Early the next morning, Rosie and Dennis were arranging trucks at coaches at Vicarstown. Henry had just finished with his Flying Kipper run and was getting ready to take his next goods train for the mainland.

"Hello, Rosie… hello, Dennis." Henry gave a yawn.

"You're looking tired, Henry," said Rosie. "Are you feeling alright?"

"I had to take the Flying Kipper, go back to Tidmouth and then wake up and come all the way back up here," he yawned.

"Oh dear," said Dennis. "You must be exhausted. Guess it was a good thing James came early, so you could take a break."

"Wait, James was here?!" Henry looked over at the gray diesel with a baffled expression. "But that was supposed to be my train!"

"Er… Dennis," said Rosie, "you did realize James was put on the Peel Godred branch for the time being?"

"He was?"

"You were sleeping through Annabelle's briefing yesterday!" grunted Rosie. "I swear…"

"Never mind that," said Henry. "I don't think she'll be pleased to hear about this sudden change."

"Wh-what?!" cried Annabelle. "He's taken the train to Bridlington? Oh… I can't get Henry to do James' job on the branch; he's too heavy!"

"Annabelle," said Henry gently, "breathe."

The Railway Girl took a few deep breaths and gave a small nod at the green engine. "Thank you, Henry. Okay… let's think about this. Uncle Charles and Grandfather Bertram always say that controllers need to rearrange the schedule if these problems arise… hmm," She pondered for a moment. "Henry, could you pass the message that Rosie needs to work at the Peel Godred branch for the time being?"

"Of course I can," said Henry.

"That means Dennis will need to manage the shunting at Vicarstown solo," grunted Bear. "I hope he won't slack."

Annabelle put a hand to her chin, and clicked her fingers. "Thanks for telling me, Bear…"

"Ah…" sighed Dennis contently. "Time for a quick nap."

"Oh no, ye don't!" snapped Murdoch, whistling sharply. "We're already down James; we dinnae need ye tae be slacking off too!"

"Alright, alright…" grumbled Dennis. "Just give me a few minutes, big fella…"

"More like no minutes if you ask me!" scoffed Amanda, having just come up from behind.

"I see he hasn't changed a bit," said another voice.

"Aye," grunted Murdoch. "Sorry ye had tae see this Derek… wait, Derek?!"

That woke Dennis up. "Derek?!" he gasped. "You and Bear are both back?!"

"Indeed," said Derek. "I got a bit held up at the mainland the other day, but now I'm here to help with the airport traffic. You wouldn't happen to know where my coaches are, would you?"

"Er… I'll get to that right now!" Dennis scampered away.

"Yes, you'd better," said Amanda. "Don't worry, Murdoch; I'll get your trucks."

"Thanks, Amanda," smiled Murdoch. "Losh sakes… the railway's lak a madhouse…"

"I can tell," said Derek. "Say, what happened to James? Did he crash or something?"

"Took Henry's train fer Bridlington, and so Annabelle's had tae rearrange our schedules around it," explained Murdoch. "Who knows when James is expected back?"

"You know these mainland trains, Murdoch," said Derek. "He'll be gone for a day or two and come straight back. And with Bear, BoCo and I finally home, we can get the railway in shape before he does."

"Aye, yer timing couldnae have been better," sighed Murdoch with feeling. "We need all the help we can get."

Meanwhile, James was taking Henry's goods train to Bridlington.

"Oh, this is great!" he grinned as he crossed a viaduct. "I'm on an adventure across the mainland! Look at that big building over there. I wonder what that factory makes. And those houses are bright red, like me!"

"What are you going on about James?" asked a van behind him.

"Everything!" he exclaimed. "Look around you; you're on the mainland now!"

"Ooh," scoffed the van. "What's so special about the mainland?"

"It's just grass and trees as far as I can see," remarked a tanker.

"Lucky you," said a plank wagon. "All I can see is another truck's backside!"

The trucks all laughed and laughed, but James paid no attention.

"There are lots of new things to see here," he grinned. "The buildings are different, and the bridges, and… oh, wow! There's lots of engines passing through here. I think we're getting closer to Bridlington!"

James was now approaching a very busy junction with several tracks going off in many directions; there was even a bridge going over them! James began to feel a bit anxious.

"Ohh, which way's Bridlington?" he asked. "I hope the points are set for us to go there!"

