Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends Into the Thigh-Verse

Conflat Confusion

Conflats are the older form of containers, at least on the railways. The bottom half of the wagon is a flatbed, and the top half is the van. Loaded with goods, they can be easily loaded and unloaded from trains with ease. However, they need to be treated with care. As, if the ropes aren't tied down properly, they can come loose, which can lead to them derailing, or even flying off the flatbed, if light enough. One afternoon, Nigel was heading down the line with some conflats. The Fat Controller had ordered some conflats from the other railway, and had one of the diesels bring them to the works, where Nigel had picked them up. As he exited Thompson's tunnel, he heard an almighty scream!
"OOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRR!" Came the cry! Quickly, Nigel brought the train to a steady halt, and the crew went along, inspecting the train. Their attention was diverted to one specific conflat, which sat slightly lopsided.
"Shorry mate!" It said, greasily. "Me ropes came loose! Ye know how it is!?"
The crew dithered around the ropes for a moment, before finding that most of the wagon had rusted over!
"Jeez." Said the driver. "Someone dun a number on this guy."
"Time my friend." Replied the stoker. And they made their way back to the train.
"AYE MATE!" The conflat shouted! "CALL ME TINY TIM!"
"Poor introduction skills." Grumbled Nigel. "And even poorer body work!"
"I'd want my money back!" Replied the stoker. Nigel let out a soft chuckle, and puffed away. However, the fact that Nigel had ignored Tiny Tim had enraged the little wagon!
"DON'T IGNORE ME! OR YOU'LL SUFFER THE WRATH OF TINY TIM!" Nigel, just ignored this.

The next few weeks, were torture! Tiny Tim made himself acquainted with the other trucks, and soon, delays were a very common sight! Even engines like Edward, Dudley and even the Scottish Twins found themselves at the hands of the cantankerous conflat!
"Something needs to be done!" Barked Henry! "I've seen more delays in one day than my entire life!"
"It's worrying." Felix replied. "I've never know the trucks to act so hostile towards anyone!"
"It's all because of that Twitchy Tim, or whatever he was called!" Jeremey grunted! "Rip him apart! That's what I say."
"Ahh yes!" Benson retorted. "Scatter the corpse of their current leader around the yard! Brilliant idea!"
"It worked with S.C Ruffey, did it not?" Felix replied.
"Aye. But this is a bigger problem." Donald reasoned. "If wee tri to do anythun to this wee wanker, we'll face young wrath of the wee bliters."
"But it'll scare them into shape!" Jeremey snapped! "It'll teach them not to mess with us!"
"And give them trust issues!?" Toby spluttered! "It's not worth the risk!"
"Then what can we do?" Jeremy sulked.
"We wait." Henry finished. "The problem will solve itself."

Then, the weather changed. Wind and rain pelted down, and made the engines' lives very tricky!
"TOO SLOW! MORE POWER! HERE ALL NIGHT! TOMORROW TOO!" Tiny Tim rang out! Bumping the train fiercely as he did so!
"Shut up!" Jeremy barked! He felt like his palace was about to snap! Then, one day, everything changed. One morning, Dudley reached the harbour, to find a bit of a buzz around Tiny Tim.
"Urm, what's going on?" He asked.
"Tiny Tim's rusted over." The forman replied. "He's in need of major repairs."
"Do I still have to take him on my train?" Dudley quizzed. The forman nodded.
"You have to." She replied. "Because no one else will."
Dudley smiled.
"Of course!" He eyed the trucks. "This should be interesting."
He quickly shunted Tiny Tim in the middle of his train.
"'FRAID I'LL RUST AWAY EH!?" Tiny Tim roared! "SO YA DO CARE ABOUT ME!"
"Sure." Dudley smirked. Tiny Tim was boiling over with rage!
"Alright lads." He whispered to the trucks. "When we exit the tunnel, we hold back!"
The other trucks giggled, and agreed. Dudley quickly set off, none the wiser.

As he puffed down the line, the wind picked up! Dudley was forced to brace the gail! The trucks groaned and rattled! It was when they reached the tunnel, that finally, one of Tiny Tim's ropes snapped! It flapped helplessly in the wind!
"Oooh-er!" Tiny Tim groaned! "I wish I hadn't thought of this!"
Dudley raced into the tunnel! The wind halted for a second, then it all came flooding to Tiny Tim, as the tunnel exit came closer into view!
"WAIT!" Tiny Tim shouted! "STOP! STOP!"
But it was too late! When the train barreled out of the tunnel, the trucks kicked into gear!
"HOLD BACK! HOLD BACK!" They cried! The banging and clanging, coupled with the fierce winds became too much for Tiny Tim!
"STOP! STOP!" He cried! Suddenly, with one final gust, The second rope gave way! And lifted Tiny Tim up into the air! Unluckily, he hadn't been loaded, and was lighter than usual. The wind picked up the container wagon like a childs toy, and threw him from the train! Tiny Tim could only shriek in terror as he was thrown onto the line beside them! The harsh impact threw some of the trucks off the line! Being dragged along the sleepers!
"OH!" Dudley cried! "WHAT'S HAPPENING BACK THERE!?"
He yelped! His crew stopped the train quickly! And quickly, they surveyed the scene.
"Oh my!" Gasped the driver. "How did this happen?"
"Tiny Tim happened!" Burst out the guard! Scrambling out through the brakevan! "The chains snapped, and he was sent flying off the train!"
Quickly, the guard and stoker put out warning signals to alert the other engines about the obstruction. The crew inspected the container.
"As Sandra said." The stoker said. "Rusted all over. Maybe if we get him mended, he'll learn to be a better truck."
Tiny Tim didn't have the strength to reply.

Tiny Tim, shockingly, is a different truck now! While still as cheeky and troublesome as the average truck, he's now a much tamer wagon. He knows his limits, and never goes too far. Although the engines still don't like him. They much prefer this Tiny Tim, over the mental Tiny Tim... Almost.
"Alright! Come quietly!" Campbellfield snapped! Banging the trucks crossly into place!
"Alright lads." Smirked Tiny Tim. "Let's pay him out!"