Thomas and Friends: Southern Charm
Chapter 3: James's Day Off
It was mild day on the Island of Sodor. All the engines had their jobs to do, and were being really useful on the Fat Controller's Railway. That morning, James was very grumpy. His driver told him that he will not be carrying any passengers today. This made James very cross. James didn't like pulling trucks. He would rather be pulling nice, shiny coaches
Meanwhile, Marina was getting her coal tender filled. An idea soon flew into James's funnel "Marina says she's a do-it-all engine...let's see if she can 'do-it-all'," James puffed to himself. As her coal tender was filled, James put his idea into action "Hey Marina!" he called out to her at Tidmouth Sheds. The American mixed traffic-tender engine went to him
"What is it, James? Why ain't you out on the rails?" she asked
"Oh! I have a wobbly wheel on my tender" replied James
"I'll take yah to the Steamworks if yah like" said Marina
"No! No! I'll see to that, can you do me a favor and see to my tasks for the day while I go to the Steamworks and get my tender wheel mended?" James asked of her "it would mean a lot to me if you did" he added, eager to be really useful as the newest engine on Sodor, Marina took up the tasks. Marina went onto the turntable, ready to get to work.
"You can count on me, James, you go to the Steamworks and get that wheel looked at" puffed Marina, James smiled to himself. His plan seemed to be going perfectly as he had hoped. Marina first went to pick up trucks of stone from Ffarquhar Quarry. Marina is a strong engine. Marina can pull most heavy goods trains without the need of a back engine.
The Fat Controller arrived "Marina? What are you doing?"
"Being really useful, why do you ask?" asked Marina
"I see that...why are you doing James's work?" he asked
"James said that he had a wobbly wheel in his tender, and he asked me to fill in for him" Marina explained to the Fat Controller. The Fat Controller seemed a little hesitant about her explanation "yah ain't got nothin' to worry that fancy hat of yours over, I got this" she assured him, and puffed along the rails to Brendam Docks to have her trucks unloaded
Next, Marina brought trucks of cement over to some workmen mending a bridge. Meanwhile, James was enjoying his rest at Tidmouth Sheds. To keep up the illusion, James did puff out of the sheds and James did go to the Sodor Steamworks "I don't know, James, I don't see anything wrong with your back tender wheel, it's not wobbly at all" said Victor
"Well, it was this morning" James stammered
"It looks fine to me" Victor replied, raising an eyebrow
"Well then it means there's nothing to worry about" said James
That afternoon, Marina was finishing up doing James's tasks. Her drive wheels were tired. Her piston rods ached. She chuffed along the rails to Knapford Station. As she did so, she saw James pulling a train of flatcars. Her eyes widened, and then squinted as she had realized what James did. He had fooled her once. She will not get fooled a second time
"That tears it..." she grumbled gritting her teeth with a light snarl behind her lips. Instead of going to the sheds for a rest, she chuffed off to go fetch the Fat Controller. Late that evening, James chuffed in to rest with the other engines at Tidmouth Sheds. That night, another engine puffed in on the turntable to see James. He was surprised. It was Marina
"Uh oh..." said James, seeing a cross look on Marina's face
"How could you do that to me, James?" asked Marina, James felt silly
Marina brought the Fat Controller "What you did James is unacceptable"
"I hope you enjoyed your day off James, because of you, Edward had to take Marina's special while you left her to do your work!" scolded the Fat Controller "as a matter of fact, Marina, you get to rest in James's shed, and James, you get to sleep outside, I was going to give you a special tomorrow James, but now I'm going to give it to Marina" he added
"As for you James, you will do Marina's work tomorrow...and she will not be pulling coaches" the Fat Controller left after Marina went into James's shed, and James slept outside the sheds. James felt terrible for making Marina do all his work. He wasn't being a really useful engine. The next morning, Marina went to go pick up her special, and saw James.
"Marina" James said, pausing for a moment "I wanted to say I'm sorry"
"James, part of life on the rails is doing what yah gotta do" she said
"Even if yah don't like it" she added, James for the first time, smiled
"I forgive you, James, I hope yah learned yah lesson" Marina concluded "now ain't chu' got work to do?" she asked, giving him a wink. Marina made her way to Brendam Docks to pick up her special. Marina was to pull a goods train of cocoa, sugar, and tank cars of milk to Mr. Jolly's Chocolate Factory. Marina beamed as she was coupled up to her trucks
Marina puffed along the rails going to the chocolate factory. James puffed up alongside, and kept his speed up with her "Be careful around the bend, you best watch your speed when you go into it" said James, with her heavy goods train behind her, Marina watched her speed going into the bend. She grinned to herself. She was very thankful for his help