Day 11 A-Stalled
Day 11 A-Hill
Other Stories
Other Days
Thomas was sitting on a siding next to the mainline sheds at Tidmouth, resting in the sunlight pleasantly. Or he would be if not for the commotion in the sheds. Percy had taken a train of skate to Kellsthorpe Road, but had stalled on the Maron Incline, Gordin’s Hill.
James and Henry of course delighted to tease him about it, which led to Percy bringing up the times they had gotten stuck on the hill.
Soon the engines had all been fussing over who had the least stalls on the hill.
“It's named Gordon's hill!” James said triumphantly, "It can't be him.”
Gordon cracked open an eye to fix an unimpressed look on the mogul. “I only stalled on the hill once, shortly after I arrived on the island, and there was no established banker for the hill at the time. The trucks began calling it Gordon’s hill after that, and despite everyone else's innumerable failures to climb the hill, the name stuck.”
“Gordon probably has it then.” Henry said ruefully, “I think everyone else has stalled at least twice.”
Edward tilted his head thoughtfully “I'm not certain about that Henry. I can't recall Thomas ever stalling on the hill.”
“Of course he has!” James snapped, “he's one of the smallest here.”
“Then when?” Edward asked simply.
The engines all paused, thinking before slowly turning to the tank engine.
Thomas tried to ignore the questioning looks, but eventually gave in with a sigh, “I don't remember ever stalling there. I might have, but I don't remember doing so.”
“How?!” James demanded, “there's no way you've never stalled.”
Thomas looked irritably at the mogul, “I just said it's possible I have, but I don't remember it. I've never been a mainline engine so I don't cross it that often.”
Edward nodded, “Except for the few times they've all been stuck in the shed, you had no reason to climb the hill. Well, other than when you were banker.”
James stared at Edward disbelievingly, “No. There's no way he was banker.”
Thomas glared at the red engine, “What did you think I was doing at Wellsworth your first day?”
“I thought you were just the yard pilot!”
“The Wellsworth Pilot has always acted as banker,” Henry reminded James.
Thomas sighed, “To be fair, I had been given my branchline by the time he was repaired. They finished Wellsworth’s overhaul, although she had not been named that yet, and she relieved me before James returned to service.”
Henry tilted his thoughtfully, “I forgot James never knew you as station pilot.”
Edward chuckled, “that was probably for the better. James bossing him around might have been the thing that made Thomas snap.”