Thomas and Friends: the New Adventures

by The Blue EM2

Thomas, Percy, and the Coal

It was a lovely day on the Island of Sodor. The sun shone and the birds sang. The sunshine reflected off of Thomas' boiler as he puffed along, with Annie and Clarabel in tow.

"What a lovely day!" Thomas said to Twilight.

"I couldn't agree more," Twilight grinned, "especially as it's sunny, but not so hot that it's uncomfortable. June is so muggy out here."

"You're telling me!" Thomas joked, as they pulled into Ellsbridge. Percy was in the loop with a goods train, waiting to take it up to Ffarquhar, whilst Toby was shunting in the sidings.

"Hello Thomas!" Percy called. "You look splendid today! Had a good run?"

"That and more," Thomas smiled. "The passengers were on time, and Bertie didn't break down! But that's all to be expected, as blue is the only proper colour for an engine."

"Thomas," Twilight said sternly. "What did we say about boasting?"

"Oh, I don't agree!" Toby said. "I quite like my brown paint. And I recall that the B12s looked ridiculous in BR Blue!"

"I've always been green," Percy admitted. "I would never want to be any other colour."

"You and me both," Pinkie added.

"Well, that makes no sense," Flash said. "You're pink, Pinkie! It's in the name!"

"Do I have to make sense?"

"Touche."

"Well, anyway, er, huff!" responded Thomas. Yes, he actually said the word 'huff'. "Blue is the only colour for a really useful engine. Everybody knows that!" And he puffed away without another word.

"You still have the wrong lamp code!" Toby shouted after him. "Oh dear, what are we going to do? Ever since he helped stop Diesel 10 he's been worse than ever!"

"It's all gone to his smokebox, I tell you!" Percy agreed. "I bet it'll come crashing down soon!"

---

Later that day, Thomas was resting on a siding when Percy rolled under the coal chute with some empty trucks. He moved backward gradually as each wagon was loaded.

"Be careful with those trucks!" Thomas called. He knew full well the problems that trucks could cause, having been the victim of a runaway on more than one occasion.

But the trucks heard him. "Go on! Go on!" they shouted. As Percy began to back up with the trucks, they crashed into each other and sent Percy flying through some buffers. The chute operator, not aware of what was going on, released the next load. It fell all over the track, and piled up in a great heap. Coal dust flew everywhere in a great cloud, enveloping Thomas and Twilight. As the mess cleared, both the engine and his driver were covered from head to toe (or smokebox to bunker, depending on whom you are referring to) in coal dust.

"Help!" Thomas exclaimed, coughing whilst he did so. "I'm choking!"

"Oh no!" Twilight exclaimed. "I look a mess! And we'll be late cleaning up this mess too! Oh, this is terrible!"

As if to add insult to injury, the chute started dumping more and more coal onto the track, making an even bigger mess.

"Get me out of here!" Thomas cried. Twilight hopped onto the footplate and began to move him away from the scene. Percy, on the other hand, found it all rather funny. Thomas' smart blue paint was now essentially black.

"You don't look really useful now, do you!" he laughed.

Pinkie joined in on the laughter. "Talk about karma, Thomas!" she said.

"It's not funny!" Thomas snapped. "You two did that on purpose! Now stop laughing and clean up this mess!"

---

Twilight did work her hardest to clean Thomas, but it took her so long that he wasn't ready in time for the next train. As a result, Toby took Annie and Clarabel instead, whilst Thomas was assigned a good train.

That night, in the shed, Thomas was fuming angrily. He still hadn't forgiven Percy, and Toby was (quite wisely) keeping quiet. Percy, on the other hand, was furious Thomas could even think he'd done this on purpose.

"Do you really think so little of me," he said, "that you think I'd ruin your paint on purpose? Fancy a really useful blue engine becoming an absolute disgrace to the railway!"

Thomas snarled at him, but otherwise said nothing. However, he felt better the next morning as he watched Percy roll in with some trucks that had been dropped off at Knapford sidings. They had come down from Crovan's Gate earlier in the day, loaded with slate from Blue Mountain Quarry, and Percy looked exhausted.

"I'll stop you at the water column!" Pinkie suggested, as they rolled through the platforms. The water tower sat at the end of the platform, and was very precariously placed. A nearby siding was having subsidence problems, and had been closed off until further notice. Pinkie applied Percy's brakes.

Nothing happened.

Pinkie then realised her mistake. These trucks were unfitted, and as a result needed more time to stop than other trains would have needed. The wagons clanged into each other, and Percy slid towards the buffers which protected the unsafe ground! He couldn't stop!

"Oh not again!" he cried, as he slid closer and closer.

"VEGGIE SALAD! VEGGIE SALAD!" Pinkie cried, seconds before bailing from the footplate. Percy's brakeblocks squealed as he tried to stop, but it was no use! He crashed into the buffers... and through them... and into a pit.

