Thomas and Friends Fanfiction Series 4

A Troublesome Tram Engine

Diesel loves to make mischief for the steam engines, and he can even cause trouble for his fellow diesels. 

(He nearly causes a collision between Norman and Sidney and they frown.) 

Fortunately, there are many kind engines on the Island, such as Toby the Tram Engine. Toby likes to work hard, and he is a good friend to everyone he meets. But Toby isn't the only tram engine on the Island. 

The other tram engine's name is Flora. 

Flora loves to travel on Toby's line, pulling passengers in her splendid double-decker green tram coach. Flora and Toby are very good friends with each other. And they are cheerful to the other engines too. 

(They whistle cheerfully to Trevor at the level crossing.)

One day, Diesel was shunting trucks roughly in the yard. He didn't like shunting, especially if he was preparing trucks for steam engines. If he could get away with it, Diesel would have left the steamies to do the work themselves, but that would mean delaying their deliveries and he would be blamed. 

Diesel had to shunt some empty quarry trucks for Thomas, and then some coaches for James. He was to take some visitors to the Small Railway. 

James passed him on his way to take on water. 

"Oh, Diesel, be a Useful engine for Once and get my coaches at the platform by the time I get back!" he whistled rudely. 

That made Diesel very cross. 

Just then, Flora puffed in. 

"Hello, Diesel." she said sweetly. "I'm here to collect my double-decker coach. Even though James says my coach will never be as useful as the 'splendid' coaches he pulls."

This gave Diesel a devious idea. He was going to use Flora, a silly steamie tram, to pay James out, and avoid the blame for his own tricks.

"Actually, I'm glad you're here, Flora." said Diesel in an oily voice. "There's a change of plan."

"What's that?" asked Flora innocently.

"You're to take these coaches that James usually pulls and take the passengers to the Small Railway. Thomas has to work on Toby's line because Toby has...uh...damaged his side plates. So James needs to do Thomas' work and you need to take James' passengers."

"But what about my own passengers, Diesel?" asked Flora. She was very puzzled.

"I'm nearly finished shunting." said Diesel. "I can take your passengers."

"Oh, okay then." smiled Flora. "Thank you, Diesel."

"Don't mention it." snarled Diesel as Flora backed up to collect James' coaches.

Flora collected the visitors and puffed away. The passengers liked being pulled by such a lovely looking tram engine.

(The passengers include the Bird Watcher, the Laundry Lady, the Grumpy Passenger and Captain Joe.)

James soon arrived at the platform, waiting for Diesel to shunt the coaches behind him. But instead, Diesel shunted the empty trucks behind him, but James didn't notice. The guard blew his whistle and James simply went on his way.

Diesel thought he was being very clever. But he didn't realize that James was now following Flora, thinking that he was pulling his coaches.

Thomas arrived.

"Where are my trucks, Diesel?" he asked suspiciously.

"Oh, um, James is taking them, Thomas." said Diesel in response. "You now need to um, take passengers up Toby's line." 

"Why?" 

"Cos Toby had an accident." snapped Diesel. "Now excuse me!" 

Diesel oiled away to collect Flora's coach. Thomas felt suspicious but took some spare coaches and journeyed up the line where Toby worked. 

But when Thomas stopped at a signal, Toby was there. 

"Toby, but...I thought you had had an accident!" gasped Thomas. 

"No, but I am worried, Thomas. Flora's meant to be working on the line too. And...why are you taking passengers up here?" asked Toby. 

"I thought I was taking your passengers, Toby." said Thomas. 

As the signal dropped, Diesel rushed past with Flora's coach, hoping they didn't notice him, but they did. 

"Diesel! Stop!" 

Thomas chased after Diesel, leaving Toby very confused. 

Meanwhile, James arrived at the Arlesdale Junction but was very surprised to see his coaches were in front of him! 

James stopped. 

"Those are my coaches! But I'm...I'm pulling trucks!!!" he cried. 

"Hehe, could have fooled me, James." teased Rex as he passed by with his coaches loaded with the passengers that Flora brought to him. "Hear that, Mike? James didn't know he was pulling trucks!" 

Mike tried not to laugh. 

(Oliver passes by with some coaches.) 

"Flora, what are you doing?" snapped James. 

Flora was confused. 

"Diesel told me-" 

"You did this because I said your coach wasn't as useful as mine, didn't you?" snapped James. 

Flora felt bad, but also very confused. She didn't know that Diesel had played a trick on her to get her into trouble with James. And James wasn't listening. 

"James!" 

Thomas, Toby and a very reluctant Diesel arrived. 

"What are you doing here?" asked James. 

"Diesel did all this." said Toby crossly. 

"He tricked Flora into thinking she had to do your job, so you could take trucks instead. He was paying you back for not calling him useful." explained Thomas.

"And because he made Flora do a different job, he gave Thomas work on my line, so that he could pull Flora's passengers, hence this giant mix-up." 

Flora smiled. "It seems even a tiny lie can cause huge confusion and delay." 

Diesel felt sad. "I just wanted to be useful, for once, like James said. Shunting trucks isn't as useful as taking passengers." 

"Nonsense, Diesel." said Thomas. "Not all engines pull coaches. Shunting trucks is very important. If you didn't shunt trucks for us to pull, no coal would be in the bunkers for us to travel and do our work. You can be a Really Useful Diesel just doing your own work." 

Diesel listened...and smiled. 

After Diesel and James apologised to each other and to Flora, all was back to normal. 

Flora and Toby went back to their passenger jobs, and Flora now knew better not to trust a bad-tempered Diesel! 

(The End!)