It was the holiday season on the Island of Sodor. Crowds of holiday makers had travelled far and wide from the main land to enjoy the tourist attractions that the Northwestern Railway had to offer.
This meant that the engines had to work twice as hard every day in order to keep to the busy timetable set out by Sir Topham Hat. All the engines were feeling the pressure, but none more so than Toby the tram engine.
Toby was called from his work in Ffarquhar Quarry to shunt coaches and trucks alongside Percy for the bigger engines. This arrangement worked at the beginning of the season, but as time wore on, the two found it extremely difficult to manage.
Percy had been assigned to pull some essential services of his own during the season, such as the milk and mail trains. Whenever Percy left to do these runs, Toby was left behind to do all the shunting on his own.
Depending on how heavy the trains were, Toby would find it manageable, delivering the train to their rightful engine on time, or find it cumbersome to push, which lead to confusion and delay.
Sir Topham Hat was made aware of this fact one day, when he saw poor Toby trying to push a long goods train for Henry.
"Toby, why are you out in the yard all by yourself pushing this train without Percy?" Sir Topham Hat asked, concerned for the old engine.
"I'm sorry sir, but Percy isn't here. He's away on a mail run, and I'm trying to get the local freight special to Henry," Toby replied, clearly out of breath.
Sir Topham Hat understood at once the situation, and kindly said to Toby, "Leave it with me, Toby, I shall make a few calls and send for help. We'll make sure this doesn't happen again."
The next day, two engines arrived early morning at Knapford Yards, where Toby and Percy were anxiously waiting for their arrival. Percy wheeshed happily when he saw who the two engines were.
"By my buffers, it's Jinty and Pug," Percy exclaimed!
"Do you know them Percy?" Toby asked.
"Certainly Toby, they are friends of mine. I often see them near the end of the line when I finish my runs, and pass stories to them."
Toby smiled and looked to the two engines, "Hello, I'm Toby. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintances. Any friend of Percy's is a friend of mine."
Jinty and Pug were both elated by Toby's words. Of the two engines, Jinty responded in kind, "It is an honour to hear you say that, Toby. Pug and I would be delighted to help where we can."
Pug nodded in agreement, but said nothing. He was a bit shy, and was more content to take in the new surroundings.
"Ah, I see you are getting acquainted already," a voice said in the distance.
It was Sir Topham Hat, ready to greet the engines. The engines stood to attention and greeted him.
"Good," said Sir Topham Hat, "that shall make things easier to explain. Jinty, Pug, I need you two to help with the shunting duties here in Knapford Yard. You won't be alone all the time; Toby and Percy will help when they finish their duties, especially during the peak hours of the day. I expect great work from you two, and I hope that you both may prove really useful."
Jinty responded courteously, "Yes sir, we shall do our best sir!"
Pug nodded in agreement, but once more was too shy to say anything.
"Lovely. Now, since it is your first day, I shall have Toby teach you how to handle things here for a few days," said Sir Topham Hat, before he left to take care of other important matters.
Once Sir Topham Hat was away, Toby lead the two new engines to shunt the coaches and trucks to their proper sidings. Toby found the new engines amiable, and eager to learn the ways of the yard. He was amazed with how easily Jinty shunted whatever task he was assigned to do. Jinty was even able to shunt the troublesome trucks without fuss on the first day of the job.
"You make this look easy," Toby said to him, "I must say you are a natural!"
"Ah, I couldn't do it without my Driver and Fireman. I don't know what I would do without them," Jinty replied.
"Kind and modest, you will go far here," Toby smiled.
Over the course of the week, Jinty and Pug learnt all that they could from Toby before handling the duties of the yard. Soon the two engines were taking charge of Knapford Yard, shunting like clockwork.
Since Pug liked to avoid crowds, he tended to keep to himself working in the yard. That meant Jinty would take the trains from the yard to the bigger engines at Knapford Station. He became easily acquainted with Gordon, Henry, Edward, and James this way.
It wasn't just the big engines that would be impressed with Jinty's shunting. The spritely engine also began to entertain crowds, of train spotters and passengers, that were ready to board and enjoy their holiday.
"I heard a lot about you and Pug from Toby. You really are good at shunting, Jinty," Edward said kindly.
"Happy to help where I can!" Jinty said earnestly to the blue engine. "We can't let the holiday makers down. After all, they don't call me Iron Jinty for nothing!"
Things were going well for a time. One early morning, however, Jinty's driver came to him with some rather troubling news.
"Bad news, my lad," said his driver as he looked to Jinty resting at a siding berth, "old Johnny has taken ill. He won't be able to fire you up today."
"Good heavens," cried Jinty, anxious and worried at such news, "whatever shall we do, driver? We have a schedule to keep!"
"Not to worry, Jinty, I made the call to Sir Topham Hat. He's sending a replacement so hopefully we can make up for lost time," his driver replied consolingly.
With his drivers words, Jinty closed his eyes and went back to rest. He hoped the replacement fireman would come quickly, as his driver went back to the station to collect him.
A couple hours later, Jinty's driver returned with the replacement fireman in tow. He had a worried expression upon his face, though he dared not show it to Jinty. The replacement fireman that Sir Topham Hat summoned wasn't experienced. It was his first ride out since he earned his qualification.
