Thomas the Tank Engine: The Legend of The Golden Engine
Chapter 1
The Island of Sodor has always been a place of excitement, danger and mystery. It is home to one of the world's biggest and most well known railway lines - Sodor Railways. However, there is a legend regarding the railway - and the Island itself.
About 150 years ago, a railroader by the name of Ambrose Sheppard constructed some of Sodor's first railways. He also built a beautiful golden engine which was literally made of gold! He named the engine Benjamin. But Benjamin .was so beautiful and golden that it was coveted by other railway lines. They sent in spies to try to capture the engine. No one ever got it, but the Ambrose felt worried. He put the engine in a special, secret shed in the mountains. The only problem was that Ambrose was the only one who ever knew where the shed was located. And that is where our story begins...
A rather large man wearing a top hat and a posh suit sat at a bar stool at the local tavern. He took a sip of his beverage as the bartender walked over to him.
"Enjoyin' your drink, Topham?" the bartender asked. The man looked up. "I haven't had wine this good in so long..." Sir Topham Hatt replied. The bartender continued polishing his glass. Then Topham noticed a painting of an engine on the wall. It was a beautiful engine and looked like it was painted in a nice golden livery.
"That engine..." Sir Topham Hatt mused to himself. The bartender turned around. "Ya like it?" he asked. Sir Topham Hatt looked over at him. "Oh, just thinking to myself..." The bartender walked over to the beer tap. "The engine's name is Benjamin. It was constructed by some guy named Sheppard. He died after he hid the engine in the mountains..." Just then Sir Topham Hatt got up. He set a few coins on the table, waved good-bye and walked out of the tavern. "
"That engine..." he said to himself as he started up his car. "I remember..."
Flashback
A young boy sat at his family's kitchen table. He was pouring himself a cup of milk while looking at a painting of a golden steam engine. Under it was the caption: Benjamin Just then the father of the family walked into the kitchen.
"You like that engine, young Topham?" he asked. Topham jumped up and down. "Well son," the father continued. "That engine is hidden in the mountains on Sodor somewhere." Topham stood up and pointed to the painting. "When I'm grown up, I'm going to go to the mountains and find the engine. Then it can run on Sodor Railway with the other engines!" he exclaimed. Mr. Hatt rubbed his young boy's hair. "Topham, when you're old enough you can do that!"
End Flashback
Sir Topham Hatt sighed. "I'm much to old to ever fulfill that dream..." He drove into his driveway and parked the car in his garage. He took off his hat and walked inside. Lady Hatt was preparing their dinner. He smiled as he sniffed the turkey that sat on the table.
"I see you've done well with the dinner, as usual." he told his wife. She blushed. "Thanks," she replied. "But you always say that..." Sir Topham Hatt smiled weakly. "Uh...well, it's always so good that...well...you know." She sighed and stuck her fork into the turkey. They ate, but Sir Topham Hatt still couldn't get that quote of himself out his head.
"When I'm grown up, I'm going to go to the mountains and find that engine!"
He sighed and decided to just forget it and enjoy the dinner. However, it wasn't too long before he thought about it again...
NEXT MORNING
"Ah, here it is!" Sir Topham Hatt exclaimed as he pulled a dusty old book out his bookshelf in his office. It was an old, brown hardback book that was quite thick and had these words on the front: The History of Sodor: Maps, Legends, and Railways. He set it on his desk and opened it up.
It was flipped to a page that had some words and paragraphs circled here and there. It also had a sketch of Benjamin on the side. "Here they are..." he sighed as he started reading:
...but of all Sodor's legends, one stands out the most: The legend of Benjamin the Golden Engine. He was created by Ambrose Sheppard, but due to certain circumstances, Ambrose hid the engine in the mountains. And that is all that is known about the engine, aside from sketchs and paintings.
Benjamin has been searched for for years, but nothing has ever been found. Some scolars claim that he was hidden in the mountains by where the Mid-Sodor Railway was. Some claim that it was hidden in the mountains on the Culdee Fell Mountain Line. Some claim that Benjamin was not even hidden on Sodor at all.
However, one scholar by the name of Mr. Peter Sam claims that on a mountain hike, he found some old railway ties and some old pieces of wood by the hills. And some citizens of surrounding towns claim that strange whistles can be heard on certain nights. But evidence of this...
"And that's it." Sir Topham Hatt sighed. He shut the book, but instead of putting it on the shelf, he put it in the center of his desk. Just then the phone rang. Without waisting a single second, he picked it up and answered it.
"Hello." he greeted. "Sir Topham Hatt?" the voice asked. "Yes," he answered. "Sir Topham Hatt. Head and owner of Sodor Railways..." "Good. Listen, I was wondering if I could schedule a job interview." the person requested. Sir Topham Hatt pulled out a small notebook from his desk. "Yes. Sure. When?" "How about today at 3:30?" the person asked. "Fine." replied Sir Topham Hatt as he hung up.