Thomas & Friends Season 12 Reimagined

Rosie's Funfair Special

The funfair was coming to Sodor. The engines looked forward to seeing the children's happy faces.

Rosie had heard all about the funfair from the other engines and she was more excited than anyone to see it. She hoped she could take some of the children there.

However, she was surprised when The Fat Controller gave her a different job: to be the back engine for the funfair special.

"Oh wow," peeped Rosie, "I never thought I'd get to take the special! That is exciting!"

Rosie puffed along towards Brendam Docks. She was in a very excitable mood.

When she arrived, BoCo was there. He was talking to Salty.

"That's a special job, me harty!" oiled Salty, "You'll be the pride o' the island!"

"I was certainly surprised to be chosen," said BoCo gratefully, "I wonder who will be my back engine. Sir Topham Hatt didn't say."

Rosie realised that BoCo was to pull the funfair special. She then thought about what Salty had said.

'Whoever pulls this train will be the pride of the island. Maybe if I ask nicely, that could be me!'

However, when Rosie asked BoCo if she could be the front engine, he didn't seem convinced.

"I hear you're a good shunter," offered BoCo, "maybe that's why Sir Topham Hatt chose you to be my back engine. He'll have his reasons for doing things the way he does."

"I am a good shunter," said Rosie slowly, "but I'm good at pulling trains too!"

"Well," sighed BoCo, "I suppose it wouldn't do too much harm."

Rosie peeped and cheered. She hurried off to turn around.

Cranky, who had been keeping quiet this whole time, groaned, "Are you really going to just let her have her way?"

"Oh, Cranky," laughed Salty, "ya do tend to see the worst in engines." He then left to do some other work.

"I don't want to let her get away with that," said BoCo to Cranky. He fell silent. He then began thinking aloud. "What to do?"

Suddenly, Cranky's expression became very mischievous.

"What if you play a trick on her?" he said before explaining his idea.

BoCo liked the idea.

"Let's just hope she didn't hear you shouting all of that," he murmured.

Soon, Rosie returned. She was raring to go.

"Come on, slow coach!" she puffed cheekily.

"Oh yes, sorry," said BoCo before making his way to the back of the train.

Rosie, blissfully unaware, set off as soon as she was coupled to the train. Little did she know, she had left half of it behind.

She steamed across the island, full of pride and joy. Children were delighted to see her and cheered and clapped whenever they did.

"Everyone loves my funfair special!" she chuffed. She was so happy pulling the train, she completely forgot about BoCo.

BoCo was pulling the other half of the train. He had to take a different route to Maithwaite, where the funfair was to take place, so that Rosie wouldn't see him. He hoped he wouldn't be late.

Rosie had to stop at a signal. Duck was already there. He saw what Rosie was pulling and was very puzzled.

"I thought BoCo was pulling the funfair special," he huffed.

"Oh, we agreed to swap places," Rosie said brightly, "I was going to be the back engine but he let me be the front engine instead."

When Rosie's signal turned green and she pulled away, Duck saw that she didn't have a back engine.

"Where is BoCo, then?" he called.

"Flatten my funnel!" cried Rosie, "I must have left before he was coupled up!"

Rosie felt bad but she decided it was too risky to go back and find BoCo; she worried she might be late if she did. So, she chuffed on towards Maithwaite.

'I'm going along quite easily anyway,' she thought, 'I don't think I needed a back engine after all.'

When Rosie reached Maithwaite, The Fat Controller was waiting. He was shocked to see her pulling the train.

"Why are you pulling the funfair special, Rosie?" he demanded, "I told you to be BoCo's back engine."

"But BoCo said I could," wheeshed Rosie.

The Fat Controller looked for BoCo. He saw that half the train was missing.

"Well, BoCo isn't here to confirm that. It's a good thing you don't need a back engine to pull only half the train," he said sarcastically.

Rosie was shocked. She had never realised she didn't have the whole train with her and she didn't know where the rest of it was.

"You must find the rest of the special," boomed The Fat Controller, "otherwise, there won't be a funfair for the children."

Rosie had to think quickly.

"I'm sure BoCo knows where the rest of the train is. Maybe he is even pulling it!" she wheeshed quietly. This theory actually made sense so she kept thinking along these lines. "He can't be behind me because Duck didn't see him at the signal. He must have gone a different way!"

Rosie hurried back towards Brendam Docks. She thought that she could figure out which route BoCo took from there.

On the way back, she passed several engines. Every time she did, she told them to look for the rest of the funfair special. The more engines who were looking for it, the quicker it would be found.

Once she arrived, her eyes darted from track to track.

Cranky was very amused.

"Looking for the rest of your train, Rosie?" he taunted.

"It's not funny!" snapped Rosie, "Where did the rest of it go? There won't be a funfair if I don't find it!"

Cranky told Rosie about the trick BoCo had pulled.

Rosie was upset but she knew she had been wrong. She just wished that she hadn't caused BoCo to take the rest of the train. In a way, the delays were her fault.

Once he was convinced that Rosie was sorry, Cranky told her which way BoCo had gone. Rosie quickly thanked him and rushed off.

However, she eventually found out that BoCo had made it to Maithwaite just fine.

Once she had said sorry, Rosie asked BoCo what had happened.

"Oh, someone had an accident on the track I took," laughed BoCo, "but luckily for me, Harvey had heard that you were looking for me and so he had been on the lookout. The track got cleared pretty quickly!"

"Wow," chuffed Rosie. She was amazed at this stroke of luck. "Well, let's avoid this confusion next time, eh? I'll be your back engine."

The two engines chuckled.

"You know," said BoCo, "I didn't see many people on my way here. I didn't exactly get to feel like the pride of the island."

Rosie felt terrible hearing this.

"You missed out on the best bit of the job," she said sadly.

"No, I didn't," said BoCo with a smile, "the best bit of the job will be seeing the children when the funfair is up and running!"

"Will you get to do that bit?"

"Why, yes. Sir said it was our treat for taking the special."

"Our...?" Rosie whispered. Then, she smiled the broadest smile she had smiled all day.