The weather had been getting hotter and hotter on the Fat Controller's railway. It seemed to only get warmer as the days passed. The engines often needed a hose down just to cool off.
"I'm just a walking ball of sweat at this point."
James' guard complained. Drying off her hands on Douglas' driver's shirt.
"It'd be worse for the engines"
Douglas' driver replied.
"And be grateful you're a guard. It's boiling in the cab..."
He shivered. However. The engine having the most trouble was BoCo. He had been dealing with Bill and Ben for far too long. And had been looking for some break from it all. His driver, second woman and guard understood the pain, and even agreed with him.
"Dealing with those two can knock some years off your life."
His driver moaned. Placing her head against the controls.
"We need time away from the clay mines."
BoCo was quite vocal on the matter that night. And talked endlessly about it. The other, less experienced engines with the twins agreed.
"I just need a rest!"
BoCo complained.
"I don't know if I'm on my roof or my wheels!"
Now, the twins gave BoCo some vague respect. And he wasn't the only one. Edward too got the respect needed. Only one other engine did, who watched from his birth in the sheds.
"If you'd like."
Came a voice.
"We can always swap jobs for the day?"
BoCo looked over to where the voice had been coming from, to find Donald.
"The twins dinne give me a lick of trouble! If I can handle the trucks, I can handle those two pests!"
BoCo smiled widely.
"That would be fantastic! Nothing can be worse than Bill and Ben."
Donald wasn't so sure.
"The trucks have been acting up due to the heat. It will'ne be as easy as you think!"
"Oh trust me!"
BoCo insisted.
"I'm sure it's fine!"
The next morning. Donald and BoCo's crews swapped schedules. Once sorted, the two parted ways. BoCo brimming with excitement!
He arrived to the yard. And found his goods train ready.
"No need to shunt my own train!"
He gasped.
"Now this is the life!"
In fact. His first run went mostly well. Although the big diesel found himself growing hotter and hotter.
"Phew!"
His guard panted.
"I need a nice cold bath!"
BoCo chuckled. Remembering Douglas incident at the yard some weeks earlier.
"Shame we can't have one!"
He joked.
"Could do some damage!"
His engineer squeaked.
"Water could make a big mess!"
"Water nothing to an engine with determination!"
BoCo added. Trying to be funny. His crew laughed!
At last, BoCo made it to the works station. Right on time.
He shunted his trucks away, and went to fetch his new ones. Donald had been right. The trucks had been sat in the boiling sun all morning, and were ready to lash out.
"Oh look!"
One shouted.
"It's a shoebox on wheels!"
"Someone hasn't been used since the sixties"
BoCo replied. Seemingly, this was the wrong thing to say. As the trucks took great offence to such a comment. They began silently plotting.
"Wait for an opening. Then we'll play our tricks~"
Bolt's cackled from the middle of the train.
Once again. BoCo made great time. So much so as he passed the junction he was running early.
"For such a splendid run!"
His engineer piped up, clapping her hands together.
"We'll give you a lovely long hose down! Rinse all that dust off you!"
"That would be lovely~"
BoCo sighed happily. Now Olive hadn't meant harm with this comment. But BoCo had been so stressed and tired from all the week's events, any slight reprieve almost put him to sleep. He became distracted. Now this wasn't a problem most of the time. But the entrance to the harbour is a step decline for engines entering the harbour. There was a rule, all trains slow to ready brakes. BoCo was always on top of this, however, this time he wasn't. As he made it to the top, his driver realised.
"Woah boy!"
She called. BoCo snapped out of his trance, and was about to apply his brakes when the trucks finally acted!
"Go on! Go on!"
They called! Shoving the big green diesel down the hill!
"Help!!"
BoCo cried. But it was no good. Right by the pier stood Douglas with a van train!
"STOP!!"
Douglas whistled! But it was too late! BoCo shut his eyes! As with a crash! BoCo was tossed off the quayside! All his trucks tumbling in behind him!
Luckily BoCo and his crew weren't hurt. He had landed on some shallow land, which meant it looked like he was swimming. Douglas surveyed the accident.
"Loch sakes!"
He snickered at last.
"First me! Now you! Whoever next lad!"
BoCo didn't want to admit it. But he felt more relaxed than he ever had in his life.
Soon Donald arrived with the cranes. And BoCo was lifted to safety. The Fat Controller stood, pleased to see BoCo smiling.
"Donald told you to take care with the trucks."
He scolded.
"Especially on that part of the line... However."
He paused impressively.
"Nothing outside some trucks were damaged. All the cargo aboard your train wasn't affected too bad, and Douglas' train was empty. Just maybe be careful next time."
"Thank you sir."
BoCo replied.
"I promise it'll never happen again."
"Well, I've heard fish are meant to swim, not BoCo's"
Donald was waiting when they returned home.
"Workmen said I wasn't damaged at all. So I'll be back on the branch line tomorrow!"
He sighed. Already missing his bath.
"Did the twins miss me?"
"Och! Right awful they were!"
Donald snapped.
"Bloody devils played every trick they could on me! Sounds like I had it worse than you!"
BoCo closed his eyes. And smiled.
"And that."
He said at last.
"Is what I call a big break."