Thomas had seen it all, and couldn't resist laughing. "Now you know how I felt down the mine!" he chortled, as he steamed past.

"Talk about karma, Pinkie!" Twilight exclaimed, nearly repeating Pinkie's own words back to her. Percy, on the other hand, looked miserable until they pulled him out.

---

And that night, the two engines decided to put this silly squabble behind them. "I didn't cause your accident on purpose, Thomas," Percy said.

"I know," Thomas replied. "I was angry, and not thinking straight at the time. Besides, I was out of line for being rude about your paint. Green is a splendid colour, and it suits you perfectly."

"So, friends again?" Percy asked.

Thomas laughed. "I think we both know the answer to that one."

Author's Note:

Happy VE day everybody!

This story was the first adaptation of the Christopher Awdry story, and was filmed as a substitute for the cancelled adaptation of The Missing Coach. It was, interestingly enough, the very first episode of the show that series technical consultant Sam Wilkinson saw. No wonder such obvious howlers in terms of safe railway practice make it into BWBA episodes...

Comments

[SonicStreak5344]

I bet the trucks were laughing at their handy work when Thomas got covered in coal.

[Thomlight Sparkle 1]

Interesting how you mentioned the Blue Mountain Quarry in this story, I'll say.

[The Blue EM2]

10222512
Thank you.

[The Blue EM2]

10222515
"...and they giggled in their silly way."

[The Blue EM2]

10222702
Yep. It's canon to this setting now.

[Thomlight Sparkle 1]

10223068
So... that'll be something to see. It would be interesting to see what episodes you make up with The Blue Mountain Quarry.

[The Blue EM2]

10223072
You'll see more of that next week.

[Thomlight Sparkle 1]

10223105
Looking forward to it

[The Blue EM2]

10223110
Enjoy.

[The Blue EM2]

10223402
That's a character trait he had in the early days. Nowadays, his personality leans more towards being naive.

[The Blue EM2]

10223406
I mean, if you look back at the first episodes, Thomas is a bit of a jerk.

[The Blue EM2]

10223411
Then again, Thomas is, in Awdry's words, "the eternal child." And children can be surprisingly harsh to one another.

[The Blue EM2]

10223418
Silly me.

Anyways, at least Thomas learned to swallow his pride...and a lot of coal dust.

[SonicStreak5344]

10223067
Yep.

[The Blue EM2]

10224005
"Be quiet!" they ordered.

[JimmyHook19]

And I recall that the B12s looked ridiculous in BR Blue!"

Heh, don't try telling that to Alfred though. He does much prefer his LNER Apple Green Livery.

[SonicStreak5344]

10224006
But it didn't work as the cars just laughed and laughed.

[The Blue EM2]

10224122
lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/GKK30zbA5wSt8KA3wIjIXBHA7xXs1_1F8GNP_4snxW9DbL8326MnylC_LWj1RxOZJkKbrvzmWWi5GxAfSetgIlUlzjdgzQ8dnvWkrA-8RTPiIgs4dq7-BKHltSUCqXd3TO_CM8a15zk4Lxs4xw

[The Blue EM2]

10224124
"Bother!"

[JimmyHook19]

10224126
-Alfred rage noises-

(Best I could come up with btw. ^^;)

[The Blue EM2]

10224129
Wrong batch. Alfred is one of the GER built examples. The Digital Traction version is the B12/3, a revamp of the design by Gresley.

[SonicStreak5344]

10224127
Then Diesel (Victor Tanzing version) oiled in and growls at the cars, "Oi you rotten boxes on wheels knock it off!"

[The Blue EM2]

10224137
Hello mate!

(On a side note, ever heard the horror story Caledonian Twins? Tanzig is terrifying as Donald and Douglas in that one.)

[Even Evil Has Standards]

It was time for Thomas to leave, he had seen everything.

[ScisetShimmerEvan]

"You still have the wrong lamp code!" Toby shouted after him. "Oh dear, what are we going to do? Ever since he helped stop Diesel 10 he's been worse than ever!"

Tell me about it. 😒

But the trucks heard him. "Go on! Go on!" they shouted. As Percy began to back up with the trucks, they crashed into each other and sent Percy flying through some buffers. The chute operator, not aware of what was going on, released the next load. It fell all over the track, and piled up in a great heap. Coal dust flew everywhere in a great cloud, enveloping Thomas and Twilight. As the mess cleared, both the engine and his driver were covered from head to toe (or smokebox to bunker, depending on whom you are referring to) in coal dust.

How did no one stop the operator when Percy derailed. Guess some things are best left a mystery.

"VEGGIE SALAD! VEGGIE SALAD!" Pinkie cried, seconds before bailing from the footplate. Percy's brakeblocks squealed as he tried to stop, but it was no use! He crashed into the buffers... and through them... and into a pit.

Why did she scream veggie salad of all things?