Thomas and Skarloey's Grand World Tour: ThomasNATION Fanstory [Part 1]
April 16, 2021
It was a busy day up at the Blue Mountain Quarry. Slate was moving up and down the lines and machines, and all the narrow gauge engines were hard at work to make sure they got to their destination on time, except for Skarloey. He, Rheneas, Rusty and Luke were on a break, and were having fun telling each other some fun stories. Rheneas was just finishing his.
ā...and then, I was dashing down the old mountain line at full speed!ā Rheneas told his friends. āI was Rheneas the Roller Coaster!ā
āWow!ā Luke cried out in awe. āHow did you stop at such a high speed?ā
āIt took a while, but I eventually slowed down at the station.ā Rheneas responded.
āThatās a great story, Rheneas,ā Skarloey said, ābut wait until you hear this one!ā
Then, Thomas pulled up to the turntable.
āHi, Thomas!ā Luke called out to his friend.
āHey, Luke,ā said Thomas, ādonāt mind me, Iām just here to take some slate up to the docks.ā
āOh, youāre loadās over next to Owen.ā said Rusty.
Thomas pulled over to Owenās platform, where he was approached by a workman.
āThomas, I got a message from the Dock Manager,ā the workman said with a frown. āyour ship to Brazil isnāt coming.ā
āOh, noā¦ā Thomas gasped. āWhat do I do now?ā
āYou can try the harbor in Shanghai,ā the workman said, ābut there isnāt any ships coming in for another two weeks, so youāll have to travel by rail.ā
āWell, thatās not an issue.ā Thomas smiled. āIāll head off tomorrow afternoon.ā
Back at the turntable, the narrow gauge engines were listening to Thomas and the workmanās conversation. Luke gasped with glee.
āDid you all hear that?ā he asked. āThomas is going to China! And Brazil!ā
āWow,ā Skarloey smiled. āI didnāt think he had actually done it! You know, Iāve dreamt of travelling the globe myself.ā
āYou? Go round the world?ā Rheneas laughed. āIād like to see that!ā
As Thomas pulled out of the platform, Luke approached him at a junction.
āAre you really going around the world, Thomas?ā he asked.
āYeah, Iām going to help out on the Brazilian railway for a week.ā Thomas responded. āBut first, I need to go to Shanghai.ā
āHey, Thomas!ā Rheneas called out. āSkarloey wanted to see the world too!ā
āReally?ā
Skarloey chuckled softly. āIāve had one or two thoughts about it, but it does seem like quite the adventure.ā
āWellā¦ā Thomas pondered. āif you want, I could talk to Mr. Percival and ask if you can come with.ā
āWhat?!ā the narrow gauge engines cried out.
āI mean, only if itās okay.ā Thomas said. āI wonāt take him with me if he says no.ā
āWellā¦ā Skarloey pondered. āweāll have to see what Mr. Percival says. Heāll likely say no, however.ā
āThatās a chance Iām willing to take!ā Thomas exclaimed. And with that, he left, away to go talk to Mr. Percival.
That evening, Skarloey was getting prepared to head back to the depot, when Mr. Percival rolled up on his bicycle.
āUh, Skarloey?ā Mr. Percival asked. āI need to speak with you.ā
āOh,ā said Skarloey. āis this about Thomas?ā
āYes, indeed.ā Mr. Percival responded. āHe told me about how he wanted to bring you along on his little world tour. And I must sayā¦ā
Skarloey was ready for Mr. Percival to say no. But thenā¦
ā...I think itās a splendid idea!ā
āWait, really?ā
āYes,ā Mr. Percival said with a grin. āI was initially skeptical of Thomasā plan to travel the world back then, but when he proved it was possible, I thought to myself. What if one of my engines went around the world? So, where are you and Thomas headed?ā
āWell, first we need to go to Shanghai,ā Skarloey responded. ābut our final destination is somewhere in Brazil.ā
āThatās stupendous, Skarloey.ā said Mr. Percival. āI believe that has a small narrow-gauge railway running through the Amazon. So, what do you say? Are you ready to travel the world?ā
āWellā¦ā Skarloey thought to himself. He considered it for a little while, but finally came to a conclusion. āā¦okay. Iāll do it!ā
āGreat!ā Mr. Percival said. āI recommend staying at the wharf tonight. Colin can load you onto a flatbed for Thomas to collect.ā
āThank you, sir.ā Skarloey said as he left for the wharf.
