The Trickster Trio: ThomasNATION Fanstory
March 13, 2021
Sometimes on the North Western railway, the engines’ heavy workloads would often tucker them out, so for a break, they often just take a short break and just try to make each other laugh. In fact, there are two engines that know how to make each other laugh more than they know how to work, and those engines are Bill and Ben. What really helps the pair is that they’re identical twins, leading to hundreds of opportunities. One of which was taken one calm day at the Clay Pits, as Timothy was trundling up the line as usual. He noticed Bill alone on a siding, minding his own business.
“Bill?” Timothy asked. “There you are! I don’t suppose you could take that order of clay up to Knapford Harbor?”
“Certainly, Timothy!” Bill smiled, and he rolled away into a tunnel, chuckling to himself.
As Bill rolled away, Timothy couldn’t help but notice something strange. “Hold on a minute. If Bill’s over there…then where’s Ben?”
Just then, next to Timothy rolled up...Bill?
“Oi! Timothy!” Bill spouted. “That’s not Bill, that’s Ben! I’m Bill!”
"Uh…okay?” Timothy thought as he looked at Bill. “Uh, can you take that train to Knapford now?”
“You know, I would,” Bill thought, “but I can’t.”
“How come?”
Bill rolled forward, revealing a long train of trucks filled with clay. “I’m taking this load up to the Mainland!”
“What?!”
Bill rolled away, laughing hysterically. “We got away with it, Ben!”
Ben emerged from the tunnel, laughing. “Bye bye, Timothy! We’re Mainland bound!”
Timothy grumbled, starting to go after them. “Get back here, you two devils!”
Before Bill, Ben or Timothy could go any further, Marion came up to the junction.
Timothy immediately took notice of this. “Marion! Look out!”
Marion quickly applied her brakes, but it was too late. She rammed into the trucks, derailing them. Luckily, Bill and Ben were unharmed, but the pair knew they were in deep trouble.
“Uh oh.” the twins said.
Then you have Charlie. He’s on the other end of the comedic paradigm, where instead of pulling silly practical jokes, he just keeps it simple and tells light-hearted jokes.
“Mornin’ there, Charlie!” Salty bellowed as Charlie pulled into Brendam Docks. “Got any more of your jokes today?”
“Oh, certainly!” Charlie said. “Here’s a good one: what do birds do when they get sick?”
Salty thought for a bit. “Can’t say that I know.”
“They get medicinal tweetment!” Charlie guffawed. Salty couldn’t help but find the joke hilarious. Cranky, however…not so much.
“That may have been the worst joke about birds I’ve heard all week.” Cranky grumbled.
“Aw, chin up, Cranky,” Carly said to the old crane. “I thought the joke was rather fun!”
“I quite liked the one about the cucumber,” Big Mickey chimed in. “How does that one go again, Charlie?”
“I wish I could stay to tell you, Big Mickey,” Charlie responded, “but I need to get back to the shunting yards.”
“Aw, leaving so soon?” Carly asked.
“I’ll be back soon enough, guys.” chuckled Charlie as he left. “Don’t think you’re all being shunt!”
As Charlie left, Cranky continued to groan. “That one didn’t even make sense…”
Back at the Clay Pits, Sir Topham Hatt was inspecting the accident.
“Oh, dear…” Sir Topham Hatt mumbled. “what even happened here?”
“Sir, I can explain!” Timothy cried out. “Bill and Ben tricked me and tried to take that train that was set for the Mainland.”
“And the derailment?” Sir Topham Hatt asked. “How did that happen?”
“I accidentally crashed into them, sir.” Marion explained. “Now…Bill and Ben? Would you like to explain your side of the story?”
Bill and Ben tried to think of an excuse, but none were good enough. “Actually, I think Timothy may be spot-on.”
Sir Topham Hatt sighed in frustration. “Bill and Ben, the pair of you have caused a great deal of confusion and delay.”
