Marion And The Blisters

Written by Davey Moore

Note: I've reinstated Davey Moore as Head Writer instead of Michael White since the former has been on the series longer and it would make more sense that the responsibility would be passed onto him after Andrew Brenner stepped down.

"Hey! Bill! Ben!" Marion shouted out.

The twins stopped in sight of the steam shovel and stood at her attention.

"How 'bout a game of Guess What's In My Shovel?!"

"Ooh," Bill marveled.

"Bet I'll get it right this time!" Ben hoped.

"Not before me!"

Marion hoisted her full load up high above the tracks.

"Ready?"

The twins gazed up at her hoist and giggled quietly.

"Go!" Marion cued.

"Ooh, ooh…" Ben exclaimed.

"Me first!" shouted Bill, catching Ben off-guard.

"Oi!" he gawked.

"Is it…mud?"

"Nope!"

Ben cleared his throat and thought hard.

"Is it…rocks?"

"Guess again!" Marion smiled. "One more try! All together now!"

The twins thought hard, than both spoke at once.

"Is it…clay?"

"Nope!" Marion replied.

She dropped her shovel open and revealed what she had the whole time, which spilt all over the tracks.

"Rocks?!" the twins expressed with disbelief.

Marion chuckled.

"Yep!"

"B-but…I don't understand…" Ben stammered.

"I didn't say you guessed it wrong the second time!" Marion winked.

"So I got it right!"

"Huh! Well, I could have guessed it too!" Bill groaned enviously.

"Then why didn't you?" Ben smirked, raising an eyebrow.

Bill blew a quiet raspberry, before Timothy rolled into sight.

"Hey, Marion! Shouldn't you get going to Arlesdale now?"

"Oh, yes!" Marion exclaimed, remembering.

The twins expressed disappointment at the game being over, but Marion smiled at them.

"Don't worry, Bill and Ben! We'll play again later! Till then, I'd like to congratulate the winner: Ben!"

"Yay!" Ben cheered.

"Huh!" Bill huffed, looking the other way.

"Good luck, Marion!" Timothy whistled, as he watched the steam shovel set off.

He sighed and turned his eyes back towards the twins.

"Still coulda been my second guess!" Bill moaned.

"Well, you called first dibs, Bill! Should serve you right for cutting me off!"

Bill gasped, raising an eyebrow.

"Is that how you wanna put it?"

"Just a fact!"

"Is not!"

"Is too!"

"Is not!"

"Is too!"

"Is not!"

"Is too!"

At last, Timothy sighed heavily.

"Come on, you two! Back to work now! Chop chop!"

The twins set off to work, right away, still bickering.

"Is not!"

"Is too!"

"Is not!"

"Is too!"

On her way to Arlesdale, Marion was very excited.

"Oh, it has been a while since I saw those magical little engines!" she expressed. "I do hope this time that they'll grant me a wish! Oh, oh, what will it be? Let me think, hmm…"

She thought it hard as she continued along.

"Will it be…trucks of gold? Or even…the chance to find dug up treasure?"

She closed her eyes, cooing excitedly.

"Ooh, I can't make up my mind! But I will! By the time I get there, I'll know exactly what to wish for!"

She trundled further along, humming excitedly.

"Ooh, I like dig, digging

I like to dig, dig…"

At Arlesdale Junction, the miniature engines were hard at work.

"Hello up there!" Bert whistled.

"Hello down there!" Rex whistled.

He brought some ballast trucks down from the hopper down onto the ramp, as Jock whistled and pulled into sight.

"Hello up there and down here!" he greeted, giggling slightly.

"Ouch!" groaned a voice from nearby. "That does it!"

Jock chuckled.

"What's the matter, Mike?" he asked cheekily. "Did I steal your line?"

Bert and Rex giggled quietly.

"Huh!" Mike scoffed, raising an eyebrow.

"Easy now," the ochre engine soothed. "I was only joking!"

"I know that!" Mike admitted. "It's just that driver pulled my lever too hard. Not to mention that I have to take my next passenger train out! The sooner I'm done with that job, the better. All they do is grumble when I go too fast or too slow!"

He whistled impatiently.

"Hurry up, Frank!" he called.

The diesel snorted and ignored Mike as he brought him his carriages. Rex whistled and chuckled as he stopped near him.

"Sounds like you're the one grumbling at the moment, Mike!" he teased.

Mike groaned with annoyance, while watching the grumbling passengers on the platform.

"Noisy racquet!" he murmured to himself:

At that point, he had an unfamiliar whistle.

"Huh?" he pondered.

