Trucks!
The Skarloey Railway is set in a beautiful valley, filled with trees and beautiful scenery that echoes to birdsong and the sound of wildlife. One day, Harold the Helicopter was flying through the valleys, to ensure that all was safe and that nobody was hurt. Then, just as he was completing his last flypast and preparing to return to his base at Knapford, he suddenly saw something trundling along the track.
The 'something' was an engine, unlike any he had ever seen. It was painted black, with a lowered engine bonnet and a squat cab, inside which somebody was sitting with his foot on a pedal and his hands on a pair of levers. The engine was rolling toward a red signal, and came to a stop as Harold hovered next to it.
"Hello old chap!" the helicopter called. "Who might you be?"
"I'm Rusty!" the engine replied. "I'm a diesel, in case you're wondering. Mr Percival purchased me from my old mine to help out here, and that is precisely what I do."
"I help out too!" his driver said. The driver stepped out, revealing him to be a young boy with light green skin and darker green hair, currently wearing a green T-shirt and shorts, as well as green shoes. "My name's Sam Brown."
"Are you related to Sir Handel Brown?" Soarin' asked, from inside Harold's cockpit, doing his best to make himself heard over the noise.
"Is that the man after whom one of the engines is named?" the boy asked. "I'm not aware of any relation. Most people just call me Sandbar; I was born in a seaside town and one day was found playing near one. The name kinda stuck after that."
"My name's a compression of the words 'Ruston' and 'Hornsby'," Rusty explained. "I met Sandbar whilst they were rebuilding a beach one time, and we struck up a close friendship."
"Well, that is most interesting to know," Harold said. "Well, keep up the good work, cheerio!" and off he flew, back to base.
Rusty sighed. "Cheeky chopper," he said, as Sandbar released his brakes and put him into gear. Like a lot of diesels of his era, Rusty had a manual gearbox, and this made him very hard to drive. Nontheless, Sandbar had driven him for many years, and as a result knew how to get the best out of him.
"Hey, take it easy Rusty," Sandbar smiled. "After all, we're almost home. Then you can have a nice rest."
Sir Handel and Peter Sam, as well as Gallus and Silverstream, were glad not only to see Rusty, but to make some new friends in the process. Even so, Sir Handel simply wouldn't stop grumbling. The trucks disliked him, and with good reason, as he was known to be a rough runner. As a result, they constantly played tricks on him to try and annoy him and Gallus.
"It's not fair!" Sir Handel moaned. "We have to do all this work, whilst Skarloey gets to gallivant off to Pendre and Ocellus effectively gets a holiday!"
"I know, I know," Gallus grumbled. Skarloey had been sent to the Talyllyn Railway to be mended, which is partly why Rusty was acquired. Although Ocellus technically had no engine to drive, she still came in each day to help out.
They were so annoyed they didn't hear Gordon coming up behind them, and jumped when he started speaking. "Nobody understands us, you see," he said importantly. "If both of you were ill, you couldn't shunt trucks, could you?"
Gallus groaned. "There's no way I could fake illness. Grandpa Gruff's a living lie detector!"
Sir Handel, on the other hand, smiled. "I can fake being ill," he said. "That way, you can stay down here and 'mend' me, and stay in the shade all day!"
Gallus smiled. "Shall we do it tomorrow?"
Gordon then pulled away, with a smile. "Er, Gordon?" Rainbow Dash asked. "What were you and Sir Handel discussing?"
"Oh, nothing, nothing," Gordon answered, as he rolled down the line.
The next day, the engine and human put their plan into action. Sir Handel groaned as he woke up. "I don't feel well," he moaned, as Mr Percival looked at him suspiciously.
"He's right, you know," Gallus said, looking inside the engine from under the frames. "The tubes are leaking. It'll take me most of the day to fix them."
Mr Percival sighed. "With only two engines, we'll have quite the timetabling headache. There's no time; get Peter Sam and Rusty to take the train up the line to the quarry."
Silverstream excitedly coupled the coaches and trucks to Peter Sam. "We're going to the quarry!" she sang cheerfully. "I've never been there! What's it like?"
