Cowcatchers

One day on the Island of Sodor, the engines were waiting at Knappford Station for the arrival of a special visitor. However, Edward was more excited than the others. He knows what the engine looks like. "He's an old fashioned engine like me," said Edward.

"I think he's like me," said Toby. "You're a tram engine," said James rudely. "You don't have to be mean," said Toby. "Be respectful," said Edward. "Humph!" said Gordon. "I can't wait," said Thomas. "Me too," said Emily.

"I hope I can ask him questions," said Oliver. The engines waited for what appears to be a very long time. However, in a few minutes, the engines heard an old fashioned kind of whistle. "I can tell who it is," said Edward. Soon enough, a fancy old-fashioned engine steamed in. "Wow," said Thomas. "Hello," said the fancy old-fashioned engine, "I am just called American. I don't have a specific name."

"I see," teased James, "No name." "Shut up!" said Oliver, "Don't be rude! If his name is American, then we'll call him American." "Thank you," said American. Toby had his eyes looking at American's cowcatcher. "Wow," said Toby, "What beautiful cowcatcher."

"Why thanks," said American, "They're really popular from when/where I came from." "And important," said Toby. "Okay," said American, agreeing with Toby. "Don't you agree that American is a great engine?" asked Emily. "I do," said Thomas. James said nothing for a long time. But then he changed his mind. He puffed up to American and said, "Hello, my name is James."

"Please to meet you, James," said American. "Uh, thanks," said James. "American," said The Fat Controller, "You may start now." "Thank you, sir," said American. He set off. American's first job was to pull a special passenger train.

Edward and James were told by the Fat Controller to help out. "Sure thing," said Edward. "All right," said James, "I'll do it." So James, Edward and American worked with the passenger service. James soon became friends with American and everyone else made friends with American as well. Even Skarloey and Rheneas were impressed when American steamed by pulling a long goods train.

"He is as old as us," said Rheneas. "I agree," said Skarloey. "I may have never seen an engine like him," said Duke, "But I know he is my age." The little engines watched American steamed by once more with a different train. "I would like to talk to him," said Duncan. "We will," said Skarloey. Fortanly, the little engines got their chance. American stopped for a drink of water and the little engines got a chance to talk to American. Soon enough, the engines started to exchange stories about their olden days.

Meanwhile, Arthur was pulling a short train of new construction bricks. On his way, he approached a bridge, which had one of its supports weakened by a landslide. Arthur had just puffed onto the bridge when suddenly, he heard a strange sound. "What's that?" asked Arthur.

"I don't know," said his driver. Arthur moved one more inch when he heard a loud crack. "Stop!" screamed Arthur's firemen after the fourth heavy truck set its wheels onto the bridge. The driver and firemen looked down to see that one of the bridge supports have cracked. Soon enough, the whole bridge would collapse. "Oh no!" cried Arthur and his crew. "If we move," said his driver, we're finished. "We can't go back either!" said the firemen, "The trucks are too heavy to push back and they'll make the bridge collapse even worse!" "What are we going to do?" asked Arthur, nervously.

Just then, they heard a whistle from the rear of the train. "Help!" cried Arthur. The engine that blew the whistle was American. He approached Arthur from the back of the train. "Hold on!" shouted American, "I'll save you!" A long chain was attached to American's cowcatcher to the break van.

Arthur's driver knew as long as American pulls the trucks backwards, they can easily get off of the bridge backwards. "Ready!" said Arthur. So with American pulling backwards, the heavy train started to move. The cracks in the supports started to get worse.

"Don't give up!" said American. "I won't!" said Arthur. The wheels of the second truck had left the bridge when there was a loud sound in American's cowcatcher. "Keep going!" screamed American. "I will!" said Arthur, straining to get his wheels off of the bridge.

Arthur's wheels almost reached the rails on solid ground when American's cowcatcher broke. Part of his cowcatcher, bent by the pull from the chain broke away and American shot backwards. Arthur managed to get off of the bridge before it collapsed.

"Whew!" said Arthur and his crew as the saw the whole bridge crash to the ground. "That was close," said Arthur. After the calamity, American moved to a siding out of the way.

Arthur puffed up to American before he set off to finish his work. "Thanks for saving me," said Arthur, "I'm sorry that you broke your cowcatcher." "No problem," said American, "I had to get you off of that bridge. I didn't want you to fall with it."

"But you damaged your cowcatcher," said Arthur. "It's okay," said American, "I had to take the risk." "Well," said Arthur, "Thank you."

"You're welcome," said American, and Arthur set off with his load to find another way to go. Later, Duck and Oliver helped American to the works to have his cowcatcher mended. A day later, American returned from the works, really happy. So, American decided to stay on Sodor for the next month. He and the Fat Controller's engines will enjoy his visit. American decided to tell stories during his visit.