Episode 19

A/N Respect my Thomasverse. Due to Henry being canonically dazed, I think he was knocked unconscious.

Hello, it's me, Henry again and this is the story of how I didn't need special coal anymore.

One winter evening, Driver said, "We'll be out early tomorrow. We've got to take the Flying Kipper. Don't tell Gordon, but I think if we pull the Kipper nicely, Sir Topham Hatt will let us pull the Express. The special coal they gave you is working well."

"Hooray!", I cried "That'll be lovely."

All kinds of ships use the harbor at the big station by the sea. There are passenger ships. Cargo ships and fishing boats also come here. They unload their fish on the key. Some of it goes to shop in town, and the rest they put in a special train to other places far away. This is the train the railway men call the Flying Kipper. I was told this because I wanted to know how the train I was given got its name. I was ready at five o' clock. There was snow and frost. Men hustled and shouted, loading crates of fish. The last door banged, the guard showed his green lamp and the Flying Kipper was ready to go.

"Come on, come on, don't be silly, don't be silly", I puffed to the freight cars. The cars shuddered and groaned. I felt good about being chosen to pull this train. It showed I was well now and maybe people would even see me pull it as the sun came up.

They said, "Trickety-trock, trickety-trock, all right, all right."

"That's better, that's better", I puffed. Clouds of smoke and steam poured from my funnel into the cold air and the fire's light shone brightly. It was cold, but I didn't mind because of my fire.

"Hurry, hurry, hurry", I panted. We were going well. The light grew better, signal lights shone green as we passed. Then, a yellow signal appeared ahead. Driver prepared to stop, but the home signal was down. Later on, we found out why, but at the time, we had no way to know what to think.

Driver said, "All clear, Henry. Away we go."

We couldn't know the switches from the main line into a siding were frozen., and a home signal should have been set at danger, but snow had forced it down. A freight train was waiting in a siding to let The Flying Kipper pass, and a driver and fireman were drinking cocoa in the caboose. I could hear the crew of that train talk as we got close.

"The Kipper is due", said the conductor.

"Who cares", said the fireman. "This is good cocoa."

The driver got up and said, "Come on, fireman. Back to our engine."

They got out just in time, as we hit the brakevan of that other train and I derailed.

My driver and fireman had jumped clear before the crash, but I lay dazed and surprised. Sir Topham Hatt came to see me after I recovered from being knocked unconscious.

"The signal was down, sir", I said, unhappy about my accident. I knew I was heavily damaged and wondered what would happen to me.

"Cheer up, Henry. It wasn't your fault. Ice and snow caused the accident. I'm sending you to Crewe, a fine place for sick engines. They'll give you a new shape and a larger firebox. You'll feel a different engine and you won't need special coal anymore. Won't that be nice?"

"Yes, sir," I said doubtfully. I liked being at Crewe, but was glad to come home. A crowd of people waited to see me arrive in my new shape. I looked so splendid and strong that they gave me three cheers. It was good to be back on Sodor with all my friends and to see how happy everyone was to see me.

Peep! Peep!, I whistled. "Thank you very much!"

A lot of little children were often late for school, because they waited to see me go by. They could often see me pulling the Express. I did it so well that Gordon was jealous. But that's another story. Because that Express goes to the Mainland, Pip and Emma now handle it, because there's no coal and water on that route. Only heritage railways have that on the Mainland. However, when the timetable allowed for an engine change where our railway meets The Other Railway and when they were still using steam regularly, I filled it when Gordon was unable to take the Express.

A/N For anybody new to this work, I'm not British, they are. Sometimes I translate to my country's terminology as my country's dub of the show did. I pretend this is their dictation and is present day. The bit I added to the end is from James A Williams, which is how I learned The Railway Series version of the timeline, including Pip and Emma.