Turn 'Em Into Roads
George the steamroller is always happiest when rolling along the road. However, he is no friend of the railway and his interactions with the engines often lead to trouble…
"Oi! Thomas!" he called out one day, as he was supervising on tarmac being laid down and saw the tank engine coming down the line with Annie and Clarabel. "The men and I flattening roads. Making 'em as good as new so as to leave rails out of the picture. What do you think of that?"
Thomas rolled by and raised an eyebrow at the site where the tarmac was being laid down, then whistled and rolled on without a word.
"Puffball!" George shouted. "Same goes for that useless pair of tin carriages ya got there!"
"Puffball?! Tin carriages?!" Thomas spluttered, approaching a signal up ahead. "I oughta show that George just how useful we are…"
"Stop, Thomas!" Annie shouted.
"Red signal!" Clarabel called.
Thomas stopped just in time to see Percy rolling by with his goods train and slamming his brakes in with surprise.
"Woah!" the saddle tank engine wailed, then looked back as he stopped in his tracks.
"Is...everything okay, Thomas?" he asked.
"Sorry, Percy," Thomas called, then looked back, raising an eyebrow. "But I got a little distracted by George."
The men all looked over at George.
"Oh, err…" the steamroller stuttered, than chuckled nervously.
Unfortunately, George's tendency to cause confusion and delay for other engines can often be the cause for chaos and disruption…
"Out of my way, George!" James whistled loudly, as George swerved carelessly alongside the railway line.
"I have no use for rusty red scrap iron like you traveling alongside these roads!" George called back. "You get out of my way!"
James spluttered with fury, as he and his coaches were diverted to the next track through set of points.
"Steamrollers…" he muttered.
PEEP-PEEP!
"Look out, James!" Stanley shouted loudly, as he approached him toward the set of points.
"Woah!" James wailed, braking just in time, as Stanley stopped right before his coaches.
"What happened, James?" he demanded. "I almost bumped into you!"
"Sorry, Stanley," James apologized. "But George was getting in my way so I had to switch tracks."
"George?!"
Both Stanley and James raised an eyebrow with suspicion over at George who gulped, then sighed with frustration.
"Oh, sure!" he grumbled. "Every time one of you silly puffballs have an accident and I'm present, it's my fault!"
He then rolled slowly away, shouting out "Railways are no good! Pull 'em up! Turn 'em into roads!"
"Huh?" Stanley wondered.
"Don't ask," James sighed, slightly flustered, as he backed up across the points.
He moved back up to the first track near the road and waited as the points were set toward his track before whistling and pressing forward, leaving Stanley in confusion.
The sun shone brightly over Wellsworth Shed. A bird whistled and flew down right over the middle berth, Edward yawning as he opened a sleepy eye and listened to a still snoring BoCo in the right berth from beside him.
HONK-HONK!
"Good morning, everybody!" Philip called out, as he edged out of his berth on the left side on the other side to look out at the morning sky.
"Woah!" BoCo gasped, his eyes opening with a start, then sighing.
"Again, Philip?" he groaned.
"Oh, eh, sorry," Philip chirped. "Just a beautiful day, that's all, and got a little excited."
He honked as he left the shed, BoCo yawning as he sat in his berth, Edward smiling as he looked over at him.
"Is Philip always that energetic when you see him in the yards, Edward?" he wondered.
"Mostly," Edward admitted. "But that's just who he is. He's a rather likable young chap, really."
"Huh," BoCo snorted, as he slowly left the shed. "No real harm in him, but I don't know what to make of him."
Than he honked and set off to fetch his train, leaving Edward to sigh, as he waited for his fire to be lit.
George trundled slowly along the road on his way to Wellsworth Station, making rude remarks to other engines as they passed by.
"Look sharp, square wheels!" he called to Henry, the big green engine shooting him a look of confusion as he passed by.
Next, he saw Percy carrying some milk tankers.
"Speed up there, Percy!" she shouted out. "A slow steamroller like me ought to make it to Wellsworth before you can to the dairy!"
Percy glared, taking no notice as he carried on.
"Puffball!" George shouted out, when…
POOP-POOP!
"Woah!" George wailed startledly, his eyes nearly popping out as Gordon thundered by with the express.
George groaned and slowly pressed forward, chanting "railways are no good! Turn 'em into roads! Pull 'em up! Turn 'em into roads! Pull 'em up! Turn 'em into roads!"
He exited right towards the corner to Wellsworth Station, spotting a group of four men conferring with the Fat Controller on the platform.
