Put Upon Peter Sam
Written by Davey Moore
Peter Sam is an engine who is enthusiastic about any job he is given; he is also kind towards every engine and is always eager to lend a helping hand whenever he can…
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One day, Luke was broken down at a section of the line when Peter Sam rolled up alongside.
PEEP-PEEP!
"Deary me, Luke," he expressed with surprise. "Whatever happened?"
"One of my crank pins broke," Luke sadly expressed. "And I still have to deliver these slate tiles to the Depot."
"Not to worry," Peter Sam assured him. "I'll help you get these tiles to the Depot, then have you at the SteamWorks for repairs in no time!"
"Thank you, Peter Sam!" Luke beamed.
Peter Sam buffered up to him and was coupled up, before whistling loudly and pulling Luke and the slate trucks.
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Because of this, some engines tend to exploit Peter Sam's good nature and bribe him into doing their work for them…
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PEEP-PEEP!
"Hello, Henry!" Peter Sam greeted one evening, as he pulled into the platform at Crovan's Gate beside him. "How are you this evening?!"
"Not bad, youngster," Henry greeted, then beamed as he looked across at him. "Though I do have a Kipper to run, and my passengers do need to be looked after. Do you think you can do so?"
"I was planning on returning these coaches to the yard after my last passenger train," Peter Sam admitted, thinking hard. "But…I guess I can help out if you're busy."
"Thank you, youngster," Henry expressed gratefully, grinning as he whistled and left the station, then looked back at him cheekily. "Don't be late now, or else I'll have to leave them behind."
Peter Sam smiled as he watched him leave, then waited as Henry's passengers boarded his train, before whistling and taking off.
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Peter Sam never minds helping his friends out in a state of bother, and rarely grumbles about having to work late hours or overtime.
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At Lakeside, Peter Sam yawned and attempted to stay awake while the passengers were exploring Lakeside.
"Still have to deliver passengers early in the morning…" he thought to himself, as he struggled to keep awake.
Unfortunately, Peter Sam's generosity makes him rather gullible as he fails to notice when other engines are taking advantage of him, and unfortunately this makes him rather put upon.
One day, Sir Handel was in a hurry with his routine passenger train, as he approached Glennock up ahead.
"Come along, you cattle trucks," he gawked to the coaches behind him. "Get a move on or else you'll make us late!"
Ruth and Lucy both gasped with shock and horror as Agnes squinted an eyebrow at him from the front.
"Well, I never!" Ruth spluttered.
"How rude!" Lucy agreed.
"Indeed!" Ruth went on, then whispered, "we should pay that Sir Handel out!"
"Yes, yes! Agreed!" Lucy quietly, then went on towards the next coach, "what do you think, Jemina?"
"Eh, sorry, what?" the third coach wondered. "Sorry, ladies. I didn't hear. I'm a little deaf of hearing if you can recall."
Ruth and Lucy mumbled amongst each other with bewilderment.
"Maybe I can offer an opinion," Beatrice, the guard's van suggested.
"Hush, Beatrice!" Ruth snapped.
"Yeah!" Lucy added. "Focus on the line facing away from you!"
"Shush, ladies!" Agnes bellowed condescendingly, then whispered, "I have a plan…"
She proceeded to whisper her plan to the others as Sir Handel approached Glennock, raising an eyebrow back at them with suspicion.
"Huh!" he scoffed, as he made it further towards the station.
"Ready, ladies?" Agnes whispered, waiting a few seconds as he entered the station before shouting out, "NOW!"
As soon as Sir Handel applied his brakes, the coaches slipped their brakes on too and caused Sir Handel to slide into the station!
"Woah!" Sir Handel wailed.
He slid uncontrollably beyond the platform and came to a hard stop just to a hard, groaning and wincing as he squinted an eye, than glared back at the coaches and raised an eyebrow. Agnes' door opened, though the first passenger nearly fall back in surprise at the ground below.
