Peace At Last
Written by Lee Pressman
(Note: in the scene transition from Kellsthorpe to Crovan's Gate, and then from Crovan's Gate to the Blue Mountain Quarry, Murdoch's expression is kept the same during both transitions by the time it shows him waiting at both locations)
Murdoch is a large, strong tender engine who hauls goods trains on the Main Line.
Murdoch whistled peacefully at the sight of a bird flock flying over him, before flying further up and beyond the trees. Murdoch sighed peacefully as he continued along his route.
He very much prefers the peace and quiet of the countryside, and will never seek to hesitate whenever possible, even as the sounds within the lovely scenery all around him throw him off on occasion…!
Murdoch chuffed peacefully along with his goods train, calmly observing the beautiful scenery all around him. Suddenly, a few birds chirped loudly as they flew over him, taking him slightly by surprise.
"GAHHH!" Murdoch gasped.
He looked up to see the birds flying over him and beyond, groaning and mumbling quietly as he approached a red signal up ahead, stopping just in time.
"Huh!" he muttered. "So much for a bit of peace and quiet…!"
DING-DING! DING-DING!
"Woah!" Murdoch wailed, rather startled.
Toby pulled up alongside him with Henrietta, chuckling loudly.
"Oh, erm, Toby," Murdoch stammered, chuckling nervously. "It's you."
"Oh," Toby wondered, looking across at him. "Are you alright then?"
"Alright?" Murdoch wondered confusedly, raising an eyebrow.
"You surely seemed rather startled," Henrietta soothingly admitted.
"Never better!" Murdoch suddenly blurted out, taking the pair by surprise. "Just rather used to the peace and quiet all round. That's all."
As soon as his signal dropped, he whistled and was on his way again.
"Goodbye, Toby! Henrietta! See you later!"
He hurried to make his way back into the peace and quiet of the calm countryside, leaving the tram engine and his coach in confusion.
Murdoch very much prefers the calm, quiet countryside with the wind blowing past his funnel…
Murdoch smiled smugly and took a deep breath as the wind blew past with the steam pouring out of his funnel.
…to loud, noisy stations with all the loud whistles, chattering and bustling about, and engines coming in and out!
Murdoch arrived slowly and promptly at Knapford, observing with irritation as he watched Emily and Henry whistle as they left with their passenger trains, and Gordon as he left with the express.
POOP-POOP!
Murdoch raised an eyebrow and frowned as Gordon gradually kept up speed and left, then became startled by another whistle from behind.
PEEP-PEEP!
"GAHH!!"
"Here's James!" James shouted, as he arrived at the platform with his coaches.
"Pah!" Murdoch scoffed.
He proceeded to watch engines racing in and out of Knapford Junction, the sound of their pistons pumping as they quickly raced by and their whistles sounding loudly.
"Not even so much as a moment's peace!" Murdoch murmured.
PEEP-PEEP!
"What's wrong, Murdoch?" a nearby Thomas asked, as he arrived at the platform and his passengers hopped aboard Annie and Clarabel.
"I must say, Thomas," Murdoch admitted. "I'm not accustomed to loud, noisy environments such as this! I prefer a calm, peaceful run along the Main Line as opposed to all the bustling in and out of stations. And in addition to all the noisy, chatty engines too!"
Thomas shot him a look of surprise, as Murdoch sighed and went on.
"Is it always like this on your Branch Line, Thomas?"
"It is," Thomas admitted. "All the time, in fact. But I don't mind since it keeps the line busy and gives me something to be proud of it for."
"Huh!" Murdoch scoffed.
An awkward silence occurred, as Murdoch sighed and looked the other way, as Thomas cleared his throat and looked over at him.
"So what brings you about Knapford Station then, Murdoch?"
"The Fat Controller has called me over here to speak with him," the mighty engine explained. "Otherwise I'd have no reason for being here."
"Hmm…" Thomas thought, as his passengers were all aboard and his guard's whistle blew. "Well, good luck with that then, Murdoch! See you later!"
PEEP-PEEP!
He pulled out of the station, chuckling, as Clarabel smiled at Murdoch whilst facing him. Murdoch eyed the trio with a dumbfounded expression on his face, then looked over as the Fat Controller stepped out of his office.
"Ah, Murdoch. You're here. Splendid!" he began.
Murdoch looked over as the Fat Controller walked up to him, beaming.
"Now," he continued. "I understand you've been doing a very good job with the goods duties on the Main Line as of recently. So I was wondering how you'd feel about transferring to Vicarstown to help out with the goods duties coming in and out of there."
