Thomas and Edward are both proud of their branchlines, as both provide crucial transportation of goods and people up and down the island. However, both are subject to light rail orders, which means that they have lower standards of engineering in response to having a strict speed limit of 25 miles per hour. This, in turn, means that the bridges, viaducts, and tunnels are not engineered to the same degree as those on the mainline. As a result, most of the heavier engines such as Gordon and Henry are not permitted to run on these lines, as the track would give way beneath their weight, leading to an accident, as well as confusion and delay. But if you had heard Gordon talking about the matter the other day, and had not read the above information, you would have thought that he had only allowed them to run on the mainline for another reason entirely!
"It's not fair!" grumbled Gordon loudly, not having had a good grumble in quite a while.
"What isn't fair?" Edward asked him, as he pushed his trucks into position nearby. "Tell me Gordon, what is the matter."
"Letting branch line diesels pull main line trains, that's what!" Gordon replied. "That Class 28... CoCo, or whatever he's called-"
"BoCo," Applejack said. "Coco is a friend of Rarity's. Though everybody's callin' her 'miss' all the time these days..."
"Anyway," Gordon continued, "that BoCo is most certainly a branchline engine, not a mainline engine."
"He does have a route availability of 6, Gordon," Rainbow Dash pointed out.
"Besides," Edward smiled, "I'm certain that, in return for taking your coaches, that BoCo will let you pull his trucks sometimes."
Gordon spluttered. "I won't pull BoCo's dirty trucks! I won't run on branch lines! That is final!"
"Why ever not?" Edward asked, with a smile. "Surely it would be a nice change of pace for you and Rainbow Dash, not having to always fly about and hurry from place to place."
"I doubt that Sir Toppham Hatt would even allow such a thing!" Gordon snorted, with a sneer on his face. "Branchlines are vulgar. End of discussion!" And he headed away to the station, with Edward following soon after.
In the evening on Sodor, two trains depart in rapid succession from Knapford, leaving from platforms 3 and 4 respectively. Both of them have the express headcode of two lamps on the front of the train. Gordon's train leaves the station first at 19:00, on a nonstop working from Knapford to Vicarstown. Edward's train pulls out of the station at 19:05, and also runs nonstop, just in his case to Brendam Docks. Normally, things run like clockwork. However, today a woman with a green floppy hat was saying goodbye to a friend.
At the front of the train, the signal arm for Gordon's train dropped into the green position, and Rainbow Dash looked back to look for the guard's flag. It was just then she saw something green waving toward the back of the train. "All clear!" she called. "Let's go, Gordon!"
Gordon whistled importantly. "Express coming through!" he called, and he puffed away, producing great jets of steam from his cylinder cocks and releasing smoke from his chimney as he rolled away into the night. But they hadn't been given clearance to go at all. Luggage, passengers, and the guard were all left stranded on the platform, and everyone was surprised. And very cross indeed.
By the time that Gordon had been stopped and sent back, Edward was already late. Not only that, his face was falling off as he departed on his way to Brendam.
As if the situation couldn't get any worse, it did. The signalman was not informed of the changes to the schedule, and believed that Edward was working the express. As a result, he was sent along the mainline to Vicarstown, leaving the passengers very annoyed indeed. And yes, Gordon was sent along the line to Brendam. When he had completed his run, it was too late for him to return to Tidmouth, and as a result was forced to spend the night there on a siding, in the cold and damp. Rainbow Dash also couldn't easily get home, and so slept on Gordon's footplate, using a jacket and pair of boots as a duvet and pillow respectively. As Gordon awoke the next morning, his eyes tired (alongside his face), Bill and Ben rolled into the yard. There were no trucks for them, but they didn't mind as there was something far more interesting sitting there.
"Jeepers!" exclaimed Babs. "Look at that! We don't often see those down here!"
"What is this blue object?" asked Bill.
"That's Gordon," replied Ben.
"It looks like Gordon," Sunflower said, with a wry smile, "but Gordon never comes down to Brendam. So therefore, it cannot be him."
"Yes!" Bill retorted. "He thinks branchlines are, and I quote, 'vulgar'."
Gordon pretended he hadn't heard as those four went on. "If it isn't Gordon," Ben said, "then it's a pile of old scrap iron. We'd better take it to the smelting yards."
"No!" Bill suggested. "How about we take it to the harbour and dump it in the sea? That'll be a far more efficient use of our time and effort. Don't you agree, Babs?"
Gordon looked horrified. "Stop!" he cried. "I am Gordon!" Just then, BoCo rumbled in with a goods train, and came to a stop on a nearby siding.
"Mr Rich, a little help here!" Rainbow Dash called.
"Yes!" Gordon cried. "Save us, BoCo!"
BoCo looked over. "Bill, Ben," he said. "If you don't behave, I'll take away these trucks I brought you. Now will you stop teasing Gordon?"
The two tank engines sped away, and Gordon looked over to BoCo, even as one of his eyes got stuck. "The little demons," he sighed. "How do you do it?"
"Years of experience," BoCo replied. Gordon still believes that BoCo saved his life, but we know that the twins were only teasing him... right?"