Apple Bloom wasn't feeling at all well. She was pale, and also had a temperature. Safe to say, she wouldn't be going to work today. "Ma, Ah think Ah need ta call in sick," she said. "Ah don't feel too good."
Pear was, of course, concerned about her daughter's health, and her motherly instincts kicked in almost instantly. "Ah'm not surprised. Ya look like a ghost. Go lie down until ya feel better."
"Who will do my work though? There's nobody ta drive Duck, and that'll be unfair on Oliver, Stepney, Scootaloo, an' Sweetie Belle!"
Pear had an idea. "Ah'll do it! Ah used ta drive steam engines, remember?"
Apple Bloom looked surprised, but in her weakened state was in no position to argue. "OK. Do ya need me ta run ya through the controls?"
"Ah'm certain Ah'll be fine," Pear replied. "Now get some rest."
"Watch out fer the brake handle! It's rather-"
But Pear was already out of the door and on her way to Arlesburgh Yard. Grand Pear sighed as he watched. "Where's she goin'?" he asked. "Looks like Granny Smith an' Ah will be helpin' look after Apple Bloom today."
At the shed, Scootaloo had got Oliver ready for service. He didn't have passenger duties earmarked for today, though. That was for Duck. He was to do some shunting in Arlesburgh Yard first, and then take a trip freight to Tidmouth. "Where's Apple Bloom?" Scootaloo asked. "I've warmed Duck up, but I can't see her anywhere."
"Nor can I," Oliver added. "Where could she be?"
"Sick," said a single voice, and Pear strode into view before climbing on Duck's footplate. "Ah'm fillin' in fer her today. Ah've already cleared it with Sir Toppham Hatt, and Ah know how ta handle steam engines, so there we are."
"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" Duck asked. "We'll need an Auto-coach for my morning passenger run."
"Ah just said Ah'm qualified ta operate steam engines, and the Auto-coach is there, in the Platform."
"That's Isabel!" Duck protested. "She's Oliver's coach!"
"Where's yours?" Pear asked.
"Dulcie and Mirabel are in that siding," Duck explained. "Sometimes I operate as an auto-sandwich on busy days, but I don't think we'll need that today."
"If ya say so." Pear released Duck's brakes, and opened the regulator- immediately sending Duck's wheels into a spin.
"NOT THAT MUCH REGULATOR!"
Pear was quick to discover that driving a Pannier Tank was rather different to operating a narrow gauge engine. As they approached the first station, she applied the brakes, and was rather surprised when they sailed clean through and stopped on the other side. "Huh?"
"You didn't apply enough braking force," Duck replied. "I need a good deal of brake to stop, by the way."
"Oops, sorry." Pear wound the reverser back around and backed the train up into the platform. By the time they got to Tidmouth, they were running late. Pear switched the automatic stoker on, as she would be driving from the auto-coach for the return trip, and set the trim valves to automatically fill the boiler when water got below a certain level. However, she had made a few mistakes. Firstly, she had not put the brakes on correctly, and there was little braking force holding Duck still. Second, she had not completely closed his regulator. Narrow Gauge engines only had one regulator setting, but bigger engines have two valve positions, called first and second. If the regulator is not closed correctly from second valve, the regulator can slide open. Enginemen know that slamming the regulator open and then shutting it again cures the problem, but Pear did not know this. Finally, she had left the reverser in full reverse, not neutral. As she stood on the platform, waiting for the connecting train, it happened.
A passing porter slipped on a banana peel, and the box he was carrying flew through the air and bashed into Duck's regulator handle and his brake lever. The brake lever was knocked off, and the regulator slid to full open.
Duck knew something was wrong when his wheels began to move. "Help!" he shouted. "Some help here, please!"
Pear sprinted down the platform as fast as she could, but Duck was a small, but powerful engine. He was accelerating so quickly that she couldn't keep up, and he shot off down the Arlesburgh Branch and out of sight.
"Oh no," she said. "How will we stop him now?"
"Do you need a hand, or should I say a propellor, ma'am?"
Duck continued to speed along the line, seeing the world flying away from him. He had no idea how fast he was going, but he suspected he was braking the speed limit.
"STOP! STOP!" shrieked Dulcie, but Duck had plenty of steam. Not only that, his automatic stoker and water trimming valves would supply as much fuel as needed to prevent his boiler from drying out.
"I have to stop, I have to stop!" Duck panted, but of course he could not. He was still whizzing along, when overhead he saw a marvellous sight. Thundering through the sky was Harold the Helicopter, with Pear in the cargo compartment.
"Get ready!" Soarin' called. "I'm opening the cargo bay doors now!" Both sets of doors slid open, and a crane deployed to one side. Pear, wearing a harness and attached to a cable, held on as the chopper started to descend.
"Keep it steady!" she called.
"Roger that!"
"We're almost down!" Harold called. "Start lowering the winch!"
"Understood, over!"
At long last, Pear was level with Duck's cab, and she scrambled aboard. With an effort, she disengaged the automatic stoker and trim valves, and slammed the brakes on, before slamming his regulator open and shut.
"Thanks for the help!" Duck called to Harold.
"Glad to help, old chap!" Harold replied, and whirred away.
Pear whiped her forehead. "Ah think Ah'd best leave this line ta Apple Bloom in future," she said. "Nearly causin' a crash on yer first run is not a good start."
Duck could only agree.