"Well, sir," Murdoch wondered. "It does sound rather intriguing."
He thought harder, as the Fat Controller watched him closely.
"Is it…quiet at all?" he asked.
"Hmm…" the Fat Controller thought, thinking hard. "I do reckon that it is very much more than most stations since it is the last stop for Gordon's express. It's also the station where only engines from the Mainland come in and out to drop off and pick up passengers, but I assure you, Murdoch, you'll fight right in!"
"Hmm...well then, I'd be glad to, sir!"
He looked the other way and murmured his own thoughts quietly to himself.
"This'll be better than having to share a shed with all those chatty engines at Knapford Yard…"
"Good!" the Fat Controller beamed. "Thank you for being flexible, Murdoch! I'll make the arrangements right away! You'll be sharing a shed with Henry and Rosie then!"
"What?!" Murdoch gasped, as the Fat Controller walked back towards his office. "B-but…wait, sir. I never recalled having to share a shed to be in the job description!"
But Murdoch was too late to reason with the Fat Controller. He had already walked back into his office to make the arrangements for Murdoch to be transferred.
Murdoch murmured quietly to himself, as he whistled and slowly left the station.
Throughout the day, Murdoch found that the route from Vicarstown wasn't quite what he expected it to be…
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Murdoch waited patiently at Vicarstown as Rosie fetched him his goods train.
PEEP-PEEP!
"Do hurry up, please, Rosie," he begged, looking around the station, thinking to himself, "I do want to make it on my way before the noisy, chatty engines come along…"
"Coming right up, Murdoch!" Rosie called, hurrying along from behind.
Murdoch sighed and jumped at the sound of Caitlan's whistle as she left with her coaches bound for the Mainland, and Donald and Douglas' whistles as they left from the other side of the station with their goods train.
"Huh!" Murdoch scoffed. "I'll feel much better once I'm out in the peaceful countryside and…oof!"
He winced, as his thoughts were suddenly by the sound of Rosie shunting the train quickly up to him.
"Whoops! Sorry, Murdoch," Rosie chuckled, blushing a little.
"No harm done, Rosie" Murdoch sighed, waiting for the shunter to come along and couple him up to the train.
PEEP-PEEP!
"So what do you make of Vicarstown Station then?" Rosie wondered, as she pulled up alongside and glanced over at him.
"It's…a little much," Murdoch meekly admitted, looking around at the passengers bustling about the station. "But it'll do. Nevertheless, I'll be much happier once I'm out and about making deliveries through the peaceful countryside."
At that moment, the shunter arrived and hitched Murdoch to his train, and he was ready to go.
PEEP-PEEP!
"Later, Rosie!" he called, as he thundered out of the station, leaving Rosie in surprise.
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It seemed as though at every stop Murdoch made on his journey, he could never get a moment's peace!
Murdoch waited at Kellsthorpe as goods were unloaded from his train, watching as Rebecca from nearby had goods loaded into her trucks.
"Good to go, Rebecca!" a workmen called out, as the job was finished.
PEEP-PEEP!
"Thanks, guys!" Rebecca cheerfully responded, whistling loudly as she made her way out of the station.
Murdoch watched with surprise as she left, then listened to the sound of Gordon's whistle as he left with the express.
POOP-POOP!
"Express coming through!"
Murdoch groaned, listening to the sound of Gordon's pistons as he thundered out of the station, rolling his eyes as he looked the other direction.
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At Crovan's Gate, he listened to the sound of Emily's whistle as he left the platform with her coaches, and Duncan whistle long and loud as he arrived with his own passenger train. Murdoch winced at the sound of this, as he listened to the sound of the Grumpy Passenger grumbling as he exited the train.
"I say!" the Passenger grumbled, waiting as the porter got his luggage out from the back coach. "Call this a railway?"
Murdoch listened to the passengers chatter as they made their way about the platform, and then to the sound of Percy's whistle as he pulled up alongside with his good train.
PEEP-PEEP!
"Hi, Murdoch!" the saddle tank greeted. "How's your day going?"
"Huh! Could be quieter…!" Murdoch meekly remarked.
Percy gazed at him with surprise as he rolled his eyes and looked the other way.
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Murdoch waited at the Blue Mountain Quarry as stone was loaded into his trucks, though he winced at the sound of it being poured in from the hopper. He coughed out dust afterwards, and proceeded to watch the commotion of engines rushing about around the quarry.
HONK-HONK!
"Good to go, Owen!" Rusty called, as he dropped off a perch of four trucks to Owen on the upper incline.
