The Modern Railway Series No. 24

MAINLAND FRIENDS

Original stories by Andrew Brenner & Lee Pressman

Foreword

Dear friends,

As you may have known, Samson, who came from the Mainland, helped the Earl's engines set up his marvellous dinosaur park. Samson visits Sodor every now and then, and he has brought with him a brake van who regularly works with him and keeps him in line. But I'm afraid Samson still couldn't help but run into trouble more often than not. Read on and see what happened.

The author

Bradford the brake van

The troublesome trucks were being difficult again. While Thomas was struggling to get them moving, Samson arrived from the Mainland. "Hello, Thomas! Are your trucks being troublesome again?" "Very troublesome," groaned Thomas. "My trucks are very well-behaved," said Samson. And as he pulled them forward, Thomas noticed a brake van at the back of Samson's train. "Tut-tut-tut," it said. "Those trucks of yours, disgraceful behaviour! I wouldn't put up with nonsense like that." "Hello! Who are you?" said Thomas. "I'm Bradford," said the brake van. "Take me along with you, and I'll show you how I deal with troublesome trucks." Thomas agreed. He did need a brake van for his train after all.

As soon as Thomas backed down onto Bradford and coupled up to him, the brake van suddenly started barking orders at the trucks. "Right you horrible lot! I'm in charge now, so no bumping and none of you are CHEEK!" The trucks gasped at Bradford's sudden outburst. "But, we like bumping!" they protested. "Not on my watch, matey, this is now a bump-free zone! Oh dear, outside, never mind. When you're ready, Thomas." And Thomas pulled the trucks away with ease.

The other engines thought Thomas was lucky to be working with such a wonderful brake van as Bradford. Thomas came up to the Blue Mountain quarry and got his trucks filled up with stone. But just as he was about to leave, a small rock landed on the last truck, and Bradford put on his brakes. "What's wrong, Bradford?" asked Thomas. "According to the official railway safety guideline manual," said Bradford examining the stone. "The level of stone in these trucks is nine millimeters too high! You'll have to empty some of them out, Thomas, before I can allow you to proceed." "But if I stop to unload, I'll be late!" protested Thomas. "Thomas, following the rules is more important than being on time," insisted Bradford. Thomas sighed, as he had no choice, but to wait and do as Bradford told him.

The Fat Controller was not very happy with Thomas when he arrived at the docks with his trucks very late. "Sorry, sir," said Thomas. "Leave these trucks here, Thomas," said the Fat Controller. "Go fetch Annie and Clarabel, and get back on schedule!" As Thomas began to leave, James came to the docks with some waste trucks. "If you're not using your new brake van, Thomas, could I use him, please?" he asked Thomas. "Be my guest, James," said Thomas.

But James soon found out how authoritative and strict Bradford really was, when he insisted that the waste trucks should be cleaned at the washdown. Before long, James was running late as well. And it wasn't just him and Thomas who found themselves delayed by Bradford. Henry was ordered by Bradford to go to the Steamworks because he spotted a tiny crack on his lamp.

Henry came back to the sheds late, and all the engines were complaining about Bradford. "And after I was late, the Fat Controller was furious with me!" said Henry. "He was cross with me, too," said Emily. "And all because I had to go really slowly, after Bradford had noticed one leaf on the line." "He keeps making us late with our deliveries and we get in trouble with the Fat Controller," muttered James. "Well, we don't have to work with him," said Thomas. "There are plenty of other brake vans."

But later that morning, Thomas had to collect some more stone from the quarry, and Bradford was the only brake van available. He didn't want to get into any more trouble, so he slipped away quietly. Bradford noticed him anyway. "Thomas? Hold on! I need to speak to you!" he called. But Thomas was already gone.

Thomas was proud of himself for handling the trucks without a brake van. But when he came to Gordon's hill, he regretted his decision. Especially when the trucks pushed him down the other side, and made him crash into the back of James' freight train. The Fat Controller came to inspect the scene very quickly. He scolded Thomas for leaving without a brake van. Then he reminded Thomas that following the regulations and being safe was just as important as being on time.

Thomas found Bradford and apologized for ignoring him. Bradford told Thomas that he was calling him to say goodbye. "I'm going back with my pal, Samson." And Samson went to bring Bradford home to the Mainland. The engines whistled goodbye to Bradford, and were quite happy that they won't have to deal with him again for a while. Especially the troublesome trucks.

