Edward, Gordon, and Henry
Gordon was often used to pull the Wild Nor’Wester, the long, heavy express train usually formed of Collett ‘Sunshine’ bogie coaches. This ran from Tidmouth to Vicarstown, calling at Knapford along the way, and Gordon was very proud. This was because he was the only engine on the line strong enough to pull the train on his own.
Today, the train was completely full, and Sir Toppham Hatt was riding as he had an important meeting with Network Rail in Vicarstown to attend. In the cab of Gordon were Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. Fluttershy had chosen to work with Rainbow Dash as otherwise it meant she had no work to go to, as Henry was still shut up in the tunnel.
The train raced along the line, bogies bouncing and rolling as the carriages rumbled along. Gordon was seeing if he could hit the line speed limit of 75 miles an hour. “Hurry along! Hurry along!” he called to the coaches.
“Trickety trock! Trickety trock! Trickety trock!” they replied, which was mildly unnerving given the fact they had no faces and, by logical extension, no mouths. However, nobody on Sodor seemed to pay this much thought at all, as talking vehicles were seen as normal.
Toward the end of his run, Gordon raced toward Ballahoo Tunnel, where Henry was bricked up as a result of being afraid of the rain.
Henry was very miserable. “Oh dear,” he said to himself. “Why did I worry so about that silly rain spoiling my paint and red stripes? Will Sir Toppham Hatt and Fluttershy ever forgive me for what I said to them, and let me out of here to pull trains again?”
Meanwhile, Gordon flew down the line. “I’ll whistle loudly at Henry when I pass him!” he said, with a smile. “And won’t he be sad!”
Rainbow Dash put her head out of the side of the cab, checking the signals ahead. “Good, we’re clear into Vicarstown,” she smiled.
But then there was a loud bang. Steam poured out of a gap in the regulator housing, and the safety valve went off in a thunderous roar.
Fluttershy shrieked at the loud noise and hid underneath the fireman’s seat, as Rainbow Dash brought Gordon to a safe and controlled stop just outside the tunnel.
Gordon looked dumbfounded. “What has happened to me?” he asked. “I feel so weak!”
Rainbow Dash climbed onto the running board and took a look. “The safety valve has gone,” she said. “You won’t be able to pull the train anymore as there’s nothing to properly regulate boiler pressure. Sorry Gordon.”
Gordon sighed sadly. “Oh, the indignity,” he said sadly. “We were going so well too. Look, there’s Henry laughing at me!”
Sure enough, there was Henry, grinning like an idiot from buffer to buffer and chortling like a traction engine.
Sir Toppham Hatt came up to see what the problem was, and huffed when Rainbow Dash explained the problem. “I never liked these big engines, that always go wrong,” he sighed. “Send for another engine at once.”
Whilst they waited for the guard to phone Tidmouth yard, Rainbow Dash moved Gordon off the mainline and into a siding, as he had just enough steam to move there. Once they were in position, she dropped his fire and let him cool down, wiping her forehead of sweat.
At the yard, Applejack heard her mobile phone go, and answered it. “Applejack here, how can Ah help ya?” she asked.
“Can you bring Edward to Ballyhoo tunnel?” the voice of the guard asked on the other end. "Gordon has had a bit of a prang and we need another engine to pull the train into Vicarstown.”
Applejack smiled. “Sure thing!” She hung up, and opened Edward’s regulator. “C’mon partner, we got a train ta rescue!”
They arrived, and moved Edward onto the front of the train, coupling him up as they did so.
“That’s no good!” Gordon snapped. “Edward can’t possibly pull the train! It’s simply not possible!”
“Do you have an off switch?” Rainbow Dash asked.
Edward pulled and puffed and puffed and pulled, but no matter what he did the train simply would not move. No matter how hard he tried, the train was simply too heavy. They gave up in the end, Applejack wiping her brow as she did so.
“By the eight lifetimes of Granny Smith, that train is heavy!” she exclaimed in frustration, her face red with either anger or the heat.
“Told you,” Gordon said rudely.
“Unless you have a better suggestion, I strongly advise you stay quiet!” Sir Toppham Hatt snapped.
“Why not let Henry try?” Gordon suggested. “He can pull it easily, being a 5MT.”
“That’s a marvellous idea!” Sir Toppham Hatt said. “I’ll ask him!”
Sir Toppham Hatt walked over to Henry. “Will you help pull this train Henry?” he asked.
Henry smiled. “I will sir,” he replied. “But there’s someone I want to apologise to.”
Fluttershy then walked over to him. “Everything’s OK Henry,” she said. “I forgive you. Now then, shall we put it behind us?”
“Yes!” Henry exclaimed. “Most certainly!”
With some spare coal from Gordon, they relit Henry’s fire, cleaned the rust off his motion and cylinders, and soon got him moving again. Even though they had oiled him round, it soon became apparent that months out of use had taken their toll on him.
