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- "Wow! These are the best engines ever!"
- ― Rebecca on meeting the engines of the North Western Railway
Confusion Without Delay is a magazine story illustrated using images from the television series. Originally published in an unknown year, it was republished in 2025 as part of the "Classic Thomas Story Collection" series with slight alterations to the images and text.
Plot[]
One evening, Sir Topham Hatt arrives at Knapford Station to announce that a new engine called Rebecca will be staying at Tidmouth Sheds and helping Gordon with his express duties. Nia introduces Rebecca to all the other engines. She thinks her new Sodor friends must be the best engines ever and cannot help herself imagining them flying through the air! Seeing all the other engines also makes Rebecca feel a bit worried and she tells herself she'll have to work extra hard if she wants to fit in with them.
Rebecca starts work and whizzes around the island so fast that she becomes ahead of schedule. She arrives at Vicarstown Station so early, that she finds herself at the same platform as the Flying Scotsman. Rebecca is so keen to work speedily that she arrives early everywhere she goes until, eventually, Sir Topham Hatt catches up with her. The controller tells the new yellow engine that he cannot run a railway where engines do not follow the timetable as it causes passengers to miss their trains. Rebecca says she did not realise how early she'd been arriving and she was conscious not to get a reputation as a slow coach. Sir Topham Hatt assures Rebecca that it is not a race or a contest and that she will soon get the hang of things. Rebecca is relieved and she puffs home with Gordon.
Characters[]
- Flying Scotsman
- Rebecca
- Sir Topham Hatt
- Gordon (does not speak)
- Nia (does not speak)
- Thomas (cameo)
- James (cameo)
- Percy (cameo)
- Emily (cameo)
- Porter (cameo)
- Diesel (cameo)
Trivia[]
- This story is based on the twenty-second series episode of the same name.
Gallery[]
