Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 day ago
Thomas often grumbled because he was not allowed to pull passenger trains.
The other engines laughed. "You're too impatient," they sayd. "You'd be sure to leave something behind!"
"Rubbish," said Thomas, crossly. "You just wait, I'll show you."
One night he and Henry were alone. Henry was ill. The men worked hard, but he didn't get better.
Now Henry usually pulled the first train in the morning, and Thomas had to get his coaches ready.
"If Henry is ill," he thought, "perhaps I shall pull his train."
Thomas ran to find the coaches.
"Come along. Come along," he ussed.
"There's plenty of time, there's plenty of time," grumbled the coaches.
He took them to the platform, and wanted to run round in front at once. But his Driver wouldn't let him.
"Don't be impatient, Thomas," he said.
So Thomas waited and waited. The people got in, the Guard and Stationmaster walked up and down, the Porters banged the doors and still Henry didn't come.
Thomas got more and more excited every minute.
The Fat Controller came out of his office to see what was the matter, and the Guard and the Stationmaster told him about Henry.
"Find another engine," he ordered.
"There's only Thomas," they said.
"You'll have to do it then, Thomas. Be quick now!"
So Thomas ran round to the front and backed down on the coaches ready to start.
"Don't be impatient," said his Driver. "Wait till everything is ready."
But Thomas was too excited to listen to a word he said.
What happened then no one knows. Perhaps they forgot to couple Thomas to the train; perhaps Thomas was too impatient to wait till they were ready; or perhaps his Driver pulled the lever by mistake.
Anyhow, Thomas started. People shouted and waved at him but he didn't stop.
"They're waving because I'm such a splendid engine," he thought importantly. "Henry says it's hard to pull trains, but I think it's easy."
"Hurry! hurry! hurry!" he puffed, pretending to be like Gordon.
As he passed the first signal-box, he saw the men leaning out waving and shouting.
"They're pleased to see me," he thought. "They've never seen me pulling a train before --- it's nice of them to wave," and he whistled, "Peep, peep, thank you," and hurried on.
But he came to a signal at "Danger."
"Bother!" he thought. "I must stop, and I was going so nicely, too. What a nuisance signals are!" And he blew an angry "Peep, peep" on his whistle.
One of the Signalmen ran up. "Hullo, Thomas!" he said. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm pulling a train," said Thomas proudly. "Can't you see?"
"Where are your coaches, then?"
Thomas looked back. "Why bless me," he said, "if we haven't left them behind!"
"Yes," said the Signalman, "you'd better go back quickly and fetch them."
Poor Thomas was so sad he nearly cried.
"Cheer up!" said his Driver. "Let's go back quickly, and try again."
At the station all the passengers were talking at once. They were telling The Fat Director, the Stationmaster and the Guard what a Bad Railway it was.
But when Thomas came back and they saw how sad he was, they couldn't be cross. So they coupled him to the train, and this time he really pulled it.
But for a long time afterwards the other engines laughed at Thomas, and said:
Look, there's Thomas, who wanted to pull a train, but forgot about the coaches!"
Thomas often grumbled because he was not allowed to pull passenger trains.
The other engines laughed. "You're too impatient," they sayd. "You'd be sure to leave something behind!"
"Rubbish," said Thomas, crossly. "You just wait, I'll show you."
One night he and Henry were alone. Henry was ill. The men worked hard, but he didn't get better.
Now Henry usually pulled the first train in the morning, and Thomas had to get his coaches ready.
"If Henry is ill," he thought, "perhaps I shall pull his train."
Thomas ran to find the coaches.
"Come along. Come along," he ussed.
"There's plenty of time, there's plenty of time," grumbled the coaches.
He took them to the platform, and wanted to run round in front at once. But his Driver wouldn't let him.
"Don't be impatient, Thomas," he said.
So Thomas waited and waited. The people got in, the Guard and Stationmaster walked up and down, the Porters banged the doors and still Henry didn't come.
Thomas got more and more excited every minute.
The Fat Controller came out of his office to see what was the matter, and the Guard and the Stationmaster told him about Henry.
"Find another engine," he ordered.
"There's only Thomas," they said.
"You'll have to do it then, Thomas. Be quick now!"
So Thomas ran round to the front and backed down on the coaches ready to start.
"Don't be impatient," said his Driver. "Wait till everything is ready."
But Thomas was too excited to listen to a word he said.
What happened then no one knows. Perhaps they forgot to couple Thomas to the train; perhaps Thomas was too impatient to wait till they were ready; or perhaps his Driver pulled the lever by mistake.
Anyhow, Thomas started. People shouted and waved at him but he didn't stop.
"They're waving because I'm such a splendid engine," he thought importantly. "Henry says it's hard to pull trains, but I think it's easy."
"Hurry! hurry! hurry!" he puffed, pretending to be like Gordon.
As he passed the first signal-box, he saw the men leaning out waving and shouting.
"They're pleased to see me," he thought. "They've never seen me pulling a train before --- it's nice of them to wave," and he whistled, "Peep, peep, thank you," and hurried on.
But he came to a signal at "Danger."
"Bother!" he thought. "I must stop, and I was going so nicely, too. What a nuisance signals are!" And he blew an angry "Peep, peep" on his whistle.
One of the Signalmen ran up. "Hullo, Thomas!" he said. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm pulling a train," said Thomas proudly. "Can't you see?"
"Where are your coaches, then?"
Thomas looked back. "Why bless me," he said, "if we haven't left them behind!"
"Yes," said the Signalman, "you'd better go back quickly and fetch them."
Poor Thomas was so sad he nearly cried.
"Cheer up!" said his Driver. "Let's go back quickly, and try again."
At the station all the passengers were talking at once. They were telling The Fat Director, the Stationmaster and the Guard what a Bad Railway it was.
But when Thomas came back and they saw how sad he was, they couldn't be cross. So they coupled him to the train, and this time he really pulled it.
But for a long time afterwards the other engines laughed at Thomas, and said:
Look, there's Thomas, who wanted to pull a train, but forgot about the coaches!"
