Really Useful Engines

Really Useful Engines is the twenty-seventh book of the Railway Series and it was the first book written by Christopher Awdry.

Foreword
Dear Friends, I am happy to say that Thomas and his friends are still at work, trying as hard as ever to prove themselves to be Really Useful Engines. Sadly my father is no longer able to be involved with the Region's affairs, but it is with grateful thanks that I would like to dedicate this book to him, the person who began it all.

The Author

Stop Thief!
The guard tells Thomas' crew that the stationmaster's house was burgled the previous night, and his gardening trophies and new car were stolen. Thomas is later puffing through the valley when he sees a car very much like the stationmaster's one and warns his crew, who identify the driver and passenger as the thieves. At the next signalbox, they throw the fireman's lunch box, with a note inside, to a signalman. The thieves are stopped at a roadblock, the trophies and car are recovered undamaged, and the Fat Controller arrives at Ffarquhar to congratulate Thomas and his crew.

Mind that Bike
Tom Tipper the postman falls ill, and, when he recovers, discovers that his van has been replaced with a bicycle. When he gets to Ffarquhar, Tom is asked to fill in some papers, and he carelessly props it against Percy. A boy comes along and starts riding the bike just as Percy starts. The boy falls off and manages to get out of the way, but the bike is run over and is beyond repair. Luckily, all ends well as Tom is given his van again.

Fish
An extra load of fish needs to transported in the "Flying Kipper", but the only vans available are several old rusty ones. At Wellsworth, Henry calls for a banker and Duck arrives to help him with his train. Going up Gordon's Hill, however, a tail-lamp falls off and Duck drops behind. Henry soon slows down, and Duck collides with the vans, denting his funnel and boiler.

Triple-Header
One day after pulling the Express, Gordon feels tired and Thomas replies by telling him to become a tank engine. Later, it is discovered Gordon needs new tubes. Henry is told to pull the Express, but one day he gets sick too. Thomas, Percy and Duck (each of whom starred in one of the book's other stories) are the only engines available, so they're coupled up. On Gordon's Hill, Percy runs out of steam. They're unable to uncouple him, so they try to struggle to the Works. Duck breaks down just outside the station, and Thomas, unable to take the train himself, stops. Gordon, who watched the whole scene from his siding, makes heavy breathing noises at Thomas.

Characters

 * Thomas
 * Henry
 * Gordon
 * Percy
 * Duck
 * Sir Topham Hatt
 * Tom Tipper
 * Annie and Clarabel (do not speak)
 * Bertie (mentioned)

Trivia

 * "Triple Header" was the first story of the four to be written. It is based on an incident at the Nene Valley Railway involving an 0-6-0 named "Thomas".  This engine was named by Wilbert Awdry himself, and has been used in Day Out with Thomas events on said railway.
 * Completely by coincidence, the Reverend W. Awdry planned to call his twenty-seventh volume "Really Useful Engines".
 * The first two illustrations of "Triple-Header" were quite obviously based on previous Railway Series work: the first on Reginald Payne's second illustration of Thomas and Gordon and the second on C. Reginald Dalby's second illustration of Edward, Gordon and Henry.
 * Sir Topham Hatt sports a moustache.

Goofs

 * Thomas' valance is curved again.
 * In the second to last illustration, no platform for the Skarloey Railway at Crovan's Gate is visible.
 * In Fish, a brakevan should have been added to the Flying Kipper.
 * In the illustration where Thomas is pursuing the thieves, Clarabel is in the front when she should be in the back.
 * Thomas varies in size throughout the book.