//------------------------------// // Tenders and Turntables // Story: Thomas and Friends: The Retold Adventures // by The Blue EM2 //------------------------------// The stations at both ends of the North Western Main Line both have turntables. These are long things that can take a full-length tender engine. They are used to turn these locomotives around at the start or end of their long journeys, as it is not safe for a tender engine to run backwards at high speeds due to the weight both in front and behind them. A tank engine, such as Thomas, doesn’t need a turntable, as he lacks a tender and has a short enough wheelbase to be able to run backwards safely, although admittedly this leads to a few problems as it renders him unable to see where he is going. Hence, Clarabel is often used as a spotter when Thomas is running in reverse, to warn him about oncoming obstructions so he can take action accordingly. But if you were to listen to Gordon, you would think he was given a tender to show how important he was. One day, Gordon was boasting at the junction, with an equally jittery Rainbow Dash at the controls, as they were running somewhat behind schedule and had been held behind a slow goods train. Thomas and Twilight were sitting in a neighbouring platform, forced to listen to their constant talk. “You don’t appear to understand Thomas,” Gordon huffed. “We tender engines have an important position to keep up. It doesn’t matter so much where you go, but we are important.” “Don't we all know it,” Twilight complained, most sick of Gordon’s endless ramblings. But Gordon continued, completely oblivious to Twilight’s protests. “And for Sir Toppham Hatt to make us fetch coaches, shunt trucks, and go on some of those rickety old branch lines-well, it’s-it’s not the proper thing, if you understand what I mean!” Just then, the signal dropped. “Finally!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. “That goods train is out of the way. Let's go, we’ve wasted enough time already!” Gordon whistled, and set off on his journey to Vicarstown. Thomas simply laughed and set off shortly after. When Gordon got to Vicarstown, he was uncoupled from his train and rumbled onto the turntable. “How disgraceful,” Gordon grumbled. “Fancy that Thomas not understanding our importance!” “Gordon,” Rainbow Dash said, “I may be awesome, but I am prepared to show at least a LITTLE humility. That would be good for you too.” Gordon was having other issues, so paid no attention. The wind was fierce on the turntable, and he couldn’t get into place on it correctly, as due to his weight and length, he would throw it off balance if he was in the slightest of wrong positions. After many minutes of reversing backwards and forwards, it became clear that it wasn’t working, so they gave up. “Whatever happened?” Gordon asked. “The strong winds and your weight are interfering with the turntable mechanism,” Rainbow Dash explained. “I can’t turn it due to you being in the wrong position the entire time, which is making it impossible to move it. If you were a tank engine, then it would be alright, but then again, we wouldn’t be using a turntable if you were. Looks like we’re running the next train tender first.” Gordon was most humiliated on his return trip to Knapford. Due to the timetable, he had to stop everywhere, and the tender first running meant that he had to run at a reduced speed of only 40 miles an hour, which was causing delays to start stacking up all over the island. Worst still, some boys at Knapford Junction took the opportunity to be rude to Gordon. “Look, it’s a new tank engine!” a boy cried. “It’s only Gordon running tender first,” said another. “Besides, who builds a tank engine with a 4-6-2 wheel arrangement?” “The Great Central Railway used the A5 tank engines,” added a third. “They were 4-6-2s.” “Odd,” finished the first. “2-6-4 is more common.” “Come along you three!” laughed a man on the platform. “We need to get you three home or your parents will worry.” “Yes Mr Dalby!” the three boys said, and they left the platform. Gordon sighed. “Well, that was humiliating,” he said. “Tell me about it,” Rainbow Dash replied. Just then, another whistle sounded, and Thomas rumbled into the platform, running with his coaches behind him as a push-pull set. “Hello!” called Thomas. “Playing tank engines? Sensible thing to do, I say. Tell you what, take my advice and scrap your tender, get a bunker for a change.” Gordon was cross. “Thomas,” he snapped. “I’ve had quite enough mockery for today, and you are just rubbing it in. So, would you PLEASE just be quiet?” Just then, James raced through with a semi fast working to Vicarstown, and laughed when he saw Gordon’s predicament. “Take care!” Gordon shouted. “You may get stuck too!” Rainbow Dash added. “Nonsense!” Rarity replied. “A pairing as fabulous as us would never get stuck.” “Indeed!” James added. “I’m not as fat as Gordon!” James was rolled onto the turntable, and Rarity got off to operate the turntable, which seemed to be working given that he had stopped in the right place. Rarity began to turn the hand crank, but then the wind picked up. The turntable began to spin faster and faster. Much too fast for James. Rarity held on for dear life as the turntable flew round and round and incredible speeds. “STOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOP!” cried James. “I am going to be sick!” Rarity cried, as they zoomed round and round like an out of control spinning top. Eventually, the turntable stopped, and James came to a halt facing the right way. “That was different,” he said. Rarity took some time to answer, partly due to her lunch being in the turntable pit. “I think my bottom’s on backwards,” she said in confusion. But then, who should appear but Gordon and Rainbow Dash, who had seen everything. “Well, well, well,” Gordon laughed. “Have you been listening to Dead or Alive?” “Perfect!” Rainbow Dash said. “What have you done?” asked Rarity. “Oh, c’mon, you two are an internet sensation!” Rainbow Dash replied. “Just check YouTube!” Rarity did, and saw, to her horror that the video trending the most hits was called ‘TURNTABLE FAIL’. Clicking on it, she saw it was footage of them spinning round and round on the turntable, with the chorus from an old disco song looped endlessly; “You spin me right round, baby Right round like a record, baby Right round round round. You spin me right round, baby Right round like a record, baby Right round round round.” James sighed. “I’m never going to be allowed to forget this, am I?” he sighed, green in the face, and backed into the shed. That evening, the engines had a conversation. “I am proud to open this indigestion meeting,” Henry said. “Indignation meeting,” James corrected. “Are you some sort of rolling dictionary?” Gordon asked. Anyway, we’ve all been humiliated,” Henry said grumpily. “I get whooshed by an elephant.” “And I get spun on a turntable and mocked on YouTube,” James added. “And I have to run backwards!” Gordon exclaimed. “Oh, the indignity.” “And we all have to shunt trucks,” James added. “In dirty sidings, no less.” Gordon whispered something to the others. “It is settled,” he said. “We’ll do it tomorrow.”