"Yoo-hoo! Magic engines!"

His eyes wondered with horror

"Oh, no!" he gasped.

"Oh, dear!" Rex sighed.

"It can't be!" Bert groaned.

"Can't be what?" Jock wondered with confusion.

Bert sighed with dismay and glanced at the ochre engine, as Marion rolled into sight.

"Greetings, magic engines!" she cried out. "It's such a pleasure to see you after so long! I see you have two new recruits as well!"

"Magic?!" Jock exclaimed. "B-but…I don't understand…"

Frank groaned as he passed.

"Oh, please forgive me," Marion went on. "It has come to my attention when I first laid eyes on these lovely little engines that they were magic and…and…"

She thought for a moment, remembering, then blushed.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" he regretted. "I almost forgot to ask you your name. I'm Marion! And you are?"

"Jock!" the ochre engine answered. "And that little diesel over there shunting is Frank!"

"Oh, I see! Well, you do look doubly useful!"

Mike rolled his eyes as she went on.

"Anyways, it has been quite a ways here, especially that little enchanted forest of yours and…"

"Enchanted forest?!" Mike cried out.

"I think she means the green!" Bert murmured.

"Oh, I do love a bit of excitement every now and then!" she went on. "Anyways, the reason why I came here today is because I have a job to fulfill with filling in ballast for the tracks by the Arlesdale mine!"

"Why would the tracks down there even need repairing?" Mike wondered huffily.

"Mr. Duncan has a plan to reopen the mine for visitors!" his driver informed him, as he hopped aboard his cab.

"Pah! Why aren't the sights we usually take them to see enough?!"

At last, his guard's whistle blew.

"Come along, Mike!" he kindly encouraged, as he got him going.

Marion hummed as she made her way over to the ballast hopper.

"Now," she sighed to herself. "Time to get filled up with some lovely ballast!"

"Hmmm…" Jock wondered. "What is the significance of the mine?"

Rex sighed.

"It used to be run by the Blister engines!" he informed him.

"The Blister engines?!"

"Ooh, ooh, how captivating!" Marion chimed in. "Please tell us about it. At least before I head off to the mine!"

Rex took a deep breath.

"I suppose I could!" he decided, then began. "Anyways, legend says that there used to be a pair of engines who worked down in the Arlesdale mine long ago. They helped miners dig for lead and build tunnels under the ground, and also found other things that were valuable."

"But why were they called the "Blister Engines"?"

"Well," Rex went on, smirking. "Legend has it that the nickname was given to them by their drivers. You see, it apparently had something to do with difficulties starting up their engines, especially on cold mornings. However, they were strong and able workers deep down. Their engines worked wonders when started up, and they would often be used by the platelaying gangs to perform maintenance and shunting duties around these parts!"

"Wow!" Jock marveled. "Great story, Rex!"

"Intriguing!" Marion agreed. "I wonder if the Blister engines actually still exist!"

Bert sighed, exasperated.

"Doubt it!" he denied. "They existed a long time ago, way before me, Rex and Mike started working on the railway."

"Oh," she thought, sighing disappointedly. "But there must be something that can be done about finding the Blister engines again!"

The miniature engines all looked at her funny, as she thought blank and hard, then widened her eyes, gasping.

"I know! You're magical engines! Perhaps either of you could grant me my wish!"

Bert and Rex smirked across at one another, but Jock raised an eyebrow.

"How can that be possible?"

"Shhhhhhh!" Bert insisted.

Jock watched with confusion as he cleared his throat and looked over at Rex.

"Rex?" he suggested.

The green engine sighed.

"Very well, Marion! Go ahead and place your shovel full above me! I'll grant you your wish!"

"Oh, yes!" she cried, "with pleasure!"

She rushed over and placed her shovel full above Rex.

"Go on!" Rex encouraged.

Marion sighed and shut her eyes tight.

"Little magic engine," she began. "Please, may I be the one to find the long lost Blister Engines?"

Rex whistled and quickly set off with his goods train.

Marion opened her eyes with surprise.

"Wow!" she gasped. "I did it! I made a wish! It's off to the mines now! Thank you, magic engines!"

She set off for the mine, humming happily.

"What good did that do?" Jock wondered. "We're not actually magic! Marion might not actually find what she's looking for!"

"You're right, Jock!" Bert agreed. "But think about it this way: once Marion doesn't find the Blister engines, it will convince her that we aren't magic!"

"Oh," Jock thought, understandingly.

He felt better as he chuffed about the yard.

As she arrived at the mine, Marion was feeling very pleased with herself.

