Thomas and Friends: More Tales from Sodor

by The Blue EM2

Not the Ticket

Thomas was forced to stay on a siding for the rest of the day. His fire was thrown out by Twilight, who chose to stay and keep him company. He needed it, after all, all things considered. The rain poured down, and the weather grew cloudy and cold. What had started as a splendid day had turned into a complete disaster.

"I wish I was back in my nice warm shed," Thomas said sadly.

"You're not the only one wishing they were someplace warmer," Twilight replied. "It's a shame we didn't make it to Keighley; we could have stayed overnight at Haworth and had a proper rest there. But there are worse things than being stranded on a siding in Staincliffe."

"Where?" Thomas asked.

"Skipton used to be an administrative area called Staincliffe, part of the West Riding. It's now called Craven, which is rather apt as that's what a lot of people think Ted Heath, the man who oversaw the boundary changes, was."

"I thought that was a DMU," Thomas said, confused.

"Craven is an old word for coward. The Cravens Railway Carriage and Wagon Company Limited was a builder of rolling stock, including DMUs in their later years."

"Was Daisy built by them?" Thomas asked, curious.

"No," Twilight replied. "She was built by Pressed Steel."

Not long later after their conversation, the Inspector returned. "Hello Thomas!" he said. "Don't look so glum. I've been on the phone with the Railway Museum, and they've got workshop space to fix the damage you sustained in that accident."

"That's good to hear," Thomas said. "But how will I get there if I can't move under my own power?"

"I've been in contact with the Heavy Lift Towing and Salvage Company. They'll be sending a lorry and driver down tomorrow to collect you and take you to York."

Thomas' jaw dropped, and he would have recoiled in horror if he'd been able to move (which he couldn't). "A l- l- l- l- lorry?!" he exclaimed.

"He's a little surprised," Twilight said. "He doesn't normally beatbox like this."

"That's OK," the Inspector replied. "I imagine it would come as a shock to most people. Being towed is not anybody's first choice. The lorry will arrive at 8 in the morning, tomorrow." He walked away.

Twilight took refuge at Skipton station that night, resting in the workmen's bunkhouse, whilst Thomas sat on a siding, cold, wet, and lonely. Thomas, on the other hand, didn't sleep at all. The rain made it hard to close his eyes, and he was worried about what Gordon, Henry, James, and their drivers would think if they learned he finished his journey on a lorry.

"I'd never hear the end of it," he said miserably, to himself. "This is possibly the worst night of my life."

Anybody who knows Thomas knows his history of hyperbole, but safe to say he was utterly miserable that lonely night.

---

Morning came at last, and with it came Twilight and a Class 08 painted in Freightliner colours of green and yellow. It pulled Thomas off the siding and moved him to a transfer yard. Ahead of them was a lorry. This lorry was painted black with red and cream lining, and he had a tall cab and protruding bonnet upon which his face sat. He had a large open area on the back in which supplies could be placed, and he was pulling a long flatbed trailer behind him. This had rails mounted to it, which connected onto a loading siding. A giant muscular man dressed in a comically small boilersuit stood alongside the lorry. He had white skin, red eyes, and blonde hair.

"Is everything ready to go, Bulk?" the Inspector asked.

"Yeah!" the man replied. Judging from his voice and his appearance, he appeared to be not that much of a bright spark, raising the question as to why he was working in the lorry business at all. "I'll start the whinch. Are you ready, Nelson?"

"Yes, Mr Biceps!" the lorry, presumably 'Nelson' replied.

Bulk moved a lever, and the whinch engaged with a steel cable that had been attached to Thomas' front coupling. Thomas was pulled onto the flatbed trailer, and was secured down by cables.

"I'm afraid that road regulations prohibit you from riding in the cab of transported cargo," Bulk Biceps told Twilight. "You'll have to travel in the cab with me."

Twilight was reluctant to leave Thomas alone, but saw that she had no choice in the matter. The law was the law, after all, and we must follow it. So, after bidding Thomas goodbye, she went and hopped in Nelson's cab, and off they went.

"So, you're the pair travelling from Sodor, eh?" Nelson asked, as they rolled along.

"Yes," Twilight replied. "How did you know?"

"The National Railway Museum has been advertising the visit of an engine from Sodor for a few weeks now," Bulk replied, as he took a right hand turn. "Perfect. We can cut across to Pontefract here and then proceed straight to York."

