~1953~
The tweets of the birds.
The sound of the wind, rustling through the trees.
Don't you just love that peaceful sound?
But then you get interrupted by that big engine, named Gordon.
"Hurry! Hurry! Hurry!"
"Gordon! Watch your speed!"
"Nobody cares Toby!"
"Ugh, arrogant engine," sighed Toby, as he wheeshed steam crossly at the platform.
Gordon came into the station, early as per usual. James was nearby with a goods train. He was waiting for his path to clear and was grumbling as usual.
"Heh, whining again James?" asked the big blue engine.
"I am not!" whistled the red engine, "I'm just... taking to myself."
"Hmmm, indeed," Gordon smirked, as he was uncoupled from the train and ran around it. Passing Percy, who came off the siding where he usually stood.
"Thank you little Percy!" he called, "Keep yo the good work!"
Percy was stunned, so was James, as Gordon rushed past him to the yards behind the big station.
"Telling me to keep up the good work?" repeated Percy, "he's in a good mood!"
James only rolled his eyes as he pulled away, and onto the mainline.
***
Gordon decided to doze in an empty siding, it wasn't like his old siding back at Vicarstown. But it did serve him well when the sun was out.
"Sometimes," he yawned, "it's really hard to be a large and splendid engine, such as myself, to keep up grand appearances. After all, I do deserve the respect I get around here."
A shrill of a whistle, and the loud, strong puffs of an engine, and Henry popped out of know where behind Gordon.
"Peep peeeeep! Hello fat face!" called the green engine rudely.
Gordon's eyes opened wide, he glared at Henry, as the he puffed by laughing his smokebox off. His face, almost red.
"The bloody cheek of an engine!" he bursted out furiously. "Fancy speaking to me like that! Me, who has never! BLOODY NEVER! Had a bloody accident!"
"Are you ever going to stop saying the b word?" Gordon looked to see Percy the small engine stopping besides him.
"Well-I-I...err..." spluttered Gordon, "err...m-my excuses are clear, Henry said fat face to me and we are technically out of public boundaries to say pronounce words for us to not be heard from the station."
Percy smirked. "Whatever, and also, isn't burst safety valves or blown off whistle accidents?"
Gordon growled. "Those are just mere faults," he replied, "accidents are when an engine comes off the rails."
"But didn't fall into that marshland last year?"
"That wasn't my fault!" Gordon exclaimed, "Signalman's error, Jerome being over confident, and Mickey having a breakdown!"
Percy sniffed. Seeming like he had just lost what could've been a moment of him making the big engine loose his words. "And how's that to compare with Henry?" he asked.
"He had an accident with his kipper train," replied Gordon, "he should've been less careless and be more concentrated with the rails! It is indignant!"
"Indigey-thing indeed," sighed Percy, as he puffed off.
***
The next morning, Gordon was still feeling insulted by Henry's remark. His ego had been built up too, and the green engine had soon regretted being cheeky to his big engine.
"It's not indignant to do such a insolent thing!" growled Gordon.
Henry rolled his eyes, as his colleague pulled off to collect his express.
James and Percy only glared at Henry.
***
Ben was shunting at Wellworth yards. He had been sent there by the manager after the Fat Controller asked for one of the China clay twins to come and help organise the yards. He thought he was doing well, until Edward arrived.
"Ben!"
"Ugh. What?!"
"Why are trucks in that siding over there?" called the blue engine, as his passengers climbed out of his coaches.
"Um... I don't know, because it's a siding?!" yelled Ben sarcastically.
"Then I don't know that that siding is not suppose to have trucks in it!" Edward yelled back.
"And why's that?"
"Because that's the banker's siding!"
"...oh okay that makes sense," said Ben, and he quickly scampered out of the yard to collect the trucks. Edward rolled his eyes.
The blue engine watched as Ben as picked up the trucks and began to move them back to the yards. The banker's siding was on the other side of the station from the yards, so it would take some time before Ben would've been able to get the trucks back to the yards.
But what Ben hasn't realised, and what Edward had forgot, was Gordon was thundering down the line. The same line as Ben.
The loud whistle echoed it's way to both engine's funnels. Both engine's eyes widen.
"Hurry Ben!" shouted Edward. Ben didn't hesitate, as he picked up speed with getting to the points to enter the yards.
Edward blew his whistle in response to Gordon's. Three blasts, the last one the longest. Gordon heard it and gasp. "The emergency whistle," he cried and immediately applied the brakes.
