Tales from the rails

Dan The Clever Engine, Written By Reverend W. Awdry

The next night, Dan, Rhys, Tatum, Sally, Edward, Hanna, DD, Delilah, Emma, and Rhys were all gathered around, preparing for sleep. The two crews had set up some sleeping bags with some battery powered heaters were set up to keep the sheds warm. "You guys ready?" Asked Rhys as he sat up, holding the book. "Yes, yes, yes!" The engines chanted. Dan was the most excited. He wanted to know what Awdry had made. "Alright, here we go. Ahem!"

Dan And The Trip To King's Cross. Dan is a clever little engine with six small wheels, a tall thin funnel, a short stumpy boiler and a short stumpy dome. Dan had woken up one morning at the works. He was preparing for his trip around the world. He was fired up and was steaming well. He coupled up to his three coaches that were decorated in golden lining. The four set off down the line to pick up some passengers that would be headed around the world with him. The mainline was empty, no engines were passing by them, it was very odd. The tank engine made it to the junction and set off back down the mainline. He thundered down the line, passing green signals and racing past stations. When he made it to the last station, his crew left for a bit to go and get their families, the passengers, ready. The tank engine waited and waited, then he heard a, "Ding, Ding, Ding!" Edward the tram engine came out of the tram and way with all the passengers. "Hello Dan, can't talk now, goodbye!" He said as he gave a "Ding, Ding, Ding!" Of his bell and puffed off. As the passengers boarded, the red signal made the train wait. And wait. And wait. "What's taking so long?" Asked Dan as the train sat idling. As he said that, the signal turned green, he whistled a, "Peep Pip!" And departed the station. The coaches clattered behind Dan as he went onto the mainline, gaining speed. "Come along, come along, come along." He puffed and the coaches replied, "We're coming along, we're coming along, we're coming along!" They clattered as they rocked slowly down the line. They passed through a lavish countryside and through a station, running into The Lickey Incline, a hill some engines get stuck on from time to time. He weashed and whistled as he charged the hill. He climbed it quickly and shot down the line. When he made it down the line, he puffed over The Grand Gap. He kept going, faster and faster, thundering past stations. "Puff, Chuff, Puff, Chuff, Puff, Chuff!" He weashed as he went faster and faster. Then he saw a red signal, and a tank engine on the line! Dan screeched to a stop, stopping just before the tank engine. "Rhys? What are you doing?" Asked Dan. "I wanted to say goodbye." Rhys replied. He reversed and showed the entire railway behind him. "Well, we all did." Rhys chuckled. Then an engine yelled, "Three Cheers for Dan the Clever Engine! First Terrier to see The World!" The station bellowed with cheers and whistles, Dan was happy. The train went by, a through line opened. Dan whistled loudly and cried out, "Thank You So Much!" Through happy tears. The tank engine left the station, puffing down the line towards King's Cross. As he puffed down the line, there was a sudden clunk! Dan broke something. Dan stopped a little bit away from the station. The crew couldn't do anything. "Do you think you can make it?" Asked his driver. "I think so." Dan replied. Dan prepared to take off, he slowly but surely made it to the station, clanking all along the way. The coaches cheered as some other engines pulled into the station. It was Thomas, City of Truro, Flying Scotsman, and Mallard. Dan whistled a hello as they rolled into the station, and the others whistled their hello's as well. They were moved to a shed where they worked on Dan.

Dan in India. The engines were dropped off in India, where they were met by a diesel engine. He was very rude. He sneered at the engines as they rolled around a bit, stretching their wheels after the long boat journey. The boat blew its horn as it left the port, headed for a Southern port in the country. The engines were to race from the north to the south. The diesel was to lead the way. "I'll go with the diesel and keep the line clear, you four decide teams." Said Mallard, he set out with the diesel. "I call Scotsman!" Said Thomas quickly. "A good pick indeed." Scotsman winked at the little blue engine as they arranged the trains. Dan and Truro were taking Dan's coaches with a tanker for each engine. Thomas and Scotsman meanwhile only had a tanker for Thomas with his two faithful coaches behind Scotsman. The two were preparing to set off. "On your marks!" Said a stationmaster. "Get set!... GO!" He yelled as he blew a whistle and waved a green flag. The two teams set off down the line. Dan and Truro were able to set off faster than Thomas and Scotsman but they weren't going to just let them win! Dan and Truro soon were losing to Thomas and Scotsman, whom were flying down the line. Engines flew past coming from the other way, whistling or honking at them as they passed. The passengers were going wild. That's when Dan and The City Of Truro took the lead again, Scotsman's second tender sprung a leak in a pipe! The his first tender was low on water so he had to get more. The four had been racing for hours! Dan and Truro came up on the ports, and they slammed their brakes on, skidding down the line. They had won, but if they didn't stop they would crash! The two stopped just before some buffers and the other two had rolled in slowly, Thomas had to pull Scotsman the rest of the way. "Well done, I thought Scotsman's team would have won." Said Scotsman. "Well, little engines can do big things." Dan chuckled, he was out of puff. Soon they were loaded back onto the boat, they set off and little later, their eyes on America.