Author's notes: My goodness, how I love this book. This story is another fun one, but we've added a very somber moment after the main events.

You Can't Win

Narrator: The Main 6 drivers, engines and all the ponies stared in awe of the first story.

Sweetie Belle: Wow! what a hero.

Skarloey/Rheneas: (Smiling) Well I'll be scrapped.

Skarloey: Looks like we aren't the only two old heroes of Sodor.

Rheneas: (Sigh) Indeed my brother. It would have be nice to have a chat with him.

Babs Seed: Wow, that sure was close shave for you Sir Handel.

Sir Handel: It sure was Babs Seed.

Pipsqueak: What a heroic engine. I would have loved to have met you hero.

Rainbow Dash: I know and that sounded….

Scootaloo/Rainbow Dash: Sooo Awesome!

Featherweight: Boy he sure sounded very serious about running a railway and I guess he was more of the serious type of engine after saving falcon.

Narrator: Peter Sam chuckled .

Peter Sam: Heheheheh … Well I admit, he was strict about running the railway properly. But… (Winks at Freddie and Sir Handel) He did enjoy a few good jokes here and then.

Apple Bloom: What do ya mean Peter Sam?

Peter Sam: Well there's one story I remember all too well of the time he once played a practical joke me. Looking back on it now, its actually a very funny story to tell.

Narrator: Miss Ravens and Mr. Holden nodded. They knew that story well.

Miss Ravens: Heheheh. I remember that one. Me and Duke sure caught you and Mr. Holden by surprise didn't we.

Mr. Holden: Hmhmhmhmhm. You sure did Miss Ravens, you sure did.

Narrator: The foals were surprised.

Scootaloo: Mr. Holden, Miss Ravens?! you were the boy and girl drivers?

Narrator: The two veteran drivers laughed.

Mr. Holden/Miss Ravens: Hahahaha. That's right.

Miss Ravens: Heheh, yeah. Who did you expect? Stan Laurel?

Mr. Holden: Heheheh and Oliver Hardy?

Miss Ravens: Besides, our grandparents were in the last story. How did you not fit the pieces together?

Sweetie Belle: Heh, whoops. I knew I missed something.

Pipsqueak: Coo blimey. that's amazing!

Rachel: Heheheh, yes please my dear Sammy. I'd like to here

Rusty: Same here. That sounds a very entertaining story.

William: Oh yes, do please tell. I'd like to here.

Duncan: Go ahead tell us your tale nightingale.

Rheneas/Skarloey: Oh yes, please do tell us. It's sound very exciting.

Narrator: All the ponies and other drivers agreed and this was the story that. Peter Sam told. This story takes place in 1925, 2 years after Peter Sam arrived. Now, have you all remembered that in those day he was called Stuart and painted green? Oh you have? Wow, good memory. Anyway, now we can begin.

(Mid Sodor Railway 1925)

Peter Sam Narrating: If you lot remember from Sir Handel's story, Duke's summer excursion train is called "The Picnic". It was a train for summer visitors and holidaymakers. It was his special train, many people came year after year to see the mountains and lakes but most of all, Duke the very first engine on the line. He always pulled even on days when he wasn't feeling well.

Duke: I mustn't disappoint my friends. That would never suit his grace.

Miss Ravens: That a boy Duke. You'd make his grace very proud.

Peter Sam narrating: The morning run up gave him no trouble. He took his passengers along the line and stopped anywhere they wanted. He, Miss Ravens and Mr. Holden whom used to work with us, knew all the best places for picnics. Then he would cheerfully, whistle to passengers as they waved goodbye.

Duke: Please be ready and don't be late when I come back for you on the down journey. Otherwise, we might miss the boat for the mainland, and that would never do.

Narrating Peter Sam: One day, Duke felt poorly after his first up journey with the picnic excursion. He'd been short of steam and was glad for a rest at the top station before starting back for the down journey. Miss Ravens and Duke's fireman had just finished cleaning his tubes when myself with Mr. Holden showed up. In those days, I was still the optimistic and kind sort of engine that I am today, as Peter Sam. But uh… heh heh, I was a little bit more cheekier in those days as well and uh well… sometimes could resist a good tease.

