Chapter 4: Down the Drain

China clay is not quarried, as other minerals are, it is washed out of the ground with strong hoses. Then the mixture of clay and water has to settle and be dried before Bill and Ben could take it away.

Part of the line which the twins use to reach the china clay workings runs near the sea. There is a hollow in the land just here which often floods after heavy rain. Local people call this hollow the 'Drain'.


The autumn gales which had brought down the farmer's tree for Trevor to cut up were also causing rough seas and high tides. When rain came too, the engine crews looked gloomy.

"A really high tide now," said Nex to Ben, "could make real trouble at the 'Drain'."

But though puddles of water lay on either side of the line, they grew no larger. Bill and Ben puffed happily to and fro, replacing loaded 'hoods' with empty ones. They forgot about the 'Drain'.


Then the rain began again, and the wind strengthened. As the engines went to the clay pits that morning, Riven and Nex noticed that the water in the 'Drain' was rising.


While Bill and Riven arranged the empty freight cars, Ben and Nex prepared to leave with a train of full ones. At the 'Drain', they found that the water was level with the top of the rails.

"Come on," said Ben bravely. "We must get through, if only to get help for Bill and Riven."

"Go back, go back," the wind seemed to shriek.

Ben took no notice. He was halfway over when the rising tide whipped into a huge wave by the wind, swept across the line.

"Oof!" spluttered Ben as water crashed against his side. "Help!" With a hiss, the water reached his fire.

"Quick, Ben!" urged Nex, but it was too late.

With a despairing gasp, Ben stopped. He was stranded in the middle of the 'Drain', with cold sea water lapping his wheels.


His fireman set off to find help.

"Keep on the sleepers," advised Nex. "We don't want you swamped as well."

The water reached the fireman's waist, but he struggled on. At last, cold and wet, he reached the yard. Thomas, along with Bloom, was there, wondering where their cars were.

Bloom wasted no time. "Ben must be rescued," she said. "We need a steel cable, a pair of waders and determination."

"Yes," said Thomas doubtfully. He understood the cable, but he was sure about determination and didn't even know what waders were.


Thomas and Bloom stopped at the water's edge. Thomas's fireman put on the waders, and set out, carrying the end of the cable.

Ben was delighted to see him. The fireman fastened the cable-end to Ben's front coupling. Then he uncoupled the cars, so that Bill and Riven, who had come up behind, could pull them clear.

"Right," he said as he joined Nex in Ben's cab. "Let's go."

Poor Ben had no steam left to whistle, so Nex and the fireman waved to show Thomas and Bloom they were ready.

Carefully, Thomas took the strain as he and Bloom pulled Ben. Slowly, with water cascading all around him, Ben came out of the 'Drain'. Once he was clear, Thomas was properly coupled to Ben, and he and Bloom helped him and Nex back to the shed.


"Thank you, Thomas and Bloom," said Ben gratefully, and his eyes twinkled for the first time for several hours.


It was four days before the water in the 'Drain' subsided. When Bill and Riven reached home, both twins agreed that it would be ungrateful of them ever to tease Thomas again.

The End