Mavis' Passengers

Work was getting more busy on the Ffarquhar branch-line, Thomas was away at the works to have his overhaul, leaving Daisy to take care of the passenger trains with Toby's help whiling Percy and Rosie was busy with the goods traffic. Soon more passengers come to the branch-line making it more busier, much to the dismay of Daisy.

“We need another engine to help out” said Daisy, one night in the sheds.

“Of course, but with the traffic in other places of the railway as I heard, it will be difficult” said Toby.

“Perhaps The Fat Controller might be thinking of something” said Rosie.

“Let's hope so” said Daisy to herself.

“Well the railway is really important to run” said Toby “we'll just have to wait and see”.

The others agreed on this, and soon went to sleep, Daisy still thinking about needing help in her mind as she nozzles throw the night.

The next morning, Daisy was the first engine out to collect her morning passenger train. After getting fuelled up, Daisy rolls out of the shed toward the station. At the station Daisy spots The Fat Controller.

“Good morning sir” said Daisy, as she stopped, “what are you doing here?”.

“I've come to see how the work is getting on” said The Fat Controller “as I heard, the passenger traffic is getting more bigger”.

“Yes, sir” said Daisy, looking at him, “we do need another engine to help”.

“I'm afraid no engine is available at the moment Daisy” said The Fat Controller, he went off with a thought then smiles, “don't worry, leave anything to me”.

“Yes, sir, thank you, sir” said Daisy, and she rolls away with her passengers.

Later that morning The Fat Controller drove to the quarry where Mavis was resting after shunting some trucks in to their right sidings, Mavis spots a car going pass heading to where the manger's office is. Mavis thought of must be important, after awhile The Fat Controller and The Manger walks up to her.

“Mavis, we have something we like to talk with you about” said The Manger.

“What's that sir?” asked Mavis.

“I need your help down at Ffarquhar” said The Fat Controller.

“Percy and Rosie needs help with their trains?” asked Mavis.

“Not quite” said The Fat Controller “I will like you to help with the passenger traffic”.

“Passenger traffic?” asked Mavis surprised.

“Yes, me and Mr Hatt agreed that you can help Daisy with the passenger work” said the manger.

“What about the work at the quarry?” asked Mavis.

“Toby will take over for you” said The Manger “since there isn't that much on the goods traffic to the passenger one”.

“Okay sir, I'll do my best” said Mavis.

“That's a good diesel” said The Fat Controller “with Thomas at the works, that will leave you with Annie and Clarabel”.

“Do you think he'll be okay with me using his coaches?” asked Mavis.

“Of course, I'm sure he won't mind” said The Fat Controller “plus those two coaches are one are part of the rolling stock of this branch-line”.

“I understand sir” said Mavis.

“We'll let you rest” said The Manger “then you can make your way to the the yard”.

“Thank you sir” said Mavis.

Soon Mavis made her way to Ffarquhar where Annie and Clarabel where waiting at the station, Mavis looks around then slowly backs in to Annie. Once she was coupled up to wait for the passengers, her driver was being told the route of the branch-line to where the train normally goes.

“It seems this is new for you, Mavis” said Annie.

“Yes, that will be right” said Mavis, looking back at Annie “I've never took a passenger train before”.

“Well don't worry” smiled Annie “we'll help you out with your new duty”.

“So you can be less nervous when taking this type of train” added Clarabel.

“Thank you” said Mavis giving a smile.

The guard's whistle blow and Mavis rolls out of the station towards the opened line, Mavis looked around the area as she went along. She never been this far down the line since the celebration of the golden jubilee of The Railway Series.

Mavis went throw the branch-line as the same route Thomas will normally take, Annie and Clarabel helps her by telling her about the different stations she needs to stop at. Mavis went on well with her duty, Daisy was also impressive to see how Mavis was dong.

“Fine piece of work” said Daisy, now happy to have help.

That night Mavis stand at Ffarquhar shed, the others were glad to see her and kept her company with Mavis talking about the events of the day.

“You seems to have done well from what I've heard” said Toby.

“Yes, you did a excellent job” said Rosie.

“Thank you” said Mavis “this is still very new to me, so I suppose it will have some getting used it”.

“Oh not worry about a thing, once you take the train a few more times. You'll soon get used to it” said Toby wisely.

“Oh good advice Toby” said Mavis smiling.

“I was nervous about taking a passenger train at first” said Percy “but Annie and Clarabel assure me that I'll do fine. They are really friendly to those who are just starting passenger survive”.

“Indeed, it happens to any engine” agreed Rosie.

“That is right” said Daisy.

“Good” yawned Mavis “well I guess we should all get some sleep”.

“Yes, let's do so for tomorrow” agreed Toby.

All the branch-line engines went to sleep silently, as well did the coaches in the carriage shed.

The next day Mavis went to the carriage shed to collect Annie and Clarabel, as she moved out the stationmaster walks up to her cab and told something to her driver. Mavis found herself going on to the second track and having Clarabel coupled up to Victoria.

“What's going on?” asked Mavis.

“There might be more passengers today” said her driver “so we'll need a extra coach, with Victoria being the closest one”.

“Oh alright then” said Mavis.

Mavis took the coaches to the platform and went around to couple up with Annie, the passengers soon arrived and boards the train. When the guard's whistle blow, Mavis rolls away down the line.

“This is going well” smiled Victoria.

“Yes, Mavis is doing well” said Clarabel.

Mavis goes on until she comes to Elsbridge as Gordon pulls up to the platform with the express, Gordon looks across the station seeing Mavis there.

“I see you're doing a fine job” said Gordon, he was informed by The Fat Controller that Mavis will be meet up with the connection he and Thomas normally uses.

