Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The Island of Sodor is an island located near England. It’s very secluded when compared to the other railways near it, but it’s still full of really useful engines. Since it’s an island, the engines have to take a bridge to the Mainland, sometimes the engines have to take trains to there, but they don’t like to stay there for long, since it’s known as a place where “only the diesels go”. The railway’s reputation to having hostile diesels has led it to be nicknamed “The Other Railway”.

It has been a very busy month in the island, and the other engines were quite tired from their work.

The engines are at Tidmouth Sheds, where all of them (exept Toby) are resting and talking about their day.

THOMAS: Phew! Even my whistle is sore.

GORDON: You are only sore because you are getting lazier, little Thomas.

GORDON: I can say with confidence that you are the only one who is tired.

GORDON: Am I right, everyone?

Most of the other engines glared at Gordon. His cheeks flushed with slight anger from what he said.

GORDON: Oh.

EMILY: Honestly, I’m not really tired, just nervous.

EDWARD: Oh? And why is that?

EMILY: It’s because I heard that The Fat Controller is arranging for one of us to take a train all the way to The Other Railway.

All of the engines fell silent. They didn’t know what to say.

Finally, Henry decided to break the silence.

HENRY: Well, I just hope it’s not me. If the diesels knew about my steaming problems they would scrap me super quickly!

JAMES: But I thought that you didn’t have steaming problems anymore?

HENRY: I know, but still!

DOUGLAS: Ah just hope me and Donald aren’t chosen! We dinnae do well with thair diesels!

DONALD: Aye, not to mention that they hate us steamies.

EDWARD: I think The Fat Controller knows about how the diesels over there would react if a steam engine delivered over there, so he will probably just choose a diesel to do so.

PERCY: Do we even have a diesel engine that can go all the way there? I don’t think the ones we have are really strong.

DUCK: Nonsense, Percy! We have Diesel, and Mavis, and... Uh...

DUCK: We have BoCo, right?

EDWARD: Not exactally.

EDWARD: A few years ago, BoCo was borrowed to the Other Railway to help with slow goods.

EDWARD: I haven’t seen him ever since.

EMILY: I’m sorry that you lost him, Edward...

EDWARD: Lost him? Don’t worry about it, BoCo is a strong diesel, wherever he is, I know for a fact that he is just fine.

OLIVER: Oh, well, we have Derek, right?

GORDON: Derek couldn’t even reach the top of Gordon’s Hill, what makes you think he will be a good engine to take the train?

EDWARD: Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?

GORDON: Yes... Wait, what!?

All of the engines started laughing, while Gordon was looking crossly at Edward.

JAMES: Well, whoever it is, I hope they are ready for the long ride.

JAMES: It’s apparently all the way to King’s Cross.

GORDON: Oh, I’ve been there before!

GORDON: Kind of.

DUCK: It’s because it isn’t London’s big station, isn’t it?

GORDON: I still don’t understand how I got that wrong, actually.

THOMAS: I just don’t want it to be me, because I’m so tired of all the work we have been doing.

EMILY: Agreed.

At last, Toby appeared, looking quite energetic compared to his friends.

TOBY: Hello, everyone! What are you talking about?

THOMAS: About a train The Fat Controller is planning.

THOMAS: It goes all the way to London and It’s very important.

TOBY: Yikes, you all seem so tired, I don’t think you guys should take it...

GORDON: Nonsense, we are all fine. Now, let’s sleep.

TOBY: Alright, see you all next morning.

Chapter Text

The very next day, Toby woke up earlier than everyone else. He quietly went to fetch Henrietta and go work on his branch line.
Henrietta saw that Toby looked worried, which made her worried in return.

HENRIETTA: Toby, is everything alright?

TOBY: Yes, it’s just that...

TOBY: Everyone is talking about how there is this big goods train that they have to take to the Other Railway, but it doesn’t seem like they want to.

HENRIETTA: Yes, I can certaintly see that they look quite tired.

HENRIETTA: I saw almost Henry sleeping while he was pulling his coal trucks!

TOBY: Oh jeez... It's worse than I thought...

TOBY: I wonder what I could do to help them...

Toby had an idea.

TOBY: Henrietta, what if I took the goods train?

Henrietta was so surprised that her eyes nearly popped out of her face!

HENRIETTA: What!? Toby, you are in no ways capable of taking such a large goods train!

HENRIETTA: You will have to go slowly and you will have to stop frequently to refuel on coal and water.

TOBY: Yes, I know, Henrietta...

TOBY: But it is a sacrifice that I’m eager to make!

Henrietta wasn’t sure of what to do. She couldn’t just let Toby take such a heavy train to such a faraway place!

HENRIETTA: Well, you haven’t said that to The Fat Controller yet! You can’t leave without telling him the news!

TFC: Did someone call me?

Henrietta and Toby both almost jumped out of the tracks out of surprise!

TOBY: Sir!? How long have you been there?

The Fat Controller laughed.

TFC: For a little while. So I heard that you are planning to take the train to the Mainland?

TOBY: Yes, sir! I want to do it so that the other engines can rest a for bit!

The Fat Controller pondered for a few seconds.

