FanFic:The Sodor Engines Specials: How Tidmouth Was Built

How Tidmouth Was Built is the second feature-length special of The Sodor Engines. It was rated PG for Violence.

Plot

The 55th anniversary of the construction of Tidmouth Station is approaching, and all of the engines are excited and happy. All, that is, except Edward, who is becoming increaingly melancholy. When the other engines ask him what happened, Edward tells them about the construction of the station.

The year is 1923. Two rival companies, the Sodor and Mainland Railway and the Wellsworth, Suddery, and Knapford Railway, have signed a deal to jointly build and use a new terminal at Tidmouth. Edward and his friends Abby, Zachariah, and Sammy, all S&M locomotives, have been appointed to build the station.

Work goes along without a hitch until Zachariah has an accident and is temporarily out of work. Brought in to replace him is City of Wellsworth, a nasty, pompous WSK locomotive. Edward is annoyed with the newcomer's behavior, and soon a rivalry forms between the two.

But to the workers, City of Wellsworth seems to be a perfect engine. Even when Zachariah is repaired, he is allowed to stay, eventually becoming head of the construction effort.

One night, a fire starts in the forest between Knapford and Wellsworth. Zachariah and Abby barely escape with their lives, and the construction is slowed drastically.

Abby confides to Edward that she thought she saw another engine in the woods. When he asks City of Wellsworth about it, the express engine forbids him from investigating and puts him on yard duty to keep him from going into the forest. Edward sneaks out, and finds City of Wellsworth's abandoned express freight train in a particularly dense area of the forest. Edward is intrigued, becuase express trains of any kind are forbidden on that line due to fear of sparks.

He deduces that City of Wellsworth broke the rules in order to finish faster. One of the stray sparks that left his funnel set a branch alight, beginning the fire. Edward tells the officials what he discovered. City of Wellsworth fiercly denies it, but is demoted, with Edward being put in his place. City of Wellsworth is very cross and swears revenge.

Later, Sammy is shunting when he overhears that City of Wellsworth plans to lure Edward onto a mountain line as he's taking the specially designed glass panes for the station roof. He would then push Edward and his train into a ravine, destroying Edward and his reputation simultaneously (without the glass, the station wouldn't be able to open on time). He rushes away to warn him, and City of Wellsworth sets off to commit his foul deed.

City of Wellsworth is preparing to shunt Edward to his doom just as Sammy reaches the yards too late to warn Edward. He does, however, find Abby and Zachariah, who have just been fired up. They heads up the mountain to stop City of Wellsworth.

Too late, Edward discovers City of Wellsworth's plot. He valiantly fights off the bigger engine, but his doom seems assured until Abby and Zachariah arrive. Together, they're are able to stop him, but Abby's brakes fail as she is preparing to haul City of Wellsworth back to the station. They're dragged to the edge, and are hanging by a thread. Zachariah saves the glass while Edward goes to help them.

Edward pulls his hardest, but it's not enough. He stops, and the jolt breaks the coupling, causing Abby and City of Wellsworth to fall to their demise.

They are pulled out the next day and sent off for scrap. Edward is comforted by Zachariah and Sammy, and together they complete the station in time for the grand opening.

Back in the present, Edward completes his story, and the other engines are amazed. Edward concludes by saying he had just held on a little bit longer, Zachariah would have pulled them free.

The anniversary draws nearer and nearer, and the preparations are completed on time. Sir Topham Hatt commemorates the anniversary, and tells the crowds Edward's role in the construction of the station. Then he gives Edward a wonderful suprise: Zachariah and Sammy, who had both been rescued by heritage railways, are there. Edward happily greets them.

But the best part arrives last in the form of Abby. Sir Topham Hatt tells Edward that she was never actually scrapped, and he rescued her and had her restored, to permanantly work on the railway. Abby tells Edward that she understands abotu what happened and isn't mad about it. Edward is happier than he has been in weeks, and tells everyone that he is glad he has all of them as friends.

Scripts

• Part One: The Approaching Anniversary
• Part Two: The Deal
• Part Three: City of Wellsworth
• Part Four: Flames
• Part Five: Edward's Investigation
• Part Six: A Fatal Plot
• Part Seven: The Oldest Wound
• Part Eight: A Suprise For Edward

Characters

(In order of appearance)

• Thomas
• Percy
• Emily
• Edward
• S&M Controller
• WSK Controller
• Zachariah
• Sammy
• Abby
• City of Wellsworth
• Duck
• Construction Officials
• Salvage Crane
• Sir Topham Hatt
• Gordon (Cameo)
• Henry (Cameo)
• James (Cameo)
• Rosie (Cameo)
• Toby (Cameo)
• Oliver (Cameo)
• Donald and Douglas (Cameo)
• Lily (cameo)
• Matthias (cameo)
• Murdoch (cameo)
• Fergus (cameo)

Trivia

• First special that did not focus on Thomas.
• First appearance of Abby, Zachariah, Sammy, and City of Wellsworth.
• Final appearance of Zachariah, Sammy, and City of Wellsworth.
• First special to introduce a character that will play a permanant role in the television series.