Because of the trick the coaches had played on Sir Handel, Agnes had made it just beyond the platform and her passengers weren't very happy, nor were the rest of the passengers.
"I say!" one passenger grumbled, as they all proceeded to exit Lucy, Ruth and Jemina. "Call this a railway?"
"Huh!" Sir Handel scoffed, as he listened to the passengers grumbling and chattering amongst themselves.
"Uh oh," Beatrice muttered from the back, as she listened to the commotion.
"Sir Handel!" the stationmaster bellowed, as he stormed out of the station building.
Both Sir Handel and Agnes gasped and looked over at him with shock.
"You didn't stop in time, and now look what you did: you overshot the platform!" the stationmaster scolded.
Sir Handel groaned and backed slowly down into the station so that Agnes' passengers could exit the train.
"You coaches should be ashamed of yourselves!" he scolded. "You upset our passengers!" Then he mumbled quietly to himself, "not that they're worth worrying about anyway…"
PEEP-PEEP!
His thoughts were suddenly interrupted as Peter Sam rushed into sight.
"Are you alright, Sir Handel?" he asked.
"No!" Sir Handel bellowed. "These cattle trucks tricked me and caused me to overshoot the platform!"
"Maybe we wouldn't have done so if you hadn't called us cattle trucks in the first place!" Ruth argued.
"I'd say," Lucy agreed. "And rushing us about the way you did. What do you think, Jemina?"
"Huh," the fourth coach wondered. "Sorry, ladies. I had a hard time hearing…"
"Doh!" Sir Handel snapped, seething impatiently. "Uncouple me at once! I'm going back to the Depot!"
"Would you like to take the coaches for you, Sir Handel?" Peter Sam wondered.
"Oh, would you?" Sir Handel beamed, as he was uncoupled from the coaches. "That'd be much appreciated."
"No problem. I have no other jobs at the moment. I'd be happy to help out."
Ruth and Lucy expressed feelings of joy and relief, and Agnes just beamed across at Peter Sam, as Sir Handel limped slowly back to his shed.
In no time at all, the passengers were all back onboard and Peter Sam backed down onto the coaches.
"Come along, my dears," he greeted cheerfully, then he had a thought. "I must say, though, do be careful where you're going next time. I know Sir Handel's not easy to deal with, but you could have hurt your passengers."
"We're sorry, Peter Sam," Ruth apologized.
"He was asking for it though," Agnes pointed out from the front. "Don't you think, ladies?"
"Hmph! Couldn't have put it better myself…" Lucy expressed.
Peter Sam smiled, whistling loudly before saying to the passengers, "sorry for the inconvenience! I'll have you all to your destinations in no time!"
The passengers all clapped and cheered aboard the train as Peter Sam pulled the train steadily out of the station.
"Did you hear that, Lucy?" Ruth expressed. "He called us his dears again."
"I know," Lucy agreed, sighing with relief as Peter Sam pulled them along.
Peter Sam smiled as he pulled the train smoothly along the track, steam pouring out of his funnel as he made his way along and looked at the nature all around him.
The coaches were more than happy to be pulled by Peter Sam, and remained in brighter spirits as he pulled the passengers along to their destinations on time.
Sir Handel had arrived back at the Depot for a rest, just in time to see Rheneas perched onto a flatbed.
"Alright, Skarloey," the Thin Controller ordered, as the no.1 narrow gauge engine backed down onto the flatbed. "Please have Rheneas at the SteamWorks on the double."
"Yes, sir," Skarloey obliged, as he was hitched up to the flatbed.
The Thin Controller then turned towards Rheneas and smiled.
"Don't worry, Rheneas," he said kindly. "The SteamWorks will have you repaired again in no time."
"Thank you, sir," Rheneas beamed with relief, then had a thought. "But...who will deliver my trucks of gravel to Ulfstead?"
"Yes," Skarloey agreed. "And my trucks of slate to Crovan's Gate?"
"Hmm…" the Thin Controller wondered, thinking hard. "Duncan is supposed to take the Lakeside special later this afternoon, and I've already sent him to the Quarry for another errand so I can't ask him to do it."
