A/N This is Toby's Tightrope, so Toby's telling it.
Hey, it's me, Toby and I shall tell about a time I got bumped by some Troublesome Trucks because of Mavis.
One day, Percy arrived in the quarry to collect some stone for his freight cars. Snow and frost lay everywhere. There was not a sound to be heard. Percy ventured farther. He found Mavis, the new diesel engine resting in the shelter of some rocks.
"Cheer up, Mavis," he whistled.
Mavis was still remembering the trouble she had with cars.
"Manager says I don't listen to advice. He says I've no business chortling down Toby's line. Toby's a fusspot."
"Toby has forgotten more about freight cars than you'll ever know," replied Percy. "You must put the cars where he wants them, then you'll be a Really Useful Engine. Now, if you excuse me, I'll have to take these stones to the harbor."
Mavis liked Percy, but she still wouldn't listen to his advice.
"Why shouldn't I go on Toby's line?"
The siding arrangements were awkward. To put the cars where I wanted them, Mavis had to make several journeys. She started making a plan.
"If we used the tiniest bit of Toby's line," she said to her driver. "we would save all this bother.".
Her driver, suspecting nothing, allowed them to go as far as the first level crossing. A few days later, the weather changed. As the snow melted, the quarry grew busy again. Some trains were so long that before leaving the car for me, Mavis had to go beyond the level crossing with them. Now for her plan. She would go farther down the line without it seeming her fault.
"Can you keep a secret?" she asked the freight cars.
I was told about this by Mavis ,including wondering why she shouldn't go on my line.
"Yes, yes, yes!" they chattered.
"Will you bump me at the level crossing and tell no one I asked?"
The cars promised. But while Mavis was away, I arrived. I decided to shunt the cars myself. The cars decided to bump me, anyway. We reached the level crossing and my brakes came on. This was the signal for the freight cars.
"On, on, on!" they yelled.
I was away, with the cars screaming and yelling behind me. No one realized that melted snow had turned a stream ahead into a torrent and the bridge above it was about to collapse. The rails were now like a tightrope across the thundering water.
"Stop, stop!" I cried.
Driver fought for control. We came nearer and nearer to the bridge. It was all or nothing now. Driver braked hard. We reached the broken bridge.
I stopped, still on the rails, but with my wheels treading the tightrope over the abyss. Mavis was horrified and quickly came to the rescue. Workmen anchored me with ropes while she pulled the freight cars away. Then, she helped me to safety. I've always been a more cautious engine, so I was worried, but Mavis rescued me.
"I'm sorry about the cars," said Mavis. "I can't think how you manage to stop in time.".
"Oh, well," I said. "My driver told me about circus people who walk tightropes, but I just didn't fancy doing it myself. Then, Mavis told me everything that led to this happening.
Later, Sir Topham Hatt arrived.
"A very smart piece of work," he said. "Mavis, you did well, too I hear."
"It was my fault about those cars, sir," she faltered. "But if I could.."
"Could what?"
"Come down the line sometimes, sir? Toby says he'll show me what to do.". We talked about it after she rescued me, how she wanted to use part of my line to make her job easier when she shunted Troublesome Trucks.
"Certainly," replied Sir Topham Hatt. "If your manager agrees."
And so it was arranged. Mavis is as happy as can be and Sir Topham Hatt thinks she's really useful indeed. When I get called a Really Useful Engine, I'm happy as can be, too.
A/N I'm not British, they are, so sometimes I use the word used in my country's dub. Respect my Thomasverse and my English.