Seasons Of Giving!
Part I: Jack's Snow Rescue
Based on canceled episode of the same name by Paul Dawson
Winter had come to the Island of Sodor. The entire Island was covered in a thick blanket of white snow. All around, the engines kept themselves very busy, plowing their way heavy drifts of snow on the line, whilst keeping up with their own jobs.
Jack and Byron had been called to Harwick to clear snow around the schoolgrounds.
"Steady now, Byron," his operator cautioned.
The bulldozer chuckled nervously, as he plowed heavily at the snow.
"Just tryin' my best...to keep my lines straight," he groaned, enthusiastic about the task at hand.
Meanwhile, Jack was being fitted with a shiny new snowplow. He watched as the men properly fitted on his front.
"Ah," he sighed, as his operator hopped aboard. "Nothing like it."
"It should suit you well once settled in ploughing heavy drifts of snow," his operator assured him.
"Yippee!" Jack called eagerly. "Let's get plowin'"
Jack was certain that his new snowplow would wonders for him, as he made his way towards the station by the school.
Daisy honked as she rolled into the station, and the children hopped off onto the platform.
"Good morning, Daisy!" Jack greeted, as he rolled up to face her.
"Oh, dear, Jack!" the diesel railcar responded. "Poor you! Having to wear that silly old thing!"
"What do you mean?" Jack wondered, raising an eyebrow.
"Why, it looks so dreadfully awkward and uncomfortable. I consider myself lucky that I don't have to wear a thing like that."
Jack laughed.
"Oh, I don't mind, Daisy. Operator says it should suit me well once Byron and I are settled in plowing heavy drifts of snow."
"Whatever you say, Jack," Daisy sighed, honking her horn as she slowly rolled out of the station, a serious look on her face. "But I'm sure you'll know what I mean soon enough."
Jack watched Daisy leave the station, sighing as he thought hard about hard about what she said.
"She's wrong," he assured himself. "I can do this." He remained a confident look on his face as he went about his work.
Jack soon set work ploughing heavy drifts of snow. At first, it didn't seem seem so difficult, but Jack soon found that the drifts became deeper and deeper, and they became harder for Jack to plow.
"Ugh...ugh…" Jack grunted, shutting his eyes as he plowed against the snow. "I can...do it…"
"Are you alright, Jack?!" Byron called out as he passed him, startling the front loader, then chuckling.
"I th-th-think so," Jack muttered, sighing as he continued ploughing against the heavy snow drift."
Byron expressed a look of concern as he carried on ploughing quickly away at his own drift of snow.
At long last, Jack came to a rest at the station by the school.
"Phew!" he sighed. "I never thought clearing drifts of snow would be that difficult."
As much as he tried to keep it off his mind, Daisy's words continued to flow dully around his head.
"Why, it looks so dreadfully awkward and uncomfortable. I consider myself lucky that I don't have to wear a thing like that. Dreadfully awkward and uncomfortable...dreadfully awkward...dreadfully awkward...dreadfully AWKWARD!"
"Hello, there!"
Jack gasped and was suddenly caught off-guard, looking to see his side to see a familiar mobile classroom smiling over at him.
"Oh," he chuckled nervously. "Hello."
"Sorry I startled you. Surely I didn't mean to. My name's Dexter! I'm Harwick school's mobile classroom on wheels! What's your name then?"
"I'm Jack the Front Loader. I'm part of Miss Jenny's Sodor Construction Company."
"Oh?" Dexter raised an eyebrow with curiosity. "So, what brings you about Harwick then?"
"Miss Jenny assigned Byron and I an important task of clearing heavy drifts of snow around the schoolgrounds." Then he sighed sadly. "But I don't think I'll get the job done quick enough."
Dexter widened his eyebrows.
"Why, whatever do you mean, Jack?"
"It's this new plow I've been given," Jack explained. "I haven't quite got accustomed to using it yet, and there's only so much snow I need to clear."
