James and the Mail Train - Part 4

James thought about what Winston had said for the rest of week.

He kept pulling the Flying Kipper and the stench was getting to him, but Henry was finding pulling the Sudric Owl most enjoyable, it was a nice change but it was beginning to get into his smokebox.

One evening, Henry was resting in the yards, when James puffed in, he had just pulled a coal train and now had coal dust all over him. Henry sniffed at the sight.

"And I thought you only smell bad," he said musingly.

James snorted. "Good luck tonight Henry," he said crossly, "because the winds might let all that hot air cool down within your smokebox!"

Henry wheeshed steam, annoyed. "Why don't you puff away and get yourself clean," he said, "not that'll last long anyways."

James huffed crossly and chuffed away.

*

That evening, Henry arrived at the harbour platform, where mail from Sodor, Isle of Man or Ireland had come and were now being put into the mail vans. But Duck hadn't arrived yet and Henry was getting impatient.

"How can I keep to time if Duck is late," he said crossly, "he doesn't understand the Fat Controller depends on me!"

"Never mind about that!" laughed the driver, "we must wait for Duck, leaving mail behind is never an option."

At last, Duck came panting in. "Sorry I'm late," he gasped, "their was a problem with one of the fish vans before setting off!"

Henry only grumbled as Duck quickly shunted the mail vans to the back of his train. And finally, with the guard blowing his whistle and the line clear, the big green engine pulled out towards the mainline, however, he pulled too hard. But he hadn't noticed anything.

Henry raced down the line, his pistons pounding the rails and his headlamps swayed and guided him through the night. He had thundered through Edward's station and now thundered up Gordon's Hill. "Come on, come on, come on," he panted to the mail vans, he then found himself at the top. "I've done it! I've done it!"

But as he reached the bottom of the hill, he began to pick up speed and the couplings tighten. Suddenly, there was a loud bang and Henry felt his train getting slower and slower. He eventually came to groaning stop right outside of Maron station's platform. "What on earth happened?" he demanded crossly.

His driver went to check, but he didn't have to find the problem. "There's a leak on the first van's brake pipe," he said, annoyed, "you must've been riding too roughly!"

Henry snorted crossly, the stationmaster walked up and the driver had to explain everything. "Well, you'll have to unload the mail from the first van into the others and shunt it off the train," sighed the stationmaster.

Henry was very cross. "I've got a timetable to keep up with!" he said, "it'll take ages for us to set off again!"

"Nothing we can do now," said the driver, who completely ignored his engine. Soon, the men were quickly loading the mail from the first van into the others, Henry sat impatiently. At last, the mail van was uncoupled and Henry was ordered to shunt it into one of the station's sidings.

There was only a few sidings at Maron, only there for a few trucks to be kept there for the nearby town. The only one that was empty, was a siding right in front of the station buildings, it was mainly used for a banker's siding for Gordon's Hill, but the signalman and stationmaster allowed it this once. Henry was being very impatient though, he didn't want James to hear about his delays. But his impatience was making him move very quickly and roughly. His crew could barely stand as they were chucked around the cab like beans in a frying pan.

Then it happened, no one knew what happened, Henry said the night made it hard to see, his crew said the green engine was just being reckless. Somehow, Henry started backwards into the siding, too fast, and by the time he realise what was about to happen, it was too late. The mail van slammed right into the buffers, causing itself and Henry's Stannier tender to come off the rails. Luckily, no one was hurt, but Henry felt very sheepish indeed.

*

James was taking the Flying Kipper early that morning, only a one or two hours between the Sudric Owl. So, he was very surprised to find him switching onto the down line and then seeing the mail vans standing just before Maron station's platform. He then saw why and couldn't help but laugh as he saw workmen inspecting Henry's derailed tender.

"Oh dear Henry!" he said, as the red engine came to a stop at the other platform, "that wasn't so clever was it!"

Henry looked the other way. "You said I smell bad," continued James, "but I guess you smell worse with stupidity."

"Very clever James," Henry snorted, "but don't you have to take the Kipper?"

"That's what I'm doing now actually you utter idiot," smirked James, Henry clenched his teeth and subsided.

The stationmaster then walked up to the red engine's crew. "I'm afraid number three has been taken out of service due to his accident, but there is no other engine available to take the Sudric Owl. All, but your engine."

James' driver blinked. "Are you telling me, that you want James to pull both the Flying Kipper and the Sudric Owl?"

"Only option we have left," shrugged the stationmaster.

James' driver sighed, whipping his head. "Do you think you do it old boy?" he called to his engine.

"I'll give it a try," whistled the red engine, full of determination.

It was quickly arranged, James collected the mail vans and shunted them all in front of the fish vans. He was quickly inspected and everything was then ready.

"Don't try to make up lost time," called the stationmaster, "just try and get the mail and fish to their destinations safely!"

James whistled a reply and he was soon allowed to proceed along the mainline. "Come on. Come on." he said to the vans.

"You're doing it! You're doing it!" called the mail vans.

"Hurry along! Hurry along!" added the fish vas impatiently.

It was slow and hard work, but James soon got the train up to a good speed. He puffed down the line as hard as he could, he wasn't going as fast as any of these two express trains should've been going at, but he was still determined. He stopped at all the station along the line and at last, arrived at Barrow, exhausted, but triumphant.

He was originally going to head back to Tidmouth light engine, but with no other engine taking the returning mail service, James had no other option. Not like he was going to decline it anyways.

He returned back to Tidmouth late again, but still very pleased with himself.

"Nothing to it!" he congratulated himself.

He was so exhausted, that when he arrived to the sheds, he felt asleep almost straight away.

When the Fat Controller heard next morning, he gladly arranged for James to take a day off of work for his determination for pulling the two heavy express services and gave the red engine his mail run once again, this made James very pleased.

Henry's tender was soon repaired, and the Fat Controller talked to him severely about poor deliveries.

One cold, wet morning, three days after the events, Henry came up to James at the depot. "Listen James," he said awkwardly, "I'm sorry for... taking the micky out of you for your punishment, we've all been there on this railway."

"Well... not all us," said James, thinking of Edward, Toby and Winston, "but I see where you're getting at too and... I'm sorry too. For making your Flying Kipper sound like it's a burden. I'm still not too keen on it, but I understand it's importance and how hard it is to pull it. You really are quite skilled to pull a train like that."

Henry wasn't expecting that, but smiled with a flush of red on his cheeks. "Thank you James," he blushed, "by the way, did you apologise to Duck for that accident?"

"Hmm? Oh yeah, I talked to him a day after your accident. All sorted!"

"Good, good. That's a start at least."

"Say what?"

"I mean, you have a quarrel with every engine!"

"No I don't."

"Oh yes you do."

"No. I don't!"

"Yes! You do!!"

I don't think these two will ever stop arguing about something, don't you?