“Indeed Gordon, with this being my second day on passenger work” said Mavis “with Victoria, of course”.

“I noticed” said Gordon, he hears the guard blow and puffs away, “well goodbye Mavis”.

Meanwhile at Toryreck Percy and Rosie were waiting for their paths to clear with their goods train, for the meantime they were talking.

“Seems the goods traffic isn't as big as normal” said Percy.

“True, although most areas still need to use the stone that Mavis, well for now Toby, brings down here” said Rosie.

“Good point” said Percy “still now that Mavis is taking passenger trains, she might be given a chance to run both passenger and goods trains”.

“That can be nice to take both trains” said Rosie, she saw Mavis coming throw with her train, “well my path is clear, see you later Percy”.

“You too” said Percy, as he watches Rosie leave and then went down his own path.

Mavis makes her way towards Ffarquhar yard and stops at the station to let off the passengers. after shunting Annie, Clarabel and Victoria in to a siding, Mavis went on to the other siding to get refuelled.

“That was a good journey” said Victoria “it's like how Toby is with me and Henrietta, and it's the same with you Mavis along with Annie and Clarabel”.

“Thank you” smiled Mavis.

“It seem you can pull both passenger trains and goods trains” said Victoria “seems very reasonable, since most of the other engines on this branch-line does same thing”.

“I see” said Mavis “well I am getting used to pulling these trains”.

“That's the spirit” said Annie.

“The Fat Controller will be pleased about this” said Clarabel.

“I suppose he will be” said Mavis, she sees her driver returning to her cab, “well it seems we're heading out again”.

“Right then” said Annie, Clarabel and Victoria.

Mavis switches to the other siding coupling up to Annie before heading towards the station, after coming in to the station, the passengers begin to board the coaches. When the guard blow the whistle, Mavis rolls out of the station.  

“Here we go again” said Annie.

“Indeed” agreed Clarabel.

Mavis rolls throw the yard and heads right out to the open line, with the coaches behind her. This happens for a few weeks with Mavis taking her turn on passenger duty with Daisy, the coaches were glad to have Mavis with them and informed her of what she needed to know about the passenger survive.

A week before Thomas was due to return from his overhaul, dark clouds began to appear over the island, rain come down sooner although the engines kept to their duties and try to ignore it.

Soon heavier clouds soon appear, most of the engines were becoming worried what it might bring, at Knapford station Mavis was picking up passengers. When waiting she saw the dark cloud, suddenly there was a loud clap of thunder and rain began to pour down.

“Oh my” said Mavis.

“This doesn't look good” said Edward, from the other platform.

“Yeah” agrees Mavis “but I need to get my passengers home”.

“You best keep safe, this rain doesn't look too promising” said Edward.

“I will Edward” said Mavis.

When the train was ready, Mavis puffs out of the station in to the dark storm, making her way back to the branch-line, whiling the rain pours down heavily.

“We'll get throw this” said Mavis.

“Yes, we've been throw a heavy rain with Percy once” said Annie “ “after he agree to bring some children home”.

“Yes, I heard of that from Toby once” said Mavis.

When they got on to the branch-line, they made their way down the line towards Ffarquhar. Mavis saw something on the line, and saw that it was Toby, who was just returning to the branch-line after delivering some stone to the harbour, but he seem to have run out of water.

“Don't worry Toby, I'm here” called Mavis throw the rain as she buffers up to him.

“Thank you” said Toby “we are heading towards Ffarquhar, we just need to cross a bridge”.

“Right” said Mavis, as she pushes Toby and pulls her train down the line.

The two tram engines come to the bridge, the water was rising higher to the bridge, Mavis' driver become unsure about this, as well as Toby's crew.

“We could go back to the nearest station” said Mavis' driver.

“No” said Mavis “it would take too long in this rain, it's almost impossible to see. I'm getting my friend and passengers home no matter what”.

Mavis careful pushes Toby across the bridge, herself and pulling Annie and Clarabel. Mavis kept a eye on the water below whiling Toby kept a eye in forward of them, they soon made it to the other end of the bridge. Mavis went on, soon they made it towards Ffarquhar, where the others were waiting for them, Mavis pulls in to the station and breaths out.

“We made it” she said carefully.

“Well done Mavis, you were a brave tram engine” smiled Toby, with the passengers also thanking Mavis for getting them home safety.

Mavis just smiled, as Rosie took Annie and Clarabel back to the carriage shed and the two trams went to the shed, Mavis to have a good long rest and Toby to get some water.

The following week, the passenger traffic soon toned down and Thomas finally arrives back to the branch-line with Edward following with two red coaches and The Fat Controller aboard.

“What's are these coaches doing here, sir?” asked Percy.

“With what the passenger traffic was like on this branch-line” he started “I've though of bringing those coaches here, they will be shared out between you, Rosie and Mavis”.

“Me sir?” asked Mavis surprised.

“Of course” said The Fat Controller “I heard how well you were doing with the passenger survive that me and your manger agreed to let you take a passenger train once and awhile”.

“Oh that will be great sir” smiled Mavis.

“I'm please to hear it” said The Fat Controller, he looks at the two coaches “these coaches will each need a name like the other coaches on here”.

“I know what we can name them sir” said Mavis.

“What will that be Mavis?” asked The Fat Controller.

“Mary and Dawn” said Mavis, with the coaches sounding happy about it.

“It seems they like it” said The Fat Controller “alright Mary and Dawn it is, and Mavis, you can know take both passenger and goods trains together. Well done”.

“Thank you very much, sir” smiled Mavis.

Toby, Percy, Daisy, Rosie and Thomas whistles carefully to her, with Edward giving his own whistling in respect, Mavis looked at all her friends, and smiles happily, now she is a really useful tram engine indeed.