Domeless Percy

Domeless Percy.

Based on The Railway Series by the Reverend Wilbert Awdry.
Loosely based on “Domeless Engines” by the Reverend Wilbert Awdry.
Written by ArthurEngine.

Plot:
It was a lovely morning on the Island of Sodor. Percy was feeling very cheerful. His green paint glistened in the sunshine, as he puffed happily along Thomas’ branch line, delivering a goods train of rock from the quarry, to the harbour. He has to go slowly when he’s pulling these trucks.
“I don’t mind.” Percy says to himself. “It gives me a chance to look at the watermill.”

When Percy arrived at the harbour, The Fat Controller was waiting for him.
“Percy, you are needed at Knapford for a while.” Announced The Fat Controller.
“But who’s going to do my work while I’m gone?” asked Percy.
“Arthur will do your work on this branch line for a while. His branch line has a damaged piece of track.”
“Yes, sir.” Said Percy sadly. He was disappointed. He was worried that the big engines will order him about again, just like they did before Duck came to the island.

When Percy arrived at Knapford yard, the big engines ordered him about again.
“Where are my coaches?” huffed Gordon. “I haven’t got all day! This big engine waits for no engine to fetch his coaches!”
When Percy came to the yard, James was ordering him about too.
“Hurry up and fetch my trucks! I want to pull coaches as soon as I can!” huffed James.
“Can it wait?” huffed Percy. “I have to fetch Lazy Gordon’s coaches first!”
“I heard that!” Gordon called.

“But you are lazy, Gordon!” said Percy. “If you weren’t lazy, you’d fetch your own coaches.”
“Pah!” said Gordon. “Tender engines don’t fetch their own coaches! That’s a job for silly little tank engines.”
Percy said no more, and fetched Gordon’s coaches and brought them to the platform. Gordon was coupled up, and off he puffed.
Percy went to fetch James’ trucks. He brought them to the platform, James was coupled up, and he puffed away. Percy was fed up. He wanted to get back to Thomas’ branch line as soon as possible, but he had another job to do.

Meanwhile, Arthur was enjoying work on Thomas’ branch line. It was quite different from what he does on his branch line. He had to take trucks from the quarry to the harbour.
“Get in line now!” said Mavis. “Arthur is going to take you to the harbour.”
“Ow! Ow! Ow!” the trucks groaned. “We won’t go! We won’t!”
When Arthur arrived at the quarry, he was coupled up to the trucks.
“Are these trucks well behaved?” Arthur asked Mavis.
“They’re very troublesome.” Said Mavis. “You had better be careful.”

So when the guard blew his whistle, Arthur pulled away. Arthur is a big tank engine, so he’s capable of pulling a long train of trucks.
“I want you trucks to be on your best behaviour today.” Said Arthur. “I don’t want any tricks. Thomas played a nasty trick when I came to the Island of Sodor, and ruined my spotless record. If you bother to play any tricks on me, I will bump you, and I don’t want any of that.”
“Yes, Arthur. We promise.” Said the trucks, as Arthur pulled them through the tunnel.

Percy had another job to do. He was thankful that it was his favourite job, pulling the mail. When Percy coupled up to the mail vans, he puffed away after the guard gave him the signal. The post was late, so Percy was going to make up for lost time.
“I’ve got to hurry! I’ve got to hurry!” cried Percy. “The mail is late! The mail is late!”
Percy wanted to deliver the post as fast as he could, but his driver wouldn’t let him.
“Steady, Percy!” said his driver. “It’s not a race!”
“Yes it is.” Said Percy, but he said it to himself.

When Percy was nearing Knapford Harbour, he saw Arthur puffing under the bridge he was crossing.
“Hello, Arthur!” said Percy. “Are you enjoying my work on Thomas’ line?”
“Yes I am.” Said Arthur. “These trucks haven’t tried any tricks on me.”
“Good.” Said Percy. “At least you’re taking it easy.”
Percy finished his conversation with Arthur, and continued his mail routine.

After Percy finished delivering the post at Maron, he started to feel a little strange.
“The top of my boiler seems funny.” He thought. “It feels as though something is loose. I had better slow down on my journey.” But it was too late.
When he came to the viaduct, there was a blowing wind. Percy went slowly across the viaduct, but the wind, crept under his dome, and lifted it off, and away into the valley below. It landed in the river with a splash. Percy was uncomfortable and cross. The wind was blowing through the hole where his dome was, and was feeling silly for the rest of the journey.

When at last he finished delivering the mail that night, Percy went back to Tidmouth Sheds, and saw the other engines waiting for him.
“Lost your dome, hey, Percy?” laughed James.
“You’re the domeless engine now!” laughed Gordon.
“You were a domeless engine once, weren’t you, Gordon?” laughed Henry.
“Oh, the indignity!” groaned Gordon.

When Percy went to the works and was fitted with a brand new dome, Arthur’s branch line was repaired. And now that Percy was repaired, he came back to work on Thomas’ branch line.
“Hello, Thomas, Toby, Arthur, and Daisy!” said Percy. “I’m back!”
“Well, I enjoyed working on this branch line,” said Arthur. “but now, it’s time to get back to my branch line, now that it’s been repaired.”
“It was nice having you working here.” Said Thomas. “You were very good here.”
So with that, Arthur left Thomas’ branch line and set off back for his branch line.
Percy was happy to be working on the Ffarquhar Branch Line again, and told Thomas, Toby and Daisy all about domeless engines.