JOURNEY ACROSS AFRICA

Thomas was still processing the fact that somehow, instead of going to Canada to partake in the Great Railway Show for the Shunting Challenge, he had ended up instead in Senegal, Africa. His crew were equally confused as well.

"How could this have happened?" asked the driver.

"That's what I'm wondering," said the fireman. He then waved at the dock manager.

"Excuse me," he said. "Could you tell us when the next ship to Sodor will be departing?"

"Sodor?" the dock manager asked with confusion. "I'm sorry, I don't know that place."

"It's an island off of the coast of England," explained the driver.

"Wait here," said the dock manager, and he left to check the schedule for ship departures and arrivals. It was several minutes before he came back.

"I'm afraid we don't have any ships departing for Sodor any time soon," he said. "It looks as though you're stuck here." Thomas did not like the sound of that at all.

"But I have to get back!" he insisted. "All of my friends will be wondering where I am!"

"Aren't there at least any ships that are bound for England?" asked the driver.

"Well, there is one," said the dock manager. Thomas' eyes lit up with anticipation. "But it won't be due out for another three days."

"Three days?!" cried Thomas. "Then what am I supposed to do in that time?"

"Well you could help around with odd jobs," the dock manager offered.

Thomas sighed. "I suppose it is better than nothing," he said. Just then, another workman came up.

"Excuse me, sir," he said to the dock manager. "We just got a call that the engine delivering a train from here to Dar es Salaam has failed. They need a relief engine to finish the journey."

"I could take it," Thomas offered. The dock manager looked at Thomas skeptically.

"Are you sure?" he asked. "It is a very long journey and the train isn't going to be light work either."

"I'm sure I can handle it," Thomas insisted. "I've pulled long trains before."

"In that case," said the dock manager, "you're going to need to bring a water tanker and coal truck with you and a support coach for your crew." With the water tanker, coal truck and support coach coupled up, Thomas set out.


As Thomas traveled down the line across Senegal, he looked around his surroundings with curiosity, but gradually, it fell to boredom; all he could see for miles was nothing but sandy deserts. Eventually, however, after several hours of non-stop desert, he and his crew could see a man waving a red flag, telling them to stop.

"Hello," said Thomas' driver. "What's up?"

"Our engine has burst a cylinder on the way to Choum," the other engine's driver explained. He spoke in a language that Thomas and his crew didn't understand, so the fireman had to translate between both parties.

"There were no other engines for miles, but we need your help to get us there and then you can help take over our train," translated the fireman.

"Well, we'd be happy to help," said Thomas.

"Shukraan lakum," smiled the driver. He didn't need translating that time; Thomas and his crew knew what he was saying.

Thomas buffered up to the rear of the train and was coupled up. With a blow of his whistle, he began to push as hard as he could. It was a lot of work and a long journey, but Thomas wouldn't give up until they reached Choum yards.

"Must keep going, must keep going," he puffed to himself. The engine in front didn't say anything, but he was impressed at the little blue engine's determination to get both of them to their destination.


Thomas was exhausted by the time he and the other engine had arrived at Choum yards. The other engine was put onto a siding out of the way for inspection, and Thomas went onto another to fill up on water and coal.

"Thank you for helping us when we were stranded," called a voice. Thomas looked over in surprise; the lead truck had spoken to him. "You have no idea how much we appreciate your help and admire your strength."

"You're... welcome," said Thomas, after what felt like an eternity. He had never known trucks to be so friendly before! Maybe they're not all bad in every country, he thought to himself. I wish all trucks were like those in Africa.

Once he, the water tanker and the coal truck had been topped off again, Thomas was coupled up to the front of the train. As soon as he was given the all clear to head off on his way, Thomas blew his whistle and pulled out of the yards with his train.

"This is going to be quite a long journey," sighed Thomas. "Probably even longer than any journey I've ever had on Sodor!"

I hear the drums echoing tonight

But she hears only whispers of some quiet conversation

It was very late in the evening as Thomas pulled his train across Mauritania; his regular crew were asleep in the support coach whilst a relief crew took control.

She's coming in, 12:30 flight

Her moonlit wings reflect the stars that guide me towards salvation

A couple of days later, Thomas had arrived at a goods yard in Niger where another engine shunted some more trucks to the back of his train.

I stopped an old man along the way

Hoping to find some old forgotten words or ancient melodies

By now, Thomas was beginning to struggle as he pulled his train, not helped by the hot weather, but he wasn't about to let it stop him.

He turned to me as if to say

"Hurry boy, it's waiting there for you"

There was a distant rumble as dark clouds began to loom over. Thomas was pulling an even longer train as he crossed over Sudan and towards the bridge over the river Nile.

It's gonna take a lot to drag me away from you

There's nothing that a hundred men or more could ever do

Rain was now pouring down very hard, but Thomas, his crew and the trucks didn't seem to mind very much.