Stuart: Hey Rach. Hullo Granpuff! What's the matter with you now? Are you short of puff?

Duke: Nothing of the sort youngin'. Just routine maintenance.

Mr. Holden: Hey Rach, Duke. How are you 2 doing?

Duke: Hey William. Doing ok, for the most part.

Miss Ravens: Oh Hullo Will, hey young Stuart. Well we had a good journey up but Duke seemed to be short of steam after we reached the last mile post.

Mr. Holden: Oh dear. Anything I can do to help?

Miss Ravens: Thanks for your offer Will, but I've already given him a good tube cleaning. That should help. Besides, it's almost time for our down journey.

Mr. Holden: Alright then. Have good run then.

Miss Ravens: Thank you Will. You have a good run with Stuart too.

Stuart: Tell you what Granpuff, I think you're getting old. You need to take care, heheh. Me and falcon we'll have to keep you in order or one day heaven forbid you might breakdown.

Duke: (Cross) HMPH! That'll be the day! You keep me in order? Impudence!

Narrating Peter Sam: Miss Ravens and the fireman climbed into Dukes footplate and Duke puffed away whooshing crossly from his drain cocks. Duke couldn't stay cross for long. It was a lovely evening, all the picnic parties were ready and waiting, the coaches ran nicely and they lost no time anywhere.

Duke: (Sigh happily ) Couldn't be better, couldn't be better.

Miss Ravens: Definitely . We're making great time. I reckon we'll be at the bottom station before boat arrives.

Duke: Heheheheh… perhaps young Rachel.

Narrating Peter Sam: They soon began to climb. The work was harder was harder but Duke didn't mind.

Duke: Ah. Never mind. I've plenty steam and we'll be up in couple of puffs.

Narrating Peter Sam: But he need more than that though. As they started to climb, Dukes puffs changed to wheezes as his valves started leaking steam.

Duke: Oh dear… It's not so easy! It's not so easy… My old valves would start blowing! (wheezing and coughing )

Miss Ravens: (Worried) Steady boy! Steady! Take it easy Duke. Your losing steam rapidly! Steady!

Duke: Don't (wheeze) worry about me (wheeze) It may be harder, (wheeze) but I'll manage! (wheeze) I'll manage!

Narrating Peter Sam: But the leaks became worse, and soon they had just left Alresdale Station when Duke suddenly started harroooossshing hoarsely with escaping steam.

Miss Ravens: Duke, your valves are leaking too badly to continue on we'll stop at the next station. We'll have to call for help. I'm sorry Duke, but you can't go on like this. You may knock yourself to bits. And you know as well as I do that it would never ever suit his grace.

Duke: Your right.

Narrating Peter Sam: Miss Ravens examined Duke carefully at the next station whilst the guard went to telephone, anxious passengers gathered round. At last the guard came back

Guard: Duke's valves are leaking. He is short of steam and cannot continue on his own. However, two engines are coming to help with luck we'll be away in 15 minutes. Don't worry. You'll still easily catch your boat.

Narrating Peter Sam: As one may have guessed, it was Falcon and me who soon came to the rescue. Falcon buffered up in front of duke.

Falcon: Poor old Granpuff. Have you broken down?

Stuart: This is day!

Narrating Peter Sam: I whistled cheekily as I was coupled on behind. We whistled the signal to each other.

Falcon: Ready Stuart?

Stuart: Yes I am!

Narrating Peter Sam: And we puffed away. Falcon had left his express train, 'The Flying Falcon' at the middle station at Marthwaite. When we arrive there, we split up. Falcon went down to the port with Duke's picnic

Sir Handel: (Through Flashback) I remember that all too well. That was fun!

Peter Sam: (Through Flashback) Hehehehehehe. It must have been. You were talking endlessly about it that night in the sheds.

Freddie: (Through Flashback) I could barely get any sleep with you rambling on and on.

Sir Handel: (Through Flashback) Hey! I've never done it before that day on my own, and was excited, you know.

