Thomas and the Great War

Escape to the Mainland

Three days passed, Christopher and Thomas charted a route to the Strensall Camp on a map of England from the Fat Director's office that went from Sodor to Yorkshire and arraigned a couple of the soldiers traveling with Gordon to switch trains at Knapford Junction. By that time, it was the first of May and at Tidmouth Station, the soldiers were checked for health inspections, they got in the coaches, the guard and stationmaster walked up and down to escort the soldiers into their selected compartments. The porter banged the doors and Gordon set off for the junction where Thomas had already taken a few soldiers from the branch line, including Mr. Kyndley and Diana (who wanted to see them off) to Knapford. They arrived three minutes early before Gordon arrived.

"Here we are young Thomas; May 1st, 1943, about to send the remnants of our Regiment to war with Germany, Italy and the Empire of the Sun. We may never know what will happen to these brave men leaving their loved ones behind, but if we do, it will not be a very pleasant fate. It will be improper, undignified and in other words...killed in action."

Gordon was so busy rambling about the negative effects of war that he did not realize that some of his soldiers were climbing on board Thomas' coaches. Christopher was in the cab with the driver and fireman, ready to start the journey to the mainland. The guard blew his whistle, climbed aboard Clarabel and Thomas reversed himself onto the main line next to Gordon's track. The big blue engine was speechless when he saw Thomas puffing next to him.

"Where do you think you're going?" cried Gordon. "The branch line is that way!"

"I know where my father is!" Christopher called out from the cab. "He's in York! Goodbye, Gordon!"

Christopher was so busy looking out from the cab and waving goodbye to Gordon, he did not notice that Diana had climbed aboard from the other side of the cab.

"And what exactly are you doing?" she asked Christopher with her arms crossed.

"As I was telling Gordon, my father is in York and we're going to find him."

"What if we don't make it past Vicarstown?"

"We're not stopping there for anything."

And he was right, when Thomas approached a level crossing before Crosby station, he charged it just as the gates closed, nearly crashing into them as he sped by a parked lorry. He raced through Edward's station and was about climb Gordon's Hill without stopping. By now, Diana had accepted the situation like a trooper, and willing to help her friends, tapped the fireman's shoulder.

"I think you need a rest, uncle. Let me take over from here."

"He's your uncle?" asked Christopher curiously.

"Never mind my uncle!" snapped Diana. "Just help my dad with the controls."

Racing down the hill, Thomas zoomed past Maron Station as Diana shoveled three lumps of coal into his boiler. On their way, they met James with his goods train.

"Nice day isn't it? Even though you are bit far from your branch line Thomas, I always wonder what you have in store for me."

"The mainland is where Christopher belongs," puffed Thomas. "We're going there to find his father!"

"And abandon your branch line?" James was confused. "What will the Fat Director say?"

"He'll understand!" called Christopher from the cab. "I left a letter in his office this morning."

But James was even more curious. "What if it's dangerous?"

"That's a risk we have to take!" shouted Thomas.

A signalman, knowing that Thomas was in the wrong place, diverted James and his train onto a siding outside Kellsthorpe Road, where the line leads to Kirk Ronan, another harbour station. Passing the narrow gauge engines at Crovan's Gate, they were unfortunately noticed by a suspicious Diesel.

"See what he's up to," he told 98462 and 87546. "He might spoil our plans."

The two engines agreed and they chased after Thomas.

"Looks like we've got company!" shouted Diana.

Thomas looked back to see the two blue engines in hot pursuit of him.

"Hold on to your hats, friends, it's going to a bumpy ride!" he said bravely.

In a desperate attempt to lose track of them, Thomas whistled to the signalman to set the points for the line to Ballahoo, which led to the beaches of Norramby, a nice spot for holiday makers who came to island for a long retirement before they were called back to work. Heading back onto the main line, Thomas wooshed through the eastern bore of Henry's Tunnel and into the yards of Vicarstown where the memories of his days as a station pilot lay hidden in the back of his mind.

Up ahead was the Vicarstown Bridge, a 120 foot rolling bridge that spawned across the Walney Channel to Cumbria. Thomas, having crossed the bridge when he first came to Sodor, knew that if he went very, very fast, he would find himself on the other side before the bridge had moved back to it's upright position. Sure enough, Thomas crossed the bridge, stranding 98462 and 87462 on the other side!

Everyone cheered with joy as Thomas whistled happily into the distance, away from the Island of Sodor and onto the Other Railway, where they would begin the search for Wilbert.

"Looks like we're going to York," Diana said.

Christopher smiled, once he and his father were back together again, there would be no boundary to their relationship anymore.

Back on Sodor, 98462 and 87546 explained what had happened to Diesel.

"I knew that boy was up to something," he oiled. "He was a very good lair and I saw it in his eyes when he told us yes."

"Why didn't you warn us?" cried the engines.

"I did not know."

"You never do," said a strict voice. It was the Fat Director. "You two can start by taking Diesel and his driver back to the mainland. That will teach you to introduce Naziism to my island! Also, I am pretty sure your superior would like to have a word with you, driver."

Diesel's driver did start thinking about the Führer and buffer to buffer, the villains puffed back to the mainland in disgrace. Rosie and Neville also had to leave as well to prepare for the Allied forces that were yet to invade Europe and before she said goodbye, Rosie told the other engines to give Thomas her thanks for all the hard work and effort the two of them had put throughout the time they spent over the last week.

Later on that day, the engines began to wonder: where was Thomas now? And they hoped that he would make it back from the Other Railway safe and sound.