Calling All Narrow Gauge Engines!

Part 1: Engine Rally

Far away, in the wildest and abandoned parts of the Island of Sodor, men were digging and scrabbling for something. 

"We've nearly uncovered it!" 

"Nearly there! Found something else!" 

"What is it?" 

"I don't know..." 

The men cleared away the moss and the earth. 

"...Who are you?" 

Calling All Narrow Gauge Engines! 

One day, Thomas was bringing some heavy trucks to the Wharf. They were filled with bricks and wood. There were also building materials, like bags of cement. 

Rheneas and Skarloey met him there. They were excited. 

"Hello, Thomas!" whistled Skarloey. 

"Hello, my friends. What's all the excitement about?" 

There was lots of excitement. The engines all had broad smiles on their faces, and were working extra hard and happily. 

(Freddie can be seen with Colin, and Peter Sam and Sir Handel are taking a goods train together.) 

"We're excited because the Thin Controller has a few surprises in store for us," explained Rheneas. 

"He wants to meet us all here in a few minutes," added Peter Sam as he and Sir Handel shunted their train into a siding. 

"I love surprises!" added Sir Handel. 

"So do I!" whistled Thomas. 

The other engines arrived. Freddie, Rusty, Duncan, Duke, Mighty Mac, Luke and Bertram joined them and waited keenly for the Thin Controller to arrive. 

He arrived in good time on his bicycle. He looked very cheerful himself. 

"Hello, my engines!" he called. "I have some exciting news for you all!" 

"What is it, sir?" asked Peter Sam. 

"Hush, you impatient scallywag, and let the Thin Controller speak!" retorted Duke. 

Peter Sam hushed with a blush. 

"As I was saying," continued Mr Percival, "I am proud to announce that we are going to have an engine rally in the village next week. All of you will take part, and I am especially excited for this rally, because there will be some very special surprises in store at the event. And furthermore, the rally will go beyond the village to a surprise location!" 

The engines were all very interested and keen. 

"Who shall lead the rally?" 

"What are the surprises?" 

"What location?" 

Mr Percival cut in again. "I won't be giving away any surprises, but I do expect you to be prepared for a special guest at the rally!" 

With that, he cycled away, ringing the bell. 

The engine rally was now all that anybody could talk about. Even Thomas went back to the Fat Controller's Railway to tell his friends all about the rally. 

"Ha!" sniffed Gordon. "Those little engines have nothing on a grand engine like me!" 

"Even our hero, Duke?" peeped Percy, looking at Duke's picture in the shed. 

"Oh, er, well, Duke is a grand old engine. He and I are, um, equals. He's a better engine in wisdom, where as I am superior in strength and size!" 

"Oh, Gordon!" chanted the engines. 

(The engines include all ten members of the Steam Team: Gordon, Thomas, James, Rebecca, Percy, Emily, Henry, Edward, Nia and Toby.) 

They all laughed. 

Thomas took every spare moment he could to wish the Narrow Gauge engines luck. One by one, they were going to the Steamworks for a new coat of paint and a special polish, so they would look their very best in time for the rally. 

Victor was therefore very busy. 

"I only wish I could join you in the rally, Duke," he said. "But I am far too busy here at the Steamworks." 

"Being the engine in charge of keeping the engines on an entire island up and working is a Really Useful job, Victor!" said Duke approvingly. "You have no reason to feel left out. Without you here, we wouldn't be up and running and at our very best and finest for the rally. We'll have you to thank for that!" 

"Ah, you always know the right things to say, Duke, my friend." 

Thomas came into the Steamworks. 

"Hello, Duke. Hello, Victor." 

"Hello, Thomas, you scallywag! Why aren't you working on your branch line?" asked Duke. 

"I have no passenger runs for an hour. I'm on my break," explained Thomas. 

"Well, you should spend it getting coal and water, and ease your axles, rather than ogling at an old engine like myself. Be off with you now!" 

"Yes, Duke! Good luck at the engine rally!" 

"He's so high-spirited, that one!" huffed Duke. 

"But he's a very good friend, is Thomas!" added Victor. 

As Thomas backed out of the Steamworks, he saw something strange in the distance. 

Puffing beyond the Steamworks heading towards the Narrow Gauge Railway, was a green shape, it almost looked like an engine, and yet it didn't look like an engine from where Thomas stood. It soon disappeared around the bend. 

"I wonder what that could have been," Thomas said to himself. 

Soon, Duke was fully cleaned and painted, and he was good and ready to head back to the Narrow Gauge Railway. 

"Be safe and useful, Duke!" called Victor. 

"And you be Really Useful here, Victor!" replied Duke, as he puffed away. 

Duke rolled along the line, looking forward to showing his bright brown paintwork. He was also to tell Duncan that he was next to have his repaint and polishing. 

"If there's two things Duncan ever craves, it's a repaint and a polish," he chortled. 

As he entered a little woodland trail leading back to the depot, Duke thought he heard a rustling on one of the sidings. 

"I wonder what that is," he pondered, and he stopped and looked around. 

"Hello?" he called. "Is anybody there?" 

Then, he felt a large bump against his tender. Someone had coupled up to him. 

"I say! Who is that? What are you doing?" 

The engine began to pull Duke backwards. 

"What is the meaning of this? Who are you and what do you think you are doing? This is an outrage!" 

"Oh, am I being an impertinent scallywag?" said the engine. 

He sounded very familiar...eerily familiar. 

"It can't be you!" gasped Duke in a harsh whisper. 

(END SCENE!)