Next chapter coming up right now.
I do not own Thomas the Tank/Thomas & Friends or I would have kept them in their models forms.
Henry reversed his engine back into the sheds at Knapford and soon hopped out stretching his joints as he was exhausted from a hard day's work.
He was looking forward to reaching the bunkhouse and put his feet up to relax. However, before he could leave his engine the Yardmaster came up to him.
"Henry, Sir Topham Hatt is so impressed with your work thanks your new coal he is placing you in charge of the Flying Kipper run." He said and Henry was excited as the Flying Kipper is one of the most important train runs on Sodor.
It was always very early in the morning when the sun was still down and stars littered the night sky.
It was at this time in the chilly winter morning Henry found himself handling this important run.
He pulled into Knapford Docks and saw Marcus ordering his crew to get all the vans loaded for Henry to take. He came over to him after coupling up to the Vans and gave Marcus a coffee who graciously took it as it was very early.
After some time, the vans were fully loaded and the train was good to go. Henry got his engine ready and saw the Guard shine his green light while blowing his whistle.
The Flying Kipper was ready to go.
Henry was soon racing down the line pulling his important load and went all the needed stops. He smiled proudly as he went the importance of his job and felt proud of doing it well. He enjoyed the first rays of the sunshine starting to slowly rise above the eastern horizon and painted the landscape with beautiful rays of light.
"Pulling the Express is important, but this job is just as important too." He said to himself as he continued along the line smiling more to himself.
However, the day had other plans.
He came up to a Signal with the warning light on, but he saw the Signal was down so he thought it was all good up ahead so he continued on.
But he didn't know that the signal was down because of snow that piled on it forcing it down despite it was set to danger alert.
The points up ahead was frozen in place and was supposed to be set so Henry could continue down the Main Line, but they were not frozen in place and diverted into a siding where James was taking a very morning Goods Train and was waiting in the siding to allow Henry to go past.
James and the Guard with his train were drinking hot coco in the Breakvan waiting for Henry to pass.
"The Kipper should be passing by now." The Guard said checking his watch.
"Good once he passes we can be off again." James said stretching his limbs and stood to look out the Breakvan to see if he can see Henry. However, he was shocked to see Henry not on the Main Line, but on the siding with them.
"JUMP!" He shouts before jumps off the Breakvan and the Guard joined him as soon as he saw what was going on.
Henry tried to brake hard when he suddenly saw the train up ahead, but it was too late and before he could even do anything else Number 3 smashed into the other train at full force.
James stood up after a moment from where he landed in the snow and looked to see Number 5 was okay, but half his Goods Train was off the rails now and smashed up along with the Breakvan. However, when he caught the scent of fish in the air he looked to the Flying Kipper to see only the Breakvan and one Van both intact and on the rails while the rest was smashed and the loads sprawled all out.
But the moment he saw Number 3 engine fear overcame him.
"HENRY!" He shouts as he raced over to the Engine that was lying on its side and damaged all over. He looked into the cab to see Henry lying there eyes closed with some blood around his head.
"HENRY!"
A few weeks had passed since than and was when Henry woke up to find himself lying in a hospital bed.
"Henry good to see awake!" He heard a voice exclaimed and he saw Sir Topham Hatt walk into the room with a look of relief on his face. "You had us worried."
"I'm sorry sir…" Henry groaned as he touched his head to feel the bandaged wrapped around it.
"Don't be ice and snow caused the problem. You weren't to blame, but Number 3 is too badly damaged now I'm afraid." He said and Henry went cold as he now feared his beloved engine was gone now. He feared he might be let go because he will have no engine to drive.
"However, I was going to tell you this when you got back from the Flying Kipper run and that is I am sending Number 3 to Crewe to get a new shape with a bigger firebox so you don't have to use Welsh Coal anymore. Than you will have no more steaming problems at all and until than you get some rest while looking forward to it." He said smiling a fatherly smile to his employee who, despite some slight doubts, was excited to see this new shape his engine was going to get when he recovered.
A few weeks passed with Henry recovering and was glad to hear he had no brain damage from his head injury. As he recovered the other drivers would come to visit all glad to see their friend was recovering well and both James and Gordon said they happily volunteered to take over Henry's work until Henry's new engine's shape and Henry has fully recovered. Lady Hatt too visited him and keeping him company at times bringing hers and Sir Topham Hatt's grandkids with her who Henry always found himself enjoying. Annie and Clarabelle would visit at times too cheer him up.
When Henry was allowed back at work Number 3's new shape was completed and he was impressed by its new appearance. He was thrilled by its much greater performance and it starts straight away without problems showing his previous steaming problems was a thing of past now.
With this he took the Express out even more while still sharing handling it with Gordon and James, but he also has volunteered to fully take over the Flying Kipper seeing that crash had stuck with him ever since as he now bares a scar on his head from it, remind him of that incident.
Now he works so well and greatly that Gordon hates to admit it…but he was a little jealous of Henry now.
But that is a story for another time.
Hope you all enjoyed.