Dexter chuckled.
"Think positively about the situation, Jack," he encouraged. "That's what I learnt to do whilst sitting round in a scrapyard before coming to reside here."
Jack look confused, as Dexter took a deep breath.
"I'm sure that if you really set your mind to it, you'll be able to overcome your difficulty." Then he gave a slight chuckle. "And besides, it's only snow after all."
Jack thought for a moment.
"You're right," he wondered. "It is only snow." Then he smiled. "Thanks, Dexter! It was nice meeting you!"
"No problem, Jack!" the mobile classroom called after the front loader as he rolled away. "It was nice meeting you too."
Then he sighed happily and shut his eyes, feeling relieved at having been able to help his new friend.
Thanks to Dexter, Jack was able to maintain the confidence he needed to get the job done. He arrived back at the top station, and found Byron resting nearby.
"Hello, Jack!" he greeted cheerily.
"Hi, Byron!" Jack greeted back. "Taking a break, are you?"
"Not much one of the sort," Byron admitted. "Operator just went into the station to get a drink. That's all."
"Oh. Okay then."
Jack smiled, and there was a short silence before Byron spoke up.
"How are you getting on with the important job Miss Jenny asked us to do?" he asked.
"Oh, it has its ups and downs, Jack admitted. "I've been having slight difficulties so far this morning."
"Is that so?" Byron wondered, raising an eyebrow with surprise. "You're usually very dedicated to the task at hand, Jack. Surely you can handle a job like this."
"Yeah, I guess," Jack sighed. "That mobile classroom Dexter encouraged me to think more positively about the situation, so that's the best I can do, really."
Byron chuckled slightly, much to Jack's surprise. Then he sighed.
"Clearing snow is really no trouble for me, Jacko, especially when I'm making the effort to keep my lines straight. How 'bout I give you a demonstration? Maybe it'll help"
"Hmm…" Jack thought for a moment, then smiled, having made a decision.
"Okay," he obliged.
"Great!" Byron boomed boisterously, startling Jack. "We'll get started as soon as me operator gets back then."
"Sounds good," Jack responded, chuckling nervously.
As soon as Byron's operator returned, the two friends were ready to set about, plowing straight lines of snow. Though Byron found he was very much in the lead, with Jack toiling slowly and cautiously behind him.
"'ey, Jack!" he called, startling the front loader. "Everything alright back there?"
He laughed as Jack rolled quickly up by his side, the two smiling at each other as they made their way steadily along.
"Let's get plowin'" the front loader chanted eagerly, and made his way quickly in front of Byron.
"Woah!" Byron called. "Slow down there, Jack. It's a demonstration, not a race."
But Jack wasn't listening to Byron as he ploughed his way through one drift of snow.
"Whoopee!" he cheered, charging quickly at the snow, his wheels rattling up and down, and his plow also rattling as his bucket bounced noisily against it.
"Stop, Jack!" Byron called. "Stop!"
At long last, Jack stopped, catching his breath as Byron pulled up beside him, glaring.
"How was that?" Jack asked. "Did I do well? Were my lines straight enough?"
"God, no!" Byron stressed. "Rather rigid if you ask me!"
Jack frowned, as Byron smiled down at him.
"Come along, Jack," he told him kindly. "I'll show you how it's done."
"Okay," Jack sighed, following slowly after him.
They came to another drift, and Jack stopped right beside Byron, who sighed.
"Okay," he said. "Now I'm going to plow this drift all on my own, and I really need you to watch for accuracy how straight I keep my lines and see if you can repeat me!"
"Gotcha!"
"Here goes."
Then he proceeded to plow the drift in a straight line as quickly as he could, before turning around to face Jack.
Jack closed his eyes and took a deep breath, before opening them.
"I got this!"
Then he charged quickly at the snow drift.
"Woah, Jack!" Byron called. "Easy does it now! Not too fast!"
