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Gordon the big engine has worked on Sodor for many years. He is the prototype of the Gresley A3 Pacific. Only he and Flying Scotsman remain. Gordon pulls the express all day, and was proud to do so. One afternoon, Gordon and Molly the Holden D16 were resting in a siding. It was a hot day, and the Express had been heavy.

Gordon: I get so out of breath, but nobody cares, Molly! They just say I'll be all right after a rest.

Molly: Gordon, you and I both know you and Flying Scotsman are sterling members of your class.

Just then, Marty, the M7 tank engine, was being stupidly bumping trucks hard, and they rolled right into James!

James: OW! Watch it you moron!

Marty: Sorry! What's up with the galloping sausage, banana?

Molly: My name is Molly, you idiot! And Gordon's just tired.

Marty: Why don't you get Sir Topham Hatt to give you both tanks and a bunker? You'll feel like new engines! Tank engines don't get out of breath you know! {He laughs like an idiot.}

Molly: Shut up, you fool! How's Gordon doing, Bubs?

Bubs: Gordon needs new tubes, Molly. He'll have to go to the works to have them fitted.

Marty set off, laughing like the moron he was, and he crashed into his trucks and James.

James: {calmly} Marty, as Dane Cook would say... {Dane Cook} I'LL F**KING KILL YOU!!!

While Gordon was being mended, Spencer took the express. Molly, Henry, and Thomas were most annoyed, and were pleased to hear Gordon would be back soon. But one morning, just before Gordon was due back, Spencer fell ill too.

Homeschool Winner: There's no spare engine except Molly, but she can't pull the train on her own.

Sir Topham Hatt: Could Neville help?

Homestar Jr.: I think the two of them with Eagle might manage. It's only as far as the works - they're sure to have a spare engine there.

Meanwhile, Neville was resting after he pulled a goods train from the other railway. He was snoring loudly by the time Mr. Jarrow came to see him.

Mr. Jarrow: Neville, I need you, Molly, and- {notices} Erm, Neville?

Neville: {snores} Erm! Ugh! Stupid... evil monkey! {snores}

Mr. Jarrow: Neville? Neville? WAKE UP!

Neville: {eyes shut} No! No! No no! Get away from me you evil monkey! GET AWAY!

Mr. Jarrow: Ugh! How do I wake him up?

Eagle: Let me try, sir. {As he blows his whistle loudly:} I AM THE ELEPHANT MAN!!!

Neville: {waking up} AUUGGHH!!! I'm up, Sargent!

Eagle: {trying not to laugh} Got ya, Snore-Lax!

Neville: Eagle, don't scare me like that! And don't call me Snore-Lax!

Mr. Jarrow: Thank you, Eagle. Now, Neville, you, Molly, and Eagle are helping to pull the express. It's only as far as the works, and they'll have a spare engine there.

Eagle: Okay, I guess so. I've no problem pulling coaches.

Mr. Jarrow: That's a good engine. At least you're not so big-headed like your brother James. He'd never take care of coaches properly.

Neville: {yawns} Yes, sir.

Soon, Neville and Eagle arrived at Knapford Station. Molly was also here, and there were eight express coaches instead of the usual two, three, or four. Molly was closest to the train, Neville was in the middle, and Eagle was at the front.

Molly: Hi, guys! Neville, were you dreaming about that evil monkey you blabber about every night?

Neville: No, I was... drinking a decaf that was cold and bitter! Yeech! I'm not drinking iced coffee again!

Molly: Okay, Mr. Snore-Lax!

Neville: For the last freaking time, {pissed} STOP CALLING ME THAT!!!

Molly: I was only teasing you!

Neville: Well, make sure this doesn't leave me to pull you and the train, and push Eagle, too!

This gave Neville an idea. He whispered to his driver, Jimbo Kern, who grinned and nodded.

Jimbo Kern: We'll do it after the hill!

Just then, Homsar made his call that the train was ready to go.

Homsar: AaAaAaAaAaA! Climb aboard!

He waddled over to his van, and the train started slowly.

Molly: Come on, come on!

Eagle: We're doing it, we're doing it!

Neville: Pull harder! Pull harder!

The heavy train drew out of the platform. The engines couldn't go as fast as Gordon, but the passengers didn't mind. They knew that Eagle, Molly, and Neville were dong their best. Expresses aren't like passenger trains - they don't stop at all the stations, and the engines don't have a chance to get their breath back.

