The Winx Club's Sodor Adventures - Season 1
Episode 5: A Big Day for Thomas
One day, Thomas the tank engine was grumbling to the other engines at Knapford, because he'd never got a chance to pull a train on the mainline and was jealous. "I spent my time, pulling coaches about, ready for you to take out on journeys."
But as usual, the other engines just laughed at him, but the Winx Club hated that sort of behavior.
This made Thomas even more cross. "Why can't I pull passenger trains too?" he asked.
Then Gordon gave the answer that was hurtful, but true. "You're too impatient, little Thomas," he said, "You'd be sure to leave something behind."
"Rubbish!" said Thomas, "I'll show you."
One night, he and Henry were alone at Tidmouth Sheds. Henry was ill. Flora and the workmen worked hard, but he didn't get better. He felt just as bad next morning. Henry and Flora usually pulled the first train, and Thomas and Bloom had to get his coaches ready.
"If Henry is still ill," he thought, "perhaps I shall pull the train in his place."
A few minutes later, Thomas and Bloom headed off to Knapford to fetch the coaches.
"Come along, come along!" Thomas fussed.
"Slow down, Thomas," said Bloom. "There's plenty of time."
The coaches agreed. "There's plenty of time! There's plenty of time!" they grumbled.
Thomas took them to the platform and wanted to run around in front at once. But Bloom wouldn't let him. "Don't be impatient, Thomas," she told him.
Thomas waited and waited. The people got in, the conductor and the stationmaster walked up and down, the porter banged the doors and still Henry didn't come. Thomas got more and more excited.
Sir Topham Hatt came out of his office to see what was the matter, and Bloom, the conductor and the stationmaster told him about Henry.
"Find another engine," he ordered.
"There's only Thomas," they said.
"You and Bloom will have to do it then, Thomas," Sir Topham Hatt told him. "Be quick now."
So Thomas ran round to the front and back down on the coaches ready to start.
"Let's not be impatient, Thomas," said Bloom. "We'll wait till everything is ready." But Thomas was too excited to listen.
What happened then, no one knows. Perhaps they forgot to couple Thomas to the train, or perhaps Bloom pulled the lever by mistake. Anyhow, Thomas started without his coaches. And as he passed the first signal box, men waved and shouted at him, but he didn't stop.
"They're waving because I'm such a splendid engine," he thought importantly. "You know, Bloom, Henry says it's hard to pull trains, but I think it's easy. Hurry, hurry, hurry!" he puffed, pretending to be like Gordon. "People have never seen me pulling a train before, Bloom. It's nice of them to wave at us." And he whistled. "Peep, peep! Thank you!"
Then he came to a signal at "danger". "Bother!" he thought. "I must stop, and I was going so nicely too. What a nuisance signals are!"
"Now, Thomas," warned Bloom. "You know signals are important. They help us avoid accidents."
Thomas just groaned. And a few minutes later, he blew an angry "peep, peep" on his whistle.
The signalman ran up. "Hello, Thomas!" he said, "What are you and Bloom doing here?"
"We're pulling Henry's train," said Thomas. "Can't you see?"
The signalman was surprised. "Where are your coaches, then?" he asked.
Bloom gasped and Thomas looked back in shock. "Why, bless me!" he said, "If we haven't left them behind!"
"I knew this would happen!" cried Bloom.
"Yes," said the signalman, "You better go quickly and fetch them."
Poor Thomas was so sad, he nearly cried.
"It's alright, Thomas," comforted Bloom. "Let's just go back quickly and try again."
At the station, all the passengers were talking at once. They were telling Sir Topham Hatt what a bad railway it was. But when Thomas and Bloom came back, they saw how sad they were and couldn't be cross. Thomas was coupled to the train, and this time, he really pulled it.
Afterwards, the other engines laughed at Thomas and said, "Look, there's Thomas who wanted to pull a train, but forgot about the coaches!" But Thomas had already learned, not to make the same mistake again.
The End