Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends Into the Thigh-Verse

Traffic Jam

The wind picked up, as Alan serged forward!
"COME ON! COME ON!" He puffed! Thick clouds of smoke bellowed into the sky! And, at last, Peter and the heavy train reached the top of the hill! "PEEP! PEEP!"
Alan cried!
"I'VE DONE IT! I'VE DONE IT!" His crew brought him to a careful stop, and soon, Peter was out of sight. Alan had been banking trains for days on end, without much of a rest, and he felt exhausted!
"Well done!" His driver cried, jumping for joy, luckily, being so short, she did not bang her head on Alan's roof. "You've done it!"
"YOU'VE DONE IT!" Roared his stoker! Alan let off steam happily, and set off down the hill... But he didn't. When his driver opened the reverser, Alan didn't move an inch. His stoker tried, and yet, Alan didn't budge. "Ehh, something was bound to go wrong."
Grimaced the stoker.
"But did it have to be now!?" Alan looked down at his buffers. He had no strength to speak..

"Skill issue!" Dudley's stoker announced, eliminating the last of Edward's drivers active hermit card.
"WHOT!?" Edward's driver yelped! To a cascade of 'oohs' and 'ahhs' coming from the watching engines. "THAT'S NOT-"
She was cut short by the doors swinging open! And, an unhappy Neil sulked into the shed!
"Aye, what's wrong weth you?" Donald asked, jokingly. Neil just let off steam!
"BLOCKED FOR FORTY FIVE MINUTES!" He snapped! "ALL BECAUSE ALAN COULDN'T HANDLE A COUPLE OF BLOODY TRUCKS!"
"Hold on." Dudley interrupted. "What are you talking about?"
"So you haven't heard?" Rolly and Grolton said together. "Alan's brakes locked up. He's being mended."
"And I'm not surprised." Edward added. "He's been working wonders for the hill! It's about time he gets a well earned rest."
"Hold on!" Neil grunted. "What about us? Who's going to bank our trains!?"
"I think I can help with that." Came a familiar voice. It was The Fat Controller. "Since Alan is away being mended. I need one of you to cover for him. Do I have any volunteers?"
All eyes turned to Neil. Neil let off steam crossly!
"NO." He said, bluntly. "I won't do it!"
"Why?" Grolton teased. "You aren't scared, are you?"
Neil's heart dropped.
"I suppose so..." Neil finally muttered. "Fine! I'll bank you ungreatful sods! And I won't cause any wretched traffic jams!"
"Good to hear!" The Fat Controller turned to the crews, who were all still huddled around the computers. "As for you lot. Keep it down."
"Wanna play?" Dudley's stoker quickly asked. The Fat Controller paused for a moment.
"I suppose so..." He replied.
"Great! Kate, get off, Fat Hatt's gonna play!"
"Why me!?" Edward's driver wined!
"Because you lost!" Donald's stoker retorted. "Now, chop, chop!"
Edward's driver was so angry that, once she was out of the chair, she threw a punch, right at Edward's boiler! The bang echoed through the sheds!
"OUCH!" Edward cried! "DID YOU JUST PUNCH ME!?"
"Whoops.. Sorry." The driver replied. Luckily, there was only a small dent. Or so they thought...

The next day, Neil started banking. First, he had to push Gordon's express, then he had to carry Jimmy's train back. And finally, he had to shunt a train for Douglas! By the time he was done, Neil was exhausted!
"Phew!" He pannted! "I didn't think pushing a few blasted trucks would be so much work!"
"Now ye see why Alan's bein mended?" Douglas said. "He werks harder than ye could ever even dream!"
Neil scowled.
"Pah!" He scoffed! "At least I don't break down on hills! I won't cause a traffic jam!"
"Suit yeself." Douglas replied. And puffed away.

Meanwhile, down at the harbour, there was trouble.
"Edward's making poor steam." His stoker explained. "But we can't figure out why."
"I hope it wasn't from my punch.." Muttered the driver, grasping her hand.
"I'll be fine." Edward reasoned. "I'm taking a nonstop goods train to the works. If the problem persists, I can easily be looked over there."
"Are you sure?" The driver asked, almost sheepishly.
"Positive." Edward replied. Once he had his steam up, Edward set out for the yard. And soon, he was on his way! But, with each puff, he wasn't so sure. "Goodness!"
He puffed!
"This train is heavier than I thought!" Edward's train was a produce train. Mostly fruits and vegetables. However, at the back of the train, before the brakevan, was a van loaded with jam, needed for shops across the other railway. Little did they know, the brakes had slipped on. The truck remained quiet about this.

At last, Edward limped into his station.
"Lookin a bit worse for wear, aye old timer!?" Neil chastised! "Need a push!?"
"Get yourself ready then!" Edward pantned! "I'll need all the help I can get!"
Edward's crew were nervous.
"We're losing pressure." The stoker grumbled. "We won't make it up the hill."
"Too late to go back." The driver replied. "We'll just have to try."
"Peep! Peep!" Edward whistled! "We'll give it a good go!"
And they charged the hill! But, in no time, Edward was out of steam! He and the train came crawling to a halt! Quickly, the crew and guard went along the train, inspecting it carefully. At last, they found the problems.
"Well, it looks like one of the trucks brakes was on." The guard explained. "Explains why we couldn't get up to speed."
"But, if that's the case, how come Edward's steam pressures been a bit fucky all day?" Asked the stoker.
"Um.. I might have the answer to that." The driver replied. And showed them the dent. Where the dent had been, was a small hole, which had grown bigger, and was hissing steam.
"Ahh." The guard sighed. "Shitty combo eh?"
"How did your twig arms cause so much damage?" Edward added. "Like, what?"
"I'll phone for help." Grumbled the stoker.

Neil was furious when he heard the news!
"Can't the relief engine take him on!? I'm busy!"
"No." Replied the stationmaster. "Donald's busy along Duck's line, filling in for Oliver. You're the only engine available."
"Goody." Neil set off, blowing off steam! "Let's get this lot moving!"
The crew were standing around Edward's front, inspecting the hole, when Neil came snorting up behind! He had expected Edward to at least be half way up the hill, not at the bottom!
"GOOD GRIEF!!" Neil yelped! His driver applied the brakes! But Neil's wheels just skidded on the rails! "STOP! STOP!"
There was an ear splitting crash! And then, silence. Edward's crew went to inspect the mess. Neil had been going much faster than Alan would've, and had hit the brakevan with enough force to destroy it under his own buffers! And, to make things worse, his momentum hadn't stopped him, and Neil had ploughed right into the jam van! Jam boxes lay everywhere! Jam coated the rails!
"Well." Edward said. "I know you didn't want to cause a traffic jam. But oh my god."
Neil couldn't be dignified enough to give an answer.

For the rest of the day, Edward and Neil's crew scrubbed the rails until they were spotless!
"Och aye!" Donald marvelled. As he came to take Edward's train away. "How have ye done that!?"
"Don't ask..!" Snarled Neil through gritted teeth. Soon, the mess was cleared, and Neil was able to head back to Edward's station. Where he was properly looked over.
"Buffer beams twisted." The driver said. "He'll have to go to the works for repairs."
Neil scowled once again. Then, Alan arrived. A smug grin crossed his face.
"Well, well, well!" Alan said. "I heard you said I caused a traffic jam!"
His grin grew wider.
"But this, now this is just silly. Be a good engine and make sure nothing like this ever happens again."Neil went red in the face, and gritted his teeth.