The next morning, Skarloey woke up on a flatbed. He was ready to be able to explore the world. Then, Thomas arrived, ready to take Skarloey with him.
āOoh, hello, Thomas!ā Skarloey called out. āIsnāt it a lovely morning to travel?ā
āIt certainly is, Skarloey,ā Thomas responded. āand if we play our cards right, we should be in Shanghai in about four days.ā
āOoh, thatās quite a long journey,ā Skarloey said. ācanāt we just catch a ship to China?ā
āOne doesnāt come in until next week,ā Thomas replied. āgoing by rail is our best option at the moment.ā
āWell, Iāll take what I can get.ā said Skarloey, excitedly. āLetās get puffing, Thomas! Adventure awaits!ā
āOkay,ā said Thomas, ābut I think we should stop by Crovanās Gate first.ā
āOh, very well,ā Skarloey chuckled.
Thomas and Skarloey pulled into Crovanās Gate, to reveal all the narrow gauge engines and Mr. Percival waiting there.
āSurprise!ā the narrow gauge engines cried.
Skarloey was taken entirely by surprised. āOh my! Whatās all this?ā
āWe decided to put this together to say goodbye before your big adventure.ā said Peter Sam.
āThank you all,ā Skarloey said, ābut I do have one last question. While Iām away, whoās going to look after my work?ā
āWell, Skarloey,ā answered Mr. Percival. āIāve arranged for Luke to fill in during your absence.ā
āThatās fine by me.ā said Skarloey.
āI just donāt get why youād want to go away halfway across the world!ā grumbled Duncan. āI mean, the world isnāt just some big railway worth abandoning your friends over!ā
āDuncan, trust me.ā Skarloey reassured his friend. āAs soon as Iām done over in Brazil, Iāll be coming straight back!ā
āHe knows that,ā Sir Handel chimed in. āheās only upset because heās really going to miss you.ā
Rheneas chuckled. āDuncan, you big softie!ā
As Rheneas laughed at Duncan, Thomas noticed the clock. It read 11:49.
āCinders and ashes!ā Thomas cried. āSkarloey, weāve got to go! If we leave now, we could reach Germany by sundown.ā
āOh, right on, Thomas.ā Skarloey chirped as he and Thomas disembarked. āGoodbye!ā
Before long, Thomas and Skarloey had left Sodor and were travelling across the Mainland. Skarloey was looking around, enjoying the journey as they approached a canal.
āI say, Thomas, I never realised the Mainland was so beautiful.ā Skarloey said in awe.
āTrust me, Skarloey, the best is yet to come!ā Thomas assured his small friend. Just then, a boat dropped onto the tracks.
āHALT!ā a familiar voice bellowed.
āOh, noā¦ā Thomas sighed.
āHold on,ā the voice said to himself. Then, a hook came down and picked up Thomas!
āWhoa!ā Thomas screamed.
āThomas!ā cried Skarloey.
The hook lifted Thomas up to reveal his old friend Beresford! āIt is! Thomas, my old friend from the island of Sodor! How are you, my good friend, eh?ā
āUh, not too bad, Beresford.ā Thomas muttered. "I've just been hanging about."
āThomas?ā called out Skarloey. āWho is this crane? And why is he dangling you around?ā
āOh, Skarloey, this is my friend Beresford.ā said Thomas. āBeresford, this is Skarloey.ā
āHeās a little small, isnāt he?ā asked Beresford.
āThatās because heās narrow gauge.ā Thomas explained. āNow, can you please put me down? I need to go on a trip to Shanghai.ā
āOh, youāre pulling my hook!ā chuckled Beresford. āAnd next week, Iāll be on a rocket ship to the planet Venus, eh?ā
āNo, heās being serious, Beresford.ā Skarloey reassured the crane. āKindly put him down.ā
Beresford obliged, placing Thomas back onto the rails. āI suppose you chaps will need directions to the English Channel Tunnel?ā
āThe English Channel Tunnel?ā asked Thomas.
