The Winx Club's Sodor Adventures - Season 1
Episode 9: Foolish Freight Cars
James had not seen Sir Topham Hatt or Stella and hadn't been out to push coaches or freight cars in the yard for several days. He was feeling miserable.
"Oh, dear!" he thought. "I wonder how long I shall have to stay in the shed? Will anyone see my red coat again? Why did I go so fast that I made a hole in one of my coaches, that had to be mended with, of all things, a passenger's bootlace?"
At last, Sir Topham Hatt arrived with Stella. "I know you are sorry, James," he said, "and I know, too, that you want to be a useful engine. People are laughing at my railway and I do not like that at all."
"Absolutely," Stella agreed. "Everyone back at Alfea are laughing at me because I had to work with you, a bad-tempered red rocket instead of a proper engine like my friends are. I hope you've learned your lesson by now."
"I will try hard to do my best," said James.
Sir Topham Hatt smiled. "That's a good engine. There's nothing like determination. I want you and Stella to pull some freight cars for me. Thomas and Bloom will shunt them for you."
James was delighted and puffed away.
When they arrived, Thomas and Bloom were shunting the freight cars into place.
"Here is your freight train, James," said Bloom. And Thomas added, "Have you got some bootlaces ready?" And he ran off, laughing and leaving James and Stella red in the face with anger.
"Oh! Oh!" said the freight cars. "We want a proper engine, not a red monster."
James took no notice and started as soon as the conductor was ready."Come along, come along," he puffed.
"We won't! We won't!" screamed the freight cars. But James didn't care, and he pulled the screeching cars sternly out of the station.
The cars tried hard to make him give up, but he still kept on. Sometimes, their brakes would slip on, and sometimes, their axles would run hot. And each time the trouble had to be put right and each time James would start again, determined not to let them beat him.
"Give up! Give up! You can't pull us! You can't! You can't!" called the cars.
"I can and I will! I can and I will!" puffed James. And slowly, but surely, he pulled them along the line.
At last they saw Gordon's Hill. "Look out for trouble, James," warned Stella. "We'll go fast and get them up before they know it. Don't let them stop you."
So James went faster, and soon they were halfway up. "I'm doing it! I'm doing it!" he panted. "Will the top never come?" Then with a sudden jerk, it all came easier. "I've done it! I've done it!" he puffed. "Hooray! It's easy now!"
But Stella shut off steam. "They've done it again, James. We've left our tail behind! Look!"
The last cars were running backwards down the hill. The coupling had snapped. But the conductor stopped the cars and got out to warn approaching engines.
"That's why it was easy," said James, as he and Stella backed the other cars carefully down. "What silly things freight cars are! There might have been an accident."
"Shall Tecna and I help you, James?" called Edward.
"Uh, no thank you," answered James. "I'll pull them myself."
"Good," said Tecna, "don't let them beat you."
"You're doing well!" whistled Edward, as James slowly struggled up the hill.
"I can do it! I can do it!" he puffed. He pulled and puffed as hard as he could. "I've done it! I've done it!" he panted.
They reached their station safely, and James and Stella were resting in the yard when Edward pulled up with Tecna. "Peep peep!" he whistled.
Then, James saw Sir Topham Hatt. "Oh, dear! What will he say?" he asked Stella.
But Sir Topham Hatt was smiling. "I was in Edward's train, and I saw everything," he said. "You and Stella have made the most troublesome train on the line behave. After that performance, you deserve to keep your red coat."
The End