Out Of Puff
Written by Michael White
Based on the story of the same name by Christopher Awdry
The express is a long, heavy train; Gordon usually pulls it, only making a few stops before the end of his journey at Vicarstown. After that, it's time for him to make the loop run back to Knapford and start his express route over again.
One morning, Gordon was feeling pleased with himself, as he arrived at Vicarstown. He had made good time, and his driver was very impressed.
"Well done, Gordon!" he congratulated, as he disembarked his cab. "We made our first express run to time once again!"
"Mmm…" Gordon sighed relaxedly.
He dozed happily as his passengers disembarked the train.
"Nothing better than making express time," he assured himself, shutting his eyes as Henry and a nearby Donald and Douglas glanced at him with surprise.
The stationmaster looked at his watch, scratching his head.
"Hmm…" he wondered. "Eh, excuse me, driver, may I have a word?"
"Certainly, stationmaster," the driver replied, and followed him into a corner.
Gordon watched with interest as the two men whispered amongst themselves. Donald and Douglas watched with surprise and confusion as they walked back over and towards Gordon.
"Good news, Gordon!" his driver confirmed. "You've broken another speed record!"
"Indeed," the stationmaster agreed, looking down at his watch. You arrived here just 15 seconds before your usual time."
"Oh," Gordon thought, thinking hard. "Well, that is good news, sir. Can't say I'm the least bit surprised, though. After all, it's not the first time I've beaten a record."
PEEP-PEEP!
"Congratulations, Gordon!" Henry whistled, as he left the station with his own coaches.
Rosie also whistled with congratulation as she backed away from the platform, though the Scottish twins didn't look half as impressed, as Donald shot a sharp glance over at the big express engine.
"I say, you two," Gordon boasted to them. "There is no stronger feeling in my pistons than one of victory!"
"Ach!" Donald scoffed quietly to himself. "Or conceit fer da matter…!"
"Better still," Gordon went on, taking no notice. "I am the only engine on all of Sodor big and strong enough to pull the express! My constant record-breaking just comes to prove it."
PEEP-PEEP!
Gordon finished his sentence just as his brother, the Flying Scotsman, pulled into the station.
"Ach! There he goes again, Dougie!" Donald snapped. "Boastin' outta his smokebox!"
"Oh, brother," Douglas groaned, sighing with dismay.
"Erm, if I may, little brother," Scotsman put in, as Gordon looked over at him with surprises and glared. "I'm pretty sure I've beaten even better records than you have."
He thought a little harder, then chuckled.
"Come to think of it," he went on. "There was this one time I ran from London to Edinburgh. I surely…"
"Alright, Scot!" Gordon snapped. "Enough is enough!"
"Ooh!" Donald chuckled, as Douglas laughed along with him.
At last, Gordon's guard blew his whistle, and he was ready to go.
POOP-POOP!
"Anyhow," Gordon assured his brother, as he left the station. "I traveled to St. Pancras in London. Beat that for a record, Scot! I am the fastest engine on all of Sodor…woah!"
All of a sudden, Gordon felt steam begin to erupt from his sides, and he came to a sudden stop just outside the station.
"What has happened to me?!" he gasped. "I feel so…so…"
"Not to worry, Gordon," his driver assured him, as he and the fireman hopped out of his cab. "We'll have you sorted out."
His crew proceeded to check him over before walking up to him, sighing.
"It seems as if your safety valve has burst, Gordon," his driver confirmed.
"Indeed," the driver added. "You'll have to be taken to the SteamWorks."
"Donald and Douglas shall take him," the stationmaster decided, walking towards the engine and his crew. "They're the closest, and have a bit of time before their next job. I'll make the arrangements right away."
Scotsman's guard blew his whistle, and the LNER Class A3 Pacific was ready to go.
"Bad luck, little brother!" he called out, as he left.
"Oh, the indignity!" Gordon groaned.
Soon enough, the twins had Gordon on his way to the SteamWorks, buffered up in between them.
"Never ye mind, Gordon," Douglas soothed. "We'll have ye at the SteamWorks for repairs in no time."
"Ach aye!" Donald agreed, then remarked, "but better yet, it does serve ye justice for getting all puffed up in de smokebox."
Gordon looked to his side, groaning with embarrassment.