HENRIETTA: Sir, I don’t think Toby is the ideal engine for this sort of work.

HENRIETTA: He might get tired after a few minutes of pulling the heavy trucks, and he might not be able to climb hills with it!

TFC: She does have a point, Toby.

TOBY: Well... How about we loosen the couplings? Like how Edward did when his side rods broke.

TFC: Hm... That might fix one of the problems.

TFC: I will also stack your crew with coal and water, for the long trip.

TFC: And Henrietta...

HENRIETTA: Yes, sir?

TFC: Would you like to go on this trip with Toby?

Henrietta was surprised, she doesn’t go on long trips with Toby very often.

HENRIETTA: Well...

HENRIETTA: ...

HENRIETTA: It would be my pleasure, sir!

TFC: Then it’s settled then.

TFC: Go to Vicarstown, Rosie should be preparing the train as we speak.

TOBY & HENRIETTA: Yes, sir. See you later!

TFC: And good luck, you too!

The Fat Controller was worried, with fear that Toby wouldn’t last long on the trip. Maybe he will have an accident? or get lost?

TFC: What an I thinking about? It’s Toby! I’m sure he will be fine.

The Fat Controller got into his car and went to tell the other station masters the news that Toby will pull the freight train.

Chapter Text

At Vicarstown Station, Rosie was finishing to shunt the trucks on the long train, while Stanley and Stafford were watching and shunting coaches.

STAFFORD: My, oh my! This is quite the long freight train, isn’t it?

ROSIE: You bet!

ROSIE: I wonder who will be the one to pull this heavy load...

ROSIE: Thomas, maybe?

STANLEY: What? No!

STANLEY: Thomas is pretty strong, but I don’t think he would be strong enough to pull so many trucks.

STAFFORD: Yes, I will have to agree with Stanley on that one. I really don’t think that he would be able to take them all the way to the Mainland in one go.
ROSIE: Hm... I guess you’re right.

The three engines pondered for a moment.

STANLEY: What about Gordon or Henry? They are big and strong, surely they are capable of pulling the load!

ROSIE: I mean, yeah...

ROSIE: But I think Henry has been getting too much work lately, and taking this all the way to the Other Railway might make him tired.

ROSIE: And I know from experience that Henry can get pretty cranky when he gets tired.

STAFFORD: Cranky? Like the crane at the docks?

Rosie and Stanley laugh, and after a few seconds Stafford joins them.

STANLEY: Also, I don’t think Gordon would like pulling ANY trucks.

STAFFORD: Oh yes! He always grumbles when he has to pull them.

STAFFORD: But... Now I can’t really think of anyone who could pull the train...

STANLEY: Hm...

Just then, Stanley had an idea.

STANLEY: What if The Fat Controller asks for all three of us to take it?

ROSIE AND STAFFORD: What!?

Both engines were surprised, they never thought about this idea like that.

STAFFORD: So... We could triple-head the train? Like that time Thomas, Percy and Duck triple-headed the express?

STANLEY: Exactally!

ROSIE: Hm... That does sounds fun...

ROSIE: But what if one of us breaks down on the way, leaving only two engines to pull the train?

ROSIE: That could be exausting...

STANLEY: Yeah... But I would still love for us to triple-head a train together someday!

STAFFORD: Me too!

Just then, the three engines heard a bell that they recognized instantly.

TOBY: Hello, everyone!

STANLEY: Hey, Toby!

ROSIE: I’ve just finished shunting the last trucks for the special train.

TOBY: Oh, thanks, Rosie!

ROSIE: No prob-

ROSIE: Wait... Why are you thanking me?

HENRIETTA: Oh dear, has The Fat Controller not told you yet?

ROSIE: Not told what yet?

TOBY: I’m the one who will take the train!

For a few seconds, there was an ominous silence. Finally, all three engines said a loud:

ROSIE, STANLEY AND STAFFORD: WHAT!?!?!?

TOBY: Yes, I know it’s odd to see a steam tram like me pull such a heavy load, but I’m doing this for my friends.

STAFFORD: Huh? How exactally does that work?

STANLEY: I think he meant that he’s doing this so his friends don’t have to.

TOBY: Woah! How did you know?

STANLEY: I tend to do this a lot, actually.

ROSIE: It’s true, he helps me shunt the trucks here at the station even when he doesn’t have to!

TOBY: Well, time to get coupled up.

STAFFORD: Wait, Toby!

STAFFORD: Are you sure you want to do this?

STANLEY: Yeah, the Mainland can be a bit rough, especially for a steam tram.

TOBY: Oh, I’m sure me and Henrietta will be fine.

ROSIE: I’ll be a back engine until the bridge, alright? Just to help you get some speed.

TOBY: Oh, wonderful! Thanks!

Rosie and Toby traveled with the long and heavy load through the station and the bridge that connects Sodor with the Mainland.

As soon as they arrived, Rosie backed up from the brakevan.

ROSIE: Good luck Toby! I hope you come back safely!

TOBY: Thank you, Rosie! See you soon!

HENRIETTA: See you, dear!

After this, Rosie backed up on her way back to Vicarstown, and on her way she started pondering:

ROSIE: Toby and Henrietta will be fine... Right?