"Wheeee!" Jack wailed, ploughing heavily at the snow drift. "Look at me, Byron! I'm ploughing a straight line. Woo- hoo!"
Then there was trouble, as Byron noticed Jack slightly tipping over.
"Stop, Jack!" he called, but it was too late.
CRASH!
"Jack!" Byron shouted, and raced quickly over to the front loader, who had landed on his side.
"Ouch!" Jack winced, looking nervously up at Byron.
The bulldozer groaned.
"We have a lot of work to do," he sighed. "And much ground to cover while we're at it.
Jack groaned, as Byron went off to find help.
"I've let everyone down," he sighed sadly.
At long last, Jack was up and running again, much more cautious as he followed Byron's lead.
"It may seem as though I'm going too fast for you," the bulldozer gravely admitted. "I'm well aware now that you can't keep up at my speed just yet."
"Don't blame yourself, Byron," Jack assured him. I'm pretty sure it's me who has to learn that I can't necessarily keep up at your speed."
Byron sighed.
"Come along, Jacko," he said. "I'll show it's done, slow and easy."
The front loader sighed, as he followed Byron up to another snow drift.
"Watch closely now," Byron reminded him, before attempting the snow drift slowly and carefully.
Jack watched curiously as Byron made towards the end of the drift, then turned around to face him.
"Your turn, Jack," he said. "Easy does it now."
Jack took a deep breath before slowly and carefully attempting the snow drift.
"Must keep straight," he panted, plowing slowly at the heavy drift.
"You got this, Jack!" Byron cheered encouragingly.
Soon enough. Jack made it to the end of the drift and turned around beside Byron to look over the work he had done."
"How did I do?" he asked eagerly.
"See for yourself," Byron smiled.
Jack edged slightly forward to view the work he had done on the drift, but found that his lines weren't very much straight.
Jack groaned and rolled slightly back besides Byron, sighing sadly. Byron smiled.
"Don't worry," he said. "I'm sure you'll get it right after a couple tries. Why don't we move on to the next drift?"
"Fine," Jack sighed, and turned around to follow after Byron.
All morning long, Jack and Byron were busy in their attempts to keep their lines straight, but Jack wasn't having much luck at all doing so.
Jack turned around and sighed as he looked over the job he had done on the drift, his lines were slightly rigid.
"Oh, dear," he sighed, Byron smiling at him as he turned to find the next drift.
"Poor fellow," he sighed as he followed after him.
Soon enough, it was time for the workmen's break and Jack and Byron arrived back at the station to drop their operators off.
"Thanks for the demonstration, Byron! Sorry to waste your time like that," Jack said. "I know you could have gotten lots more done otherwise."
Byron laughed.
"It was no problem for me, Jack," he admitted. "Glad to be of service. But then again, you did learn pretty fast."
"I'm sure I can keep up this work on my own, but I won't be able to do it as well as you can."
"You never know til you try, Jacko!"
The two friends and sighed, as the men sat down to eat their drinks and sandwiches.
Later that afternoon, the schoolchildren and their teacher were going for a field trip in the mountains. They waited anxiously at the station for Duck to arrive take them there aboard Dexter.
PEEP-PEEP!
"Hello, Dex!" the Great Western Engine greeted as he buffered up to the mobile classroom.
"Hi, Duck! Nice to see you!"
Duck was coupled to Dexter, and they made their way towards the station, just as Jack and Byron had just finished clearing the current batch of snow.
"My!"" he marveled. "What a marvelous job you both have done with these grounds!"
"Thanks, Duck," Jack replied. "Though I, eh, don't think I coulda got it all done without Byron."
The bulldozer chuckled.
"You're being modest, Jack," he said. "You did a fine job, and picked up what I taught you very well."
"I guess," Jack murmured.
"Oh," Duck wondered, as the children and their teacher climbed aboard. Then he smiled. "Well then double congrats to you, Jack."
