Frank To The Rescue
Based on We Need Another Engine by Christopher Awdry
Moral: one good turn deserves another
Frank the Diesel Engine is the newest addition on the Arlesdale Railway.
HONK-HONK!
Frank greeted Oliver and Toad with his horn, as they left with their ballast trucks.
PEEP-PEEP!
He was built and brought over to perform maintenance work and shunting empty carriages and trucks across the yard for Bert, Rex and Mike's trains.
PEEP-PEEP!
"Come along, Frank!" Bert whistled, looking rather nervous about being late.
"I'm coming! I'm coming!" Frank fumed, pushing the trucks hurriedly up and suddenly bumping into Bert.
"Woah!" Bert groaned, rather startled. "Watch it, Frank!"
"You're welcome," Frank responded, rolling huffily away.
Bert whistled and puffed away with his train, slightly confused.
"Huh!" Frank snorted, as he pushed the next line of passenger carriages up to Mike. "To think of all the hard work I do! No appreciation!"
Mike saw the chance for a tease, and chuckled to himself.
"Oh, grumpy old Frank," he laughed, as his passengers boarded his carriages. "It's a shame you can't pull trains like the rest of us."
Rex chuckled, as he passed by to bring some trucks over to the ballast hopper.
"Hmph!" Frank thought, as he backed away from Mike's carriages. "I'll show them!"
Frank means well, works hard and has a good heart, but also has a tendency to be very grumpy, and as a result, he is rather misunderstood by the likes of the miniature engines.
Early one morning, the Small Controller Mr. Duncan came to see Bert, Rex and Mike at their shed. He had exciting news for them.
"The Thin Clergyman has written a book about you three and all of your exciting adventures," he proudly announced, "and today, it is to be published."
"A book?" Mike gasped.
"Oh, my!" Rex thought.
"What an honor," Bert added proudly.
Frank overheard the conversation from a siding nearby and lurked up beside the shed.
"Am I in it?" he asked.
Mr. Duncan sighed, and shook his head.
"I'm sorry, Frank. But you weren't around when the Thin Clergyman wrote the book, I'm afraid. So I guess he didn't know about you."
"Huh!" Frank snorted. "No fair! I deserve to be in a book as much as any other engine!"
The three miniature engines giggled quietly amongst themselves, as Frank set off, fuming, and the Small Controller watching after him, sighing with sympathy.
Frank grumbled all day about not being in a book, but the miniature engines took no notice.
"It's not fair! It's not fair!" he complained, as he brought Mike's ballast train to the platform.
Mike yawned with disinterest, as he was coupled up to the train.
"Grumpy old Frank," he sighed. "You'll soon get over it."
"Huh!" Frank snorted, as he watched Mike set off.
He continued huffily shunting ballast trucks about the yard, still fuming, "it's not fair! It's not fair!"
PEEP-PEEP!
Oliver watched the commotion from nearby, as he pushed his ballast trucks under the hopper.
"What's gotten into you, Frank?" he asked concernedly.
"Take no notice of him, Oliver," Rex chuckled, as he passed by with his own ballast trucks. "He's just cross he can't be in a book like the rest of us."
"Hmm," Oliver wondered, puzzled, as he watched Frank huffily shunt carriages for carriages for Bert's passenger train.
"Poor Mr. Frank," Toad sighed with sympathy. "Sounds like he's having a difficult time fitting in.
"Don't worry, Toad," Oliver assured him, as his last truck was filled up with ballast. "I'm sure he'll get his chance someday." Then they set off back for the Little Western.
Frank watched Bert's train set off, then grumbled, "huh! Not even so much as a thank you."
HONK-HONK!
Frank set back about his work, still grumbling.
"Not one for the books! Not one for the books!" he groaned, as he pushed the next line of ballast trucks about.
He was feeling just as bad next morning, as his driver came to get him started.
"Come along, Frank," he told him, as he hopped into his cab. "We got a busy day ahead of us."
"Bah!" Frank responded. "And no appreciation to come out of it, I suppose."
"Come on, old timer," his driver sighed, as he started his engine. "You'll feel much better when you're out and about keeping yourself busy."
"It's not fair!" Frank grumbled, as his engine slowly started up. "Why can't I be in a book like those other three?"
"Cheer up, Frank. It's only a book."
"B-b-but it's got...pictures, hasn't it?!" he spluttered.
"Yes, but…"
"And I suppose I'm not in them either!"
"Alright, Frank," his driver sighed, losing his patience. "Enough is enough. It's teamwork that counts on a railway, not books." He then proceeded to press the starter button again, as Frank's wheels starting revving.
