I do not own Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends. They are strictly the property of both the Awdry family and Britt Allcroft herself, this story is both for entertainment and never profit.
Episode 40: Gordon Goes Foreign, Planned Airdate: October 29th, 1986
It was a bright day on the Island of Sodor. Thomas and Howard were both looking over Thomas' E2 at Tidmouth sheds, they were just about finished when they heard a very familiar voice call them.
"Daddy, grandad" came the voice of a child.
Thomas and Howard both turned to see Lucy waddling towards them. Reverends Awdry and Boston enter the sheds with the other children from Rainbows Ends. Thomas and Howard both smiled when they saw Lucy coming towards them.
"Hello Lucy" said Thomas as he scooped his daughter up in his arms, "come to see me and granddad?".
"Yes daddy" replied Lucy.
"And to hear daddy tell you and your friends a story?" asked Howard.
"You took the words right out of my mouth Mr. Billinton" said Reverend Awdry in amusement.
"That I did Reverend Awdry" replied Howard.
"So, what story do you have for us today young Thomas?" asked Reverend Boston.
Thomas was about to reply to Reverend Boston's question when he, they, Lucy, Howard, and the other children heard someone arguing coming towards them. The doors leading from the bunkhouse opened and Gordon and Duck came into the sheds, from their words, they were obviously deep in argument.
"If I told you once Gordon, I've told you a thousand fucking times" argued Duck, "London is Paddington".
"Oh, piss off Duck" snapped Gordon, "London's St. Pancras now".
"Oh, don't tell me you let that prick Reginald get to you" snarked Duck.
"Are you two aware that there's children here?" asked Reverend Awdry sternly.
Gordon and Duck both looked up and sure enough they both saw Reverends Awdry and Boston staring sternly at them, Thomas and Howard were both doing the same. They both gulped when they saw that Lucy and her friends from Rainbows End were there too.
"Reverends Awdry and Boston" stammered Gordon, "what a surprise to see you here".
"What brings you and the children here today if I may ask?" asked Duck nervously.
"We had brought the children here so that young Thomas could tell them a story" said Reverend Awdry sternly, "until you two came in here, cursing up a storm".
"And may we ask what argument requires such foul language?" asked Reverend Boston sternly.
"I know what it is Reverends" said Thomas, "its about which station London is".
"And I keep telling Gordon that it is Paddington" replied Duck, "but he still thinks that its St. Pancras".
"Would you two please shut up" said Howard crossly, "Thomas is about to tell Lucy and her friends a story and you two keep barking like a pair of dogs".
This made Gordon and Duck go quiet. When they did, Reverends Awdry and Boston both turned to Thomas.
"So young Thomas have you thought of a story for us?" asked Reverend Boston.
"Indeed, I have Reverend Boston" replied Thomas, "this reminds of the time Gordon went to London".
"Will that be the story you'll be telling us today?" asked Reverend Awdry.
"Of course," said Thomas, "everybody take a seat please".
Reverends Awdry, Boston and all the children sat down whilst Thomas sat Lucy on his lap. Howard, Gordon, and Duck leaned against Thomas' E2 so they could listen to his story.
"It all began when an engine driver named Reginald visited the North Western Railway" said Thomas as he began his story.
(Story Begins)
Lots of people travel to Vicarstown station at the end of the line. Engine drivers from the Other Railway sometimes pull their trains there, these engine drivers sometimes stay the night and go home the next day. Gordon was talking to one of these drivers one day, the drivers name was Reginald. He was a well-built driver like Gordon who had jet black hair, he was the driver of a LMS Patriot Class tender engine that had recently been discovered in an abandoned engine shed in Scotland.
The three drivers, Gordon, Reginald, and Duck were sitting in the Tidmouth sheds bunkhouse kitchen one evening, they were discussing the different stations in London.
"When I was a child, I remember my dad taking in his engine to London" said Gordon, "do you know the place. It's called King's Cross".
"King's Cross" snorted Reginald, "London's Euston. Everybody knows that".
"Rubbish" said Duck, "London's Paddington. I know because I know, I worked there".
"Yeah back while you were working for that toy railway" Reginald said rudely.
"Toy railway" spluttered Duck at Reginald's insult at the Great Western Railway, "let me tell you".
Gordon, Duck and Reginald argued whilst they had their dinner, they argued until the three of them went to sleep. They even argued the next day even after Reginald had left.
"Stupid idiot" said Gordon crossly as he prepared his A1 for the express, "I've no patience".
"Stupid yourself" said Duck as he prepared his panier tank for its day's jobs, "London's Paddington. PADDINGTON, you hear?".
"Stop arguing" said James as he prepared his engine for the day, "you make me tired. You're both agreed about something anyway".
"What's that?" asked Gordon.
"London's not Euston" laughed James, "now shut up".
Gordon just grumbled as he hopped into his A1's cab and headed off to collect his coaches.
"I'm sure its King's Cross" he said to himself, "I'll go and prove it".
But that was easier said than done. London lay beyond Vicarstown at the other end of the line, Gordon would stop there once he brought the express. Another engine would then come along and take his train the other way.
"If I didn't stop" he thought, "I could go to London".