"Bulk Biceps and I have worked together for years," Nelson smiled. "I know these roads very well, having rescued many cars and lorries from them."

Thomas had a magnificent view of the English countryside, but soon grew bored. Eventually, they arrived in York and Nelson stopped.

"Why have we stopped?" Twilight asked.

"They've changed the road layout again!" Bulk replied, looking a bit frustrated. "How do they expect motorists to go to the right places if they don't keep the lanes the same? We can't take the old route, so we won't be able to fit through the City. I'll need to get a pilot car to guide us through. Stay here!"

"I can't exactly go anywhere," Thomas replied.

Bulk was gone for a few minutes, but had put a piece of paper in the windshield. Later, a man in a yellow cap walked up to Thomas, wrote something in his notebook, and then put it in the lorry's front wipers.

Nelson knew what it was. "Seriously?" he asked. "Bulk's only 30 seconds over the time!"

"Orders are orders," said the ticket inspector. "If you park for more than your alloted time, you get a ticket."

"Yes, but don't you think 30 seconds is a bit ridiculous?"

The inspector had nothing to say, and walked off. Bulk later got back and looked at the ticket. "Parking vulture," he grumbled, and hopped back in Nelson's cab. After a short drive, they arrived in front of a building that looked like a DIY warehouse, and Thomas was unloaded. Spitfire was there to assist with the operation, and soon the engine was on rails again.

Bulk Biceps and Nelson drove off, and Twilight realised what had happened. "We'll never hear the end of this one!" she said.

Spitfire, on the other hand, couldn't stop laughing. "A steam engine, booked for parking!" she snorted. "I've really heard it all!"

Author's Note:

'Parking vulture' is a British slang term for ticket inspectors in car parks, as they have a reputation for hanging around cars that are close to their parking time expiring so they can slap a fine on it- in one case when the person was 20 seconds late because an accident in the street had held them up.

Comments

[JimmyHook19]

Thomas' jaw dropped, and he would have recoiled in horror if he'd been able to move (which he couldn't). "A l- l- l- l- lorry?!" he exclaimed.

"He's a little surprised," Twilight said. "He doesn't normally beatbox like this."

Okay... I actually had a laugh at that part. XD

[tempesthot-head]

10734260
Thanks.

[Thomlight Sparkle 1]

This was a good chapter, and I love how you incorporated the lorry being played by an actual character

[The Blue EM2]

10734309
It's a nod to Ted Robbins' narration, where he overdoes the stuttering.

[The Blue EM2]

10734425
Np.

[The Blue EM2]

10734745
No problem. Now let's wait and see if any other users turn up.

[Thomlight Sparkle 1]

10734796
Aye.

Also, I'm glad to see Twilight stayed with Thomas in the story. I honestly was confused of where Thomas' crew was during the story before he made it to the railway museum

[The Blue EM2]

10734804
I think the driver is meant to be sitting in the passenger seat of the recovery lorry.

[Thomlight Sparkle 1]

10734812
Makes sense, but I wish the book said something on it, regardless

[The Blue EM2]

10734822
Same. It does seem very odd that a driver would abandon his engine, especially in the post-steam epoch.

[tempesthot-head]

10734795
Good luck with everything.

[The Blue EM2]

10735007
Thanks.

[tempesthot-head]

10735084
Np.

[The Blue EM2]

10735143
Glad to try and help.

[Thomlight Sparkle 1]

10734833
Quite right.

[The Blue EM2]

10735259
*Cough* Stepney Gets Lost *cough*

[Thomlight Sparkle 1]

10735262
The first thing that popped into my head

[The Blue EM2]

10735266
An unbelievable act of irresponsibility.

[Thomlight Sparkle 1]

10735278
Aye

[The Blue EM2]

10735345
Let's hope it works out for Thomas.

[SonicStreak5344]

10734042
Ok.

[The Blue EM2]

10735452
Well, here's another chapter. What do you think of this one?

[tempesthot-head]

10735192
Thanks again.

[The Blue EM2]

10735587
Indeed. What do you think of the story so far?

[ScisetShimmerEvan]

"Yes, Mr Biceps!" the lorry, presumably 'Nelson' replied.

Good thing he's traveling with a friendly lorry.

"Yes, but don't you think 30 seconds is a bit ridiculous?"

Yeah, it's just a extra 30 seconds for crying out loud!