Percy and the Christmas Party

It was nearing Christmas time on the Island of Sodor and everyone was excited. Every year on Christmas Eve, there is a big party held at one of the main line stations, the Steamworks or the Dieselworks. Any engine who isn't busy with work usually come to this party.

This year, the big Christmas party was to take place at the Wharf where the Fat Controller's railway meets up with the Skarloey Railway.

On the day before Christmas eve, Skarloey and Smudger pulled into the Wharf with a doubleheading passenger train just as Ferdinand arrived with a very tall Jobi tree.

"Hello Ferdinand," called Skarloey, "what are you doing here with that tree?"

"This tree is for the Christmas party tomorrow night," the climax engine answered, "Both your controller and the Fat Controller came to Misty Island and picked it out."

"Well it looks beautiful," said Smudger, "now that's something you don't hear me say quite often."

"It's alright Smudger," smiled Skarloey, "mostly everyone gets into that kind of cheerful mood at this time of the year..."

Skarloey was cut off by two loud diesel horns. Moments later, Norman and Paxton rattled into the Wharf with a long train of oil tankers, they were grumbling crossly.

"It's like you said Skarloey, mostly everyone gets into that kind of cheerful attitude at this time of the year," said Ferdinand as he watched the two diesels rattle away.

Norman and Paxton had been asked to take oil tankers all across the Island as the other diesels were busy with other jobs.

"We could've been given one of those important jobs," grumbled Norman, "But did we? No! We were given plain jobs."

"Jobs that are not so important," added Paxton grumpily and lurched forwards, bumping Norman and making the trucks go 'bump' into each other. Their drivers tried to calm their engines down, but it did no good, the two diesels continued to grumble and bump the tankers.

As they shunted their tankers into a siding, a yard foreman came up to see them, "I need you two to take some old trucks that are inside the nearby warehouse and take them to the smelter's yard," he said to them, "they're only being a nuisance and blocking the sidings, so will you take them away."

"I guess so," muttered the two diesels.

"Of course we can," said Norman's Driver, "we'll take those trucks before going back to the Dieselworks."

"And maybe then we'll get an important job," grumbled Paxton.

The foreman told the diesels and their drivers of where to pick up the trucks, then he left to do other jobs. It would've been better had he gone with them. Inside the warehouse were two lines of trucks, one was the siding with the trucks that were to go to the scrapyards and on another siding was a train full of decorations that were brought in by Niki earlier that day.

Norman backed down onto the train and Paxton ran to the back to couple up, but when he arrived, he spotted some old worn out vans sitting in another siding, "those must be ready for scrap too," he said to his Driver, "what do you think?"

"Well they do look like they're ready for scrap. If that's the case, then we better get these coupled up to the train."

The vans that had been brought in earlier that day were to be used one last time before being sent to the scrap yards before new years, but neither diesel or their Drivers knew that they weren't suppose to take those trucks.

Paxton pushed them onto the train, then once coupled up, the two diesels rumbled away. Skarloey, Smudger and Ferdinand were having a friendly chat when they saw the two diesels.

Smudger gasped when he saw the vans, "Stop!" he cried, "those are full of decorations!"

Skarloey and Ferdinand shouted, their crews waved, but the diesels didn't stop. They kept going until they got to the smelter's yard.

"Hey 'Arry, Bert!" Norman shouted, "these trucks are meant to be scrapped! Get rid of them will you?"

"Very well," the scrap diesels grumbled, they didn't like the way Norman was speaking to them.

Soon the two Dieselworks diesels had shunted the trucks into another siding and left, not knowing of the mistake they made.

They soon found out later that evening when the Dieselworks manager came up to speak with them, "You two must be the dumbest engines in the entire works," he shouted angerily at them.

"Why?" Paxton asked.

"What did we do wrong now?" asked Norman.

"What did you do? What did you do?!" the works manager shouted, "You two stupid engines shunted the vans full of Christmas decorations into the Smelter's yard, those vans weren't suppose to be moved till after Christmas!"

"Opps," the two diesels muttered quietly.

The Dieselworks manager sent Sidney to the Smelter's yard to get the trucks, but by the time the dark blue diesel arrived, he was too late. The smelters had destoryed the trucks and what was inside them.

Now Norman and Paxton felt very silly and foolish.

Both Controllers were upset when they heard this, "unless we can find any more decorations before the party tomorrow night," said the Fat Controller, "we'll have no choice but to cancel the party."

The engines were also upset when they heard this and blamed Paxton, Norman and the Wharf foreman for what happened.

"Oh dear," groaned Percy when Douglas told him the following next day at the junction, "this is terrible, not only will our party be cancelled, but now everyone is in a foul mood."

"Well ye have ta admit Percy, that yon Paxton and Norman are ta blame for this."

"And that foreman too," added Douglas' Driver crossly.

