BOILER BUSTED

Daisy rolled peacefully into Elsbridge station one autumn evening, having finished her last run from Knapford. She was looking forward to a long rest in the carriage shed, content with a days work. Sir Topham Hatt, the Fat Controller, was one of her passengers and he stepped down onto the platform and approached her, his hands clasped behind his back.

"Now Daisy", he said warmly, "I am pleased with your work here and I have no intentions of sending you away permanently, so please do not be too alarm at what I am about to say".

Daisy seriously hoped that she wouldn't have to be too shocked as the kind railway man continued - "I must ask that you leave this branch line for a while, a few weeks maybe. A month at the most".

"Whatever for sir?", asked Daisy with confusion. She was worried that she had done something wrong.

"There is no need for alarm", smiled the good manager, and he explained everything to her. Daisy's expression turned from one of sudden shock to delight as the Fat Controller finished his explanation, "Now run along to the main line", he concluded, "The inspector is waiting for you".

Daisy, purring happily, rolled excitedly away. Little was she aware that Percy had stopped on a nearby siding to take on water on his way back to the sheds, having left the mine. He gasped as he saw her pull away from the platform and disappear onto the main line.

"Oh dear!", he thought, "Daisy's been sent away! This is awful news!"

Percy ran on quickly as he could and arrived at the sheds. Thomas was being oiled for his evening train and Toby had just arrived back from the quarry. He squeaked madly as he rolled up between them.

"Everyone!", he tooted frantically, "Something terrible has happened!"

"Come on Percy", grumbled Thomas hotly, "Out with it! I'll be late if I have to sit around and listen to your chatter"

"Daisy has been sent away to the main line!", Percy continued, "I saw the Fat Controller talking to her at Elsbridge".

But much to the little engine's surprise, Toby begun to chuckle, as Thomas rolled his eyes - "It isn't funny!", snapped Percy, "Daisy could be in..."

"I often wonder whether Percy's dome is screwed on properly", muttered Thomas gravely to Toby, "You do spend far too much time down in those mines nowadays". "No I don't!", puffed Percy angrily, "It was as clear as the strips on my boiler!"

"Daisy isn't going away", explained Toby calmly, sensing an argument beginning to brew between the two engines, "She's being sent to the main line temporarily. She won't be needed here on the branch line for a while".

"Why would she not be needed here?", asked Percy anxiously.

"Because Sir Topham Hatt has asked for passenger traffic to halt for a few days whilst we prepare for building work to be done near the little quarry village", Toby continued, "Bertie will be taking over our passenger duties for the time being, until the building work is under-way".

"Building work?", Percy repeated, "On what?" - He was still very confused.

"Honestly Percy", grumbled Thomas impatiently, "All that coal-dust has gone straight to your smoke box!"

"It has not!", Percy snapped again. But Thomas ignored him. He seemed to drift his own world as he spoke, his voice full of pride - "Sir Topham Hatt has finally agreed to extend my branch line. At long last, a new station is going to built near the quarry, with it's own goods yard too. Now I'll have most reliable, and useful, branch line on the island".

Percy soon forgot to be cross - "It must be wonderful to be in charge of a branch line". He paused for a moment, smiling to himself - "I'd like to run a branch line of my own some day too, just like Thomas". He closed his eyes and imagined himself steaming along a countryside route with a shiny pair of coaches, coming to rest at a station with a large sign on the platform reading 'Percy's Branch Line'.

"Rubbish", snorted Thomas pompously, "You wouldn't survive a day running your own branch line. You need a lot of tolerance. It can be a tough job at times. Besides, with your carelessness, you'd be causing accidents by the hour. Now, if you will excuse me, I must get to Knapford for my evening train".

He bustled away quickly to fetch Annie and Clarabel. Percy pulled a face at his retreating bunker - "Careless am I?", he fumed, "I could beat Thomas at running a branch line any day!"

"Don't let it get to you", soothed Toby, "Thomas can be very boastful at times. He speaks far too quickly without thinking. I'm sure he didn't mean it".

Percy could only agree. Indeed, our Thomas can be a very boastful little engine at times. With that, their drivers and fireman dampened their fires and said goodnight. But Percy could not help but think about Thomas' words - "One day, I'll prove it! Just you wait!".

* By the time their drivers and fireman had arrived at the sheds the next morning, an Inspector arrived to speak to the engines - "Your hard work and co-operation will be vital", he explained, "We want this building operation to run as smoothly as possible. That means no horse-play".

