the tales of sodor's engine

Toby and the old coaches

Toby and Henrietta have worked together for many years, but both were getting old and in need of repairs, especially Henrietta. It was decided that she was to be sent to the Works, which made Toby feel very sad.

"Don't worry, Toby," Henrietta said sweetly one day as Percy came to take her away. "I'll be back soon, better than ever before!"

Soon, they were away, and Toby was left to find other coaches in the meantime.

He found a pair of old green coaches that hadn't been touched in a long time. Toby hadn't met these coaches before. The other engines never cared to use them.

Toby soon found out why.

"I say!" said the leading coach. "We were having a wonderful rest until you came along!"

"Yes, my dear," said the other coach. "Leave us be. There's a good engine!"

Toby frowned.

"That's a poor attitude. We've got passengers to take up the line!" Toby scolded. "Now come along!"

"Oh, alright! Don't be such a fusspot!" the coaches chimed in unison.

Toby, with great effort, dragged the coaches to the platform. The passengers filed into the compartments, and soon the train was full, much fuller than the coaches would have liked.

"We're fit to burst!" they cried.

"Stuff and nonsense!" said Toby, who was becoming rather annoyed with these old coaches. "They're only passengers, after all!"

"Noisy, clumsy, heavy passengers!" shrieked the coaches. "We'd rather be in our nice, warm siding."

Toby was furious! He had never met such stubborn coaches. Soon, the guard's whistle came, and it was time to leave.

"You can concern yourself with resting when our work is done."

"We don't want to go, and you can't make us!"

"We'll see about that!" Toby seethed. He pulled with great effort, but the coaches only crept along, their brakes squealing terribly!

"Oh oh oh! You're hurting us!" the coaches cried.

Toby rolled his eyes.

"Come ON!" Toby said, and gave another great heave. Finally, the coaches gave up, and they were on their way.

The coaches came along well at first, but soon began to grumble!

"Horrible engine!" they said. "Menacing engine! We are delicate coaches and need our rest!"

Soon, they started up Gordon's Hill, and the coaches became rather upset.

"Too steep!"

"We're exhausted!"

"Yes! We need a rest! You've strained us too much!"

"Not a chance," Toby said, but the coaches didn't care what he said. They turned their brakes hard on, and soon the train came to a screeching halt right in the middle of Gordon's Hill!

"I can't believe it!" said Toby, with feeling. "I can't abide you lazy coaches!"

"Lazy? Lazy? We'll show you!" they said. They let off their brakes and their weight pulled Toby down the hill. Soon, they settled at the bottom, leaving Toby red in the face and very cross.

"Don't you look silly now!" they chattered. "Who's pulling who?"

The passengers had had quite enough.

"Wait until the Fat Controller hears about THIS!"

The Fat Controller sat in his office drinking tea when the phone rang.

"Toby? On Gordon's Hill? Right!" he said, and seized his hat.

When the Fat Controller arrived, he was accosted by the mob of angry passengers.

"Good!" the coaches sighed. "Maybe the Fat Controller will tell this silly engine to go away and let us go back to our siding."

But the coaches were surprised to find that the Fat Controller and the passengers turned on them instead.

"Listen very well, you two!" the Fat Controller said. "Coaches who take advantage of engines and passengers are not coaches fit to work on my railway. I do not tolerate laziness."

"Lazy?" the coaches fumed. "It's that matchbox tram engine you should be yelling at! He hurt us!"

"Good!" said the Fat Controller. "Toby would never discipline coaches unless they deserved it. He did nothing wrong."

The coaches were aghast!

Soon, Thomas came to take the passengers the rest of the way. The coaches were taken away, and Toby slunk back to his shed feeling very silly.

Henrietta returned a few days later, and Toby told her the whole story.

"Those coaches behaved like common trucks!" said Henrietta.

"I hope I never have to pull coaches like those ever again!" Toby sighed. "I'm glad to have you back!"

Toby and Henrietta were glad to be together again! After she got settled, Toby took Henrietta on a run through the countryside. As they passed the farm, Toby couldn't be sure, but he could have sworn the new hen houses looked awfully familiar...