Adagio was enjoying her life on the Island of Sodor, but she still had a lot to learn.
“You may be a big engine,” said the Fat Controller, “but that doesn’t you can just pull coaches, you can pull trucks just as easily.”
“Be careful with the coaches Adagio,” said kind little Edward as Adagio backed down onto the train and Edward backed down onto her, “they don't like being bumped.”
Everyone came to admire Adagio. “I'm really a splendid engine,” she thought and suddenly let off steam. “Wheesh!” A shower of water fell on the Fat Controllers nice new top hat. Just then, the conductor blew his whistle and Adagio thought they had better go.
“Go on, go on!” she puffed to Edward.
“Don't push, don't push!” puffed Edward. The coaches were grumbling too.
“Don't go so fast, don't go so fast!” they complained.
But Adagio wouldn't listen. When at last they stopped at the next station two coaches were beyond the platform. They have to go back to let the passengers out. But no one seems to know about the Fat Controller’s new hat so Adagio felt happier. Presently they came to the station where Thomas was waiting with his two coaches.
“Hello Adagio,” said Thomas, “Feeling ok? That's good. Oh, that's my conductor's whistle. I must go. I don't know what the Fat Controller would do without me to run this branch line.”
And he puffed off importantly. Edward and Adagio passed the field where long ago James had an accident. They ended their journey and rested before setting off for home. Adagio was still wondering what the Fat Controller would have to say about his new hat. Next morning, he spoke severely to Adagio.
“If you can't behave, I shall take away your yellow coat and have you painted blue,” he said crossly.
Adagio didn't like that at all. She was very rough with the grumbling coaches as she brought them to the platform.
“Don't talk, come on! Gordon never fetches his own coaches,” she thought to herself. “And he's only painted blue.”
To make Adagio even more cross, this time no one came near her.
“I'll show them,” she thought, “they think Gordon, Rebecca and the other express engines are the only engines who can pull coaches.”
“Hurry, hurry, hurry!” puffed Adagio.
“You're going too fast, you're going to fast!” replied the coaches. Adagio laughed and tried to go faster, but the coaches wouldn't let her.
“We're going to stop, we're going to stop!” they cried as James soon came to a complete halt.
“What's the matter?” Adagio asked her driver.
“The brakes are on, leak in the pipe most likely,” he replied, “you banged the coaches enough to make a leak in anything.”
“How shall we mend it?” asked the conductor.
“We'll do it with newspaper and a leather bootlace,” replied the driver.”
“But where's the bootlace coming from?” asked the conductor.
“Ask the passengers,” said the driver.
“You have a leather bootlace there.” said the Conductor to a smartly dressed man, “please give it to me.”
“I won't,” said the man.
“Then I'm afraid the train will just stop where it is,” the Conductor told the man.
The passengers all said what a bad railway it was. Then they told the man how bad he was instead. Everyone was very cross. At last, he handed his laces over. The driver tied a pad of newspaper tightly round the hole in the brake pipe, and Adagio was able to pull the train. But she was a sadder and wiser Adagio, and took care never to bump coaches again.
Adagio had not been out to push coaches or trucks in the yard for several days. She was feeling miserable.
“Oh dear. I wonder how long I shall have to stay in the shed, would anyone else see my coat again?” she moaned, “why did I go so fast that I made a hole in one of my coaches that had to be mended with of all things a passenger's bootlace.”
At last the Fat Controller arrived. “I know you are sorry, Adagio, and I know too that you want to be a useful engine,” he told her, “people are laughing at my railway, and I do not like that at all.”
“I will try hard to do my best,” said Adagio.
“That's a good engine. There's nothing like determination,” commented the Fat Controller, “I want you to pull some trucks for me.”
Adagio was delighted and puffed away. She arrived at the station just as Thomas had finished shunting her trucks.
“Here's your freight train, Adagio,” said Thomas, “have you got some bootlaces ready?” And he ran off laughing.
“Oh, no!” said the trucks and Adagio backed down onto them, “we want a proper engine, not a yellow monster.”
Adagio took no notice and started as soon as the conductor was ready.
“Come along, come along,” she puffed.
“We won't, we won't.” screamed the trucks. But Adagio didn't care, and she pulled the screeching trucks sternly out of the station. The trucks tried hard to make her give up, but she still kept on. Sometimes their brakes will slip on and sometimes their axles will run hot and each time the trouble had to be put right and each time Adagio will start again, determined not to let them beat her.
“Give up, give up! You can't pull us! You can't, you can't!” called the trucks.
“I can, and I will! I can and I will!” puffed Adagio and slowly but surely, she pulled them along the line. At last they saw Gordon's Hill.
“Look out for trouble, Adagio,” warned her driver, “we'll go fast and get them up before they know it. Don't let them stop you.”