"Hmm…" he wondered. "The Sodor Island Council. But what could they be doing here?"
He inched slowly closer to hear what they were talking about.
"I just wanted to make sure you and your men were okay with plans for the tarmac being laid down along this Branch Line," the Fat Controller explained to the Chairman. "There is a crossing that needs it after all."
"Of course," the Chairman nodded. "The men and I only came here to figure out what exactly your plan was for construction along this line, and we brought George along just to supervise."
George sighed relaxedly and closed his eyes, smiling.
"I see," the Fat Controller wondered, scratching the top of his hat with slight skepticism over George's involvement.
"Mm, yes, that should be fine. I'll speak with the stationmaster and see if Philip can head to the crossing in a little while to drop off the tarmac, and George shall work on every section of the line until he meets Philip there. We must take action quickly though if we're going to have the line ready in time for BoCo to pass through."
George listened carefully and raised an eyebrow as he watched the four men leave and head away in together in the Chairman's car.
"When the cat's away, the mice will play," he chuckled to himself, listening to the sound of BoCo's horn as the Metropolitan Vickers diesel backed into the station.
"Come along now, Philip!" he honked anxiously as he stopped at the platform.
"Ooh, ooh! Coming, BoCo!" the boxcab called out, moving his trucks quickly into the platform, accidentally bumping into the back of BoCo.
"Oof!" BoCo winced, squinting an eye before glaring back at Philip.
"Whoops!" Philip chuckled nervously.
"Watch where you're going, Philip!" BoCo told him sternly, raising an eyebrow with concern. "You seriously could've knocked something over!"
"Oh, em...sorry, BoCo. I'll, eh, be a little more careful next time."
Then he trundled slowly away, and BoCo sighed heavily to himself, waiting as the shunter coupled him up.
"'ey, BoCo!" George called, as he rolled up, watching the Metropolitan diesel quickly set off. "I'm setting down tarmac on a crossing over your silly little railway line. What do you think of that?"
BoCo didn't hear George as he honked and left the station, leaving the steamroller in shock and disbelief.
"Oh, oh!" Philip called, rolling quickly up. "Bye, BoCo!"
But BoCo didn't hear Philip as he rolled out of sight. Philip sighed sadly and reversed back towards the Yard.
Philip felt disappointed that he didn't get to greet BoCo goodbye. George, on the other hand, was furious, thinking that BoCo had ignored him on purpose!
"That old square hunk of scrap iron!" he spluttered. "I'LL SHOW HIM WHO'S BOSS…!"
"Ah! George!"
George's rant was suddenly cut off by the Fat Controller as he exited the station to speak with the steamroller.
"I take it you're here on behalf of the council," the Fat Controller continued. "I've just received clearance for some tarmac to be laid down along this line, and I was hoping I could leave you in charge of flattening it out."
George smiled.
"No fear, Sir Topham, sir. I'll have those roads flattened out for you in time for those engines to pass through."
"Good," the Fat Controller nodded, coughing as he caught a breath of relief. "Given that you're in charge of the operation, I was wondering if you could deliver a message for me."
"I'm listening," George muttered, intrigued as the Fat Controller explained.
"I need you to tell Philip to meet you at the level crossing just before Suddery. The tarmac needs to be delivered and laid down there before BoCo passes through with his goods train."
BoCo raised an eyebrow with surprise, then smiled, a plan in mind.
"Consider it done, sir," he said quietly, reversing down out of the station and towards the yard.
"Hmm…"' the Fat Controller pondered, softly grasping the side of his hat as he walked back towards his car.
George crept slowly into Wellsworth Yard, watching Philip slowly shunting trucks about.
Philip sighed sadly as he backed up from his perch of trucks. George silently chuckled and advanced slowly towards him.
"Erm…, are you alright, Philip?" he asked.
"Mmm...times where I've felt better," Philip admitted. "Right now's not a good time."
"Hmm…" George thought, thinking of what to say so as to act as if he cared.
"Would you like to…talk about those feelings?"
Philip sighed.
"I really feel like BoCo and I aren't making a connection, which affects me because we're both really good friends with Edward. I know BoCo is a kindhearted engine deep down. I just don't think he and I got off on the right foot."
"Hmm…" George thought, an idea fresh in mind as he smiled at Philip.
"I know how you can become friends with BoCo, Philip."
"You do?" Philip wondered, raising an eyebrow in confusion.
"Well, there is an order of tarmac that needs to be laid down on a certain section of the line up by the top station at Ffarquhar on Thomas' Branch, and I've been given special orders by the Fat Controller himself to ask you to take it there. BoCo will be taking a train up there later, so maybe he'd appreciate it if you cleared his way for him."
