For as long as he could remember, James the Red Engine hated flour- why he was terrified of it!
It was different from his dislike of fish. Fish was-to be frank- smelly, slimy, and slippery.
But with flour- oh his wheels wobbled dreadfully whenever someone dared mention so much as flour to him.
He just hoped no one would find out about his fear, because he was afraid that the other engines would laugh at him for being afraid.
...
One rainy day, James was asked to take some quarry slate to Brendam Docks. He hated slate dust, but he supposed at least it was better than taking you -know- what to the bakery.
Still, by the time James had delivered the slate, he was complaining at how filthy his paintwork would be.
His crew had long forgotten how to plead for mercy- due to the fact that they never got it.
Cranky, though was annoyed at the vain red engine's grievances.
"Honestly James! Do you ever stop complaining about your precious red paint?"
"No, he doesn't- why do think we never quit?" asked James' driver with a grin.
"It's cos James will drive any sane man to the high Heavens!" quipped the fireman, laughing. "We're doing them a favour."
"Leave off!" James huffed crossly.
The men just sniggered as the fireman jumped down to check James' water tanks.
"The cheek they give me! Honestly!" James grumbled "They ought to treat a red engine with respect."
Once done, James set off back to Knapford.
However, there had been a nasty accident at Gordon's Hill.
Spencer had been switched onto the same line as Oliver, who had been taking trucks of baking ingredients to one of the biggest bakeries on Sodor.
Eggs, milk, butter and flour were all over Spencer, Oliver, the trucks and an old brakevan (as Douglas had needed Toad.)
James was descending the brow of the hill when he saw what had happened.
The flour got wet in the rain and it looked very unpleasant. It made James' boiler churn and his pistons felt like they would snap any second.
"Here, James!" Called Oliver when he spotted the railway's number 5 engine standing idly by. "Give us some help please!"
But James was darting back up the hill in fright.
"Well that was helpful," Muttered Oliver sarcastically. "Lovely weather we're having Spencer." He added.
"Just perfect." retorted the large silver private engine.
...
James' crew had reported the accident at Knapford and then reminded their engine that reversing was dangerous for tender engines.
"Alright, alright I forgot!" He huffed. "What are we doing now? I hope I get passengers."
When he found out that he had to go to the Depot and collect some parts destined for the Steamworks, he had no choice but to face Gordon's Hill once again.
But on the plus side, he felt pretty certain that he beat Gordon's record from the speed he went up the hill.
...
Ever since that incident, James was even more afraid of flour. He did his best to ensure that stayed hidden though it was getting harder to do.
He confided in his friend Percy, who was more than happy to keep it a secret, but the other engines remained oblivious to his fear.
It was a week later when the next incident happened.
James was waiting at Cronk Station with the Express coaches the following Wednesday afternoon. It had been left to him to pull the 'Wild 'Nor Wester' whilst Gordon was getting new pistons at the Steamworks.
He was sitting comfortably waiting for the guard to wave his flag.
Suddenly a short, average weight, middle aged man in a bowler hat and glasses hurried up to a younger man waiting to get on James' train.
"Wait a moment Roger; take this bag of flour for me will you? I have-"
James suddenly let out a loud whistle as his fear kicked in and he shot out of Cronk Station with the coaches banging behind him.
Unfortunately, porters had been loading the luggage on at that time, and the trolley was given a nasty buck off the coach.
Clothes and ladies' bags were ruined, as were their hankies, a porter got a bit of trolley rammed into his leg and Duck nearly collided with the damage on the rails whilst he was taking some ducks to Farmer McColl's farm.
Needless to say, passengers, porters, waterfowl and one green Great Western engine were not happy.
...
"I cannot believe that James!" The Fat Controller said angrily that night. Duck told me he has never seen such confusion and delay caused by a mishearing! You were lucky that he avoided crashing into the trolley James- money's already had to go towards the dry cleaning and coaches need repairing as well!
"I'm sorry sir," James said meekly "none of that was meant to happen."
"In that case I'm banning you from taking the Express James. Henry will do it until Gordon comes back! And see at my office at Knapford Station tomorrow morning, so you can start you punishment."
"Yes sir," James sighed sadly.
He went to sleep that night, with nasty nightmares plaguing him. All he could remember was the word flour. For every second it appeared in his mind, he was awake for fifteen minutes.