He thought even harder and looked around to see Sir Handel, who scoffed and looked the other way.
Sir Handel looked away, not at all interested in pulling trucks after his incident with the coaches.
"Sir Handel can't do both all at once…" he thought to himself.
PEEP-PEEP!
"Ah! Peter Sam!" he beamed, as he watched the no.4 engine reverse into the Depot besides Sir Handel.
He walked over to the pair and smiled.
"I take it that neither of you have a job at the moment," he guessed.
"Well, errr…" Sir Handel thought, trying hard to think of an excuse.
"Just finished taking out Agnes and the others, sir!" Peter Sam confirmed.
"I see," the Thin Controller responded, shooting Sir Handel a stern look.
Sir Handel smiled nervously, then gulped.
"Well then," the Thin Controller went on, "as it happens, Rheneas has broken down and Skarloey is due to take him to the SteamWorks. So I was wondering if I could spare the pair of you to take their trucks in their place."
"Eh, well you see, sir…" Sir Handel tried to excuse.
"With pleasure!" Peter Sam obliged.
"Excellent!" the Thin Controller beamed. "Sir Handel, I'd like you to take trucks of gravel to the castlegrounds at Ulfstead, and Peter Sam, I need you to take trucks of slate to Crovan's Gate."
"What?!" Sir Handel spluttered.
"Ahem!"
The Thin Controller raised an eyebrow sternly at Sir Handel, causing to sigh with dismay.
PEEP-PEEP!
"Come along, Sir Handel!" Peter Sam whistled cheerfully.
Sir Handel followed slowly after him away from the Depot sheds.
Peter Sam was happy to be helping out, though Sir Handel wasn't quite as keen…
"Huh!" Sir Handel scoffed, bumping his trucks into line as he watched Skarloey pull Rheneas away, then grumbled dreadfully "I'm overworked and I won't stand it! I never get a moment's respect from either of those cattle trucks and now I have to deal with you!"
He proceeded to bump them all in line, shouting "that's for you! And you! And YOU!"
"Ow! Ow! Ow!" the trucks groaned, as they bumped into one another.
"All this extra work gives an engine boilerache!" he complained.
He heard Peter Sam's whistle and thought hard about what he said, an idea suddenly in mind.
"Boilerache…" he thought.
He pretended to cough loudly as Peter Sam rolled into view with his own perch of trucks.
"Goodness, Sir Handel," Peter Sam wondered with concern. "Are you alright?"
"No!" Sir Handel coughed, trying his best to mouth words as he spoke. "I've just discovered a case of boilerache, and I feel short of steam!"
"Oh," Peter Sam thought, listening on with surprise.
"I'm not sure if I'll be able to work in the condition I'm in," Sir Handel went on.
"Don't worry," Peter Sam beamed. "I can help out if you're ill."
Then he thought hard.
"Even if that means I'd have to rush between Ulfstead and back to the Quarry to deliver my trucks on time."
"Thank you, Peter Sam!" Sir Handel smiled, then coughed loudly once more so as not to blow his cover. "I don't know what I'd do without a friend like you."
"Oh, that's alright. That's what friends are for," Peter Sam assured him. "I hope you get better soon."
He proceeded to shunt his trucks into line, as Sir Handel smirked at him.
"I already do…" he remarked snidely to himself.
He proceeded to reverse backwards towards the shed, coughing loudly.
"I feel short of steam," he coughed, trying his hardest so as not to blow his cover.
Peter Sam arrived at the Blue Mountain Quarry all in good time, and waited for his trucks to be filled with gravel to take to Ulfstead.
PEEP-PEEEEEP!
Peter Sam jumped with a start at the sound of a familiar whistle from nearby.
"Come on, Owen! Hurry up!" Duncan whistled impatiently.
The incline just chuckled as he brought down Duncan's stone trucks.
"Patience, Duncan," he assured him. "I can only load so many trucks at a time, you know."