PEEP-PEEP!
Duck slowly left the station, Jack smiled slightly as Dexter smiled facing him.
"It's like I said, Jack. If you really set your mind to it, you're be able to overcome your difficulty."
Jack sighed happily as he watched Duck and Dexter take off in the distance, then set slowly back about his work.
Duck made it steadily along his journey, with Dexter looking out at the lovely scenic view in front of him.
"It's so nice to be out and about for a change, Duck," the mobile classroom admitted. "At least opposed to sitting around and being situated at the school all day long."
Duck smiled.
"Well, you know what they say, Dex. A change is as good as a rest any day. That's what I learnt from being given my very own Branch Line. The experience felt just like being on holiday."
"I love being Harwick's mobile classroom," Dexter continued. "But, this, I'm sure is what any coach like myself would long for."
The children looked outside Dexter's windows at the snow falling all around, as the teacher tried her best to keep them calm. Dexter chuckled as he heard the commotion go on from inside, and Duck pressed on confidently towards the mountains.
Soon the cavalcade made their way high up into the mountains, as the children marveled at the lovely view all around them.
"Ooh," one marveled.
"Wow!" another gasped.
The teacher only laughed.
"Keep your eyes open, children," she told them. "Much to see around here."
She suddenly jumped and gasped, holding her hat tightly over her head, as Duck ran over an icicle on the track, which Dexter proceeded to run over himself, causing himself to rattle.
"Whoops," Duck murmured, then looked back. "Sorry!" he called.
Dexter chuckled nervously as they pressed on forward.
As the school trip made its way around the mountain, Duck looked up far up at the sky and noticed something rather peculiar.
"Hmm…" he wondered, then looked back to Dexter. "Seems like we have dark clouds on the horizon, Dexter," he told him. "I don't remember driver telling me anything about that."
"Must've forgotten to check the forecast this morning," his driver admitted, peaking his head out of his cab.
"As long as it doesn't fall too heavily, I think we should be fine," Dexter suggested.
"Mmm...I'm not so sure," thought Duck, as he chuffed on.
Duck and Dexter kept a close lookout as they made their way around the mountainside. But before they knew it, the winds started to pick up fast and the snow began to fall heavily.
"Uh oh," Duck gulped. "I don't like the look of this."
"Think…(cough)...positively, Duck (cough cough)." Dexter spat snow out of his mouth as he spoke. "We can...do it (cough cough)."
Duck struggled as he pushed towards falling drifts of snow, pressing his wheels forward as he did so. The children and their teacher could feel a rattle from inside Dexter and the teacher gripped her seat tight.
"This isn't quite what I expected this trip to be," she groaned. The children also gripped their seats, but rather in awe and excitement.
Duck looked far ahead along the track to see snow falling down from the mountainside in his direction.
"Oh, no, Dex!" he quivered. "I think we're gonna hit a landslide."
"Stop, Duck!" Dexter called out, looking at the snow coming down towards his direction.
The children screamed as the snow fell down and covered the sight of their windows. Duck's driver applied the brakes, and he came to stop, his plough faced against the snow and let off steam to blow some from his face.
"Oh, dear," he groaned. "Perhaps this is something I'll have to manage myself." And he began to charge the drift.
"Steady now, Duck," his driver cautioned.
Duck plowed slowly forward as the snow fell further on the tracks between his wheels.
"Careful," Dexter gulped, as more snow fell to cover his interior.
Duck plowed his way through, but as hard as he tried, he couldn't seem to stop the snow from falling down beneath his wheels. Soon enough, Duck came to a stop as more snow came down and buried him all over.
"Help!" Duck wailed. "We're stuck!"
"Somebody!" Dexter called out. "Anybody! Help!"
But there was no one around to hear them as the storm picked up heavily.
The hours passed, and Jack and Byron were soon finished with their important job, and ready to head back to the yard.
