A/N This is based on Passengers and Polish, A Duncan story.

Hey, it's us, the narrow-gauge engines. This is a story that happened to me, Duncan, so I shall tell it.

Nancy is a conductor's daughter. One day, she was working on Skarloey with some polish and a rag. Skarloey was snoozing happily, but Nancy wanted to talk.

"Wake up, lazybones. Your brass is filthy. Aren't you ashamed?"

"No," yawned Skarloey. "You're just an old fusspot."

And Skarloey closed his eyes. He was thinking about his friend Rheneas, and all the good times they had shared before Rheneas was sent away to be mended. Nancy interrupted again.

"Don't you want to look nice when Rheneas comes home?"

Skarloey wasn't sleepy anymore.

"What? When?"

"Soon, Daddy told me. I'm going now," she said.

"Nancy, stop. Do I really look nice? Please, polish me again."

"Now, who's an old fusspot?" laughed Nancy and set to work once more.

Skarloey told me what I didn't know later. I was jealous.

"Aren't you going to polish me, too?"

"Sorry, not today. I'm going now. I'm helping the Refreshment Lady this afternoon. We must get the ice cream ready for the passengers. Never mind, Duncan."

But I did mind. "It isn't fair!" I complained. "Peter Sam gets a special funnel, Sir Handel gets special wheels, passengers get ice cream, but I'm not even polished."

Of course this wasn't true, but I enjoyed complaining. I became sulkier still. That afternoon, there was some bad news from up the line.

"One of Skarloey's coaches has come off the rails," called Driver. "We'll have to take workmen there right away."

"All this extra work!" I grumbled. "It wears an engine out!"

"Rubbish! Come on!" Driver didn't believe me saying I'd be all worn out just from taking workmen.

The derailed coach was in the middle of Skarloey's train, so he had gone to the top station with his front coaches. I shunted the Works train into the siding and left the workmen to sort out the mess. Then, I brought the passengers and rear coaches home. I sulked all the way. Doing extra work made me cross.

"I get no rest, I get no rest," I muttered. I had made the journey very difficult. I was short of steam, so Driver waited a while in hope of raising more. But I wouldn't try. I was too cross.

"We'll keep our passengers waiting," said Driver.

I was cross.

"You always think about the passengers and never about me!" It wasn't long before I built up enough steam and set off again. But I was still very grumpy and cross. The extra work put me in an awful mood.

"I'm overworked and I won't stand it!"

At last, we reached the viaduct near the station.

"Come on, Duncan!" called Driver. "One more effort and you'll have a rest and a drink at the station."

Then, I was very rude.

"Keep your old station! I'm staying here!" I was too cross to feel like giving that "one more effort" Driver spoke of,so I wanted to just sit on the rails at that viaduct.

And I did, too. Skarloey had to haul me and my train to the platform. The passengers were furious. They told everyone what a bad railway it was.

They argued and "We're losing money", someone said.

That night, my controller spoke to me.

"No passengers means no polish."

I was in my sulky, obstinate mood yet. "And no polish means no passengers," I muttered to myself.

Someone said, "He still has a lot to learn, doesn't he? "

A/N Duncan was around for the beginning, so I let him tell all this story. Respect my Thomasverse.