It has now been a few weeks since Thomas has gotten his branch line.

He adores the line to the fullest, and thinks he was very lucky indeed to earned it.

Along with the branch line, he had also gotten two coaches of his very own.

Their names were Annie and Clarabel, and despite them needing new paint, Thomas quickly bonded with them, even after their encounters in the yard.

Presently, Thomas stopped at Dryaw Station.

He let off steam, anxiously waiting for the guard's whistle.

"Do you know what I think?" Thomas asked.

"What, Thomas?" asked Annie.

"I think my branch line is the most important part of the whole railway. Wouldn't you agree?" asked Thomas confidently.

"What a surprise." chuckled Clarabel.

"Thomas, this isn't you being selfish, is it?" asked Annie sternly.

"Goodness me, no! Um... I just really like the line, that's all." Thomas said awkwardly, trying to hide the pride in his voice.

Clarabel rolled her eyes.

"Admit it Thomas, you're proud you got the line."

"Well, of course I am. It's hard to come by a branch line as beautiful as this." Thomas grinned.

"Oh Thomas..." muttered Annie, but Thomas ignored her.

"And, of course, bringing passengers up and down the line is always a great aspect."

"Don't we carry the passengers?" Annie said.

"...maybe, but I pull them." Thomas grunted.

"Well, I do carry luggage and the guard too." Clarabel said.

The guard blew his whistle, and climbed into Clarabel.

Thomas whistled, and started to puff out of the station.

Sometimes, Thomas likes to sing to his coaches.

"Oh, come along, we're rather late! Come along, we're rather late!" Thomas puffed quickly as the tank engine started into the countryside.

Annie and Clarabel couldn't help but giggle to themselves; they were used to Thomas singing like that.

They didn't mind, because they know he's just trying to please the Fat Controller; no-one would want to blame him, since it'd bad to be someone's bad side just after a huge reward.

And so, the coaches sang back.

"We're coming along, we're coming along!" they sang in unison.

Thomas chuckled to himself, but then started to grumble.

Annie and Clarabel soon have gotten used to this too; they know that when Thomas got cross, he never was cross with them. He cared for them too much for that to happen.

"You want to know another reason we're the most important? Because those Main Line Engines keep on making me late! It isn't my fault, but I always have to make up for lost time!" he complained.

"Surely not Edward." Clarabel said.

"No, not Edward," Thomas said sheepishly, "But it's often Gordon, Henry, and James. Especially Henry. I don't know what's wrong with him; it isn't raining, and he got over that fear before I even got this line."

Soon, Thomas arrived at Knapford Station.

He looked out onto the Main Line, but saw no Henry.

"I'll give him a few minutes." he muttered to himself.

But still, there was no sign of Henry.

As time went on, Thomas got crosser and crosser.

"I can't believe this! How can I run my line properly if Henry is always late? He doesn't realize the Fat Controller depends on me to keep this line going." Thomas grumbled.

"Now Thomas, I'm sure he has a reason." Clarabel soothed.

"He better." Thomas fumed.

He whistled impatiently.

Just as he did so, Henry's whistle rang through the air.

"About time." Thomas huffed as the green engine puffed to the platform next to the tank engine.

"Where have you been, lazybones?" Thomas scowled.

Henry winced; this wasn't the usual teasing Thomas had used in the yard. This time, Thomas was very cross.

"I-I-I can't help it Thomas... My system's out of order. I do go slowly... but I wish I could go faster. No-one understands how it feels. Not even Edward, even if he tries to help. I like your determination Thomas, but you just don't know how I suffer." Henry sighed sadly as the passengers angrily boarded Annie and Clarabel.

Thomas scoffed.

"What rubbish! You're too fat; you need more exercise!"

Henry gasped.

"Thomas... you don't mean that... do you?"

"Why would I not?" Thomas grumbled.

Henry looked hurt, but didn't say anymore.

Thomas rolled his eyes as he heard Annie and Clarabel whisper to each other.

Finally the two coaches spoke up.

"That wasn't exactly called for, Thomas!" said Annie.

"Oh please, he made me late. How can you forgive an engine for that?" Thomas huffed.