At Knapford, the Fat Controller has just left his office as Henry had arrived with his passenger train.
"Oh, bother," he thought. "Gordon's at the SteamWorks and there's no other engine closest enough to Vicarstown to pull the express in his place. What am I going to do?"
PEEP-PEEP!
"Good morning, sir!" he greeted, as he pulled in.
"Ah! Henry!" the Fat Controller thought, suddenly turning his head over towards the big green engine and walking towards him.
"Thank goodness," he sighed with relief. "Gordon burst his safety valve while leaving Vicarstown, and I was wondering if you could head over there and pull the express in his place."
"But…what about my next passenger train, sir?" Henry wondered.
"Oh, that's right, Henry," the Fat Controller thought, thinking hard, then sighed. "Just leave these coaches at Vicarstown and take the express from there. I'll find another engine to take your coaches in your place.
Henry watched with confusion as he headed back to his office, thinking hard. Just then, his guard's whistle blew and he was ready to go again.
Henry arrived back at Vicarstown and left his coaches at his usual platform, before backing down into the express platform.
PEEP-PEEP!
Henry watched as Connor whistled loudly and backed down onto his coaches.
"Good day, Henry!" he greeted.
"Oh, hello, Connor."
"I had just arrived from the Mainland with my own passengers, and was called up on short notice to take your passengers whilst passing the time to wait for my passengers and return to the Mainland."
"Much appreciated, Connor!" Henry assured him. "It appears as if Gordon had recently burst a safety valve and is now at the SteamWorks for repairs, so the Fat Controller asked me to take the express in his place. He must have known I was the right engine for the job."
Connor watched him with surprise and bewilderment as he went on, just as his guard's whistle blew.
"Anyway," Henry continued proudly, "I must go now. The express can't wait forever, you know."
PEEP-PEEP!
He quickly left the station as Connor watched after him and smiled.
PEEP-PEEP!
"Good luck, Henry!" he called out, then left the station as soon as his own guard's whistle blew.
Henry made good time with the express; he stopped at each and every station on time, and began to feel very pleased with himself.
He made a stop at Wellsworth and his passengers got off as the porter readied his trolley towards the luggage coach.
"Right on time, Henry!" the stationmaster congratulated. "And quite surprising too considering the events which have recently occurred with Gordon's burst safety valve."
"You can rely on me, sir," Henry assured him. "It all comes to show why the Fat Controller is dependent on me to get the job done."
He left the station as soon as his passengers were aboard and his guard's whistle blew.
Henry managed the express so well that the importance of the occasion eventually got to his smokebox…
Later, the Fat Controller had called his engines over to Knapford Yard for an important meeting. They all waited for him to arrive.
"What do you think this meeting could be about, James?" Percy asked the red engine next to him.
"Don't ask me, Percy," James huffed. "I'm just waiting for my next passenger train!"
"I'm sure he'll be along soon enough," Emily assured them both.
PEEP-PEEP!
At that moment, Henry had just arrived back at the yard from pulling the express and was feeling pleased with himself!
"The Fat Controller says I'm amazing!" he boasted to Donald and Douglas as he stopped beside the twins, causing them to look across at each other with dismay.
"I've just received praise for running the express to time!" he went on, "and for that, I've been rewarded with the express until Gordon returns! I honestly don't know what the Fat Controller would do without me!"
Douglas sighed and looked over at Henry.
"Have a care, man," he warned. "Too much puff aboot yerself, and ye might run out of puff yerself someday!"
"Nonsense!" Henry huffed, rather unconcerned. "If you two remember, I managed to pull two trains and a failed diesel once, and the Fat Controller said I was an enterprising engine!"
"Aye! I mind it well," Donald admitted. "I may have taken the goods train on your recall, but Dougie is right. Puff does go before a fall, and…"
"Hush, Donal'! Say no more!" Douglas interrupted. "No need to bother with him. Look!"
They watched as the Fat Controller walked over and climbed on top of his podium.
The Fat Controller showed up to make an announcement, just as other engines arrived in the yard for the meeting.
"Ahem!" he coughed, so as to get their attention.
"Greetings, my fellow engines!" he began. "Thank you for showing up on such short notice. I'm sure you're all wondering why I called you all over here during this time of day."