"Huh!" Duncan scoffed, as a nearby Peter Sam watched with concern.
PEEP-PEEP!
"Hello, Duncan!" he greeted, cheerfully as he could. "What's gotten you in a tearing hurry?"
"Ach! You'll never believe what my schedule looks like today, Peter Sam!" Duncan remarked. "First, I have to deliver these stone trucks to repair a tunnel in the valley! Then I have to take the Lakeside special this afternoon from Crovan's Gate and it'll be during Nancy's break!"
"So…?" Peter Sam wondered, rather confused as Duncan went on.
"So I won't 'ave ne time for a polish before I run my evening shift!" Duncan finished. "And I've been looking forward to having all week!"
"Hmm…" Peter Sam thought hard, then smiled. "Well, I always enjoy going to Lakeside, and I'm off to Crovan's Gate anyway to drop some slate tiles, so maybe I can help out."
Duncan widened his eyes with surprise.
"Oh, please, could ye, Peter Sam? That'd be very kind!"
"No problem. I don't mind helping out. After all, I'd be taking the pressure off your pistons so that you can have a polish before your evening shift."
"Thank you, Peter Sam! That'd be much appreciated!"
"Happy to help!" Peter Sam assured him.
At that moment, his last truck was filled up with gravel and he whistled loudly as he set off for Ulfstead. Duncan sighed with relief and waited as Owen brought him down his next perch of trucks.
Once Peter Sam arrived at Ulfstead, he waited at the groundskeeper's lodge as the men unloaded his trucks of gravel. However, the job DID seem to take a while and Peter Sam was getting worried.
"Oh, my," he wondered to himself. "How will I EVER make it back to the quarry in enough time to deliver the slate tiles to Crovan's Gate and then go to Lakeside…?"
At long last, the job was done and Peter Sam was ready to head back to the quarry.
Peter Sam whistled a cheerful thank you to the workmen, who waved goodbye to him as he made it on his way.
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As he waited for his slate trucks at the Quarry, Peter Sam looked anxiously at the clock beside the station.
"How awful," he thought to himself, "if I didn't make it to Crovan's Gate on time…"
Soon enough, Merrick had his slate trucks fully loaded and he was ready to go.
PEEP-PEEP!
He took off in a jiff, racing along the Quarry line past a very surprised Paxton.
HONK-HONK!
"Peter Sam!" the diesel demanded, groaning to a sudden halt. "Slow down! What's gotten you in such a hurry?!"
"Sorry, Paxton! Can't stop or chat! Must keep going!" he called back, as he made his way out of the Quarry.
"Oh," Paxton thought to himself, confused as he rolled further along.
Peter Sam arrived at Crovan's Gate with his load, as the men waited to unload his trucks.
"Oh, dear," he wondered frantically, as the stationmaster watched him from the platform. "What happened? Am I…a-am I late?"
The stationmaster chuckled and raised his hand to calm him down.
"Not at all, Peter Sam," he assured him. "In fact, you're right on time."
"Oh," Peter Sam thought, then sighed with relief.
Peter Sam's relief was short-lived, as he remembered that he still had to take the Lakeside special.
"The coaches," he suddenly wondered. "Lakeside! Oh, dear! Uncouple me, please!"
Confused, the shunter uncoupled Peter Sam who then took off in a flurry.
Peter Sam hurried back to the Yard near the "Works Station" and wasted no time in shunting the coaches into line.
"I say, ladies," Ruth wondered quietly, as Peter Sam left them at a spot right by the carriage shed before going off to collect Beatrice. "Peter Sam does seem rather rushed off his wheels, doesn't he?"
"Agreed, Ruth," Lucy added. "But nonetheless, it beats having to travel out rather with the likes of Sir Handel or Duncan. Wouldn't you agree, Jemina?"
"Huh?" the fourth coach blurted out. "Sorry, ladies. I didn't hear. Come again?"
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PEEP-PEEP!
"Ready to go out today, Beatrice?" Peter Sam asked, as he prepared to shunt the guard's van into place.