The next morning, James was sleep deprived. His eyes felt like shattered glass windows and he couldn't stop yawning on the way to Knapford.
The Fat Controller was not happy with James at all.
"Now, James the actions you committed yesterday led to disastrous consequences. You were lucky that very few were hurt in the accident yesterday."
"I know sir. I'm sorry sir." James drowsed.
"So as punishment, I'm sending you to work somewhere where no one is going to get hurt."
"Where will that be, sir?"
"The Flour Mill is where I'm sending you to work for the next month."
As that, James shot right awake and began shaking in pure fear. His wheels felt as though they had been through a vast cold puddle and ice went through his ejectors. He knew he would much rather go to the Smelters than the flour mill!
"Oh sir, please not the Flour Mill!" He pleaded.
Really Useful Engines worry more about getting the job than their paintwork James. The Fat Controller reminded him sternly, before walking back to his office and slamming the door.
"Ohh," sighed James "I could do with some help now."
...
But James found himself very much alone as he chuffed up to the Flour Mill.
When he arrived, he saw that the platform was covered in flour.
"Here, Mike there's that engine that's helping us!" Called a worker.
As James slowed, a gust of wind blew and flour scattered itself all over James' paintwork!
"HHHEEEELPPP! It's on MMMEMEEE!" James screamed and with that he ran away from the flour mill.
He didn't care where he went, but he wanted to get away from the flour.
Suddenly James found an abandoned shed in a siding
"I'll hide in here," he thought to himself No one will see me in here!"
"James! What are you doing in there? A familiar voice shouted from the Main Line.
"Go away Thomas!" James yelled, not wanting anyone near him. But the blue tank engine was persistent.
"No -I want to help you! Please James, you can trust me!"
James hesitated, and then he emerged from the tunnel.
"Well, if I tell you Thomas, will you promise not to laugh?" He asked, shyly.
"James if there's something scaring you I wouldn't laugh! I don't laugh at Percy- or anyone else who confides in me."
So James took a long deep breath and announced.
"I'm scared of flour."
The blue tank engine quirked an eyebrow, but he didn't comment.
So James, gathering courage, told Thomas about the incident at Cronk, Oliver and Spencer's collision and most importantly, about his fear of flour and how it was connected to what had happened.
"And did any other engine know you were afraid of flour?"
"Just Percy knew about it." James admitted in a mutter.
Right- listen James, flour's nothing to be scared of. I'll show you. Come with me."
Thomas led him back to the flour mill.
"Flour can't hurt you James- watch!"
"Excuse me Sophie?" He called to a young female worker with dirty blonde hair under a hairnet and wearing a white uniform hauling a sack of flour over her shoulder. She put it down and went over to see what he wanted.
"Yes Thomas?" She asked breezily. Her pale, oval face was dusty with flour and freckles, yet her blue-green eyes looked curious and a bit dreamy.
"Would you mind putting some flour on my friend James' footplate? I'm helping him overcome his fear of flour."
"Of course not Thomas!" Sophie scraped a small amount of uniform from her uniform and scattered it across the red engine's footplate. James gulped at having flour at such close proximity.
"It's just ground up grains you'd see growing in fields!" She explained. "It's an important ingredient in making bread, a staple in the world's diet."
"How is it ground up Sophie?" Thomas asked.
"By machines- stone wheels crush the grains and we make the flour once the grain has been ground." She smiled. So you see flour's really nothing to be afraid of!"
"I guess not." James said, a smile slowly forming on his face. He looked at the blue tank engine.
"Thanks Thomas. You showed me that flour's not so bad after all, now that I know a little bit about it."
"You're welcome James." Thomas replied, grinning.
"And thanks Sophie for that... talk you gave." James added.
"Oh, it was no problem- oh what's your name, sorry? I'm new here and I haven't met a lot of engines yet." She asked, embarrassed.
"James. It's James."
"Well, James, it looks like we'll be seeing a lot more of each other eh?" Sophie asked cheekily, winking as she lifted the sack of flour.
"Yes I guess so." replied the red engine.
"Don't worry. I started work only two days ago. We can learn about flour together."
James felt a lot better at having someone friendly to work with.
So for the next month, James was seen working at the flour mill. He learned a lot more about it during his time there, and he and Sophie often talked whenever they had a chance. Thomas also whistled a greeting to the Flour Mill and its workers. James, if he was there, would whistle back.