"Very well, Rusty!" the incline called, and brought the four trucks down to Paxton, calling out, "going down!"
They were quickly brought down and the shunter hitched them up to Paxton.
"Good to go, Paxton!" Owen assured him.
HONK-HONK!
"Thanks, Owen!" Paxton called down, Murdoch wincing as he watched him noisily set off.
PEEP-PEEP!
Murdoch was startled as he heard at the sound of Skarloey's whistle, as he brought the trucks to Owen's incline.
"Have these loaded up with gravel, please, Owen! On the double!'
"Sure thing, Skarloey!" the incline called out, bringing the trucks further up. "Going up!'
Murdoch groaned and looked at the other way, but was then caught off-guard by the sound of stone being loaded into his trucks, then to Merrick snoring loudly up above.
"Huh!" Murdoch muttered, as he watched the crane snoring away. "At least he gets a moment's rest."
He proceeded to listen to the sound of a siren going off, and men shouting as they ran about the quarry.
"Why did I ever sign up for this job in the first place…?" Murdoch wondered to himself.
Later that evening, after all his jobs were finished, Murdoch backed into his new berth at Vicarstown Sheds. He was hoping for a good night's rest after a loud, busy day, though Rosie was there as well.
PEEP-PEEP!
"Evening, Murdoch!" she greeted. "How was your day?!"
Murdoch yawned as he settled down into his berth, slowly shutting his eyes.
"Good night, Rosie," he responded
He quickly snored away, much to Rosie's surprise, as she sighed with dismay.
Murdoch thought he had finally found himself some peace and quiet, but not for long…
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PEEP-PEEP!
"GAHHHH!" Murdoch gasped.
He was startled by the sound of Henry's whistle, as the green engine backed into the berth beside Rosie.
"Good evening, Rosie!" Henry greeted.
"Hi, Henry!" Rosie greeted back. "How did your day go?"
Murdoch watched with surprise as the conversation went back and forth.
"Fine, thanks for asking! Just got back from pulling the Flying Kipper! And it went great! Fish was delivered on time, and I beat a new record making it to all the stations to time as well!"
"That sounds great! Mine was pretty eventful as well; just spent the day fetching trains and sorting out trucks and coaches in the yard. The usual fare."
"Wow!" Henry gasped, chuckling.
"Huh!" Murdoch scoffed, catching the pair's attention as he looked the opposite way.
"How about you, Murdoch?" Henry asked. "How did your day go?"
"Noisy and tiresome, so there," Murdoch bluntly responded.
The two engines listened with surprise as he went on.
"Usually, it's a good night's rest that does me good rather than having to listen to chatterbox engines all night long! Good night!"
He backed down further into his berth and quickly went back to sleep, snoring away, as Henry and Rosie looked across at one another.
"I wonder what's gotten into him," Rosie wondered.
"We were only being friendly," Henry added with dismay.
The next morning, the Fat Controller came to see Murdoch at the sheds. Henry and Rosie had already gone about their work, though Murdoch had a bit of time to spare before his morning train.
"Good morning, Murdoch!" the Fat Controller greeted, as he walked up to the shed, pen and paper in hand. "Did you enjoy your first night out at Vicarstown then?"
"Mmm…I managed," Murdoch meekly admitted.
"Ah, splendid," the Fat Controller beamed. "Anyway, I came here because there is a special due out at midnight from Vicarstown to Bridlington Goods Yard over on the Mainland, and I was wondering if you'd have any interest in taking it."
"Hmm…" Murdoch thought to himself, reminiscing. "The route to the Mainland IS surrounded by the calm, peaceful countryside…"
At last, he looked back over at the Fat Controller and beamed.
"I accept the offer, sir!" he decided.
"Ah! Brilliant!" the Fat Controller replied. "Run along now and fetch your train. The men shall be waiting to load your trucks."
Murdoch let out a short, quiet whistle as he headed off to fetch his morning train.
Later that evening, Murdoch waited patiently as the workmen loaded up his train with goods needed to be taken to Bridlington.
PEEP-PEEP!
"Evening, Murdoch!" Rosie greeted, as she pulled alongside him. "Aren't you excited about going to Bridlington?"
"Quite so," Murdoch replied. "It will meet the expectations of the job immensely once I'm able to catch a glimpse of the countryside."
"Great! Good luck then!" Rosie whistled, before heading home to her shed.
Murdoch let out a loud, long sigh and waited as his train was fully loaded before making his way out of the station.
"Peace and quiet, here we come!" he marveled quietly to himself.
