PHILIP, TRUCKS AND TROUBLE

Written by Zack Wanzer, James Riddle and Rachel Ravens

Set during The Great Railway Show

After learning how much the others thought him a nuisance for his behavior, poor Philip had felt rather distraught. And the story that the Skarloey engines told didn't help matters.

"Do they see me as Flyer's 'replacement'?" he said quietly as he followed Ashima back to Knapford yards. "I mean… Rusty did coin the name for me unintentionally."

"Is everything alright, Philip?" Ashima asked.

"I… I wish they were, Ashima," the little boxcab admitted. "After what Rusty and the others said about what happened with Flyer, I'm afraid I might end up like they did – crushed like a flapjack in a natural disaster!"

"Oh, you worry too much," giggled Ashima. "Many of the standard gauge lines don't run under rocky valleys. And as I was told, your island has become increasingly well prepared for the unexpected. I mean, what's more unexpected than a group of international engines showing up here?"

"Yeah, you've got a good point there," Philip admitted. "The workers at the Dieselworks say I'm of an American design, but I had my first firing here on Sodor. Maybe a reason for the way I act is because of how much different I am than most of the other engines. Maybe if they had built me with a proper British design, perhaps I wouldn't have gotten such a big head…"

Ashima glared at Philip. "Are you saying that all engines from America are stupid?"

"What?! No!" the young engine gasped. "I never meant anything like that! Though with Vinnie, on the other hand…"

"He's Canadian, Philip," Ashima explained. "And like with all countries, there are some bad eggs out there that don't define the country as a whole."

"…oh," he trailed sheepishly. "Well, to be fair, Stanley did say that Vinnie had a point about how I acted…"

"But wasn't very tactful with how he presented it, was he?"

"No…"

"Oh, Philip…" sighed Ashima. "Stanley did mean well. But sometimes, when people or engines get upset, they often say things in more of a negative light than intended."

"I… I guess so…" Philip said quietly. "I just wish it hadn't boiled over for so long. Had someone told me sooner I was making mistakes, I would've learned to be more well behaved. Then maybe more people might like me…"

"It's not too late to learn, Philip," Ashima smiled. "True, you've made some bad decisions, but that doesn't make you a bad engine."

"It doesn't?"

Ashima giggled. "Not in the slightest. Rajiv has made worse decisions than you have, but he still has his good points too." She then smirked. "But you didn't hear that from me."

Philip laughed a little upon hearing that. Seeing the little boxcab brighten up so quickly couldn't help but make Ashima laugh too.

As everyone on Sodor knows, things don't always go according to plan; Thomas and Diesel had gotten into a fight that led to a big accident in Knapford yards, and upon seeing the mess, Philip and Ashima quickly helped to clear it up. Once the job was done, the two engines told Rosie all about it.

"Oh dear," the lavender engine sighed. "Bruno thought that something was up between the two… It looks as though I'll have to take Annie and Clarabel while Thomas is being repaired."

"But what about Bruno?" Philip pointed out. "With Diesel also out of action, and you doing Thomas' jobs, who will look after him?"

"I'll ask Stanley if he can look after Bruno until then," said Rosie. "I'm sure things will go smoothly on the branch line with just myself, Percy, Toby and Mavis."

However, that didn't quite go to plan either, because…

"Percy's not going to be here either?!" cried Rosie.

"Calm down, Rosie," said Mavis. "Percy will do great at the show!"

"That's not what I mean!" the lavender engine exclaimed. "The Ffarquhar branch is going to be down two engines! How can we and Toby possibly manage? Ashima's leaving too, don't forget, so that rules her out too."

"Maybe we won't be down an engine," said Toby. "I know who can help us out that day…"

"You want me to take Percy's place?!" Philip couldn't believe what he was hearing!

"Only for one day, Philip," explained Toby. "Besides, I'm sure Stanley and the others will manage fine without you that day."

Oh, do I really want to? Philip thought to himself. "Er… I don't know, Toby… I doubt I'd be any help."

"Is it because of when you egged me on into racing you when we first met?"

"Well, yeah, but there's also how I neglected my work to race Gordon, and how I wound up putting James out of action for weeks…" Philip added shamefully. "I only ever seem to make things worse."

