joke?"
"Er, I suppose I could," said BoCo, before he felt his rear buffers bumping hard against the trucks, who cried out with protest.
"Ooh! Ow! Oh! Watch it!" they called out to the big diesel.
"Sorry," called BoCo. "New driver's getting used to my controls."
"Okay, riddle me this, BoCo," said Charlie. "What's always coming, but never arrives?"
"Hmm… I don't know. What is it that comes but doesn't arrive?"
"Tomorrow!" Charlie laughed after delivering the punchline, and BoCo chuckled along with the purple engine.
If he's ever run into Bill and Ben, the diesel thought to himself, I'd hate to imagine the mischief they'd caused while I was away.
As soon as the guard was ready, she blew her whistle and waved the green flag, and BoCo set off for Vicarstown… rather roughly no thanks to his new driver.
"Oh! Ow! Ooh!" the trucks cried again as they carried on down the main line. "Watch what you're doing! Bumpy BoCo!"
This carried on throughout the whole journey. Sometimes, whenever the new driver meant for BoCo to go forwards, he would often mistakenly send him and the trucks going backwards, and the big diesel found himself jerking backwards and forwards the whole journey.
"This was not how I was expecting our first day together to go," groaned BoCo; he was already feeling rather sick, and was grateful when they stopped at a red signal at Maron. Douglas was passing by with the Local.
"Urr ye a'richt, BoCo?" he asked. "Ye dinnae look very weel."
"It's my new driver," groaned BoCo. "Every time he makes a mistake, I have to tell him what to do. I know he's not used to driving diesel engines, but you'd think he'd have been given some training about that beforehand!"
"Ah suppose tae him, tis lik' riding a bicycle fur th' foremaist time," assured Douglas. "Wance ye git used tae it, tis na trauchle at a'."
"I hope you're right, Douglas," said BoCo. The signal turned green, meaning it was time to depart once more.
Fortunately, the rest of the journey to Vicarstown was much smoother, save for the occasional bump and jerk.
"Just like riding a bicycle for the first time," BoCo reminded himself. "Hopefully there will be less problems over the coming days."
Fortunately for BoCo, things had begun to improve over the next few days as his new driver got used to handling him and his driving became smoother too.
"Ahh, now this is more like it," smiled BoCo as he took the Local along the main line.
"I know," said his new driver proudly. "And now I don't need to be told what to do by my engine!"
"I have a name, you know," BoCo muttered as he came to a stop at Wellsworth. Edward was waiting on a nearby siding in case trains needed banking up Gordon's hill.
"Hello, BoCo," said Edward. "I see your new driver's getting the hang of things."
"Yes, indeed," said BoCo. "But I'm afraid that's gotten to head, as if he thinks he can manage everything without my help."
"That shouldn't be happening," frowned Edward. "Engines and their crews should be working together in case one side spots a problem that the other doesn't."
"Too true," sighed BoCo. "He's become too proud and stubborn for his own good."
At that moment, the signal changed to show that the line was clear, and once the guard's whistle had sounded, BoCo set off for Maron, but to his surprise, he found himself heading towards Edward's branch line instead!
"Driver, stop and go back!" cried BoCo. "We're going down the wrong line!"
"Nonsense!" laughed the new driver. "I know exactly what I'm doing. And I know we're going to the next station sooner than you can say 'Metropolitan Vickers'!"
"Just as I said," muttered BoCo. "Too proud and stubborn for his own good."
Eventually, BoCo arrived at Brendam docks. Salty was arranging some trucks for Donald to take when he saw the big diesel rumble into view with the Local.
"Shiver me axles!" exclaimed Salty. "We weren't expectin' you to show up, matey!"
"My thoughts exactly, Salty!" It was Sir Topham Hatt, who was at the docks for a meeting with the dockyard manager. "What are you doing here, BoCo? I thought you were out on the main line taking the Local!"
BoCo looked down at his buffers, unsure as to what he should say to explain the situation.
"Erm, that was my fault, sir," BoCo's new driver admitted. "I was so proud with how much I'd learned from BoCo that I thought I could manage things myself. But as it turns out, I was wrong. I should've listened to him the moment we were diverted away from the main line and ended up here, sir."
"I should think so too," said Sir Topham Hatt firmly. "You've caused quite a bit of confusion and delay with your overconfidence, but as you're new to the job, I'm letting you off with a warning so you don't repeat incidents like this in the near future."
"Yes, sir," said the new driver sheepishly. "I promise to listen to you from now on, BoCo."
"Well, it's a start at least," sighed the big diesel as he ran around the coaches before reversing out of the docks and back onto the main line again.