āItās a tunnel leading from Strait of Dover in the south all the way to France!ā
āFrance?ā Skarloey gasped. āThatās not anywhere near China.ā
āI never said this would be a short trip.ā protested Thomas. āBut yes, we would like some directions.ā
āJust go straight ahead, make a right at the junction and youāll hit Strait of Dover in no time at all!ā
āGreat! Thanks, Beresford!ā Thomas said as he left with Skarloey.
āNice to meet you, Beresford!ā Skarloey called out.
Thomas was right. This was not at all a short trip. Thomas and Skarloeyās path took them country to country, day after day, night after night. But after six long days of travelling, they had finally reached Shanghai Harbor.
āFinally, we made it!ā Thomas sighed in relief. āYou really have it lucky, Skarloey. You donāt have to puff so hard non-stop for six days.ā
āThat is true,ā Skarloey claimed, ābut now weāve finally made it.ā
Thomas soon noticed his old friend, Yong Bao, waiting for a delivery. āYong Bao!ā
āOh, ni hao, Thomas!ā said Yong Bao as the duo approached him. āI wasn't expecting you to visit. What are you doing here?ā
āWell, we need to catch a ship to Brazil,ā said Skarloey. ādo you suppose you could help us out?ā
āAbsolutelyā¦uhā¦Iām sorry, I didnāt catch your name.ā
āThatās Skarloey.ā Thomas explained. āSo, uh, whereās this ship to Brazil?ā
āRight over there,ā Yong Bao gestured over to a ship docked at the harbor. āThat ship should take you straight to Rio de Janeiro.ā
āThatās perfect!ā Thomas exclaimed. āThanks, Yong Bao!ā
āMy pleasure, Thomas!ā Yong Bao called out, as Thomas was loaded onto the ship.
āAhā¦ā Thomas sighed. āitās nice to finally be able to relax my wheelsā¦ā
āYes, but we shouldnāt get used to it, you know,ā Skarloey said as he was loaded onto the ship. āAs I always say, if your wheels arenāt whirring, you arenāt being a really useful engine.ā
āWell, we have plenty of chances to be really useful over in Rio,ā Thomas said, cheerfully. āReady to see the world, Skarloey?ā
āI am, Thomas. I truly am.ā said Skarloey.
And soon, the ship left, en route for Rio de Janeiro.
To be continued.
ā...and then, I was dashing down the old mountain line at full speed!ā Rheneas told his friends. āI was Rheneas the Roller Coaster!ā
āWow!ā Luke cried out in awe. āHow did you stop at such a high speed?ā
āIt took a while, but I eventually slowed down at the station.ā Rheneas responded.
āThatās a great story, Rheneas,ā Skarloey said, ābut wait until you hear this one!ā
Then, Thomas pulled up to the turntable.
āHi, Thomas!ā Luke called out to his friend.
āHey, Luke,ā said Thomas, ādonāt mind me, Iām just here to take some slate up to the docks.ā
āOh, youāre loadās over next to Owen.ā said Rusty.
Thomas pulled over to Owenās platform, where he was approached by a workman.
āThomas, I got a message from the Dock Manager,ā the workman said with a frown. āyour ship to Brazil isnāt coming.ā
āOh, noā¦ā Thomas gasped. āWhat do I do now?ā
āYou can try the harbor in Shanghai,ā the workman said, ābut there isnāt any ships coming in for another two weeks, so youāll have to travel by rail.ā
āWell, thatās not an issue.ā Thomas smiled. āIāll head off tomorrow afternoon.ā
Back at the turntable, the narrow gauge engines were listening to Thomas and the workmanās conversation. Luke gasped with glee.
āDid you all hear that?ā he asked. āThomas is going to China! And Brazil!ā
āWow,ā Skarloey smiled. āI didnāt think he had actually done it! You know, Iāve dreamt of travelling the globe myself.ā
āYou? Go round the world?ā Rheneas laughed. āIād like to see that!ā
As Thomas pulled out of the platform, Luke approached him at a junction.
āAre you really going around the world, Thomas?ā he asked.