"You're not the only one who's made mistakes, Philip," said Toby. "Once, I thought Emily stole Annie and Clarabel on purpose. In reality, she took them by accident because they were the only coaches around."

"Oh dear…"

"So you see, nobody's perfect, dearie," Henrietta added. "But the important thing to do is learn from our mishaps, and become wiser from them."

Philip sighed. "Yeah… Okay, Toby. I'll help you, Rosie and Mavis out."

It was now the day of the Great Railway Show, and Percy had gone to join Henry, Gordon, James and the international engines on the trip to Bridlington. This left Philip to handle the little green engine's usual jobs.

"So, unlike you and Thomas, Percy has no fixed schedule?" he was asking Toby.

"Apart from the mail train, yes," said Toby. "But just talk with your driver; you can do it."

"Okay, Toby. I'll do my best and make Percy proud."

Of course, it would be easier said than done, especially when troublesome trucks were involved.

"Oooh, look who we've got here, lads!" jeered the leading truck. "It's that silly little boxcab, Philip!"

"The one who tricked that showoff James into getting himself damaged?" a second truck asked.

"He also nearly got Toby involved in a head-on collision with Thomas!" added a third. "What was Fat Hatt thinking by bringing him here?"

Philip had heard the trucks' taunting and suddenly grew nervous. "Ohhh… oh my…"

"He was commissioned to be built at the Dieselworks," smirked a fourth truck. "I think your question should be, 'what was Fat Hatt thinking by having him built'?"

The trucks cackled among themselves as poor Philip felt his self-confidence go flatter than a deflating balloon. "J-just… sh-shut up, you s-stupid planks of wood!" And he gave the trucks a bump. But all that it did was make the trucks laugh even more.

"He's a fraidy cat now as well!" sneered the first.

"How do Percy and the others put up with their nonsense…?" Philip moaned to himself.

The trucks didn't make Philip's journey any easier as they made their way to Knapford harbor.

"Why won't you lot be quiet and behave?!" Philip wailed.

"You're the last engine to be lecturing us on how to behave!" the lead truck taunted. "You've never behaved since day one!"

"Yeah, Mavis got her act together well before you did!" chuckled another.

"W-well, I'm trying, alright?!" cried Philip. "Would you rather I leave you behind?" To his disappointment, this didn't seem to phase the trucks in the slightest.

"You mean how you left the yards in chaos?" the lead truck remarked. Philip groaned as the trucks laughed again.

Just then, Toby came up from behind with a train of his own; Henrietta was behind him.

"Is everything alright, Philip?" he called.

"No… These trucks keep taunting me and won't cooperate!"

"Typical," sighed Henrietta. "There's only a handful of trucks that are openly obedient."

"Whoever they are, I wish I was working with them instead!"

Toby sighed. "Philip, how's your fuel supply?"

"Er… running low, actually," he said meekly. "These trucks took a lot out of me…"

"I figured," the tram engine replied calmly. "I have a rest stop at Toryreck. How about we talk there?"

"Oh, I'd like that, Toby, thanks!" remarked Philip, relieved. "I could do with a topping off of fuel there!"

The little boxcab gratefully took a drink, while Toby took on coal nearby.

"So, Philip," said Toby, "the trucks got the better of you, did they?"

"In more ways than one," sighed Philip. "I just… I wish I had picked up on my errors earlier. Then maybe this wouldn't be happening and I'd be at Knapford harbor by now."

Toby glanced down at his cowcatcher. "You know, Philip, you remind me of another engine."

"Who?"

Toby chuckled. "Oh, he's very close by."

Philip glanced around, trying to see if he could spot another engine. "Have I met him?" He then heard a whistle down at the platform, spotting a shade of lavender. "Er… is it Rosie? Wait, no, she's a girl…"

"No, it's not Rosie. You're looking right at him."

"Wait… you?!" gasped Philip. "But you're anything but skittish, Toby!"

"You haven't seen my younger self," Toby remarked. "When I worked at East Anglia with Flora, Holden and the rest of our siblings, I wasn't quite the wise old engine I am today. Absolutely everything got to me back then, especially the trucks…"

Philip was very surprised. "But how did you become so… confident?"

"It wasn't easy," Toby admitted. "But Flora once told me, 'you have to believe in your own abilities.' If you don't, then anything that you do falls apart."

