Thomas and Friends: Proud Mary

Chapter 2: Challenge for the Challenger

It was summertime on the Island of Sodor. All the engines were hooting and tooting, and clickety-clacking on the Fat Controller's railway. The newest engine was Mary. She was a mighty engine from America, and really useful. One day, Sir Topham Hatt went to visit her at Knapford Station, "Mary, it's good see you in good spirits," said the Fat Controller

"It's good to see you too, sir," puffed Mary

"Today is your special day," he announced

"Yes, I have a special for you to pull, I need for you to pull some trucks of clay from the China Clay Works over to Brenham Docks, and I need for you to collect some trucks of slate from the Blue Mountain Quarry, now don't you worry, your driver knows his way around the island," said Sir Topham Hatt, the Fat Controller knew that Mary is very strong.

Mary was happy, and ready to put her strength to good use, "You ready to go to work, Old Girl?" said her driver, and Mary hooted her whistle and rang her brass bell with pride. She puffed out of Knapford with a tender filled with oil, and ready to work. While some of the engines were happy to have a new friend on the island. Others were not as pleased

"What makes Mary so special?" pouted James

"Well, she is new to Sodor," puffed Thomas

"And I hear she's really strong, even stronger than you, James," added Thomas as he went to fetch Annie and Clarabel. Then, an idea flew into James's funnel. He puffed along the Main Line, and noticed Mary going to the China Clay Works to collect her trucks. James smiled smugly. It was then that James decided that he wanted to test Mary's strength

"So you say you're strong, do you? Well, there's no way I'm letting some 'Big Grey Whale' get the better of me," James said to himself, and puffed up to Mary as she was being coupled up to her trucks, "Hello Mary, can you help me out? I have some trucks of engine parts that need to go to the Sodor Steamworks, and I don't think I have enough puff,"

"I gotta get the trucks to the Docks," said Mary

"And I have these trucks of slate to pull," she added

"Nonsense!" puffed James, "you're a big and strong engine, I'm sure it's nothing you can't handle," Mary looked at James quizzically, but she agreed to help him. After she was coupled to her trucks of slate at the Blue Mountain Quarry. Mary is now pulling a goods train of trucks nearly twenty cars long, and with James's plan, it was going to get longer.

Still, Mary was holding her own with the ever growing goods train, "Not long now, soon you'll run out of oil, and prove yourself inferior to a Sodor engine," James said snootily to himself while out of range of Mary's hearing. James chuckled cheekily to himself, thinking that his plan is going to work. Little did he know that Mary was already suspecting him.

Rosie saw Mary being coupled to James's trucks, "Mary? What are you doing with James's trucks?" she asked, little did James know that Mary was catching onto his 'game', and she's about to show James just now strong she really is. The big American engine looked to Rosie, and grinned to her with a wink as the trucks of engine parts were coupled up.

"Don't you worry, Rosie," Mary assured her

"I'm catching onto his little 'game'," she added

The guard blew his whistle. Mary hooted hers, and she was off. To James's surprise, Mary was not straining a bit even while pulling a train nearly thirty cars long. Yet trouble was looming with James's plan. In the time he was making her do his work which now had her coupled up to flatbed trucks of pipes, Mary noticed he didn't stopping for coal or water.

"James? Are you sure about this? I have to get these trucks of clay and slate over to the Docks," Mary said to him, but there was no answer from James. Mary started to worry, "James? James? Where are you?!" she called out, but there was no answer as she was on the Main Line. Then there was trouble, but not for her. Mary soon saw Molly on the rails

"Molly, where's James?" she asked worriedly

"James broke down on the bend," replied Molly

It turns out that James had ran out of coal, and water while going along with his plan, "Don't worry, follow me, I know where all those trucks need to go," Molly puffed to Mary, and the big engine followed Molly to all the destinations on the Island where all the trucks were needed. After bringing the trucks of clay and slate to Docks, she went to see him

"James, you have caused confusion and delay, I do not tolerate any lazy engines on my railways!" Sir Topham Hatt scolded to James, "Ah! There you are, Mary, a job well done today for your first time on my railway, you have not only proven yourself to be very strong, but a really useful engine," Mary had a disapproving look, seeing James on a flatcar.

"And a bit gullible, eh James?" Mary replied

"I'm sorry Mary, I was...jealous," he apologized

"I hope you've learned a lesson, James...Mary, please see to it that James is taken to the Sodor Steamworks to be mended," said the Fat Controller as he went back to his car. Mary had forgiven James for what he had done, and was coupled up to the flatbed truck. She pulled James to the Sodor Steamworks. Mary earned her place among the engines.