Jack coughed as he rolled his way through the blistering wind up beside Byron. Daisy was also waiting at the platform, coughing loudly as the snow flew in her face.
"Shouldn't we (cough cough) be heading back now, Byron? (cough cough)" Jack asked.
"(Cough cough) Not yet, Jack!" the bulldozer replied. "We should wait for (cough) principal's orders! (cough cough)
"It's freezing out here!" Daisy spluttered. "The sooner the children get back, the sooner I can get back to my nice dry shed!" Then she coughed loudly.
Both Jack and Byron's operators remained huddled up inside Byron's cab with Daisy's driver, all enjoying a cup of hot cocoa as the wind blew past.
Jack sighed, dismayed, then looked over in surprise as the principal left the station and faced them on the platform.
"Here he comes!" Jack called eagerly and quickly rolled up to him.
"Are we good to go now, sir?" he asked.
But the principal sighed and shook his head, looking rather concerned.
"Not quite, Jack," he replied. I'm a little worried about Miss Preen and the children. They were supposed to be back hours ago, and I've gotten phone calls from parents too. They're worried sick. I was wondering if you two could arrange a search party for them."
"Eh…" Jack wondered, as his operator stepped down from Byron's cab and walked over, patting him on the side.
"We'd be glad to!" he finished.
"W-w-what?" Jack stammered.
"Come on, Jack," his driver encouraged. "Those children and their parents are counting on us. We must do something."
"Come on, Jacko!" Byron boomed confidently, as he rolled up beside him, and Daisy's driver stepped down from his cab. "Snow should be no problem for guys like us!"
Jack sighed with slight agreement, smiling as both he and Byron's operators got them ready to go.
"We'll be back!" Byron promised, as he slowly made his way away from the station.
"We're sure the children and their teacher are alright!" Jack added, following after the bulldozer. The principal waved at them both before the stationmaster helped him into the station building.
"How dreadful!" Daisy groaned. "Now I'll be waiting out here for even longer!"
"I'm afraid so, Daisy," her driver sighed, turning round towards the station building.
"Wait!" Daisy shouted, her driver looking back at her. "Where are you going?"
Her driver chuckled.
"Why, in for a cup of tea, of course."
Daisy spluttered with disbelief as she watched him head into the station, then furiously spit out snow from her mouth, before coughing weakly.
Snow continued to fall deep and hard, which made the journey very difficult for Jack and Byron.
Jack coughed loudly as he trundled slowly behind Byron, starting to grow slightly
"Byron!" he coughed, "I'm worried (cough) w-w-we won't make it! (cough cough)"
Byron spat snow from his face as he toiled slowly in front.
"We have to keep tryin', Jack!" he called back, before coughing loudly. "Those poor children oughta to be trapped up in those mountains if they haven't found their way back yet."
"Okay," Jack sighed, rolling quickly quickly up beside Byron, his plow shoving snow up into his face by accident."
"Oof!" Byron groaned.
"Whoops!" Jack chuckled nervously.
"Easy now, Jack!" Byron laughed. "It's not a race."
"I know, I know," Jack sighed, pressing on as snow kept swarming up into their faces.
At long last, the two machines saw a mountain up ahead.
"There it is, Byron! Duck and Dexter oughta be up there. I bet my bucket!"
"Wait, Jack!" Byron called, trundling slowly after him. "How can you be sure?"
Jack coughed.
"How many other mountains do you there are on this Branch Line?!"
"Take it easy, Jack!" Byron stammered. "My caterpillar wheels aren't that fast, you know!"
"This is just how fast you've taught me to plow snow, Byron!" Jack called confidently, pushing against the heavy drifts. "Besides, those children are counting on us!"
"Slow down, Jack! I can't keep up!" Byron shouted, feeling himself slowing down. "I don't think (cough) I can go any further."
And soon enough, Byron couldn't, as he came to an abrupt halt.