“We know, sir,” Bill started, “but…”
“You’ve also proven,” Sir Topham Hatt interrupted, “that you both are unfit to take this train. Now, Timothy, Marion, I’ll need you two to restart the train.”
“But what about the twins?” Marion asked.
“Well, Marion, I figured I should send them over to the shunting yard in Knapford until the train is safely delivered to the Mainland.”
“What?!” Bill cried.
“You can’t do this, sir!” Ben protested.
“It’s just for a little while.” Sir Topham Hatt explained. “You’ll be back at the pits before the week ends.”
“Alright. I suppose we could get up to a few shenanigans in a shunting yard.” Bill whispered to Ben.
“Yeah, this won’t be so bad!” Ben chuckled.
“You two do know that I can hear you, right?” Sir Topham Hatt asked. “Don’t think that I haven’t thought of assigning you a supervisor.”
“A supervisor?” Bill asked. “Who?”
“Welcome to the shunting yards, you two!” Charlie chuckled. “I’m Charlie! Bill and Ben, I presume.”
“Oh…” Bill and Ben groaned.
“Alright, you both get started over there, but don’t you get up to any mischief.” Charlie said. “Sir Topham Hatt told me to keep a close eye on you. But by week’s end, you should be claying your games in no time!”
As Charlie laughed, Bill and Ben were puzzled.
“...what?” muttered Bill.
“Aw, you know,” explained Charlie. “Clay rhymes with play, so I said-”
“Yeah, we get the pun,” Ben interrupted. “It’s just not funny.”
“Oh. Well, hop to it, friends!”
Soon, Bill and Ben were hard at work, shunting trucks up and down sidings. It got a bit repetitive after a while, but they did have a good laugh every now and again…mostly with the amount of pranks they would pull on Charlie, who was about to fall victim to another…
“How are the young whippersnappers?” Edward asked Charlie.
“I have to say, Eddie,” Charlie responded. “I was initially cautious about working with them, but they’re actually really hard workers.”
As Charlie and Edward spoke, Bill and Ben snuck up on the purple engine, until…
“BOO!” the two cried, startling Charlie. The three began laughing, while Edward stared on in confusion.
“Um…what just happened?” Edward asked.
“These two are absolutely hysterical!” Charlie laughed. “They’ve been pulling all sorts of pranks on me. And I’ve been telling them my jokes in return!”
“But I thought Sir Topham Hatt told them not to pull their pranks on other engines.” said Edward.
“Yeah,” Ben snickered. “but he didn’t say anything about Charlie!”
“Yeah!” Charlie chuckled. “We’re a proper comedic trio.”
“I don’t like that name, Charlie,” Bill snickered. “I think we may be barking up the wrong three!”
Ben grimaced at Bill’s pun. “That wasn’t your best work, Bill.”
“I know.” Bill frowned.
Just then, Timothy rolled into the shunting yard, hauling the delivery to the Mainland. “Hello, Charlie. Bill. Ben.”
“Hey, Timothy.” Bill and Ben greeted. Bill immediately noticed the goods train as Timothy filled up with more oil.
“I can’t believe Timothy is taking what should be our goods train.” Bill complained.
Ben rolled his eyes. “Bill, seriously. I understand you’re still upset about the accident, but that’s no reason to be upset over Timothy’s opportunity.”
“Ben’s right.” Charlie responded. “I mean, it’s not like we can sabotage the train.”
Bill thought to himself. “…or can I?”
Before long, Timothy was finished being refueled and was en route to the Mainland again…without his brake van.
Bill snickered, while Ben and Charlie pulled up, having noticed Bill with Timothy’s brake van.
“Bill…” Charlie asked, concerned. “where did that brake van come from?”
“You’ll see.” Bill said, ominously.
Soon, Timothy pulled up to Gordon’s Hill, still not noticing his brake van’s disappearance. Bill, Ben and Charlie followed.
“Bill, are you sure this is a good idea?” Charlie questioned.
“Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t, I don’t know!” Bill whispered.
