(NARRATOR READING)
It was high summer and the busiest time of year on the Island of Sodor.
(WHISTLE BLOWING)
Holidaymakers from the mainland
flocked to the beaches and other attractions.
The engines were busier than they'd ever been before.
(WHISTLE BLOWING)
Bust my buffers, what a day! I've never seen so many passengers.
(WHISTLE BLOWING)
I don't mind. All the more people to admire my shiny red paint!
At this time of year, The Fat Controller would often worry
about getting everyone to their destinations on time.
All aboard! Come on, James, there's no time for dilly-dallying!
Chop, chop! We can't have any delays!
- Uh-oh! What's this? Oh, my! - (LAUGHING)
That's enough of that. Thank you, Thomas and James! Off you go!
(BOTH LAUGHING)
- Yes, sir! - Right, sir.
(WHISTLES BLOWING)
NARRATOR: That night, Duck stayed at Tidmouth Sheds,
so he could help with the extra passengers in the morning.
- Evening all. - Hello, Duck. Nice to see you!
Oh, no, not that old fuddy-duddy.
NARRATOR: Duck talked about the old days
when he worked on the Great Western Railway.
James thought he was a bit annoying.
You know, days like today remind me of summers
back on the Great Western Railway.
Oh! Here we go.
We carried so many holidaymakers,
they used to call it, the Sunshine Line.
In those days, I used to pull Slip Coaches,
coaches which could be uncoupled without even stopping.
- (ALL CHEERING) - (WHISTLE BLOWING)
That way we always ran on time and there were never any delays.
Wow! I've never heard of Slip Coaches before.
You had to be careful though, go too slow in the station
and they'd bump into the back of you!
It took a lot of skill and expert timing.
(SC OFFS) Sounds easy to me. Silly old Great Western stories.
There are two ways of doing things, James. The wrong way,
or the Great Western way!
(WHISTLE BLOWING)
Ripped & Corrected By mstoll
Aw!
Tomorrow is going to be our busiest day ever on Sodor.
I just don't know how we'll get everyone to their destinations on time.
When James heard what The Fat Controller said,
it gave him an idea.
I know what would help deliver all the passengers on time, sir.
They're called Slip Coaches.
Slip coaches? Go on, James.
And James told The Fat Controller all about the Slip Coaches
and how they help avoid delays.
THOMAS: Oh, wow! Fantastic!
- Most impressive. - Look at that!
My old Slip Coaches. I don't believe it!
Coo-ee! Hello!
Settle down please, engines!
Now, to avoid confusion and delay on this very busy day, I have brought
some special Slip Coaches across from the mainland.
But it wasn't my idea.
It was James'!
- What? - That's right, sir!
Thanks to me there will be no delays on Sodor today!
- Hooray! Hooray! - Well done, James!
(CHUCKLES) Quite right, James! Off you go, all of you!
(WHISTLE BLOWING)
But I told James about the Slip Coaches. It was my idea!
NARRATOR: But no-one was left to listen to Duck.
- Feeling rather sad, - (WHISTLE BLOWING)
He steamed away.
Oh!
Passengers! Pay attention, make sure you get into the right coach,
the one that's stopping at your station!
All aboard! I'll get you there on time with my brand new Slip Coaches!
- (WHISTLE BLOWING) - (TRAIN WHISTLE BLOWING)
NARRATOR: James was very pleased with himself.
- He liked when people waved at him. - CHILDREN: Hooray!
He thought he was very clever for pulling the Slip Coaches.
Do you think James knows what he's doing?
- I don't know. - I hope so!
NARRATOR: James was approaching his first stop.
Duck was sad that it wasn't him pulling the Slip Coaches.
Prepare to uncouple the rear coach!
Don't slow down too much in the station,
or the last coach will bump into you!
Yes, yes, thank you, Duck. I know what to do.
Release the coach!
NARRATOR: But James liked everyone to see his shiny red paint,
so he slowed down.
Hello, everybody. Glad to be of service!
The last coach couldn't stop
and bumped into the back of the other Slip Coaches.
(GASPS)
Luckily, nobody was hurt,
but after that the Slip Coaches refused to move!
We won't go with James!
He doesn't know how to use Slip Coaches!
No, not at all!
That was when The Fat Controller arrived
and found the passengers all complaining
and saying what a bad railway it was.
Oh, James! What have you done?
These Slip Coaches were a terrible idea!
But, sir, they just take a bit of getting used to, that's all.
Maybe I could help, sir?
NARRATOR: The Slip Coaches were over-joyed to see Duck.
SLIP COACHES: Hello, Duck!
Hello, Slippies!
Do you mean to say you know these Slip Coaches, Duck?
Of course. I used to pull them on the Great Western Railway,
as I was telling James last night.
NARRATOR: Suddenly the Fat Controller understood.
James had only pretended to know about Slip Coaches.
Really it was all Duck's idea.
Duck, perhaps you would like to pull the Slip Coaches around Sodor?
If that's all right with them, of course.
- Yay, Duck! - Of course it is!
Capital idea!
NARRATOR: So Duck took over pulling the Slip Coaches.
And even though it was the busiest day Sodor had ever seen,
thanks to Duck and the Slip Coaches,
everyone reached their destinations on time.
And all the passengers agreed, it was a very good railway indeed.
FAT CONTROLLER: Evening, all!
Three cheers for Duck and the Slip Coaches!
- Hip-hip! - ALL: Hooray!
- Hip-hip! - Hooray!
It just goes to show there really are only two ways of doing things.
The wrong way or...
ALL: The Great Western Way!
(ALL LAUGHING)
Ripped & Corrected By mstoll