"Yes sir", said the three engines together. With that, the Inspector begun to hand out their tasks. Toby was to collect the building materials from the quarry, whilst Thomas and Percy were to assist with the building work on site.

"Be warned though", the Inspector continued, "A major blasting operation will be taking place. You must be fully on your guard at all times".

Thomas simmered happily - "This is a job for a strong, reliable branch line engine like me", he said proudly, as Toby clanked away, leaving him and Percy alone as their crews set about preparing them for work, "Maybe you should stay here and shunt Percy. It could be too dangerous for you".

Percy was taken by shock - "I've worked more quarries and mines then you'll ever know of!", he squeaked furiously, "I've helped out with countless blastings!"

"Probably through your whistle tubes whilst casing runaway trucks!", chucked Thomas, and he steamed away, laughing at his own joke. By now, Percy was seething with anger. Sparks and ashes began to spit in his firebox.

"I'll show him!", he grunted hotly.

"Calm yourself fella", soothed his crew, "Don't take Thomas too literally. Now come along. Lets get you up to the construction yard. Maybe some hard work will help take your mind of it".

Percy steamed away, his fire still roaring with anger in his firebox - "I'll show him! I'll show him!", he chanted as he went.

*

Meanwhile, further up the line at Elsbridge, Thomas had backed down onto the workman's train. It carried all the machinery and tools, and the workmen themselves, who rode in an extra carriage on the end. Thomas felt very pleased with himself as the workmen loaded the trucks with their equipment. He was making perfect timing - "Come along! Come along!", he whistled as the wooden doors to the trucks were fastened by the station- master and his crew. Just then, Percy pulled up alongside.

"So you've decided to come and help?", asked Thomas, "I was beginning to think you had taken my advice and stayed behind. Work like this is not meant for little engines like you".

Percy ignored this, resisting the temptation to argue - "I came to help you with the blasting", he said flatly, "You'll need to be extra careful. It can be a very dangerous job if your too close to the detonator". "I'll manage", sniffed Thomas, "I don't need to take advice from you Percy. I can help with the construction of my own branch line, all on my own! Goodbye!"

And with that, he steamed with the workman's train. Percy watched him darkly, his firebox crackling furiously. His driver went to see if he is he was alright - "Just ignore it Percy", he soothed, "Your a fine engine when it comes to dangerous work like blasting".

They tried to move him out of the station, but it was no good. The brake handle was jammed. Percy refused to move - "I'm staying here", he said flatly.

*

Thomas arrived at the construction site in perfect time. As the workman slowly filed onto the platform and begun to unload his train, he couldn't help but stare in wonder and awe at the sight before him. Slowly but surely, the foundations of a new station and goods yard were under-way, as machines of all shapes and sizes bustled back and forth with their precious loads of gravel and cement. A tall crane was helping to build the metal frame-work of what would soon be the goods shed. A large blue-print map sat on a table on the platform of the finished product. Thomas let off steam with excitement. The foreman approached him.

"At last your here", he said, "But we were expecting two engines. How every odd".

Thomas looked back and noticed that Percy was nowhere to be seen. He smirked to himself - "Silly little Percy", he chuckled, "I can handle this one without him". But he said it to himself.

He was soon set to work in no time. His task was to help move away trucks of debris left behind by the blast of the detonators. He stood by with some empties as he watched excitedly from a siding. The workman set up the detonator to remove a large amount of cliffside that was blocking the site.

"After three!", called out the foreman, "One...two...THREE!"

Thomas watched as a mighty blast sounded, echoing all around, louder then anything he had ever heard in his life. This was followed by the rumbling of the earth, as the cliff collapsed into a debris of rocks and rubble. Instantly, machines swarmed to begin scooping it up and loading it into Thomas' empties.

"That was fun", he chuckled, "Percy doesn't know anything about blasting. This isn't dangerous at all!"

But I'm most certain that looking back on it now, Thomas must feel very silly knowing that he ever made such a statement. For autumn, it was beginning to get extremely hot as the sun rose higher in the sky. The workman kept going steadily with their work, but Thomas was growing tired and restless. The blasting was becoming less and less exciting, and he was beginning to get bored with constantly running backwards and forwards with the empties of debris. "There must be something I can do to liven things up", he thought.

Suddenly, he remembered Percy's warning - "It can be a very dangerous job if your too close to the detonator". He chuckled sinisterly to himself - "Percy's just a worry-wheels. I'll prove him wrong. He may be frightened of detonators, but I'm certainly not!"