āYeah, Iām going to help out on the Brazilian railway for a week.ā Thomas responded. āBut first, I need to go to Shanghai.ā
āHey, Thomas!ā Rheneas called out. āSkarloey wanted to see the world too!ā
āReally?ā
Skarloey chuckled softly. āIāve had one or two thoughts about it, but it does seem like quite the adventure.ā
āWellā¦ā Thomas pondered. āif you want, I could talk to Mr. Percival and ask if you can come with.ā
āWhat?!ā the narrow gauge engines cried out.
āI mean, only if itās okay.ā Thomas said. āI wonāt take him with me if he says no.ā
āWellā¦ā Skarloey pondered. āweāll have to see what Mr. Percival says. Heāll likely say no, however.ā
āThatās a chance Iām willing to take!ā Thomas exclaimed. And with that, he left, away to go talk to Mr. Percival.
That evening, Skarloey was getting prepared to head back to the depot, when Mr. Percival rolled up on his bicycle.
āUh, Skarloey?ā Mr. Percival asked. āI need to speak with you.ā
āOh,ā said Skarloey. āis this about Thomas?ā
āYes, indeed.ā Mr. Percival responded. āHe told me about how he wanted to bring you along on his little world tour. And I must sayā¦ā
Skarloey was ready for Mr. Percival to say no. But thenā¦
ā...I think itās a splendid idea!ā
āWait, really?ā
āYes,ā Mr. Percival said with a grin. āI was initially skeptical of Thomasā plan to travel the world back then, but when he proved it was possible, I thought to myself. What if one of my engines went around the world? So, where are you and Thomas headed?ā
āWell, first we need to go to Shanghai,ā Skarloey responded. ābut our final destination is somewhere in Brazil.ā
āThatās stupendous, Skarloey.ā said Mr. Percival. āI believe that has a small narrow-gauge railway running through the Amazon. So, what do you say? Are you ready to travel the world?ā
āWellā¦ā Skarloey thought to himself. He considered it for a little while, but finally came to a conclusion. āā¦okay. Iāll do it!ā
āGreat!ā Mr. Percival said. āI recommend staying at the wharf tonight. Colin can load you onto a flatbed for Thomas to collect.ā
āThank you, sir.ā Skarloey said as he left for the wharf.
The next morning, Skarloey woke up on a flatbed. He was ready to be able to explore the world. Then, Thomas arrived, ready to take Skarloey with him.
āOoh, hello, Thomas!ā Skarloey called out. āIsnāt it a lovely morning to travel?ā
āIt certainly is, Skarloey,ā Thomas responded. āand if we play our cards right, we should be in Shanghai in about four days.ā
āOoh, thatās quite a long journey,ā Skarloey said. ācanāt we just catch a ship to China?ā
āOne doesnāt come in until next week,ā Thomas replied. āgoing by rail is our best option at the moment.ā
āWell, Iāll take what I can get.ā said Skarloey, excitedly. āLetās get puffing, Thomas! Adventure awaits!ā
āOkay,ā said Thomas, ābut I think we should stop by Crovanās Gate first.ā
āOh, very well,ā Skarloey chuckled.
Thomas and Skarloey pulled into Crovanās Gate, to reveal all the narrow gauge engines and Mr. Percival waiting there.
āSurprise!ā the narrow gauge engines cried.
Skarloey was taken entirely by surprised. āOh my! Whatās all this?ā
āWe decided to put this together to say goodbye before your big adventure.ā said Peter Sam.
āThank you all,ā Skarloey said, ābut I do have one last question. While Iām away, whoās going to look after my work?ā
āWell, Skarloey,ā answered Mr. Percival. āIāve arranged for Luke to fill in during your absence.ā
āThatās fine by me.ā said Skarloey.
āI just donāt get why youād want to go away halfway across the world!ā grumbled Duncan. āI mean, the world isnāt just some big railway worth abandoning your friends over!ā
āDuncan, trust me.ā Skarloey reassured his friend. āAs soon as Iām done over in Brazil, Iāll be coming straight back!ā
āHe knows that,ā Sir Handel chimed in. āheās only upset because heās really going to miss you.ā
Rheneas chuckled. āDuncan, you big softie!ā
As Rheneas laughed at Duncan, Thomas noticed the clock. It read 11:49.