"Don't care!" Frank snapped back.
Frank was in such a bad temper that he didn't watch what he was doing. He jerked forward…
"Woah, Frank!" his driver gasped, attempting to apply the brakes.
...and before his driver could stop him, he jerked suddenly back and hit the wall in the back of the shed.
CRASH!
"Uh oh," Frank gulped.
Frank was unhurt, but his driver walked over to see what the damage was.
"Frank," he reacted, as he looked at what had happened. "You've damaged one of the shed supports!"
"Sorry," Frank responded sheepishly, then looked over and gasped in horror to see the Small Controller arrive at the shed.
But worse was to come.
"Frank!" the Small Controller scolded, "you are a very naughty engine! I thought I could trust you to behave!"
"I-i-it was an accident, sir," Frank stammered. "I was trying to get started, you see, and somehow something just…"
"I won't hear anything of it, Frank!" the Small Controller told him, raising his hand up to silence him. "I want you to go out and get to work straight away!"
HONK-HONK!
"Yes, sir," Frank responded sadly, and he quickly left the shed, while the Small Controller turned and walked over to the damaged shed support.
"And now," he said to himself. "To see what the damage is." He kneeled and observed it closer. "Hmm…" he thought.
Frank's first job was to shunt carriages for Rex's passenger train.
"Oh, dear," he sighed to himself, "first, I can't be as useful of famous as the others, and I've made a mess. However can things get any worse?"
On the platform, passengers gathered round before the Thin Clergyman as he was about to promote his book to them. Rex's job was to pull the book tour and show the passengers all the lovely sights of Arlesdale, as the Thin Clergyman would read to them in the carriages.
The Thin Clergyman stood tall and proud on a podium and cleared his throat, ready to speak.
"Ladies and gentleman! Girls and boys!" he called, as they all looked over and gazed their attention at him. "I have come before you today because I am pleased to announce that I have written a book here, and it's all about the miniature engines and their adventures here on the Arlesdale railway."
Rex smiled, as he backed down into the platform, and Frank brought his carriages sternly in
"Huh!" he snorted, as he listened to the Thin Clergyman speak. "And to think how I have nothing to do with it."
"They make look small," the Thin Clergyman proudly continued, "but they're really useful." And he presented the hardcover of the book out where the passengers could all take a glimpse of it. "And this book titled Small Railway Engines tells the story of all their adventures and how they've come to prove that they're not such a toy railway after all."
The passengers chattered quietly amongst as they gazed up at and the hardcover, a picture of Rex, Bert and Mike in their berths featured just below the title in large letters.
Frank looked at the book with envy.
"Well, isn't that something you don't see every day?" he remarked. "You three are the ones who get to be famous while I'm the one left in the sidelines."
Rex just laughed.
"Get over yourself, Frank," he responded, as his passengers boarded the carriages. "Maybe one day, you'll get the chance to be really useful as well."
"Huh!" Frank snorted, as he backed down from the train. "That'll be the day."
The guard's whistle blew and Rex was ready to go.
As Rex left the station, the Thin Clergyman got ready to tell his story to the passengers.
"Once upon a time," he began, "along a line in which no other engine had ever gone…"
The passengers listened with shock and awe as he read on.
Frank spent a great deal of the morning shunting trucks about for the other miniature engines' train.
"Come on, Frank!" Mike whistled impatiently, as the diesel shunted his ballast trucks up to him.
"Look sharp!" Frank snapped back, as he jerked to a stop at the platform and left the ballast trucks there.
"Hmph!" Mike fumed, as he was coupled to the train, and then set off.
Frank proceeded to shunt a train of wool for Bert, who seemed a little more patient and looked back as Frank brought his trucks to the platform.
PEEP-PEEP!
Bert took off as his guard's whistle blew, and Frank watched after him before setting back to work.
HONK-HONK!
At last his driver came to see him.
"Feeling any better, Frank?" he asked.
"Not really, sir," Frank admitted, backing down from his trucks and sighing sadly. "I'm starting to think that working here wasn't such a good idea in the first place."
"Why, Frank, whatever makes you think that?"
"I'm not like the other miniature engines," Frank moaned. "I can't be famous or really useful like they are."
His driver laughed.
"Oh, Frank. You're useful in your own way. You work very hard and you do your best to keep this yard in good working order." Then he sighed as he hopped aboard. "Come along," he said. "We're needed for shunting at the station over at Arlesdale Green."
"But what about Bert and Mike's trains, sir?"
