The slate mines on the little railway in the hills were incredibly busy. A large order slate was needed for the mainland, and since it was more work than one engine could do alone, Mr. Percival had decided to send Skarloey, Rheneas, and Peter Sam to help move the slate. All three were excited.
"I never thought I would see the day we were needed this urgently for slate shipments." Rheneas said as they puffed along."Practically unheard of in our young days."
"Well, hopefully, this one won't be a complete disaster." Skarloey replied. "Even if Sir Handel is still working at the incline railway."
Peter Sam shivered. He could well remember the many times he and Sir Handel worked at the incline.
The little blue engine despised the slate mines, the trucks were difficult to handle, the work was slow, and if that wasn't bad enough, Sir Handel had a horrible habit of rushing aroud, hoping to get back to pulling his favourite coaches, this however had never happened as he kept causing accident after accident, Mr. Percival thought it wise to keep him there until he learnt his lesson.
When the three engines arrived, Sir Handel was banging trucks about, moaning loudly.
"Well, you took your time!" He bellowed. "I've been here getting all this slate ready while you've been dawdling about all day!"
"Racing around like a sports car won't get things done any quicker, Sir Handel!" Rheneas replied. "You should have learnt that by now!"
"Bah! You're all just slow!" Sir Handel fumed as he rushed off banging the trucks in front of him.
"Bossy boiler!" Peter Sam huffed. "Pouty puffer!"
"He just wants to get back to pulling Gertrude and Millicent." Skarloey said, "Though if this keeps up, he'll be the inclines permanent engine."
The three engines set to work, hoping that Sir Handel would smarten up, but, in true fashion, he didn't.
"Come on! Come on! Work faster!" He called. "I could this in half the time!"
"Only 7 trucks allowed up the incline at a time, you know!" Peter Sam replied.
"TUH! They say modern technology works wonders!" Sir Handel grumped as rushed off to gey more trucks, Peter Sam just fumed under his own breath and set off with his slate, by the middle of the day, all three engines had puffed off to the wharf where the slate was needed, leaving Sir Handle alone.
"Honestly, those lazy steamers!" He puffed. "I would have thought that with all that experience, they would have known how to run a slate mine by now."
He rushed away again as the loaded trucks came down the incline, ready for when one of the three engines came back, then it was time for Sir Handel to push the empties into place, in his to get that done, he banged the trucks so hard that his couplings became tangled up with the leading wagon, no-one had even noticed.
"ALL CLEAR!!" The winch operator called as the drum began to wind, Sir Handel suddenly began to feel himself moving forward.
"WHAT'S GOING ON?!" He demanded, then it became all too clear.
"STOP!! STOP!!" Sir Handel cried in desperation, his crew looked out through his window and saw his tangled coupling, releasing there was nothing they could do, the jumped out of his cab, the little blue engine was being towed up the incline.
The trucks had seen all and began laughing loudly, drowning out his cries for help. Soon enough, Sir Handel reached the top, just as Rheneas came puffing in.
"SIR HANDEL!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING UP THERE??!!" Rheneas yelled, his question would soon be answered, in an instant the drum broke, the cable snapped, and Sir Handel came racing backwards down the incline.
"FFFFFAAAALLLLLLLLIIIINNNNGGGG!!!!" came the reply as shot past Rheneas like a bullet, smashed some buffers, and landed in a ditch below, covered in mud.
"Why?" Sir Handel sobbed as the trucks howled with laughter, later on, Rusty was sent with the cranes to pull Sir Handel out of the ditch, Peter Sam had bought a flatbed and a very unamused Mr. Percival.
"Sir Handel, Sir Handel, Sir Handel." He sighed, shaking his head. "When will you release that racing around the slate mines won't get your job done any quicker? Being a Mid Sodor engine, I thought you would have been a bit more wiser."
Sir Handel said nothing, just looked at his buffers.
"When you're fixed up, you can go on display at the engine sheds." Mr. Percival finished up. "I am going to make an example of you once and for all."
The controller walked away as the engines around him laughed, Sir Handel though, thought it best to say nothing at all.