Murdoch's journey started off rather well; his lamp shone brightly against the track ahead of him, and he was making good time all the way as he approached passing engines.
Murdoch quietly responded to Emily and Percy as they greeted him with their whistles, and soon enough approached Toby up ahead in the distance.
DING-DING! DING-DING!
PEEP-PEEP!
"Hello, Toby!"
"Hi, Murdoch!" Toby greeted back. "You look like you're in good spirits!"
"I am!" Murdoch admitted. "Just taking a midnight train over to the Mainland! That's all!"
"Good luck!" Toby greeted, as he advanced further on down the line.
Murdoch didn't mind the whistles of passing engines much. He knew that soon, he'd be in the peace and quiet of the countryside.
Murdoch quickly made his way over the Vicarstown Bridge, with the goods train rumbling steadily behind him, as he approached Caitlan up ahead with her passenger train and whistled at her.
PEEP-PEEP!
"Hi, Murdoch!" Caitlan greeted
She whistled loudly as she passed, taking Murdoch by surprise as he passed and causing to roll his eyes around dizzily.
"That could have been quieter," he thought to himself, glancing back at the track she was traveling on.
Next up, he saw Hiro coming along down the line with his goods train and whistled quietly at him.
"Hi, Hiro!" he greeted.
"Hello, Murdoch!" Hiro bellowed quietly, whistling long and loud as he passed.
"Woah!" Murdoch wailed, startled by the sound of Hiro's whistle.
He sighed and took a deep breath, before pressing further on.
"Ah, well," he thought to himself, looking around at the countryside that surrounded him. "Nothing a little run through the countryside can't fix."
He took a moment to observe the calm, serene, peaceful scenery all around him and take in a breath of fresh air, as he made his way over the Mainland Viaduct.
"Well now," he marveled, as he rumbled across and over. "I'm certain that I couldn't have found a job that suited me any better!"
He continued further along, suspecting nothing, the Mainland Junction in sight up ahead.
PEEP-PEEP!
"Gah!" Murdoch screamed, at the sound of Samson's whistle.
"'Scuse me!" the proud engine muttered as he passed.
"Woah!" Murdoch wailed.
He passed under the bridge, Gator whistling loudly to his shock as he passed by with a goods train on the bridge above him.
PEEP-PEEP!
"Hello, Murdoch!" Connor called out, whistling as he passed.
"Yikes!" Murdoch gasped, gradually picking up speed.
The loud atmosphere of the Junction got Murdoch in such a flurry, that he quickly picked up speed to make his way out.
"Must get out of here! Must get out of here!" he mumbled to himself, quickly making his way through the yellow signal. "Far too noisy and chatty!"
HONK-HONK!
"Look out!" Sidney gasped, as he approached.
He slammed his brakes hard as he stopped right at the points as Murdoch's signal turned red, just inches before the last of Murdoch's train, ending in his brake van. He then raised an eyebrow with confusion as Murdoch pressed further on.
"Phew!" Murdoch sighed with relief. "That was a close call…AHHHHH!"
He was suddenly startled by a loud creaking sound as he approached the Mainland Canal. He looked to the side to see men running out and shouting, as Beresford winced and groaned, shutting his eyes as he struggled to unload heavy cargo from a nearby barge. Murdoch groaned as he pressed further on out of the Canal.
"This job isn't quite what I expected," he murmured to himself.
He moved on through the woodland track, looking around with curiosity and observing how quiet it was.
"Hmm…now this is more like it," he thought to himself.
He pressed further on past the sight of the old Experimental Engines Yard, looking around with wonder at how overgrown it was. He saw smoke up ahead in the distance and began to wonder.
"Could this be the place…?"
He moved steadily forward to find that it was only the SteelWorks, the smoke having come from its chimneys.
"Well now," he thought. "This can't possibly be the place! I see no goods yard here!"
He moved further on past it, pressing further on down the track towards Bridlington.
Once Murdoch arrived at the Goods Yard in Bridlington, he left his trucks in a siding and decided to take a short rest after a long journey.
HONK-HONK!
"Gah!" Murdoch screamed
He opened his eyes suddenly to the sound of diesels rushing about.
"This siding over here, Vince?!"
"No! That one over there, Vito!"
Murdoch observed the two diesels rushing quickly about and groaned, as the third diesel, Ulli, rolled up beside him.
"Thanks for bringing this goods train, friend," he told him.
"Oh, well, uh…, you're welcome," Murdoch meekly responded.
"Are you headed home then?" Ulli went on.
"Erm…, I guess. Only it will be quite a ways back to Vicarstown from here."