"All I needed was one of those little engines to grant me a magical wish of my own!" she expressed. "I'll soon see to it that I find exactly what I seek out to look for!"

She hoisted her shovel up high and gradually released ballast under the tracks by the mine.

"It'll be great!" she went on, moving about the line. "Those Blister Engines will be worth the wish! Those magical little engines will see soon enough!"

Marion was so overly pleased with herself that she didn't watch where she was going!

"Oh, I like dig, digging!

I like to dig, dig!" she sang out, her eyes shut and her shovel hoisted about.

"And laying down ballast

And magical wishes…AHHHH!"

She accidentally swing her shovel about, which caused her to drop ballast about everywhere!

"Oh, no!" she cried out.

She surveyed the mess that she had made, then sighed.

"Oh dear!" she groaned. "Silly me! I got so many ideas above my own shovel that I made a terrible mess! Whatever will I do?"

Marion settled down a bit when she viewed the entrance to the mine, where some of the ballast had broke open the barrier.

"Wow!" she marveled, as she watched sparkles and twinkles shine about the entrance.

"Hmm…" she thought, and edged further towards the barrier and beyond.

Marion ventured further into the heart of the mine, just out of curiosity. By the time she did, she looked all around at rocks and gems that lay about the mine!

"Ooh," she gasped, as a gem nearby twinkled and sparkled towards her. "This mine does look peculiar and all! I wonder if…woahhhh!"

Marion was caught off-guard as a sudden bend turned her round a corner and down a darker path.

"Oh, dear," she whimpered quietly. "Not able to see much in this state! Everything around just looks dark and…oof!"

She groaned as she bumped into another barrier, then looked ahead, sighing with dismay.

"Well," she decided. "Time to go back! Got a job to finish and a mess to clear up!"

She went slowly in reverse, but stopped and gasped suddenly.

Marion was just about to go back, when she heard a faint noise in the distance.

"By golly!" she exclaimed.

She rolled back further, but stopped once she bumped back into the barrier.

"Oof!" she groaned.

She listened again, long and hard, to the noise.

"Hmmm…" she wondering, "it sounds like some sort of chuffing noise. I wonder if…"

Then she gasped, groaning dreadfully.

"Oh no!" she denied. "It can't be! It surely isn't…"

She listened again but the noise kept coming back.

"Come on, Marion! You mustn't be imagining things! I must stop imagining things! I know: I'll just shut my eyes and count to three! Then it will stop!"

She took a deep breath and shut her eyes, before counting to three in her head, then opening them.

"See? It was all in my imagination! Now, it's back up the surface!"

Before Marion could move her wheels, she heard the chuffing noises again!

"Eeeeeeeek!" she cried out. "There it comes again! It's got to be real! And it's got to be those Blister engines! Ooh, I knew it would be! I must tell those miniature engines right away and thank them for granting me my wish!"

She reversed quickly out of the mine, humming slightly to herself.

Back at the Junction, Mike had just returned from his passenger train and was still grumbling!

"Huh!" he scoffed, listening aloud to the noisy chatter on the platform. "Good riddance!"

"What's the matter now, Mike?" Jock wondered.

"It's just all these noisy passengers! They've been grumbling all the way back here all just because a cow stray on the line and we had to wait for the farmer to take her away! What silly things animals are!"

"Those things do happen, Mike!" Bert soothed. "Luckily, the cow made it out unhurt, though!"

"Huh! Just glad that so did my wheels!"

Bert and Jock looked across at each other with a smirk, then looked over at Mike.

"You'll be glad to hear what news we have for you, Mike!" Jock informed him.

"News?!" Mike spluttered. "What news?!"

Bert smiled.

"Rex played a trick on Marion by pretending to grant her a wish!"

"A wish?! Why would he want to grant her one of those?!"

"Ooh, but it was a pretend wish, Mike!" Jock reminded him.

"Yes, indeed," Bert added. "And by the time Marion doesn't find what she's looking for, she'll understand we're not magic…!"

"…and let us be!" Mike finished, widening his eyes with excitement.

"Exactly!" Bert smirked, as Jock chuckled beside him.

Mike listened to the sound of Oliver's whistle, as he reversed in with his empty ballast trucks to be filled up, then sighed.

"Fascinating!" he expressed. " only wish that I thought of it myself. Then I would've been the one to stop her shenanigans once and for all!"

"Oh, yoo-hoo! Magic engines!"

Mike gasped.

"It's her again! Surely she doesn't realize yet!"

The three engines quietly went about their work when Marion rolled in.

