Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends Into the Thigh-Verse

The Trouble with Trap Points

Trap points play a vital role in any yard. If an engine or piece or rolling stock become a runaway, they can be derailed, to prevent an accident further down the line. They are worked by a very powerful spring, but can be operated by the signalman, if needs must. One morning, Bernie was resting at the top station. He had just brought a goods train up the line, and had been looking forward to his rest, however, in her haste to leave, his driver hadn't set the brakes on properly! And Bernie found himself rolling down the line!
"HELP!" He cried! He shut his eyes, and waited for the crash! Bernie felt his weight shift, and he came tumbling off the rails, and came to a sudden stop! Right off the trap points! Luckily, Bernie hadn't been going very fast, and no one had been hurt. "Phew!"
Bernie said!
"That was a near thing!" He was thankful the catch points had caught him. However, when Donald arrived with the breakdown train, he quickly learnt to hold his tongue. Valentine, had seen everything.
"I've never seen anyone use those stupid old things!" She sniffed indignantly! "I'm much more careful than that! You'd never see me needing such silly things!"
"Dinne be too sure!" Barked Donald! "Runaways can happen to anyone! Trap points prevent an even worse accident from happenin in the first place!"
Valentine huffed indignantly, and purred away!
"Rotten old railcar!" Huffed Donald! "She could be in real danger one day! And then what will she need!?"
Bernie felt too defeated to reply.

"That clumsy old Bernie!" Valentine grumbled that night! "Grubby old goods engine! Thinking he can tell me what to do!"
"GRUBBY GOODS ENGINE!?" Bellowed Donald. "What makes you so bloody high and mighty, eh!?"
Valentine went red in the face!
"Hmph! You're different!" She finally blurted out! "You've been working on this railway for years! Have you ever needed those Catch points!?"
Donald considered the case for a moment.
"Well, truthfully, it might've been better if I had." He said, thinking back to the singalbox incident.
"Exactly!" Valentine snorted! "You've never used them!"
"I have!" Jeremey smiled. "Back when I worked for the other railway! I lost a train of trucks, and nearly hit a passenger train too!"
"YOU DID WHAT!?" Valentine shrieked! "Nearly hurt some poor innocent passengers!"
"Yes. But the trap points prevented it!" Jeremey laughed. "It was lucky they were there!"
Valentine almost treated it like a hate crime. She sulked for the rest of the night.
"She wouldn'e listen." Donald sighed. "One day, she'll get into real trouble! And then she'll be beggin for these things to come to her rescue!"
Jeremey laughed.
"I wouldn't worry." He said. "She'll realise her errors sooner or later."
"I hope so." Sighed Donald. "She does have a good heart, but she does need a bit of guidance."
"Bernie and I do try." Jeremey said. "But, I think you have the biggest influence on her."
Donald smiled. Jeremey said nothing more, and both engines drifted off to sleep.

Days passed. And nothing more was said on the trap points. Until one day, Donald was taking a goods train up the branchline. He was thinking about the mainline. While he was looking forward to going back, he did enjoy the company of the engines who ran the line. The trucks noticed Donald was distracted. And they saw their chance for trouble!
"Break it!"
"SNAP IT!" Shouted the trucks! The coupling broke! "Surprise! Surprise! Catch us if you can!"
"STOP THE TRUCKS!" Donald cried! Donald's guard threw on the brakes in the guards van! But it did little good! She threw herself out of the van, and watched helplessly as the trucks barreled down the line, towards the radio station!
"We have to warn Valentine!" Donald yelled!

Valentine was collecting mail at the radio station. As she started away, she saw the trucks!
"OH MY! HELP!" She cried! The signalman acted quickly, and switched the points! The trap points! Valentine closed her eyes! The sounds of trucks derailing echoed throughout the station, but she felt nothing. Valentine opened her eyes, to see the trucks had been switched into the catch points! Just missing her! "My goodness!"
She founced!
"The trap points saved me!" Donald came hurrying in!
"Sorry about my trucks!" He apologised! But to his surprise, Valentine was smiling! Donald noticed the trap points, and could only smile. And the next day, Donald returned home to the mainline to a chorus of cheers and horns!
"Fer a diesel railcar." Donald conceded to himself. "Valentine does have a wonderful heart!"