Stuart arrived at Cas-ny-Hawin one morning after he had repairs finished at Arlesdale Works the night before. When he arrived, the Tattoo found a most unnerving sight: the Mine Engine stood in a siding, steam hissing in all directions at an alarming rate!
"Goodness-gracious me! Whatever happened?!" Stuart asked in alarm.
"Snapped a piston, that's what," said the Mine Engine, who could hardly speak through the pain.
"He'll be out of action for two months at most," said a workman. "His boiler was due for replacement anyway, s'our manager, Mr. Luke Rollins, decided to send him in for overhaul early. But there is a problem: now we don't have an engine to cover for our Mine Engine."
Peter Sam felt sorry for the Decauville.
"I'll handle his work, as well as my own," he said. "It shouldn't be too much of a hassle."
"Very well, said the foreman. "I'll inform Mr. Carlin and see if we can arrange it."
The Manager of the Mid Sodor agreed to this, but the Mine Engine couldn't help but feel concerned.
"You sure that's a good idea?" he asked.
"Of course it is! It's only extra work!" Stuart insisted.
"A lot of extra work on top of your own. You might not have enough rest for the Boat Trains if you are handling my work as well," the Mine Engine warned.
"It's only shunting," snorted Stuart. "There are other engines who can take the lead down to Arlesburgh."
The Mine Engine, seeing how Stuart wasn't going to back down, said no more.
When Jim arrived at Cas-ny-Hawin station with the Horse and Cart, he was told to pick up the Mine Engine and take him to Arlesdale Works. Stuart immediately set to work, proving to be a very capable shunter. The trucks took a liking to him: unlike Falcon, he only bumped when they began to misbehave. Even his driver laughed at their jokes.
However, problems soon arose when Stuart brought some of the trucks down to Arlesdale, the driver checked his watch.
"Dear golly, Falcon will be coming down with the Boat Train soon!" he exclaimed. "If we don't get down to Arlesburgh soon, we'll be behind schedule!"
"We can't just leave these trucks here, either!" Stuart pointed out. "We'll just have to take them down to Arlesburgh ourselves!"
Arrangements were made and Stuart set off. He was very exhausted by the time he got to Arlesburgh Port, and didn't have enough time to rest before Falcon came speeding in.
"How'd you get exhausted so fast?" Falcon asked.
"Been busy all morning covering at Cas-ny-Hawin," Stuart answered, panting.
Falcon suddenly grew concerned.
"If you want, I can take this run of the Boat Train while you take extra time to rest," he offered.
"I'll be fine!" Stuart insisted. "Besides, you're exhausted too!"
"Not as much as you," said Falcon. "All I'm saying…"
"I know what you're like!" Stuart interrupted. "Always trying to hog all the glory of express boat trains! Well guess what: I'm fine and don't need a jerk like you keeping all the thunder! Now move aside and let me take my turn!"
Falcon, shocked by Stuart's outburst, didn't say a thing!
Stuart took his place on the Boat Train and departed once the guard gave the all-clear. Falcon watched the Tattoo, worried. He confined in Duke when the latter was getting ready to depart with the Picnic.
"I don't think it's a good idea for Stuart to cover for both the Mine Engine and do his own work," he said.
"You're right," Duke agreed. "By doing both his work and the Mine Engine's, it's leaving him exhausted. I'll speak to the Manager and see what he can do to make sure Stuart isn't too exhausted."
After a chat with the Manager, it was agreed Mighty Mac would take over Stuart's usual jobs until the Mine Engine was overhauled. Stuart wasn't pleased about this and lay it out to both Falcon and Duke when the three of them next met.
"When I volunteered to do the Mine Engine's work, it was only that time. I know what I'm doing, I don't need you two interfering with my work!" he snapped.
"Stuart, you ran out of water when you got to Marthwaite," Falcon pointed out.
"I just forgot to fill up, it was just one time and it won't happen again!" Stuart claimed.
"Best not to take any chances," said Duke. Stuart harrumphed, and Duke thought the matter was settled. It wasn't.
After that talk, Stuart began taking all the mine trains from Cas-ny-Hawin down to Arlesburgh himself. For the next few days, he would shunt all the loaded trucks at Cas-ny-Hawin, then run down to the Port without stopping. Mr. Rollins was impressed by the amount of lead the mine was now producing, but the Mid Sodor staff wasn't impressed with Stuart rushing his work. Even the trucks were starting to grow worried.
"Everything ok, Stuart? You have forgotten to laugh at our jokes recently."
Stuart considered bumping them, but he knew they weren't to blame. Instead, he said nothing and continued on his way. Eventually, the Manager had enough of his recklessness and assigned Tim to take over at Cas-ny-Hawin, while Stuart was placed on the Down Workman's Train in his place. Like before, Stuart didn't take well to this and became much more aggressive. He bumped the bugbox coaches rather violently as he moved them to the platform.
"OOH! Be careful!" they called.
"Shut up!" Stuart snapped.
The coaches protested, but Stuart bumped them even harder.
"NO NONSENSE!" he shouted.
"Take it easy, Stuart!" his driver scolded. "I'm tired too, it is 5:30 in the morning, but I'm not taking it out on those who had nothing to do with it!"
Stuart growled as the workmen boarded. It seemed he was trying to prove his own worth for one reason or another.
As he departed, he once again bumped the coaches. Despite the rough ride, nothing severe happened when they arrived at Ffarquhar Road, and he was ordered to take some lead from there down to Arlesburgh.
When it came time for Stuart to take the Boat Train, he overheard the dock manager talking to a worker.
"This coal will just have to wait, there aren't any other engines available to take it," he said.