"Stop, Jack!" he called. "I'm stuck!" Then he cried out, "help! Help!"
Jack was too focused on the task at hand but his operator heard Byron's cries for help, looking back to see the commotion.
"Byron's in trouble," he observed calmly, watching his operator wave with a red flag.
"Byron?! In trouble?!" Jack gasped.
"Come on, ol' boy. Let's go see what's wrong."
Jack quickly turned around and made a beeline for his friend.
"Oh, thank goodness," the operator sighed, as Jack stopped across from Byron, and the front loader's operator jumped down at the scene. "We thought you wouldn't hear our calls."
"Thank you, Jack," Byron sighed sadly.
"Think nothing of it," Jack replied, as both operators checked the bulldozer all over.
"It seems as if your injector's failed, Byron, and is in need of repair," his operator told him.
"Let's phone for help," Jack's operator decided.
Luckily enough, Byron had stopped by a telephone line, giving his operator the opportunity to phone ahead to Miss Jenny, which indeed he did.
"Okay, Miss Jenny. Thank you so much," Byron's operator responded. "We'll be waiting." They hung up and he sighed as he and Jack's operator stepped down from his cab.
"Nelson should be here shortly to take you to the RoadWorks," he announced to his machine. Then he turned to Jack. "Jack, I strongly that you and your operator carry on."
"Splendid idea!" Jack's operator added, making his way back towards his machine.
"B-but…" Jack stammered. "I don't wanna leave you, Byron."
Byron sighed wisely.
"There are bigger problems besides me, Jack," he admitted. "Those children and their teacher are stranded out there all alone, and so are Duck and Dexter."
"But...you'll be out here all alone," Jack thought. "I never would have made it this far without you."
Byron smiled.
"You've learnt so much since this day started, Jack," he encouraged. "Now's your chance to prove you can keep up what I've taught you without me."
Jack thought for a moment, then smiled.
"You're right," he decided. "It is." Then he laughed. "And I guess I can!"
"Come on, Jack!" his operator said to him. "We must press on."
"Yes, sir!" Jack called out eagerly, turning round and making a beeline for the mountain.
"Good luck, Jack!" Byron called, as snow flew right into his face, then he spit it quickly out.
As Jack continued his way toward the mountain, the biting wind and heavy drifts of snow made the journey very difficult.
Jack spat the snow out hastily from his face, as he pushes his plough forward against the snow.
"Steady now, Jack," his driver encouraged. "We should be there any time now."
"I hope so," Jack coughed, spitting more snow from his face as he carried on toward the mountain.
At long last, Jack arrived at the mountain and saw a huge lump of snow covering the track from up top.
"Thought oughta be Duck and Dexter," Jack guessed. "The question is: how do we know for sure?"
All at once, they heard the voices of children shouting out for help.
"Help! Help!" Duck and Dexter both wailed at once.
Jack gasped with excitement.
"It is them!"
"Yes," his operator thought. "Now the trick is: how do we get up there?"
They searched all the way round the mountainside and soon enough, they find a pathway that was blocked off by snow.
"Hmm…" the operator thought. "This ought to get us up that mountain, don't you think?"
"Mm…"
Jack wasn't sure, as it was a lot of snow to clear. But then the thought of the children came to his mind.
"I can do it!" he decided determinedly. "Those children need me!"
"Attaboy, Jack!" his driver chuckled, as Jack made his way and charged at the heavy drift.
"You got it, Jack!" he encouraged.
"Ugh! Ugh!" Jack groaned, spitting snow from his face as he made his way further up.
Ploughing through snow up the mountainside wasn't the easiest job, but brave Jack pushed against it with all his might.
"I can...do it!" he panted, charging the heavy snow aside. "Those children...ugh...need me...ugh!"
"Help! Help!"
"Someone help us!"
Jack heard Duck and Dexter's voices from the distance, and figured that they must be getting closer.