"Wow, George!" Philip burst out, startling the steamroller, as he winced and shut his eyes with slight annoyance. "That sounds like a lovely idea!"
Then he thought.
"But, em, where do I find the tarmac?"
George opened his eyes and smiled at Philip.
"The trucks are on that siding over there. I'll meet you over at Ffarquhar" he explained, reversing and moving slowly forward towards the direction of the siding where the trucks were.
"Wow!" Philip gasped. "Thanks, George!"
"No problem, Philip!"
He watched as Philip rushed over to the siding and backed down on the tarmac trucks. As soon as he was hitched up, he pulled quickly out of the siding and past the station platform. Men ran up and started shouting at him and waving.
"Oi, Philip!" one shouted.
"Come back!" shouted another.
But Philip was too far away to hear.
"Whoops!" George thought, realizing that he had led Philip to leave the workmen behind.
"That wasn't meant to happen."
Then he reversed quickly away, chuckling to himself.
"Oh, boy," he thought. "Ol' BoCo will get the surprise of his life."
He rolled gently forward, taking a deep breath as he closed his eyes and smiled, pleased with his plan.
George proceeded to make his way alongside the railway line, laying down tarmac on roads and making rude remarks to the engines as they passed.
When arriving at Kellsthorpe, he heard the sound of trucks chuckling and soon after, Emily came down the line, groaning as the scrap trucks she was pulling bumped into her.
"Start! Stop! Start! Stop! the trucks chanted, as Emily pulled them forward, then bumped right into the back of them to keep them in line.
"I'll never...uh...get these trucks to the Smelters...uh...on time at this point," she panted.
George chuckled.
"Having fun with those trucks, Emily?" he remarked. "Looks like one of you railway engines will be bound for scrap now! Paving room for the roadways! Whoo!"
"Don't be so horrid, George!" Emily snapped, wincing as she pressed further on, the trucks laughing and giggling behind her.
George laughed.
"Well, at least I got one engine's attention," he chuckled to himself.
He continued to lay tarmac down on the road by the station, when...
PEEP-PEEP!
"Oi, oi! Puffball!" George shouted, running over to get Thomas' attention as he came down the line with Annie and Clarabel, but Thomas rushed quickly forward so as to ignore George, leaving the steamroller in fury. Clarabel smirked at him as the train chuffed away into the distance.
"GrrrrAHHHH!" George shouted. "I'll show him to…"
"George!" the foreman called.
George widened his eyes and looked back as the foreman pointed down to the unfinished trail of tarmac. George sighed and continued rolling tarmac down, reserved to his own thoughts.
"Never mind," he assured himself. "I've already gotten one trick up my sleeve."
He smiled deviously as he continued flattening down tarmac along the road.
Meanwhile, Philip has just arrived at Ffarquhar when the stationmaster came out to see him.
"Hello, Philip," he greeted. "Quite a surprise seeing you here."
"Yes, sir," the boxcab replied. "Em…, I was supposed to be meeting George at a level crossing near this station to lay down this load of tarmac. Orders from the Fat Controller, according to George."
"Hmm…" thought the stationmaster. "We weren't expecting any tarmac to be laid down here on this line, nor were we expecting you or George. I shall, however, phone ahead to the Fat Controller and get to the bottom of all this."
Philip watched as he headed back inside to his office, raising an eyebrow with confusion.
Philip waited as the stationmaster made a phone call to the Fat Controller than came back out to talk to him.
Philip was surprised as the stationmaster stopped right before him, heavily sighing.
"I'm sorry, Philip. But you brought these trucks to the wrong place. Apparently, the tarmac was meant to be laid down on the level crossing before Suddery."
"Suddery?!" Philip gasped, his eyes widened. "B-b-but, I don't understand…"
"The Fat Controller claims that he asked George to tell you to meet at him at Suddery where he could lay it down on time to let BoCo through," the stationmaster explained. "You must have been told to go to the wrong place."
"Oh, dear," Philip panicked. "I better make it there quick before it's too late."
He honked and rushed away, his wheels pounding as he rolled quickly along.
"George lied to me!" he thought to himself, maintaining a serious expression on his face. "I just...don't understand why."
He raced back towards Wellsworth at the fastest speed he could chuff.
"I must make it there before BoCo!" he panted. "I must!"
DING-DING! DING-DING!
"Slow down, Philip!" Toby called out as he approached him up ahead with Henrietta.