At present, a new detonator had been set up to clear a large cliff face near to the line. Once it was cleared, it would make way for the line to extend outwards for the goods yard. Thomas' driver backed him away from the danger zone - "Don't go beyond this point", he said, "This could get extremely dangerous".

But Thomas was too busy thinking of ways to prove Percy wrong. At last, he came up with an idea - "I'll go discreetly forwards", he chuckled to himself, "And past the safety point. That'll show Percy what a brave and strong engine like me can stand again"

The foreman called the workman back to the safety point as the detonator was wired up. Once everything was ready, he raised the mega-phone to his mouth - "After three...One...Two..."

Thomas' chance had come. With a broad and determined smile, he slowly loosened his emergency brake and began to roll forwards. He thought he was doing it all by himself, but little did he know that his fireman had been in a hurry to leave the cab before the blasting. And with that, he rolled on, past the safety point.

The workman gasped as they saw Thomas slowly moving towards the danger zone - "Thomas! Come back immediately!", cried his driver.

But it was far too late, as the foreman swiftly lowered his arm... "THREE!".

It didn't take Thomas long to react, as all the workmen nearby closed their eyes and covered their eyes. The detonator sounded, a mighty blast, much bigger then the rest. It caused the ground below to rumble and shake as the cliff collapsed. But silly little Thomas was dangerously close when it happened.

"BUST MY BUFFERS!", he cried, taken by shock and fright as the towering cliff that loomed over him began to collapse. He let off a loud, shrill blast of his whistle as rocks began to fall to the ground around him. His driver and fireman's cries were drowned out by the noise. But the worst was still to come.

Thomas said that it was fright that caused him to react. The driver and fireman both suggested that it was the noise that had jump-started his movement. Anyhow, Thomas began to move...backwards, his eyes closed in terror.

"HORRORS!", he cried, as he shot backwards, away from the danger zone, the rocks still collapsing. The moment he had moved away, the rocks rolled onto the line where he had stood. He chuckled with triumph - "Ha!", he tooted with pride, "That's one in the headlamp for worry-wheels Percy!" Suddenly, Thomas felt himself lurch sideways into a siding. He looked back and let out a shrill whistle. He didn't dare open them until his joyride had ended. There was mighty CRASH, as he ploughed bunker first into the weak buffers. He hit a wheel barrow that sat beyond it with such force that a heavy spade was sent flying from the bucket. The spade strike him in the side, strapping his blue paint. But worser still, the spade left a gaping hole in his tank.

"Ooooo", he groaned with discomfort, "I am a silly engine..."

But he had to quickly close his mouth to hold back the striking pain that shot through his tank. His water slowly leaked out and made a puddle on the gravel beside him. A sudden blast of wind whistled through the gap, making his boiler shudder with violent cold. He felt very silly, and very disgraced, as all the foreman, accompanied by some of the workmen and Thomas' crew, sprinted across the yard towards him. They were not happy at all.

*

"I warned him", Percy fumed, "But all he did was become even more puffed up
in the smoke box".

Percy's fire wouldn't start. He had remained idol for most of the afternoon. His driver and fireman had tried everything they could, but it was no use. The station-master at Elsbridge had just delivered them the news of Thomas' accident from the construction yard.

"It serves him right for being so stuck up", Percy added hotly.

"That's not the way to speak of your best friend", said his fireman. Percy huffed hot air through his pistons and snorted rudely.

"Friend's don't put one another down", he huffed bluntly.

"But", said his driver swiftly, "Friends argue, like nature intended. And it is only a true friend who will forgive another and help him out when he is trouble".

"Besides", added the station-master, "The Fat Controller would be displeased if he found you were unwilling to take orders".

Percy took a moment to think. But he had few other choices. At long last, his fire came alive once again, spraying ashes and coal dust all over his foot plate - "I'm doing it for the Fat Controller", he added sharply. His driver and fireman exchanged grins - "He'll learn soon", they chuckled. But Percy didn't hear them, as he puffed away, his smoke thick and sooty.

Percy rolled reluctantly into the construction yard a short while later to find a large crane loading Thomas onto a flat truck. He looked awful, his face pale and his cheeks an ill green. He was still groaning poorly as the wind whistled through the gap in his tank. He was too ill to speak. "Please take Thomas to the sheds", said the foreman to Percy, "Sir Topham Hatt as arranged for Edward to take him to Crovan's Gate from there".

"Yes sir", muttered Percy, and as he was coupled to the flat truck.

The journey home was silent. Neither of the pair spoke to one another. Percy was still cross. Thomas was in too much pain to speak. But all the while, Percy could not help but feel a distant feeling of sympathy towards his friend.

****