"Where's that coal going?" Stuart asked.
"Peel Godred, it's needed for the sheds at King Orry's Bridge," the Dock Manager answered. If he had said more, Stuart didn't hear it: an idea had flown into his funnel.
"I can take the coal behind my boat train!" he exclaimed.
"What?! We don't want to travel behind smelly trucks!" the bogie coaches exclaimed!
"You won't: they'll travel behind you," said Stuart.
"You sure that's a good idea?" asked the guard.
"If it's needed for our sheds, that means it's urgent," Stuart insisted. "And the Dock Manager said himself that no other engines are able to take it."
"Very well," sighed the guard. The coal trucks were shunted behind the coaches and Stuart ran in front. As he was coupled on, the trucks and coaches began their arguing.
"Who invited these snobs? Afraid you'll dirty yourselves?"
"Don't you get on us about being dirty!" growled a saloon. "You should join the hobos, you smell just like them!"
"CAN IT!" shouted Stuart, and he bumped the train. One passenger nearly tripped as he did so, but Stuart didn't notice.
His rough riding caused coal to fly out as he travelled along the line. The arguing between the coaches and trucks didn't help matters. It was a very rough journey, and when they got to Arlesdale, all the passengers buzzed out, complaining about being bounced around. Stuart wheeshed steam at them, in his fury.
"KNOCK IT OFF, AT LEAST YOU GOT HERE!" he snapped.
"Stuart, take it easy!" said his driver.
"IT'S ALRIGHT FOR YOU, YOU DIDN'T GET REPLACED IN YOUR JOB!" Stuart snapped.
"What're you talking about? You've not been replaced," the driver pointed out.
"I've been replaced on other jobs nonstop ever since the Mine Engine went in for his overhaul!" Stuart snapped.
"Has it ever occurred to you that you're simply being given less jobs to lighten your workload?" the driver asked.
"SCREW YOU BITCH!" shouted Stuart. "I'm only four years old, I don't need a lighter workload!"
"Now that ain't fair, Stuart," said Tim, coming down with some loaded lead trucks. "All engines need rest. We can't do work all the time."
"Rubbish! I can do back to back trains all month! No, all year!"
"You're not a double-fairlie like Mighty Mac, you know," said Tim. This proved to be a mistake, as indicated when Stuart's safety valves lifted at an alarming rate.
"DON'T YOU DARE MENTION MIGHTY MAC!" Stuart shouted. Tim, taken aback, found himself changing the subject.
"I see you decided to try combining goods with passengers," he said. "Word of advice, trucks and coaches don't get along. You best take care with them, especially since coaches hate being bumped."
"I'll be fine, it's not like I had a choice: this coal is urgently needed for the sheds at King Orry's Bridge," said Stuart. His guard blew his whistle at that moment, and Stuart set off.
The coaches and trucks continued arguing as they began climbing the Mountain Road.
"Get your brakes off, we're slowing down!"
"You're the ones slowing us down, your coal is too heavy!"
"No it isn't, you're just fat with passengers!"
"How dare you, you ugly swans!"
"You're the ugly ones with all that brown paint!"
"ENOUGH!" Stuart shouted, and he bumped the train hard, too hard: the coupling between the last coach and the first truck snapped and the trucks began rolling down the hill!
Meanwhile, Duke had pulled into Arlesdale with the Picnic, unaware of the danger ahead. Suddenly, as if out of nowhere, a line of coal trucks ran into view, moving at high speeds. Without warning, they charged into the George England with a smash!
By then, Stuart had already arrived at Ulfstead Road. As he waited for his signal to leave, he sighed with relief: at last, the trucks and coaches had stopped arguing! This relief dissipated as the guard came running up to the engine.
"I hope your happy with yourself: I had to run for several miles just to get here!"
"What are you talking about?" asked Stuart. "You were with us the whole journey."
"Are you serious? I was in the brake van for crying out loud!"
"I know, it's right…" Stuart stopped as he looked back, and gasped: his coal trucks were gone! "What happened to the coal trucks?!"
"Your bumping caused them to break away as we climbed the Mountain Road," the guard answered. "I had to bail when the brakes on the brake van failed to hold. Leave your Boat Train where it is and head on down the line to find them."
When Stuart arrived at Arlesdale, he was most horrified by the sight: Duke was covered in coal and wood splinters. The brake van and the last four trucks had been destroyed by the impact, while the remaining trucks could only stare in shock.
"Granpuff! Are you alright?!" Stuart asked in panic.
"Yes Stuart, I'm fine," said Duke. "I never thought I'd say this, but I do look rather fancy in black." Duke chuckled at this little joke, but Stuart couldn't bring himself to laugh alongside. "Nevermind Stuart, nobody was hurt."
"I'm sorry this happened, Granpuff," Stuart said sadly. "I shouldn't have been so rough with the trucks and coaches, then none of this would've happened!"
"I'd be lying if I said it wasn't your fault," Duke said, "but I can see you really are sorry. I forgive you, Stuart. Just make sure to remember to be gentle next time."
The Manager, on the other hand, wasn't so forgiving.
"You're lucky no passengers were killed in that accident! Duke, on the other hand, needs lots of repairs as a result of your roughness, you great clumsy engine!" he scolded that night. "For the rest of the month, you shall only be used on the Horse and Cart. Jim will take your place on the Boat Trains. I hope when the month ends, you'll be a more sensible and gentle engine."
And with that, the Manager stroud away, leaving Stuart with a lot to think about.
(Author's Note: Based on a derailment at Waunfawr on the Welsh Highland Railway that occurred on 31 July 1906.)