Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 14 hours ago
Thomas used to grumble in the Shed at night. "I'm tired of pushing coaches, I want to see the world."
The others didn't take much notice, for Thomas was a little engine with a long tongue.
But one night, Edward came to the Shed. He was a kind little engine, and felt sorry for Thomas.
"I've got some trucks to take home tomorrow," he told him. "If you take them instead of me, I'll push coaches in the Yard."
"Thank you," said Thomas, "that will be nice."
So they asked their Drivers next morning, and when they said "Yes," Thomas ran happily to find the trucks.
Now trucks are silly and noisy. They talk a lot and don't attend to what they are doing. They don't listen to their engine, and when he stops they bump into each other screaming.
"Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Whatever is happening?"
And, I'm sorry to say, they play tricks on an engine who is not used to them.
Edward knew all about trucks. He warned Thomas to be careful, but Thomas was too excited to listen.
The Shunter fastened the coupling, and, when the signal dropped, Thomas was ready.
The Guard blew his whistle. "Peep! peep!" answered Thomas and started off.
But the trucks weren't ready.
"Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh!" they screamed as their couplings tightened."Wait, Thomas, wait." But Thomas wouldn't wait.
"Come---on; come---on," he pufed, and the trucks grumbled slowly out of the siding on to the Main Line.
Thomas was happy. "Come along. Come along," he puffed.
"All---right!---don't---fuss---all---right!---don't fuss," grumbled the trucks. They clattered through stations, and rumbled over bridges.
Thomas whistled, "Peep! peep!" and they rushed through the tunnel in which Henry had been shut up.
Then they came to top of the hill where Gordon had stuck.
"Steady now, steady," warned the Driver, and he shut off steam, and began to put on the brakes.
"We're stopping, we're stopping," called Thomas.
"No! No! No! No!" answered the trucks, and bumped into each other. "Go --- on! --- go --- on!" and before his Driver could stop them, they had pushed Thomas down the hill, and were rattling and laughing behind him.
Poor Thomas tried hard to stop them from making him go too fast.
"Stop pushing, stop pushing," he hissed, but the trucks would not stop.
"Go --- on! --- go --- on!" they giggled in their silly way.
He was glad when they got to the bottom. Then he saw in front the place where they had to stop.
"Oh, dear! What shall I do?"
They rattled through the station, and luckily the line was clear as they swerved into the Goods Yard.
"Oo ------------ ooh e -------- r," groaned Thomas, as his brakes held fast and he skidded along the rails.
"I must stop," and he shut his eyes tight.
When he opened them he saw he had stopped just in front of the buffers, and there watching him was ----
The Fat Director!
"What are you doing here, Thomas?" he asked sternly.
"I've brought Edward's trucks," Thomas answered.
"Why did you come so fast?"
"I didn't mean to, I was pushed," said Thomas sadly.
"Haven't you pulled trucks before?"
"No."
"Then you've a lot to learn about trucks, little Thomas. They are silly things and must be kept in their place. After pushing them about here for a few weeks you'll know almost as much about them as Edward. Then you'll be a Really Useful Engine."
Thomas used to grumble in the Shed at night. "I'm tired of pushing coaches, I want to see the world."
The others didn't take much notice, for Thomas was a little engine with a long tongue.
But one night, Edward came to the Shed. He was a kind little engine, and felt sorry for Thomas.
"I've got some trucks to take home tomorrow," he told him. "If you take them instead of me, I'll push coaches in the Yard."
"Thank you," said Thomas, "that will be nice."
So they asked their Drivers next morning, and when they said "Yes," Thomas ran happily to find the trucks.
Now trucks are silly and noisy. They talk a lot and don't attend to what they are doing. They don't listen to their engine, and when he stops they bump into each other screaming.
"Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Whatever is happening?"
And, I'm sorry to say, they play tricks on an engine who is not used to them.
Edward knew all about trucks. He warned Thomas to be careful, but Thomas was too excited to listen.
The Shunter fastened the coupling, and, when the signal dropped, Thomas was ready.
The Guard blew his whistle. "Peep! peep!" answered Thomas and started off.
But the trucks weren't ready.
"Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh!" they screamed as their couplings tightened."Wait, Thomas, wait." But Thomas wouldn't wait.
"Come---on; come---on," he pufed, and the trucks grumbled slowly out of the siding on to the Main Line.
Thomas was happy. "Come along. Come along," he puffed.
"All---right!---don't---fuss---all---right!---don't fuss," grumbled the trucks. They clattered through stations, and rumbled over bridges.
Thomas whistled, "Peep! peep!" and they rushed through the tunnel in which Henry had been shut up.
Then they came to top of the hill where Gordon had stuck.
"Steady now, steady," warned the Driver, and he shut off steam, and began to put on the brakes.
"We're stopping, we're stopping," called Thomas.
"No! No! No! No!" answered the trucks, and bumped into each other. "Go --- on! --- go --- on!" and before his Driver could stop them, they had pushed Thomas down the hill, and were rattling and laughing behind him.
Poor Thomas tried hard to stop them from making him go too fast.
"Stop pushing, stop pushing," he hissed, but the trucks would not stop.
"Go --- on! --- go --- on!" they giggled in their silly way.
He was glad when they got to the bottom. Then he saw in front the place where they had to stop.
"Oh, dear! What shall I do?"
They rattled through the station, and luckily the line was clear as they swerved into the Goods Yard.
"Oo ------------ ooh e -------- r," groaned Thomas, as his brakes held fast and he skidded along the rails.
"I must stop," and he shut his eyes tight.
When he opened them he saw he had stopped just in front of the buffers, and there watching him was ----
The Fat Director!
"What are you doing here, Thomas?" he asked sternly.
"I've brought Edward's trucks," Thomas answered.
"Why did you come so fast?"
"I didn't mean to, I was pushed," said Thomas sadly.
"Haven't you pulled trucks before?"
"No."
"Then you've a lot to learn about trucks, little Thomas. They are silly things and must be kept in their place. After pushing them about here for a few weeks you'll know almost as much about them as Edward. Then you'll be a Really Useful Engine."
