The Sudrians: Tales from the Engines

Why Thomas Didn't Like Industrials (1932)

"That's very kind of you dear," Jane smiled warmly, "but I'm afraid that will only make things worse, that engine seems to be the stubborn type."

"Best to just ignore him, Thomas," agreed Glynn. Thomas didn't like the sound of it but mumbled a confirmation.

***

The engines would later find out the engine would be nicknamed Billy by the quarry and throughout those next two years, Billy would constantly be rude to the other engines whenever he meet them. It was rare to have been entirely silent and would always grumble about how he should take the trucks the rest of the way, but no one would accept it. Jane and Glynn would mostly have to deal with Billy's behaviour, but they couldn't always be available and when they weren't, Thomas was the one who had to deal with Billy's rants and moans about how he was better suited to pull trains along the branch line. Thomas' impatience would always wear thin, but Jane and Glynn would always let Thomas complain about the silly engine when he would next see them.

However, two years after Billy arrived at the quarry, he would bring a train for Thomas at Ffarquahar yards, he stopped where he usually would, and Thomas watched the other engine be uncoupled. It was silence at first, Thomas thought he might miss Billy's whining, but as Thomas began to move.

"You're not worth running this branch line!" snapped Billy.

Thomas stopped and stared coldly back at Billy. "Excuse me?" he said.

"You're an impatient, bossy and cocky little brat," said Billy, "you're meant to be a shunting engine! Not a tank engine who has leadership duties on a branch line! Please, you're not worth it."

Thomas seethed. "I was given this branch line since 1925," he said angrily, "and I have never had the Fat Controller reconsider his choices of putting me as leader of this line, he trusts me."

"Hardly," scoffed Billy, "you're only here because he can't get enough engines for his own railway and you are to help those slow, tea things about because they are too weak and old."

"They're not weak and old," Thomas said, "they're more reliable than you ever will!"

Billy snickered at that. "Oh really?" he said, "because they deserved to me in the scrap sidings, they're more useful as an actual kettle on a stove then!"

That was it, Thomas fumed with steam coming out either side of him. "More like you're the one who deserves to be in that siding," he wrapped angrily, "you seriously think you're better than them? Please, if you were, the Fat Controller and your manager would've made arrangements to have you take the trucks instead of us! But instead, you whine like a little child who didn't get any sweets from going to the shops! You blow your whistle saying you better this and better than that but you can't even control your own train. Didn't Jane have to sort out the sidings, the ones you're supposed to be responsible for? Say I shouldn't run a branch line, I was the station pilot at the biggest station on the railway at one point and you can't even handle six sidings. Talk to me when you have something worth insulting us for Billy because right now, you're just a thick-headed pumpkin with the intelligence of a fish."

Thomas sighed deeply and looked over to Billy, who blinked in astonishment. "Are you going to stare?" said Thomas, "or are you going to move yourself from that train?"

"You're... you're... you're a very bossy engine!" stammered Billy, his face turning red.

"Pfft," scoffed Thomas, "as I said, whine like a little child, the intelligence of a fish."

Thomas moved off, not allowing Billy to reply, he just moved off. Soon, Thomas headed off with the train, the trucks, who heard everything were all muttering to each other, Thomas could hear them, but smirked when hearing their conversations.