As soon as Timothy reached the top of the hill, he started racing down at an uncontrollable speed.
“Whooaaa!” Timothy screamed.
“BILL!” Charlie cried as he observed the madness. “What did you do?!”
Before anyone could do anything, Timothy sped off the rails and into the fields. Clay flew out all over the grassy plains. At that point, Bill had realised his mistake.
“What have I done?!” Bill cried.
Soon, Thomas, James and Sir Topham Hatt arrived with Rocky. Bill had explained to Sir Topham Hatt everything that he had done.
“But why did you steal Timothy’s brake van, Bill?” asked Sir Topham Hatt, sternly.
“I don’t know,” Bill replied. “I guess I just let my jealousy get the best of me. I’m sorry, Timothy.”
“Yeah, it’s really not Bill’s fault,” Ben explained. “since Charlie was the one who gave him the idea.”
“What?” asked Charlie, puzzled.
Sir Topham Hatt groaned. “I’d expect this type of trick from Bill and Ben, but Charlie, I expected better from you.”
“It wasn’t intentional!” Charlie protested. “Bill just got a bit upset, and I told him he can’t sabotage the train!”
“I see…” Sir Topham Hatt turned to Bill. “Bill, I know you were upset about not going to the Mainland, but taking revenge is never the right way to go.”
Eavesdropping on the conversation, Thomas couldn’t help but ponder. “Hey, James?”
“Yes?”
“Is it just me or does this entire scenario seem a bit familiar?”
James thought to himself as Sir Topham Hatt started to leave. “Eh, yeah, a little.”
“But sir,” Ben asked. “what about our punishment?”
“Right!” Sir Topham Hatt chuckled to himself. “I nearly forgot about that. Bill, Ben, Charlie, I need you three to start over on this goods train from scratch…again.”
“Yes, sir.” said Bill, Ben and Charlie as he left.
“Take ‘im away, lads.” said Sir Topham Hatt to Thomas and James.
“Well, guys,” said Charlie. “I’m just glad this mess is over with.”
“Ditto to that.” Bill responded. “I guess the three of us do need a bit more...
“Bill?” Timothy asked. “There you are! I don’t suppose you could take that order of clay up to Knapford Harbor?”
“Certainly, Timothy!” Bill smiled, and he rolled away into a tunnel, chuckling to himself.
As Bill rolled away, Timothy couldn’t help but notice something strange. “Hold on a minute. If Bill’s over there…then where’s Ben?”
Just then, next to Timothy rolled up...Bill?
“Oi! Timothy!” Bill spouted. “That’s not Bill, that’s Ben! I’m Bill!”
"Uh…okay?” Timothy thought as he looked at Bill. “Uh, can you take that train to Knapford now?”
“You know, I would,” Bill thought, “but I can’t.”
“How come?”
Bill rolled forward, revealing a long train of trucks filled with clay. “I’m taking this load up to the Mainland!”
“What?!”
Bill rolled away, laughing hysterically. “We got away with it, Ben!”
Ben emerged from the tunnel, laughing. “Bye bye, Timothy! We’re Mainland bound!”
Timothy grumbled, starting to go after them. “Get back here, you two devils!”
Before Bill, Ben or Timothy could go any further, Marion came up to the junction.
Timothy immediately took notice of this. “Marion! Look out!”
Marion quickly applied her brakes, but it was too late. She rammed into the trucks, derailing them. Luckily, Bill and Ben were unharmed, but the pair knew they were in deep trouble.
“Uh oh.” the twins said.
Then you have Charlie. He’s on the other end of the comedic paradigm, where instead of pulling silly practical jokes, he just keeps it simple and tells light-hearted jokes.
“Mornin’ there, Charlie!” Salty bellowed as Charlie pulled into Brendam Docks. “Got any more of your jokes today?”
“Oh, certainly!” Charlie said. “Here’s a good one: what do birds do when they get sick?”
Salty thought for a bit. “Can’t say that I know.”
