This has been way over due. I know i said it'd take awhile to get out, but not nearly as long as 3 months. Truth is i hit a massive writers block when it came to this episode in particular. I wrote it and deleted it more times then i could count as i just wasn't happy with the ways it was going in terms of story, i knew how i wanted it to start and end, but filling in the gaps inbetween was where i struggled.
Because of that, i distanced myself away from this series for most of summer, focusing on writing other stuff and just taking time off in general. Now with school starting up for me in a few days, i wanted to try and get this out before summer ends as i'll probably be very busy with school for the next while and won't have as much time as i normally would to write.
To make up for the prolonged wait, i've decide to release this and episode 13 together as something for you all to enjoy for the time being. With all that aside, here's episode 12, enjoy! (:
Gordon, James and Douglas were causing the Fat Director a great deal of trouble, all three engines had gone on strike and demanded a shunter to fetch their coaches.
Luckly Edward had been called to the yards to come and help. He did his best and got all the trains arranged for the day. While the engines did come out and started to work, it soon occurred to the three big engines that things weren't going to be this way for long.
"Disgraceful!" Gordon spluttered to James and Douglas in the yards.
"What's disgraceful?" asked Douglas.
"I was in the platform earlier and overheard The Fat Director talking to some members of the Board of Directors" Gordon replied, "They said they want him to have Edward sent back to his branchline!".
"For god sake!" James groaned, "Are they ever going to get us a bloody station pliot!, it can't be that hard?!".
All three engines agreed that something must be done, silence hung in the air as they began to think of ideas.
Until suddenly, an idea flew into Gordon's funnel. He grinned broadly as he whispered it to James and Douglas.
The next day, Edward was at the platform waiting for Gordon to arrive. The big blue engine soon came puffing into view, before Edward could even give out a hello, Gordon wheezing steam at him.
Edward coughed and spluttered as the steam began to cease, "Off you go now little Edward" Gordon huffed, "Back to your little sidings to play common tank engine".
Without another word Gordon whistled and puffed out of the station, leaving Edward very surprised and hurt.
Next when Edward met James, he had a similiar encounter to the one he had with Gordon.
He'd just finished arranging James' slow goods when the red engine came backing down roughly onto the train, bumping his trucks and Edward in the process.
When Edward came round to the front, James wheeshed steam at him, scoffing.
"Bug off now old timer!" James barked, "Nothing goes wrong for you ya know!, your the Director's favourite!".
And with that, James snorted off.
Finally Edward met Douglas in the station platform, he was bringing the empty coaches away as Douglas passed him. The scottish engine called out to him.
"Don't dwaddle now laddie!, we big engine need are trains arranged proto now!" he barked as he went to the sheds.
Eventually after all the work was done Edward went onto, feeling very sad. Donald and Alyssa had seen how the other three had treated poor Edward and were disgusted by their behaviour.
Donald and Douglas soon began to argue amongest each other, "Gordon and James have been a bad influence on ya Dougie!" Donald said crossly.
"Ach don't give me that rubbish Donnie!" Douglas scoffed, "We've been needing a new tank engine for ages now and the Director goes and buys a new engine for a branchline!".
Alyssa had taken to comforting the blue engine, speaking kindly to him. Just then, The Fat Director came into the yards, seeing that Edward looked upset, as he walked over, Gordon came clanging past, hissing rudely.
"Bless me" said The Fat Director, "What a noise".
"They all hissed me Sir" Edward said sadly, "They say tender engines don't shunt and last night they said i have black wheels!, i haven't have i Sir?".
"No Edward, you have nice blue ones and i'm proud of you" he said sympathetically, "Tender engines do shunt".
He sat down on a nearby crate, took off his hat and let out an exhausted sigh, "But all the same we do need another Tank Engine".
"If i may ask Sir" Alyssa perked up, "Why didn't you and the board buy a station pliot, wouldn't it be more suitable to have one so the trains on the mainline will run more smoothly?".