"But… when I did believe in my own abilities," Philip said quietly, "I ended up making things worse for everyone. The races, 'saving' James after I dragged him down…"

"Ah," Toby said calmly. "That was overconfidence and bragging. There's a big difference, Philip. You have to balance out your confidence and your capabilities."

"How do I do that?"

"It's different for every situation," Toby explained. "Though in this case, you have to show the trucks that you aren't willing to back down!"

"I'll try," Philip insisted.

"Do, or do not," Toby corrected. "There is no try."

Soon, Philip was assigned to collect another goods train from Knapford harbor. A line of trucks were waiting to go up to the quarry, and Philip kept remembering Toby's words.

"I'm not backing down anymore," he said determinedly before facing the trucks. "Right, you lot! I'm in charge today! And just because I'm small and make mistakes doesn't mean you get the right to push me around!"

"Who's this newbie," asked one of the trucks, "and what right does he have to poke his exhaust in our harbor?"

"We want Toby or Mavis!" cried another.

"Well, that's too bad, because I'm the engine assigned to take you lot up to the quarry!" Philip said firmly, buffering up to them. "And if you even think of causing any trouble, Sir Topham Hatt may consider turning you into something more useful; like rubbish bins!"

"At least we'd be more useful than a boxcab who challenges bigger engines to races and neglects his word," snorted a third truck. This time, Philip chose not to respond to that and get on with his work instead.

"He's no fun…" a fourth truck muttered. How could they torment an engine if their taunts were ignored?

As Philip made his way up the line, the trucks tried thinking of other ways to get him to crack.

"I can do this…" Philip said to himself. "Percy needs me to do his jobs while he's away…"

"That's what he says," remarked the leading truck. "Fellas, I have an idea…"

However, as the trucks were conspiring, Philip listened carefully.

"Driver," he whispered, "the trucks want to break away before we reach Maithwaite!"

"We'll see about that," his driver responded.

Philip steadily continued his journey until he reached a signalbox. Immediately, he tooted a message. With a nod, the signalman changed the points.

"Huh?!" cried a truck. "Wait, we aren't supposed to diverge here!"

"Oh," Philip said innocently, "I felt a weak coupling; driver just wants to make adjustments."

Philip and the trucks stopped on the passing loop as the driver and guard went to tighten all the couplings along the train.

"So much for that plan, genius!" scoffed the second truck. "There's no way we can break away now!"

"You were plotting against me, huh?" asked Philip. "Well, I could tell Sir Topham Hatt you guys are the reason we were late. He could… oh, I don't know, put you on the out of use siding!"

"Hold up… you knew about this the whole time?!" exclaimed a third truck.

"I do now," Philip remarked.

"Why?"

"Because you just told me, you silly plank wagon!" The sheepish truck felt the glares of the other trucks on the train. Another pair of eyes saw the whole incident, and Toby winked approvingly at the little boxcab.

For the rest of the journey, the trucks gave Philip no trouble whatsoever. The little boxcab felt very proud of himself as he delivered the train to the quarry.

"Not a bad run, Philip," Mavis commented. "Right on the dot too."

"Thanks, Mavis," said Philip. "Those trucks… they're very tricky to keep on top of."

"Heh, they aren't called troublesome for nothing," Mavis remarked. "They didn't give you much grief, did they?"

"Oh… well, maybe a little," Philip said sheepishly. "But then Toby gave me some tips and it was so much easier! He's so amazing!"

Mavis giggled. "There's a lot to learn from him. In fact, all the engines on the branch have been in service longer than me."

"They have?"

"Indeed," smiled Mavis. "I learned a lot by watching them all. Thomas' leadership, Toby's confidence, Percy's kindness… and you will continue to learn too, Philip. We're all young engines once."

"Yeah…" trailed Philip. "You're right… I won't let their taunts get the best of me."

"That's the spirit, Philip!" grinned Mavis. "Say, have you got any trains due out of here soon?"

"Er… driver?"

The driver shook his head. "Not for about an hour or so."

"Great!" said Mavis. "My driver has got the radio going, and it has the Great Railway Show on right now. Do you want to listen to it too?"

"That… wouldn't count as 'slacking off', would it?" asked Philip.

"Not if you keep an eye on the time," said Mavis. "Just be sure to give yourself enough notice to prepare for your next train."

