When Stevenson arrived on the Southern Island Railway, the American Controller had purchased new coaches for him.
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They were large, with sturdy metal bodies, separate compartments, and ran on bogies.
Stevenson was proud of his new coaches, and took pride in pulling them.
The old Express coaches were decommissioned and were said to be, 'unfit' for express service.
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While they were made of metal, they were much smaller, ran on axels, and had no separate compartments.
"Cheer up," said Stacy, "You'll still be useful on the branchline trains!"
"Branchline trains!?" exclaimed the coaches.
When John was shut up in the tunnel, Stacy took over his local trains. And every chance she got, she would take the old coaches out at any time she could. This made them feel better, until Stevenson voiced his opinions.
"It's a pity," he said, "But I suppose that's the price of progress of course. Why, even you, Little Stacy, would have been a fine express engine. I suppose modern engines require modern coaches."
"Oh," said Stacy, "But I think you'd be lovely pulling these dears."
Stevenson scoffed, "No thank you!! They'd be open top carriages before I'd even hit top speed! Now these, are proper coaches!"
"Is that what they are?" asked Belle cheekily, playing with some trucks, "I thought someone stretched out the goods vans and you were doing some real work for a change!!"
Stacy and the old coaches laughed, as Stevenson puffed off after the guard blew his whistle.
On the mainline, Stevenson was going fast.
"Real work, REAL work!! I'll show them real work!!"
Stevenson went faster, and faster.
"Slow down old boy!!" said his driver, but Stevenson just went faster.
Next morning, Stevenson felt a bit stiff. His crew checked him over.
"Your tender brakes have jammed shut," said his driver, "Not surprising considering how fast you were going yesterday."
"And you said that the old coaches would fall apart!" laughed Belle.
Stacy shot Belle a look, and said, "This is no time to joke around Belle. The Express has to go out on time!"
"And just how?" asked Stevenson, "You can't pull those coaches!"
Stacy looked around the carriage shed, and she spotted one of the old coaches!
At the big station, the American Controller was working hard to restore order, when a peculiar sight appeared.
There, coming to the platform, was Stacy, pulling all the old coaches she could find.
"Well done Stacy," said the American Controller, "You managed to find a solution for the problem. Can I count on you to reach the end of the line?"
"I'll do my best!" said Stacy.
Soon, the guard and station master shooed the passengers to the coaches, and the former blew his whistle, and Stacy puffed off.
She raced down the line, and everyone watched the scenery passing by them.
Stacy raced through the tunnel, giving John quite the fright!!
"GO ON STACY!!" he cheered, "GO ON!!!"
Stacy ran down the mainline, until she reached the mainland, and there, the engine was waiting for her.
He was surprised, and said, "My goodness. You made it just 3 minutes before the deadline. That's one in the headlamps for Stevenson."
Stacy was proud, and the passengers gave her a big thanks.
That evening, Stacy arrived back at the big station, and asked the old coaches, "So, how did you fancy your return to the express?"
"Oh, it was lovely Stacy," said one.
"But," added another, "Perhaps you were right. Maybe some branch line work will be better."
"Well," said Stacy, "I think it's time for a well earned rest in the carriage shed."
"Um, that won't be necessary," said Stevenson.
"See, the American Controller has given me a break from the express to rest my wheels," he said grandly, "I shall escort these lovely coaches to the car-"
"That's not what he said!" laughed Belle, "He said you were to shunt in the yard until you learn not to be so big in the smoke box!"
"Come along," said the old coaches, "Take us away, chop chop!"
Stevenson just sulked, as he buffered up to the coaches, and pushed them to the carriage shed, with Belle and Stacy laughing at him.