The engines all eyed him with surprise and confusion as he went on.
"Anyway, it has come to my attention that some of you have been inquiring about the shortage of coal. Apparently, my latest purchase of the usual coal is currently on backorder and I'm waiting for a call back from the Mainland for when it'll be back in stock."
"Oh, goodness," Rebecca groaned with dismay.
"Back in stock?" Percy gasped.
"When, sir?" James demanded.
"Alright, alright, enough," the Fat Controller told them, raising his hand forward to silence them before taking a moment to express a facepalm, then took a deep breath and continued.
"I've purchased a new type of coal," he revealed. "It was the only type I could find in stock, and one that I hope will make up for the temporary lack of coal supply."
He knelt down as one of his assistants handed him a lump of coal, then rose back forward and presented it before the astonished engines, who quietly began to chatter amongst one another.
"It's called…lignite coal," the Fat Controller went on. "It has some sort of a soft, combustible feel to it, and should at least make for a reasonable amount of heat. I'm sure it will serve well as a temporary replacement."
… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
It turned out that the Fat Controller was right. The new type of coal proved to be rather combustible and managed to let off a substantial amount of heat for the engines.
Henry waited as his coal bunker was filled up, then set slowly off to catch his train, before Percy arrived next in line under the hopper.
PEEP-PEEP!
"Fill me up, please!"
He waited and watched with astonishment as the coal was loaded into his bunker, unaware of small ash emitting from the coal that was dispersed.
… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
Henry's journey with the express continued without a hitch! The new coal worked rather effectively for him, and he continued to make express time with every station he stopped at!
SLAM!
"Good to go, Henry!" the stationmaster at Vicarstown called out, as the guard blew his whistle loud.
PEEP-PEEP!
Henry proudly made it on his way back to Vicarstown, feeling rather pleased with himself.
"No wonder the Fat Controller depends on me," he thought to himself. "This new coal works wonders! It even feels better than the time I had to take Welsh coal!"
But Henry spoke too soon…
… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
It wasn't long before the new coal began to spell trouble for the engines.
Thomas was happily chuffing along his Branch Line, with Annie and Clarabel toiling steadily behind.
"We're almost at Dryaw Station, Annie and Clarabel!" he told them. "We're sure to beat Bertie now."
"We aren't running a race, Thomas!" said Annie firmly.
"If I say so myself…" Clarabel wearily agreed.
Thomas chuckled as he continued along, but then wailed as he felt a sharp tingle in his smokebox.
"Ouch!" he winced, and began going slower and slower.
"What's the matter, Thomas?" Clarabel asked.
He began coughing aloud as black smoke began to erupt from his funnel.
"I think (cough) there's something wrong (cough) with my boiler!"
He coughed louder and louder as he progressed slowly along.
"Oh, dear, Thomas," Annie gasped. "Are you alright?"
"No!" coughed Thomas, as his crew worked hard to sweep away the ashes. "I have a pain in my boiler! I think it's the new coal the Fat Controller gave us!"
He coughed louder as he continued on towards Dryaw, Bertie watching with concern as he rolled alongside, than tore out of sight.
Soon enough, the engines were experiencing indigestion with the new coal, as hot ash collected in their smokeboxes, and gave pains in their boilers…!
Rebecca was making her way along the Main Line with a goods train, humming happily, when black smoke suddenly erupted from her funnel.
"Uh oh," she wondered, as she saw the smoke erupt, then suddenly felt a sharp tingle in her boiler.
"Ow!" she winced, as she felt the hot ash pile up in her boiler and give off black smoke from out of her funnel.
"Oh dear," she sighed.
Up ahead, she saw James, who was also experiencing black smoke erupt from his funnel and coughing loudly.
"I don't think this new coal is working, James," she admitted.
"Heh! Filthy rubbish!" James scoffed, continuing to cough aloud as he made his way along.
Meanwhile, the Fat Controller was getting many angry phone calls regarding the delays and the engines coughing up black smoke!
"So Percy's been late delivering the milk to Dryaw, as well as Thomas with his passengers?" he replied to the muffling over the phone. "What's that you say? The passengers are waiting? Tell Bertie to take them please, and Thomas to report to the SteamWorks right away?"
He listened further to the muffle over the phone, gaping back in surprise.