Peter Sam: (Though Flashback) Can I please get on with the story you 2?

Sir Handel/Freddie: (Through Flashback) Oh, sorry!

Narrating Peter Sam: Anyway, I headed Falcon's train, "The Flying Falcon", with Duke coupled behind. I was excited .

Stuart: Fancy me rescuing Granpuff! This is the day! This is the day!

Narrating Peter Sam: Finally, the guard whistles blew, and I started off to take Duke to the works station at Arlesdale.

Mr Holden: Don't push it Stuart!

Narrating Peter Sam: But (Laughs nervously) heheh, I didn't listen. I guess I was still a bit silly back then.

Stuart: (Sigh) Poor Granpuff. He's much too old. We'll have to keep him order in order now. Kindly but firmly. We'll allow him to have runs sometimes but falcon and I will do the real work. Granpuff will be cross, but we can't help that. (Sigh) Poor old engine. Poor old engine.

Narrating Peter Sam: Little did I know at the time that Duke was by no means crippled. His valves sounded worse than they really were and he plenty of steam left in him. He could have kept his train, but Miss Ravens objected.

Miss Ravens: No Duke. Our passengers will only be worried.

Narrating Peter Sam: Duke agreed, he didn't want to spoil they're day. He listened to me chortling and smiled. He and Miss Ravens had their own little joke ready. At first, they used just enough steam to keep moving, but the last half mile was up hill.

Miss Ravens: NOW!

Narrating Peter Sam: Miss Ravens advanced the regulator and Duke responded with a will. He puffed and roared as though the whole trains wait was on his bufferbeam.

Stuart: Ello? What's going on? I was alright before.

Mr Holden: (To self) Hehehehehe. Oh boy. Looks like Duke got his own back.

Narrator: The noise echoed everywhere. People heard the noise from far away. They ran to see what was happening. When they reached the works station, Duke was uncoupled and ran along the loop to the water tank. Presently, a boy asked.

Boy: What happened? Why are two trains on this train daddy? It is most unusual.

Narrating Peter Sam: His father chuckled.

Father: Heheheh. Well yes it is, but today was different. (Winks at Miss Ravens) Stuart broke down you see my boy and they had to call Duke out to help him. Duke had a hard job too by the sound of it.

Narrating Peter Sam: Duke's and Miss Ravens' joke had worked, but uh… I didn't take too kindly at 1st. Heheh.

Stuart: (Cross and embarrassed) WELL FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!

Narrating Peter Sam: And blushing with anger and embarrassment, I vanished in cloud of steam as Mr. Holden held his sides and laughed and laughed until he cried. Duke wheezed along side me, and he and Rachel too were chuckling and laughing.

Duke: Heheheheh. Poor old engine. It's no good Stuart.

Duke/Mr. Holden/Miss Ravens: You can't win.

Stuart: What in Mid Sodor was that for!?

Miss Ravens: Look, Stuart, sometimes, teasing can be taken a tad too far. Think about it. What if something like maybe, the railway were to close and only you and Falcon were sold off? I'm not saying it's going to happen, but still.

Narrating Peter Sam: That really got me collecting my thoughts.

Stuart: No. I don't want that to come to pass. (Tears leaking from his eyes) I'm sorry Granpuff. I really am.

Duke: That's ok young Stuart. At least you learned your lesson.

(Back to the present)

Narrator: After Peter Sam and Sir Handel's story. It was Featherweight who spoke up.

Featherweight: Oh wow. Duke does sound like the clever sort. heheheh.

Pipsqueak: He sure sounds like a role model.

Sweetie Belle: What wonderful story.

Narrator: The ponies all chuckled to themselves, but Skarloey's next words were what changed the mood dramatically.

Skarloey: So whatever happened to Duke?

Narrator: Peter Sam and Sir Handel looked at each other. They knew that they had to tell the others. It was Sir Handel who broke the silence.

Sir Handel: (Deep breath, sad) Well, for three decades, our railway was starting to fall into steady decline. Mines were closing and passenger traffic dwindle.

