A Better View for Gordon
Thomas & Friends is copyright to Mattel and the Awdry family. I own nothing.
One morning, Gordon was feeling grumpy. This was making James cross. "Why're you complaining all the time?" he challenged.
"Because I'm a big engine and I know everything. I shall complain whenever I want." retorted Gordon pompously. "You're just a small engine with ideas above your station."
"I can't see any." said Percy. "Where are they?"
"Any what?"
"Ideas above the station. The sky's empty."
"Like your smokebox, Percy." laughed James, but Gordon was still grumpy.
"One day I'll show you just what a big engine can really do." he vowed.
"So what can a big engine really do?" asked Percy.
"Not speak to silly little tank engines for a start." retorted Gordon, and he puffed away in a dignified manner.
~8~
Later that day, the Fat Controller came to see him. "Gordon, you'll be making one stop today with an empty express to test our new station at Kirk Ronan. You can make up time afterwards."
"Why can't Henry do it? He loves idling in stations!" grumbled Gordon.
"You will do as you're told." came the blunt reply, and so Gordon did.
But he was still unhappy, and presently, he began to feel sick too. "I just can't get up to speed." he moaned as he puffed along the line.
The fireman toiled away on the shovel to try and keep steam pressure up, but still the needle on the gauge kept dropping. "Hmm, I think your tubes must be blocked." he said.
At last, they approached the new station. It was built on a ledge overlooking the town of Kirk Ronan. It was a large, grand station and Gordon was impressed, but his mood soon changed. At the end of the platform was nothing but a blank wall and buffers. "What a boring view!" he grunted. "Important engines like me should have a panoramic view, where I can see people and people can see me." And he wheeshed angrily.
Gordon was happy when it was time to leave. "Now you really can enjoy your run, as long as your tubes will let you." said his driver.
~8~
"Come on, come on, I can faster then this!" huffed Gordon as he headed for home. "Sick, me? Never!" But he spoke too soon. With a shrieking crack, something broke and Gordon found himself in a cloud of steam and feeling more and more feeble. All he could do was crawl into a siding out of the way of the main line. "What happened?" he exclaimed.
His driver and fireman examined him carefully. "One of your tubes burst, Gordon." said the fireman. "You'll have to go to the Works for a complete re-tube."
Presently, James arrived to collect the coaches. "Well, well, well, so much for knowing about everything." he laughed. "You got too puffed up in your boiler, so it serves you right."
"Pah!" seethed Gordon.
~8~
When Gordon returned from the Works a few days later, he was still boasting. "I am the finest engine on this island, probably even the finest in the country."
The other engines weren't impressed. "Pride comes before a fall, Gordon." warned Duck.
Just then, the Fat Controller arrived. "Come on, Gordon, we're going to the official opening of the new station." He climbed into Gordon's cab, and they set off.
All went well until they approached the new station, then disaster struck. Neither the driver or fireman could apply the brakes. The handle was stuck firmly in the off position and nothing anybody could do would shift it. The driver shut off steam and threw the reverser hard over, while the fireman screwed the tender handbrake hard down, but Gordon was still going too fast. Whistling in horror, he slid into the station, crashed through the buffers, mounted the concourse and burst through the end wall, coming to rest with his front end peering out over the town below. "Help me, please!" he wailed.
Fortunately, the driver, fireman and Fat Controller had all escaped with only minor injuries and they borrowed a scissor lift to inspect the damage. "Well, Gordon," said the Fat Controller dryly, "I knew you wanted a panoramic view, but this is not the way to achieve it."
"Yes, sir. Sorry, sir." muttered Gordon.
"You'll have to go back to the Works and be mended properly this time." continued the Fat Controller. "Meanwhile, we'll have to call the builders back in to fix this mess." He looked at the wrecked wall and an idea suddenly occurred to him. "Hmm, I wonder..."
~8~
After Gordon had been repaired again, he took the Fat Controller to the new station for it's second official opening. This time, his brakes worked properly and everyone clapped and cheered as he glided smoothly to a stop at the end of the platform. There he saw that the builders had left a hole in the shape of his smokebox in the end wall. The Fat Controller stepped out of the coach and unveiled a plaque next to the hole proclaiming it to be 'Gordon's view', then he spoke to the Big Engine. "Your panoramic view is here to stay. I trust that you will always see through it from the safety of yer own rails."
Gordon heartily agreed.
Author's notes: Thought I'd do another quick series 5 adaptation, this time it's A Better View for Gordon, featuring one of TTTE's most memorable crashes. Gordon's spectacular crash in this episode was based on a real-life accident that occurred at Paris Gare Montpamasse in 1895, where a train failed to stop at the end of the platform, ran across the concourse and crashed through the end wall and out onto the street outside. Now that would certainly have been quite a surprise to anyone walking along the street! So, that's all for now, folks. See you in the next story!