"Oh," Ulli wondered. "Well, perhaps we could offer you a shed to sleep in otherwise."
"Hmm," Murdoch thought hard. "Maybe, if it'd mean that I wouldn't have to bunk with noisy, chatterbox engines."
"Very well," Ulli decided, then rolled forward and shouted across the yard. "Oi! Vince! Vito! Do we have a spare shed for the night?"
"Not sure, Ulli!" Vince called back.
"I'll go look!" Vito decided, and raced off.
"Not to worry, friend," Ulli assured the mighty tender engine. "The boys and I will have you fixed up in no time."
Before Murdoch could respond, a diesel shunter with M.S.C. labeled on her top, and a red tank engine with a short dome rolled into view.
"I say," the diesel wondered. "Have we heard you mention something about needing a place to sleep?"
"Indeed," Murdoch confirmed.
"We know of a great place where you can sleep!" the tank engine assured him. "I'm Hurricane by the way. And this is my associate: Frankie. We run the SteelWorks just down the line here."
"Is it quiet at all…?" Murdoch wondered.
"Follow us!" Frankie encouraged.
She had not heard Murdoch's question as she and Hurricane reversed steadily backward, Murdoch following confusedly after them.
"We'll have you warmed up in no time," Hurricane assured him. "No problemo."
Rather surprised, Murdoch followed quickly after them, much to Ulli's surprise, as Vito rolled into sight.
"I found one!" he claimed, as Ulli looked at him funny.
"Huh," Ulli wondered, raising an eyebrow with confusion at the commotion.
Soon enough, the trio set off into the night for the SteelWorks, though Murdoch was a little far behind.
"Oi! You alright back there, big fella?!" Hurricane shouted back at Murdoch, who was struggling to keep up.
Murdoch breathed heavily as he sped further up, just inches behind Hurricane.
"Where exactly is it that we're going?" he wondered.
"To the SteelWorks!" Frankie responded, as they approached the gates opening right in front of them. "Not to worry, big engine! You'll soon be thankful we brought you here!"
The trio rolled steadily through the entrance and further on towards the main building, Murdoch looking around with wonder.
"Hmm…" he thought to himself. "Quite a quaint little place. Hopefully it's to MY liking."
They entered the building and stopped just beyond the entrance, as Frankie honked her horn loudly.
HONK-HONK!
"Yoo-hoo! We're back!" she sang out.
Out of nowhere, the three experimental engines came whistling and rushing into sight.
"Frankie!" Theo called.
"Hurricane!" Lexi shouted excitedly.
"You're back!" Merlin called.
He let off a cloud of white smoke just as the three engines stopped to face the others before the entrance, resulting in Murdoch coughing and spluttering due to it blowing in his face.
"Oh," Merlin wondered, as the smoke cleared. "Did it…work that time?"
The others glanced at him funny, as Murdoch recovered from his coughing and looked around at the SteelWorks with disbelief.
"Settle down, you three," Hurricane kindly told them. "We have a guest. I expect you'll all make a good impression now, won't you…?"
"Oh, oh, a guest?" Lexi wondered with excitement, catching Hurricane off-guard. "Say what's your name?"
"Where do you come from?" Theo added.
"Murdoch," the mighty engine told them rather grandly. "I am a goods engine from the Island of…"
"Oh, oh, the island of Sonar, is it?" Merlin guessed. "We meet an engine from there once. His name was Thomas…"
Theo sighed and looked the other way.
"What brings you here then?" Lexi asked.
"Were you pulling a train?" Theo wondered.
"Yes, in fact…" Murdoch confirmed.
He tried his hardest to maintain patience, as Frankie and Hurricane exchanged nervous glances with one another.
"Oh, oh, was it a heavy one?" Merlin asked.
"What's the longest train ye pulled, boyo?" Lexi went on.
"Eh…, have you ever crashed?" Theo wondered meekly.
"That's quite enough, you three!" Frankie snapped, catching them all off-guard. "This big engine came for a rest, not for a chat!"
"Erm, it's fine," Murdoch assured her, before turning his attention to the three engines.
"You're all very kind," he politely told them. "But you are a rather chatty lot, and I do think I should get going now."
"Oh, nonsense, come along now," Frankie encouraged, catching him off-guard as he attempted to leave. "We'll have you all warmed up in no time."
"Show this big fine engine the shed, please, Theo," said Hurricane.
"Very well," the little traction engine obliged, before reversing backward. "Come along, big engine! Follow me!"
