Lee's Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends

Stories

The Blues

Fergus the traction engines loves being blue. It's the colour he's been ever since he joined the Fat Controller's railway a few years back. He used to be painted grey before that purely for ease of use and he did like it, but not as much as he enjoys being blue. His great friend Thomas is blue and there are many other fine engines of that colour around Sodor too. One morning however Spencer was being rude about blue engines just after Fergus had pulled in at the platform next to him at Knapford station.
"Oh, a blue engine…" remarked Spencer. "How unoriginal…it's a common colour you know."
"And what if it is?" asked Fergus.
"It means you don't stand out, and to be honest Fungus…"
"Fergus," corrected Fergus.
"Fergus," began Spencer. "You really need to stand out I'm afraid. Not long ago I just passed a canal boat, I think her name was Beatrice, she was blue too. It's everywhere. See, I'm silver and I stand out." Spencer then said smugly. Fergus wasn't pleased but knew he had to keep his calm as he was someone that Sodor's younger engines looked up to. "Silver sparkles, doesn't it?" Spencer then asked with a big grin on his face.
"Hmmm…." said Fergus. "I suppose, but I like being blue. It's what I am."
"If you say so," came Spencer's response before a guard blew his whistle and the Duke and Duchess of Boxford's private train set off into the distance. Fergus was pleased Spencer was gone now, but he did begin to question his own colour though.
"Is being blue for the best?" he wondered. "Hmmm…"

It was a lovely sunny day on Sodor but Fergus wasn't enjoying it at all. There was no work for him at the quarry or even at the cement works, so he was just left with taking trucks around the island along the coast and through the countryside. His driver was enjoying the beautiful conditions but he could see Fergus wasn't himself.
"What's wrong, lad?" he asked. "You've had that face on since Spencer spoke to you. You shouldn't listen to him."
"It's hard not to though," Fergus admitted. "He is a grand engine after all, and what am I? A blue traction engine. It's just not the same." he added as he carried along with his trucks through the countryside. There as he passed through was a canal boat and a blue one at that slowly going along the waters. Fergus came to a stop.
"Are you Beatrice?" he then called out to the boat.
"Yes," replied the boat. "Why are you asking?"
"I'm just being friendly…" answered Fergus with a false smile on his face. The boat looked surprised.
"Well it makes a change from that big silver thing from earlier," Beatrice then said. "It called me a blue monster of the water. I couldn't believe it." Fergus couldn't believe it either. From what he could see Beatrice was admittedly an old canal boat that was a little worn round the edges, but she still looked very fine. She was painted in two shades of blue as well and they were glistening wonderfully in the sun.
"I don't think you look like a monster at all." smiled Fergus. "You look like a pretty picture. Your blues look lovely…"
"Oh thank you," smiled Beatrice. "Your blue looks fantastic. It really shines nicely." she added.
"Thank you." said Fergus as soon he returned back to his truck duty with a big grin etched over his face. His earlier doubts of being blue were now gone and he was happy with himself once again. His driver was pleased too and the pair did their work well. Fergus though was thinking of a plan.
"If me and Beatrice are happy to be blue, then I'm sure I can get some others to say the same too." he thought. "That way we can prove blue is brilliant."

That evening after finishing his work, Fergus headed towards the transfer yards. He knew there were blue engines on the narrow gauge railway and he wanted to know from them what it meant to be blue. When he arrived shortly after, he found MightyMac waiting close by.
"You're new to here…" remarked Mac. "Who are you?"
"I'm Fergus….you're MightyMac I gather?"
"Indeed…" said Mac.
"Most certainly" added Mighty. Fergus then told MightyMac of his plan. His idea was to gather as many engines together and boast about what it is to be blue.
"It's a nice plan," began Mac. "But how are we meant to get there?"
"Sir Handel will say the same too," added Mighty. "There's no way we can get there unless Spencer came here and he won't do that." Fergus agreed with MightyMac's thoughts and soon set off again. He whistled them thanks but knew his plan was already backfiring. He then tried to get help from Gordon but he was too busy and then he tried Miles, but he was far too fussy to get involved. Thomas and Edward were both busy with work too so Fergus' plan was getting nowhere at all.
"Perhaps were going at this from the wrong angle?" Fergus' driver then wondered.
"How do you mean?" asked Fergus.
"Well, Spencer said blue was a very common colour on Sodor, didn't he?" his driver began. "Well, I'm sure his silver colour is just as common in paint pots so I'll ask about at the works for some and paint a truck or two overnight, that way he won't be the only thing that colour."
"What a great idea!" grinned Fergus as he chuffed home. The thought of it all was brilliant and after his driver left, he was unable to get to sleep for some time, but when he did he just thought of how good it is to be blue and what an honour it was to be painted that colour. As he slept, Fergus' driver did as he said he would and got some paint from the works and painted not one, not two, not even three trucks in that colour, but he painted ten in Spencer's silver livery. It was tough to paint in the dark of night but with a torch at hand, the plan was almost there.

Morning came and it was another lovely day on the island. Beatrice was having a wonderful time along the canal but her good mood was spoiled by Spencer hurtling into view.
"Oh, it's the blue monster of the water!" he chortled as he raced past.
"Silver show-off…" muttered Beatrice under her breath. Spencer couldn't help but laugh at what he'd said and continued to grin for some time. In the distance he could see Fergus going along the line slowly.
"He's still common blue," thought Spencer. "If only he'd listened to me!" he added as he rattled along the line, but as he neared Fergus he could see something shining brightly behind him. It was a familiar looking shine and Spencer was horrified to see that it was some troublesome trucks in his colour as he finally raced by. "Oh….dear…" Spencer exclaimed loudly. "How awful! I thought this colour was reserved for me?" he then asked indignantly to his driver.
"No, not at all…" he answered. "It's quite a common colour Spencer; many engines have it on the mainland. We've just not seen them, that's all." Spencer wasn't pleased in the slightest and his earlier smile was nowhere to be seen. Fergus' driver's plan had worked but neither he or Fergus knew it at the time.
"Lovely blue once again!" called out Beatrice as Fergus slowly passed her by.
"The same to you too!" he chimed back with a big smile showing. Even if the plan hadn't worked, Fergus was definitely happy again in his own colour. It just felt right and he didn't care if it was a common colour or not, it was his colour and his friend's colour. It was a colour for all.

That evening, Fergus pulled in at Knapford station on a break and could see Spencer not looking happy at all. He was on the next but one platform and his silver paint wasn't so shiny now.
"Happy now?" Spencer asked towards Fergus.
"Very…" came the traction engine's answer. "It's put you in your place. You needed that."
"I honestly thought that colour was just mine," admitted Spencer. "And look, I share it with some trucks now. How undignified." he added just as Gordon pulled into the station with the express. As he slowly came to a halt he saw Spencer's silver and then the truck's silver. He just laughed.
"Not so special now, are we Spencer?" he said. "Your livery's just as common as mine. Ha! How wonderful…"
"Blame Fergus for this…" Spencer said in a sulk. Gordon looked towards Fergus.
"Did you do this?" he asked.
"Well, my driver did…" Fergus replied.
"Well, whoever did it did a right thing!" boomed Gordon loudly. "We may be common blue, Fergus, but he is now just common silver…"
"I can still hear you!" pointed out Spencer angrily.
"Good!" laughed Gordon. "It's brilliant to be blue!" he said and Fergus heartily agreed.