"If it means I'd be keeping myself useful," Beatrice replied, then had a thought. "Peter Sam, wasn't Duncan scheduled to take us out instead?"
"He was," Peter Sam admitted. "But he's off to the sheds for a quick polish before his evening shift, and I'm taking you all to Lakeside in his place."
The coaches listened with surprise, as Peter Sam shunted Beatrice into sight of them.
"Furthermore, I'm also filling in for Sir Handel due to him recently taken ill."
"Taken ill?" Beatrice wondered.
"Heard that one!" Jemina remarked.
"Apparently, it's boilerache of some sort, and he feels short of steam," Peter Sam explained.
"Huh," Agnes scoffed from the front of the train. "He had it coming to him, didn't he, ladies?"
"It should serve him right for mistreating us!" Ruth added.
"Indeed," Lucy agreed.
"Please, Peter Sam," Beatrice advised, as he pushed her further towards the back of the train. "Try not to make a habit out of letting other engines take advantage of your generosity. At least they all know how useful you are. Agnes and the others all say I smell of fish and cheese!"
Peter Sam listened on as Beatrice concluded her statement.
"Point being, don't let yourself be put upon with other engines' work."
"Put upon?" Peter Sam wondered, as he shunted Beatrice to the back behind Jemina. "Whatever does that mean?"
"Stop your gossiping, Beatrice!" Agnes gawked from the front. "We have a train to pull, and passengers waiting!"
Peter Sam wasted no time and hurrying around the front and buffering down onto Beatrice. The shunter coupled him up and he was off in a flash.
"I wonder why Peter Sam didn't greet in the same way he usually would," Ruth wondered.
"Beats me," Lucy added. "He doesn't really seem himself today. What do you think, Jemina?"
"Huh? What?"
Ruth and Lucy muttered quietly amongst themselves, as Agnes sighed heavily and rolled her eyes.
Peter Sam hurried with the coaches along to Crovan's Gate, where Henry had just dropped off his passengers bound for Lakeside.
"Hello, youngster," he cheekily remarked, as he looked over at him and noticed how worn out he was. "You do seem short of breath!"
Peter Sam was too tired to respond and looked the other way instead, as Henry's guard's whistle blew, and the green engine was off in a flash.
"Ignore him, Peter Sam," Ruth encouraged.
"He's only teasing," Lucy added.
"I know," Peter Sam muttered exhaustedly under his breath, as his passengers boarded the train.
After his passengers were all onboard, Peter Sam took off for Lakeside.
PEEP-PEEP!
Peter Sam took off slow and steady soon as the guard's whistle blew.
As Peter Sam arrived at Lakeside, he came to a halt right by the station platform and his passengers soon got out to explore the sights. Elizabeth the Vintage Lorry was nearby, dropping off some supplies for Neptune's Refreshments.
"Oh, my, dear," she sympathetically remarked. "You do look rather short of breath. Are you going to be alright?"
"I'll be fine," Peter Sam kindly responded. "Thank you, Elizabeth."
"If you say so," Elizabeth replied, as his loader was emptied, and she was off in a flash.
Peter Sam sighed and watched as the passengers walked around and explored Lakeside, and was glad to finally have a bit of a rest.
At long last, the Refreshment Lady came over and could see that Peter Sam looked exhausted.
"Hello, Peter Sam!" she greeted, then looked at him carefully. "Deary, you do looked puffed out. I'm just about to start me shift. Are you going to be okay for the journey back?"
"I suppose," Peter Sam guessed.
He sighed and waited relaxedly as the Refreshment Lady walked over towards the shop. The coaches were still worried, as Peter Sam shut his eyes calmly.
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Soon enough, it was time to leave, and the passengers were all back onboard. Slowly but steadily, Peter Sam left Lakeside, still slightly worn out from rushing around from place to place.
"Honestly, Peter Sam," Agnes wondered from the front. "Are you going to be alright?"
Peter Sam attempted to keep his composure as he took a deep breath.