He turned round the corner, and yelled in horror as he saw Ben pushing some trucks into the yard off his line.
"GET OUT OF MY WAY!!!"
Ben eventually did in under a second. The points being changed, and Gordon screeched by a few seconds later, mere inches to Ben's cab.
Gordon stopped right next to station, with only having the last four coaches off the platform. Ben sighed in relief, as Gordon fumed.
"BILLLL!!!"
"It's Ben actually."
"I DON'T CARE!! YOU NEARLY CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT FROM YOUR RECKLESSNESS!!!"
"Actually Gordon-"
"Hold a second Edward. You are a fool Ben! Absolute fool-"
"GORDON!! I was the one who told him to get the trucks from the banker's siding!"
Gordon stared at Edward. "What?"
"It was my fault, I forgot you come at this hour and told Ben to collect the trucks he placed at the banker's siding."
Gordon's jaw dropped. "Well, I-um..."
He trailed off, and puffed out of the station. Steam hissing even more than usual. Edward sighed in relief, he then looked over to Ben.
"Be very lucky that I took the blame," he said. Ben could only agree.
***
Because of trying to make up for lost time, and partly for yelling at Ben, Gordon ran out of steam at Crovan's Gate. He forced off it with the remaining steam he had, and Henry, who was in the yards, took over the train.
Gordon could only watch as the green engine wheeshed proudly away. He was soon buffered up by the engine who ran the Norramby branch, who was luckily taking a train back to Vicarstown. This meant he had to shunt Gordon and pulled his train, on the mainline. Gordon didn't mind being pushed along. But he did mind one thing.
"Pushed by a dirty engine with a dirty goods train! Oh the shame of it! The shame of it!"
"Watch it you!" snapped the engine, "You express engines get it lucky. We don't get cleaned as much as you do with your washes and polishes!"
The two bickered the rest of the way. They were still arguing by the time they reached the station. Both crews sighed in relief, as the Norramby engine was quickly uncoupled and moved off.
"That's right bugger off," murmured Gordon to himself. He then looked around to his surroundings. He then realised that he was in his old siding that he use to sleep in at Vicarstown.
"Ah the memories," he said, remembering that one time with Adam as he went into his siding one time. He then went to sleep.
Minutes went by fast, and soon Gordon was wide awake again, as he watched Henry the green engine pull in with the return express train.
"Ah, you brought my train back here for me," Gordon smiled, "that's a good engine, now I can take it the rest of the way."
"Well that's the thing," said Henry, "we're switching jobs for the rest of the day. I do your work, whilst you do mine."
"W-WHAT?!"
"Don't ask me, ask the Fat Controller," replied Henry, "he was the one that made the arrangements."
A guard's whistle was heard and Henry rolled swiftly away.
"Make sure you stay on the rails today Henry!" yelled Gordon, "that is the express! Not the flying kipper!"
Henry snorted and pretended to ignore the engine, making Gordon be even more annoyed. Another few minutes later and his crew returned to the big blue engine.
"Come on Gordon!" called his driver, "Henry's train is needed to be taken from here, and you're the only engine available."
"Coaches or trucks?"
"...Trucks."
"TRUCKS??! Oh the indignity!" cried out Gordon. His fireman began to build up steam, but couldn't get Gordon going properly.
So that loaned tank engine had to take him to the turntable instead.
"I won't go! I won't go!" said Gordon stubbornly.
"Oh stop ya complainin' you ol' sod," grumbled back the loaned tank engine as she shunted the heavy engine onto the turntable.
The turntable wasn't positioned anywhere particular. It was just there for engines to turn around, so to go back the way they came. Sometimes it was used to turn brake coaches around. It was, though, positioned near the exit of the yards, with a through line and a track midway that led an engine to another track, but for another engine to go the other way, they could be at risk, with going into a ditch, which was at the bottom of an embankment.
As Gordon was being prepared to be turned around, he had remembered that his control lever was still on. Making him able to move on his own. His crew was out of his cab, so he was on his own on the turntable. As he was turned halfway, he felt the turntable stop.
This was his chance, he began to move forward, to break the turntable, if they moved it again. They were about too, but realised Gordon was moving by himself.
"GORDON!!!" yelled his driver.
Gordon growled. But when he tried to apply his brakes, they didn't work. He realised that he couldn't stop and before anyone could say anything, Gordon smashed into the fence and plunged into the ditch below.
