Chapter 3 - Escape

One day, Douglas was talking to Oliver when Neville steamed by. He was hauling a heavy train of coal cars. “Come on, Douglas, quit gossiping in the sun when there is work to be done.” Later Douglas spoke to Neville, “Oliver and I are ole frriends and you and he have a lot in common,” Douglas. “Oh, yeah and what would that be,” Neville snapped. “Scrap,” Douglas said quietly. Neville gasped with a horrified stare, “Don’t mention that word, it makes my wheels wobble.” “It does the same to Oliver. The other railway wanted to scrap him, but I saved him and his brake van too, but all the same Sir Topham Hatt certainly does need another steam engine here.” Yes, he does and quickly.” Later that night, Neville was still working. He had taken the “Mid-night Goods” to a station on the faraway part of the island where only the diesels work. He was shunting himself 6 oil tankers and a brake-van when heard “hiss” “That sounds like a steam engine,” he thought. The “Hiss” came again. “Who’s there,” he called out. A whisper came, “Are you Sir Topham Hatt’s engines.” “Yes, and proud of it.” “Thank heavens! My name’s Joey and I’m here from London and I’m an old 6-4-6 steam engine and tender and me and my ten cattle cars are here to be broken up.” “But what are you doing.” “Escaping.” “From what.” “Scrap” Neville shuddered and gasped, then he remembered Douglas’s story of saving Oliver. “I’ll be glad to help you, but it’ll have to look like you guys are ready for scrap but I’m taking you away.” All the drivers and firemen and guard set to work. Everyone worked fast. “No time to turn round, I’ll run tender first and marshal you in front of my train.” As they puffed along they were looking t big bad diesels and when they reached the station throat, they were stopped by the guard. “Aha,” called the foreman, “a goods train of cattle cars and a British rails locomotive, you can’t take these.” “Yes, we can, see for yourself.” the foreman looked all along the train. “Seems in order, right away guard.” The guard blew his whistle from his van and the train raced away. “That was a near thing,” Neville chuffed quickly “We’ve had worse,” chuffed Joey and they foraged ahead. It was morning when they arrived home. “Thank you,” Joey huffed. The next day Neville told the other engines about Joey. “I already told Sir Topham Hatt,” Neville chuntered. 6 days later, Joey and his train of cattle cars looked splendid and there was something new… a brake-van. “This van was given to me by the Fat Controller,” Joey chuffed. Now he and his train are useful on market days and he is wise to not mess with the cars but they would always cause trouble and he would biff and bump them and would always yell at them, “Be Polite, kind, nice and quit being rude.” and they learned right quick that he would stand for no nonsense around him and his train of cars. The coal cars were the worst but he really gave them a piece of his mind and he was otherwise useful, quick, reliable and always right on time. The railway loved trains that were on time and really useful. This engine was given a fresh coat of Silver paint and a bigger tender for more coal and was strong enough to pull trains up steep hills. This is the sound of engines working hard, especially ones that have escaped from their doom in the breaker’s yard with a train behind them and given a treat by the head of the Sodor Railway and the engine has made new friends and enemies. Wait and see what happens in “Joey and Sixteen” with a rude engine. Will Joey make him see sense. Wait and See

You are not authorized to comment here. Your must be registered and logged in to comment