Little Express

Gordon, the big proud engine, is always proud of his Express. And Thomas, the small blue tank engine, is proud of his Branchline. Both engines believe that their perspective jobs are the most important part of the railway. Both engines take their jobs seriously as they want to please the Fat Controller. Thomas has always viewed the Express with great respect, but Gordon still viewed Branchlines as vulgar. This upsetted Thomas as he had earned his Branchline because of his good deeds when he helped James from a nasty accident with trucks. But Gordon took no notice. The Fat Controller doesn't allow the bigger engines like Gordon to run on Branchlines as they are heavier and their weight can't support the bridges. But Gordon thought the Fat Controller had forbidden him from running on Branchlines for quite a different reason.

One day, Thomas was waiting at his station for Gordon to arrive to exchange passengers. Gordon would arrive with Thomas' passengers while Thomas arrived with Gordon's. When Gordon arrived as he pulled into the little station, he huffed indignantly.

"Disgraceful." He huffed. "Such a small line like this would make any big and strong engine like me suffocate."

"Oh come off it, Gordon!" Huffed Thomas. "My Branchline delivers important traffic. Without it the mainline can't get it's passengers!"

"Pah!" Scoffed Gordon. "That's an excuse. Everyone knows that all passengers come from the mainline. Your Branchline is just a little bonus that has no effect or meaning in the grand scheme of things."

"But you vouched for me to have my Branchline back when the Queen of England was arriving to Sodor." Thomas said. "And I vouched for you to have your Express back too."

Gordon's face suddenly went red with embarrassment. He had forgotten that the two engines vouched for each other after they had been naughty in disobeying the Fat Controller's instructions and orders when Gordon fell in a ditch and Thomas fell down a mine. Gordon spluttered steam furiously.

"That… That's besides the point!" He fumed. "Branchlines are vulgar and you will never see me on one of those lines."

Thomas chuckled as he continued to be cheeky to the big blue engine.

"Oh? So that little mix up with you and Edward's passenger trains doesn't count?" Thomas said, cheekily.

Gordon once again fumed in embarrassment.

"Such impudence!" Gordon growled. "You never pulled the Express!"

"Yes I have. I pulled Henry's train." Thomas said.

"And left it behind as I recall." Gordon said smugly.

Now Thomas went red from embarrassment. When he offered to pull Henry's train when the big green engine was ill, he was so excited he accidently left the train behind.

"You better get this straight little Thomas. You will never pull the Express and I will never run on Branchlines. And that is final." Gordon said.

Then the Guard blew his whistle and waved his green flag and Gordon huffed out of the Branchline station and back onto the mainline. He was glad to be out and away from the Branchline. Thomas just rolled his eyes and shrugged off Gordon's comments as he had heard them all before. Thomas' Guard also blew his whistle and waved his green flag. Thomas started off pulling his coaches, Annie and Clarabel.

"Wouldn't it be amusing to see Gordon on a Branchline?" He asked. "He can learn a thing or two. And besides, Branchlines are quite nice and quiet. Who knows he might like it."

"We think so too." Annie and Clarabel giggled.

"And I have pulled the express before. It's not easy. But I have done it before."

All three of them chuckled and giggled as they rolled along the line.

That night Gordon slept soundly in the Engine Shed. He always looked forward to another day of pulling the Express. But he reckoned without a rude passenger. The reason for this is because one day, the big station was full of passengers as usual. A station master was heading up the platform to his office with folders full of documents in his hand. Just then he felt a harsh shove from a man, causing the station master to drop his papers.

"Get out of my way!" He growled.

The station master was appalled by this man's behavior. Luckily the police had seen this and escorted the rude man out of the station. He resisted but that got him into even more trouble. With his day now spoiled, the station master picked up the documents and headed into his office. The documents in question were paperwork that detailed times, trains, and engines to pull those trains. But because of the rude man at the platform, the orders were mixed up, and it also wasn't helped by the station master who was in a bad mood from the rude man. The orders were filed and delivered.

The next day that morning Gordon and Thomas awoke to await their duties for today. The shed master arrived with a folder and some paper inside as he approached the shed.

"Good morning you two." He greeted. "Here are your orders for today."

He opened the folder and almost dropped it in shock as he gawked at what he read.

"Wait a minute!" He gawked. "What's this nonsense!?"

"What's wrong?" Asked Thomas' driver.

"These orders don't look right." Said the shed master.

"What do you mean?" Asked Gordon's driver.

Both engines' drivers and firemen read the documents that the shed master provided. They too also gawked in shock at what they just red.

"What's the matter?" Thomas asked.

"These orders say that Thomas is to take the express and Gordon to run on the Branchline." Said the shed master.

And now both Thomas and Gordon were shocked as well.