"It's magnificent," Peter Sam replied. "It reminds me of the one on my old-" he then stopped. "Never mind, I'm certain you'll like it, Silverstream." After the pair had completed their passenger run, they took the first of the slate wagons to the quarry that lay beyond the top station, with Rusty following soon behind with the remaining trucks for the slate.
Now then, it is not possible for the engines to pull the trucks up to the top of the quarry. The rails are steep, and an engine could not get grip. Instead, they are attached to a steel cable, and pulled up the hillside to where they are needed. A large drum pulls them up, but in order to ensure they ascend at a constant speed, they are counterbalanced by other trucks coming down the hill. This is meant to prevent the heavier ones running away down the hill... in theory.
At the end of the day, Peter Sam and Silverstream waited at the bottom of the slope for the loaded trucks to be moved into position. The empties had already been attached to the rope, and the cable tightened as the drum went into action. Peter Sam never bumped trucks unless they misbehaved, but the trucks at the top couldn't see Peter Sam properly, and as a result thought that he was Sir Handel. As both of them were painted red, it was very hard to tell them apart from far away.
"Faster! Faster!" the trucks going down yelled, in their stupid way. "Let's pay him out!"
"No! No!" cried the ones going up. "It's Peter Sam! It's Peter Sam!" But it was too late, and the coupling on the incline snapped. The loaded trucks roared down the hill, and the empties rolled back.
"HURRAH! HURRAH!" cried the trucks.
Peter Sam looked on in horror. "Silverstream, jump!" he cried. "Those idiots are coming straight for us!"
She jumped from the footplate just in time. The leading truck smashed into Peter Sam, spilling slate all over him, whilst the second truck telescoped into the first, breaking apart in the process. The third flew through the air, and demolished a water channel that ran to the pumping engine, so water spilled all over Peter Sam and made him look a complete mess. "I didn't expect a cold bath!" he cried, as Silverstream ran back over.
"Oh my goodness! Are you OK?" she cried, as she began pulling the wreckage off of him. His tanks were badly dented, and his funnel was bent from the force of the impact caused by flying slate. Rusty, luckily, had been working in the area, and he and Sandbar came to help clear the mess.
"My goodness!" the diesel exclaimed. "Trucks can make quite the mess. Never mind, we'll soon have you out." As he said this, he began to pull the damaged trucks away. Sandbar helped clean the wreckage off of Peter Sam, and then they towed the stricken engine home. Luckily, Silverstream was unhurt, just somewhat upset over seeing her friend so badly damaged.
"Thanks for the help, Rusty," the tank engine sighed, as Silverstream eased open his regulator and helped him home. Gallus was shocked to see the mess that Peter Sam was in.
"Are you alright, Silverstream?" he asked, his voice full of worry.
"None of the debris came my way, so I'm OK," the girl replied. "But Peter Sam's gonna need a lot of repairs."
"I'd have stayed further back," Sir Handel suggested.
"That's a fat load of use when you're down here!" Peter Sam snapped. "Why didn't you warn me?"
Sir Handel looked down. "I didn't think."
"You never do!" snapped the voice of Mr Percival. "Both you and Gallus can do plenty of it, whilst doing both your own and Peter Sam's work. That'll teach you to bunk off."
Gallus blinked. "He's holding us responsible for the actions of three idiot trucks?"
There was a silence. "Gallus, do us a favour and be quiet?"
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While this is a pretty mediocre story, all things considered, it is linked to one of my favourite stories of the series. So, when's the new funnel gonna show up?
10098082
If I remember correctly, a bit after Duncan is introduced.
10097847
Yes I agree it gives more insight to Gordon's character despite his pompous behavior and is a amazing friend to Henry and James including Thomas. Maybe when you start doing the season 6 episodes have one when Diesel heroically redeems himself saving Salty, Toad, and Oliver from a fire.
Stupid trucks. They always love to make trouble for everyone.
I agree with the trucks thing. It's almost like they're suicidal! But really, I do not hold Sir Handel responsible for the accident.
And I was correct on who drives Rusty!
Although, I was kinda worried something was gonna happen to Silverstream when the trucks slammed into Peter Sam.