"Help!" cried the big engine, "Get me out! GET ME OUT!!"
***
When the Fat Controller heard the news about Gordon's incident, he ordered to let the rescue department not to bother in rescuing the number four anytime soon and said the railway would manage it. They obliged, and Gordon stayed in the ditch for the rest of the day. The dirty water, staining his grand coat of paint.
It was night time when the rescue operation came into fruition, and James and Henry were ordered to pull him out. It was lucky too, as the turntable was on the track that faced the ditch too. The operation was a success, and both Henry and James took Gordon home. Who was now a sadder, and wiser engine...
***
News came across the island fast that Sodor's express engine had fallen into a ditch. It even went onto the front page. Let's just say Gordon felt very embarrassed about the hole ordeal, the Fat Controller punisher Gordon immediately afterwards with pulling goods trains whilst Henry and James took over the express trains.
The engines found it a great joke. But nobody as much as any other, as Thomas.
One day, Gordon arrived at his junction with a full goods train. He was covered in soot and wasn't the glamorous engine he was back a few weeks ago, he was just another dirty goods engine from British Railways. Thomas smirked. "Morning Gordon!" he called.
"All right," sighed the big engine, as he came to holt at the station. "Get all your jokes out now."
"What jokes?" asked Thomas, his eyebrow raised.
"The jokes you make about me going into the ditch."
"Oh that yes! Nope, I don't have any," smiled Thomas.
"You sure?"
"Absolutely."
There was silence after that. Until Thomas sniffed, then sniffed again, and then again. Gordon looked at the tank engine with a confused glance.
"What is it?"
"Do you smell a smell?" asked Thomas.
"I can't smell a smell," replied Annie.
"It's a musty, sort of smell," continued Thomas.
"Nobody noticed it until you did," said Gordon, "it must be your's."
Thomas scoffed. "I don't think it is," he then paused dramatically, "Annie, Clarabel, you know what I think it is?"
"No Thomas."
"It's ditchwater!"
Gordon's boiler temperature shot up suddenly. But before he could say anything, Thomas was already off, laughing his smokebox off.
Annie and Clarabel could hardly believe their axles. "He's dreadfully rude, I feel quite ashamed. He's dreadfully rude, I feel quite ashamed!" they twittered to each other, as they puffed up the line.
The coaches complained all about Thomas' behaviour until they reached the top station. The tank engine was still laughing as hard as he left his junction.
"That was funny! That was funny," he said to himself.
Annie and Clarabel were in shock as Thomas left them in the coach shed a few minutes later. They had deep respect for Gordon the big engine.
Thomas left the yards, and was ordered to go back up the line to the lead mines, light engine. The lead mines wasn't really safe for some engines, the mines had been dug up underground, some tunnels went right under the rails. An accident happened before Thomas was reallocated to this branch with one of the coffee pot engines and some workmen were severely injured that day. A notice board was put up two days after the accident. It read: DANGER! Engines must not past this board.
Ever since coming to lead mines the first time, Thomas had always tried to past this board, so to collect his trucks. But he always failed, and had to watch the horses take the one loaded truck in pairs. But Thomas has recently been given the control lever, meaning that he could be able to drive on his own. His driver knew that Thomas would try to go by himself, so he always drives Thomas himself when coming and going from the mines. But today, Thomas' driver had forgotten about the lever. This meant Thomas could move on his own.
"Silly old board," he scoffed, "Ill show them that there's no need!"
As his fireman went to turn the pints so to collect the empty trucks. Thomas whistled loudly. "Now for my plan," he murmured to himself, and to everyone's shock and horror, Thomas jerked forward, banging the empty trucks forward and knocking his driver off the footplate.
"OH! OH! OH! OH!" screamed the truck.
"COME BACK!!" yelled the driver.
But ignored them all, and kept on going. Until he felt the ground shifted underneath him. The ground gave way, and Thomas found himself stuck at the bottom of an unstable, ground filled mine.
"Fire and smoke!" cried Thomas, "I'm sunk!"
And he was. "Oh dear," he said, as men ran up to see what happened. "I am a silly engine."
"Indeed you are."
Thomas gasped and looked up to see the Fat Controller standing at the edge of the dip in the ground.
"S-Sir?!" exclaimed Thomas, "W-What are you doing here?"
"I came to see how things were at this mine, so to figure things out on how to make this place viable to have engines run on it again. Turns out you made a valuable effort on helping me give proof to the National Coal Board."
