FanFic:Saving Sodor Part 4: The Meeting

Saving Sodor Part 4: The Meeting

Characters: (in order of appearance)

• Toby
• Sir Topham Hatt
• Percy
• Henry
• James
• Diesel
• Gordon
• Thomas
• Edward
• Duck

Chapter Three

So what's the meeting about, Sir?" asked Toby.

"Well, Toby. This morning, I received a letter from the controller of the railway of England; Howard Andrews," explained the Fat Controller. "He's a good friend of mine, and he's currently having a problem."

"What sort of problem, Sir?" Percy asked curiously.

"A similar problem to what I once had; his steam engines have gone on strike!"

"Strike? What for?" asked Henry.

"He said in the letter that his steam engines feel they are being treated unfairly; because he is bringing diesel engines to work with them, and they are refusing to work."

"Well, it's no different to what we have to suffer here," sighed James, looking directly at Diesel, who glared at him. "But you don't see us going on strike," James added.

"Well, I know you wouldn't go on strike James," said the Fat Controller. "Or you, Gordon and Henry. You know what happened when you went on strike for the sake of having to shunt and fetch your own coaches."

"We know," grumbled Gordon. "You shut us up in the sheds for several days!"

"Ugh! Don't remind me of that!" snorted Henry huffily.

"But, Sir," oiled Diesel. "Aren't these diesel engines doing both their work – and the steam engines' work, thus proving that diesels are better and more useful?"

"Hey, no one asked you, Diesel-" snapped Thomas, but before he could continue, the Fat Controller raised his hand to silence him.

"Actually, to answer your question, Diesel; no, the diesels are not proving to be useful. In fact, that's where the problem continues."

"What do you mean, Sir?" asked Diesel frowning.

"The diesels just keep breaking down. They are poorly maintained and very expense for Mr Andrews to have repaired."

"Ha! So much for diesels proving to be useful more useful than steam engines!" James jeered at Diesel. "That's one in the headlamp for you, Diesel!"

"Fancy replacing steam engines diesels which are only good for breaking down," grunted Gordon grudgingly. "The indignity."

"Your friend really does have a problem then, Sir," said Edward.

"Yes Edward," replied the Fat Controller. "So that is why tomorrow, I am going to have to go to England to help him."

"You're leaving us?" gasped Thomas in surprise. "But for how long?"

"I don't know, Thomas. But it won't be for that long. I really need to help my friend. He hasn't been running his railway as long as I have been running mine. So as an experienced railway director, I need to offer him advice on how to solve this problem."

"But who will look after us?" asked Duck, worried.

"You'll be looked after," smiled the Fat Controller. "Another friend of mine, Gerald Matthews will look after you. He used to work on a railway, and I have often told him all about you all. It's been arranged that he will look after you while I'm away. He is very much looking forward to meeting you."

This set the steam engines' minds at rest, but Diesel didn't actually care if the Fat Controller would be leaving them for a while.

"So, Thomas," continued the Fat Controller. "Tomorrow, when you are beginning to run your branch line, you'll meet me at Knapford station. I will be on your train. You must take me to Dryaw, where Harold will then take me to England.

This made Thomas feel very important. "Yes, Sir!"

"Excuse me, Sir," put in Gordon. "But why don't I take you? I could get you faster there than Thomas and Harold put together. Of course, there's always that diesel which takes over when I reach Brendam, but I could do the whole-"

"GORDON!!" The Fat Controller bellowed. Gordon stopping protesting immediately.

"You will get on with your own jobs tomorrow, that that's that. I'm the head of the railway, and I decide what goes. And tomorrow, I need to remind Mr Andrews it's the same for him on his railway.

"So, that's all now," the Fat Controller concluded. "So I'm going home now to get a good night's sleep, as I have a busy tomorrow. Be good while I'm away."

"Yes, Sir," the steam engines replied in unison. Diesel remained silent.

With that, the Fat Controller got into his car; a blue Saloon, and drove out of the yard.

"So he's leaving to help his friend," exclaimed Toby.

"Of course he isn't!" sneered Diesel. "He's really going to arrange to have you all scraped!"

"Yes, Diesel, that's what you always say," Henry replied in a bored tone. "But he never does."

"There's always a first time," Diesel muttered grudgingly, but no one was listening. With that, he drove out of the goods shed, waited for the turntable to be turned to his track by the same workman, and he used it to turn to another line, and he drove away from Tidmouth sheds and out of the yard.

"We'd better get some sleep," said Thomas. "It's getting late now."

All of the engines agreed.

"I'll go back to my shed on my branch line," said Duck. "You're all inside the sheds, I don't fancy sleeping outside."

"Should have taken a spare space while you could, Duck," giggled Percy.

"So I'll be going now. See you tomorrow," Duck whistled, and with that, he steamed out of the yard.

"Good night, Duck!" The other engines called. Then, shutting their eyes, they all fell fast asleep at once.