One Good Turn
Based upon the story by Andrew Brenner, David Mitten and Britt Alcroft
Adapted by Rachel Ravens
Takes place between TIOP and TE
Things on the Wellsworth branch line were certainly more peaceful than on the Ffarquhar and Little Western branch lines at this point in time, but that didn't mean that the time on the branch line was completely quiet.
Diesel had to take a goods train to Brendam Docks one day as Johnson had broken down, and as he was shunting the trucks that were needed into a siding, he also had to pick up trucks for the return journey.
"Hmm… now where could those trucks be?" he wondered. He looked around the harbour, but unfortunately, he couldn't see the trucks anywhere. "Ugh, where are they?"
"Hello, Diesel," came a cheerful voice. It was BoCo who had rumbled in with a goods train of his own. "What can I do for you?"
"You haven't seen my trucks, BoCo?" he asked. "I was meant to pick up a few China Clay trucks for my return goods, but I haven't seen them."
"Ah, I see," BoCo realised. He glanced around the area, but if he was honest with himself, he could not see the trucks either. "Hmm… Bill and Ben, get here now!"
Bill and Ben scampred out from opposite ends of the harbour.
"Have you hidden some trucks from Diesel here?" he asked.
"... no, BoCo." Bill said innocently.
"We only just got here ourselves," added Ben.
"From the China Clay works," BoCo said meaningfully.
"Okay, okay!" grunted Bill. "We'll get 'em!"
"I think we put them near the sheds," said Ben.
"No we didn't," argued Bill. "We put them near the track closest to the quay."
"Okay, you check near the sheds, and I'll check near the quay."
The two engines split up to find the trucks.
"Do they play this game a lot?" grunted Diesel.
"It's their favourite game," chuckled BoCo. "I have quite a bit of trouble finding the trucks myself."
"I don't know how you and Edward do it," sighed Diesel. "They're very tricky those two."
"And I suppose you aren't?" BoCo retorted. "If anything, you were worse when…"
"Er… okay, I take your point."
Bill and Ben then came up with racks of China Clay trucks.
"Told you they were by the shed."
"Well, I told you they were on the track by the quay!"
"You were both right," sighed BoCo. "Now give these trucks to Diesel so he can be on his way."
Later on, Bill and Ben were back at the China Clay quarry.
"That was a good joke we pulled on Diesel," laughed Ben.
"Indeed, Ben," agreed Bill. "We sure got him with those missing trucks! That will teach him to spook Thomas!"
"You do realise that was before Oliver got here?" Ben retorted.
"Yeah, well, it was ages before he came to our branch line," Bill put in. "Better late than never, as Thomas once said."
"Besides," added Ben. "Diesel wasn't here when the ghost prank was put into place, nor during the mine incident. Do you think he knew?"
"Er… actually, that's a good question, Ben." Bill realised. "Maybe he didn't. But I wouldn't tell him what really happened, in case he gets the wrong idea."
"Good point," agreed Ben. "There are some things we wouldn't tell Diesel, and that would be one of them."
Just then, the twins' conversation was interrupted when their manager walked over to them.
"Bill," he said, "I need you to take some trucks to the chute to get some china clay. Think you can do that?"
"Of course I will," Bill agreed. He buffered up to some trucks and took them to the chute. However, the little tank engine was feeling a bit cheeky.
"Hmm…" he said to himself. "I know!"
As the workman pulled the chain, Bill rolled backwards, and instead of the china clay landing in his first truck, it landed in the second truck.
"Bill!" scolded the workman. "You're supposed to get the China Clay in-"
"It's in the truck," Bill said simply. "Just like you said."
"In the trucks in numerical order," grunted the workman.
"You're no fun," sighed Bill, pushing the first truck back under the chute.
Ben meanwhile, was getting some trucks ready for Edward's next goods train.
"Okay, I just need a few more," he said, and dashed off to get the trucks. Then he saw the brake van track. "Hmm…"
He grabbed a brake van, shunting it onto some more trucks, and buffered them up to the train… with the brake van in the middle.
"Heh, brake van in the middle." He laughed.
"Ben!" scolded the manager. "You put that brake van at the end of the train right now before Edward gets here."
"Oh, bother…" muttered the tank engine, and went to arrange the train accordingly. "Can't anyone take a joke around here?"
A few days later, the twins' manager came to see them.