One day Gordon ran his engine right through the station without stopping. Another time he tried to start before the shunter had uncoupled his A1 from its coaches, he tried all sorts of tricks, but it was no good. Eventually Sir Topham Hatt came to see him about it.
"I don't know what's come over you Gordon" he said to him sternly one night, "but I'm putting a stop to it at once".
"Oh dear" Gordon thought sadly to himself after Sir Topham Hatt had left, "now I'll never get there".
One day Gordon brought the express to Vicarstown as usual. After the shunter uncoupled his A1 from the coaches, Gordon ran it into its siding until it was time for him to go home. Whilst waiting, Gordon decided to get himself some ham and cheese sandwiches, a pack of ready salted walkers and a coke for lunch. He finished it about 20 minutes later and when he left the café, he was that the coaches were still there much to his surprise, the passengers were also getting very cross at the delay they were in.
"Why are they still here" he said to himself in confusion, "shouldn't their engine have come and take them to London by now?".
Just then the porter ran up to him.
"Excuse me Gordon" he said, "the inspector what's to see you".
"Really" asked Gordon.
Gordon then followed the porter to where the inspector was standing, the inspector then saw Gordon coming up to him.
"You wanted to see me Sir?" asked Gordon.
"Yes Gordon" said the inspector, "I'm afraid that the engine meant to take the express to London turned over when it was coming out of the yard. I was wondering if you would like to take it to London?".
Gordon's eyes widened in excitement like a child on Christmas Day.
"Really Sir" said Gordon happily, "does Sir Topham Hatt know?".
"I just rang him there" said the inspector, "he said that its okay".
Gordon was so excited that he didn't know what to say. He just ran over to where he had left his A1 and brought it to the station platform. The shunter then coupled the coaches to his engine, soon everything was ready.
"Now I'll show them what a driver of Sir Topham Hatt can do" Gordon said to himself.
It was only a few minutes before guard blew his whistle, but Gordon thought it was ages.
"COME ON COME ON" called Gordon to it the coaches, "comeonecomeoncome!".
"We're going to town, we're going to town" sang the stewards and stewardesses in the coaches.
As Gordon left the station and passed the overturned engine. He saw that, much to his amusement, that it was Reginald.
"Now I'll prove to you that London is King's Cross" Gordon called from his cab.
"Oh fuck off" shouted Reginald, who was clearly not in the mood to hear Gordon's taunts.
Gordon's engine went slowly at first, this was because it was leaving the station. But soon it began to pick up speed, it went faster and faster until it was flying down the line. Gordon did though find that London was actually over 100 miles from Vicarstown station and Sodor in general.
"Never mind" he said to himself, "I like a good long run to stretch my engines wheels".
But all the same, he was glad when London came into sight. The next day, Sir Topham Hatt came into his office at Tidmouth, he looked at the letters that were on his desk. He saw that one of them had the London post-mark on it.
"I wonder how Gordon's getting on?" he said to himself as he picked it up.
Just then the stationmaster for Tidmouth came in holding a newspaper in his left hand, he looked excited.
"Good morning, Sir" he greeted, "have you seen the news?".
"Not yet" said Sir Topham Hatt, "why?".
"Just look at this Sir" said the stationmaster as he handed Sir Topham Hatt the newspaper.
Sir Topham Hatt took the newspaper from the stationmaster. The frontpage read "FAMOUS ENGINE DRIVER AT LONDON STATION. POLICE CALLED TO CONTROL CROWDS". Sure enough, there also a picture of Gordon on it.
"Goodness gracious me" said Sir Topham Hatt, "there's Gordon".
The next day, Gordon finally came home. He stopped his engine at Tidmouth station and hopped down from the cab to greet Sir Topham Hatt.
"Welcome home Gordon" greeted Sir Topham Hatt, "I trust that you had a good welcome in London?".
"I certainly did Sir" said Gordon, "I signed autographs until my arms ached. Both me and my engine had our pictures taken from so many different directions at once I didn't know which way to look".
"Good" smiled Sir Topham Hatt, "I expect that you enjoyed yourself. Didn't you Gordon?"
"No Sir" sighed Gordon, "I didn't".
"Really" asked Sir Topham Hatt, "why ever not?".
"London's all wrong" said Gordon sadly, "they've changed it. It's not King's Cross anymore, it's St. Pancras".
(Story Ends)
"And ever since then neither Gordon nor Duck have come to an agreement which station is London" said Thomas as he finished his story.
"Because its St. Pancras" insisted Gordon.
"Oh for the love of God Gordon" said Duck crossly, "London's Paddington. PADDINGTON you hear me".
"Here why don't you two go and have your agreement someplace else" suggested Reverend Awdry, "in case you yow decide to swear again".
"Fine by me" Gordon and Duck both said.
The two engine drivers then left whilst Reverends Awdry and Boston took the children back to Rainbows End. As they made their way back to the playschool, Reverend Awdry turned to Reverend Boston.
"You know what I don't understand Teddy" said Reverend Awdry.
"No what Wilbert?" asked Reverend Awdry.
"That Gordon, Duck and Reginald were all right" said Reverend Awdry, "and that London has over 334 stations.
And done, sorry that it took a month. But I must I'm pleased with how it turned out. Anyway, please be so kind as to leave a preview and as always see you all next time. Also, Happy Easter to you all.