"Maybe we'll go to Lostville," said the van.

"Or Confusing Town," said the tanker.

"Castle Who-Knows Where!" the plank truck interjected.

"Off-the-Map Central!"

"Oh, you silly trucks!" grunted James. "You're going to distract my driver and fireman at this rate!"

The red engine rumbled over some points under a bridge. Little did James realize that Pip and Emma were passing over the bridge.

"Hey, Pip!" Emma cried. "Isn't that James down there?"

"Bless me!" her sister exclaimed. "I think it is. Hey, James! Good to see you down here!"

But James was so busy arguing with the trucks that he didn't hear the high speed diesels call out to him. Nor did he realize that up ahead, the points had been set in the wrong direction by a signalman-in-training. Unfortunately, James nearly collided with a passenger train.

"Watch out!" cried Christopher.

"Sorry, Christopher!" called James. "Ugh… I'd better get more luck soon…"

The Class 47 raised an eyebrow as he was out of earshot. "James…? No, that can't be…" But of course, it was…

Back on Sodor, the engines were pleased to see Derek home again, but tensions were still high.

"James just had to run off when we're getting the bulk of the summer traffic," sighed Gordon.

"Maybe he wouldn't have left if you hadn't been so nasty to him!" snapped Henry. "If you had just shut your mouth, and stopped blaming him for Edward leaving, none of this would have happened!"

"Indeed," said Derek. "Why can't you be happy for Edward, especially considering BoCo came back before Bear and I did?"

"BoCo?!" gasped Gordon. "He's… he's home too?"

"Indeed he is," said a well-known voice. The Metropolitan-Vickers diesel rolled into Knapford alongside Derek. "And this was the absolute last thing that we were hoping to come home to."

"I deeply apologize for that, you two," said Henry.

"Don't be, Henry," soothed Derek. "This isn't your fault."

"Say, BoCo," said Henry, "I thought you were still working on the Brendam branch."

"I am," sighed BoCo, "but because of all the rescheduling, I was put on airport traffic with Derek for now. Besides, they need time to construct my berth at Wellsworth sheds anyway."

"I hate to keep you apart from Edward," said Derek. "I hope we get this under control soon."

"So do I…" Gordon said quietly.

Back on the mainland…

"Ugh…" sighed James. "Surely, we have to be close now!"

"And whose fault would that be?" snorted the van.

"You got us completely lost," scoffed the plank wagon.

James tried to argue against that, but he couldn't help but admit he was farther from his destination than he wanted. Due to the confusion at the junction, he was now puffing down a line hidden deep within a forest. His crew were becoming concerned.

"We'd best find a water tower or coal hopper soon," said the fireman, showing how low the tender was becoming. "Otherwise, we'll end up stranded."

"Maybe I should have asked Dennis to shunt a water tanker and extra coal trucks on my train," muttered James. "Not that he would have paid attention, anyway…"

As James puffed further into the forest, he caught a glimpse of what looked to be a rundown yard. And yet, there seemed to be no engines there. At least, for a moment…

"Well, hellooooo there!"

"Aah!"

Suddenly, out of nowhere, an unfamiliar engine began backing towards James… or were they puffing forwards toward him? James didn't know which, but they were one of the most unusual engines he'd ever seen, with their cab and smokebox opposite of where they were meant to go in relation to the boiler… and their face was on their cab!

"Come on out, Theo. It's a visitor!" the cab-forward engine called. "It's another engine; we have company!"

Out of the corner of the yard, a small railway traction engine slowly backed out to see what all the commotion was. He had a cab, and many gears on his right side.

"That's Theodore; Theo for short," the cab-forward engine explained to James. "He's shy. Lack of confidence. He thinks he looks awkward and uncoordinated. Poor wee cinnamon roll…"

Theo managed to meet James' eye level. "A-are you being scrapped?"

"Scrapped?!" James gawked.

"Dumped. Disassembled. Taken to pieces."

"I know what that means!" huffed James. "And I most certainly am not being scrapped! I happen to be pulling an important goods train."

"Not very well," a truck muttered, causing the rest of the trucks to cackle teasingly.

"Well, that's not fair!" scoffed James. "I've had a few problems, but… maybe you can help me out here?"

Theo jumped! "Us?!" he squeaked. "Help you?"