"Well, in that case… okay!" Philip grinned.

Mavis and Philip listened intently to the radio. Earlier that day, Henry had helped Frieda in the Strongest Engine Competition, James flopped in the Best Decorated Engine Parade, Gordon and Flying Scotsman took out Vinnie, Connor won the Great Race, and now it was the Shunting Challenge.

"And so we have our penultimate contestant for the show, Ashima of India…"

"Oh, go, Ashima!" cried Philip. "She was so kind to me before she left for the competition!"

"She would have made a fine addition to the branch," smiled Mavis. "Rosie's great and all, but she isn't here full time, and Daisy's moved to Harwick. I could use some more girl company. Outside of the coaches, I mean."

"Maybe someday, another engine will be shipped in from overseas," Philip joked.

"Oh, come now, Philip," Mavis giggled, "the international engines' visit to Sodor was a fluke. I doubt that'll happen anytime soon."

"And that… is… TIME! Ashima of India has not only beaten the time of Raul of Brazil, but she's set a new record for the Shunting Challenge!"

"Oh my goodness!" gasped Philip. "A new record?! That will be very tough to beat."

"And now it's only Percy left to run," said Mavis. "He's a great shunter, and I know he'll do Sodor proud…"

"Do you think he'll win?" asked Philip.

"It's hard to say, Philip," Mavis admitted. "I do have faith in him, but I don't want Percy to push his limits. On the plus side, Raul's out of the running for gold for sure." She and Philip had to laugh.

"Philip!" called his driver. "We have our next train to Ffarquhar!"

"Oh my! I'm sorry, Mavis, but I can't stay and wait for the results. Will you let me know who won when we have the chance?"

"Of course, Philip," said Mavis. "I'd better get back to shunting too, but I'm sure one of the staff will tell us." She whispered to the radio as she and Philip departed, "Good luck, honey."

As Philip was on his way to Ffarquhar, he heard a whistle. "Rosie!" he cried. "What's up?"

"Philip, there you are," she said. "And good news; Annabelle has reorganized the schedules so we can go and greet the competitors at Vicarstown. Oh, and we have some extra good news!"

"The Vicarstown celebration isn't already good?"

Rosie laughed. "You mean you didn't hear? Percy won the Shunting Challenge!"

"He did?!" exclaimed Philip. "I thought Ashima put on a good time, but… how'd Percy manage that?"

"Well, come to Vicarstown and ask him yourself!"

"I'll just deliver this," he called, "then I'll be right there!"

"Okay, better hurry up!"

Philip grinned and raced along to Ffarquhar. "Come on! Come on! I have to be quick so I can hear how Percy won!"

It didn't take much longer for the boxcab to reach the station.

"Okay, done!" he cried. "Next stop, Vicarstown!" However, as he was about to set off, he felt the weight of the trucks behind him. "Oh… oops. Er… driver, could you uncouple these, please?"

The driver, chuckling, went to do just that. "Okay, boy. Now we can go to Vicarstown."

At Vicarstown, the celebration was in full swing. Most of the engines were engrossed in conversation, and Sir Topham Hatt congratulated his niece on running the railway so well in his absence. However, Percy noticed one engine was missing…

"And what about Philip?"

"I'm right here, Percy! Just… finished your… last job… for the day…" Philip paused to gather his breath before speaking again. "So… what did I miss?"

"We'll tell you everything," chuckled Edward.

THE END

Author's Comments

Here we are for the second story of Set 4, and we're revisiting The Great Railway Show to show how things were handled on the Ffarquhar branch line in Thomas and Percy's absence. We've started off the story with an extra scene with Philip and Ashima, but sadly, there was no room to incorporate "You Can Only Be You" and make it fit with the story. (That, and being somewhat problematic when you listen to it out of the context of the actual special.) The initial title for this was All Work, No Play, but I decided to change the title to Philip, Trucks and Trouble as I figured it fit what happens in the story a lot better. It also doubles as a reference to Toby, Trucks and Trouble, and fittingly enough, the tram engine in question plays a major role in helping Philip deal with the trucks. It was also a good way to expand upon their friendship from Toby's New Friends, and this story eventually leads to Philip's transfer to the Brendam branch line.

Our next story will be focused on Halloween, for we answer the questions of Morgan's Mine!