I do not own Thomas the Tank/Thomas & Friends or I would have kept them in their models forms.
Thomas loved his branchline and proudly worked every inch of it with fully effort and hardwork.
He also loved seeing the children that would gather up on the bridge at Toryreck and would waved enthusiastically every time he would pass under it during the morning & afternoon runs that would happen during the time the children were going to or coming back from school.
Little things like this help make a busy stressful day more pleasant for Thomas as the thought of knowing that just the sight of him hard at work making children happy is enough to put a smile on his face.
It was no different today as Thomas was waiting at Toryreck with his coaches despite Toryreck was goods only, but he was waiting for the signal to give him the sign to get going. Also waiting there was Percy who had a Goods Train on way to Old Harbour and he too waved to the kids with Thomas as they both wait to get going on their respective destinations.
Percy noticed the signal moving and started preparing to leave before seeing Thomas still waving at the kids. "Hey Thomas, you might want to get going and not be late or Sir Topham Hatt might give your branchline to someone else to run!" He called out jokingly before heading off and Thomas did chuckle at it before heading off himself as he knew Percy was only joking.
But still the worry was in the back of his mind.
The worry was still in his mind so he decided to try to get some early starts on his next run up to Fraquhar and try to keep on time best he can or finish up early.
However, on his last run up to Fraquhar he saw a porter at Toryreck waving a flag signalling him to stop. That confused him a lot, but he did slow his train down to a stop and then saw the kids on the bridge, but this time they looked relived as if they were stressed about something.
'What is going on? Toryreck is for Goods not Passengers.' Thomas thought confused before the Porter explained to him that the school that went up Fraquhar had broken down and there was no available bus to take the kids home. "Of course, I will be happy to help." Thomas replied without hesitation despite knowing it will make him late to Knapford on his way back, but the kids needed help.
So, for the rest of the run Thomas would drop the kids at stations close enough to their houses or right to their house if it was right next to the tracks. However, once he was done it was very late and he rushed back as fast possible to Knapford in hopes of trying to make it on time, but once he got their he saw both James & Percy there with their last trains, both were surprised to see him so late.
"Geez Thomas if you are going to be this late all the time now, Sir Topham Hatt might as well take away your branchline and give it to someone actually useful." James snorted disappointed at Thomas's lateness and Thomas now felt terrible despite Percy's best attempt to cheer him up, Thomas was now worried that Sir Topham Hatt would take away his branchline.
That fear was still present in his mind the next morning as he pulled into Knapford to grab the number of Orange Coaches he needed for the day before heading to Tidmouth to start his work. When he was pulling into Knapford and gathering the coaches he was constantly looking around for his boss expecting to see him there looking cross and wanting to speak with him.
However, no matter where he looked he didn't see him and he felt relieved as he thought he had escaped punishment.
Even so Thomas felt he had to be at his best even more today to try to make up for being late last night.
However, fate was kind to him today.
He was running his engine down the track and everything seemed well, but than he suddenly looked ahead and gasps before slamming on the breaks hard. However, it was too late as suddenly before he knew it his engine was nearly off the rails, but lucky didn't tip as he managed to get the train stopped in time.
He looked out the cab and stared at what caused all this problems; last night and this morning the heat was a bit high and the tracks had wrapped from it. He was luckily he wasn't badly derailed, but this was on the single-track run of the branchline, there is no way his, Percy's or Toby's works can continue with this.
So, it was decided that Thomas's branchline was closed temporally until the repairs was done; passengers were handled by Bertie, Thomas was assigned to handle work around Knapford like he used to do, Percy was sent to Brendam Docks and Toby to Old Harbour.
Thomas sighed sadly as this all happened, but could have been worse and once everything is fixed up he will be back to working on his branchline again. Until than he will work his old job again which isn't too bad as it was his first job when he first started working on the North-Western Railway.
Plus, he can prank Gordon so that's a win for him.
I hope you all enjoyed.
