Thomas & Friends: Workhorse of the West
Chapter 2: Maisie Chuffs Through
It was a warm and sunny day on the Island of Sodor. All the engines on the island whooshed and wheeshed, and clickity-clacked along the Fat Controller's railway. One morning, Maisie was at Brendham Docks. Maisie may look like a steam engine, but she is different from all the engines on the island. Maisie is proud of being different.
The trucks and coaches that she pulled were longer, and she had special fitters to fit her couplings. On this day, a new pumping station was being built and the Fat Controller spoke to her, "Maisie, there is to be a new pumping station to be built, and I need for you to bring lumber, tools, and steel for the workmen," The Fat Controller instructed.
"I must warn you though, these trucks will be very heavy, and I have no doubt in your strength, but you may need a backing engine," The Fat Controller warned her, Maisie smiled. This was her chance to be really useful, and prove herself to the other engines. Maisie was a kind engine, and was not afraid to ask for help when she needed it most.
"Yes sir!" she puffed happily, with a puff of white steam and a ring of her silver bell she backed in slowly and was coupled to her trucks. Cranky the Crave lowered the heavy lumber, and steel on her flatcars. The load was heavy, and made Maisie wobble on the rails. The dock workers chained down her heavy load, and she was off to do her task.
As Maisie was traveling down her branch line, she seemed to have no trouble pulling the heavy loads. She was coming around a bend when she saw Gordon's Hill up ahead. She was nervous, "I might need a backing engine if I'm going to make it up that," she then saw James puffing along. He wasn't pulling any trucks as he was going to the hill.
"James, could you be my backing engine?" she asked kindly,
"Sorry Maisie, but I have to go to the Steamworks for my new paintwork, why don't you ask another engine?" James lied, and puffed away up Gordon's Hill. Maisie was cross, and decided to climb the hill herself. The train was getting heavier as she wheeshed and strained her wheels. She climbed up the hill with all her puff before reaching the top.
She gently made her way down the hill, and around a turn. There she saw Gordon at a siding having a long drink after pulling the morning express, "Maybe Gordon can help me, he's a big engine just like me, I bet he has plenty of puff to spare," Maisie puffed to herself, and slowed down to talk to Gordon, "Gordon will you be my backing engine?"
"I am sorry, Maisie, but I have to be ready for my afternoon express, why don't you try asking another engine? I am sure they can help you," Gordon replied, and puffed grandly away to Knapford Station. Maisie felt sad seeing no engines were coming to her aide. She pulled up to the siding for a drink. Then a thought flew into Maisie's firebox.
"If no one is going to help me, then I am just going to have to do this myself," Maisie puffed confidently to herself. When her boiler was pull, she chuffed back on the rails. She had to get the supplies to the workmen waiting near Rolfstead Castle. Maisie raced along the turns and tunnels, and puffed and chuffed with all her strength up the hills.
"Go, Maisie, go, you can do it!" cheered Thomas as she chuffed passed him and down the line. Maisie was getting tired, but soon she saw the workmen waiting for her and cheering off in the distance. Suddenly as she neared the work sight, there was a rock on the rails. Maisie tried to stop in time, but she couldn't as the trucks were too heavy.
With a snap and clank, the little rock ricocheted off the rail and struck Maisie. The rock had snapped her water pipe, "Well that's not good," she puffed sadly,
The workmen had the supplies they needed to build the new pumping station, but Maisie had no way of getting back to the sheds. Edward happened to be chuffing along when he saw that Maisie had broken down. Edward gasped, "Oh no, now don't you worry, Maisie, I'll send for Rocky to take you to the Sodor Steamworks," puffed Edward.
Maisie smiled. She was happy to have gotten her job done, even if it cost her a water pipe, "Thank you, Edward," she said kindly with a beam as Edward puffed away to the Sodor Search and Rescue Center. Rocky was there to lift her on a flatbed and she was taken to the Steamworks. When she arrived, Victor and Kevin were there to greet her.
"You seem to have broken a water pipe, don't worry, we will back on the rails in no time," puffed Victor. While Maisie was being tended to, the Fat Controller was at the Sodor Steamworks. He was cross. Instead of seeing to her, the Fat Controller went to see James. Maisie wondered what he had to say. The Fat Controller spoke severely to James.
"James, you lied to Maisie when you had no work to do, you were perfectly capable of being her backing engine when she needed it, now she needs to have her water pipe replaced, If you can't behave, I shall have Maisie take over your branch line once she's repaired," Sir Topham Hat scolded, "I want you to apologize for what you have done,"
"I am sorry Maisie, I never meant for something like this to happen," James apologized to Maisie,
Maisie smiled, "That's alright, accidents happen, that's life on the rails, James," She puffed back, after her piston rod was fixed, Maisie was back on the rails and back on her own branch line. Rosaline and Wilhelmina were happy to see her again. She took them for a run at once. It goes to show, at times you have to learn to do things by yourself.