"Attention please, fellow magic engines!" she eagerly demanded. "I am proud to announce that…"

She stopped when she looked about the yard with confusion.

"Say," she wondered, "where's Rex?"

"He's delivering a goods train at the moment," Jock informed her, confusedly.

"Oh," Marion frowned. "Guess it can wait then!"

"What can wait?" Mike wondered, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, I'll just say it anyway!" she sighed. "I would have just loved to thank him for granting me my wish and allowing it to come true!"

"Huh?" Jock wondered.

"What?" Bert thought.

"What are you blabbering on about?" Mike demanded.

"The chuffing noises I heard in the mine!" Marion cried out. "They sounded faint alright, but slight enough to sound like those of the Blister engines! I'm sure they're the ones that Rex was talking about! I always knew you engines were magical!"

"Doh!" Mike groaned.

Bert sighed and Jock expressed a look of confusion, as they all went back about their work. Marion sighed but then gasped, as she spotted Toad, who smiled at her.

"Oh, Toad!" she cried, racing toward him at the ballast hopper. "You won't believe what I heard in the mine!"

Oliver raised an eyebrow as she edged closer towards them.

"What, Miss Marion?" the brake van wondered.

"Chuffing noises! And they must have been from the Blister engines Rex was talking about!"

Rex returned with his empty trucks in time to hear Marion speak, widening his eyes with shock!

"Oh, they were real alright! I always knew these engines were magical!"

Oliver rolled his eyes as his last ballast truck was filled up, then he blew his whistle anxiously.

"Sorry, Miss Marion," Toad regretted, as the ballast train was pulled away. "But Mr. Oliver and I must head back now! Nice talking to you though. And good luck!"

"Thank you, Toad!" Marion called, then then gasped as she spotted the little green engine. "Oh! Rex!"

Rex sighed as Marion reversed down towards him.

"Oh, Rex! Thank heavens! Thank you so much for granting me my wish!"

"Huh?" Rex wondered.

"Earlier today when you told that story of the Blister engines and granted me my wish that I would find them!"

"But Marion," Rex insisted. "It was all just a story and besides, it was only just a…"

Before Rex could explain himself, the foreman walked up.

"Marion!" he demanded. "The tracks over by the mines still need to be filled in with ballast! And plus, there's ballast lying all over the tracks there near the entrance! Miners working nearby just called the stationmaster's office to inform him!"

"Oh dear, sorry for the inconvenience, sir!" she groaned, then smiled. "But you know, I do have something important to announce…!"

The foreman sighed.

"Please, Marion, storytime can wait till you get back! Go along now!"

Marion sighed and filled up on more ballast at the nearest hopper.

"Still on about those Blisters, Marion?" Jock wondered.

Marion raised an eyebrow as her shovel was filled up with ballast.

"I know I found something in that mine!" she expressed with certainty. "And I'll just prove it by going back there myself!"

She let out a loud whistle as she set off out of the Junction, while Mike and Jock laughed amongst each other. Bert, however, exchanged a glance of concern with Rex.

"What do you suppose that could have been about?" the former wondered.

"I don't know," the latter replied. "But I do admit, something very strange is going on…"

As she set off back for the mine, Marion was beginning to have thoughts of her own.

"Did I really hear something in that mine?" she wondered. "Or was I really imagining things?"

She sighed as she continued along.

"Ah, well," she decided. "I guess I'll just figure it out for myself!"

She was extra careful as she arrived back at the mine, and this time, she was able to fill in the ballast for the tracks without dropping it. But she watched the entrance to the mine the whole time, wondering if her imagination could really await her inside.

"I must've been seeing things!" she murmured to herself. "They were in my imagination, but deep down, they felt sort of real! I know! I'll just pay another visit to the mine after I'm done filling in these tracks with ballast!"

Soon enough, the job was finished and the tracks by the old mine were stable again!

"Now," Marion thought, "job all finished, let's get back at it!"

She ventured bravely back into the mine quicker than ever before! She wasn't thinking about the rocks and gems laying around now; she was very desperate to prove herself!

"Mustn't be seeing things!" she murmured to herself. "Sure I'm not just seeing things! Mustn't be seeing things…oof!"

Marion stopped once again at the barrier, and looked deep ahead before attempting to use a shovel to break through and venture further.

She groaned as she attempted to advance further with her shovel, but only found herself moving back-and-forth at the barrier, till she finally came to a stop!

"There's got to be another way!" she thought, determined.

She took a deep breath, then widened her eyes, having a sudden thought.

"I know! I'll just call to see if there's anybody down there!"

She cleared her throat, then whistled loudly.

