A/N This is a mix of the original book story which I heard on YouTube and TTTE show canon, with some imagination added, perhaps inspired by other fics.
As my old friend Thomas said, I'm Edward The Blue Engine and I shall tell you how I got back out of my shed. I came here to help build this railway along with my friend and even was an express engine once. However, when I came to Sodor, I was getting older and was the smallest tender engine, so I was shut in the shed for many months after helping build the railway. The other 5 tender engines bragged about they were bigger and stronger than I was.
"Oh the driver won't choose you again", they told me. "He wants big,strong engines like us."
That made me so sad I began to cry. The driver and fireman came to start work and noticed my teary face.
Driver comforted me saying, "What's the matter? Are you feeling sad? Hmm. would you like to come out today?"
"Oh yes please", I said. Driver wiped my tears away with a cloth and the fireman lit the fire so I could get up to steam. Once I was ready to go, Driver pulled the lever and I puffed away, whistling as I did this and I said "Look at me, look at me." It made my fellow engines so cross to see me get coaches.
When I found the coaches, they said "Oh please be careful, Edward. Don't bump and bang us like the other engines do." In my kindness, I was very, very gentle with them and as I was coupled to them they said, "Thank you Edward. That was kind. We are glad you're taking us today.".
I took them to the station so the waiting passengers could board. "Here we are, here we are. Come along. Get in quickly, please.", they were told. I was happy as I waited for the conductor to blow his whistle and wave his flag. But as I kept waiting and that didn't happen, I became anxious.
"Where is the conductor?", Driver and the fireman asked the stationmaster. "Have you seen the conductor?" "No", he said. They asked the porter "Have you seen the conductor?"
The porter said "Yes, last night." in reply.
By this time I was cross and said "Are we ever going to start?" I heard a little boy shout "Here he comes.", probably because the boy heard me. He was running down the hill carrying his flags and a sandwich in his hands. He kept running until he was on the platform, then whistled and boarded. I puffed out of the station, saying "Here we go, here we go.".
It was a happy day for me. Children waved as I passed and I saw my old friends at stations. Driver acknowledged my hard work with a promise to take me out again tomorrow and I told the other engines "I'm going out again tomorrow", just like Driver told me and asked them "What do you think of that?". But I can't tell you what they as I was too tired and happy to do anything but sleep.
The next day came and the big and proud engine called Gordon bragged to me saying, "You watch me this afternoon, little Edward when I rush through with the express. That will be a splendid sight for you.". His driver pulled the lever and as he pulled out, he said "Goodbye, little Edward. Look out for me this afternoon.". I went to shunt some cars, which I liked. I came up to them quietly and gave them a gentle pull. It made them scream "Oh, whatever is happening." I stopped quickly and they bumped each other, saying "Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh" . I pushed them to make them run nicely and stopped unexpectedly, making one run onto the other line. I shunted them all and then had a rest. As an older engine, I tire more easily than youngsters.
I heard Gordon whistle as he came slowly and crossly. He had a very dirty freight train instead of coaches. "A freight train, a freight train, a freight train, the shame of it, the shame of it, oh the shame of it.", I heard him say. I laughed and went to find more cars.
Later, a porter came and told my driver "Gordon can't get up the hill. Will you take Edward and push him please?" We got there and found Gordon stuck in the middle of that hill. I heard his driver and fireman say to him "You're not trying, Gordon. You're not trying at all." and he said "I can't do it, I can't do it. Those noisy trucks hold an engine back, so if they were coaches clean, sensible things that come quietly that would be different.".
My driver said "We've come to push,".
"No use at all", was Gordon's reply
My driver said "You wait and see.".
The train came to the bottom of the hill where I was. "I'm ready", I said and Gordon just said "No good,". He pulled and I pushed. He said "I can't do it, I can't do it, I can't do it." and I replied "I will do it, I will do it, I will do it,". I pushed and puffed and puffed and pushed until Gordon got to the top of the hill. He said proudly, "I've done it, I've done it, I've done it!".
Gordon didn't even thank me, just left me behind. However, I was happy to have helped my fellow engine. Though, I was very tired and out of breath from pushing that big engine and his heavy coal train, even with him pulling. It was hard work for little old me. My driver and fireman were so pleased with my kindness. I got a nice long drink at the station, thanks to my fireman and Driver said "I'll get out my paint tomorrow and give you your beautiful coat of blue with red stripes. You'll be the smartest engine in the shed,". My old paint was chipped and faded, so I needed a new coat of paint. However, being back on the rails made me feel like a proper engine again. It made me feel like I had a second chance to be a Really Useful Engine.
A/N Excluding their dialogue in select cases, I used my country's terminology some. I use the words I feel comfortable with when there's a terminology difference.