Puzzled, Murdoch followed Theo out through the back of the building and down the slope to the three-berth shed where the three engines usually slept. Murdoch looked at it with surprise.
"It's…just for three engines?" he wondered.
"Only for Lexi, Merlin and myself," Theo confirmed. "Frankie and Hurricane have their own shed right beside the main building. You're welcome to sleep in my berth if you'd like. I'll certainly manage sleeping outside for the night."
Murdoch raised an eyebrow with surprise.
"Oh, well, erm, thanks, uh…"
"Theo."
"Right," Murdoch wondered.
He chuffed slowly into the berth and gently let off steam, before yawning and shutting his eyes tight, much to Theo's surprise.
Murdoch finally thought that he had found himself a place for some peace and quiet. But unfortunately, that didn't last very long…
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"GAHHHH!"
Murdoch awoke with a start to the sound of Hurricane snoring out chuffing noises with white clouds of steam in his sleep. He groaned and shut his eyes tight, attempting to go back to sleep when…
"I'm gonna make it! I'm gonna make it! Yay! I've won!" Lexi shouted out in her sleep, catching Murdoch off-guard as he opened his eyes and looked the other way to find her chanting in her sleep. "Hooray! Yipee! I did it! I did it!"
Murdoch winced at the noise of the two experimental engines in the berths beside him.
"Oh, forgot to tell you, big engine," Theo claimed. "Merlin often snores out chuffing noises with white clouds of steam in his sleep, and Lexi talks in her sleep as well. I've worked with them for long enough, so I'm used to it."
"Huh," Murdoch huffed and looked the other way.
He attempted to fall back asleep as the noises of Lexi and Merlin begin to die down. Merlin began to snore quieter and chuffed out less white smoke, as Lexi began to talk quieter to a whisper in her sleep.
"I've done it. I've done it," she murmured, even quieter.
Murdoch sighed with relief and slowly shut his eyes before falling back asleep, Theo smiling as he opened one eye and watched him do so.
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CLANG!
A long, loud clanging noise woke Murdoch with a start as he looked all around with surprise and watched the men shout and run inside the SteelWorks. He could hear them shouting and clanging from inside, which made it difficult for him to fall back asleep.
The commotion from inside the SteelWorks only made it harder for Murdoch to get a good night's rest…
By morning, the three experimental engines were already up and about, though Murdoch was still sound asleep since the men had worked late through the night.
Murdoch awoke slightly to the sound of the rooster calling, managing to open a sleepy eye. He was further startled by the sound of Merlin's whistle as the stealth engine rolled out of his berth and stopped right in front of him, before looking back at him.
"Good morning, big engine!" he greeted. "Did you sleep okay?"
"Is there a particular job you need to get to?" Theo wondered, looking at him directly.
Murdoch thought for a moment, before widening his eyes with realization.
"My goods train!" he gasped.
He quickly rushed away, much to the three engines' bewilderment.
"Erm…come again soon!" Lexi called out.
Murdoch rushed further on towards the exit past him Frankie and Hurricane, who stopped with surprise.
"Oi!" Frankie called out. "Whatever's the hurry?"
"Did you enjoy your stay?" Hurricane called out.
Though Murdoch had already rushed through the gates before he could respond to them…
Back at Vicarstown, BoCo was just pulling out of the station with the goods train that Murdoch was meant to be taking.
HONK-HONK!
BoCo exited the station with his train, as Rosie backed down from the station platform and prepared to go back about her shunting, when Murdoch rushed in.
PEEP-PEEP!
"Oh, Rosie," he sighed with relief, panting a bit as the station pilot glanced over at him with surprise. "Thank goodness. Sorry I'm late. Please, will you fetch me my trucks so I can be on my way then?"
Rosie gave him a look of dismay.
"Eh, sorry, Murdoch, but I do believe BoCo has already left with the goods train you were meant to take. Fat Controller's orders, apparently."
Murdoch groaned with dismay, as Rosie looked at him even harder.
"Um, where have you been all night?" she asked out of curiosity. "I thought you were taking a trip to the Mainland."
"I did," Murdoch confirmed, then slowly admitted, "though I…was seeking a more peaceful place to sleep but to no avail."
"Oh," Rosie wondered, listening hard.
"Anyway," Murdoch went on, "I'm think I'm just going to rest it out in that siding over there til my next train is due out."
"Oh, okay then," Rosie replied
She beamed and watching him with surprise as he slowly backed himself into a siding and yawned before shutting his eyes peacefully.
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Murdoch attempted to get some rest before his next train, though the sound of engines passing in and out made it rather difficult for him to do so.