Peter Sam: (Sad) and we had less and less work, track repairs start to fall into a state of disrepair, and slowly, we lost costumers and eventually by 1947, the whole was shut down after the last mine closed down. Soon we were all being auctioned off. I was terrified.

Sir Handel: And so was I.

Fluttershy: Oh my. How awful.

Applejack: Oh dear. If only we knew about this sooner.

Narrator: Both Skarloey and Rheneas could sympathise.

Skarloey: I understand,

Rheneas: Same here Skarloey. We know how it feels to have an uncertain future.

Duncan: Och! So get to point already!

Scootaloo/Rainbow Dash: Yeah, spill the beans already will ya!

William: (Crossly) That's enough from you 3! Can't you see that these two are having a hard time!

Narrator: The two pegasi subsided, but Duncan didn't!

Rachel: (Crossly) That's no way to talk to my boyfriend and brother in law! Duncan, that was very uncalled for. Now apologise!

Duncan: (Crossly) Pah! I will when these two quit beating around the bush, so just quit stalling Peter Sam and Sir Handel and cut to the chase!

Narrator: William hissed crossly at this!

William: (Crossly) That's the problem with you factory engines! Your always rough rude and impatient!

Duncan: (Crossly) Oh big words coming from a bossy quarry engine like you ya hypocrite!

William: (Crossly) WHY YOU LITTLE!

Skarloey/ Rheneas: THAT'S ENOUGH YOU TWO!

Narrator: The two engines soon stopped arguing.

Applejack: Simmer down you two Can't ya'l see you two are making it difficult by arguing!

William: (Abashed) your right I'm sorry I shouldn't have lost my temper, and I'm sorry I was rude to you duncan.

Duncan: (Abashed) I started it. I'm sorry too.

Rainbow Dash/Scootaloo: (Abashed ) we're sorry too.

Rusty: Good. That's settled then. Please continued.

Peter Sam: Well, me and Sir Handel, then called Stuart and Falcon of course, were both bought, (Nearly bursting into tears) but poor Granpuff never made a sale and we don't know what happened.

Narrator: Fluttershy nearly burst into tears herself and hugging Miss Ravens and so did Sweetie Belle, whom was hugging Pipsqueak. Featherweight and Apple Bloom were also hugging. The other ponies were sad too, and so were the drivers.

Duncan: I'm sorry guys. I should have heard out before jumping to my own conclusions. I had no idea. Can you ever forgive me.

Sir Handel: Of course we can.

Peter Sam: Creating a feud would be, as Granpuff would say…

Sir Handel/Peter Sam/Freddie: That would never suit his grace.

Freddie: (Sadly) But I don't think we'll never him find him or see him ever again.

Narrator: The ponies, engines, Mr Hawkins, Mr Roberts, Mr Thomson and Mr Hoskins felt so somber but then Mr. Holden and Miss Ravens broke the sadness.

Mr. Holden/Miss Ravens: That's not entirely true.

Miss Ravens: Duke may not be here right now, but he could be here later.

Sir Handel: Whatever do you mean Miss Ravens?

Mr. Holden: Well, me and Miss Ravens here have heard rumours that in the hills around Arlesdale that they're have been unconfirmed voices heard by visitors.

Miss Ravens: Me and Mr Holden have heard them. Ironically, that's where we stored Duke to keep him from the scrappers torch.

Narrator: Everyone's faces brightened up!

Peter Sam: You mean that…

Miss Ravens: Exactly.

Narrator: Princess Luna, whom had overheard the conversation earlier, walked over to the engines and ponies.

Luna: Well done Mr. Holden and Miss Ravens. We shall tell the thin controller tomorrow morning.

Peter Sam: Oh thank you Mr. Holden and Miss Ravens. We can't thank you enough.

Sir Handel: Oh I do hope he's there.

Mr. Holden/ Miss Ravens: Well, only one way to find out (They winked at the others)

Narrator: The ponies, engines and drivers all consulted and agreed on a plan… But I'm sorry to say that I must not say more or I may spoil the next story.

Oh my gosh! Are we really only one story away from Duke to finally seeing his grandsons again?! Well, I've better get started on that now.