“They get medicinal tweetment!” Charlie guffawed. Salty couldn’t help but find the joke hilarious. Cranky, however…not so much.
“That may have been the worst joke about birds I’ve heard all week.” Cranky grumbled.
“Aw, chin up, Cranky,” Carly said to the old crane. “I thought the joke was rather fun!”
“I quite liked the one about the cucumber,” Big Mickey chimed in. “How does that one go again, Charlie?”
“I wish I could stay to tell you, Big Mickey,” Charlie responded, “but I need to get back to the shunting yards.”
“Aw, leaving so soon?” Carly asked.
“I’ll be back soon enough, guys.” chuckled Charlie as he left. “Don’t think you’re all being shunt!”
As Charlie left, Cranky continued to groan. “That one didn’t even make sense…”
Back at the Clay Pits, Sir Topham Hatt was inspecting the accident.
“Oh, dear…” Sir Topham Hatt mumbled. “what even happened here?”
“Sir, I can explain!” Timothy cried out. “Bill and Ben tricked me and tried to take that train that was set for the Mainland.”
“And the derailment?” Sir Topham Hatt asked. “How did that happen?”
“I accidentally crashed into them, sir.” Marion explained. “Now…Bill and Ben? Would you like to explain your side of the story?”
Bill and Ben tried to think of an excuse, but none were good enough. “Actually, I think Timothy may be spot-on.”
Sir Topham Hatt sighed in frustration. “Bill and Ben, the pair of you have caused a great deal of confusion and delay.”
“We know, sir,” Bill started, “but…”
“You’ve also proven,” Sir Topham Hatt interrupted, “that you both are unfit to take this train. Now, Timothy, Marion, I’ll need you two to restart the train.”
“But what about the twins?” Marion asked.
“Well, Marion, I figured I should send them over to the shunting yard in Knapford until the train is safely delivered to the Mainland.”
“What?!” Bill cried.
“You can’t do this, sir!” Ben protested.
“It’s just for a little while.” Sir Topham Hatt explained. “You’ll be back at the pits before the week ends.”
“Alright. I suppose we could get up to a few shenanigans in a shunting yard.” Bill whispered to Ben.
“Yeah, this won’t be so bad!” Ben chuckled.
“You two do know that I can hear you, right?” Sir Topham Hatt asked. “Don’t think that I haven’t thought of assigning you a supervisor.”
“A supervisor?” Bill asked. “Who?”
“Welcome to the shunting yards, you two!” Charlie chuckled. “I’m Charlie! Bill and Ben, I presume.”
“Oh…” Bill and Ben groaned.
“Alright, you both get started over there, but don’t you get up to any mischief.” Charlie said. “Sir Topham Hatt told me to keep a close eye on you. But by week’s end, you should be claying your games in no time!”
As Charlie laughed, Bill and Ben were puzzled.
“...what?” muttered Bill.
“Aw, you know,” explained Charlie. “Clay rhymes with play, so I said-”
“Yeah, we get the pun,” Ben interrupted. “It’s just not funny.”
“Oh. Well, hop to it, friends!”
Soon, Bill and Ben were hard at work, shunting trucks up and down sidings. It got a bit repetitive after a while, but they did have a good laugh every now and again…mostly with the amount of pranks they would pull on Charlie, who was about to fall victim to another…
“How are the young whippersnappers?” Edward asked Charlie.
“I have to say, Eddie,” Charlie responded. “I was initially cautious about working with them, but they’re actually really hard workers.”
As Charlie and Edward spoke, Bill and Ben snuck up on the purple engine, until…
“BOO!” the two cried, startling Charlie. The three began laughing, while Edward stared on in confusion.
“Um…what just happened?” Edward asked.
“These two are absolutely hysterical!” Charlie laughed. “They’ve been pulling all sorts of pranks on me. And I’ve been telling them my jokes in return!”
“But I thought Sir Topham Hatt told them not to pull their pranks on other engines.” said Edward.
