Cold Wheels
By 01Salty
MAVIS is a diesel engine who works in Ffarquhar Quarry. She works hard, pushing and pulling trucks to where they need to go. She is very proud of her cow catchers and side-plates. Although Daisy says that they are silly, Mavis is happy to be the only diesel on Sodor to have them.
One day, she was trundling through the valley toward the quarry.
"I don't care what Daisy said this morning about my cow catchers, I'm still glad to have them." she said to herself.
Because she was late, she hurried. But she didn't see the rockslide ahead. Then she saw it.
"Oh no!" She cried. Her driver applied her brakes, but it was too late.
She hit the rockslide at great speed. No one was hurt, and Harvey soon came and rescued her.
Toby pushed her into the shed. One of her wheels were damaged, and her cow catchers and side-plates were battered and dented. The Fat Controller and her Manager were there.
"We can replace your wheel," he said, "but it will take time to fix and replace your cow catchers and side-plates. We'll have to remove them now, then fit on new ones in a couple of week's time."
"But Sir," she said, "can't I just wear these ones until new ones are made?"
"No. You can't use them because they are dangerous, and are unworthy of use in that condition," said her Manager.
Mavis was disappointed. The next day workmen came and removed her cow catchers and side-plates. She looked quite strange without them.
"My, Mavis!" exclaimed Toby, "you do look different!"
Bill and Ben snickered.
Later that day she was pulling a train of trucks. She passed Derek.
"Hello," he said, "are you a new diesel?"
"No!" replied Mavis grumpily, "It's me, Mavis!"
"Oh!" said Derek, "You look different...I know! You got a new coat of paint!"
Mavis sighed, and went back to work.
That evening, Bill and Ben were teasing Mavis.
"Bare Wheels, Bare Wheels!" they called.
"Don't worry," soothed BoCo, "You'll have your cow catchers and side-plates in a few days, then you can say they have bare wheels!"
Mavis laughed. BoCo always seemed to cheer her up, and soon they all settled off to sleep.
The next day was terrible for Mavis. She was being teased by the trucks, her wheels felt cold by the wind, she couldn't run on Toby's line (Because Thomas had got into trouble before by a policeman about not having cow catchers and side-plates before, remember?), and worst of all, her best friend, Elizabeth, didn't even recognize her!
A week went by, and soon it was the day before she would be getting new cow catchers and side-plates. She had just shunted trucks into a siding, when she heard two loud whistles. Bill and Ben were racing down through the quarry with a long load of heavy trucks. The trucks had pushed them, and were rattling and screaming behind them.
"Help!" Bill and Ben cried.
Mavis had an idea. She raced along the line past Bill and Ben, and turned around the curve onto the points. She was now facing Bill and Ben. They hit Mavis, and pushed her back violently. Her driver applied her brakes hard, and the large train was slowing down. They had all stopped just before going through a pair of buffers and into a rock pit far below. Mavis, Bill, and Ben all sighed with relief.
"Thank you Mavis," said Bill.
"Yes," said Ben.
"We're sorry we teased you," they said together.
"That's alright," she replied, and they all took the trucks to their proper places.
The next day, Mavis got her new cow catchers and side-plates. The Fat Controller came up.
"Well done Mavis," he said, "that was a very brave thing you did." "Thank you!" said Mavis.
"Would you like to run Toby's branch line with him for a little while?" he asked.
Mavis thought.
"No thank you sir," she said, "but I would rather stay here. My reward is new friends, and no longer having cold wheels!"
THE END
