• Published 1st Jan 2020
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Thomas and Friends: The Retold Adventures - The Blue EM2



Picture a Land where the Sky is so Blue, a Storybook Land of Wonder...

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Gordon's Whistle

Gordon was cross, as he seemed to be most days. “Why should Henry get rebuilt into a completely different class?” he grumbled loudly. “A rebuild that is good for him is good enough for me. He goes gallivanting off to Crewe, and leaves us to do his work, and then comes back and says how happy he feels! It’s disgraceful!”

The other engines said nothing, mainly because nobody ever listened to Gordon’s rants. But nonetheless, he went on, talking endlessly about things he knew little about. “And there’s another thing; Henry whistles too much. No respectable engine ever whistles loudly at stations. It isn’t wrong, but we just don’t do it.”

Poor Henry didn’t feel happy anymore, and simply looked at the rails sadly. So, Percy decided to try and cheer him up. “Don’t worry Henry,” he said. “Don’t let what Gordon says bother you. I think your whistle is magnificent, and I think we are all glad you are home again.”

Sure enough, Rainbow Dash came along and opened up Gordon’s regulator. “Come on Gordon,” she said, “that’s enough talking. We’ve got work to do.”

Gordon whistled triumphantly, and pulled away. “Goodbye Henry!” he boomed importantly. “We are glad you are with us again, but do remember what I said about whistling in stations, mainly the not to do it part.”

Fluttershy, who had just arrived to take Henry for a run, shook her head. “Honestly,” she said, “does he ever shut up?”



Henry felt a bit better when he arrived at Wellsworth with his passenger train. Edward and Applejack were waiting there, and took the opportunity to catch up.

“Hello Henry!” said Edward. “It’s lovely to see you again. You look splendid. I was happy to hear your whistle echoing through the valleys yesterday. Tell me, did they fit you with a Stanier hooter whilst at Crewe?”

“A what now?” Applejack asked.

“A hooter is a special type of whistle,” Edward explained, “that produces a deeper note and a louder noise. It is well suited to alerting passengers and engine crew that a train is about to depart.”

“If ya say so,” Applejack replied. “How’s Henry been handlin’ fer ya, Fluttershy?”

"He’s been great,” Fluttershy answered. “In fact, I’ve never known him better. How’s life on the farm?”

“Same old, same old,” Applejack replied. “Big Mac still helps out Farmer Finney most weekends, and Ah work here. Mah little sis wants to work here as well, but we ain’t got enough engines ta justify that just yet.”

“A shame,” Fluttershy said. “If she’s anything like you or your brother, we’d need an extra pair of hands. Speaking of which, I’ve never actually been to your farm. Can you go by train?”

“Nah,” Applejack replied. “Arlesburgh lost its rail connection back in the 1930s. Ya need ta drive there, which is a mighty nuisance as the roads are bad.”

“Shhh!” hissed Edward. “Can you hear that?”



In the distance, was the faint sound of a chime whistle echoing through the hills and down Gordon’s Hill. It was progressively getting louder and louder as time went on.

“It sounds like a whistle!” said Fluttershy.

“But who’s whistle?” Edward asked.

Applejack listened intently. “Sounds like Gordon’s whistle, Eddie.”

“It does sound like Gordon, and indeed it ought to be Gordon.” Henry was speaking slowly as he processed this, a big grin spreading across his face. “But surely Gordon wouldn’t whistle like that...would he?”



Sure enough, a big blue object coupled to several coaches appeared in the distance. The noise got louder as it approached, and the object soon became clear.

It WAS Gordon! He came racing down the line at an incredible speed, his whistle valve stuck open and his face purple from all the exertion, or embarrassment, it wasn’t at all clear. He didn’t look at Henry and Fluttershy, and he didn’t look at Applejack and Edward either. He just screamed through the station and vanished into the distance!

Henry laughed. “Well, well,” he said. “This is ironic.”

“What do ya mean?” Applejack asked, as she hadn’t been there when Gordon had been busy ranting.

Henry smiled. “Gordon claimed that an engine shouldn’t whistle at a station, as it was not the proper thing to do in such a case. However, there he was racing through a station with his whistle on. ‘It isn’t proper, but we just don’t do it’!”

And with that, the four of them broke out into fits of laughter.



Gordon screeched along the line, with Rainbow Dash trying to plug her ears and drive at the same time. The noise was truly awful as he raced along. People on the lineside were recording Gordon’s apparent predicament, air raid sirens from the Second World War were triggered, people were knocked out of bed (though why they were asleep was unclear, as it was mid-day), and the fire brigade even set out on call as they thought the station whistle had triggered.

Gordon eventually rolled into Knapford station, his whistle blowing loudly, people covering their ears as they heard the chimes echo out about the station. Sir Toppham Hatt came over to the cab and shouted to Rainbow Dash. “TAKE HIM AWAY, AND STOP THAT NOISE!”

“SORRY?” Rainbow Dash shouted back. “I CAN’T HEAR A WORD YOU’RE SAYING GORDON’S WHISTLE IS TOO LOUD!”

“I SAID, TAKE HIM AWAY, AND STOP THAT NOISE!” Sir Toppham Hatt boomed at the top of his voice, only ever so slightly louder than Gordon’s whistle. “EVERYBODY WILL GO DEAF AT THIS RATE!”

“YOU THINK THIS IS BAD?” Rainbow Dash shouted back. “I’VE HAD THIS IN MY EARS SINCE MARRON STATION!”

“JUST MOVE THE ENGINE ALREADY!” Sir Toppham Hatt answered. Rainbow Dash uncoupled Gordon, and moved him off to Tidmouth sheds, where she acquired a set of ear defenders and a hammer. She then spent the rest of the afternoon trying to hammer Gordon’s whistle valve back into shape, though she had made sure to drop his fire and let him cool down first, as crawling around on top of a locomotive with a lit fire that was producing steam would be a foolish move at best. But eventually, she got it back into shape and the whistle stopped.

Rainbow Dash stabled Gordon in the shed, and then headed home. Gordon was glad it was empty-or so he thought.

“It isn’t wrong,” said a voice nearby, “but we just don’t do it!”

Gordon simmered with anger, planning how he would get his own back.

Author's Note:

Fun fact: life is sometimes stranger than fiction, as this incident more of less repeated itself on a railtour in 2016: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6nxQjySkLc

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