"That's what i tried telling the board of Directors" grumbled The Fat Director, "Some of them agreed with my points, but with the stock market crash and all that's been happening as of recent. Some of them thought we'd gain some good money back by expanding on our delivery contracts with the Quarry. In the end i had to respect the majority vote".
"What do you plan to do Sir?" asked Edward.
The Fat Director stayed silent for a moment, before putting his hat back on his head and smiling, "If the board won't get us a pliot, i'll have to get one myself" and he hurried away without another word.
He went to a workshop on the Mainland where they showed him all sorts of tank engines, big and small alike.
As he looked around he noticed a grubby looking green engine with 6 wheels, they seemed to be an LNER j72 by the looks of it.
"What about that one over there?" he asked the man showing him around.
"Oh her" the man replied, "She been here for a few years now, the LNER didn't want her, so they gave her to us. She does odd jobs around here, but she works well enough".
The Fat Director strode over to the little green engine, "Hello there" he said kindly.
The little engine seemed stunned, almost surprised that someone was talking to her.
"Oh, hello there" She replied, "Can i help you with something?".
Her paint was dirty and grimey looking and the some of the other engines in the workshop seemed to turn a blind eye to her, but The Fat Director didn't care. He knew that he'd found the right engine for the big station.
"What's your name?" he asked.
"68720 Sir" she replied, "I wasn't given a name", The Fat Director nodded.
"Are you a hard worker?" he asked.
"Oh yes Sir" 68720 replied, "I do whatever needs to be done!".
The Fat Director smiled and then said, "If i choose you will you work hard?".
Her face lit up, "Oh yes Sir!, please Sir!" she beamed.
"Splendid!" The Fat Director grinned. He turned to the man, "That the one" he said, the man nodded and turned to make the arrangements.
"Now" said the Fat Director, turing back to the engine, "We need to give you a name, how about i call you, Jane?, do you like that?".
"Oh yes Sir, it's lovely Sir" Jane said happily.
"Excellent, right then Jane, let's get you to your new home" said The Fat Director.
Once everything was sorted, The Fat Director took Jane back to the yards.
"Edward!" he called, "Here's Jane, will you show her everything?".
"Of course Sir" Edward replied.
Edward soon got to work showing Jane how to manage the coaches and trucks. The two engines had a happy afternoon.
Later when they stopped for Water, James came by hissing as usual, Jane saw this and let of a loud "WHEESH!" so loud that James jumped and ran back to the sheds.
"How beautifully you wheeshed him!" laughed Edward, "I can't wheesh like that".
"Oh" giggled Jane, "That nothing, you should hear them in the workshops. Me and some of the others there had to wheesh loudly just to make yourself heard".
Next morning, Edward and Jane were called to the yards along with Donald and Alyssa by the Fat Director for an important meeting.
While they chatted amongest themselfs. They heard two whistles and along came Thomas and the new branchline engine that had recently arrived, Duck.
"Hello you two" smiled Edward, "Looking after the branchlines well?".
"Yes indeed Edward" said Duck, "Everything's been going smoothly".
"What brings you two down here anyway?" asked Donald
"The Fat Director sent for us" Thomas replied, "I expect he wants help".
"Shhh, here he comes" said Alyssa, as The Fat Director strode into view.
"Well done Thomas and Duck!, you've both been quick. Now listen, Gordon, Douglas and James are sulking. They say they won't shunt like common tank engines and are being rude to others, so i have shut them up and want you all to help run the line for awhile".
"Common Tank engines!" chortled Thomas, "We'll show them".
"And Duck and Jane can help too" The Fat Director added.
"Of course Sir, we will Sir" Duck and Jane peeped.
Both Thomas and Duck helped Donald and Alyssa run the mainline, greeting each other as they pass by. Edward had been sent to manage the Brendam while Jane went to Ffarquhar. Thomas was anxious about his passengers, but both driver and guard promised to take care of them.
There were of course fewer and lighter trains, but the passengers didn't mind. For they knew the three big engines were having a lesson.
Gordon, Douglas and James sat cold, lonely and miserable. They wished now they hadn't been so silly and wanted to get out and pull trains again, but that's another story.