“Oh! I’m so stiff, I’m so stiff!” he groaned, as he backed out of the tunnel, caked in soot and grime.
Sir Toppham Hatt called to Fluttershy. “Run him up and down a few times to ease out any parts. And don’t forget to use a turntable!”
Sure enough, Henry got back, and was coupled to the front of the train. Applejack opened Edward’s regulator and moved him onto the front, backing him onto the train and coupling him to Henry.
Fluttershy called over to Rainbow Dash. “Do you want to ride in Henry’s cab, Rainbow Dash?”
“Sorry Fluttershy,” Rainbow Dash called back. “I need to ensure Gordon’s OK. Thanks for the offer though!”
After that, Applejack sounded Edward’s whistle. “Peep peep peep!” the blue 4-4-0 called. “I’m ready!”
Fluttershy responded with Henry’s whistle. “Peep peep peep! So am I!” the green 4-6-0 replied.
Applejack laughed. “C’mon y’all!” she cried. “Let’s get this wagon train rollin’!”
With a roar and a clatter, the two engines got the heavy train moving down the line and into the tunnel. Smoke and steam poured into the air with the fury of a volcanic eruption, as the two engines sailed along.
“We’ve done it! We’ve done it!” called Henry.
“You’ve done it, hurrah! You’ve done it, hurrah!” cried the coaches.
The train flew along the line, and Sir Toppham Hatt poked his head out of a window in order to see how fast they were going as steam poured out of the engine’s funnels. This was a mistake, as his hat flew off and landed in a nearby field, where a passing ram ate it for its dinner.
He sighed. “I hope nobody got a picture of that,” he sighed.
They stopped at Vicarstown, the end of North Western running rights, and the passengers all said thank you to both Edward and Henry. On the platform, the two drivers spoke to one another.
“Ah don’t think Ah’ve really spoken to ya,” Applejack said, extending her hand. “Ah’m Applejack.”
Fluttershy took her hand. “I’m Fluttershy, nice to meet you.”
Edward, Gordon, Henry, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Applejack are all good friends now, and Henry is no longer afraid of the rain. He knows now that the best way to keep clean is not to hide in tunnels, but to ask Fluttershy to rub him down at the end of a hard working day.
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Is that a reference to an Anon-a-Miss fic (can't remember the name) where Applejack tells Apple Bloom that's how long she's grounded for?
Fortunately for him, this isn't Engines to the Rescue.
I can guess who's coming next into the picture. A certain tank blue engine.
10016809
Yeah. I guess everyone has read the stories and watched the tv series.
10017088
That first bit is indeed a reference to Confession.
10017195
You would be correct.
10017198
That's kinda who this is marketed at.
10017088
That it is not.
Nice chapter.
10017625
Thanks. That's the first book done!
10017583
Yeah I watched all the classic series episodes narrated by George Carlin and Alec Baldwin. They're pretty amazing. I pick Alec Baldwin as the best narrator of the classic episodes from season 5 to season 6.
10017881
Ringo for me.
10017906
Ok. By the way how does Thomas arrive on Sodor in your series?
10017986
You'll find out tomorrow.
10017088
10017195
10017625
The new chapter is here!
Network Rail wasn't a thing in 1922. It would have been the LMS, as Barrow-In-Furness is an old Furness Railway station, which is now in LMS ownership.
Good story though.
Just re-reading this again, There's some spelling mistakes in this chapter and previous chapters.
It's Topham, not Toppham and it's Ballahoo, not ballyhoo. I'm not being mean or anything but I know it's hard to spell the location's/Places on Sodor.
10024636
Now I feel idiotic. Time to go correcting!
I don't know why.... but the TV Series adaption of that story made it a little fun when they made that little sound they made it to make it assume that Henry was laughing. XD
10057158
https://m.Nuff said.
Well, good to know she's still working for the railway even with Henry still in the tunnel.
As much as I hate to say this, he doesn't deserve it Gordon!
You mean, is gone?
No he does not Rainbow.
5MT?
Or a wye or loop.
That's what you get for doing it sir.
Another happy ending.
11317933
1. Well, no point having workers idle, is there?
2. Depends on your interpretation of Henry's character.
3. 'Has gone' is engineering speak for 'has stopped working'.
4. Indeed.
5. UK steam locomotives under British Railways were ranked under a power classification system consisting of a number (0 to 9) and a few letters to denote locomotive duty. In this case, power classification 5, mixed traffic.
6. Wyes aren't really a thing on UK railways.
7. Wear a flat cap when leaning out of a window.
8. Eeyup.
11318010
Ok, now that makes sense as I thought that was a typo.
Huh, that now makes more sense now.
Well in the US they are, especially for some freight lines and tourist lines. 2 of which I know of as both in question I've visited and are narrow gauge.