"Hello!" she cried out. "Is anyone there?!"

All of a sudden, the chuffing noises came again!

Marion gasped, then listened a little closer.

"I knew it!" she beamed. "I knew I wasn't imagining things! Oh, and those miniature engines think I'm just joking around! But I know my wish was granted for sure! And I know just how I'm going to prove it!"

Marion reversed quickly out of the mind and back towards the Junction as fast as she could!

Meanwhile, the miniature engines were hard at work pulling trucks about the yard.

"Next load coming down!" Bert called, as he brought some trucks down from the ramp.

"Next load coming right up!" Rex joked in response, pulling some more trucks into sight.

Bert giggled slightly.

"Good one!" he admitted.

The engines were caught off-guard by a loud and long whistle, and looked over to see who it was.

Marion arrives sternly and confidently back at the Junction!

"I need to speak to the Small Controller right away!" she demanded.

"Marion? What are you doing now?" Mike demanded.

Marion moved slowly past the miniature engines.

"I know that none of you believe me," she went on, "but I know somebody who will!"

She stopped by Mr. Duncan's office and whistled loudly to get his attention.

At last, the Small Controller Mr. Fergus Duncan came out of his station office. He looked very surprised.

"What's all the commotion out here?" he wondered.

"Oh, sir! Thank goodness!" Marion expressed. "I've heard strange chuffing noises in the mine and I need your help!"

"The mine?" Mr. Duncan thought, confused.

"Yes, sir! I'm sure I know what's down there… I-I mean who's down there, sir! We must arrange for help right away!"

"Hmm…" Mr. Duncan pondered. "I'm not sure. The mine hasn't been used for years!"

"But, sir," Marion went on, "I'm sure that a search party would be a doable option! And besides, the mine is going to open back up anyway! The chuffing noises I heard were most likely from the Blister engines Rex was talking about in his story! I know they were, sir! I just know they were!"

Mr. Duncan widened his eyes with surprise, then thought for a second before stepping forward.

"Right!" he decided, "I shall see to an expedition being put into action! We'll see if there's something down there for real, Marion!"

He headed back to his office, as Marion cheered with glee.

"It's working!" she expressed, as she rolled about the Junction. "We will find the Blister engines… all thanks to you magical little engines!"

The miniature engines all sighed flusteredly, as they went about their work.

The next day, Mr. Duncan gathered his attendees for the expedition in his office. Sir Topham Hatt was part of the party, as were the two Clergymen who wrote about the smaller engines in their own book!

"Right," he began, laying out the map on his office table. "Here's our target! The Arlesdale mine!"

The two clergymen marveled at the map, as Sir Topham Hatt scratched his chin with curiosity.

"The old mine hasn't been used for years!" Mr. Duncan went on. "But ironically, Marion saw to it otherwise yesterday as she broke open the barrier by accidentally spilling ballast! Now, The next thing to note is what to look for when we get down beyond the barrier! The mine may be full of many surprises, but the key to finding our target is to stay inside of the track at all times!"

The Fat Clergyman raised his hand.

"Yes, Ted?"

"How will we see?"

The Thin Clergyman beside him sighed, as Mr. Duncan beamed.

"Good thing I asked you all to bring flashlights! Are they all present and accounted for?"

The three men find out their flashlights to show, and Mr. Duncan sighed.

"Good! Now, are there any other questions?"

The Thin Clergyman raised his hand.

"Yes, Wilbert?"

"Will we be writing about our findings in a book by any chance?!"

"Ooh, ooh!" his partner beside him expressed.

"If we find anything, be sure to do so at your own will, but I'm not for certain yet what we'll find!"

Wilbert nodded, leaving Sir Topham Hatt to raise a hand.

"Sir Topham?"

"How will we be getting to the mine?"

"Interesting thought! I thought it only fitting that I would arrange for a special means of transport to guide us on our expedition! Follow me outside if you would be so kind!"

The four men walked outside onto the platform, just as Marion whistled and rolled into sight.

"Greetings, gents!" she exclaimed. "Hop aboard! Marvelous discoveries yet to come!"

Sir Topham Hatt expressed a look of confusion towards Mr. Duncan, who led him and the clergymen aboard her cab.

"Off we go!" Marion whistled loudly, as she set off, continuing to daydream to herself. "Oh, what magical little things we'll find when we get there!"

Sir Topham Hatt groaned and expressed a facepalm, as both clergyman looked at each other nervously. Mr. Duncan watched from the side of Marion's cab, looking confident.

At last, they arrived at the entrance to the mine and Marion gazed inside.

