//------------------------------//
// Gordon Goes Foreign 
// Story: Thomas and Friends: The Retold Adventures 
// by The Blue EM2 
//------------------------------//

Vicarstown station, as the main terminus of the North Western mainline, is a hive of activity. It is here that people change from trains on the Island to trains that will take them to the mainland at Barrow in Furness, and onwards to Preston (via Carnforth), Birmingham and London. Often, these trains are worked by other engines from the other railways. They will stay the night and then go back home the next day on their train. One such evening, an LMS 4-6-0 with a tapered boiler and Belpaire firebox sat in the shed. It was painted green, and had the name Royal Scot on its nameplates, as well as the number 46100 on the cab sides. The engine's driver was currently oiling around, a girl with light blue skin and two tone red hair, wearing a red T-shirt and blue shorts with a pair of green trainers.

Rainbow Dash leaned out of Gordon's cab as she backed the Pacific into the depot after a long run. "Hey," she called. "Are you the driver from the mainland?"

The girl looked over. "Yeah, I'm like totally from the mainland. My name's, like, Veronica George, but literally everyone calls me Valley Glamour."

Gordon spoke up. "Ah, I see. You're an LMS machine. Did you come from London?"

"That's where the tour originated", Royal Scot replied. "Why?"

Gordon smiled. "A long, long time ago, I can still remember when the music used to make me smile."

The girl sighed. "I, like, don't get what song you're referencing so I, like, don't care about it?"

"Bother!" Gordon exclaimed. "Anyway, back in the old days when I was painted green, I used to run into London on the East Coast Main Line quite regularly. Ah, I still remember the station. London is King's Cross, after all."

"No it isn't!" Royal Scot snorted. "It's Euston. It always has been."

Just then, Duck arrived, with Apple Bloom checking behind her as the engine rolled to a stop in the depot. "It is not!" he said. "London is Paddington. I should know. I'm a Great Western Engine, and I worked there as a station pilot for many years alongside many other Pannier Tanks."

Apple Bloom, being the sweet, naive little girl she was, almost immediately got confused. "Ah thought Paddington was a bear," she said.

Duck started laughing. "He's called Paddington because that's where they found him," he snorted.

To add to the confusion, another engine then spoke up. "I thought it was Citadel!"

"That's Carlisle!" Royal Scot replied.

"Paragon?"

"Hull!" Gordon shouted.

"London Road?"

"That's Manchester!" shouted an electric at the back of the shed. "I should know, I worked there regularly."

They argued until they went to bed and the engine crews went away. They argued when they woke up. And they continued arguing until Royal Scot and Valley Glamour went away, to take their railtour back to London.

"This is ridiculous," Rainbow Dash sighed. "Does it matter?"

"IT'S KING'S CROSS!" Gordon boomed.

"IT'S PADDINGTON! PADDINGTON YOU HEAR?" Duck shouted back.

"Are ya sure it ain't Liverpool Street?" Apple Bloom asked. "'Cause somehow that rings a bell."

"NO!" both engines shouted.

"Stop arguing, you lot," James laughed. "It makes me tired. You've agreed on one thing though."

"Namely?" Gordon asked.

"London's not Euston," James replied.

"Besides, It isn't any of those you named," Rarity smiled. "It's Marylebone." And so the debate went on.



Gordon continued to fume for the next few days. "I'm absolutely certain that it's King's Cross, and I shall prove it!"

"We're not cleared for running there, Gordon!" Rainbow Dash reminded him. "For starters, we don't have GSM-R fitted, or ATC!"

"But if I didn't stop, I could go to London," he thought.

That didn't stop Gordon from trying though. Some days he would try to avoid stopping at Vicarstown, where engines were changed, and would try to run onto the main line to Barrow. One time he flew straight through without stopping, before the AWS track magnet stopped him. Another time, he tried to set off before he had been uncoupled from the train by Rainbow Dash. But nothing worked. He never got to London, as he got caught every single time by the station crew, the guard, or the security. "Oh dear," he sighed. "I shall never go to London."

But one day, he was uncoupled from the train as usual, and ran back onto a siding to rest and wait to go back to Knapford. The coaches and passengers waited, but there was absolutely no sign of the other engine that was meant to be taking the train onwards to the mainland.

Just then, a member of station staff ran over and called to Rainbow Dash. "We've got bad news!" he shouted.

"What's happened?" Rainbow Dash replied.

"I don't know, the inspector wants to see you!" came the reply, and he went off again before anybody could ask anything more. Rainbow Dash hopped off the footplate, and went over to the platform.

A few minutes later, she came back with unbridled excitement on her face. "Ohmigoshohmigoshohmigoshohmigosh!" she exclaimed.

"What's happened?" Gordon asked, surprised.

"The engine for the express derailed as it was leaving the yard!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed. "It went over a trap point and fell off the track. This means the yard is blocked, which means-"

"Which means we get to take the express to London!" Gordon cried. "Hurrah!"

"Come on buddy, let's go!" Rainbow Dash called, and opened Gordon's regulator. He was backed onto the train and coupled up in moments. The signal dropped, the guard blew his whistle and waved his green flag, and they were off! Clouds of smoke and steam poured into the air, steam venting from Gordon's funnel and cylinders as he flew along the line, over the Vicarstown suspension bridge and onto the mainland.

"I'm going to London! I'm going to London! I'm going to London!" he cheered. "EXPRESS COMING THROUGH!"

A few days later, Sir Toppham Hatt took a look at a newspaper and nearly fell off his chair in surprise.


FIRST STEAM POWER TO CALL AT ST. PANCRAS IN NEARLY 50 YEARS; POLICE NEEDED TO CONTROL CROWDS


He rushed out onto the platform to see a very sad Gordon sitting there. "What's wrong Gordon?" he asked. "Didn't you enjoy your trip to London?"

"No," Gordon said sadly. "London's all wrong. They've changed it. It's no longer King's Cross. It's St. Pancras."

"We were routed by the Midland through Sheffield," Rainbow Dash exclaimed. "Rails of the enemy. Oh the indignity."

"THAT'S MY LINE!"