"Don't worry, Frank. The Thin Controller claims they're also capable of fetching trains themselves. Besides, maybe the new change of scenery might make you feel better."
Frank took off for Arlesdale Green, his driver's advice to him deep in his thoughts.
"Hmm," he thought. "Useful in my own way…"
Meanwhile, Rex was enjoying himself pulling the Thin Clergyman's book tour. The journey went rather well for a start; Rex was making good time and the passengers enjoyed the Clergyman's stories.
"Say," the Thin Clergyman continued, so as to imitate Rex's high voice, and startling the little green engine. "Have you seen our coaches?"
"Where are they?" Duck asked.
"Over there!" said Bert.
The Thin Clergyman was able to copy Bert's voice in such a way, than it happened to make him laugh.
"We do somewhat happen to sound like that. Don't we?" he chortled to himself.
"It's something to be proud of, old boy," his driver assured him.
Rex felt very pleased with himself. It did feel good to be famous.
"Hello, Farmer Willie!" he whistled.
The farmer himself waved back at him, as he drove his tractor along and watched the train go past.
Rex carried on happily as the morning progressed. But it wasn't long before they began to approach the first hill. Rex took no notice.
"Pulling passenger trains is easy," he said to himself. "But being able to pull a book tour is most fun of all."
"Steady now, Rex," his driver cautioned. "We're reaching the first hill on our route." Then he proceeded to watch the steam gauge anxiously. Rex charged at the hill, startling the passengers from inside the carriages.
"Ah!" the Thin Clergyman thought, the passengers directing their attention back towards him. "This is just the mood for the next moment within our story." Then he cleared his throat and continued to read out loud, "Bert ran nicely till they reached the woods. The line climbs steeply here. Bert usually rushes the hill. This time, he deliberately dawdled."
"I'm...not...dawdling," Rex panted to himself, surprised at such a thought as he continued climbing the hill.
""Come on, Bert!" said his driver, giving him full steam.
This was just what Bert wanted.
"Tit for tat. Tit for TAT!" he shouted, storming up the hill."
And then...rain soaked branches met close overhead. Bert's blast, shooting straight up, shook them wildly!"
"Ooh!" the passengers gasped in awe. "Ah!"
"Showers of water fell on the clergyman and driver," the Clergyman continued, rather with emphasis. "Their soaking did not stop till they had topped the rise, and steam could be reduced for the downward run."
"Hmm," Rex's driver thought, as his engine made it halfway. "Speaking of water and steam, I think we have a problem, Rex."
"What?" Rex gasped, looking back with surprise. "What's that?"
"We've got a steam leak somewhere," he told him. "We'd best back our train down to the bottom of the hill till we figure out what the problem is."
"Oh, dear," Rex groaned, as he backed the train slowly down the hill. "And the journey was going so nicely too."
The passengers weren't very happy about it either.
"I say!" a man blurted out, as Rex backed into the loop. "This isn't quite what I was expecting."
"Nor was I," a lady groaned.
"My! My! What's the holdup?!" another man demanded.
The passengers all began to chatter at once, which made Rex nervous, as Mike passed him, giggling slightly. At last, the Thin Clergyman put his hand forward to silence them.
"Quiet, quiet, please," he called, Then he claimed, "this is rather a story about whistles, and how essential it is to every engine."
As the Thin Clergyman proceeded to the next story, Rex sat and waited, as his driver attempted to figure out what was wrong with his steam pipe.
Rex sniggered quietly to himself.
"If only Mike had passed by in time to hear this one," he remarked to himself.
A while passed, and soon enough the driver was ready to start Rex's steam up again
"Come on, Rex," he encouraged, as he got him moving out of the loop. "I seemed to have kept the steam pipe from leaking for now. Let's see how it goes after you make it another run at it."
"I can do it," Rex assured him. Than he charged the hill, his cheeks going red and steam pouring from his sides as he made his way up.
"Easy, Rex," his driver cautioned. "You wouldn't want to blow a gasket."
"I...won't," Rex panted, as he made his way towards the top.
Rex tried hard, and managed to make his way over the top of the hill and beyond, but he was exhausted by the time he reached the next slope towards Arlesdale Green. Frank had noticed this from a siding nearby.
"Hmm," he wondered, as he observed Rex in his condition, than continued shunting the trucks further into the siding and backing up to collect some more.
"I think we can make it to the top, Rex" his driver enocuraged.
"We'll try," Rex panted, his wheels tugging hard.
The coaches rattled, the passengers groaned, and even the Thin Clergyman felt a little jolt and grasped the side of his book tight as it nearly slipped from his hands.
