The Other Railway Series: Season 1

Episode 5: The Director

April 6th 1922

Soon the viaduct was halfway complete and the engines were busy as ever.

But there was a problem, the railway was needed an appointed director.

There was two men that where wanted the job. Mr Lang to everybody's pleasure and Mr Frek.

Mr Frek was known as a bean counter, meaning he'd ownly cares about money.

The engines and railway men didn't like him. Even Mr Salt, Mr Smith and Mr Scarsbrook disliked him.

But they couldn't do anythink. After all, the whole island had to vote to see who's the best at running the railway.

The first week Mr Lang did it brilliantly but this week it was Mr Frek's turn.

And that morning it didn't start well.

"Hymerk, you will be appointed for goods work for this week, you've got that," said Mr Frek.

"But sir," replied Hymerk, "I can only pull passenger trains, my class cannot pull-"

"Do I care?" snapped Mr Frek, "and it's sir for now on."

"Don't talk to him like that," fumed King Callum, "it isn't his fault that his class can't pull goods trains."

"Thank goodness you're not repaired," groaned Mr Frek, "I wouldn't cope with you."

King Callum was furious. "At least I am not working for you at all," he retorted.

Mr Frek just gave him a dirty look a walked away.

Mr Frek did mean a word about Hymerk's temporarily position.

Hymerk was worried stiff about it. He then remembered about Anderson's little ancident.

"Don't worry mate," called Anderson at the back of Hymerk's goods train that he shunted kindley for him, "you'll be find."

"Thank you Anderson," replied Hymerk, "but I am a passenger engine."

"So?" said Anderson, "just because you were built for passenger trains doesn't mean you can't pull fright."

"I surpose so," muttered Hymerk to himself as the guard blew his whistle and Hymerk puffed carefully away.

The trucks chuckled to each other. They'd didn't like Mr Frek ever and wanted him to be gone and they dicided to give Hymerk a little crash.

But Hymerk was trying so hard to not bash them that they pitied him.

"We must think of somethink to get rid of that Frek," whispered one.

"Let's just hold Hymerk back but not let him crash," whispered another.

"Yes," said another, "then it'll prove Hymerk isn't capable of pulling us trucks."

Hymerk didn't hear them.

As they got to Carrag hill the trucks started to put the plan in action.

"Hold back, hold back!" they shouted to each other.

"Bust by buffers," cried Hymerk.

He pulled and pulled but manage to slowly move the trucks over the hill.

But then. "On on on!" cried the silly trucks.

"Oh no!" puffed Hymerk as gathered speed down the hill.

Hymerk started to apply the breaks.

"Stop!" cried one of the trucks then, all of the trucks stopped pushing.

Hymerk came to a stop and waited for his driver to check if anythink was wrong.

People from a nearby village came to see what was the noise.

Hymerk was very embarrassed. Soon he setted of again but the trucks just kept bumping and bashing around.

When Hymerk came back into the yards, Anderson was there.

"So," he asked, "how was your run?"

"Terrible," answer Hymerk.

Then Mr Frek came up to Hymerk with a pointing finger at him following was Mr Anderdon, two landlords and Mr Land.

"You stupid engine," shouted Mr Frek, "you were too loud around the new village and you made some of the bricks on the train damage!"

"But sir," said Hymerk.

"No excuses," snapped Mr Frek, "when I am pointed controller you will be out of this railway before you can say 'but sir'. You here me?!"

"Mr Frek," replied Mr Anderson.

"Yes Mr Anderson?"

"You do know that Hymerk's class ownly pull passenger trains and plus I heard from Ashfull that you insulted them this morning."

The landlords stared at Mr Frek in disgust. "I'm not voting for him," said one.

The other agreed and walked of.

Mr Frek just stared and Anderson just chuckled.

Mr Frek just gave him a dirty look but Anderson just gave a silly face.

The other engines chuckled as Mr Frek stormed off.

Soon the vote came in and Mr Lang got the appointed director of the railway.

The engines were very pleased. At first because of the man's age the people thought he wouldn't manage but to there amazement, they were wrong.

The engines, staff members and the people all called him, The Old Director.

And what about Mr Frek? Well that's a story for another day.