"I've received a call from Sir Topham Hatt," he told the twins. "Important goods have arrived at Wellsworth yards. He needs you to help Edward and BoCo."
"Oh, yes sir," said Bill excitedly.
"Of course sir," added Ben with a grin.
"Last one down there has a flat funnel!" cried Bill and he took off.
"But only Peter Sam has a flat funnel…" Ben said to himself. "Oi, wait for me!"
The two engines raced off to Wellsworth yards.
"Some things never change." sighed the manager.
Bill and Ben headed off on their important mission to Wellsworth yards.
"Oh, not a narrow bridge," sighed Ben. "We can't race here."
"I guess I'll have to go in front," smirked Bill.
"Oh no you won't, I will!" cried Ben. But Bill had already gone in front.
"I'm going in front on the way back." Ben insisted.
"Alright alright," groaned Bill. "Keep your cab on."
As the twins carried on their way, they came across Trevor looking worried.
"Hello, Trevor," said Bill. "What's up with you today?"
"Yeah," added Ben. "You don't look too happy."
"One of the steps came loose from the Vicar's tool-shed," Trevor explained. "We'll have to get that fixed up."
Bill looked over at the tool shed curiously. "Oi, Ben, does that tool-shed look a bit mysterious to you?"
"What do you mean?" asked Ben. "It looks like a regular old…" he broke off. "Hey, weren't there some wheels that used to go under it?"
"And that's where the buffers used to be," said Bill. "Hmm, Ben, you don't suppose it's…"
"One of the coaches from Sir Handel and Peter Sam's old line!" cried Ben. "It's got to be."
"Oh my goodness!" gasped Trevor. "In that case, maybe the Vicar could give it to the Skarloey Railway for restoration. I'm sure that the Vicar wouldn't mind having a new one built."
"We'll tell Edward and BoCo at Wellsworth yards," said Bill. "Thanks, Trevor!"
"Not a problem."
Down at Wellsworth yard, BoCo had just come in with his goods train and heard a pair of familiar whistles.
"Oh, here we go," chuckled BoCo. "Here comes trouble."
The twins rolled in.
"Our manager told us you were tired," Bill teased. "He asked us to take all your trucks for you."
"You two never stop, do you?" chuckled BoCo. "But I'm wise to your pranks, and we do need your help here."
"Hello, Bill and Ben," greeted Edward as he came in with a passenger train and went onto the turntable. "It's good to see you up here."
"Likewise, Edward," smiled Ben. "Did you know that the tool shed in the Vicarage orchard used to be one of the coaches from Sir Handel and Peter Sam's old railway?"
"You found another one?!" gasped Edward. "Well done, Bill and Ben."
"Trevor says that he'll get the Vicar to build another tool shed and we can give the coach to the Skarloey Railway to restore." added Bill.
"That will make Sir Handel and Peter Sam very happy," smiled the old engine.
"So, what trucks do we need to put where?" asked Ben.
"If you can handle the flatbeds on that siding over there," said Edward, "then Bill can take the milk tankers and put it on the siding next to it."
"Got it, Edward!" the twins smiled.
It wasn't long before the twins launched into action, bustling about the yard.
"How many coaches are there left scattered around Sodor?" asked Ben.
"I think we've found half of them," said Edward. "One was at Terence's farm, one was at Haultaugh, one was at Knapford harbour, and now this one at Trevor's farm."
"This is turning into quite a game," chuckled Bill. "'Hunt the Coaches.' I like that."
"Don't get any ideas, you two," sighed BoCo.
"Don't worry," chuckled Edward. "It's easy to figure out their hiding places."
"Not if you're me," grunted BoCo.
Later on, the shunting was complete for the afternoon, and Bill and Ben were called over by Edward.
"Okay, you two," he said warmly. "You must get turned around so you can head back to the China Clay quarry."
"Ooh, we hardly ever get to use a turntable!" cried Bill with excitement. "Me first!"
"Hey, I thought I was going first!" grunted Ben.
"You can both have a turn," BoCo insisted, who was waiting nearby after he took a passenger run. "Just be patient."
Bill eagerly puffed onto the turntable, and it began to move. "This is fun!" he shrieked.
"Looking good, Bill," called Edward. "Just remember to get off when the foreman tells you."
"But this is so much fun!" Bill argued, "I could be on here forever!"
"Hey, what about my go?" asked Ben indignantly.
The foreman stopped the turntable.
"Make way for the other engines, please Bill," he said.