Saving time

One day, Samson and Thomas were sent to the Blue Mountain quarry for a big order of stone. The Fat Controller wanted the engines to bring it quickly and efficiently. "Hurry up, Samson!" called Thomas as he pulled his first load of trucks. "Or we're never going to get this job done quickly and efficiently!" Samson collected some stone, determined to show everyone just how important he was. "And what about those trucks?" asked Samson, glancing at a long line of trucks in the distance. "Going to the docks, are they, Sir Handel?" "Yes, Samson," replied Sir Handel. "But you'll have to come back for them. You can't pull that many trucks in one go!" "Yes, I can," boasted Samson. "They don't call me Samson for nothing!"

Samson wanted to deliver all the trucks in one go and save time. He backed down onto the long line of trucks, and pulled as hard as he could. He began to move, very, very slowly. "Are you sure you're saving time there, Samson?" asked Peter Sam. "Once I get going you won't believe how fast I can be!" panted Samson. "Alright, I won't!" laughed Peter Sam. "And neither will I, Samson. Good luck!" added Sir Handel. And they both laughed as Samson slowly pulled out of the quarry.

Samson slowly managed to build up some speed. He was feeling confident he'd be saving time, until he reached Gordon's hill. He tried to reverse and get a good start, but with too many trucks, he couldn't get over the hill. Presently, Thomas arrived. He had delivered his trucks to the docks, and was returning back to the quarry for his next load. He stopped when he saw Samson. "Having a nice rest, are you, Samson?" he laughed. "No, I haven't. Been working very hard is what I've been doing. Haven't you seen how many trucks I'm pulling?" replied Samson. "Too many?" chuckled Thomas as he noticed the long line behind Samson. "Perhaps you'd like to give me a push instead of making silly comments," said Samson.

So Thomas switched tracks, and reversed down onto Samson's train to get coupled up. "Best back up, Thomas," called Samson. "Need to get some speed ready." "The track is clear!" Thomas called back. But just as Samson began to push backwards, Thomas saw Paxton approaching him. "Stop! Stop!" cried Thomas. The engines applied their brakes. Thankfully, no one bumped into anyone. "Hello, Thomas! Am I going the wrong way?" said Paxton. "No, I am," replied Thomas. "I'm trying to get Samson and his trucks over the hill. He took too many." "I did not!" called Samson indignantly. "Shall I help?" offered Paxton. Thomas said that he could.

Soon, there was a triple-header at Gordon's hill. Paxton and Thomas pushed from behind, while Samson pulled up front. "That's it! That's it!" exclaimed Samson as he reached the top of the hill. "I knew we could do it!" "Thanks, Paxton!" called Thomas as he felt himself begin to roll away from him. "My pleasure!" replied Paxton. Then, the train began to move very fast as it went down the hill. "Thomas! Slow them down! Slow them down!" called Samson. Thomas put on his brakes, and the strain between him and the trucks caused them to slow down. "That's it! Everything's under control!" exclaimed Samson triumphantly. "Okay, Samson. Could you stop so I can be uncoupled?" asked Thomas. "There's no time to stop, Thomas. We're already late!" replied Samson. And he pulled Thomas all the way to Brendam Docks, whether he liked it or not.

"Samson here, at your service!" announced Samson as he pulled into the docks and met the Fat Controller. "Brought more stone from the quarry, sir, as requested!" "What are you playing at, Samson?" demanded the Fat Controller. "This is the first delivery you've made all morning!" "Well, unexpected delay, sir. Got stuck on Gordon's hill," said Samson. "Well, I'm not surprised," said the Fat Controller as he noticed the line of trucks and Thomas. "You're pulling far too many trucks and what on earth is Thomas doing at the back of your train?" Samson owned up for his mistake, and the Fat Controller reminded him what being efficient really means.

From then on, Samson had learned from his mistake, and never took too many trucks again. But when Thomas approached Gordon's hill and Samson caught up with him, he was surprised to see Samson pulling only one truck and a brake van behind him. "You can take more trucks than that, Samson!" laughed Thomas. "I know," replied Samson. "But it's much quicker this way. Saves time in the long run." But Thomas knew Samson wasn't really saving time. He was just being silly again.