"I can't!" Philip called back as he passed, startling both Toby and Henrietta. "I have to save BoCo!"
Toby was rather surprised as he continued slowly and steadily along.
BoCo had just finished his journey up to Brendam, and was just making his return journey as he waited by the platform at Upper Brendam for the men to load and unload his trucks.
BoCo sighed patiently and shut his eyes, letting a deep breath of relief. His thoughts were suddenly cut off by the sound of the guard's whistle. He honked loudly, leaving the station as the men waved him goodbye.
"Mm," he sighed relaxedly, taking a deep breath as he rolled further along on his journey towards Suddery, suspecting nothing.
Soon, George arrived at the level crossing just before Suddery. The workmen were waiting there, though the foreman looked rather concerned.
"Philip hasn't arrived with the tarmac yet," he explained, scratching the back of his head with confusion.
"Oh, dear," George replied, trying hard not to crack.
"And he left the station when he was supposed to bring us here!" a workmen called out.
"We had to brought here on a special bus service by Bertie, who was late with his own passengers!" another explained.
"Oh, my," George gasped, so as to feign concern. "That is a mystery. I did ask Philip to bring the trucks of tarmac here especially."
HONK-HONK!
The men heard the sound of BoCo's horn faintly from the distance, and started chattering amongst themselves. George managed to express a moment of triumph.
"BoCo's coming!" one workmen shouted.
"A-and...the tarmac isn't even laid down!" another panicked.
"Quick, George!" panicked another. "Do something!"
"Do?! What?" George wondered, slowly reversing away, whistling to himself as he looked the other side.
"I'll, eh, go get help," he promised, chuckling silently as he turned around and stopped.
George started again to make a beeline for the road, though he swerved out of control and fell into the hole nearby where the tarmac was meant to be laid down!
"Whoa!" he wailed, as he fell right over and landed to his side in the dirt.
George spat dirt angrily from his face.
"Get me out of here!" he shouted.
BoCo came steadily up the line towards Suddery, sensing nothing as he looked at the lovely scenery all around him.
The men heard BoCo's horn, this time a little louder.
"He's coming!" a workmen shouted.
"I'll wave my green flag!" said another, and quickly ran up the line.
"BoCo!" Philip shouted, honking as he approached the site just outside the station.
"He's not here yet, Philip," said the foreman. "He's coming up the line now."
"Oh, no!" Philip groaned, then loudly honked his horn several times, George groaning and wincing as he heard it from inside the hole.
"Stop, BoCo!" Philip called, honking his horn repeatedly. "Stop!"
Philip continued to honk his horn, and from not so far of a distance, BoCo thought that he began to hear something.
"Is that…Philip's horn?" he wondered confusedly.
"There must be trouble up ahead," his driver guessed. "We'd best slow down just in case."
As BoCo's driver applied the brakes, they saw the workmen waving his green flag up ahead from just before the site of the level crossing. BoCo gradually began to slow down and stopped just before the section of the track where tarmac was meant to be laid down over.
George winced and shut his eyes at the sound of BoCo's screeching brakes as he stopped right to face him.
"Phew!" both Philip and BoCo sighed with relief.
"That was a close call," the foreman sighed.
"B-b-but...I'm so confused," BoCo wondered aloud. "What happened?"
"George told me the tarmac was meant to be to be laid down at Ffarquhar," Philip explained, George gulping and chuckling nervously as BoCo and the workmen looked down at him, "when it was supposed to be brought here."
"I see," the foreman thought, eyeing George sharply. "Well, I don't know why you'd tell Philip to bring the tarmac to the wrong place, George, but I assure you that the Council will hear of it."
"Grrr!" George growled.
Philip looked fixedly down at him with a glare, then back up and over at BoCo, who just smiled at him.
The foreman phoned ahead to the Sodor Construction Company for help, and soon enough, a few of Miss Jenny's machines arrived at the scene, while Percy brought Rocky along to load George onto Nelson's low loader.
"This isn't over!" the steamroller remarked as he was tied down. "I'll get even with you railway engines if it's the last thing I do!"
Then he shouted "OUT WITH THE RAILWAYS!", Percy, Philip and BoCo glaring at him as Nelson took him away.
Buster laid the tarmac down across the level crossing, as BoCo sighed and looked across at Philip.
"Thanks for saving me, Philip," he smiled. "I don't know how my driver would have slowed me down in time if we hadn't heard your horn. And…"
He thought hard of what to say, then took a deep breath.