āCinders and ashes!ā Thomas cried. āSkarloey, weāve got to go! If we leave now, we could reach Germany by sundown.ā
āOh, right on, Thomas.ā Skarloey chirped as he and Thomas disembarked. āGoodbye!ā
Before long, Thomas and Skarloey had left Sodor and were travelling across the Mainland. Skarloey was looking around, enjoying the journey as they approached a canal.
āI say, Thomas, I never realised the Mainland was so beautiful.ā Skarloey said in awe.
āTrust me, Skarloey, the best is yet to come!ā Thomas assured his small friend. Just then, a boat dropped onto the tracks.
āHALT!ā a familiar voice bellowed.
āOh, noā¦ā Thomas sighed.
āHold on,ā the voice said to himself. Then, a hook came down and picked up Thomas!
āWhoa!ā Thomas screamed.
āThomas!ā cried Skarloey.
The hook lifted Thomas up to reveal his old friend Beresford! āIt is! Thomas, my old friend from the island of Sodor! How are you, my good friend, eh?ā
āUh, not too bad, Beresford.ā Thomas muttered. "I've just been hanging about."
āThomas?ā called out Skarloey. āWho is this crane? And why is he dangling you around?ā
āOh, Skarloey, this is my friend Beresford.ā said Thomas. āBeresford, this is Skarloey.ā
āHeās a little small, isnāt he?ā asked Beresford.
āThatās because heās narrow gauge.ā Thomas explained. āNow, can you please put me down? I need to go on a trip to Shanghai.ā
āOh, youāre pulling my hook!ā chuckled Beresford. āAnd next week, Iāll be on a rocket ship to the planet Venus, eh?ā
āNo, heās being serious, Beresford.ā Skarloey reassured the crane. āKindly put him down.ā
Beresford obliged, placing Thomas back onto the rails. āI suppose you chaps will need directions to the English Channel Tunnel?ā
āThe English Channel Tunnel?ā asked Thomas.
āItās a tunnel leading from Strait of Dover in the south all the way to France!ā
āFrance?ā Skarloey gasped. āThatās not anywhere near China.ā
āI never said this would be a short trip.ā protested Thomas. āBut yes, we would like some directions.ā
āJust go straight ahead, make a right at the junction and youāll hit Strait of Dover in no time at all!ā
āGreat! Thanks, Beresford!ā Thomas said as he left with Skarloey.
āNice to meet you, Beresford!ā Skarloey called out.
Thomas was right. This was not at all a short trip. Thomas and Skarloeyās path took them country to country, day after day, night after night. But after six long days of travelling, they had finally reached Shanghai Harbor.
āFinally, we made it!ā Thomas sighed in relief. āYou really have it lucky, Skarloey. You donāt have to puff so hard non-stop for six days.ā
āThat is true,ā Skarloey claimed, ābut now weāve finally made it.ā
Thomas soon noticed his old friend, Yong Bao, waiting for a delivery. āYong Bao!ā
āOh, ni hao, Thomas!ā said Yong Bao as the duo approached him. āI wasn't expecting you to visit. What are you doing here?ā
āWell, we need to catch a ship to Brazil,ā said Skarloey. ādo you suppose you could help us out?ā
āAbsolutelyā¦uhā¦Iām sorry, I didnāt catch your name.ā
āThatās Skarloey.ā Thomas explained. āSo, uh, whereās this ship to Brazil?ā
āRight over there,ā Yong Bao gestured over to a ship docked at the harbor. āThat ship should take you straight to Rio de Janeiro.ā
āThatās perfect!ā Thomas exclaimed. āThanks, Yong Bao!ā
āMy pleasure, Thomas!ā Yong Bao called out, as Thomas was loaded onto the ship.
āAhā¦ā Thomas sighed. āitās nice to finally be able to relax my wheelsā¦ā
āYes, but we shouldnāt get used to it, you know,ā Skarloey said as he was loaded onto the ship. āAs I always say, if your wheels arenāt whirring, you arenāt being a really useful engine.ā
āWell, we have plenty of chances to be really useful over in Rio,ā Thomas said, cheerfully. āReady to see the world, Skarloey?ā
āI am, Thomas. I truly am.ā said Skarloey.
And soon, the ship left, en route for Rio de Janeiro.
To be continued.
About the Author: JF the LOLZOR
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