POOP-POOP!
The sound of Gordon whistling and rumbling out with the express caused Murdoch to suddenly open his eyes, and he further watched as Henry and the Flying Scotsman both whistled loudly and left with their own trains.
"Huh!" Murdoch scoffed, wincing as he witnessed the commotion of loud engines passing in and out.
At last, it was time for Murdoch to take his next goods train, and he waited quietly yet restlessly as Rosie brought him his trucks.
PEEP-PEEP!
"Did you have a good rest, Murdoch?!" she asked excitedly.
"Mmm…, could have been quieter," Murdoch admitted, as he watched the men load his trucks full of goods. "Then again, I'll be glad once I'm out on the Main Line and give my wheels a good run at it. I only hope my destination is a quiet one…"
The stationmaster walked up, pen and paper in hand.
"This shipment is needed at Brendam Docks, Murdoch."
Murdoch widened his eyes with shock at the thought, as the stationmaster went on.
"Please, have it there on time so it can be loaded onto the next ship."
"Yes, sir," Murdoch murmured quietly, then watched as he walked off.
"Oh, no," he groaned to himself, dissatisfied. "The Docks is a busy place, full of noisy, chatty engines! I'll never get a moment's peace there!"
Then he had a thought and beamed to himself.
"Or maybe I WILL…" he thought hard to himself.
Murdoch had remembered an alternative route through the countryside and decided he'd take it as opposed to the standard route.
"Perhaps I'll get a bit of peace and quiet after all. It ought to do me good beforehand…" he decided to himself, and continued to wait as the men loaded his trucks.
As soon as his trucks were fully loaded, Murdoch exited the station and made it on his way to Brendam, though he quickly managed to turn away from the standard route and along the route that led through the countryside.
"This'll do the trick," he thought to himself, as he made his way further along.
Soon enough, Murdoch was in the peace and quiet of the countryside, as he observed the calm, lovely scenery all around.
Murdoch beamed as he watched the trees all around him and the birds hovering over.
"Ah," he sighed happily, as he observed the peaceful, lovely stretch of line ahead of him. "Nothing to it."
Murdoch was feeling very pleased with himself. He thought he had been very clever by having avoided the loud and noisy atmosphere of the Island once and for all by taking the route he did.
Murdoch continued through the countryside, taking a deep breath and humming quietly to himself as the birds flew above him.
Once Murdoch arrived at Brendam though, Carly was more than relieved to see him.
"Ay, Murdoch!" the crane called, then sighed with relief. "At last."
Murdoch expressed a look of confusion as Carly looked hard at him.
"Where have you been all this time then, chuck?" she asked.
"Ehh…what do you mean?" Murdoch wondered, rather puzzled.
HONK-HONK!
"Argh, matey," Salty expressed with concern. "Dat ship arrived 'bout 20 minutes ago."
"What?" Murdoch gasped, eyes widened.
SLAM!
To make matters worse, he heard a car door slam and watched as the Fat Controller walked up to him, looking very serious as he put his hands over his hips.
"I came as soon as I heard of the delay," he explained. "And I know all about you being late to Vicarstown this morning, Murdoch, hence why I had to arrange for BoCo to come over on short notice."
"Oh," Murdoch thought, slowly realizing everything all at once.
"Do explain yourself, Murdoch," the Fat Controller demanded. "Your constant being late has caused confusion and delay all day now."
"I'm sorry, sir," Murdoch admitted. "I never meant for any delays to happen. But the reason I took the alternative route through the countryside was because I was rather unsettled by the loud atmosphere of this new environment I'm working in."
The Fat Controller looked at him hard, taking in Murdoch's explanation and listening carefully.
"I also thought the journey to the Mainland would be an excursion away from all that," Murdoch went on. "Though I couldn't really find the right place to sleep on the Mainland either. I finally got some peace and quiet when taking the alternative route from Vicarstown."
The Fat Controller sighed and expressed a facepalm.
"Murdoch," he explained, "I sent you to work at Vicarstown because I was counting on you to be reliable, not because it would suit your standards. You'll just have to get used to loud noises. Running your trains on time is far more important than comfort."
"I understand now, sir," Murdoch admitted, expressing a sad look on his face. "I'm sorry. I promise, I'll do better in future."
"I expect you will," the Fat Controller assured him. "Now that you've learnt your lesson of course."
"Yes, sir," Murdoch agreed.
He watched as the Fat Controller headed back towards his car, and then sighed as Carly unloaded his cargo from his trucks and onto the ship.