"Oh," he thought, listening hard. "I see. So Thomas has gone to the SteamWorks already. Well then, tell Bertie to…"
He was cut off by the muffling of the stationmaster's voice.
"Oh, has he now? Understood."
He chuckled slightly.
"Well, I guess that sorts things out then…"
RING-RING! RING-RING!
All of a sudden, the telephone rang and he nearly dropped it in surprise.
"Erm, hold on, stationmaster. I'll have to call you back! I must take this call!"
He immediately hung up, then answered the next call.
"Hello?" he answered. "Hello?"
He listened immediately to the muffle over the phone, rather thoughtful.
"Oh, I see now. Yes, yes, that is a surprise. Well, make sure it's all drained from their smokeboxes right away. I shall call the mainland and see what the status is on the usual coal, so…"
RING-RING! RING-RING!
"Oh, botheration," he groaned, expressing a facepalm. "Hold on a moment! I have to take this call! It's from the Mainland! Tell all the engines to stay where they are!"
He hung up, then answered the next call.
"Hello?"
He listened carefully to the muffle over the phone, his expression immediately turning from panic to relief.
"Oh," he thought. "That is great news. Thank you very much."
PEEP-PEEP!
At that moment, he heard loud coughing and wheezing and dropped his phone in surprise, before watching Henry enter the station with the express, coughing up black smoke.
"Oh, dear," the Fat Controller gasped.
He left his office to tend to the matter at once.
Just outside the station, Henry's passengers were coughing amongst themselves, as the smoke spread across the platform!
"Goodness me!" the Fat Controller groaned, coughing loudly. "I don't think I've ever seen so much ash!"
He covered his nose as he walked towards Henry, who looked sadly down at him.
"I don't think that new coal you gave us is working, sir," Henry admitted, before wheezing loudly and letting out another cough.
"I know," he sighed in response. "I've been receiving complaints all afternoon, and now Thomas, James, Rebecca and Nia are all waiting at the SteamWorks for repairs!"
Henry's fireman proceeded to clean out his firebox, coughing loudly as more ash piled up inside his cab. This caused Henry to cough even louder as more black smoke rose up from his funnel. Henry's driver stepped down from his cab to speak with the Fat Controller.
"It's no good, sir," he explained. "The fireman and I have done everything we can, but it only builds up more ash in Henry's system."
"Indeed," the Fat Controller nodded in agreement. "Yes, it's best we make for Henry to visit the SteamWorks right away."
"But what about my passengers, sir?" Henry wondered. "I can't let them down."
"Oh," the Fat Controller wondered, thinking hard. "Yes, that's right, Henry. Oh, dear. Hmm…"
He thought a little while longer, than turned back towards Henry.
"Well, surely I can adjust Bertie and Bulgy's timetable."
"Not necessarily, sir," the stationmaster suggested from next to him. "They're already busy enough as it is filling in for the other engines."
"Oh," the Fat Controller thought. "Oh, dear…"
He thought a little harder about what must be done, than took a deep breath.
"Well, you'll just have to pull the train from here, Henry," he decided. "At least until we can find another engine strong enough to take it in your place. I'll let each and every station know that you're in need of assistance."
"Yes, sir," Henry replied glumly.
He left the station as soon as his guard's whistle blew, the Fat Controllee watching after him with concern before heading back to his office. As he passed through Knapford Junction, he wheezed and coughed loudly once more, watching in dismay as Percy and Emily also trundled past, coughing up black smoke from their funnels.
As Henry continued along with the express, he found going slower and slower as the hot ash collected in his firebox!
Henry coughed loudly as he trundled along, approaching Diesel up ahead.
"Oh, no," he gasped. "It's Diesel! He's sure to tease me!"
He coughed and wheezed even louder as Diesel got closer.
HONK-HONK!
Diesel laughed when he saw Henry.
"Ha! There's a sight you don't see everyday!" he scoffed. "Poor old steamies! Feeling out of puff, are you?"
Henry ignored him and pressed on. His driver and fireman coughed up smoke as they continuously attempt to clear away his firebox, but it only piled up into more ash and covered his cab.
"Oh, dear," Henry groaned. "Whatever will I do now?"
