Derek's Day Out

By 01Salty

IT WAS a lovely day on the Island of Sodor. All of the engines were working hard. Daisy was working on the branch line, Diesel was working in the yard, and Salty was working at the Docks.

Derek was working in the quarry with Mavis and BoCo. He works very hard, but today, he was having a bad day. He was shunting trucks into a siding, and the trucks were being naughty.
"Hold back, hold back!" they called.
"Come on now," called Derek, and pushed them hard.

But he had pushed them too hard, and they were rattling and screaming as they were racing through the quarry. They couldn't stop, and they crashed through some buffers, fell off a cliff, and landed in the rock pit.

Derek rolled up to survey the damage.
"Oh dear," he said.

BoCo got the breakdown train, and lifted up the damaged trucks. 'Arry and Bert then came and took the trucks full of truck pieces to the scrapyard. The Fat Controller arrived.
"I am very disappointed in you Derek," he said, "You have caused confusion and delay."
"I'm sorry Sir," said Derek sadly.
"You have already damaged the coal hopper, and demolished an old shed. What's wrong?" asked the Fat Controller.
"The trucks are annoying me," said Derek, "And I'm getting bored of always working here."
"Maybe you need a change for a while," pondered the Fat Controller.
"Oh, yes Sir, please!" asked Derek excitedly.
"Mmmmm. Maybe I could get you and Bear to switch places for a while," said the Fat Controller, "That way you can do all different jobs like Bear, and Bear can work here."
"Oh yes Sir!" cried Derek.
"It's settled then," said the Fat Controller, "Tomorrow, you shall switch places with Bear."
Derek was ecstatic. That night he couldn't sleep, and talked all night, keeping Mavis and Boco up.
"Please go to sleep!" said Mavis.
"Don't worry," said BoCo, "Tomorrow, we'll be working with Bear. He's a very hard worker."

The next morning Derek set off to the yard, where Bear was sleeping.
"Hello Bear!" called Derek.
Bear jumped.
"What are you doing here?" he asked.
"We're swapping places for a while," said Derek, "For a change."
"I've always wanted to work in the quarry," said Bear, "Okey Dokey! Go to Knapford Station. The Fat Controller is there, and he'll give you instructions."
"Ok!" said Derek, and set off.

He soon reached Knapford Station. He saw the Fat Controller on the platform.
"Hello," said Derek.
"Hello Derek, "said the Fat Controller, "I have your first job. Shunt these coaches for the bigger engines."
"Yes Sir!" said Derek, and set off to work at once.

He sorted out all of the coaches for all the engines. After he had finished the job, he went to see the Fat Controller.
"I'm finished," he said.
"Well done," commended the Fat Controller, "Now, I need you to take a long goods train to Knapford Harbour."
"Yes Sir," said Derek happily, and rolled off.

Diesel was getting the trucks for the long goods train ready. Derek turned up.
"Oh, its you," he oiled, "What are you doing here?"
"I'm doing Bears jobs today," replied Derek.
"Well, at least you're not going off with the stories about 199 Diesel," said Diesel.
Derek was coupled to the trucks, and he went off.

To get to Knapford Harbour, he had to go through the countryside. He loved it there. It was nice and peaceful, wth birds singing and children playing.
"I wish I could do this everyday," he thought to himself.

Suddenly, the trucks started pushing against him, making him go faster.
"Oh no!" he cried, "They're pushing me! Stooppp!"
"On On On!" laughed the trucks, as they surged him along the line.

Soon, he raced into Tidmouth Halt near Knapford Harbour. Slow Coach was resting in her siding.
"Heeeeelllllllpppppp!" cried Derek.
As he raced past, Slow Coach yelled out.
"Watch out! The line can be slippery!" she warned.

Derek was soon racing along the coastal route. His driver braked hard, but his wheels slipped on the wet tracks. An old siding was ahead, and his wheels slipped over the points. He was switched onto the old siding, which ended in a big pile of sand.
"Oh dear!" he cried, and shut his eyes.

CRASH!

Derek felt stuck. He opened his eyes, to find himself in the middle of the sand pile. Bulstrode was nearby.
"Oi! You diesel! Come to visit me? Well, go away. I'm in depression," yelled Bulstrode.

But Derek couldn't go away. He was there for a few hours until Arthur saw him as he puffed past with the fish trucks.
"Oh dear," said Arthur, "I'll go and get help!"

Soon Harvey arrived. He pulled away the trucks, and then pulled Derek out of the sand. Salty took away the trucks, and Harvey then pulled Derek back to the yard.

The Fat Controller talked to Derek, and then sent him to the Works. At the Works, Derek was sad. He didn't feal like a really useful engine. BoCo came past pulling wagons, and stopped at a signal nearby.
"Hello Derek," said BoCo, "How are you going?"
"Not so good," replied Derek, "But I'm mended now, I'll be coming home soon."
BoCo shunted his trucks in a siding, and backed in a long one closer to speak with Derek.

Suddenly, Derek heard a rattle and a shout. He could see runaway trucks in the distance. They were heading straight for BoCo!
"BoCo!" cried Derek, "Get out of that siding now!"
BoCo, confused, just rolled out of the siding and onto the main line.

Just then, a huge load of trucks raced into the same siding, and crashed through the buffers. The loads and pieces of trucks went everywhere.
"Oh, thank you!" said BoCo, "How can I repay you?"
"It was nothing," replied Derek.
Harvey arrived to clear the wreckage, and Diesel oiled up. It was his train, and he let them break away.

The Fat Controller arrived at the Works.
"Diesel," he said, "You have caused confusion and delay! You shall take the broken trucks to the scrapyard as soon as they're ready."
"Yes Sir," oiled Diesel sadly.
The Fat Controller then turned to Derek.
"Derek," he said, "I heard you saved BoCo. After that, would you like to work on the main line a bit longer?"

Derek thought.
"No thank you," he replied, "I like working on the main line, but I belong in the quarry."
"That's settled then," said the Fat Controller.

Derek soon arrived at the quarry. He was greeted by all his friends with whistles and horns.
"Thank you," he said, "Thank you!"

THE END