"Oh bother." sighed Bill. "Yes, sir…"
He puffed off, but…
"Bill!" cried Ben. "Look out!"
"Huh… whoa!"
Both tank engines applied their brakes and they managed to stop… with their buffers locking.
"You got off on the wrong track!" snapped Ben. "You're in my way!"
"How was I supposed to know?" retorted Bill. "We hardly ever use turntables at the quarry!"
"You'll have to back up again!" grunted Ben.
"I won't!"
"You will!"
"I won't!"
"Stop it you two!" snapped BoCo. "Get back to work, on opposite sides of the yard."
"Fine by me!" the twins answered, and took off.
"Oh dear…" sighed Edward. "I was not expecting that to come out of this."
"No kidding," agreed BoCo.
Later, the twins' manager and Sir Topham Hatt both arrived to see Bill and Ben.
"If you don't behave," the manager said, "you'll have to go back to the quarry."
"Indeed," nodded Sir Topham Hatt. "You two shall not be allowed up here again."
The following day, Ben was still grumpy.
"That Bill!" snapped Ben to BoCo when he came to work. "Imagine getting in my way on the turntable. He's a really silly engine."
"The way I saw it," sighed BoCo, "it sounded like that not only were you both to blame for arguing, it was the foreman's fault for stopping the turntable in the wrong place."
"Pah!" snorted Ben. "You must have heard it all wrong!"
BoCo was quiet for a moment. "Could you get some more tankers please, Ben?" he asked. "They are for the oil depot, the tanks are running dry at Knapford."
"Sure, BoCo," Ben agreed, and rushed to find one.
Meanwhile, Bill was talking to Edward.
"He got in my way when I was getting off the turntable," Bill grunted.
"You do realise it was the foreman's fault for stopping the table in-"
"Ben should have gotten clear!" Bill interrupted.
Edward sighed. "Could you fetch Audrey, Hilary and Mark for me? I'm due to take a passenger train." He headed to the coal hopper and water tower to get refuelled.
"Okay, Edward," Bill agreed, still grumbling.
Later, BoCo and Edward were chatting together.
"All this grumbling," Edward muttered, "it spreads a bad atmosphere in the yards."
"I agree, Edward," sighed BoCo. Then, something clicked. "Edward…" he smiled. "I've got an idea."
BoCo whispered his idea, and the old engine grinned. "BoCo, that's brilliant."
BoCo's driver then went to tell Sir Topham Hatt and the quarry manager everything.
"I'll start making arrangements," said Sir Topham Hatt.
"Same here." agreed the quarry manager. "Thank you, Simon."
The next day, Sir Topham Hatt came over to the twins.
"BoCo has to take the coach you both found down to Crovan's Gate," Sir Topham Hatt explained. "That means you will need to take his regular heavy goods train."
Bill and Ben felt uneasy. "But…" they tried to say.
"Good, I knew I could rely on you two." He and the manager hurried away.
"I'll take the train myself." huffed Ben.
"Go right ahead," said Bill with a smirk.
Ben was coupled onto the train and began to pull.
"I can do this!" he said with determination. "I can do it…"
But his wheels kept slipping, and was getting short of breath.
"Come on…" he panted. "Get moving… get moving…"
"Go on!" teased Bill. "You're not trying hard enough."
"I'm puffing… as hard as I… can…" he puffed. "Oh… I can't do it…" Ben stopped moving, catching his breath.
Suddenly, Bill started laughing. "I don't think we'll take turns this time, Ben."
"No indeed," agreed Ben. "Say… Bill, want to put differences behind us and take the train?"
"Yes, please!" Bill grinned. "Let's pull together."
The twins coupled on and they took the train down to the harbour together.
"It's good to be helping each other out," said Ben.
"Indeed," agreed Bill, "and it's even better to be back together."
The End
This wasn't as tricky as TP&TD but it was a bit tricky. I think I did alright with it. Before reading this one, I recommend you read Toby, Percy and the Grumpy Barge on Zack's page if you want to know where that third coach was. It's becoming a game for me, trying to fit in a missing old coach in every story leading up to a certain special.
The cast here is fairly concentrated too, just Edward, BoCo and the China Clay twins. Trevor and Diesel do make a brief appearance, but still. By the way, if you're wondering how the heck Diesel got to Sodor, please go check out The Not So Devious Diesel. That will explain his seemingly random appearances.
