Thomas and Friends: Journey beyond Cornwall

by The Blue EM2

Where'd it Go?

Sophie rolled to a stop in the goods yard at Darlington and scanned the horizon. "Well, we made it," she said. "We're in Doncaster. It's a bit cold, mind."

"We've moved further north, remember?" Pipp said, who had acquired a coat in case of cold. She stuck her head out of the window. "Those trucks may be able to help." She opened the throttle and parked the diesel next to the trucks.

"Look! A Class 33!" said one of the trucks. "A bit vintage, don't you think?"

"Haven't seen one in RES colours in a long time," said another.

"Have you seen an engine?" Pipp asked.

"We see engines every day," the first truck said. "We'll need something a bit more specific."

"A steam engine," Sophie replied. "You know how in musicals a song is used to advanced a key section of the plot? How about we use music to assist us?"

"Perfect!" Pipp smiled, and switched some data on her phone to power up speakers.

"It disappeared, just like that, and it's nowhere to be found!
Flip that switch, sweep that track and ask around!
We need the who, what, or why, then there's nowhere left to hide/
Oh no!
No, there's nowhere left to hide!"

"I recognise this song!" said the second truck. "It was all over TikTok a few weeks ago!"

And the trucks joined in as backup singers.

"(Oh, oh)
(Where'd it go?)"

And the first truck followed.

"We're gonna find it
Yes, we're gonna find it good!"

Pipp resumed vocal duties. "My friends and I are on the case!"

"There's only two of us on the case," Sophie said. "That's stretching the definition of 'friend' a bit."

"Sophie! You don't insert asides into musical numbers!" Pipp then resumed singing.

"Here we go, here we go!
We're not gonna stop 'til we find what we're missing!
Where'd it go? Where'd it go?!
A perfect case for a private eye/
I'm searching far and wide!

"So here we go, here we go/
We're not gonna stop 'til we find what we're missing!"

"Warn us of the key change next time!" a truck said.

"(Oh, oh)
(Where'd it go?)
(Oh, oh)
(Where'd it go?)"

Pipp then realised her original lyrics wouldn't work here, so she decided to improvise.

"Look, evidence, circumstance, still no engine left in sight/
Need a break in the case to clear my mind!
I'm getting close, oh so close, I can feel it in my feet (Woah-oh)
Yes, I feel it in my fee-ee-eeeeet!"

"(Oh, oh)
(Where'd it go?)
(Oh, oh)
(Where'd it go?)"

"That makes no sense!" said a truck.

"You try making lyrics up on the fly!" Sophie said.

Pipp blasted back in with the pre-chorus to prevent any further interruptions.

"My friends and I are on the case
We're on the case!"

Suddenly, every rail vehicle in the yard, overhearing the commotion, joined in with the chorus.

"Here we go, here we go!
We're not gonna stop 'til we find what we're missing!
Where'd it go? Where'd it go?"
A perfect case for a private eye/
I'm searching far and wide!"

"So here we go, here we go/
We're not gonna stop 'til we find what we're missing!

"Here we go/
We're not gonna stop 'til we find what we're missing!
Where'd it go? Where'd it go?
A perfect case for a private eye/
I'm searching far and wide!
So here we go, here we go/
Keep our eyes on the prize and there's no way we'll miss it!"

"(Oh, oh)
(Where'd it go?)
(Oh, oh)
(Where'd it go?)"

The scene was interrupted by Pipp suddenly being given a piece of paper by a teleporting policeman. "The Singing Broadway Numbers in Public Act? Luckily that was a pop song, not a Broadway number."

She hopped out of the cab as a diesel engine rolled up next to her, a large boxy machine painted in bright red. His running number identified him to be a Class 66. "Excuse me?" she called.

"Yes?" the diesel said, his engine making an odd, high-pitched noise as it idled.

"Have you seen a steam engine anywhere? Painted black, outside cylinders?"

The diesel thought. "Can't say I have. Gillian?"

"Yes?" a Class 37 nearby replied.

"Have you seen a steam engine lately? Painted black, outside cylinders?"

"Yes, actually," the diesel replied. "He dropped off some goods a few days ago then headed off somewhere else."

"Thank you!" Pipp said, and she checked her engine was clear to reverse.

A few minutes later, they were on a side track heading around Darlington, when suddenly-

"Who goes there?"

Pipp glanced up to see a crane sitting there. "Good morning!" she said, in her trademark sing-song voice. "Have you seen a steam engine lately?"

"Yes," the crane said. "I'm Ronald, and they passed my riddles- the first engine to do so, as a matter of fact. They then went towards that steelworks."

"Thank you!" Sophie said, and they set off once more.

---

Hurricane groaned forward as he shifted a heavy load of steel. True to Frankie's word this work was incredibly hard. He hadn't been designed to shift loads this heavy, and true to form Frankie was working as little as she could.

He stopped when he saw an open door, and heard an angry voice. "You let them escape?" they roared. "What do I pay you lot for?"

"You don't pay me anything," Frankie replied.

"Very funny," the voice said. "We have to recapture the defector no matter the cost! She is incredibly valuable to our operation, and she cannot be allowed to blab on about our operations. Opaline is on my back for this!"

"So, what do you propose we do?" Frankie asked.

"That's easy," the voice said. "We need to find a way to lure her and her idiot friends into the facility. And I think I know just the way to do it."

Hurricane hauled away from the situation as quickly as he could, the heavy load slowing him down.

"Oh," the voice continued, "and about our spy? Minimise his effectiveness. We can't have him talking, can we?"

Author's Note:

Well, we're riding into the finale of the story, and with Pipp and Sophie in the region things are about to get a whole lot messier. Hold on, as this is a show you won't want to miss!

Class 66s do indeed make an odd, high-pitched noise as they idle. It is this which has earned them the nickname of 'ying-yings'.

Comments

[shining paladin]

nice chapter mate keep it up

[ScisetShimmerEvan]

"Yes," the crane said. "I'm Ronald, and they passed my riddles- the first engine to do so, as a matter of fact. They then went towards that steelworks."

Huh, answered here I thought the crane was named barisford like in the movie.

"Oh," the voice continued, "and about our spy? Minimise his effectiveness. We can't have him talking, can we?"

Wait, hurricane is a spy!?!?

Class 66s do indeed make an odd, high-pitched noise as they idle. It is this which has earned them the nickname of 'ying-yings'.

Lol.

Btw, is there a reason the ratings are disabled?

[The Blue EM2]

11554277
Glad you like it.

[The Blue EM2]

11554319
1. I needed something that alliterates with riddle.
2. Yes.
3. Another wild fact from the weird world of BR.
4. Looks like I hit the wrong button whilst editing.

[Thomlight Sparkle 1]

11554201
Oh. I got it now.

[The Blue EM2]

11554456
No worries.

[Thomlight Sparkle 1]

Oh dear, I have a real bad feeling about this.

[The Blue EM2]

11554462
Pipp and Sophie have no idea what they're letting themselves in for.

[Thomlight Sparkle 1]

11554463
Aye.
And who knows what might happen with Hurricane too?

[The Blue EM2]

11554466
That is certainly the case.