The Secret Railway (Female Controller Reader)

Chapter 66: Percy and the Old Coaches

Percy is a small green Sattle Tank Engine who lived on Paradise Island. He works on a Branch Line with his friends Thomas, Lady, Mavis and Toby, and he shunts in the yards at times. He also does some jobs that take him along the main line, like small goods, and a local passenger train.

One day, Percy was looking for coaches to help out on the local, but he couldn't find any. He then spotted some old coaches at the back of the yard. They looked like Gordon's Express coaches, but were as small as Annie and Clarabel. They hadn't been touched for a while, and Percy soon found out why. "I say," said the leading coach, "We were having a good rest until you came along." "Yes my dear," said the second coach, "Leave us be, that's a good engine." Percy frowned, "Now that's a poor attitude," he said, "Now come along, we have passengers to take up the line." "Oh alright, don't be such a fuss pot!" said the coaches in unison.

Percy, with great effort, pulled the coaches to the platform. The passengers then climbed into the compartments, and soon the train was full.... too full for the coaches' likings. "We're fit to burst! We're fit to burst!" they cried. "Stuff and nonsense!" said Percy, who was getting fed up with their attitude, "Their only passengers." "Noisy, clumsy, HEAVY passengers!" said coaches, "We'd rather be in our nice warm sighting!" "You can have a rest when we've delivered our passengers!" said Percy. The guard the blew his whistle, and Percy set off, but the coaches slipped their breaks on. Percy pulled, and pulled, and the coaches wailed, "YOU'RE HURTING US, YOU'RE HURTING US!!" Soon, they gave up, and Percy was on his way.

Percy puff through the countryside, and was making good time. It wasn't long until the coaches started to complain again. "Horrible engine, Menacing engine. We are delicate coaches and need our rest!"

They soon reached the hill, and the coaches began to be rather upset. "Too steep, too steep!/Yes we need a rest!/You've exhausted us!" they said. "Not a chance," said Percy, but the coaches didn't care. They slipped their brakes on, and the train came to a stand still. Just before they reached the top. "I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!" fumed Percy, "NEVER IN MY LIFE HAVE I EVER MET SUCH LAZY COACHES!" "Lazy? Lazy?! LAZY!?! WE'LL SHOW YOU!" they said.

They then let their brakes off, and their weight pulled Percy down the hill! Percy's brakes squealed, but the coaches were pulling him all the way down the hill! Henry was on the same line, pulling a goods train, when he saw the coaches coming down the hill, and Percy squealing! Henry then reversed as fast as he could, and he slowly buffered up behind Percy, and helped him slow down at the bottom, leaving Percy red in the face, and very cross! "Don't you look silly now!" they chimed, "Who's pulling who now?" Henry was shocked! "I don't believe this!" he said, "With this attitude, these coaches might as well be trucks!" The coaches then said, "You watch your mouth, Square Wheels!" The passengers were getting fed up with the coaches. "Wait until the Mrs. Awdry hears about this!" they said.

(Y/N) Awdry soon heard about it, and said, "I will see to it immediately." She grabbed Sir Topham Hat's top hat, then headed out of her office. Where Percy stood, there was Mallard with a stopping express, Den with a heavy goods train, and Frieda with another local, all behind Henry and Percy. Soon, (Y/N) came, and sorted out the commotion. "There," said the coaches, "she'll tell this silly engine to let us go back to our warm sighting." But the coaches were surprised to see the passengers and (Y/N) turn on them. "Listen very well you coaches!" said (Y/N) very sternly, "Coaches who take advantage of engines and passengers are not coaches fit to work on my railway! I do not tolerate laziness!" "Lazy!?!" fumed the coaches, "It's this little green caterpillar you should be shouting at! HE hurt us!" "Good," said (Y/N), "Percy would never discipline coaches unless they deserved it! He did nothing wrong!" The coaches were a-gasp!

The passengers then climbed aboard Frieda's passenger train, and Henry took the coaches on his goods train. (Y/N) had a fitting punishment in mind for them. Soon, Percy was back on the branchline, and he told Thomas, Lady, Toby, Mavis, Annie, Clarabel, and Henrietta all about the old coaches. "Well," said Annie, "I would never want to work with coaches like that." "Indeed Annie," said Clarabel.

Soon, Percy was puffing happily down the branchline with trucks. He didn't mind their tricks, and he even told them about the coaches. They laughed. At the farm, he couldn't be sure, but he swore the new hen houses look just like the old coaches.