"Henry has been have having steam issues, Thomas." scolded Clarabel, "You can't blame him."

But Thomas just let off steam angrily.

"What about the time when you thought Edward was going to be late, when he wasn't?"

"...uh...that was...a precaution?"

"Suuure it was, Clarabel..."

Soon, Thomas' guard blew his whistle.

"Time to go." Thomas said impatiently, and he started out of the station.

The guard jumped for his space in Clarabel, but he tripped over an old lady's umbrella that had been lying on the platform, and he fell right on his face.

"You alright, sir?" asked a man.

"I suppose so." the guard muttered, and he picked himself up.

But by the time he looked up again, he saw Thomas, Annie and Clarabel puff away, back down the branch line.

Frantically, he started to blow his whistle.

"Come along, come along." Thomas sang again as they started to puff into the countryside.

But Clarabel didn't want to come.

Suddenly, before she could say anything, she heard panting, and saw the guard running along the rails, with a red flag in his hand.

"I've lost my nice guard, I've lost my nice guard." Clarabel sighed when she saw that the guard wasn't running fast enough.

Alarmed, Annie looked from Clarabel to Thomas.

"Thomas, we should stop and pick up the guard!" she cried.

But Thomas wasn't listening.

"There's no time for jokes, Annie and Clarabel. I have to get to Dryaw before the Fat Controller says anything to me. I can't risk going back to the yard!" and he started to go faster.

"We haven't a guard! We haven't a guard!" shouted Annie and Clarabel together.

"Annie, I don't think Thomas is listening." Clarabel said sadly.

"Let's try to put on our brakes. Maybe that'll stop him." suggested Annie, but they soon realized they couldn't without the guard.

"Oh, what am I do without the kind guard?" Clarabel groaned.

"We'll think of something." whispered Annie.

"Where is our guard?" Clarabel wailed, but Annie didn't know.

Thomas rolled his eyes at the coaches' antics.

"You two need to cut it out; you're not fooling me."

Suddenly Thomas looked ahead and saw a red signal in the distance.

"Oh, bother that signal! Now I'll be later than before." Thomas groaned as he started to stop.

Annie and Clarabel sighed in relief.

"What's the matter?" asked Thomas.

"Haven't the faintest idea." said his driver, "But the guard should tell us in a moment."

But Thomas didn't see the guard.

"Where's the guard?" asked Thomas anxiously.

"We've been telling you throughout the journey. We have no guard!" said Annie.

"Specifically, we left him behind back at Knapford." Clarabel agreed.

Thomas was surprised.

"B-but..."

But before he could say another word, everyone heard a loud wheezing and panting.

"Look! Look! It's the guard! It's the guard!" Clarabel cheered, and it was.

He was running along the rails as fast as he could, with his flags in one hand and his whistle in another.

"I... (pant) made it... Thank goodness (pant) for that signalman." the guard said, leaning on Clarabel.

Thomas' crew and a couple of passengers ran up to him.

"You're all red. Should I get you some water?" asked the fireman.

"Thank you." and the guard had a drink.

"What exactly happened?" the driver asked, "We heard your whistle."

"It was that dang umbrella! If it wasn't for that, I would've gotten onboard." the guard muttered, shaking his head, "Then i ran out here."

But Thomas felt very upset indeed.

"I'm so sorry, mister guard. I should've waited longer for you." Thomas said sadly.

"Wasn't your fault." said the guard kindly, "Like I said, that stupid umbrella."

The signal changed to green.

"Look, the signal's down! We better make up for lost time!"

Thomas whistled and started to puff away.

"I have my guard!" Clarabel sang happily.

But Thomas still felt a little guilty.

"Erm... Annie, Clarabel, I just want to apologize for not listening to you about the guard." he said.

"Oh, that's quite alright, Thomas! Go as fast as you like!" Annie said.

"Indeed. A mistake any engine could make!" Clarabel agreed.

Throughout the rest of the journey, whenever Thomas left a station, the two coaches sang out, "As fast as you like!"

And Thomas gladly took the opportunity.

In fact, Thomas went so quickly, that he reached Ffarquhar in no time at all.