One sunny day on Sodor, the Fat Controller told his engines that the annual railway inspection was today, and he expected the engines to look their best. This year, the inspector was even going to give a special prize to the cleanest engine.
This caused the engines to chatter excitedly amongst themselves on who would be the winner.
"I bet it will be Sodor's finest Express engine!" Gordon boasted pompously.
"No, it's bound to be the engine with the biggest wheels!" Emily argued.
"What about the engine with the most magnificent red coat on the whole Island?" James butted in.
"Enough, you three- now get to work!" The Fat Controller boomed.
"You tank engines will never win." Gordon sniffed at Thomas and Percy as they exited the sheds. "You're too small, and you're more likely to get dirty than us, too, due to all those stone trucks you'll be carrying."
This made Percy feel disheartened, but Thomas was determined to win.
"Don't worry Percy; I'm sure we'll win!" He told his best friend confidently. "Really Useful Engines stand as much chance of winning as anyone else!"
This made Percy feel a lot better about the competition, and with that the two engines set off to do their jobs at the quarry.
...
It was as the two engines worked when their first misfortune of the day struck; Thomas got covered in stones from a chute that was released by mistake.
"Great, I'm filthy!" He groaned. "Well, I'll go and get a wash down. I'll be back to help you, Percy."
"Alright, Thomas- I'll look after the trucks in the meantime." Percy replied, watching his best friend leave the quarry in a hurry.
...
Only, when he got to the only wash down he could find nearby, Emily was getting cleaned.
"I'm going to win first prize!" She tooted.
"Could you please hurry?" Thomas asked her.
"I'm sorry Thomas, but I can't hurry the workmen." She told him.
Feeling cross at his misfortune, Thomas had no choice but to catch up with Percy and help him with the trucks.
So that was what he went to do.
...
He helped Percy move the trucks to Brendam, where the two engines worked hard to shunt the trucks. By the time they had finished, not only had Thomas collected more dirt, but Percy was also looking a state as well.
"Heeehhee!" The trucks giggled in their usual mischievous way. "Don't you two look like a bunch of 'stone faced steamies'!"
"They're riding on rocky railroads!" Another truck exclaimed, causing them to roar into laughter, before they began to sing about their misfortune.
"I'm afraid they're right- we do look a mess." Thomas sighed sadly. "I do wish we could get a wash -down."
"Don't worry Thomas, I'm sure they're must be something now!" Percy chuffed encouragingly.
"Well, let's go and check it out, shall we?" Thomas suggested, and so the two best friends set off to get cleaned up.
...
Only when they got there, James was being washed! He looked very smart indeed, and his paint sparkled and gleamed.
Gordon was nearby, as he had just had his wash down.
"Oh look, Gordon, it's those silly tank engines!" He snorted.
Gordon grunted. "You two are being absolutely ridiculous- there's no way either of you will win first prize!"
Thomas felt that Gordon was right- what hope did he and Percy have of winning that contest now?
...
Much later, James, Emily and Gordon were all at the coaling plant, where the Inspector was next due. But he was running late, so the three engines all decided to use the time to find the best spot to show off their clean livery.
Unfortunately, James accidentally set a lever off when he reversed into a truck, causing coal dust to fly everywhere- especially over the three engines.
"And here are three of my bigger engines." The Fat Controller told the Inspector as they got out of his car, just as Gordon accidentally sent a huge cloud of soot raining down on the two men as he cleared his funnel.
"Oops, I'm sorry sirs!" He called out, as Emily glared at James.
"What did you do that for?" She snapped crossly at him.
"I didn't mean to!" James argued back. "If I did, I would have kept my red paint looking clean!"
"Enough!" The Fat Controller boomed.
Just then, Thomas and Percy entered, looking cleaner than brand new whistles fitted on an engine.
"Why, these are the two cleanest engines I've seen all day, Sir Topham Hatt! These two tank engines both deserve first prize!" The inspector announced.
The two friends were very happy! They each got special red rosettes from the Inspector, and a well done from the Fat Controller.
As for the other three engines, the Inspector gave their crews some soap, and suggested that the engines should be washed as soon as possible!