"Not to worry, chuck!" she assured him, as she moved her gantry over towards the first batch of trucks. "I'll have this ship loaded in no time!"
Murdoch was glad that Carly was able to make up for lost time, though he still felt sorry for his course of actions…
Later that evening, Murdoch returned to the sheds after working late. Henry and Rosie were already there, though Murdoch spoke first.
"Good evening, you two!" he greeted, much to the pair's surprise, then he sighed. "I just wanted to apologize for the way I behaved my first night at the sheds. I do admit to preferring a peaceful environment as opposed to one filled with loud noises.
The two engines listened and looked over at each other with surprise as Murdoch went on.
"Yet I am very pleased to share a shed with you both and have your company when the day's work is over."
"Gee, thanks, Murdoch!" Rosie beamed. "We feel the same way! But...if you really want some peace and quiet, Henry and I are glad to give it to you and be a little quieter."
"No need," Murdoch assured her. "I think I can manage a good chat every once in a while."
"Oh," Rosie wondered with surprise, then chuckled. "Okay then."
"I say," Henry thought. "It reminds me of a near incident I've had tonight with the Kipper. Would either of you care to hear?"
"Sure!" Rosie blurted out, rather thrilled.
"With pleasure," Murdoch smiled. "Maybe a good story will help me to go to sleep after all."
"Very well then," Henry decided, then began. "It all started as I was pulling out of Maron Station when I started to feel a squeak under my wheels. My sandbox seemed empty so my fireman had to drop some on the rails by hand…"
Murdoch and Rosie listened on with intrigue, as the stars shone brightly in the clear evening sky.
Murdoch still longs to seek the peace and quiet of the countryside, but now understands that sticking it to the task at hand and being on time is more important than being in a comfortable environment, … …
PEEP-PEEP!
DING-DING! DING-DING!
Murdoch and Toby whistled and rang in greeting to another as they passed with a goods train and Henrietta respectively. Murdoch breathed in the fresh air all around and smiled as he continued along.
… … and for that matter, does whatever he can nowadays to get on with his work without fuss or bother, or at least for a little while…
POOP-POOP!
"GAHHHH!" Murdoch screamed, as Gordon rumbled by the express.
He sighed with relief then pressed further on, slightly blushing as he continued along through the peaceful, quiet countryside.
So my first Set 3 returnee debuts here, and it's Murdoch the Mighty Engine! I do think that this was a fitting storyline to put him in and he did come out of the episode learning the necessity of being on time over comfort. Incorporating Murdoch to the Vicarstown crew alongside Henry and Rosie was an idea I had in mind from the moment I thought of having him back and it worked for the benefit of having him there to take goods trains out from Vicarstown, even though he spends the majority of the story either seeking out peace and quiet on the Mainland or taking alternative routes from Vicarstown. Speaking of which, the SteelWorks crew and the Bridlington Diesels were fun to include in roles here for the sake of appearing in Set 3, and the reason why Beresford only cameoed was because I have a speaking role specifically in mind for him further on down the line in this set. I hope I wrote Murdoch well here; meek, mighty, tries his best to be polite, but nevertheless cares about anything more than to finding peace and quiet wherever he goes. I'm certain I've written that side well of him. I have two more returnees coming back this set (SPOILERS ALERT: maybe three if a character introduced in CGI becoming more prominent counts). I hope you all look forward to my next batch of stories. Feel free to leave thoughts, and as always, stay tuned for...
Put Upon Peter Sam - Peter Sam is always keen to help other engines in a state of bother, however his generous nature is exploited when Rheneas is in need of repairs and other engines bribe him into doing their work as well as his own.
Edward And The Cabbages (based on the story of the same name by Christopher Awdry) - James is late delivering some passengers for Edward's train, and as the #2 blue engine attempts to make up for lost time, his wheel goes missing in a cabbage patch, which is later discovered by the farmer.
All Steamed Up - it's harvest festival time, and Isobella has to pull the float with the choir on it when Trevor breaks down. Isobella doesn't want to miss out on the fun the other vehicles have while she is off-site, but soon finds that fun is what she can make it.
Playing Ghosts - Mike doesn't believe Jock's ghost story that his driver told him and calls him silly, so Jock devises a plan to pay him out, which backfires as he also scares Bert and Rex in the process, and causes all three engines to be too scared to come out of their sheds!
Gordon Gets It Right - Gordon is often susceptible to teasing from Bill and Ben, and tries his hardest to stay wise to their pranks. However, he may find that the twins are being serious for once when it comes to warning him about the Viaduct being under maintenance!