Thomas & Friends Season 12 Reimagined

Blue, Bells and Bluebells

Hank was waiting at Knapford Station when Henry puffed up alongside him.

"Howdy, Henry!" peeped Hank, "How have you been?"

"Oh, I'm doing well, thank you," puffed Henry with an air of excitement, "have you heard the news?"

"What news?"

"Stepney the famous bluebell engine is going on a tour around the world! Sir Topham Hatt has agreed to lend The Bluebell Railway one of his engines until Stepney gets back but he hasn't chosen the lucky engine yet!"

Henry then told Hank all about Stepney and his little line.

"Sounds like a swell job to me!", exclaimed Hank, "Do ya think Sir Topham Hatt would pick me?"

"You could ask him if you can do the job," said Henry, "I certainly can't do it, as much as I'd love to be surrounded by bluebells every day. This railway needs me."

Hank's boiler bubbled. Maybe he would be chosen.

After thinking about this special job all day, Hank finally asked The Fat Controller about it. The Fat Controller wasn't sure.

"It's a small line, Hank, and you might not like how different the work is from pulling big passenger trains across the island."

"I think I can do it, Sir!" insisted Hank.

The Fat Controller relented.

"It will be a good learning experience," he said.

The manager of The Bluebell Railway agreed to take Hank on. He was to have a trial period on the railway while Stepney was still there to show him what to do.

"You must be Hank," peeped Stepney when Hank arrived on the railway, "Manager has told me to show you the route. If you buffer up to this train, I'll be your back engine and tell you which way to go."

Stepney and Hank were both coupled to the train, Hank at the front and Stepney at the back.

The two engines made their way around the line. Hank was in awe of the line's natural beauty.

Together, the two engines made great time. When they stopped at the station, passengers thanked both Stepney and Hank for such a lovely ride.

"Aw shucks, the passengers are so nice here!" puffed Hank.

"You're a grand engine," said Stepney, "they must have been very excited to see you! I'm sure they will be honoured to have you pulling their trains while I'm gone."

The next day, Hank was pulling a train along the line by himself for the first time. He was proud of the work he was doing and whistled grandly to his passengers.

When he reached the end of the line, however, Hank was none too pleased.

"I think these short runs will get real tiresome real quick," he chuffed to himself.

Once Hank was uncoupled from his train, he pulled out of the station. He didn't remember where to fill up with more coal and water so he went exploring.

Soon, he came to a junction. The points had been switched to the wrong track. Hank started travelling away from the railway.

"Oh, shoot," said Hank to himself. Then, he stopped and thought for a bit before speaking to his driver and fireman. "Actually, do you two think I could see where this track goes? We've got some time to spare and my wheels could use a good stretch."

Hank's driver and fireman agreed. They set off along the track.

As they travelled along, they went round bends and passed more junctions. One junction they passed had a track leading into it from the left that was partially hidden behind some bushes.

"We oughta head back," said Hank's driver after they had been travelling along for a good while, "the next train's due soon."

Hank started to head back the way he came. He was sure he could remember the way back.

"I definitely came from the left track here. And I'm pretty sure I came from the middle track here," Hank was saying to himself.

Hank was almost back at the station when he came to the junction with the partially hidden track. There was also a third track coming from the right.

"I remember comin' from the left," said Hank before starting down the hidden track.

As the foliage gradually got thicker, Hank slowly realised that he had gone the wrong way.

However, just as he was about to start heading the other way, his tender bashed against something big and heavy on the track behind him.

"Ow!" yelped Hank.

Hank's driver and fireman got out to inspect the damage.

"There ain't nothin' wrong with your tender except a scratch on the paintwork," assured his fireman.

"But what was that big object I crashed into?" asked Hank.

"Looks like part of a wall," replied his driver, "probably off of that thing to your right."

Hank looked over to his right. There, in a little clearing in the thick bushes, was an old, stone tower with a rusty old bell at the top of it. The tower looked abandoned.

"Holy moly, I've discovered somethin' time forgot!" chuffed Hank. He was over the moon.

"Right, well now we're done explorin', shall we head on back to the junction?" said his fireman.

Just as they were all getting ready to leave, they heard an engine behind them.

"Hank!" puffed Stepney, "I've been looking for you! The next train is ready to leave."

Once the piece of wall had been moved off the track, Hank followed Stepney further along the track. They soon passed a junction, then followed a track through some woods. Soon enough, Bluebell Valley Station came into view.

"I think I had better keep you company for the rest of the day if you're going to start getting lost," laughed Stepney.

Hank laughed too, then sighed, "I didn't even know I could get lost on such a small line."

Hank couldn't bring himself to feel too silly about it all, though. He had gotten the nice, long run he had wanted and he had found something that he thought was very special. He talked endlessly about his discovery and the adventure leading up to it all the way along the line.

When this journey was completed, passengers were talking about Hank's discovery as they swarmed around the station.

Some children who were waiting at the station laughed when they heard about it.

"Everyone knows about that old bell tower!" said one boy.

"We play near it all the time," said another, "I wish we could have a load of passengers talking about us."

Stepney chuckled. Hank, however, didn't find it funny.

When the time finally came for Stepney to leave, Hank was as ready as he would ever be.

The incident with the bell tower was never completely forgotten, though. Every now and then, passengers would have a giggle about the infamous blue, bell, bluebell engine pulling their trains.

Hank was very annoyed at this. He knew, however, that his work was important. He kept working hard.

The passengers could see the amount of effort Hank was putting in for them. There was no way that they could make fun of that. In the end, through all the teasing, they knew that they were being looked after by a really useful engine and they let it be known.

Hank was grateful for this. Still, he hoped that rumours wouldn't spread home. He didn't need this kind of reputation there.