At last, he approached Wellsworth Station and saw a figure on the platform waving a red flag. His driver slowed him down and applied his brakes, as Henry stopped right at the platform.
"Phew!" the porter sighed, lowering his flag. "Thank goodness you made it. I was beginning to think you wouldn't arrive in time before having to pay your visit to the SteamWorks."
Henry eyed him with confusion as he went on.
"Anyway, stationmaster just got off the phone with Arlesburgh West. Douglas is on his way down to take the express in your place. It's best you keep yourself parked in that siding nearby till you're ready to head to the SteamWorks."
"Right," Henry's driver decided. "I shall call them right away and check their availability."
He rushed off to find the nearest telephone line, as he was uncoupled from the train.
"Oh, deary me," he groaned, as he found the siding nearby and reversed into it. "I don't think I've felt this bad since the Fat Controller first had me take that special coal."
He parked into the siding and coughed and wheezed loudly. Edward watched with concern from nearby as he coupled up to his train.
"Are you alright, Henry?" he asked.
"I can't breathe, Edward," Henry groaned. "The Fat Controller had this temporary replacement coal for the hoppers at Knapford Yard, and now every engine including myself who's taken on it is coughing and wheezing up smoke same as I am!"
"Oh, dear," Edward murmured, as his guard's whistle blew.
"Not to worry though, Edward," Henry assured him, as he watched his friend set off. "Help will be along soon enough!"
Henry waited a little while longer until finally, Douglas arrived to take the express from there.
PEEP-PEEP!
"Out of puff, are ye?" the Caledonian twin asked, rather amused. "Dare I say we didna warn ye. Still, it's a good thing me an' Donal' didna take on dat dreadful coal when we left Arlesburgh earlier this mornin'."
Henry didn't answer. He was too puffed out and short of breath to do so. All he could do was watch as Douglas set off with the express. But there was to come.
Henry's driver returned, expressing a look of dismay.
"I just phoned ahead to the SteamWorks," he told Henry and the fireman. "They don't have space for you at the SteamWorks right now, Henry, but I was able to schedule an appointment for tomorrow morning."
"Thank you," Henry replied dully, trying his best to cover up his cough as smoke erupted from his funnel.
"Now," the driver thought. "The next trick would be figuring out how to get you home."
"We'd be lucky!" the fireman remarked. "I've already cleared away more ashes to clear Henry's smokebox so it can make the air tight like it should, but to no avail."
Henry and his driver listened with concern as he went on.
"On top of all that, the hot ashes have bent your smokebox door, Henry. Air is coming in so as you can't breathe properly through your fire."
"Oh, goodness," the driver wondered aloud. "What are we going to do?"
"Not to worry," the fireman assured him. "I know how we can cure that!"
Henry's fireman found a bucket inside Henry's cab and filled it with water.
"Here," he said to the driver, handing him the bucket. "Hold this."
"What for?" the driver wondered.
"I'll explain everything. But first, I must find some newspaper."
Henry and his driver watched with surprise as the fireman ran off inside the building.
He went to the station bookstore and found all the old newspapers he could, before returning to Henry and the driver.
"The bookstore manager was kind enough to spare me all these old newspapers," he explained to the driver. "Now, we must tear it up into strips and soak in the water."
"Right," the driver nodded, as he was handed a newspaper and slowly and carefully began to tear it into strips.
Henry waited anxiously as the crew tore the newspaper into strips and soaked it in the water.
"What are you doing?" he asked.
"Making something called papier-mâché," the driver explained.
"Papier-what?" Henry wondered confusedly.
"Papier-mâché," chuckled the fireman.
"Once the paper is soggy enough," the driver went on, "we shall paste it in your air leak, so that you can breathe properly."
"It won't last forever," the fireman added, "but it should get us home properly. At least until your appointment at the SteamWorks tomorrow morning."
"Oh," thought Henry doubtfully.
His driver and fireman were right of course. When the job was done, Henry felt much better, and was soon enough ready to return home.
He waited till his crew were back aboard, before setting off for home.
"Ah," he sighed with relief, as he made his way along. "I feel good as new!"
"Goodness me, fireman," the driver wondered. "Did you ever think Henry was going to steam this well?"
The fireman laughed.
"It was the only option I could think of," he admitted, "though I was beginning to have doubts myself."
