Edward was right, Gordon's chance eventually came. One day, Gordon pulled the Express to Vicarstown as usual. His Fireman uncoupled the coaches, and he ran on to a siding to wait for the foreign engine to come take the train. They waited and waited, but the engine never came.

Gordon: Where is that engine?

Driver: I have no idea. Maybe there's a delay somewhere.

Porter: (running up to Gordon's cab, panting) The Inspector's on the platform. He wants to see you both.

Fireman: What for?

Porter: Beats me. Might as well ask him yourself.

The Driver and Fireman came back a few minutes later looking very excited.

Driver: Listen to this, Gordon! The engine that was supposed to take the Express derailed when coming out of the yard. He also damaged the points and a few trucks so badly, that nothing else can get in or out. The Inspector wants us to take the train to London. We said we could, if The Fat Controller agreed to it. We telephoned him, and he said we could do it!

Gordon: Come on then! Let's go show the Mainland what Sodor's engines can do!

Gordon quickly backed down on to the train again. It had only been a few minutes since Gordon backed onto the train, but he felt like it was ages. (Guard blows his whistle)

Gordon: (whistles, starts off) Express coming through!

Coaches: We're going to Town! We're going to Town!

Gordon found that London was a long way away, but he was so excited that he didn't care.

Gordon: Some of these places have changed quite a bit since the last time I was here, but I'm sure King's Cross is still the same. I do like a good long run to stretch my wheels though. Plus it's nice to get away from Sodor every once in a while.

But all the same he was glad when London came into view.

The next morning, The Fat Controller went into his office to find his desk flooded with letters.

STH: Better get to reading them. (he finds that they're all from the Mainland and starts reading) I don't know how many letters I've got with that question. (chuckles and picks up a letter with a London post-mark) Oh, yeah. I wonder how Gordon's getting on in London. (knocking on the door) Come in!

Stationmaster: (runs in) Excuse me, Sir, have you seen the news?

STH: Not yet. Why?

Stationmaster: Just look at this, Sir. (hands him the newspaper)

STH: Goodness gracious! There's Gordon! In the headlines too! "FAMOUS ENGINE AT LONDON STATION. POLICE CALLED TO CONTROL CROWDS." This is incredible. Percy, Henry, and now Gordon have all been in the press on the Mainland!

Stationmaster: Excuse me, Sir, but when is Gordon coming back?

STH: Later today. Thank you for the news.

Stationmaster: You're welcome, Sir. (leaves the office)

STH: Toby needs to have his worn parts mended, then we should be able to go. Now the question is, who will fill in for them? (scene fades)

All the engines were waiting at Knapford for Gordon to return. They wanted to hear all about it.

Edward: I'm glad Gordon finally got to go to London like he wanted to.

Duck: (scoffs) The only reason why he wanted to go there was so that he could prove that the station there is named King's Cross, but I know it's named Paddington. I worked there before I came here.

James: And besides, The Fat Controller should have chosen me to go to London instead of Gordon. A splendid engine like me would attract a lot of attention at the London terminus.

Percy: One day, we should all take a trip to London!

Henry: Well what are the chances of that happening?

Edward: I don't know, but I think we're all going to have a chance to go to the Mainland soon.

Thomas: What makes you say that, Edward?

Edward: Percy, Henry, and now Gordon have all made it into the press when they went to the Mainland. I'm thinking that maybe The Fat Controller is trying to give us all a chance to go to there so people there can see us.

Toby: All we know is that The Fat Controller has a huge plan for all of us. I'm very excited to see what he has in store for us, whether it's that or something else.

Percy: Look, everyone! There's Gordon!

Gordon pulled into Knapford. The Fat Controller stepped out of his office.

STH: Hello, Gordon! I saw in the paper that you had a great welcome.

Driver: (laughs) We did, Sir! Me and the Fireman signed autographs till our arms ached, and Gordon has his photograph taken from so many directions at once that he didn't know which way to look!

STH: Well, Gordon, did you have a good time there?

Gordon: No, Sir, I didn't.

STH: (shocked) Why ever not?

Gordon: (sighs) London's all wrong. Not only did they expand it, but they changed it. The station name isn't King's Cross anymore, it's St Pancras.

Duck: What?!

STH: (laughs) There are many stations in London, Gordon. There's King's Cross, St Pancras, Euston, Paddington, and Waterloo to name a few of them.

Gordon: O' the indignity!

Duck: You can say that again, Gordon.

STH: So you were the engines arguing with the visitor about the stations. (chuckles) There's so many stations that we'd be here all day if I tried to name them all. Enough about that though. I'm proud of you, Gordon. As a reward for your trip to London, I'm giving you the next three days off to rest. James, you'll be doing Gordon's work as well as your own.

James: Yes, Sir! (whistles)

Edward: Sir?

STH: Yes, Edward?

Edward: Is your plan to send us to the Mainland one by one so that people there can see us?

STH: You'll have to wait and see.

He went back into his office, leaving the engines to wonder what his huge plan could be.

And that was Part 2 of Gordon Goes Foreign. I had a lot of fun writing this and the last chapter. Even though it was cancelled during production of Season 2, this story was still one of my favorites when I was younger, and it still is one of my favorites today. I think it's also worth mentioning that this won't be the last you see of Reginald. That's all I'm saying about him though. With that, I'll see you all in the next chapter.