"Must...keep...trying," he groaned, his cheeks turning bright red and steam pouring out of his sides as he struggled on his way up.
At last, Rex's driver shut off steam and brought the train back to the bottom of the hill, reversing Rex into the loop.
"It's no good, Rex," his driver told him. "We can't keep going with a leaking steam pipe. We'll have to see what we can do about getting help."
The passengers all began to get very cross, and even the Thin Clergyman was starting to give up.
"Eh, people, people, please," he begged. "I've got one more story I'm sure you'd like to hear and…" But they weren't listening to him, so he let out a sigh of exasperation. "Oh, what's the use? I'll just continue when this train is up and running again." Then he sit down and sighed sadly, laying the book gently in his lap.
At last, Rex's driver lost patience and used his finger to whistle so loud that they all stopped to look at him.
"Now," he explained, "I'm going to try and radio telephone control to see if another engine can come and help get us on our way again. Everything is going to be okay." Then he picked up the telephone, and called ahead to control.
Engines on the Arlesdale Railway are now fitted and equipped with radio telephones. The drivers can talk to control, who can then make sure that all trains run safely.
"Hello," a voice called over the other side of the telephone.
"Hello," Rex's driver spoke. "Control? Yes, Rex has got a badly leaking steam pipe, you see. We're alright on our own, but the train is too much for it, and our passengers need to get home. Can you send help, please?"
"Don't worry," the man replied. "We'll send help. Don't go away."
"Oh, thank you, thank you," the driver replied, as the passengers sighed in relief.
"Heh!" Rex snorted. "Rather amusing. Chance would be a fine thing."
A few minutes passed, and the passengers waited anxiously.
PEEP-PEEP!
"Ah!" Rex gasped, widening his eyes at the sound of the whistle. "So help has come." Then he looked up the line to see Bert chuffing down the other side with a goods train.
Bert sadly looked over at Rex, then sighed and sympathetically remarked, "overworked, that's what we are. We do need another engine."
Rex sighed sadly as he watched the train go past.
"Not to worry, Rex," his driver assured him. "Help should come anytime now."
Back up at Arlesdale Green, Frank was busily shunting trucks about when his driver came to see him.
"Stationmaster just got a call from control, Frank," he explained. "And it seems as though we're needed over at the slope just before the station to help Rex and his passengers."
"Hmm," Frank thought, as his driver hopped aboard. "Seems as though these engines do need my help after all."
"That's the benefit of teamwork, Frank, ol' boy," his driver explained as he got them going. "Sometimes it helps to show how useful you are when you help other engines out of a jam."
Frank smiled as he left the station, and made his way down the hill towards the loop line.
Rex and the passengers were still waiting on the loop at the bottom of the hill, when they heard a cheerful horn coming up beside them.
HONK-HONK!
Rex looked over in surprise as Frank pulled up beside him. The passengers clapped and cheered.
"Wonderful things, these radios. Don't you think?"
"Well…, eh…, um…,"
Rex was lost for words but Frank just chuckled and continued "control says that you need help. I've been instructed to take over your train, so you can go home light and rest your axles till your steam pipe is fixed. Teamwork, that's what my driver calls it."
Rex was speechless, but obliged nevertheless, and was uncoupled from his train as Frank prepared to take over.
Rex made his way out of the loop, and made way for Frank to back up into it and be coupled up. Then Frank made his way out and honked at Rex, who whistled proudly back as he watched set off. The passengers all sighed with relief, and started chattering amongst themselves.
"My, my," a lady remarked. "What a splendid diesel."
"Why, yes, magnificent," a man added.
"Mmm, yes," the Thin Clergyman agreed, then thought, "sounds like a good idea for a story." Then he sighed. "Well, Ahem, speaking of which, I have one story left to tell the rest of you." He began telling the story as Frank pulled the train, sighing happily and managing to put a smile on his face.
As Rex hurried home, Frank continued on the journey, determined to get the passengers home on time.
When Rex got home, his driver set to work at fixing his broken steampipe, but the job did take a long time and they were experiencing some difficulties.
The driver grunted and groaned as he worked hard at using a tool to bang against Rex's steam pipe to knock it into place, but Rex felt the jolt himself.
"Ow!" he complained. "That hurt!"
Rex's driver bang the pipe harder and harder, when suddenly, white steam came pouring out again. He sighed and sat down, thinking, as Rex sat in his berth, confused.
"It's no use," his driver told him. "This job will take a while to finish. I'll see if Mr. Duncan can bring in some help to see what else can be done about it." Then he had another thought, and sighed as he remarked, "if only we had a spare engine."