"Come on!" he called. "They're not far away!"
And quickly, he charged his way up towards the top of the hill in their direction.
"Help!" one boy shouted.
"Help us!" a girl shouted.
"Help us please!" Dexter called.
"Oh, what's the use?" Miss Preen sighed, sitting down and laying her hat on her lap.
The children sighed and gave up as well, chattering amongst themselves.
"Help us please!" Dexter called, as Duck spat snow from his face to see clearly, and then sighed sadly.
"Oh, dear, Dex. I'm afraid help will never come. Not at least till this storm blows over anyway."
"Do stay optimistic, Duck! Please! I'm trying my very hardest."
Duck expressed a look of sympathy.
"I know, Dexter, and I'm sorry. I just think that…"
"I'm coming!" called a voice, startling them both. "Hold on!"
"Huh?" Duck wondered confusedly.
"It is someone!" Dexter gasped excitedly. "It's...it's…"
Just then, Jack rolled into sight of the track and Duck could see who their rescuer was.
"I'm here!" Jack shouted. "I made it!"
"Jack!" he exclaimed excitedly.
"Jack?!" Dexter gasped, then chuckled as the children cheered from inside and Duck smiled over at the front loader.
"We're all very happy to see you, Jack," the Great Westen engine admitted.
"I can't imagine,"'the front loader replied. "Principal started to get worried so he sent Byron and I to look for you. Byron broke down along the way though. Don't worry. He should be well looked after by now. I'll have you all back at the school in no time."
Jack got to work at clearing all the snow around Duck's line, and eventually, he and Dexter were cleared from the drift.
"You're all clear now, Duck," Jack said at last. "Steady now."
Duck took a deep breath and slowly began to move and build up steam, his fireman gradually stoking up his bunker with coal.
Duck pushed and puffed against the heavy drift with all his might. Eventually, he slowly began to plow his way through the drift.
"We did it, Dex! We did it! Thank you, Jack!"
"No problem!" Jack called back, as he happily followed the cavalcade full of cheering children down the mountain.
"Hooray for Jack!" Dexter cheered.
Side-by-side, the three friends made their way down the mountain and towards the school.
Back at the school, Nelson had just arrived back with Byron on his low loader. They both wanted to make sure Jack and the children got back safely. The storm had just died down, and Daisy was still waiting at the platform.
"I say!" he complained. "Never have I had to wait out in the blistering cold weather for this long! It's bad for my swerves!"
"Relax, Daisy," her driver sighed. "They should be here any time now."
The principal sighed and looked hurriedly at his watch.
"Yes…" he wondered.
PEEP-PEEP!
"We're back!" Duck called from the distance.
Everyone looked over to see the trio of Jack, Duck and Dexter chuff into the station.
"Oh," the principal sighed with relief, as he watched the children cheerily exit Dexter, followed by their teacher. "Well, thank goodness you're all alright."
"Huh!" Miss Preen sighed, walking up to the platform. "I'd say. All thanks to that wonderful little front loader."
"Indeed," Duck agreed. "Jack's actions were quite heroic if you ask me. Wouldn't you agree, Dexter?"
"Very much so, Duck," the mobile classroom replied. "It's just like I told you, Jack: you can overcome any difficulty as long as you set your mind to it."
"Yeah," Jack thought. "And I have."
"Why, indeed you have, Jack," the principal sighed. "I am very proud of you. I'll see to it that Miss Jenny gets a glowing report regarding your heroism."
"Oh," Jack wondered, then laughed. "Well, erm, thank you, sir."
Soon enough, the children were all aboard Daisy and she was ready to go.
HONK-HONK!
"Good for you, Jack," she told him as she slowly left the station.
Byron looked down at his good friend, thinking hard of what to say to him.
"It was very brave of you to carry on without me, Jack," he admitted. "I had the confidence that you'd be able to do it in spite of my breakdown."