The shed master called the station master at the big station about the mix up. At first the station master didn't believe it. But when he looked at the files in his office he soon gaped in horror to find out it was true. He soon realized that it was all his doing and felt deeply ashamed and embarrassed. He tried calling several of the offices to undo the mix up, but it was taking more time than usual. It was nearly time for the Express and the station was soon packed with waiting passengers, who were starting to lose their patience.

At last they all gave up.

"For pity's sake, we can't waste anymore time here!" Said the shed master. "We'll just have to make do for the day! Thomas will run the express and Gordon will run on the Branchline!"

He then walked away, cross and annoyed. Thomas was excited. But Gordon was cross.

"Fancy me a small take engine like me pulling the Express and a big engine like you running the Branchline." Chuckled Thomas.

"Pah!" Huffed Gordon. "Disgraceful! I won't run on your Branchline!"

"Are you going on strike again, Gordon?" Asked Thomas cheekily. "Don't you remember what happened last time you did that?"

Gordon growled furiously. He remembered when the Fat Controller shut him up, James, and Henry in the shed for going on strike. Thomas laughed as he puffed away to fetch the coaches. Gordon huffed angrily as he reluctantly puffed following behind.

At the big station the news of the mix up soon spread, as Thomas came in to collect the coaches. He was used to collecting coaches as he used to be the shunter for the big engines. The coaches were happy to see Thomas again.

"Hello, little Thomas! We're so happy to see you again!" They tittered and giggled happily.

"Hello ladies!" Thomas greeted with manners.

This made the coaches giggle more as Thomas gently pulled up to them, rear first. The shunter facened the coupling and Thomas made his way into the station. The passengers all smiled as they saw Thomas pull in with the coaches. They all smiled and waved at the blue tank engine and he tooted his whistle in greeting. The passengers got in, the porter and guard closed the doors, and the guard blew his whistle and waved his green flag. Thomas blew his whistle and the Express pulled out of the station.

Thomas was familiar with the mainline since he traveled on it before. He pulled the coaches with ease as he ran along the line. As they ran, he began singing little songs to the coaches to ease the burden and pass the time. The coaches were surprised but loved it as they too sang along. Even the passengers who were hearing all this began to sing along too. They passed by engines who listened to them sing along and they greeted each other with friendly whistles. Thomas stopped at every station to let off passengers and receive new ones before starting off and continuing his journey.

"This is amazing!" Thomas said.

He was enjoying himself enormously.

But it didn't last long, as his driver and fireman had to pick up speed. Soon Thomas was feeling the weight of the coaches behind him. He was no longer singing songs and enjoying himself. He was working harder than ever.

"I feel my wheels are starting to ache." He said.

But he kept on going.

"Don't worry old boy." Said his driver. "One more effort and can have a rest and drink."

Thomas was glad to hear that. More glad to know that they had one last station left. But he reckoned without a steep hill. As Thomas turned a bend and under a small bridge he remembered Gordon's Hill. Thomas shuddered as they approached.

"Oh dear." Thomas groaned.

They stopped just at the base of the hill and Thomas tooted his whistle for a banker. They waited and waited. But there was no banker.

"Where is that banker?" His driver said.

Soon a man was running up the Express. He spoke to the Driver and Fireman.

"Sorry to tell you this, but our banker engine is at the works being mended. You'll just have to make do." He said.

"Bother!" Thomas said.

"It's no use, Thomas." Said his driver. "We'll just have to give our best."

Thomas knew this wasn't going to be easy. But he also knew he had to try.

"We can do it." Thomas said with spirit.

And so the little tank engine went in reverse and brought the train at a far distance to give him a running start. Then with a full throttle, Thomas started picking up speed as he climbed the hill, pulling the heavy express train. At first it seemed to have worked as Thomas managed to pull the Express with ease.

"I can do it! I can do it!" Thomas huffed and puffed.

"You can do it! You can do it!" Cheered the coaches.

But over the halfway point of the climb, Thomas began to slow down as he felt the weight of the coaches again. But Thomas wouldn't give up.

"I must keep going! I must!" He said.

The coaches felt sorry for Thomas and wanted to help him. So with an effort they all bumped Thomas to give him a boost of power and speed. Thomas felt this as he soured up the hill. At last he reached the top of the hill. He tooted his horn in triumph.

"We did it! We did it!" Thomas cheered.

He, his driver and fireman, the coaches, and passengers all cheered as they made their way to the last station.

After Thomas reached the last station, all the passengers cheered and thanked Thomas for a splendid run. Thomas then made his way to a siding right next to a water tower and had a long long drink. Henry then arrived to take the train on the journey back. He tooted a greeting with his whistle to Thomas before setting off. Thomas was too tired and exhausted for anything else. But he was proud. So was his driver and fireman.

"You did a great job Thomas." They said. "I think we'll give you a good rub down, a polish, and new coat of paint tomorrow. You deserve it."

Thomas was pleased. As the day was soon ending, his thoughts then pondered as to what was happening with Gordon on his Branchline. He wondered if Annie and Clarabel were being treated just right and if they were doing well.

But that's another story.