Percy and the Express

Percy and the Express ~ Written by TEHGJPTDDDO

Plot
Tom Tipper is a postman who works on Sodor, and Percy is his favorite engine. A long time ago, Percy ran over his bike on accident but since have became great friends, as both of them deliver the mail. However, he isn't the only engine who delivers mail, as Gordon knows too well.

It started after a late night train in the middle of July at Barrow-In-Furness. Engines are inspected breifly after every train they take, and Gordon is not an exception, even though he thinks so occassionally. His guard, driver, fireman, and the stationmaster looked all over him to see if everything was functioning right. Just then, his driver spotted something that was not good.

His driver whispered to the guard "his crosshead is in a very bad position," but as hard as he tried to not make Gordon hear, he did, and wasn't happy at all.

"Me, an engine of such high calliber, have a faulty crosshead. Oh, the indignity!"

His guard wanted to calm Gordon down by saying "all the crossbar does is eliminate sideways pressure from the piston. That means if you take a light load, you will be able to be useful." He knew that meant that he would need to take freight cars, and, aso one would think, he grumbled all the way home to Tidmouth Sheds.

He told all the engines at the sheds about his crosshead to the point that they were dozing off. The only engines that were awake after an hour of Gordon's grumbling were Donald, Douglas, and Percy.

Donald and Douglas were awake just to make fun of Gordon and his crosshead. Percy, however, was awake just because he didn't have a job to do the following day. "Tom Tipper is going on holiday this weekend" he told the others. This is what caused a spark in Gordon's head.

Gordon then spoke up. "Well, a crosshead repair won't take that long... about three-day's length. Hey! I have an idea! What if you take the express while I am being repaired!"

Donald and Douglas didn't like this idea. "The way this is going is one I don't like" Douglas stated quite firmly.

"Right, Dougie! Tricks are all that are in his mind now, Percy. All talk, no show."

Gordon often had it in for Donald and Douglas, and so he told them to stay out of this conversation, or, as he put it, "stop sticking your 'Annie Whistles' into every conversation we have!" Donald and Douglas then reversed into the shed whispering something, but Gordon couldn't understand what they said.

"They are just a bunch of signal boxes" Gordon told Percy. "Anyway, i have faith in you, Percy, and I know you can do it."

Percy wasn't sure what to say, but he did say something, and that was "I guess..."

"Good boy!" responded Gordon to Percy's acception. "You better get to sleep! You have a big day tomorrow!"

"Okay!" Percy shouted enthusiastically, but as he reversed into the shed, Gordon had a sly smile on his face, as he reversed backwards.

Percy woke up very early in the morning so he could get to work on time. As he pulled in and was coupled to the coaches, the stationmaster asked him why he was pulling the express. "Gordon has a broken crosshead," Percy answered, and I was told to pull it." The Stationmaster was puzzled, but decided to go ahead with the plan anyway. Passengers got on very quikcly and the coaches were now filled from back to front. Percy thought he could do it and, amazingly, he did, at least for a while.

As he stopped at Crosby, the third station on the line, Percy was inspected by his guard, fireman, driver, and the stationmaster and everything was in good shape. However, as he went away from the station, the back coaches coupling snapped. Now with two passenger coaches, Percy came up to one of the hardest parts on the line.

Between Wellsworth and Crosby, there is a large mountain called "Orry's Pass" after Godred MacHarold, the earliest known King of Sodor. It is where he and two of his son's were killed in battle by Earl Sigurd. They were killed at the bottom of the valley while Sigurd's Army was attacking by shooting arrows from the top of the hill. Much the same came true when Percy went by.

As he climbed up the hill, the two couplings began to make groaning noises. He then heard a few rattles, the sound of wood breaking, and a snap. The two coaches raced down the hill at a tremendous speed, all the way back to the station. Luckily the streatch between Wellsworth and Crosby is mostly flat and straight, so nobody was seriously hurt, even though they felt all shook up.

The passengers were helped of the "Coaches of Terror" as some passengers called them. The stationmaster's office door was being knocked on as if being attacked. Everybody told him it was a bad railway and that they would sue if the conditions didn't change.

Sir Topham Hatt was in his off ice at Upper Tidmouth when the telephone rang. The stationmaster told him about the whole situation and he was most displeased. However, he was extreamly shocked that Percy thought he could pull the express. He issued Percy to come to the station as quick as possible.

When Percy arrived, Sir Topham Hatt said "You have caused confusion and delay, and I'm not kidding!" That is when Percy told him about Gordon.

"His crosshead was broken, so I needed to pull the express. Gordon told me so."

"I should have expected it. Either way, I will punish him accordingly. I'll give you a rest, for you have deserved one. Have a nice day."

A few days later, Percy was at Knapford Station with Thomas. They were chatting while they saw Gordon pulling the mail, and he was definently not happy! "Well, that'll teach him!" Percy said jokingly. Gordon grunted and then pulled away. Meanwhile, Henry was at Knapford Station when Gordon pulled through. He looked at Gordon and then said jokingly "It isn't wrong, but we just don't do it!" Tom Tipper couldn't help but laugh. "Stupid crosshead!" Gordon mumbled to himself, as he pulled away with his train.

                                                                                                                              THE END

Characters Mentioned and Appearing

 * Percy
 * Gordon
 * Donald and Douglas
 * Henry
 * Thomas
 * Tom Tipper
 * Sir Topham Hatt