Gordon was doing splendidly. He was recently given brand new nameplates by the Duke and Duchess of Norramby and was now taking their tourist trains across the island, full of enthusiasts. This, was meant to be Spencer's job, but after being rude and vain to the others, he had been put in a dirty little shed near the harbour to not bother the others and had been given the Wild Nor' Wester whilst Gordon did his work instead.

It wasn't all too bad with the work Spencer was given, but he still felt cross in not taking the enthusiasts trains. The others laughed at his dilemma. "It serves you right! It serves you right!" they would chime.

Gordon wouldn't say anything, only look tall and proud at Spencer who would sneer back at him. But one cold day, at the end of September, Gordon's train had to stop at Edward's station, he was to meet a guaranteed-connection with BoCo at the station. He arrived there right on time, Edward sat in the banker's siding.

"Morning Gordon," he greeted warmly, "I see you've gotten a heavier train than usual!"

"Indeed," agreed the big engine grandly, "this is why you're here Edward, no engine can be as good as you on that hill!"

"Oh, I don't know," chuckled Edward, "there are younger engines out there than me who can do better than me."

"Nonsense!" Gordon snorted, "you're a fine engine, looking just as new as any other engine on this island. Speaking of new, how's that new diesel fitting in?"

"Hmm? Oh, our new dockyard diesel? Ah well, he's accidentally went to the Clay Pits and thought he was going to work there, but it was all sorted by the end of the next day!"

Gordon chuckled. "Oh dear," he said, "what's he like?"

"Well..." said Edward, "he's very jolly I tell you and never seems to frown whenever I see him working at the docks. He's pretty much the equivalent of a pirate!"

"Oh?"

"He has a very odd accent like he's come from the Caribbean, he has a huge black beard and looks quite gruff, but he's a kind engine who knows how to shunt trucks! Believe it or not, he can keep Bill and Ben in control when I'm not around."

Gordon blinked. "Those devils?" he said, "and he's not been here for a week yet!"

Edward laughed, just then, BoCo arrived and coasted into the branch line platform. Passengers who were going to have a ride on the big engine's train got on quickly and Alice tooted past on the down line with her usual morning run.

"Can you give me a push up the hill Edward?" Gordon asked.

"Of course!" smiled Edward and quickly went to buffer up behind the train. Soon everything was ready, and with a big, snorting engine up at the front, and an old, but kind engine puffing willingly behind. Edward and Gordon started towards the hill beyond.

"Come on, come on," Gordon huffed as he began to feel the slope.

"We'll do it, we'll do it," puffed Edward.

The morning was damp, with a dark and grey sky. The rails were moist making it difficult for engines to even move their trains at all, Gordon and Edward were finding it especially difficult and found they didn't have a good speed, power or grip like they thought they would.

"More moisture on the rails than expected," noted the driver, as Gordon growled up the slope. "We should've been more prepared."

The train was at a snail's pace when Gordon could see the top of the hill. Both engines could be heard for miles, snorting and panting. But then it happened. Unbeknownst to Gordon and his crew, Edward was having a worse time, he was bearing the same weight as the big engine at the front, but the blue engine couldn't take it like him. His tubes ached and he felt more odd than usual whenever his wheels moved. Suddenly, Edward lost his grip on the rails, his wheels spun quickly.

"Help!" he cried, as the train grind to a holt just before Gordon got to the top. The big engine stopped, Edward's driver tried to regain control of his engine's grip but it was too late. There was a loud bang, followed instantly by clanking and a thud. Edward jumped from the rails, landing back down on them, with his wheels having stopped moving. Gordon's driver stopped his engine and looked back.

"What happened?" asked the fireman.

"Sounded like something valid exploded," stated the driver, looking into a cloud of steam at the end of the train.

"EDWARD!" called Gordon worriedly, he heard coughing and spluttering from the back, and the steam cleared to find the blue engine looking find, but steam was hissing out from his undercarriage and the track looked dented where he stood.

"Are you alright?!" called Gordon again, as enthusiasts poked their head out of the window.

Edward groaned, his face clenched, and said nothing.

*

It was evening by the time Gordon returned to the yards, he wasn't too happy, Edward had been taken to the works and the tracks on the hill needed to be repaired. He went to turn on the turntable, but outside the sheds next to it, was Spencer. He had a wide smirk plastered on his face and Gordon knew where it was heading.

"To think," Spencer began, "that your great Shooting Star could barely get a passenger train up a slope like that on his own would be absurd, but having an old and fragile engine such as Edward be the banker to that hill makes that word an understatement."

Gordon said nothing, as he turned around.

"He should be retired," declared Spencer.

