James was idling at the Tidmouth, waiting for his passengers to climb aboard, when he saw a large building he'd never seen before. It had banners saying "Grand Opening" and word "Subway" over the door.
"What? They opened a subway at Tidmouth? When did that happen?"
The driver laughed. "No silly, Subway is a sandwich shop. It was named Subway because the first one was opened inside a subway station."
"But this one isn't in a subway station. Why don't thy call it 'Street'?"
James' crew laughed, but James left the station with a huff, not understanding those silly humans and their ways.
"Don't worry James," remarked his driver, "If a subway is ever built, we'll tell you, and maybe even let you ride it!"
"Absolutely not!" fumed James. "In a subway no one will be able to see my shiny red paint!"
James was now in a bad mood. He kept thinking about Subways and subways all day long. Later he was resting at Crovan's Gate when the yard master ran up.
"One of the electric engines has derailed outside of Peel Godred with a freight train! Nothing serious, but you need to take the breakdown train there to get him back on the rails."
James' mood was lightened up a bit. He'd never gone up the Peel Godred branch, and if there was anything he liked it was exploring. He coupled up to the breakdown train and set off.
The line in the city of Peel Godred goes in a trench below the city. Bridges cross the line at almost every other street. James had never seen an area quite like this. Then, he was put back into a bad mood as he saw another Subway on the street to the left of him.
"Stupid sandwich store," he murmured to himself. "You'd never see me work in a subway. It's too dark.
Then, a young boy over the bridge on a skateboard, having eaten the last bit of his sandwich, threw the large wrapper over the side. The wrapper, labeled in bright letters "Subway", hit James right in the face. The wind kept it stuck to James' face.
"OH HELP!" cried James. His driver kept going.
For the last mile before the station, the line goes into a tunnel. The station is also underground, so steam engines are not particularly appreciated there. James' driver stopped the breakdown train next to the engine, and the sandwich wrapper tumbled from his face onto his footplate.
"I'm in a subway line? What is this madness?"
"Calm down," soothed the fireman, "we're just in the tunnel."
"I was hoping people would be able to see me perform this rescue."
"You may get a chance to do that yet, old boy. The damage to the electric engine is more serious than we thought, and we need to push him back to the shed behind the station."
"Goody!" exclaimed James. "People will be sure to see me there!"
And James pulled the electric engine and the breakdown train up the line.
"Hold your breath, James," warned his driver, "we want as little smoke in the station as possible."
James paraded through the station, and people clapped and cheered (and coughed too, but whatever). James was very proud.
The line came into the open air just beyond the station.
"You know," he told his driver, "I would be down to work in a subway. In a closed off area, they have nothing to look at but me!"
His driver just laughed.