Thomas sighed sadly. "Please get me out, I won't be naughty again."
"I'm not sure," said the Fat Controller doubtfully, "no crane and get you up from that, and both Mickey and Belle are busy elsewhere. You may have to spend the night here."
"Wait! No! Please sir!" cried Thomas, "I promise you that I won't do something this stupid again! Just please! Get me out!"
The Fat Controller thought for a second. Then an idea came to the top of his head. "That's it!" he exclaimed, "Why don't we get one of the mainline engines to pull you out!"
Thomas stared as the Fat Controller continued. "We get that strong winch from the yards, attach it to an engine strong enough to pull you out, bring him here and pull you out!"
It was now Thomas' turn to look doubtful. "Are you sure sir?" he asked, "branch lines can't really take the weight of a big engine."
The Fat Controller only chuckled. "You'll see," he all but said.
***
Gordon was in the yards, taking on water. Then workmen can running up to him with a winch carries by them. They placed it on Gordon's front buffer without saying a word. The big engine was puzzled.
"What on earth are you doing?" he exclaimed, "I demand to have this taking off me at once!"
"Sorry old boy," replied his driver, who clambered into his cab. "But we got a call that we need a big mainline engine such as yourself to go to the mines of the Ffarquhar branch line. Apparently there's been an accident there."
"I won't go," said Gordon firmly.
The fireman, who had just followed the driver inside too, sighed. "Thomas has gotten himself stuck down a mineshaft."
Gordon stared for a second. Looked down at the winch that had just been fully attached to him by the workmen. He laughed, the first time he laughed since the day before he went into the ditch.
"Well what are we waiting for!" he shouted, "Let's go!"
He started, pulling out of the yards, then going past the station and onto the mainline. He didn't even stop laughing when he reached the branch line.
"Down the mine is he!" he finally breathed, "Haha! What a joke! What a joke!"
He finally got to the junction and switched to the line that went to mines. By the time he found Thomas, lying in a ditch, they had all ready placed him right with hard sleepers put together to make it more easier for Gordon to pull the tank engine up.
"Poop poop poop little Thomas!" whistled Gordon, as he slowly puffed up behind him. "Don't worry, we'll get you out with a couple of puffs!"
Thomas hoped he will. He wasn't please to see Gordon now. He did tease the big engine just a few hours ago, but the big blue engine was the only option of him getting out of the hell hole.
The winch was attached to the back of Thomas quickly and the Fat Controller watched the operation with interest. None of his engines had really been apart of a rescue operation that didn't include the fire department in a long, long time. So he wanted to see if this would be an success, or failure.
Once everything was set, Gordon's control lever was placed on, and the Fat Controller raised his arm up into the air.
"Three! Two! One! PULL!"
Gordon pulled, the strong, wired cable tugged between the big engine and tank engine. Gordon gritted his teeth, as he pulled and pulled. At first, they all thought Thomas would never budge, but soon enough, the tank engine was pulled swiftly out of the shaft and back onto firm rails once again.
He wasn't fully damaged, but his buffers were needed to be replaced and he was covered in soot. The Fat Controller stared at Thomas' state, then strolled up to him.
"Once you've been given new buffers," he said, "you and Percy will be switching jobs until further notice, I hope this will teach you on how to behave when it comes to danger signs."
"Yes sir, sorry sir," replied Thomas.
The Fat Controller nodded solemnly, then walked over to Gordon. "Good work Gordon," he said, "I hope you keep this up."
"Yes sir, thank you sir," said Gordon formally, and the Fat Controller left for his car.
"I'm sorry that I was so cheeky for the past few weeks," said Thomas.
"That's alright," smiled Gordon, as workmen detached his winched from him. "When I heard you plunged yourself down the mine, it made me laugh!"
The two engines chuckled a tiny bit. Then Gordon broke the silence. "So your in disgrace now?"
"Pretty much," Thomas sighed, "we're both in the same boat now."
"Well you should really say rails," chuckled Gordon, "we should make an alliance."
"An alliance?"
"Of course! You help me, and I help you."
"Sounds all right to me," smiled Thomas, "guess we can give it a try."
"All right then," said Gordon, "that settles it then. I'll take you back to the big station then!"
He puffed up behind the tank engine, and buffer to buffer, Thomas and Gordon went back to the big station. With a strong alliance that will never break.