Dirty Objects

Toby, Trusty, Annette, and Henrietta are enjoying their new job on the North Western railway.

Annette gets up the same time her siblings and her parents. She leaves with Trusty to the railway and work with Toby.

Trusty's job is just like any other job that a guard dog has, Annette is to make sure they're enough people to fit inside Henrietta and that nothing goes wrong. Every morning they pick up some workmen and take them to the quarry.

One day, they stopped at the station waiting for the workmen, they would see James at the station, but James was still not use to Toby and would make rude remarks about him.

James: Ugh! What dirty objects!

Trusty: Hello to you too James. Hello Jock.

Jock: Aye lad. Good morning. Good morning Toby, you look nice today.

Toby: Thank you.

James: Hmm. I guess if you like rusty old moving barns, with some dusty old dogs.

Annette: Who are you calling dusty!? I'll have you know, my brown fur is much nicer than you're tacky red coat!

James: Tacky red, am I!? At least I get a good wash down after I'm done. With your dirty little brother, living with you, you're impossible to clean up.

At last, Toby lost patience's.

Toby: James? Why are you red?

James: I'm a splendid engine. Ready for anything. You never see my paint dirty.

Toby: Oh! That's why you once needed bootlaces, to be ready, I suppose.

They all laughed so hard, but James went redder than ever and snorted off.

Jock: Oh lighten up James. It was just a wee joke!

But James was still fuming about. They finished their passenger train and got ready for the train. It was a slow goods. They stopped at every station to pick up and set down trucks. James hated slow goods trains.

James: Dirty trucks, from dirty sidings! Yuck!

Starting with only a few, he picked up more and more trucks at each station, till he had a long train.

At first the trucks behaved well, but James bumped them so crossly, that they were determent to pay him out.

Presently, they approached the top of Gordon's hill. Heavy goods trains haul here to pin down their breaks. Jock remembered James's accident with the trucks before, but James should have remembered this.

James's Driver: Wait James, wait!

But James wouldn't wait. He was too busy think on what he would say to Toby and Annette when they next met.

Too late, he saw where he was and try to stop.

Trucks: Hurray! Hurray!

And banging their buffers, they had pushed James down the hill.

The guard had tightened their breaks, till they were screaming…

Trucks: On, on, on!

James: I've got to stop, I've got to stop!

James managed to check the trucks mad rush, but they were still going much too fast to stop in time.

They thunder straight through the station and lurched into the yard, James and Jock shut their eyes.

CRASH!

There was a bursting crash and something sticky splashed on Jock and all over James. James had run into two tar wagons and was black from his funnel to his cab. They were both more dirty than hurt, but the tar wagons and some trucks were all to pieces.

Jock: Oh boy! I'm going to need a long hot bath, to this tar off.

Luckily, the breakdown train was in the yard and they soon tidy up the mess. Percy and Toby were also sent to help out and they came as quickly as they could.

Annette: I say, you engines, whatever this that dirty object?

Percy: From the looks of it I say that's James.

Lucky: Yes, he as the same shape and a dog that looks like Jock.

Toby: Well it maybe James' shape, but didn't he say he was a splendid red engine?

Annette: That's true, and I though he said, we would never see his paint dirty!

They laughed, but James pretended that he hadn't heard.

Trusty: Alright, you had your fun, now let's help and clean up this mess.

The dogs helped the workmen find some scrap, while Percy and Toby cleared away the unhurt trucks. Then they helped James home. The Fat Controller met them.

The Fat Controller: Well done, Percy and Toby, and thank you Lucky, Annette, and Trusty for your help as well.

He then turned to James.

The Fat Controller: Fancy letting your trucks ran away, I am surprise. You and Jock are not fit to be seen, you both must be clean at once. Toby shall have a new coat of paint, chocolate and brown should do. And I'll make sure that these dogs will receive a nice meal for their useful work.

Toby: Excuse me sir, but can Henrietta have a new coat of paint, too?

The Fat Controller: Certainly Toby. She shall have orange, like Annie and Clarabel.

Toby: Oh, thank you, sir! She will be please!

All James and Jock could do was watch Toby, as he ran off happily, with the news.