And I thought at this point, Sir Handel and Peter Sam had buffers fitted?
10098082
Well, there isn't much you can do with the original narrative.
10098266
Correct.
10098271
10098292
That they do, ruining everything for everyone.
10098438
Yes. Your point being?
10098714
Well, I was just saying, because the book, it said they had buffers fitted on. As in Four Little Engines, neither had buffers when first joining the Skarloey Railway
10098865
Very true.
Do Rusty and Sandbar make a good pair in your opinion?
10098884
Of course, they do.
Rusty has always seemed like the "straight man" among the engines and since Sandbar is the same way, they would be perfect to pair up.
But one thing interesting is, I never knew diesel engines were a manual drive, I always thought only road vehicles had that. Never diesel locos
10098886
I'd never thought of Rusty that way.
10098891
That's just my personal opinion of course.
Another factor is, Rusty is the only diesel on the Skarloey Railway, making him stand out from the others, like how Sandbar was to the Young Six in Season 8
10098894
Given Sandbar was the only pony.
10098898
Exactly.
10098902
I always kinda felt sorry for him. He didn't really have a consistent personality, being more or less being defined by not being the others. (This is termed the via negativa.)
10098937
No kidding. I mean even in one of my fanfiction series I gave him much more character.
10098939
He's a complete idiot in Hearth's Warming Club and Uprooted, but seriously smart and devious in School Raze. And don't get me started on Ending of the End.
I'd like to read that story.
10098948
Don't talk to me about anything from Season 9. I hate Season 9! It completely derailed the whole series for me!
Well, here's the thing, it's not one story, it's more of a series type fanfiction. A huge crossover one, and not just one show, several of them, Star Wars, How To Train Your Dragon, Thomas & Friends, etc. It's a mega-crossover one.
But Sandbar's role is much better than the show. In this series, he's a very smart guy. He knows mechanics ( not like simple ones either, like Sci-fi level mechanics), planning skills, and even fighting skills with firearms and A Lightsaber.
10098953
A super-crossover? Infinity war scale?
10098955
Something like that.
And what's ironic in that fanfic series, there is a part based on Infinity War and Endgame. But not with Thanos an OC Alicorn villain that is from 10,000 years ago
10098958
Sounds fun.
10098438
He might not be to blame for the accident, but he did pretend to be ill to get out of work.
10098974
And Gallus went along with it, as well. Silly man...
10098971
It's very fun.
Especially when I get to draw out many things related to it, characters, vehicles, animals, weaponry etc.
10098974
Yes, that much is true. And that's what happens when you take that kind of advice from Gordon
10098980
For one with your vast and inventive imagination, I imagine it's a blasy.
10098983
You bet
10098990
In comparison, I think this'll be the most ambitious my crossovers will get.
Never I thought I would see the UK Term for slacking off ^^
10099710
And the rest? Remember I am British.
10099714
Heh. Well.... at least the TV Series did choose wisely to keep the engines (mainly Sir Handel and Peter Sam for examples :3) in their usual colors instead of being limited to one color so one wouldn't get confused X3
Gotcha ^^
10099717
But that meant the plot made no sense. The mixup is based on both engines being the same colour.
10099726
I never did understand that incongruency until I reread the books. Their boilers do look similar, but
StuartPeter Sam was still distinct fromFalconSir Handel.Fair play (a term I’d never use for them otherwise) to the trucks though, as we the viewers have a birds-eye view. I suppose the new funnel would “finally” make them distinct.
Also, while it indeed didn’t make sense to punish Sir Handel, I don’t ever remember how word of their faked illness leaked, if it did on-scene/camera.
While Sir Handel couldn't be responsible for knowing that the trucks would play up on Peter Sam, he IS responsible for bumping them when their good, which caused the trucks to want to pay him out.
10100513
I don't think they ever did.
While I didn't know him much from fim, (don't ask why unless its in a private dm) I find the story of his nickname interesting, like this one name of a loop track from a tourist line I visited last month.
And the seeds of devastation have been planted.
Poor Peter Sam.
Yes, please!