The three engines approached Gordon's hill. Marzipan looked from Molly's cab, and found that Neville was grinning, and realized what was happening.

Marzipan: Feeling tired, are you Neville?

Neville: You're enjoying yourself! I didn't want to spoil your fun!

Molly: Ahh! I wondered perhaps I was going too fast for you!

Neville: Too fast! You wait!

But Molly didn't wait. They were halfway up Gordon's hill, when there was a clatter underneath Eagle's cab. {clatter} Suddenly, there was a blast of cold air in his middle, as if there were a gap between Eagle's boiler and cab.

Eagle: {gasping} Oof!! What's happened?

Eagle's fireman (James Riddle) looked at his fire. There was a gaping hole in the middle, the fire bars had collapsed, and a large part of the fire had disappeared.

James Riddle: You lost part of your fire, Eagle. What a place to do it!

Already, Eagle was feeling weaker. Without a full fire, his steam pressure and speed fell quickly. Molly and Neville pulled the express and pushed Eagle hard as they could. But Zachery knew what to do.

Zachery: Find the biggest piece of coal you can, and put it across the hole. That'll stop some of the coal there from getting in, and we'll be able to hold steam better, but hurry, or the hill will beat us!

James hurried - a large lump of coal lay near the front of the tender. Quickly, he moved it into place with his shovel, and a long steel bar. Eagle felt better at once.

Zachery: Now build the fire gently around the edges.

As James did so, Zachery adjusted Eagle's controls to make the best use of his steam.

Zachery: Right, Eagle! Now it's up to you!

Eagle tried his hardest, but it was tough going!

Eagle: {panting} I must do it! I must do it!

Poor Eagle was getting very breathless. He was careful not to pant too loudly, in case he blew away what was left of his fire! Molly and Neville cheered him on, and Eagle shut his eyes, and they struggled on! At last, Eagle felt the slope was easier to climb, and he cautiously, opened one eye. Yes, they were nearly at the top.

Eagle: I've done it! I've done it!

James Riddle: That was splendid, Eagle! And now, we must slow down.

Molly: I'm glad we didn't stick there. Gordon would never have let us hear the last of it!

They stopped at the bottom of the hill.

Marzipan: We can't take you off, Eagle. Do the best you can to keep your brakes off. It's not far now.

It made things harder for Molly and Neville, but they struggled on - twin columns of steam shooting high into the air. Neville was still cross with Molly, and started at a great pace.

Jimbo Kern: Steady! We're not racing anyone!

Neville: That's what you think!

Jimbo tried to let the water into the boiler, but the injector wouldn't work.

Neville: Ouch! Give me a drink, quickly, please! I think I'm going to burst!

Jimbo Kern: Your injector has failed, now Molly will have to try her best.

Neville: What?!

But there was no other way. Neville's fire was put out, Molly pushed very hard, and she was feeling very tired.

Molly: {thinking} Why did your injector have to fail, you goth engine?

Molly did her best, and they came a yard short of the station platform, and there, watching from a siding, stood Gordon. Molly felt very exhausted, but very pleased with herself. The passengers were cross, but Sir Topham Hatt - who was on the train - told them about Molly, they forgot to the cross, and thanked Molly instead. They called her an Enterprising Engine, and took her photograph.

Sir Topham Hatt: You did very well to get so far, and you deserve a rest.

Neville and Eagle were pushed by Molly back to Norramby sheds, and a well-meaning Fowler engine took their place. At the sheds, Neville and Eagle were very miserable, but felt better when Molly arrived.

Neville: I'm sorry I made you do all the work in the end. Thank you for bringing us home.

Molly: That's all right! I'm sorry, too. It's silly trying to get the better of each other. If I hadn't teased you, perhaps your injector wouldn't have failed.

Just then, Thomas and Gordon showed up, for they had something to say.

Thomas: Hi, Molly. I heard about your efforts today, and I felt sorry for you.

Molly: Thomas, that's very sweet of you.

Gordon: You've done very well to get so far. I think the North Eastern way let you down, Eagle.

Eagle: {smiling} It was my old fire bars and parts that let me down! I think we've all learned a lesson today: On a railway, it's teamwork that counts!

The other four Norramby engines agreed. Gordon looked at Molly and smiled. He didn't need to say anything - Molly knew exactly what he meant.

THE END