Rex could only smile in agreement at such a remark.
"It'd sure be beneficial," he wondered.
"Yes," his driver thought, thinking a bit harder.
At long last, Frank neared the end of his journey as he reached the top station at Arlesdale. The Small Controller was waiting for him on the platform.
"Oh, dear," Frank gasped, and began to slow down, as the Thin Clergyman finished his story.
"Our customers all admire the way we managed," the Clergyman concluded, as Frank stopped at the platform."They used to think we were a toy railway, but now they say we're really useful. And, when the wool traffic is done, they said they promise us plenty more work to do, here on the Arlesdale Railway."
He spoke the last couple words softly, then proceeded to close the book and lay it down on his lap. The passengers all clapped and cheered, as the Small Controller stood on the platform, chuckling.
"And that's exactly what happened, now, isn't it?"
Frank chuckled nervously as the passengers exited the carriages. Frank's driver sighed and spoke out before them all.
"Sorry for the delay, everyone," he told them, "Frank and I did the best we could to make sure the rest of your trip ran smoothly and on time."
But the passengers didn't seem to mind at all.
"You and your engine put things right very well," one said.
"Indeed," another added. "Given the circumstances, we were very much expecting a walk home."
Frank's driver chuckled as he exited his cab, and Frank could only smile as he watched the passengers head on home.
The Small Controller seemed to be very pleased with Frank as well.
"Excellent work today, Frank," he congratulated. "I am proud of you."
"B-b-but...the shed, sir," Frank reminded him. "Surely it'd take a long time to fix and…"
The Small Controller laughed and put his hand forward, so as to silence Frank.
"Don't worry about the shed, Frank," he told him. "I've looked at this morning after you left and it doesn't look too badly damaged either. I'll have a mechanic look at it tomorrow, and we'll say no more about it."
"Oh, well, erm, thank you, sir," Frank thought, rather surprised, as Bert arrived to take his carriages away.
PEEP-PEEP!
"Good for you, Frank," he told him, "good for you."
Frank smiled as Bert pulled his carriages away, and then looked over as Mike passed by in the opposite with a goods train.
"Now you're just as useful as the rest of us," he told him kindly.
Frank chuckled and sighed.
"Oh, you three never stop. Do you?"
HONK-HONK!
Frank headed on home that day, feeling much more like a hero indeed, as the Small Controller returned to his office, left to his own thoughts.
"Frank should not have to do all the rescue work around here," he thought, as he walked into his office, "we do need need another engine."
He sat down at his desk and switch on his lamp, dialing a number and putting the phone to his ear.
The Small Controller was considering making arrangements to bring in another engine. But that's another story...
And so we have it. This may not be my first adaptation since I've included some RWS elements into The Overhaul Express while attempting to make it seem like it's own story, and The Way To Get Things Done was based off a Really Useful Stories book. This, however, was my first Awdry-based adaptation in the same vein as the trilogy back in S20, and I've included an original title and some of my own scenes and character interactions to make it feel fresh like one of my own. This was what I thought would be a fitting way to cement Frank into the series, even though it's kinda shorter than some of my stories. This one was a fun and simple one to write though; utilizing Frank the way I did and exploring his interactions with other characters was a nice expansion on the original story, and including the Thin Clergyman's book tour into Rex's part of the story was also fun to do. Since this one was rather about Frank and Rex, there isn't really much of the miniature engines' banter here that was beautifully brought to life in S20, but I'm certain the next Arlesdale outing will feature a great deal of that in the first half (Sticking Power) before Jock comes along. Happy Labor Day weekend, and I hope you all enjoyed reading this as much as I have enjoyed writing it. As always, stay tuned for…
Alfie's Secret - (based on canceled episode Alfie Has A Secret) - Alfie has a secret method to dig a trench for a hedgehog crossing, and Jack and Isobella are curious about what he's up to.
Lighten The Load! - Duke is scheduled for a trial run up to the Blue Mountain Quarry, but is teased by his two protégés Sir Handel and Peter Sam, and vows to prove to them that he can handle stone trucks just as well as they can.
Welcome, Jock! (based on Sticking Power and Jock by Christopher Awdry) - after hearing of a new engine being built, Bert lets the others in on the secret, and not long after, the engine arrives and is named Jock.
Jack's Snow Rescue (based on canceled episode of the same name)- when the first big snowfall of the year traps Duck, Dexter and the schoolchildren of Harwick, Jack is fitted with a shiny new snowplough and jumps into heroic action.