…
Britt: Alright, Starr and Carlin, this episode is gonna be a game changer.
Starr: How so?
Carlin: Guess we'll find out.
…
For the past three weeks since the trucks incident, Thomas had been shunting trucks in the yard, Edward had been mentoring him.
"Okay Thomas, those trucks go in that siding and don't let them stop you." advised Edward.
"Oh I won't." replied Thomas.
Every day, STH/TFC had come to the station (most likely Knapford) to catch his train.
At the sheds, Thomas was just taking on water while Edward rested in the actual sheds.
"Hello!" He always said to Thomas. "Don't let those silly trucks screw you over."
"I think Edward told me that before, sir." said Thomas.
"Anyway, I see you can be a really useful engine." replied STH.
Thomas then hurried off to find some trucks while Henry randomly puffed by in the distance.
…
As Thomas shunted some trucks, tankers, and vans into place (likely beating some up that dared mock him), he noticed a small green coach and two strange things his driver called cranes.
"What do they do?" asked Thomas The Curious Engine.
"They lift heavy things such as engines, trucks, and other stuff." explained his driver.
On one specific day, Thomas was just shunting some trucks and a milk tanker he had found. He heard an engine whistling.
"Help! Help me!" wailed the engine.
The freight train rushed past at a dangerous speed.
"FASTER! FASTER!" yelled the trucks.
The Number 5 tender engine's name was James, and he was frightened, as his brake blocks were on fire.
"I don't wanna go any faster, oh I'm gonna die!" wailed James.
The insane trucks ignored him as they pushed him on and on down the line.
"HHEELLLLPP!" whistled James as he flew down the line and promptly disappeared.
Thomas, understandably shocked by what he just saw, knew what to do.
"I'd ought to teach those trucks a lesson they won't forget." said Thomas.
Soon came the alarm.
"James is off the line! Someone get the breakdown train quickly!" shouted a signalman.
Thomas, having used the turntable offscreen, went to go get the breakdown train and was coupled up almost instantly.
He soon puffed down the line.
"Hurry hurry hurry!" puffed Thomas as he worked his hardest.
He really meant it, as he wasn't pretending to be like Gordon, knowing what happened the last time he did that.
"I swear, those trucks and their tricks are gonna be the death of us." he muttered as 87546 passed by him from the opposite way laughing.
…
James, having suffered a pretty bad crash offscreen, groaned in pain.
His driver and fireman felt him all over to make sure he wasn't hurt.
"Oh, my head.." groaned James.
"Never mind, James." said his driver. "It was those stupid trucks and wooden brakes that caused this accident."
"Oh, you think?!" replied James.
Thomas soon arrived with the breakdown train, and saw why 87546 was laughing.
"Help has arrived, dear James." said Thomas.
"Finally!" sighed James.
Thomas then pulled away the unhurt trucks.
"Oh dear!" groaned the unhurt trucks, aware of the beating Thomas was about to give them.
"Serves you right!" replied Thomas angrily.
…
He was hard at work all day, puffing backwards and forwards all afternoon, beating up some trucks.
He even biffed one truck into another one held up by cranes.
"Yes it will!" cried another truck as Thomas took it away and beat it up offscreen.
…
After James' tender had been put back on the rails first, they slowly put James back on the rails.
"Careful there! I plan on looking my best." said James.
"James, you already look like crap at the moment." remarked Thomas.
Soon, James was back on the rails.
He tried to move, but he couldn't. So Thomas helped him back to the shed.
"Ready to head home?" asked Thomas.
"Yes, and thank you for rescuing me." replied James.
The two friends soon headed home.
…
STH was waiting anxiously for them, as Edward, Henry, Gordon, Eagle, and 87546 all waited.
"Well, Thomas." he said. "I've heard all about it and I'm very pleased with you. You're a really useful engine.
Thomas beamed.
"James shall have a new coat of paint and new proper brake blocks, and you should have a branchline all to yourself." said STH.
"Oh thank you, sir!" said Thomas happily.
…
Now Thomas is as happy as can be, now having a branchline, and two orange coaches named Annie and Clarabel. The two coaches were different, as they had faces, painted on but still.
He proudly puffs backwards and forwards with them all day.
He is also never lonely, as Edward, Henry, and sometimes Eagle would stop by and tell him all about what's happening on the mainline.
"And that's how Gordon got demoted to goods work that week!" chortled Henry.
"He never!" laughed Thomas.
Gordon himself, pulling the express, was always in a hurry.
"Boop boop, Little Thomas!" laughed Gordon.
"Peep peep! In return." replied Thomas.