"I'll be fine, Agnes," he assured her, as he rolled slowly along. "It is a lot of work to keep up with having to fill in for Sir Handel and Duncan."
"It's strange, isn't it?" Ruth wondered. "How could Sir Handel have gotten ill so quickly if he was perfectly fine when he picked us up earlier?"
"More like his usual self," Lucy muttered in agreement. "What do you think, Jemina?"
"Huh…?" Jemina gasped.
"Oh, did I have to ask?" Lucy sighed heavily, rolling his eyes.
Peter Sam continued bravely along the line back towards Crovan's Gate, attempting to catch his breath.
"I'm only…trying…to help my friends…no matter…what it takes," he panted, as he trundled along, then began to feel rather funny as he looked with surprise up at the steam coming out of his funnel.
All of a sudden, Peter Sam began to feel short of steam, and found himself going slower and slower.
"I feel strange," he thought to himself, "as if I'm running low on steam."
"I have a bad feeling about this," Beatrice remarked.
At long last, Peter Sam came to an abrupt halt, and stopped right in the middle of the line.
"Oh, dear," he groaned. "I'm out of steam!"
"How so?" Agnes wondered, raising an eyebrow.
"I guess that by hurrying from place to place, I forgot to fill up on coal and water, and now I'm out!"
"Don't worry, Peter Sam!" his driver promised as he ran out of his cab. "I'll call for help!"
Peter Sam sighed sadly as he watched him run over towards the nearest telephone line, then expressed a look of dismay.
Peter Sam's driver telephoned for help, and soon enough Skarloey arrived to come to his aid.
PEEP-PEEP!
"Skarloey!" Peter Sam beamed with joy. "Am I glad to see you!"
"Not to worry, Peter Sam," Skarloey assured him, as he was hitched up, and his driver brought a shovel over towards his bunker. "You can have some of my coal, and I'll pull you to the nearest water tower. Though I'll have to take your train from there since the Thin Controller would like to have a word with you back at the Depot."
"Very well," Peter Sam muttered to himself, though he was slightly nervous as his bunker was filled up with coal, and Skarloey pulled him along.
Skarloey was able to drop Peter Sam off at the next water tower, then proceeded to take his passengers from there.
Peter Sam watched Beatrice smile at him as the train disappeared in the distance, then sighed as he had a nice long drink.
After his tank was full, Peter Sam returned to the Depot, feeling a bit better after his drink, though he was a little worried about what the Thin Controller would have to say to him.
When he got there, he arrived just in time to see him speaking severely to Sir Handel and Duncan.
"I'm very disappointed in you two," he scolded, as the two looked across at each other with dismay. "You've both caused a great deal of confusion by slacking off on your work, and I had to switch around my timetable just so another engine could do Skarloey's job. Don't you both understand that?"
"Yes, sir," Sir Handel murmured, feeling rather ashamed.
"But, sir," Duncan tried to excuse. "I only wanted a polish before me evening train, and Peter Sam did seem very keen about offering to help."
"It's true, sir," Peter Sam insisted, as the Thin Controller looked over at him with surprise. "I always love going to Lakeside."
"Nonetheless," the Thin Controller thought, before turning back to Duncan. "It's very important, Duncan, to keep things running smoothly no matter what."
Peter Sam thought for a moment, before turning to Sir Handel.
"Erm…Sir Handel," he wondered. "Were you really sick with boilerache?"
"Well, eh…" Sir Handel wondered, thinking hard of what to say. "I mean, I…"
"No, he wasn't," the Thin Controller confirmed, looking at Sir Handel as Peter Sam listened on with surprise. "In fact, his crew looked him all over and reported that there was nothing wrong with him."
Sir Handel was shocked to have been caught in the act, then expressed a look of dismay.
"It was all his excuse to get out of work," the Thin Controller assured Peter Sam.
"I see," Peter Sam replied, now expressing a look of understanding.
He shot Sir Handel a glance, who expressed a look of regret back at him.
