Following up from 'Tale 1: Thomas Comes to Breakfast'.

Percy's Predicament

Written by the Reverend W. Awdry and BNSF1995

Proofread and Corrected by Broa Island

Isle of Sodor: 1961

Daisy the Diesel Railcar's work on the Ffarquhar Branchline was full of surprises, but she was frightened of bulls and cows, and she remained lazy and stubborn. When she had first arrived, she chose to sleep in the carriage shed, had insulted Annie, Clarabel, Henrietta, and Elsie, and refused to pull the milk van on the first down service to Ffarquhar because, according to her, her fitter had said pulling was "bad for her swerves".

One day, Toby arrived at Ffarquhar with Henrietta and Elsie to find Percy grumpily shunting trucks loaded with stone at the exchange siding.

"Mornin', Percy!" he said, "Looks like Daisy left the milk wagon again."

"I'll have to take it on the down pickup goods later, I suppose. It's made me late several times having to shunt it at St. Pedroc's!" grumbled Percy.

"Tell you what," replied Toby, "I'll take it with me on the next down service, you bring my trucks down from Anopha."

"But...I don't have a cowcatcher or side plates!"

"That piece of legislation was repealed years ago, long before Thomas ran into that troublesome constable."

Their drivers and the stationmaster agreed.

Percy had never been to Anopha Quarry before. As he entered, he noticed some workmen putting up what appeared to be a fueling stand.

"Oh, good lord, is this quarry dieselizing too?" Percy said to himself.

Percy quickly marshaled his trucks, making sure not to bump them lest they get mad or stone was spilled. Contrary to popular belief, non-faceless trucks are NOT troublesome. They can only apply their brakes but can't push engines down hills. After all, causing accidents would be pure suicide on their part because they're the ones most likely to be destroyed beyond economic repair.

At last, the train was assembled, and Percy set off down the hill for Knapford Harbor. At first, everything went well, but as he got onto the steeper part of the hill, he felt the weight of the trucks against his buffers. Even though he had never worked this run, he could tell right away that something was off.

Suddenly, they saw a notice ahead: ALL TRAINS STOP TO PIN DOWN BRAKES.

Percy whistled to his trucks and the guard for the brakes, but before he could check them, the weight became too much. Percy and the trucks put their brakes on, but the strain was so much that the trucks' brakes broke with a loud SNAP! The brakes in the brake van also went on, but without the trucks helping and Percy's own brakes proving insufficient, the van was ripped away from the train and came to a full stop, much to the guard's bewilderment.

"OH, GOD!" screamed Percy, as he raced down the hill. The man on duty at the crossing raced to warn motor traffic but was too late to switch Percy to the runaway siding!

Frantically trying to grip the rails, Percy slid into the exchange sidings in Ffarquhar, screaming all the way. Just when he thought it couldn't get worse, he hit something and found himself going up! Percy had hit a brake van, which was completely demolished, and he was now perched on the truck behind it. The men in the yard office and station building ran outside to see what had happened, and passengers waiting for the next train stared in shock. Percy's driver and firemen had jumped clear, but they had suffered injuries while jumping from a moving vehicle, and Percy was stranded atop the truck, feeling bruised, battered, and disorientated.

The next day, Sir Charles Hatt arrived. Toby and Daisy had helped to clear the wreckage, and Neville had brought the breakdown train, but Percy remained on his perch. Nobody knew how stable the truck was after having a heavy piece of machinery on top of it all night.

"This wasn't your fault, Percy." Sir Charles Hatt said kindly, "The train was loaded beyond safety limits by accident. I must say, though, that this is a rather awkward predicament we're in, having to run the branch line with a J70 and a DMU."

Percy sighed. Now he knew how Thomas felt.

Sir Charles Hatt then spoke severely to Daisy.

"My engines work hard. I send lazy engines away, especially engines I was saddled with."

Daisy felt ashamed.

"However," he continued, "Toby says you worked hard after Percy's accident. So you shall have another chance."

"Thank you, sir!" smiled Daisy, "I will work hard! Toby says he'll help me!"

"Excellent! What Toby doesn't know about branch line problems isn't worth knowing. Our Toby's an experienced engine!"

The next day, Thomas returned from Steamworks. His time there was well-spent, as his running plate was finally straightened. Percy, meanwhile, was sent to the works. Thomas heard what had happened and felt sorry for Percy. Annie and Clarabel were delighted to see Thomas back after having been cooped up in the sheds for three months, and he took them to the platform at once to prepare for the first afternoon service to Knapford, the one where they would get the through coach off the Wild Nor' Wester (pulled that day by Molly) from the bay platform.

All are now good friends, and Toby has taught Daisy a great deal. She shooed a cow off the line all by herself. That shows you, doesn't it?

Of course, Daisy's arrival was just a prelude to the arrival of more diesels on Sodor in the coming years...