Thomas and The Fall ~ Part 2

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Ext. Sodor-big station-day

The BIG STATION is the largest station on the ISLAND OF SODOR.   It is located in the City of Tidmouth, the largest coastal city on Sodor, and the headquarters for the North Western Railway There are four terminal roads and one through road spanned by a glass roof.  

We pan down to look inside the station.

Mix to:

int. Sodor-big station-day

Inside the station, we see more engines besides THOMAS and GORDON from big to small with different colors.   Many of the Steam Engines are present for this announcement.  The engines currently present are NWR #2 EDWARD, NWR #3 HENRY, NWR #6 PERCY, NWR #5 JAMES, NWR #7 TOBY, NWR #13 EMILY, NWR #12 ERIC, NWR #37 ROSIE, NWR #14 CHARLIE, NWR #35 BELLE, NWR #23 REBECCA, NWR #42 MOLLY, NWR #29 JANE, NWR #34 TANYA, NWR #19 ARTHUR, NWR #8 DUCK, NWR #9 DONALD, NWR #10 DOUGLAS, NWR #24 LILY, NWR #28 STANLEY, NWR #11 OLIVER, and NWR #61 MULDREW.   All the engines are wondering what's going on.   They were making a lot of noise through their bickering, their chatter, and in the case of Gordon, arguing about who was the best express engine of them all!

We see legs appear in grey trousers.   Then we move to the top and we see a British top hat.   Now the figure is revealed to be a stout gentleman about at the age of 54.   His name is SIR CHARLES TOPHAM HATT II.   The man in charge of the North Western Railway.   He comes towards the front to talk to the engines and shouts to stop the noise.

SIR TOPHAM HATT: SILENCE!!!

After that, there was silence.   SIR TOPHAM HATT starts to speak after clearing his throat.

SIR TOPHAM HATT: Ahem!   I've called some of you here because I have some news to tell you.   Tomorrow is my wife, Lady Hatt and I's wedding anniversary.

PERCY, the little green engine, is confused.   He is a funny little engine, but knows when things can get serious.  

PERCY: What's a wedding anniversary?

SIR TOPHAM HATT: It's a celebration of the same day that you were married, Percy.   Since it is our special day, I have decided to take a holiday for a week in London.

This surprises the engines, but it isn’t enough to break their silence, at first.

THOMAS breaks the silence.

THOMAS: Sir, if I may ask, who will be watching us while you're away for a week?

SIR TOPHAM HATT (smiling): I'm glad you asked.   Do you remember Inspector Nash, one of our engine inspectors, and Burnett Stone, one of our top engineers?   They will both be running the railway while I'm in London. (Mood change) Now I can't enjoy my holiday with Lady Hatt unless you engines promise to behave.   Blow your whistles to let me know you understand.

The noise was deafening.   SIR TOPHAM HATT held his ears.  

SIR TOPHAM HATT: THAT'S ENOUGH!!!

There was silence.

SIR TOPHAM HATT: I'll be leaving tonight at 7:00 p.m. sharp on Gordon's Express to the Other Railway.   Oh, and one more thing!   I've brought a diesel shunter on trial to be our station pilot engine since Duck is now busy running the “Little Western” alongside Oliver.

GORDON, HENRY, and JAMES were pleased with the idea of having a pilot engine to do the shunting for them, and to boss around.  

HENRY: Finally! A shunting engine at last.

GORDON: Yes indeed. We most certainly need another one, mainly because I don't like shunting my own trains!

JAMES: I do like the idea that we are getting another pilot engine, but why do we have to have a diesel engine of all things?

It was EDWARD who answered his question.   EDWARD is old and wise and always tries to find peace in the other engines.

EDWARD: Because the steam engines on the Other Railway have been withdrawn from service. (Mood Change) But I do hope this new engine won't be any trouble for us.

cut to:

EXT. Sodor-Railyard-Day

Fade Up: Music

We experience some spinning wheels and side rods with a sound of a diesel engine.   Next was the pipe, then the horn, and lastly the British Railway Symbol.   He is painted in the British Railway blue livery and has a very unfriendly look on his face.   The engines name is BRIAN.  

SIR TOPHAM HATT is waiting for him.   The diesel pulls up in front of him and stops.

SIR TOPHAM HATT: Ah, you must be Brian.   My new engine.   Welcome to Sodor.   My name is Sir Topham Hatt, I am the controller of this railway.  

BRIAN grunts and says nothing.   SIR TOPHAM HATT stares at him, pondering.

SIR TOPHAM HATT (CONT'D): Not much of a talker, eh?   Very well then.   Just to let you know I have a very busy railway, so I expect you to work hard.   If you can do that, I'll purchase you as my permanent shunting engine.   I also expect good behavior towards my steam engines.   Is that understood?

BRIAN grunts again in response.   SIR TOPHAM HATT said nothing more and walks away.

At the BIG STATION, a little brown engine with grey cowcatchers and blue side plates was watching the whole scene.   The little engine is named TOBY, and he is the #7 for the North Western Railway.   He was beginning to get a little suspicious about BRIAN.  

The Guard's whistle blew, TOBY rings his bell in response and sets off with two vintage railway coaches and a luggage van behind him.

Fade Out: Music

To be continued...