A/N: Well, we're approaching the 200th chapter, so its time to do something big. And then it came to me, what movie is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year? Yeah, I'm off by about a month, but if I don't start now I'll never get it done, so yeah. Enjoy!

Index:

Normal text- description

"words"- Dialogue

Italics- Narration

Chapter 193: Thomas and the Magic Railroad Part 1: 10 out of 10

Sit down and let me tell you a story. A story about two places, not so different yet so far apart, and the adventure of a lifetime that brought them together.

My story begins on Sodor, and Island just off the coast of England where Steam runs as if it never died, and where dark clouds never last long.

Knapford Station was busy as always, with trainloads of people leaving every minute to across the Island and beyond. Over at Ffarquhar, Thomas checked his watch, muttering to himself.

"Bother the bridge work. If I don't meet this connection, Gordon will never let me hear the end of it."

That's Thomas, the hero of our story. He drives the Number One engine on The North Western Railway, Sodor's only standard gauge railway. But on this very day, Thomas was running very late.

Gordon stood impatiently at the junction, eyeing the station clock crossly.

"Five, six, seven, eight…"

Then there's Gordon, the head express driver. He has a big heart, but an even bigger head. He hates having to wait, and was in no mood for whatever excuse Thomas had.

At last, Thomas drove into the station, wiping sweat from his brow in exhaustion.

"Sorry I'm late, Gordon, but Bertie was late to the station, then there was a cow on the line, and the bridge work…"

"Thomas? Please tell me what that sign says over there."

Thomas squinted, spotting a small sign posted at the end of the platform.

"Sodor Railway, really reliable and right on time. Signed, Sir Topham Hatt."

"Well, you weren't right on time, were you? Do you know how many seconds late you were? I'll tell you, 10 seconds. If it weren't for the fact that this was a guaranteed connection, I would've left by now."

"Give it a rest, Gordon, you know the bridge work comes first. Sir Topham Hatt wants to make sure to avoid any accidents due to weak infrastructure. Anyway, I don't have the time to deal with this right now, I have to get ready. Sir Topham Hatt wants me to collect Mr. Conductor."

Gordon sniffed indignantly.

"Pah. I don't understand why he'd let you take him and not me. After all, you just drive a little tank engine. My engine has pulled the royal train!"

"Never overlook a little engine, Gordon. Besides, he probably chose me because he didn't want Mr. Conductor winding up in a ditch."

"Oh, that was one time! Besides, I think we're more than capable of taking care of ourselves without needing a babysitter."

Just then, a large and fast British Rail Class 42 zoomed past, kicking up dust and dirt as it flew past. From the open window, they heard:

"GET OUT OF MY WAY! I'VE GOT UNFINISHED BUSINESS HERE, AND I WANT TO FINISH IT FAST!"

Gordon and Thomas stared in shock, unsure of what just happened.

"What was that?"

"If I had to take a guess, I'd say it the new engine driver. Sir Topham Hatt said he'd agree to give a new diesel from The Other Railway a trial. And something tells me he's going to be trouble."

Gordon mopped his head, shaking.
"Erm, well, as I was saying, perhaps we do need Mr. Conductor here after all."

Later, Thomas was backing his engine into the washdown, wanting it to look its best for when he collected Mr. Conductor. But he wasn't watching where he was going and crashed right into the buffers. James was nearby and couldn't help but chuckle.

"Clumsy today, are we? Maybe I should collect Mr. Conductor, at least I know when to apply the brakes."

"Well, that's why the buffers are there, to help us stop when we aren't able to on our own."

Before the men could work on Thomas, the new engine rolled up. The driver marched out and snarled at the workers.

"Alright, clean her up and make it snappy. I've got places to be."

"Hey, we were here first!"

"Wait your turn!"

The driver spat at them, sneering.

"Why should I? Your old rust buckets are making my engine dirty just by being near them. Once I'm done here, your tea pots will be lying in the scrap heap."

"Not if Sir Topham Hatt has anything to say about it."

The man laughed, his voice echoing around the yard.

"We'll see. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got some searching to do."

Searching for what?"

"Searching for none of ya business, that's what. But when I find her, it'll be goodbye Sodor!"

"Her?"

"Umm, I can see that I've said too much."

With that, the man drove off, leaving Thomas and James very confused.

"Hey! Who are you!"

"Who I am is none of your concern. But you may call me… Diesel 10."

A/N: And thus, my most ambitious project yet begins! Now, those of you who have been reading my stories for a while know that this is not my first attempt at the movie, and that three years ago I attempted to do it while combining it with Hero of the Rails. For those of you wondering when I'll continue it, the answer is never. I'm sorry, but after a while I realized that I was way in over my head and was trying to do too much in not enough time. But this time I know what I want to do and how to accomplish it. For those of you who are more recent to the story, ignore everything I just said.

Anyway, I hope you guys like it. As always, read, review, and enjoy!