“Yeah,” Ben snickered. “but he didn’t say anything about Charlie!”
“Yeah!” Charlie chuckled. “We’re a proper comedic trio.”
“I don’t like that name, Charlie,” Bill snickered. “I think we may be barking up the wrong three!”
Ben grimaced at Bill’s pun. “That wasn’t your best work, Bill.”
“I know.” Bill frowned.
Just then, Timothy rolled into the shunting yard, hauling the delivery to the Mainland. “Hello, Charlie. Bill. Ben.”
“Hey, Timothy.” Bill and Ben greeted. Bill immediately noticed the goods train as Timothy filled up with more oil.
“I can’t believe Timothy is taking what should be our goods train.” Bill complained.
Ben rolled his eyes. “Bill, seriously. I understand you’re still upset about the accident, but that’s no reason to be upset over Timothy’s opportunity.”
“Ben’s right.” Charlie responded. “I mean, it’s not like we can sabotage the train.”
Bill thought to himself. “…or can I?”
Before long, Timothy was finished being refueled and was en route to the Mainland again…without his brake van.
Bill snickered, while Ben and Charlie pulled up, having noticed Bill with Timothy’s brake van.
“Bill…” Charlie asked, concerned. “where did that brake van come from?”
“You’ll see.” Bill said, ominously.
Soon, Timothy pulled up to Gordon’s Hill, still not noticing his brake van’s disappearance. Bill, Ben and Charlie followed.
“Bill, are you sure this is a good idea?” Charlie questioned.
“Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t, I don’t know!” Bill whispered.
As soon as Timothy reached the top of the hill, he started racing down at an uncontrollable speed.
“Whooaaa!” Timothy screamed.
“BILL!” Charlie cried as he observed the madness. “What did you do?!”
Before anyone could do anything, Timothy sped off the rails and into the fields. Clay flew out all over the grassy plains. At that point, Bill had realised his mistake.
“What have I done?!” Bill cried.
Soon, Thomas, James and Sir Topham Hatt arrived with Rocky. Bill had explained to Sir Topham Hatt everything that he had done.
“But why did you steal Timothy’s brake van, Bill?” asked Sir Topham Hatt, sternly.
“I don’t know,” Bill replied. “I guess I just let my jealousy get the best of me. I’m sorry, Timothy.”
“Yeah, it’s really not Bill’s fault,” Ben explained. “since Charlie was the one who gave him the idea.”
“What?” asked Charlie, puzzled.
Sir Topham Hatt groaned. “I’d expect this type of trick from Bill and Ben, but Charlie, I expected better from you.”
“It wasn’t intentional!” Charlie protested. “Bill just got a bit upset, and I told him he can’t sabotage the train!”
“I see…” Sir Topham Hatt turned to Bill. “Bill, I know you were upset about not going to the Mainland, but taking revenge is never the right way to go.”
Eavesdropping on the conversation, Thomas couldn’t help but ponder. “Hey, James?”
“Yes?”
“Is it just me or does this entire scenario seem a bit familiar?”
James thought to himself as Sir Topham Hatt started to leave. “Eh, yeah, a little.”
“But sir,” Ben asked. “what about our punishment?”
“Right!” Sir Topham Hatt chuckled to himself. “I nearly forgot about that. Bill, Ben, Charlie, I need you three to start over on this goods train from scratch…again.”
“Yes, sir.” said Bill, Ben and Charlie as he left.
“Take ‘im away, lads.” said Sir Topham Hatt to Thomas and James.
“Well, guys,” said Charlie. “I’m just glad this mess is over with.”
“Ditto to that.” Bill responded. “I guess the three of us do need a bit more...
three…”
“…two…”
“…one…”
“...training!” Bill, Ben and Charlie laughed as the trio disembarked for the Clay Pits.
“…two…”
“…one…”
“...training!” Bill, Ben and Charlie laughed as the trio disembarked for the Clay Pits.
About the Author: JF the LOLZOR
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