Brake vans on a break (Original story written by myself)

One morning, Samson was bringing Bradford to the shunting yard, when he met Oliver and his brake van, Toad. "Hello! Your trucks look very well-behaved," said Oliver. "Well, it's all thanks to my brake van, Bradford, here," replied Samson. "Sounds like you two make a great team," said Oliver. "We do indeed," said Samson. "But, sometimes, he can be a bit… strict, if you know what I mean." "Really? Well, I've never had any issues with Toad, over here. He keeps my freight in line without any fuss." Then, Samson had an idea. He suggested swapping their brake vans for the day. Oliver was hesitant, but Toad was eager. "Please allow us, Mr. Oliver! It would be fun!" said Toad. "Well, I suppose it would be alright, for one day," said Oliver.

So the two engines went about their work, with their temporary new brake vans. Oliver headed off to pick up ballast from the Arlesdale Railway. As he went on his way, Bradford spoke up. "You seem to know how to handle trucks well, lad." "Well, trucks aren't a bother to me," boasted Oliver feeling flattered. "Not after I ripped apart Old Scruffey." "Sounds like you've got brute strength, then," remarked Bradford. Oliver liked working with Bradford. But when he got his trucks loaded, Bradford put his brakes on. "What's going on, Bradford?" asked Oliver. "Your trucks are filthy! And dirty trucks are disordered trucks! Off to the washdown we go!" Oliver was speechless.

Meanwhile, Samson was loading his trucks with stone up at the Blue Mountain quarry. Toad was fascinated at the sight he saw around him. "Have you ever been to quarry before, Toad?" said Samson. "Never have, Mr. Samson," replied Toad. "Well, you'd better get yourself ready for the time of your life!" Samson sped off to the docks with his trucks full of stone. But Bradford usually faced the trucks whenever Samson took a freight train, and now Toad was at the back, facing the opposite side. He didn't know, that Samson had loaded up his trucks with a whole lot of stone that piled quite high.

Oliver was getting more annoyed with Bradford now. Whenever there was something that looked unsafe to Bradford, he would put on his brakes, and order Oliver to either go a different way, or wait, until he was sure that everything was in order. Oliver began to understand what Samson meant by Bradford being strict, and he was cross. Duck noticed Bradford as Oliver came to a stop at Bluff's Cove. "I've never seen a brake van that fussy before," he remarked. "You're telling me," agreed Oliver. "He's been driving me mad all day!"

Samson approached Gordon's hill. He was building up speed to prevent himself from getting stuck. "Steady now, Mr. Samson," said Toad. But Samson ignored him. He liked working with a brake van who didn't boss him around all the time for a change. And because of his speed, some of the stone began to fall off the trucks and spill out onto the tracks behind him. Toad noticed this and became worried. "Mr. Samson, I really do think you should slow down!" said Toad. "Nonsense!" replied Samson. "We mustn't be late!"

Then, bigger stones fell on the tracks as Samson rolled down the hill, and they blocked the lines. "Oh dear!" cried Toad. "Right, that's it! You've got to stop, Mr. Samson! The stone is spilling everywhere!" Toad applied his brakes. Samson came to a stop at the bottom of the hill. "Goodness, what's happened?" exclaimed Samson. "You were going way too fast, Mr. Samson. I had to slow you down before you caused an accident!" Samson looked behind him, and saw the stone on the line. "Oh dear," he exclaimed.

Harvey soon came to clear up the mess. And Samson apologized to Toad. "I guess I got so carried away, that I didn't have someone to order me about, like Bradford usually does." "Don't be hard on yourself, Mr. Samson," said Toad. "I should've been more firm with you from the beginning." Samson then suggested that Toad faced the trucks. Toad agreed, and this way, Toad was able to keep a better track of Samson's freight.

By now, Oliver was fed up with Bradford completely. "I've been running late all day, and now I'll be in trouble!" exclaimed Oliver. "Oliver," began Bradford. "And it's all your fault!" finished Oliver, and he bumped Bradford so hard, that he crashed into the buffers, and lurched off the rails. Oliver gasped, and realized he shouldn't have done that.

Oliver brought Judy and Jerome, who managed to get Bradford back onto the rails again. "I'm ever so sorry, Bradford," said Oliver. "I only didn't want to get bossed around anymore." Bradford sighed. "Safety is always important, Oliver." But then he smiled. "You know, I've never met an engine who'd stand up against my regulations as you did. I guess I did take it a bit too far…" Oliver appreciated Bradford's honesty. "Well, I'll be glad to take your regulations further at heart." Bradford promised to not set up more pointless rules.

Oliver and Samson managed to adapt to their new brake vans by the end of the day. But they were relieved when they met each other again at the shunting yard that evening and gave each other their old brake vans back. It was an interesting experience for them all indeed, but they were just happy to be reunited with their best friends once again.