BoCo was very late when he finally reached Vicarstown, and throughout the journey, he received endless complaints about the delay, and many of the passengers blamed it all on his new driver. BoCo found this very embarrassing, and even more so when he finally returned to Knapford, exhausted.
Gordon and James found the whole thing very funny. "Why didn't you watch which way you were going?" teased Gordon. "You should know the lines like the back of your buffers, BoCo!"
"Perhaps his new driver had him round back to front," joked James. "It wouldn't surprise me if he thought BoCo was talking from the wrong cab end!" He and Gordon both laughed at this joke, but BoCo frowned sternly at the big engines.
"You're the last engine I'd expect to talk about not knowing their routes, Gordon," the big diesel retorted. "And I remember something about a certain red engine dressing up too early for Christmas all because of a bee to the nose."
That quickly shut Gordon and James up, but it didn't make BoCo feel any less embarrassed about the delays. However, he knew that Sir Topham Hatt had spoken with his new driver and agreed to give him a second chance.
"Perhaps I should do so as well," BoCo said to himself as he rolled to the fuel depot. "It's early days as Winston would say."
"Oh, look, lads!" called a truck from a nearby siding. "It's Bumpy BoCo and his new driver!" This started a chain reaction that led to a yard full of laughing trucks, at least until Stanley bumped some of them into line.
The next day, BoCo was out on the Local again. As he was coupled up to the coaches, he could hear the passengers talking about his new driver.
"That new driver is so stubborn," said one passenger. "He never even listens to BoCo."
"I only hope he knows his stuff," agreed another passenger. BoCo's new driver held his cap and tried not to make himself seen. BoCo looked up at him sympathetically as the passengers climbed aboard the coaches.
"It's early days yet," he reassured. "Let's just hope for a good run today."
"I wish I could believe that," sighed the new driver. As soon as the guard's whistle sounded, the driver reluctantly put his hand on the throttle and BoCo began to roll out of the station.
The journey so far had gone by smoothly, but it didn't make the new driver any less nervous. Just then, BoCo spotted something on the track up ahead.
"Look out, driver!" he cried. "Apply the brakes! There's something on the tracks up ahead!"
Almost immediately, BoCo's new driver pulled on the brake lever and the train came to a stop. The passengers were not very happy about this.
"He's still not listening to what he's being told, is he?" snapped the first passenger. "I should complain about this to Sir Topham Hatt!"
"It wouldn't surprise me if he was to give this new driver the sack," agreed the second.
"I've ridden on roller coasters that were smoother than this buzzbox on wheels!" a certain grumpy passenger shouted.
"That will do everyone," said the guard, who had jumped down from the brake coach to speak with them. "Had the new driver not listened to what BoCo had said, we could've hit that poor goat!"
Indeed, standing right before BoCo and chewing on some lineside grass was a goat. It had broken through a fence and was now delaying the train. It wasn't long before the new driver had returned with the goat's farmer.
"So sorry about this," said the farmer. "Humphrey here likes to cause trouble when he hasn't been fed. I'll see about repairing that fence once I've done so."
Humphrey was led away by his owner, and BoCo smiled at his new driver.
"Well done," the big diesel said. "It looks like you've learned from yesterday after all."
"Thank you, BoCo," said the new driver. "I'm sorry I got so headstrong, but from now on, I'll be sure to listen to you."
"That's good to hear," said a voice from one of the coaches. BoCo looked back to see that it was his old driver.
"You might've had a rough start together," said the old driver, "but I'm sure that you and BoCo will make a great team, youngster. Keep up the good work."
"I will, sir," smiled the new driver. He hopped back into the diesel's front cab and with a toot of his horn, BoCo carried on his way to make up for lost time. He was pleased with his new driver and decided that perhaps he wasn't so bad after all.
THE END
Author's Comments
Here's the latest installment of Between the Lines, adapted from the magazine stories "A New Driver" and "A Second Chance" (issue #45), featuring BoCo in a starring role following his return from Philip and the Troublesome Twins! As you can very much tell, this is another story that takes place during series 21, filling in another gap. I was also able to make use of characters who hadn't appeared or spoke during that season such as Charlie and Timothy, and even incorporated some irony in Thomas saying that BoCo had missed out on a lot when neither interacted at all during the diesel's short tenure on the show. Speaking of Thomas, the Local seemed to have become an excuse just to get him onto the main line, even though there have been many times (even before the Brenner era) he's been there for plot convenience, making the excuse pointless. That's why I've given it to Douglas and BoCo on separate turns (this will also apply to Henry, James and Donald) so that the Local will have a reason to be there and not an excuse to needlessly shove Thomas into the story. If he does appear in a story not taking place on his branch line, I usually make it so that he's at Tidmouth sheds and/or Knapford station because he's commonly seen there.
More stories to come!