"Maybe we should ask the Fat Controller to make it permanent," the driver joked.
Henry couldn't help but laugh, before whistling loudly at Diesel as he approached.
"Heh!" Diesel scoffed as he passed.
Once Henry reached Vicarstown Sheds, The Fat Controller was there waiting for him.
"I'm glad to hear that you're alright, Henry," he told him. "You weren't well, but you were still brave enough to carry the train on till Wellsworth in spite of all the bad coal."
"Oh," Henry thought with surprise. "Erm, thank you, sir."
"Speaking of which," the Fat Controller went on. "I spoke on the phone with the Mainland today. Donald and Douglas will be on their way to collect some more supply of the usual coal. That way, my railway will be back to normal."
"That's great news, sir!" Henry admitted, as Rosie reversed into the berth beside him.
"Yes," the Fat Controller nodded. "Anyway, Henry, you shall report to the SteamWorks first thing in the morning, and I shall have another big engine take the express in your place."
"Yes, sir," agreed Henry, before watching as the Fat Controller set off.
"Well done, Henry!" Rosie congratulated. "You made it the farthest more than any engine I've known despite the bad coal supply!"
This time, Henry didn't let the Fat Contoller's nor Rosie's praise get to his smokebox.
"Oh, it was nothing, Rosie," he admitted. "Truth is, I experienced trouble with this new coal as much as any other engine. I'm just glad to have made it home safe."
The two friends smiled at each other, as the Caledonian twins passed by.
PEEP-PEEP!
PEEP-PEEP!
Donald and Douglas passed by the shed with empty trucks for their journey to the Mainland, having greatly found humor in Henry's predicament!
"Look, Dougie!" Donald called out, and made a strange puffing sound, as Henry watched with disapproval.
"Ooh," Douglas thought. "Dat's pretty funny, Donal'!"
Then he proceeded to make strange puffing sound after him, as they left the yard.
"Huh!" Henry scoffed. "Those two have an odd sense of humor."
Nevertheless, he ignored them and yawned, falling asleep as Rosie did the same after him.
And so this kicks off my Set 3. I didn't originally have an Awdry adaptation in mind for an opener, but I decided to go ahead with this since it's a story where Henry, Donald and Douglas play major roles, connecting with the next story down the list. It was a fun adaptation to write, and I enjoyed taking the expansions with it that I did. Gordon bursting his safety valve paves way for Henry's opportunity to pull the express and build up his cockiness to the way it already appeared in the book. I also made the bad coal more prominent in the story and kept it going as a conflict throughout, and even identified it as "lithium", the features of which I thought would match up for the outcome of the engines taking on it ( wiki/Lignite). The papier-mâchê scene was also fun to incorporate into the story and resolved the conflict well. By the end of the story, Henry learns not to let excessive praise get to his smokebox, despite Donald and Douglas' teasing. The next story will also see the #3 engine square off against the Caledonian engines, and I'm really excited to see how it turns out, in addition to the rest of this set. Till then, stay tuned for...
The Twins' Race (by NeverLander852) - seeing as the other engines feel worn out from Donald and Douglas' constant arguing, Henry decides to have them both compete in a race against him to pull the Flying Kipper and see if they can beat his record. To make it interesting, he says that if they both lose to him, they have to stop their arguing for good. But will it work? And will they get away with it?
Diesel's Tall Tales - Diesel is cross with James and Duck respectively for treating him in a condescending way, and schemes to spread rumors and turn the two at odds. However, he gets more than he bargains for when the trucks decide to instigate the scheme even further and circulate the rumors around him, resulting in a clash between three engines who aren't necessarily the best of friends!
The Trouble With Twins (by NeverLander852) - Max and Monty cause havoc all over the Island up to the Clay Pits, and Bill and Ben are blamed for it. Now, it's up to Timothy solve the mystery and prove the China Clay twins' innocence.
Emily Takes Care - Emily takes Annie and Clarabel out while Thomas is on his quarry run, but the coaches don't entirely trust her and are harsh on her with every mistake she makes.
Peace At Last - Murdoch is transferred to Vicarstown to help out with the goods duties, however he is immediately unsettled by the loud, noisy environment, and finds himself constantly late with his trains attempting to seek the peace and quiet of the countryside.