"Don't be daft," interrupted Bear from the other side of the sheds, "Edward is a valuable asset to this railway. He helps us run our trains to time if they're too heavy or we don't have a firm grip when the rails are wet. He's head of the Brendam branch, which stops midway at Sodor's capital, which is quite busy for him, and is the only one that can keep those devils, Bill and Ben, in proper order."

"The first two you can any other engine to do," said Spencer, "one that is stronger, newer and more respectful than you lot. One, that doesn't blow his cylinder that could catch onto his boiler and explode may I say, and from what I've heard, those devils you say have that new diesel over there to control them. Edward's only use at this point is being a hunk of scrap, he should retire and not a moment too soon!"

Gordon and Bear were furious. They were both about to respond, when a blast of a whistle was heard. Duck the Great Western Engine backed in between Spencer and Bear, he had heard enough of Spencer's speech. "You shouldn't be here," he noted, "otherwise your safety valve might burse again."

Spencer's steam pressure went up, but puffed away in a huff. Duck looked at Gordon sympathetically. "Don't feel bad on this one Gordon," he said, "Edward has had a similar incident like this before, he'll make it through."

"I know that Duck," said Gordon, "but that blasted Spencer has no soul whatsoever."

It was three days later when Gordon's tourist runs were done, but Spencer stayed, with Gordon being put on goods work. He didn't mind a bit, but Spencer found it hilarious. He took the mickey out of the big engine every chance he got, deepening Gordon's wounds of guilt for believing he put Edward into the position he was in.

It didn't go unnoticed though.

One evening, Percy had taken a goods train to the harbour at Tidmouth, when he saw Gordon dropping off his own vans there too. Spencer was nearby also, sizzling nicely in front of his shed. He then noticed the private engine laughing at the big engine. The small engine puffed up to them. "What's going on?" he quizzed.

"Oh, you know," smirked Spencer, "little old Gordon being sad for worn out Edward, you should join him on the retirement list my dear chap, best for everyone I suppose."

Percy was shocked by what he heard, but before he said anything, his driver told him they had to go. Whilst heading towards the mainline back to Thomas' junction, Percy saw the Fat Controller standing on the Little Western platform. He gave a peep peep to call out for him. "Sir! Sir!" he cried.

The Fat Controller quickly hurried over to them. "Anything the matter Percy?" he asked.

"Oh, yes sir, there is sir," said Percy sadly, and explained everything to him. Once he was done, the Fat Controller had a very cross face indeed.

"Thank you for telling me Percy," he said, "I'll send to the matter immediately."

Percy felt much better, and puffed off back to the junction.

*

The Fat Controller would usually have told his engines off if they were to bully others, but he knew that this time, he should do it differently. He had made a plan and decided to put it to action as soon Edward came back to his station a week later.

"I hope you're better Edward," greeted the Fat Controller warmly, "but I need your help please."

"Of course sir!" smiled the blue engine.

"I think you and Winston haven't had a good long time working with each other," noted the Fat Controller, "and because of your... strained parts I believe that you might need to go to Winston's branch line, just to ease you back into your own work."

"But sir," Edward protested, worried, "who'll look after my trains here? Donald will have to go back to the Little Western or the mainline by now."

"Which is why Duck will come and do your work," said the Fat Controller, "now of you go! There's a clear path for you on the mainline and Winston shall be expecting you!"

Edward puffed away, slightly reassured, but worried all the same.

When the others heard about this, they were surprised.

"This season is quieter than most," said Bear, "I'm surprised that the Fat Controller decided to have Duck do Edward's work."

"He's a hard worker, and very reliable" added Henry, "but I don't think he'll cope with the workload Edward has."

Spencer, who had heard everything, was curious. "Why's that?" he demanded.

The other two engines glanced at each other. "Duck's water capacity is less than Edward's," Bear explained, "and he won't know how to bank trains up Gordon's hill properly like Edward can."

"He's done it before," said Henry, remembering when he was sent there after a row in the yards had happened, "but he'll be rusty at it."

"Poooooh," snorted Spencer, "banking trains up hills sounds like an easy task for me, all you need to do is push from behind."

"Didn't Douglas squeeze a brake van into little pieces on that hill?" quizzed Bear to Henry.

"He did," said Henry, "made the entire network be examined on how banker's did their work and Edward became the only qualified engine to bank trains up hills regularly, very skilled job in my opinion."

"Donald, Douglas and that BoCo have done though!" said Spencer.

"Because they were trained by Edward when they arrived stupid," Bear replied, getting rather annoyed with Spencer.

"Urrrgh," sniffed Spencer importantly, "you're both idiots, first you say Duck isn't well experienced, then you say that old fart tells them how the other engines to do it! So that fuss-pot will obviously know what to do!"

Henry and Bear rolled their eyes, as Spencer puffed obliviously away.

