Welcome to the thomas and friends 80th anniversary story time.
Today's story is percy and the calliope, based on the railway series by the reverend w audrey, created by brit orcroft, read by ian mckew.
This story is called percy and the calliope.
The engines on sodor work hard to keep the island clean and tidy.
There is always garbage to be removed, scrap to be scrapped and junk to be junked.
But the engines are always happy because they all want to be really useful engines.
One day, Percy and Diesel were collecting scrap.
Their last stop was at the Duke and Duchess of Boxford summer house.
The Duchess had a very unusual piece of junk for them.
What is it, man? asked Percy.
It is a calliope, said the Duchess.
A calliope is an organ that played music at summer fairs years ago.
Sadly, this one has been forgotten about and left outside to rust.
Percy's eyes were wide with wonder.
Oh, my!
So now I'm afraid you must take it to the smelter's yard.
It has to be scrapped.
Yes, Duchess, Diesel replied with delight.
So Percy and Diesel coupled up to the calliope.
Wouldn't it be wonderful to hear the calliope play music again, peeped Percy.
Diesel scoffed.
It's just a jumble of junk.
The sooner it's scrapped, the better.
But Percy didn't think the organ was junk.
He thought it was special.
If I can make the calliope work, it won't have to be scrapped.
This made Diesel hoot with laughter.
That tangle of tubes, that pile of old pipes.
Have you popped a piston, Percy?
Percy's wheels wobbled.
He didn't want to look silly in front of Diesel, but he didn't want the calliope to be scrapped either.
I will make it play before we get to the smelter's yard.
The two engines heaved and hauled the heavy scrap.
Percy puffed and panted as he pushed the truck.
Bust my buffers, this is hard work.
I must stop for some more water.
So Percy and Diesel stopped at the water tower.
And Diesel grumped.
Ha!
Diesels never have to stop for water.
We have to stop, Diesel.
Steamies can't work without water.
An idea popped into Percy's pistons.
Maybe water will make the calliope work too.
So Percy rolled backwards until the calliope was under the water tower.
Whoa!
Ezel was surprised.
Water splished and splashed into the organ pipes.
Percy listened for the sound of music.
But the only sound was a strange gurgling and a groaning and a glugging that made the calliope shudder and shake.
The workman quickly turned the water off.
Diesel laughed loudly.
Percy's face flushed.
Percy hadn't fixed the calliope, but he was sure that he could make the calliope play once again.
The two engines trawled on to the smelter's yard.
Percy's firebox flickered and fizzed.
Bust my buffers, pushing scrap is hard work.
Diesel, I have to stop for more coal.
So Percy and Diesel stopped at the coal hopper.
Diesel hooted huffily.
Hah, diesels never have to stop for coal.
Diesel, all steamies need coal.
An idea began to bubble in Percy's boiler.
So Percy rolled back home and surprised Beazle again.
Coal clattered and clanged into the organ pipe.
What are you doing now? asked Beazle.
Coal makes me work.
Maybe coal will make the calliope work, said Percy.
Suddenly, a big cloud of dust, poof, out of the calliope.
Percy was covered in soot from footplate to fender.
Diesel chortled and chuckled.
Percy's face flushed.
He still hadn't fixed the calliope.
I'm sure I can make this calliope play.
Percy and Diesel clickety-clacked along the track.
Now they were nearly at the smelter's yard.
Percy was worried.
Soon the organ would be scrapped.
Then the engines had to stop at a crossing.
Sir Topham Hatt was there with his car.
It would not start.
Can we help, sir?
No, thank you.
Percy, said Sir Topham Hatt as his helpers struggled and strained to push the car faster and faster and faster, until the engine started.
Percy and Diesel rattled on their way.
But Percy now had another plan.
Pushing Sir Topham Hatt's car made it start.
Perhaps if I push the calliope, it will play.
So wheel turn by wheel turn, Percy pushed the calliope faster and faster.
The organ rattled and raced along the track.
The pipes clattered and clapped. but no music played.
I must push fast.
I must save it from the smelter's yard.
The calliope rattled along in front of Percy, but still no music played.
Then there was trouble.
Percy was at the top of Gordon's Hill.
He stopped, but the calliope didn't.
The coupling had snapped.
Bus night offers, he cried.
The calliope rattled and raced down the hill.
With a crash and a bash, it smashed off the track.
Ha! laughed Diesel.
Oh no!
Percy felt terrible.
The calliope is sure to be scrapped now.
Percy sighed.
Steam swirled from his pistons and whimpered from his whistle.
Diesel chuckled.
That's the only music I've heard all day.
That made an idea begin to bubble in Percy's boiler.
Whishing whistles.
Now I know how to make the calliope play.
Percy's driver connected a hose from Percy's cylinder drain to the calliope.
Steam shot into the organ.
The cliope let out a rasp and a pop and a wheeze.
But then, with a cough and a splutter, it began to play.
Percy beamed from buffer to buffer.
And then Sir Topham Hatt arrived.
Percy, what is making that music?
It's the calliope, sir.
We were told to take it to the smelter's yard, but I got it to work.
Well done, Percy.
I'm very proud of you.
You have saved an important piece of Sodor's history.
Percy peeped with pride.
Take it to the steamworks.
Victor will fix it properly.
Yes, sir.
At the steamworks, the calliope was painted and polished.
The brass pipes gleamed in the sun.
Percy puffed proudly.
Everybody wanted to hear the calliope play.
Percy fired his furnace, bubbled his boiler, and shot steam into the calliope.
It was the sweetest sound on Sodor.
The end.
That's the end of our Thomas and Friends 80th Anniversary Storytime, but listen out for more stories coming soon.
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