Samson and the fireworks

One day, Samson came to Sodor with his brake van, Bradford from the Mainland. He met Thomas at Vicarstown. "Hello, Samson!" said Thomas. Bradford cleared his throat. "Oh, hi Bradford," added Thomas. "Are you sure those crates are correctly secured to your flatbed, Thomas?" said Bradford. "Yes, thank you, Bradford. Perfectly secure," replied Thomas. "What have you got there, Thomas?" asked Samson. "Oh, these are the fireworks for the Earl's annual fireworks display tonight at Ulfstead Castle!" said Thomas. "F-f-fireworks?" gasped Samson as he slowed down. "Are you okay, Samson?" said Thomas. "Oh, yes, I'm fine, Thomas. Why shouldn't I be?" hastily replied Samson. "Not afraid of fireworks, just a few bangs. Nothing to worry about." "Enough chattering," interrupted Bradford. "We're already running thirty-two seconds late. Let's go! Let's go! Come on! Move it! Move it!" And Samson hurried away, leaving Thomas feeling confused.

A heavy fog rolled over Sodor later that day. The Fat Controller had warned the engines about the dangers of the fog at Knapford station, and Cyril the fogman explained to them about fog detonators that tell them whenever they're approaching a signal.

But Samson and Bradford were on their way to the Blue Mountain quarry, and they didn't know about the detonators. "I'm sure this isn't the way to the Blue Mountain quarry," said Bradford. "You must have taken a wrong turn in the fog." And then there was trouble. Samson rolled over something that exploded under his wheels. It made him jump. "Agh! What was that?!" he cried. BANG! Another explosion rang out. "Fireworks?! Fireworks!" wailed Samson as he sped up. "No, Samson! Those are not fireworks, they are fog detonators!" called Bradford. But Samson was too frightened to think clearly.

Samson approached a signal and didn't notice that it was at 'danger'. Edward was approaching from the other direction. But he put on his brakes and screeched furiously when he saw Samson rush past. "Watch out!" he called. "Sorry!" replied Samson. "Samson, stop screaming! They're not fireworks, get a grip!" called Bradford. "And he's not listening."

Samson ran onto a loop line. Toby was taking on water at the water tower. Suddenly, Samson bumped into him and pushed him and his freight trucks onto the main line. "What are you playing at? This isn't a shunting yard!" he yelped. Samson kept on shrieking in fear as he ran over the fog detonators.

Then, Samson ran into siding and bumped into the buffers. Luckily, no one was hurt. "Finally," muttered Bradford. "Sorry, Bradford. Don't know where we are now. Didn't mean to get lost, but, well, I really do not like fireworks!" said Samson. "They weren't fireworks," assured Bradford. "I've been trying to tell you, those bangs were fog detonators to warn you about signals in the fog." Samson felt silly. Now, they were stuck in the middle of the fog, and they had to wait until the fog lifted up.

Night came, and the fog still hadn't lifted. Then, Bradford and Samson heard bangs in the distance. "Wha, what was that?" yelped Samson shutting his eyes. Bradford looked up, and saw colourful sparks in the dark, glowing sky. "Fireworks?" "But you said they were detonators!" said Samson. "Not on the tracks, up there in the sky!" replied Bradford. "Samson opened one eye, and saw the sparks. He quickly shut it again. "No, no, don't want to look! Make them go away!" But Samson stopped, and opened his eyes again. "See, Samson?" said Bradford. "They're not scary. In fact, they're beautiful, lovely colours and that. Oh, look at that one!" Samson looked at the fireworks, and he began to agree that they did look pretty indeed. "Not just pretty, my lad. Useful, too!" said Bradford. "Useful?" repeated Samson. "That must be the Earl's firework display," replied Bradford. "If we follow the fireworks to the castle, then we'll know where we are, and we can find our way home." Samson agreed, but he didn't want to get too close to the fireworks.

Samson followed the fireworks all the way up to Ulfstead Castle. "Look, Samson! It's working! The fireworks are helping us find our way!" said Bradford. "Yes! The Castle! We made it!" cried Samson. Samson entered the castle, where the other engines were watching them from inside. "So what do you think of the fireworks, Samson?" asked Thomas. "Well, they're not so bad after all, and most helpful," replied Samson. A loud bang made him jump. "B-but I do wish they weren't so loud!" "Well done, Samson!" praised Bradford. "Section thirty-eight of the rulebook says, engines who face their fears are very, very useful!" Samson just grinned as he enjoyed the fireworks display with everyone else all night.