"Mmm… I don't think soooo," the cab-forward engine sang cheekily. "Nope, nope, nope, you're barking up the wrong branch line there, buddy boy!"

And I nearly got one too… James thought. Before Thomas came along, I was meant to be next in line for the Ffarquhar branch… Thankfully, he snapped out of his thoughts to talk to the rather odd engines in front of him. "What I meant was, if you could help me find some coal or water."

"Oh, we can help with that," grinned the cab-forward engine. "Back up, Theo! Baaack up!" The little traction engine rolled back. "Coal and water is no problem at all. We are fully stocked up on the coal and water department in case our crew comes to add new parts or make improvements."

Theo had backed up to a coal hopper, which was right in front of the water tower. But to his surprise, James stayed where he was.

"Say, Lexi," he asked the cab-forward engine, "why isn't he following us?"

"Hmm, I'm not sure," pondered Lexi, before shouting out to James, "Why aren't you following us?!"

"Maybe it's because I'm out of coal," remarked James. "Just a thought!"

"He's out of coal," Lexi explained to Theo.

"Oh…"

"Come on," Lexi called, backing up. "You'll have to take him to the coal hopper."

"Me?!" Theo jumped as he reluctantly chuffed forward. "Oh…"

"Come on, Theo!" encouraged Lexi. In no time, Theo was coupled up to James.

How's a little traction engine like him going to be able to pull someone like me? James pondered in his thoughts. He soon got his answer when Theo couldn't budge an inch.

"Maybe uncouple the trucks, then give it the old one-two," suggested Lexi. Once that was done, Theo managed to pull James, albeit slowly, to the coal hopper.

"You know, Theo," said James, "BoCo told us in his letters that he met a railway traction engine on the Bluebell Railway."

"Oh!" gasped Theo. "Th-that's my b-big brother, F-Fergus. I-I'm glad he managed to find a h-home."

"You mean… you and Lexi don't have a home?" asked James; by now, he was filling up on coal.

"I'm afraid not," sighed Lexi. "You see… er… oh, pardon me, I don't believe we caught your name."

"James."

"You see, James," continued Lexi, "me and Theo were ridiculed because we were experimental. I'm cab-forward, and Theo has more cogs on him than your standard railway traction engine."

"W-we just couldn't t-take it anymore," Theo added; he was now moving James to the water tower.

"Take… what, anymore?"

"The c-criticisms," Theo went on. "N-n-no matter how hard we t-t-tried, no one a-a-appreciated us."

"Aye," Lexi confirmed. "So we quit our old jobs, and decided to find a new home where we would be respected despite our odd appearances."

"Th-this was as best as w-we could do," Theo sighed. "A-at least our crews try to make it fun for us, and Merlin's a good friend too."

"Who's… Merlin?" asked James. "I don't see any other engine here; it's just us three."

"Oh, you wouldn't have seen Merlin," chuckled Lexi. "He's a stealth engine!" they added in a deep voice.

"Stealth engine?" wondered James. "What's that?"

"Stealth engines are designed to be hard to see," Lexi explained, taking on a French accent. "Out of sight… Poof! Invisible…"

"A real invisible engine?" James gasped in amazement.

"Well…" Theo chuckled innocently. "He's always disappearing. Oh! Your tender's overflowing."

"Whoa, nelly!" cried Lexi. "Filled up to the brim!" James' driver removed the water tap from the tender, and backed down towards his train.

"Thanks again," James complimented. He was just about to leave when he remembered something. "Do either of you know the way to Bridlington goods yard?"

"Bridlington?" asked Lexi. "Er… no idea."

"Sorry, no," shrugged Theo.

"Oh…" sighed James. "Well, thanks anyway, you two." He set off again. "If I didn't get turned around at that junction, I'd have been there by now…"

Author's Comments

Chapter three is here, and from this point onward, we're more or less following the trajectory of the official Journey Beyond Sodor, only with James in Thomas' place. As a matter of fact, other than the two first chapters, Thomas will be mostly absent in the rewrite! So will Beresford, as while I don't have an issue with his presence in the actual special, I've cut his subplot in order to streamline the story a bit; plus, he's actually a Sodor resident per All Engines Go. Theo and Lexi (who's now non-binary) still have a presence in the story, however, and you'll be seeing more of them much later on.

Next time, our next destination on the mainland is The Hottest Place in Town!