Duncan and the Bridge

It was midnight on the Skarloey railway, and all the engines were fast asleep. But all was not well. Duncan started whimpering in his sleep. "Oh, no... No, please!"
This slowly woke up Skarloey. He could see something was wrong with Duncan. "Duncan? Are you alright?" But Duncan couldn't seem to hear Skarloey; he started yelling, "No, no! Please! Get away from me!"
Some of the other engines woke up, too. "You ok there, youngster?" Wondered Duke.
"Oh no! Help!" Suddenly he woke up with a very loud scream. "AHHHHHHH!" He then started panting, and looked around.
"What's the matter?" Asked Peter Sam.
"Whew!" Sighed Duncan. "It was only a dream."
"What was?"
"Nothing." Duncan answered.
"Please tell us!" pleaded Skarloey. "You clearly had a nightmare."
"Ugh, fine. I dreamed I was pushed off a bridge by a ghost engine."
"Ghost Engine?" Laughed Peter Sam, "Like the one in the story Rusty told you yesterday morning?"
"Actually yes." Said Duncan. "But who am I to be scared of something that's not real?"
"On the contrary," Sir Handel put in, "I'm very certain that you'd think it IS real, given the loud whaling voice I heard while I was at Lakeside with a passenger train earlier tonight."
"You must me be losin' your marbles!" retorted Duncan. "Who could be yellin' at that time of night?!"
"Well from the sound of it," replied Sir Handel, "it was you!"
"Me?! Are you out of your-!"
"Ah, get spooked, did ya?" Peter Sam interrupted cheekily.
"That is enough, you impertinent scaliwags!" Duke scolded. "Now why don't we all get some shut eye?"
"Aye," agreed Duncan,"I don't wanna hear any more yappin' from Peter Pan and Door Handle over there!" And with that, he went to sleep.

The next morning, Rusty was working hard at the slate mine. Peter Sam bustled in with a train of empty trucks.
"Good morning, Peter Sam!" Said Rusty, "You look cheerful!"
"Oh, I am!" replied Peter Sam, "After some hard work in the yards yesterday, Sir Topham Hatt has allowed me to bring trucks to and from the mine again!"
"That's wonderful! I'm glad you'll be able to help me again! So what else is new?"
"Oh, you're not gonna believe what happened last night!" Said Peter Sam excitedly.
"What?" Asked Rusty.
"Your ghost story actually spooked Duncan! He had a bad dream about it last night!
"Really!" Said Rusty, in amazement.
"Yes, anyone would think he's seen a ghost!" And Peter Sam started laughing loudly.
Rusty joined in too, until he realized what kind of trouble it could cause for Duncan. Now Rusty felt very concerened.

Peter Sam helped out with the work in the slate mine all afternoon. Later, Peter Sam was watching the sunset and waiting patiently at the bottom of the steep incline, where trucks are pulled up and down by a winch to be loaded. Some loaded trucks on the incline were getting bored.
"Let's break away!" Said one.
"Yes, and chase Peter Sam!" Said another.
The silly trucks giggled as they bumped each other and tugged at the winch. Finally the coupling snapped, and the trucks started running down the incline.
Peter Sam heard a snap, then looked to the trucks that were headed straight for him!
"Not this time!" Exclaimed Peter Sam as he quickly started puffing backwards. Rusty watched in shock as the trucks chased after Peter Sam. Then he saw more trouble.
"Look out!" Shouted Rusty.
Peter Sam looked back to see a set of points, which were set the wrong way! He veered into a siding at an alarming speed! His his driver and fireman jumped clear, but he came to a violent stop after smashing through a set of buffers! But worse was to come. "Horrors!" Peter Sam cried as he shut his eyes tight. Before anything else, the trucks crashed into him, slamming him into a cliff face one by one! Poor Peter Sam lay there battered and helpless.
"Bother! Who will bring the trucks now?"
"I'll send for help!" Called Rusty as he rolled slowly away.
"Oh, dear..." sighed Peter Sam sadly, "What will Sir Topham Hatt say?"
"Cheer up," Soothed his driver, "it wasn't your fault, it was those silly slate trucks." But Peter Sam still felt bad about the situation.

Rusty's driver went to the telephone to call ahead to other stations, with Rusty waiting anxiously.
Then after a while the driver came back. "There's only one engine available, and it's Duncan." said Rusty's driver. "He will bring a breakdown train up here so we can help Peter Sam back onto the  rails."
"Oh no..." Rusty thought to himself. He knew the old iron bridge might cause problems for Duncan.
Meanwhile, Duncan was shunting trucks in the yard by the works. He was glad he could take a break from the passenger trains.
Then the stationmaster came up with Sir Topham Hatt. "Peter Sam has had an accident at the slate mine," said the stationmaster. "We must bring a breakdown train at once."
Duncan was delighted "Heh. I told him those trucks would come back to haunt him."
"That's quite enough, Duncan." said Sir Topham Hatt firmly. "Now I've come along to assure Peter Sam that it wasn't his fault. He must be feeling very awful, especially after I entrusted him with a very important job indeed. Now YOU have an important job, too, so I suggest you get it done!"
Duncan said no more, and without wasting time he grabbed the breakdown train and headed off.