"Wow!" she marveled.

She looked all around at object sparkling in sight from the barrier, as Mr. Duncan cleared his throat and took a deep breath.

"Onward!" he encouraged.

Marion quickly rolled forward into the mine and looked all around.

Everyone pointed their flashlights around at everything in the mine. Marion was able to get a closer view of it than she was before.

"Amazing!" she marveled. "Just how lovely and shiny all these objects are! I wonder if…"

"Don't lose your shovel now, Marion!" Sir Topham Hatt encouraged. "We still have much to figure out here!"

"Oh, we'll figure out lots, I'm sure!" said Marion determinedly. "I've been down this mine twice and i'm pretty sure I know the sound of an engine when I hear it…oof!"

Marion stopped and was able to go no further.

"Oh, dear!" she groaned. "It's that barrier again!"

Mr. Duncan stepped off and pointed his flashlight out further beyond the barrier, as the three men proceeded to do the same, circling at his sides.

"Do we go further, Fergus?" Wilbert wondered.

"Yes!" Mr. Duncan answered. "We are searching this mine top to bottom! Marion, you'll have to stay back here and wait till we return!"

"Yes, sir!" Marion obliged.

"Come along now!" Mr. Duncan went on.

Mr. Duncan lead the expedition further into the mind beyond Marion's reach!

"Easy does it now!" he encouraged the others, "we don't want to lose our step now!"

Sir Topham Hatt pointed his flashlight in all directions, pondering.

"Hmmm… I wonder if Marion's predictions are viably accurate, Fergus! After all, she does have a reputation for imagining things!"

"Oh?" Mr. Duncan wondered, thinking hard. But if I'm going to open this mine to visitors, I want to be sure of one thing!"

Sir Topham Hatt thought a little harder, sighing.

"B-but then again, they haven't always been steered wrong! There was this one Christmas, you see, when she discovered…"

Mr. Duncan raise his hand to silence him, then listened slightly to the sound of rubble falling.

"We must be getting close!" he guessed. "Come along now! Further we go!"

The expeditioners pointed their flashlights further down the dark alleyway of the mine!

"Closer towards what?!" Wilbert wondered.

"When will our lunch break be?!" Ted wondered.

"Shhhhh!" Mr. Duncan shushed.

He quickly stopped in his tracks, but could no longer hear much.

"We've got to keep searching!" he insisted.

He led the three men further on, as Sir Topham Hatt sighed, beginning to express doubts of his own.

However, it took a great deal of more searching before the men could hardly hear anything at all! At last, they stopped.

"We've been searching down here for at least an hour!" Wilbert pointed out.

"I'm hungry!" Ted added.

Sir Topham Hatt groaned and gave Mr. Duncan a pat on the shoulder.

"It's hopeless," he sighed regretfully. "It's apparent that Marion was imagining things after all!"

Mr. Duncan sighed disappointedly.

"Alright," he decided at last. "The expedition's over! Come along now, back up top!"

As he set foot back the other way, he cried out.

"Woahhhhh!"

His foot got caught in a loose section of the mind and sent him tumbling through the dark air.

"Fergus!" Sir Topham Hatt cried out.

"Sir!" Wilbert groaned.

Mr. Duncan wailed as he flew through the darkness of the mine and landed on his back.

"Oof!" he winced.

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

"Oh, botheration!" Ted groaned from up top.

Sir Topham Hatt spotted a loose rope from nearby that led down the hole where he fell through.

"Come on!" he encouraged. "We've got to find him!"

The three men grabbed onto the rope and carefully made their way down.

"Hold tight, Fergus!" Sir Topham Hatt cried out. "We're coming!"

Ted groaned and winced as he settled his arms and legs around the rope, which was slowly starting to loosen.

"Easy, Ted," Wilbert encouraged cautiously.

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

Mr. Duncan groaned and rose up, scratching his head.

"What happened?" he wondered aloud. "Where am I?"

He was caught off-guard by a sudden chuckle.

"Down in the mine, of course!" a female voice called out.

He gasped and looked all round.

"Who said that?!"

He had a cough by another voice.

"Over here?" the second voice, male, suggested.

"Maybe we can help!" the female voice added.

Mr. Duncan pointed his flashlight in the direction towards where he heard the unfamiliar voices! In plain sight, he noticed two scruffy-looking diesels that he had never seen before! They both had black coats with striped black and yellow linage!

"Oh," he gazed. "By golly!"

"I know," the male engine soothed. "No one has seen engines like us in a long, long time!"