*

Edward, enjoyed his time on Winston's branch line. It was a nice change and he was welcomed warmly. The blue engine took care of the passengers, travelling through the beautiful countryside.

Duck, on the other hand, wasn't doing so well. The Great Western engine was having a hard time with coping with taking Edward's trains on his branch line, and looking after the banker duties to Gordon's hill.

The mainline engines felt this, and would either have to wait until Duck got refuelled and have to cope with his constant mistakes on the hill. Sometimes, he would push to hard and the rolling stock between would complain about being squeezed. Then other times, he wouldn't give a good enough push and the trains had more of a chance of coming to a standstill so the two engines would have to work extra hard.

Spencer, would get an example of this, when he would have an emergency stop at Wellsworth and have Duck push him up the hill. He hated it, with Duck pushing too hard, even before they reached the hill.

A week had gone by, but Spencer still didn't think Edward was needed on the railway and was useless as scrap. So the Fat Controller decided to think another way of getting to prove Edward's worth.

He headed straight to Gordon to the yards the day Edward would return to his branch. "I need your help," he said, "I want you to take a heavy goods train and stall on the hill, there Edward would go help push. That way Spencer won't think he's not a reliable engine."

Gordon blinked. "This was all--"

"Yes, I know, a scheme to prove Edward's worth," admitted the Fat Controller, "make sure you stop on that hill on the way back before Edward's gets to Wellsworth."

"Yes sir!" said the big engine confidently. He then puffed off to collect his goods.

*

Gordon soon thundering back down the mainline with his returning goods to Tidmouth. He was still wondering what the Fat Controller had said to him. He liked the plan, but didn't think it was good enough. He then headed past Crovan's Gate, where Spencer was at the station, waiting to have a clear path. But Gordon had to take his own train and rush along the line all the way to Maron station where he would stop and Spencer would pass him there.

He soon past Kellsthorpe Road, where Edward sat next to the water tower, filling up for his trip back. Then, an idea flew into Gordon's funnel. "That's it!" he said, "and it's so simple!"

"What is?" asked the driver curiously.

"I just know the perfect way to make Spencer see sense," Gordon smirked.

The driver and fireman looked at each other, rather perplexed. They knew the plan, but Gordon sounded like he made a better one. An unknown plan.

Gordon raced down the line, going faster than he meant to. And when reaching Maron, the signalman was very surprised and didn't expect him to come in so early. He hadn't set the points, and he hadn't set the signal to red. Gordon grinned mischievously, this was his chance.

"What on earth are you doing?" the driver called, but Gordon carried on. He came to the bottom of his hill, but immediately began to slow down. The crew were even more confused, as Gordon puffed up the hill, but getting slower and slower. Until he came to a stop at halfway.

"Oh great!" cried the driver, "we were suppose to stop at Maron but you kept on going and now you've decided to get yourself stuck on your hill! Now the plan won't work at all if Spencer is between you and Edward!"

To the crew's surprise, Gordon chuckled lightly, but said nothing as he plastered a grin on his face.

The guard went to the phone booth at the bottom of the hill, where trains could call a signalman for a banker encase they got stuck. But the signalman was so busy trying to clear a path for Gordon for the rest of the trip, he forgot about Spencer and when getting the call, the private engine whistled towards the station. The signalman dropped the phone and rushed to distant signal to danger. Luckily, Spencer's crew caught sight of this and slowed down the train and rushed through with a slowing pace. The signalman rushed back to the telephone, which was now dangling from the wire off the table.

"It's too late to switch Spencer onto the other line," he called, "you'll have to flag him down!"

The guard groaned and quickly grabbed his red flag from the ground and began to wave it as soon as Spencer came into sight. Both he and his crew saw it and began to slow down instantly, they came to a stop right in front of the brake van on Gordon's train.

"I knew something was off when I didn't see Gordon at that station," said the private engine's driver.

"Indeed," Spencer fumed, "now I'm stuck and won't be able to start! Thank you Gordon, you utter clots!"

"It wasn't my fault," protested Gordon, "the signal was green when I went through and I got confused, so I didn't have enough power to get up the hill!"

"Poppycock!" fumed Spencer.

Gordon just rolled his eyes. "Can't we just help move you instead?" asked Spencer's driver to Gordon's.

"It's worth a try," sighed the Gordon's driver, "but I don't see how your engine can even move both his and our engine's trains at once."

Spencer wooshed steam angrily. "I am one of the most finest engines to ever be built in the entire world!" he fumed, "I won't back down over an idiot who cannot know when to stop!"

So it was quickly arranged. Gordon's crew headed to the engine, and Spencer started up, he buffered up behind the brake van. But as stupid as he thought Gordon was, he had also didn't think on how stupid he was being.