I bless the rains down in Africa

Gonna take some time to do the things we never had...

Thomas' tanks and the water tanker had their lids open to catch rainwater as it fell, giving them more water to help last the journey. Plus, the rain seemed to help cool things down after endless hours in the hot desert.


It had been several days since his journey first started, but Thomas couldn't hide the strain of pulling a train gradually increasing in length almost non-stop when he pulled into a goods yard in Kenya.

"How do... other engines... manage?" Thomas managed to gasp. "I think I... could burst...!"

"Would you like some help?" a voice offered.

Thomas looked over to see who had spoken to him. It was a black tank engine with ten wheels, the middle six being her driving wheels, extended side tanks and an African pattern painted across her tanks and dome in red, yellow, green and purple. The number eighteen was painted on the sides of her cab and in the middle of the pattern on her tanks, Thomas could see the name "Nia" painted on.

"I'd much appreciate it," he said. "I'm Thomas, by the way."

"You can call me Nia," the other tank engine greeted.

The engines decided to split the train in half. That way, they would both be pulling the same amount of the train. Like Thomas, Nia had a water tanker and a coal truck behind her to provide her with extra fuel.

"With an engine your size," said Nia, "I'm actually amazed you made it this far; most engines I see coming here are much bigger."

"Was that a crack about my size?!" Thomas snapped, taking offense to Nia's comment.

"Oh, of course not!" Nia insisted. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean any insult to you."

"Oh," said Thomas. "Sorry for snapping. I'm just so used to having bigger engines tease me back on Sodor."

"That's not right for them to tease you," Nia protested.

"That's what I keep saying," said Thomas. "But they still think and follow their silly superiority complex."

"Quite a few engines treat me the same way," Nia insisted. "Kwaku is one of the few big engines that are nice to me."

Nia was in the middle of the train so that the weight was evenly balanced both in front and in back. Once everything was ready, Thomas set off once again, this time with another engine helping him.

The wild dogs cry out in the night

As they grow restless longing for some solitary company

A lone wolf stood far away from the railway, watching the two tank engines pulling the long train across the Kenyan landscape.

I know that I must do what's right

As sure as Kilimanjaro rises like Olympus above the Serengeti

Thomas and Nia approached a giant hill and began to climb. Thomas was glad that Nia had come along; otherwise, he would never have made it halfway up the hill.

I seek to cure what's deep inside

Frightened of this thing that I've become

At last, both engines reached the top of the hill. The downward journey was much easier, but Thomas and Nia both knew to brake carefully in case of derailment.

It's gonna take a lot to drag me away from you

There's nothing that a hundred men or more could ever do

Thomas and Nia began to pass through a small Kenyan village; people waved and said hello upon seeing Nia. They even said hello to Thomas.

I bless the rains down in Africa

Gonna take some time to do the things we never had...

The two engines were now passing through a marketplace, seeing people selling fruits in little stands. Thomas' crew was tempted to buy a few pieces of fruit for themselves, but they had an important job to do.


Thomas and Nia found themselves once again in a sandy desert part of Kenya; the sun was beginning to set, and on either side of the line, gazelles, zebras and giraffes looked as if they were racing the engines.

"We should slow down there, Thomas," called Nia. "We don't want to hurt any of the animals!"

"Do they frequently show up alongside the line during journeys?" asked Thomas.

"Usually when there's no trains coming," said Nia.

"Well, we usually blow our whistles to make sure they get off of the tracks back on Sodor," said Thomas.

Hurry boy, she's waiting there for you...

To prove his point, Thomas sounded his whistle to alert the animals that they were approaching, and they responded by running further away from the tracks.

It's gonna take a lot to drag me away from you

There's nothing that a hundred men or more could ever do

Now that the animals were safely away from the tracks, Thomas and Nia could gather speed once more and continued the final leg of their journey to their destination, Dar es Salaam.

I bless the rains down in Africa

I bless the rains down in Africa

I bless the rains down in Africa

I bless the rains down in Africa

I bless the rains down in Africa

Gonna take some time to do the things we never had...

All the same, as the sun continued to set, Thomas wondered what else they would have to encounter on this journey. And he also wondered how his friends were doing back on Sodor.


Author's Comments

Here, we've finally met up with Nia the Kenyan engine! My take on her is that before she came to Sodor, she was painted black but still had African patterns painted onto her. But not to worry; she will be painted orange by the time this saga ends. I mean, Thomas, Gordon and James weren't painted in the liveries we recognize them in when they came to Sodor, were they? So why go against that?

And yes, I decided to use "Africa" by Toto for the two montage sequences with Thomas pulling his increasing-in-length train across the continent, the second time with Nia's help, which I felt was fitting given the setting. Weezer released their own version at the same time as Big World! Big Adventures! came out, and I think it could've worked quite well. Though Toto's original would've worked just as well; after all, you can't beat the original.

Next time, we learn about some Traveling Secrets!