"But we're still useful!" the female engine said, as the male engine eyed her with confusion. "Allow us to introduce ourselves! I'm Macy!"

"And I'm Merle!"

"But…but…I don't understand," Mr. Duncan wondered. "Where did you both come from?"

"We worked down here in the mine long ago!" Macy explained. "Bringing lead and rocks and gems all about!"

"Shunting trucks to and fro from this siding to that one!" Merle added.

"They called us Blisters for obvious reasons!"

"Had trouble getting our engines started!"

"Oh, and not to mention that dreadful cold?!" Macy expressed.

Mr. Duncan listened to their explanation with astonishment!

"Sir Topham! Gentlemen!" he called up. "Get down here now! I've found something extraordinary!"

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

"We're coming, Fergus!" Sir Topham Hatt called out.

"On our way!" Ted shouted, tugging on the road as he went down.

The rope that the three men were climbing on was beginning to loosen even more.

"Ted!" Wilbert called out. "Stop tugging!"

"Huh?"

But by the time he responded, it was too late!

The rope snapped, and the three men weld as they tumbled further down through the darkness.

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

Macy sighed.

"Sadly, we've been forgotten about and left down here to manage on our own!"

"And run out of fuel too!" Merle added. "We're still able to chuff some, but it only gets us further on certain days!"

"So…" Mr. Duncan thought, "do I recall chuffing noises from down here yesterday?"

"Yes!" they both cried.

"You heard?" Macy wondered.

"Marion did! And thank goodness too!"

"Marion?" Merle expressed with confusion.

Before Mr. Duncan could explain further, he was caught off guard as the three men landed on the ground and slowly got up, groaning.

"Sir Topham! Wilbert! Ted!"

He quickly helped them up on their feet and pointed them in the direction towards the two diesels.

"Look, Sir Topham! Look what I've discovered!"

"Huh?" Sir Topham Hatt thought.

Macy grinned at him, as Merle smiled meekly.

"It can't be!" Wilbert gasped.

"Can't be what?" Ted wondered.

"Fergus?" Sir Topham Hatt expressed. "But…but…I don't understand…"

"No need to worry, Sir Topham!" Mr. Duncan soothed. "I have a plan already in mind!"

Macy smiled with excitement as Merle expressed a lot of confusion.

A few days later, Marion was called back to Arlesdale Junction.

"Greetings, miniature engines!" she whistled, as she arrived.

Jock sniggered.

"Don't you mean magic engines?" he cheekily remarked.

Marion smiled meekly.

"I've gotten over myself!" she admitted.

"Oh?" Rex wondered, as he and Jock both listened to her explanation.

"The moment they went down there in that mine and came back telling me that there was nothing down there, I figured that the only solution was that I was imagining things, and that I was very silly in thinking that you engines could possibly be magical just because you're smaller than the others!"

"Ey! Watch it!" Bert exclaimed, rather sensitive.

"Oops!" Marion gasped. "Sorry! Didn't mean to…ermmmm…"

But Rex just laughed.

"It's no big deal, Marion! We're glad that at least you get the picture now!"

"Huh! And about time too!" Mike expressed with relief.

"Shhhh!" Bert shushed. "The Small Controller's approaching!"

"Marion!" he began. "Thank you for showing up on such short notice!"

Marion smiled as he went on.

"Also, a special thanks for your idea in putting together the expedition into the mine!"

"Why?" she wondered. "It only turned out that I was imagining things!"

All at once, Sir Topham Hatt walking to site besides Mr. Duncan, chuckling, as did the two clergymen. Suddenly, the engines were cut off by a pair of unfamiliar horns!

Into site came a pair of strange looking diesels that the engines had never seen before! They were the same ones that Mr. Duncan had found down in the mine!

"EEEEEEEEEK!" Marion cried. I can't be seeing things! I must be seeing things! This must all be a dream! I know: i'll just shut my eyes and open them, hoping that I'll see something different!"

She proceeded to do so and slowly opened them, gasping as the two diesels beamed at her.

"Hello! I'm Macy!"

"And I'm Merle!"

"We're the Blister engines!" they said together.

"Oh," Marion gasped with disbelief.

But Sir Topham Hatt just laughed.

"We thought we would keep it a surprise till they came out of the workshop! Your plan to go down into that mine was well thought of, Marion!"

"Yes, and it saved me the expense too in the end!" Mr. Duncan added. "Once the mine opens, these blister engines will make a fine addition to my railway, and will be the star attraction for visitors wanting to see the mine!"

"Oh, you hear that, Merle?" Macy expressed. "We're going to be the stars!"