"Now, Sir Handel, Duncan," the Thin Controller proposed, looking at the two engines. "For your punishment, I shall have you both working overtime this evening. Report to the station platform at once, and wait for me to assign you your jobs."
PEEP-PEEP!
PEEP-PEEP!
"Yes, sir," they both murmured, and trundled slowly away.
The Thin Controller watched after them, then turned back towards Peter Sam, smiling.
"Now, Peter Sam," he spoke kindly to him. "May I remind you that it's very common for an engine to impose their work upon another to save time doing other jobs or perhaps long for a rest. Speaking of which, you do have a bit of time before your next passenger train. Why don't you rest for a bit before your next passenger train. Afterwards, you may turn in for the night."
"Thank you, sir!" Peter Sam beamed. "Beatrice did warn me about being put upon. It surely rushed me off my wheels, didn't it?"
"No worries," Mr. Percival beamed. "You learnt your lesson and that's the important thing. I must be off for my supper now."
"Cheers, sir! And thank you!" Peter Sam whistled, as he watched the Thin Controller set off, then looked over as Nancy walked towards him.
"Oh," he gasped, then chuckled. "Hello there, Nancy."
"Hi, Peter Sam!" she greeted. "Stationmaster gave me another break before my next shift. Do you have a train due?"
"Erm…in a little while," Peter Sam wondered, rather puzzled.
"Excellent! So perhaps you could use with a bit of a polish?"
"Oh, yes, please!" Peter Sam beamed.
He then smiled as Nancy climbed over him and began scrubbing her rag against him. He sighed happily and closed his eyes, finally at peace.
At Crovan's Gate, Henry waited as his passengers disembarked, looking anxiously at the clock.
"Oh, dear," he wondered to himself. "I do hope I'll make it back in time to pull the Kipper. I wonder if…"
PEEP-PEEP!
He looked over with relief as Peter Sam pulled into the platform beside him.
"Hi, Henry!" he whistled.
"Hello there, youngster," Henry greeted back. "I'm wondering. The Kipper will be due in a while. Do you think you can keep my passengers looked after so that they can catch a later train?"
Peter Sam thought for a moment as his own passengers embarked the train, then sighed and smiled over at Henry.
"Sorry, Henry," he kindly declined, "but I have my own work to do. You'll just have to keep them looked after unless another engine comes along."
At that moment, his passengers were all onboard and his guard's whistle blew.
PEEP-PEEP!
"Goodbye, Henry!" he greeted.
He pulled his coaches steadily out of the station, as Henry watched him with surprise.
Peter Sam carried on with his usual timetable, having learnt his lesson about being put upon by the other engines!
And so the narrow gauge engines star for the first time this set, and it's about Peter Sam learning not to be put upon. I will admit, the word itself linking to the alliteration in the title gives the story a lot to say for itself: Peter Sam is a kind, generous engine, but unfortunately, some engines tend to exploit this by bribing him to do their work for them and he'll never grumble about it regardless. Having him interact with Henry was fun to do, as the big green engine and his cheekiness towards Peter Sam was used as an example to Peter Sam learning the lesson he did. The Refreshment Lady and Nancy were also fun to include in one-liners for this set, and yes, there was another scolding by Mr. Percival, but it worked here to give Sir Handel and Duncan their comeuppance for slacking off, and teach Peter Sam not to be exploited by others. What I also enjoyed here was the bringing back Agnes, Ruth, Lucy, Jemina and Beatrice, my second set of returnees this set, in supporting roles, and they will given a larger one further down the list here. This story did turn to be fun to write, and I hope you all enjoyed reading it too. My next one shall be of another central character that I've never given the spotlight to before, even though he's occurred regularly in my stories. As always, stay tuned for...
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!
I Do Not Like Them, Peter Sam!(inspired by Green Eggs And Hamby Dr. Suess) - Peter Sam tries to get Sir Handel to be kinder to the coaches, but he insists that they are out to get him and refuses to take any of Peter Sam's advice on how to be kind to them.