Mr. Clark

The Little Western had been suffering from a recent spell of bad luck, landslides, poor track work and even a jammed turntable, in the end, The Fat Controller decided to send Sam and Amelie to work on the mainline, much to the tender engines delight, Duck was to stay behind and carry out maintenance work, while Oliver was to continue taking passenger trains.

"But sir," Oliver replied. "I can't manage all these passengers on my own."

"I quite agree, Oliver." The Fat Controller replied, "So I will be sending Daisy here to help out."

"Oh, thank you, sir." Oliver smiled.

"Wondeful." Duck replied, but he said to himself.

Daisy enjoyed her temporary home. She loved travelling along the coast, seeing all the happy people by the sea and catching her own reflection in the water as she passed by.

"You look fabulous today, Daisy." She said to herself. As she pulled into Haultraugh, she saw Oliver pull into the platform. She looked quite confused.

"Are you pushing your train in?" She asked.

"Not really," smiled Oliver. "It's called auto working. My driver stands in Dulcie's cab and controls using pulleys and levers, in quite an ingenious, I must say."

"My, my!" Daisy replied,"Coaches controlling engines, aren't you clever little things."

Isabel and Dulcie were flattered, they had never been praised like that before, as the four were talking, amongst a crowd of people wanting to get on board, was a older man, his face was scrappy and he was unkept, he stunk of alcohol and staggered about.

Dulcie's door had been left open, Oliver's driver had forgot to shut it after desperately needing to use the privvy, in his drunken state he began to stagger towards Dulcie, get in her cab and pull the door shut.

"I SAY!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING??!! GET OUT OF MY CONTROL ROOM AT ONCE!!" Dulcie ordered, but the man didn't respond, Dulcie then began to ring her bell loudly, alerting all the staff.

Oliver and Daisy watched on as drivers, firemen, guards, and station staff grabbed the man who was now wailing and shouting, pulling him off Dulcie and threw him out of the station.

"Are you alright, Dulcie?" asked Isabel.

"I'm fine, deary." Dulcie replied."At least he didn't vomit in my cab this time."

"Who is that ghastly man?!" Daisy yelled.

"That is Mr. Clark." Oliver sighed "He used to work on the Western region as a driver, even then, he was always intoxicated, British Railways found out and sacked him, ever since, he's always appeared at station, same old state."

"Well, it's a shame you can't kick him off the island!" Daisy put, Oliver agreed as both engines departed.

Later that evening, Oliver was telling Duck all about it. The pannier didn't look too pleased about it either.

"You would have thought they would have banned him from the railway by now?" Duck stated.

"Well, what has he done? He hasn't hurt anyone." Oliver replied."There's only so many times the police can get involved with a non-violent drunk."

Duck thought for a moment, then sighed, Oliver was right. In the carriage sheds, though, things seem to be a little different.

"It's vulgar! Positively vulgar!" Alice cried.

"People like him are what the prisons are for!" Mirabel fumed.

"I'm afraid the only crime you can convict him for is being a public nuisance." Isabel replied.

"And making my cab stink of municipal compound!" Dulcie groaned."You would not BELIEVE the amount of Febreze he used to get rid of the stink!"

"Whatever the case, I hope Mr. Clark doesn't try anything tonight!" Daisy said firmly."I wouldn't want anyone like him skulking about on railway property."

All the coaches agreed, as the moon shone up above and the waves crashing against the shoreline were carried on the wind, the engines and coaches were fast asleep, however, it was another noise that go Daisy's attention.

The sound of staggering footsteps and mumbled speak echoed round, the man in front of her was slugging back another bottle of alcohol, she could make out the shape of the man but by the aweful smell, she knew who it was.

"MR. CLARK!!" She yelled."THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS!! YOU ARE TRESPASSING ON RAILWAY PROPERTY!"

"Listen... young... lady...." Mr. Clark slurred. "I.. used to work... on the railways... before your type.... was even.... thought of! So... show some... respect to your..... elders..!"

"RESPECT A DRUNK LIKE YOU??!!" Daisy replies, "I SHALL NOT!!"

"Have it.... you way... toots....." Mr. Clark replied as he headed towards Daisy's cab. Unfortunately for him, Daisy's and the coaches' doors were locked using a special key. The drunk man began to pull on Daisy's door, shaking it violently.

"OPEN UP... YOU STUPID... PIECE OF.... RUBBISH!!" He yelled, Daisy wanted to cry out, but Mr. Clark was making a racket that Oliver and Duck woke up instantly.

"SOMONE CALL THE POLICE!!" Duck yelled, a nearby cottage did and soon police cars surrounded the area, Mr. Clark was soon arrested for trespassing and taken away, Duck, Oliver, Daisy and the coaches sighed.

"Finally we can some peace." Duck replied.

"I do believe we have Daisy to thank for that." Oliver smiled.

Daisy just beamed, she was only to happy to help, one by one, everyone went back to sleep, ready for a hard days work the next morning, a drunk free hard days work.