Thomas and Ashima were at the sheds near Mettupalayam Station. After braving a storm to get their passengers home, they had spent the night with Ashima's sister, Milai. Now, they were waiting for their orders.

"So, your mountain railways don't climb mountains as much as they just travel through them?" asked Thomas.

"Exactly," Ashima replied.

Just then, the Shed Master arrived. "Thomas and Ashima, you will take the next passenger train to Varkala. Milai, please collect some trucks to help clear the storm damage."

"Yes, Sir," said the engines.

As Thomas and Ashima made their way back to Varkala, they could see storm damage everywhere. When they reached the Station, Charubala was waiting for them with the other engines. "Welcome back, you two. There is a lot of work today. Last night's storm has made a mess of everything."

"Is everyone alright?" Thomas asked.

"Yes, but there is still a lot to clean up."

Charubala sent Thomas to clear some fallen trees with the breakdown cranes. The trees had damaged the buildings, and everyone was looking worried.

As Thomas worked, he noticed some children gathered under some trees while a woman was talking to them. Ashima arrived with some supplies. "What are those children doing?" Thomas asked.

"That's one of the town's school classes," said Ashima. "The school must have been damaged too."

"But why are they having their class under the trees?"

"A lot of school classes are like that around here. Either some children live too far away, or a regular school is too expensive, but their parents do what they can to help them learn." Ashima sighed. "I wonder how many other schools have been hit this badly."

As Ashima went about her work, she noticed more school children outside than usual. She felt sorry for them and so did the other engines when she told them that evening.

"How worrying," said Noor Jehan. "That storm was worse than we thought."

Even Shankar looked worried. "Who knows how long it will be before all the schools are fixed."

"It's too bad not all their parents work for the railway," said Ashima. "Then, they could just go to the railway schools."

"What are they?" Thomas asked.

"If some people work for the railway, their children can go to a school that is run by the railway," Ashima explained.

Then, an idea flew into Thomas' funnel. "That's it!" he whistled.

"What's 'it'?" asked Rajiv.

"Well, you see," said Thomas, "back on Sodor, when the school at Harwick was damaged in a storm, we were told it would take a long time to repair it. My friend, Duck, found an old coach with broken axels called Dexter who wanted to be useful again. So, Duck took him to Harwick where they repaired him and turned him into a classroom behind the Station."

Shankar was confused. "What good does that do for us?"

"When I was in Canada," Thomas continued, "Marshall told me about school coaches. A long time ago, some children lived to far away to go to school, so the railway brought the school to them. The coaches were turned into classrooms, but unlike Dexter, engines took them wherever they were needed."

"That…could actually work," said Ashima. "We'll tell Charubala in the morning."

The engines hoped Charubala would agree; as indeed she did. "That's a wonderful idea, Thomas," she said. "I will speak to the School Board at once."

The school board liked Thomas' idea too and everyone set to work. Shankar and Asher collected some spare coaches from the Shunting Yards and took them to the workshop. Then, Noor Jehan took the coaches all over the railway collecting supplies from the schools.

At last, everything was ready, and Noor Jehan left early with the first school train, stopping at every town where children were waiting. "Train School is now in session!" she called.

The children were very excited and as the days passed, they came with their parents to thank Thomas for his help. "I was only trying to be Really Useful," said Thomas modestly.

"And you were," said Charubala proudly, "and that is why we have decided to call this new train 'Thomas' Train School'."

The engines honks and whistles were downed in everyone's cheers and Thomas smiled from buffer to buffer.