"It does sound wonderful!" Merle admitted, feeling a sense of hope for the first time in ages.

"And you, Marion," Mr. Duncan added, "are a very useful steam shovel for your clever idea to go down into that mine!"

"Thank you, sir! But I couldn't have done it without Rex!"

"Me?"

"Yes, Rex! If you hadn't told me that marvelous story and granted my wish, I never would've thought of going down in that mine! Even though I'm convinced that you engines aren't magic, at least I know that you at least provide help to make magical things happen! Like wishes!"

"Huh?" Mike thought, raising an eyebrow.

Jock just laughed.

"Look on the bright side, Mike! At least she's convinced that we're not magic!"

"Oh, I know that now!" Marion admitted.

"You do?!" Mike wondered with confusion.

"Yes! But at least I'll know who to come back to when I want to grant another wish!"

Bert sighed.

"I don't think that's going to work, Marion," he told her.

Marion winked at him, Rex and Jock.

"I know!" she whispered.

"Oh?" Jock wondered.

Then she smiled over at Mike.

"We'll see!" she called out. "My next wish could be coming up fairly soon!"

Rex chuckled as they all watched Marion set off.

"Sounds like she might be coming for you next, Mike!"

"Me?" Mike spluttered. "Why me?"

"Just because!" Rex beamed, setting off.

"Doh!" Mike winced. "She'd better not!"

Bert and Jock went about laughing it as Mike offered up to his trucks before setting off. Macy and Merle slightly chuckled as well before facing Mr. Duncan at the platform.

"Ahem! Well, Macy and Merle, now that you're fresh off your wheels and out of that workshop, let's see how you'll do taking a trial run up to Arlesburgh and back!"

"With pleasure, sir!" Macy expressed.

"We'll do our bests!" Merle promised.

They both got a start at their engines. However, as they started along…

"Oof!" Merle groaned.

"Ouch!" Macy cried. "You alright back there, Merle?"

"Early days, Macy! If you recall, our engines have always been slow to start!"

"Yes, yes! But we must keep a good run at it if we're gonna make it!"

Mr. Duncan sighed and headed back to his office, fingers crossed.

The two Blister engines, Macy and Merle, were glad to start work on the Arlesdale railway, and set off for the trial run at once!

The first newbies for Set 4 have been introduced: Macy and Merle the Blister Engines! They will get their own story further down the line, but I thought that for now, I would bring them along and star Marion in the lead alongside the miniature engines to expand upon the dynamic she had with them in SLOTLT in regards to them to them being magic. By the end of the story, Marion is pretty much convinced that they aren't magic when Mr. Duncan decides to leave the discovery a surprise, but she still ends the story by getting under Mike's skin, since he's the one who is obviously most frustrated by her. The expedition part was fun to write for as well, and it was nice giving a slight expansion to the two clergyman from the RWS/S20. I named them both based on their real-life counterparts: Wilbert Awdry and Teddy Boston. As for the Blister engines, all that's known about them so far is that they are strong and able workers who have coped down in the mine for a very long time; Macy is the more enthused, optimistic of the pair while Merle is the more quick-thinking, pessimistic one. I hope you all enjoyed this story and getting to meet my version of the Blister engines. We will see them back in action later on in the set, but till then, be sure to leave thoughts and come back next week and watch as Philip learns to...

Be The Better Engine - Philip is often susceptible to bullying from Diesel. However, when rumors spread about Diesel and the other engines start to pick on him, Philip seizes an opportunity to get even with Diesel by jumping in on their treatment of him, unaware of how it affects Diesel himself!

Rebecca's Challenge - James shows no secret for his dislike of trucks and complains about it to Rebecca who challenges him to take her passengers while she pulls his trucks. James accepts, thinking that Rebecca will realize why he doesn't like pulling goods.

Nelson Gets Carried Away - Nelson feels insecure when Miss Jenny brings in a new ballast tractor called Nigel to help out. He feels as if Nigel was brought in to replace him, and vows to prove himself worthy, even if it takes overworking himself!

Nigel Knows It All - Nigel the Ballast Tractor, the newest addition to the Pack, is tasked with numerous different jobs to do. However, he is too afraid to admit his inability to process different pieces of information, and ends up causing a great deal of confusion…

Thomas, Percy And The Rabbits (based on Rabbits by Christopher Awdry) - the Fat Controller settles a 10 mph speed limit on Thomas's Branch Line to sort out a problem with rabbits burrowing under a stretch at Dryaw. However, disaster strikes as Thomas and his crew miss the memo and runs into trouble while taking out his passenger train!