"Thanks, Byron! I'm just glad to have found the children and made it back all in one piece. All thanks to your teaching, Byron."
Byron chuckled, as Nelson looked up at him.
"Are you ready to go to the RoadWorks, Byron?" he asked.
"Ready whenever you are, Nelson," the bulldozer replied.
"Alrighty then!" the ballast tractor replied, and started up with all his might, but found to his surprise that Byron's weight was rather heavy, and he slowly dragged him along.
"Everything alright up there, Nelson?" Byron laughed.
Nelson winced and groaned.
"Should be," he quickly replied, pulling Byron slowly along down the road.
Jack sighed happily as he watched them set off, then looked over as his operator hopped aboard his cab.
"Come on, Jack!" he said kindly. "Let's head on back to the yard."
"Yes, sir," Jack responded. "On the double."
"Bye, Jack!" Duck called, and whistled at him in congratulation.
"Three cheers for Jack!" Dexter called out.
Both Miss Preen and the principal waved at Jack as he made his way slowly out of the station towards the yard.
On his way back to the yard, Jack looked happily down at his shiny new snowplough, proud of his day's accomplishments with it.
"I've learnt so much all in one day," he admitted to his operator. "First, I learnt how to clear snow drifts with Byron's guidance, and then I managed to save the schoolchildren from a snowfall."
His operator smiled.
"I told you'd soon be settled in using that snow plow of yours, ol' boy."
"And now I've become very much accustomed to it," Jack finished.
He and his operator chuckled as they made their way home.
And as he went on home that evening, Jack could never have felt prouder to be wearing a snowplow, and from that moment on, became more accustomed to snowy weather conditions.
Happy Thanksgiving weekend, folks! Thought I'd kick off this year's Seasons of Giving Christmas set with this story, a Pack episode and another storyline that was left over from the Sodor Construction Company spinoff. A simple story in all honesty with a lot of meat to it, but I got through it okay. The story was a little difficult to pull off since only so much emphasis was able to be placed on the snow rescue, but I had to have something going on with the characters before all that. Speaking of characters, the ones I included here were lots of fun to write; Jack and Byron do work well together on screen if you ask me, so having the bulldozer be the only other Pack member present to act as Jack's conscience was a total blast. Duck and Dexter were also fun to place in supporting roles, as their screen time together since S22 is slightly expanded here. Daisy's bit part was also fun, not only suiting to the story as Jack starts to feel a lack of confidence from her criticizing his snowplow, but also to add slight comic relief as she had to wait outside the station until the storm passed over. I do have finals coming over the next two weeks, so that's why I thought I'd get this up early as I did with The Missing Snowplow last set. I will resume with the rest of my winter set come mid-December and kick off the New Year with a couple more surprises. Till then, stay tuned for…
Rosie's Headlamp! - Henry's headlamp needs repairs, so Rosie lets him borrow her headlamp so he can pull the Flying Kipper. However, Henry forgets to give it back to her and Rosie doesn't know how to ask, whilst having a train due out to Bridlington...
All Alone On Christmas - Theo notices how lonely Beresford is at the canal and wants to cheer him up by bringing him a party, but is too afraid to ask Frankie who feels rather out of the holiday spirit.
Percy And The Christmas Tree (based on 1986 Christopher Awdry annual of the same name) - it's Christmas Eve, and Percy is late with the holiday mail due to heavy drifts of snow, so Elizabeth bluntly calls him out for it. However, when Elizabeth breaks down delivering trees to Tidmouth market, Percy comes to her rescue and delivers the trees on time.
Millie Plays It Safe - a firework display is to be set up at Ulfstead Castle for New Year's Eve, though Millie thinks the spot the Earl has chosen is unsafe and looks around the castlegrounds for a safer spot.
And coming in 2020…
The Power Of Words - Big Mickey has a hard time communicating with other engines, though when Cranky's arm needs repair, Big Mickey must manage in his place and overcome his problem.