"It's a mistake anyone could make," said Toby from the nearby siding, "from what we heard, the foreman was busy with other jobs, so he couldn't have known that Paxton and Norman would mistaken the vans for the scrap trucks."

Percy sighed quietly, "I only wish there was a way we could liven everyone's spirits and keep this party going," he said to his Driver.

"So do I Percy," he agreed quietly.

At that moment, the signal dropped and the guard blew his whistle. Percy puffed slowly away, rather disappointed by the news he heard. He was so disappointed that he didn't hum or sing any of his favourite Christmas songs. It wasn't long before he arrived at the yards of Ffarquhar and found Rosie shunting.

"Hello Percy, what's with the sad look on your face buddy?" she asked kindly. Percy told her of what Douglas told him at the junction.

"If only we could find a way to save the party and to liven everyone's spirits up," he said quietly.

"Oh I'm sure you will," Rosie said reassuringly, "sometimes the answer is right in front of you, even when you least expect it." With that said, Rosie puffed away with empty milk tankers for the dairy.

As she puffed away, the stationmaster came out of his office with a big box of Christmas decorations. He looked back to the station and frowned, "oh bother and blow, I've done it again."

"What have you done Mr. Stationmaster?" Percy asked.

"I bought too many decorations and lights," he answered, "I bought some new decorations for this station to replace some of the worn out or broken ones, but it seems I got too much again and now these ones are going to sit around gathering dust."

"Well it happens from time to time," said Percy's Driver, "sometimes we do over do it with..."

"That's it!" Percy piped up, "I know how we can save the party and liven everyone's spirits up. Mr. Stationmaster, can we have those extra decorations?"

"Sure you can Percy," he smiled, right away he and the crew knew of what Percy had planned.

The crew helped the stationmaster loaded up the extra decorations into a van, then Percy puffed off to the next station. At each stop, he collected decorations and lights that the station staff didn't need, then he puffed off to the junction to meet up with the Fat Controller. The Ffarquhar stationmaster called him and the Thin Controller earlier and asked them to come to Elsbridge station.

Soon Percy arrived, "why have you asked us here Percy?" The Fat Controller asked.

"Just look in my van," Percy smiled. The Driver got down from the cab and walked over to one of the van's door and pulled it back, revealing all the decorations and lights, "we have collected all these decorations and lights from the stations who had more than what they needed, now you can use these and not have to cancel the party and hopefully this will brighten everyone's spirits up."

"You sure a clever engine Percy," smiled the Fat Controller, "Well done."

"Well sir, you shouldn't thank me, you should thank all the station staff on our line and Rosie too, she helped me to come up with this idea."

"We'll be sure to thank them too," smiled the Thin Controller, then he turned to the Fat Controller, "would it be okay if I borrow Percy? I would like to take him and his train to the Wharf."

"Go right ahead my friend."

With that confirmed, the Thin Controller climbed into Percy's cab, then after backing to the nearest set of points for the main line, the Driver changed the points and Percy puffed off to the Wharf with his train.

Later that evening, all the engines who could, came to the Wharf only to find...nothing.

"There's no party here," pouted Sir Handel, "we made a wasted trip."

"Oh I wouldn't be so sure," said Percy from a nearby siding.

"One! Two! Three!" cried a booming voice. Within seconds, the engines and railway workers were blinded by a bright light...when they could see, they found the Wharf had been decorated with the many decorations Percy brought from the branch line.

"It's wonderful," smiled Skarloey, then he looked back to Sir Handel, "do you still think we made a wasted trip?"

Sir Handel remained silent. The Fat Controller stepped onto a platform and raised his hand for silence. "Ladies, Gentleman and engines, Mister Percival and I would like to welcome you to this year's Christmas party, which almost didn't happen due to an incident yesterday..." All eyes peered over to Paxton, Norman and the Wharf foreman, who looked very shamefaced indeed, "But," the Fat Controller continued, "thanks to Percy, Rosie and all the Station staff on the Ffarquhar Branch line, we were able to get enough decorations for tonight's party. So please give three cheers for all of them!"

And that's what everyone did, they gave three cheers for them.

"Thanks for the inspiration earlier Rosie," Percy whispered to her, "I wouldn't have come up with the idea without your help."

"Oh I'm sure you would've come up with something," Rosie smiled, "after all, you are a very clever engine. Merry Christmas Percy."

"Merry Christmas Rosie. Merry Christmas everyone!" and on that note, the party began.

It was a great party and for a long time afterwords, that's all anyone was talking about. As for Paxton, Norman and the Wharf foreman, they were soon let off the hook with a warning. The foreman worked hard afterwords to make sure what happened before, doesn't happen again and as for Norman and Paxton, they stopped complaining about not taking important goods trains. The other engines and workers all make sure that they don't.