So Adagio went faster and soon they were halfway up.
“I'm doing it, I'm doing it,” she panted, “will the top never come?” Then with a sudden jerk, it all came easier. “I've done it, I've done it. Hooray! It's easy now.”
But her driver shut off steam, “They've done it again,” he said “we've left our tail behind. Look.”
The last few trucks were running backwards down the hill. A coupling had snapped. But the conductor stopped the trucks and got out to warn approaching engines.
“That's why it was easy,” said Adagio as she backed the trucks carefully down, “what silly things trucks are. They're might have been an accident.”
“Shall I help you, Adagio?” called Sunset.
“No thank you,” Adagio called back, “I'll pull them myself.”
“Good, don't let them beat you. You're doing well!” whistled Sunset as Adagio slowly struggled up the hill.”
“I can do it, I can do it,” she puffed. She pulled and puffed as hard as she could, “I've done it, I've done it!” she panted as she puffed down the other side towards the next station. Adagio was resting in the yard when Sunset pulled up.
“Peep, peep!” she whistled. Then, Adagio saw the Fat Controller.
“Oh dear, what will he say?” she asked herself. But the Fat Controller was smiling.
“I was in Sunset's train, and I saw everything,” he told her, “you made the most troublesome trucks on the line behaved. After that performance, you deserve to keep your red coat.”
One day, Georgia the Steamroller was waiting for Sonata to take her to a new workplace. Georgia was being rude to Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom.
“You're just worn out wheels on worn out rails!” she insulted them.
“You need rocks for your roads,” replied Sweetie Belle.
“Yeah, and we're helping you,” chimed in Scootaloo.
“I need to flatten little engines in the scrapyards,” retorted Georgia. Then Sonata arrived to take Georgia away. She was still rebelling.
“Railways are no good! Turn ‘em into roads!” she chanted.
The little engines were pleased to see her go.
“Rollers are rubbish, so good riddance,” Apple Bloom snapped back.
Georgia grumbled all the way to the old branch line. She was going to turn it into a road. When they arrived, Georgia was rude again.
“Bumpy ride on rotten rails. I'm glad it's over,” she barked.
“So am I,” said Sonata.
“Huh!” Huffed Georgia. Sonata was still fuming when she met Adagio.
“What's up, Sonata?” she asked her sister.
“It's Georgia,” she replied, “she makes me feel down.”
“Just ignore her,” puffed Adagio. Georgia was now enjoying herself.
“Ripping up rails!” she chortled, “What a life. What did you think of this, Adagio?”
Adagio took no notice. Georgia felt insulted.
“You're a useless yellow cheese puff!” she shouted.
But Adagio didn't hear.
“I'll show her who's boss!” she grinned evilly.
At last, the workmen reached the level crossing. “What shall we do here?” a workmen said.
“Tear it up, tarmac it!” said Georgia. So they did, but not properly and Georgia knew it. Later, Adagio was travelling home on the same line. She was pulling trucks filled with vegetables. The signalman had forgotten to warn her driver about the crossing.
“That's nice, We don't need to stop,” said Adagio happily.
“Yes we do!” called her driver. But it was too late. Adagio slides off the rails, rolls down a field and crashes into a barn. Next day, Sonata told Aria all about Georgia.
“Huh!” snorted Aria, “you're just a small engine, That's why she's rude to you! She wouldn't dare cause me any trouble.”
Georgia had been taken to some yards to work. Shining Armour arrived with a train of empty trucks. Georgia was blocking her way and a truck was stuck on the Main Line.
“Let me through!” demanded Shining.
“I’m busy, you'll just have to wait!” replied Georgia.
“There's no time to wait,” Shinning retorted, “I must clear my trucks from the Main Line to let Aria through with the Rainboom Express.”
“Then he'll have to wait too!” said Georgia. Shining's driver went to complain to the stationmaster. But the signalman had set the signal to allow Aria to speed through. Her passengers were singing her praises and she was making express time.
“I feel like the greatest! Just watch me fly by!” she whistled long and loud as she approached the station. Suddenly, she saw a truck on the line ahead.
“Get out of my way!” she shouted, but the truck wouldn't move until Aria forced it... by accident.
Aria sends the truck flying into the air and it lands onto the ground. Aria was worried that the Fat Controller would be cross. He was, but not with Aria.
“Whoever caused this disturbance will have me to answer to,” she said. And he did, a few days later.
“Look who's here,” said Adagio. Georgia had been found out by the Fat Controller and punished. she looked miserable.
“Now we'll get some peace at last,” said Sonata.
“I wanna get rolling again. But I've got to wait a whole week till I do,” Georgia moaned.
“And then you'll be just as rude as ever,” Aria chuckled, “eh, George?”
I hope not. Don't you?