"Sorry if I came off as a bit cross this morning. I was just thinking about all the extra jobs I had to do today after my journey to Brendam and back."
"That's alright, BoCo," Philip replied, then had another thought.
"Um...does this mean we can be friends?"
BoCo chuckled.
"Of course, Philip," he assured him.
"Oh, um, eh, good," Philip thought, sighing with relief. "So, erm, do you need help with all those extra jobs you have to do?"
BoCo smiled.
"I think I'll manage. Thank you though. You truly are a good friend indeed."
Philip smiled, and as the line was cleared, the two friends beamed at each other as they honked and greeted each other goodbye before making it on their way again.
Philip made his way home, feeling much better about things.
George, on the other hand, was left to his own thoughts as he was taken away to the RoadWorks.
"Huh!" he thought. "The Council will hear about this. Pah! What are they gonna do? This is Topham's railway, and even he can't do anything about it."
However, George arrived at the RoadWorks, he found The Fat Controller waiting for him, with a few familiar faces standing behind him…
"The Council?" he wondered confusedly.
"You've caused a lot of trouble today, George!" the Fat Controller scolded. "You nearly caused an accident for BoCo, but you won't cause any more trouble for quite some time, I'm sure of it."
George shot him a look of confusion as he was unloaded from Nelson's low-loader. The Fat Controller stepped slightly forward.
"The council and I have come to an agreement of what would be a rather fitting punishment," he declared. "Once you are repaired, you, George, will be performing maintenance duty for a whole week."
"What?!"
George was speechless, looking to the council members for consent.
"B-but...y-y-you all have a say in this. Don't you?" he asked.
The chairman sighed and nodded, before walking away with the Fat Controller and the other council members. George seethed with fury.
"GrrrrrAHHHH...ouch!" he groaned, as a workmen ran a pick hard to get dirt out from under his roller.
"Watch it!" he snapped, as the workmen checked him all over.
"Railways are no good! Turn 'em into roads!" he chanted aloud. "Pull 'em up! Turn 'em into roads! Pull 'em up! Turn 'em into roads!"
Yeah, this one was a short one to write, but fun to bring George back into the fold nevertheless. I will admit that his character in Bye, George! was sort of the inspiration for his nature and actions in this episode, even though that episode did have a few plot contrivances to see it through despite the effective outcome of George's troublemaking ways. Philip and BoCo were fun to include in supporting roles too, and focusing the side of the story of George himself on their friendship was great; fun to give Philip something major to do this set and good for BoCo to keep up with being given roles since I brought him back. This story is first of a two-parter, the next one being one where he clashes with Rebecca, a character who strives to see the good side in everyone. The cherry on top for this scheming little steamroller's arc will be unfolded this summer in a DVD I have planned. Hope you all enjoyed it. Be sure to leave a review, and as always, stay tuned for...
The Good Side Of George - Rebecca encounters George on probation and makes an attempt to be friendly towards him. George, however, grows quickly annoyed with her and schemes to pay her out.
Oliver Sent For Scrap - Oliver never tires of boasting about the time Douglas saved him from scrap. However, his boastfulness gets the better of him when he is sent to take some scrap trucks to the scrapyard, and Iron 'Arry and Bert plan to scrap him.
Belle Calls In Sick - Belle takes on bad water from a water tower by the Rescue Center and has to wait in her shed while the workmen inspect her.
And coming this summer: Thomas & Friends in Summertime Surprises
Teamwork (based on Teamwork by Christopher Awdry) - by the time the holiday months come, Jock has proven himself worthy and starts getting ideas above his station. However, his cockiness gets the better of him when he has to double-head a train with Mike.
Arthur And Saul - a new crane named Saul arrives at Norramby and Arthur quickly takes a liking to him and his cautious ways of going about work, though finds that it eventually starts to cause delays.
A Fishy Situation - an incident at Norramby with a load of fish causes a few fish to settle inside Thomas' boiler while he's taking on water, unbeknownst to the tank engine and his crew. It causes confusion and delay for Thomas later on while taking passengers out on his Branch Line.
The Summer of George - George tries to spend a stress-free summer without getting angry at the railway, but working around Bill and Ben after they are assigned to work at the RoadWorks as punishment quickly gets him to the end of his rope.
Serenity Saul - Saul attempts to learn from his experience on his first day by rushing the engines on their way with their deliveries, but messes up when he mixes up their loads!
Daisy Crosses The Line - Toby brings the workmen up to Harwick to inspect the line in case of any buckles in the hot sun, but Daisy ignores his warnings so as to keep time with her passengers and lands herself into trouble.