Really Useful Engines



"Really Useful Engines" (a.k.a. The Return of the Sodor Railway) was first publishd in 1983. It was written by Christopher Awdry and illustrated by Clive Spong.

=Stories=

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 along 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, and they throw a note to a signalman at the next signalbox. 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 tells him to become a tank engine. Later, it's discovered Gordon needs new tubes. Henry is told to pull the Express, but one day he gets sick too. Duck, Percy and Thomas 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.

=Featured Characters=
 * Thomas
 * Percy
 * Duck
 * Gordon
 * Henry
 * Annie and Clarabel
 * Bertie (mentioned)
 * The Fat Controller

=Trivia=
 * "Triple Header" was the first story of the four to be written. It was based on an incident at the Nene Valley Railway involving a 0-6-0 named "Thomas".
 * Completely by coincidence, the Reverend W. Awdry planned to call his twenty-seventh volume "Really Useful Engines".
 * Edward, James, Toby, Donald and Douglas do not appear in this book. However, the Flying Kipper makes it's first appearance since Henry the Green Engine.
 * In real time, Thomas' front and rear bufferbeams are curved down and has a longer extended side tanks. His dipped running plates at both front and rear and longer extended side tanks makes the first appearance in Thomas and the Magic Railroad.

=Goofs=
 * Thomas' valance is curved again.
 * In "Triple Header," Thomas, Duck, and Percy together are unable to pull the Express despite Duck and Stepney together being enough to pull it in "Bowled Out."
 * In "Triple Header," the sixth illustration is missing the Skarloey Railway platform unlike in Great Little Engines.