However, the fireman's nervousness showed in his work. No matter how hard he tried, he could not get Jinty's fire to stay alight. This meant Jinty would not be able to steam properly and get on with his day. While the fireman struggled with his efforts, Jinty, feeling warm and cosy, was soundly asleep.
Hours later, the station was crawling and packed with holiday makers, confused as to why the trains were running late. Poor Pug was struggling to deliver the trains to their intended platforms. As he shunted, he kept wondering where Jinty was and why he left him to face the crowds.
"Where is Jinty?" Pug shivered, "He knows I don't like crowds...I don't like this at all!"
"Steady on boy," said Pug's driver, "Toby and Percy will be here soon to take this duty off you. Just hold together until then!"
True enough, Toby and Percy did arrive later and were both appalled when Pug explained to them the situation.
"Right," said Toby, "I'll keep an eye out for Jinty in the yard."
"And I'll deliver the trains to the station," Percy added. "You just focus on sorting, Pug. We'll find him, don't you worry!"
"It had better be soon. Gordon's good train is due out in a few hours. I'd hate to see him more cross to find it late; on top of the fact he has to pull it," said Percy's driver thoughtfully.
The three engines quickly set out to do their tasks to make up for lost time. Toby and his crew searched the yard from top to bottom in the hopes to find Jinty. The poor tram engine thought he would never be able to find him in the maze of coaches and trucks.
Just then, by sheer luck, Toby's driver caught sight of Jinty's driver running toward them. In an instant, he applied the brake to bring Toby to a halt.
"Thank goodness I found you!" panted Jinty's driver.
"Thank goodness indeed," replied Toby's driver, "Where is Jinty, and why isn't he shunting in the yard? Gordon's train is nearly due!"
Jinty's driver explained what had happened since the morning. Toby's fireman volunteered to go and help him make sure Jinty's fire didn't die out. All the while Toby and his driver safely moved over to a siding where they were out of the way.
After much careful effort, Toby's fireman was able to build Jinty's boiler pressure and stoked the fire to ensure the flame was roaring nicely. Jinty's eyes slowly awoke as he felt very groggy.
"Is it time for the morning already?" He asked wearily, still waking up.
"Morning? Don't be silly! It's half past 2 in the afternoon! You've been sleeping in all day!" replied Toby's fireman.
That remark certainly woke Jinty up, "Wha-what?! Oh bust my buffers, I'm late! What shall I do, what shall I do?!"
"Calm down," said Jinty's driver, "better you are awake now. Gordon will be waiting at Knapford Station for his goods train. Toby's fireman volunteered to help us as we need you to deliver it to him."
Jinty was puzzled, "Toby's fireman? Whatever happened to the replacement fireman?"
"He's still here," Jinty's driver said, "but he will report to the foreman after for more after hours training."
"We had better hurry now," noted Toby's fireman, "I cant imagine how angry Gordon will be for keeping him waiting."
At the station, Gordon was fuming as he sat at the platform. Earlier in the day his express was delivered late by Pug, and his passengers complained endlessly to him. Throughout the whole day, the passengers hound him for how their holiday plans were ruined because of it.
Worse still, he came to find his last train for the day was a goods special, which was running late. Gordon shuddered at the thought of it, but was growing more impatient.
"Disgraceful," muttered Gordon. "If I see Jinty just once, I am going to give that engine what's coming to him."
"Now Gordon," sad his driver, "I know you don't like this one bit as much as I do, but yelling at Jinty isn't going to get us home any earlier."
"I don't care," said Gordon, "I will not be made a fool of by a silly little engine as he!"
Gordon became very cross when he saw Jinty shunting the goods special on the layover platform, opposite to where he was. He was debating on what to say to the little engine, as Jinty, embarrassed and ashamed, trundled quietly to a siding nearby.
"Where," Gordon began, "were you this morning?" He had half a mind to give Jinty a verbal thrashing.
"I-I-I'm sorry Gordon, my fireman was ill and my replacement didn't wake me in time," Jinty said sheepishly, looking down all the while. He didn't want to anger the big engine further.
Gordon looked keen to reply but stopped himself, and began to think. Moments later, the big engine bursted out in a fit of laughter.
Jinty looked to Gordon with utter confusion and surprise, "W-what is it? What's so funny?"
Gordon looked to Jinty and said, "Well, well, well, little Jinty, here you are calling yourself "Iron Jinty" and days later you're caught sleeping on the job. One might think they should call you "Slack Iron Jinty" for the stint you caused."
Jinty wheeshed in anger at the comment, but did not reply as he was left speechless. Gordon continued laughing at his own joke as he went to the platform to collect his goods train.
"Goodbye Jinty," laughed Gordon, "make sure I don't catch you slacking off again when I return."
With this he puffed away leaving a rather blustered Jinty behind. Ever since that day, Jinty continues to do his best shunting in the Yard.
However, whenever he is a bit delayed, Gordon always finds it cheeky to tease him and call him "Slack Iron" Jinty, reminding him of the time of his unexpected rest.