When touching Gordon's train, the big engine couldn't even feel the pressure of the buffers come behind him and the chains loosen. Spencer's wheels just spun and spun. At last, he gave up.

"It's no good," sighed his driver, "we need to a banker."

Gordon snorted. "Guess this is ironic!" he called to Spencer, "I don't know when to stop, and you can't even figure out how to start!"

Spencer wheeshed steam, his steam pressure went up again, but said nothing as his own guard went to the bottom of the hill to ring the signalman.

"I'm sorry," said the signalman, after the explanation had to be told, "but the current banker isn't at Wellsworth at the moment." He then looked out of the window and saw a familiar shape being jolted at the platform. "But... I think you'll have someone else to fill in."

He dropped the phone and got out of the box. "Ahhh, number two," he shouted.

*

"YOU SHOULD NOT HAVE EVEN CONSIDERED TO PASS THAT PREVIOUS STATION!!"

"I was trying to be on time, I only got confused before realising I was early," said Gordon calmly.

"YOU ARE A PATHETIC, LITTLE—"

A shrill whistle interrupted the two engine's arguments. Gordon grinned, and Spencer groaned, as Edward puffed up confidently behind.

"I wondered what was the matter when I heard two engines hadn't cleared their paths at Wellsworth!" he called, "guess I've found the answer!"

Spencer grumbled crossly. Edward's driver then came up to him and his crew. "We've come to push," he said.

"No use at all!" cried out Spencer.

"You wait and see," smirked Edward's driver. All crews agreed to the plan.

Spencer was coupled up to the brake van, and Edward was coupled behind Spencer's brake coach. The blue engine was excited, he was going to be a banker for two trains put together.

He blew his whistle long and loud and with a response from Gordon and Spencer, the strange cavalry set off.

Edward and Gordon puffed as hard as they could, with Spencer fuming and grumbling in the middle, but he couldn't help but notice Edward was pushing much harder than Duck and was doing it in the upmost expertise. And before they all knew it, they reached the top with triumph and began to coast down the other side.

BoCo was amazed when he saw them puff gently into the station. Gordon puffing in proudly with laughing trucks with Spencer following in the middle and Edward puffing hard with red cheeks, but a smile beaming across his face. All three came to a stop, with Gordon and his trucks outside the station. Spencer and the express at the platform and Edward right at the back.

"Look at that!" cried a little boy to his father, who seemed to have come off BoCo's train, "Edward just pushed two trains up the hill! He must be the strongest and the best!!"

Spencer heard everything and his cheeks went redder than ever, he was very embarrassed. The grey clouds had now become low and rain started to fall down on the engines and passenger quickly went to the main station building or to the other train.

Spencer then notice someone walk up to him. It was none other than the Fat Controller, with an umbrella keeping him dry. "You have said rude things about Edward," he said crossly, "not only that, you have kept on with treating my engines appallingly, I've given my report on your behaviour to the Duke himself. I hope you'll be a different engine after this."

Spencer said nothing, as Gordon went onto the goods loop and he scurried out of the station.

Soon after, Spencer left the railway to another place in England. Nobody gave him a goodbye, apart from Edward, but that was him being kind.

Gordon's guilt soon went and he was back to pulling the express as normal. Duck went back to his own branch line, after a day of rest of course. But not all went back to its usual ways. For some reason, BoCo or one of the Scottish twins became banker and the rumours of another engine coming were being heard in the main terminus.

Gordon felt confused by this too, and when seeing Edward about this, (a fortnight after Spencer had left,) on a wet day once more.

"So what's been going on?" the big engine said after finishing his explanation.

Edward smiled. "You see Gordon," he began, "I'm not retiring from running my branch line. But I will be retiring from working as banker."

Gordon's eyes widen. "But... but you can't just leave being the banker," he said, "you've been the bill's banker for so long!"

"Indeed I have," said Edward, "but you must see that I've been the banker for far too long. I'm getting older and older Gordon, my strength isn't what it use to be. Even though that massive overhaul did me good, I'm still not what I use to be."

Gordon didn't say anything, as Edward carried on.

"I bet that the weather won't help me either. We both know Britain isn't a great place for sunny days and we just got lucky on that day, didn't we?"

Gordon hummed.

"I know you don't like it when change happens," Edward said, "but look on the bright side, another engine is coming and they'll be a full-time banker for you all."

Gordon chuckled. "Guess that day when you helped me and Spencer was your last time as being banker then," he said.

"I believe so," smiled Edward, "but I think that was a good way to go out on."

"Indeed," said Gordon, "indeed."

Then his guard's whistle blew, and the big blue engine pulled out of the station. Reminiscing on the past and looking very forward to the future. And it very much had to do with Edward.