Race Round the World! - ThomasNATION Fanstory [Part 1]
March 11, 2022
It was a bright summerās day on the Island of Sodor. Thomas was going about his route as per usual as he pulled into Vicarstown. He stopped to drop off his passengers, when he noticed someone on the platform putting up a poster.
āExcuse me,ā Thomas asked. āwhatās that your putting up?ā
āOh, this?ā the man responded. āThis is a poster for the rally tryouts.ā
āTryouts? For what?ā
āEngines of the World.ā
āWhat? What's that?ā
Gordon approached the station, laughing at Thomas. āThomas, donāt tell me! Youāre not actually considering signing up!ā
āI dunno, I should get some more information on it first.ā Thomas chuckled. "I don't even know what it is."
Just then, a familiar whistle blared through the station. Who was it? None other than the Flying Scotsman!
āOh noā¦ā Gordon sighed.
āOh! Hi, Scott!ā said Thomas. āCan I call you that?ā
āBy all means!ā Flying Scotsman responded. āOh, Gordon, I have the most exciting news! Iāve been called to participate in the Engines of the World rally!ā
āAnd here we goā¦ā Gordon groaned.
āHey, I saw a poster for that over there,ā Thomas asked, āand I have to ask - what exactly is Engines of the World?ā
āWell, to make it short,ā Flying Scotsman explained. āthis rally pits engines from all over the globe against each other in six races across every continent in a competition to see whoās the worldās fastest engine.ā
āWow!ā
āLet me guess, you want to sign up?ā Gordon asked.
āWell, I could give it a go.ā Thomas responded.
Gordon was beyond frustrated at this point. āYou and your pipe dreams, Thomas. You canāt race among the fastest engines in the world! Youāre not built for it!ā
āWellā¦I could think of a solution.ā Thomas suggested. āIāll train endlessly if I have to!ā
āI admire your optimism, Thomas,ā Flying Scotsman said to the little engine. ābut itāll take a little more than just the average training to take these engines down.ā
āWell, it canāt hurt to try.ā
āWell, then again, thereās nowhere in the rulebooks that says a tank engine canāt race,ā Flying Scotsman added. āso you could have a shot.ā
āReally?ā
āYes! Now, Iām going to be at the tryouts on the Mainland tomorrow. I hope to see you there! Especially you, little brother!ā
And with that, the Flying Scotsman left. Thomas was absolutely ecstatic! Gordon, not so much.
āYou? Try out for the rally?ā Gordon teased. āIād like to see that.ā
Thomas simply smirked. āMaybe you willā¦ā
Early the next morning, Thomas, Percy, James and Nia were headed to the Mainland. While Thomas, Nia and Percy were excited for the tryouts, James wasnāt that enthusiastic.
āTell me again why we had to get up at 4 in the morning, just so you can try out for a rally you wonāt even get in?ā James moaned.
āIām just going to have a brief run on the course,ā Thomas explained, āand if I donāt get in, weāll pack it up and go home.ā
āShouldnāt we tell Sir Topham Hatt about this?ā
āWhat he doesnāt know wonāt hurt him.ā
āExcept this is a massive rally across the continents!ā James groaned. āI think he should at least know one of us is trying out.ā
āExcuse me,ā Thomas asked. āwhatās that your putting up?ā
āOh, this?ā the man responded. āThis is a poster for the rally tryouts.ā
āTryouts? For what?ā
āEngines of the World.ā
āWhat? What's that?ā
Gordon approached the station, laughing at Thomas. āThomas, donāt tell me! Youāre not actually considering signing up!ā
āI dunno, I should get some more information on it first.ā Thomas chuckled. "I don't even know what it is."
Just then, a familiar whistle blared through the station. Who was it? None other than the Flying Scotsman!
āOh noā¦ā Gordon sighed.
āOh! Hi, Scott!ā said Thomas. āCan I call you that?ā
āBy all means!ā Flying Scotsman responded. āOh, Gordon, I have the most exciting news! Iāve been called to participate in the Engines of the World rally!ā
āAnd here we goā¦ā Gordon groaned.
āHey, I saw a poster for that over there,ā Thomas asked, āand I have to ask - what exactly is Engines of the World?ā
āWell, to make it short,ā Flying Scotsman explained. āthis rally pits engines from all over the globe against each other in six races across every continent in a competition to see whoās the worldās fastest engine.ā
āWow!ā
āLet me guess, you want to sign up?ā Gordon asked.
āWell, I could give it a go.ā Thomas responded.
Gordon was beyond frustrated at this point. āYou and your pipe dreams, Thomas. You canāt race among the fastest engines in the world! Youāre not built for it!ā
āWellā¦I could think of a solution.ā Thomas suggested. āIāll train endlessly if I have to!ā
āI admire your optimism, Thomas,ā Flying Scotsman said to the little engine. ābut itāll take a little more than just the average training to take these engines down.ā
āWell, it canāt hurt to try.ā
āWell, then again, thereās nowhere in the rulebooks that says a tank engine canāt race,ā Flying Scotsman added. āso you could have a shot.ā
āReally?ā
āYes! Now, Iām going to be at the tryouts on the Mainland tomorrow. I hope to see you there! Especially you, little brother!ā
And with that, the Flying Scotsman left. Thomas was absolutely ecstatic! Gordon, not so much.
āYou? Try out for the rally?ā Gordon teased. āIād like to see that.ā
Thomas simply smirked. āMaybe you willā¦ā
Early the next morning, Thomas, Percy, James and Nia were headed to the Mainland. While Thomas, Nia and Percy were excited for the tryouts, James wasnāt that enthusiastic.
āTell me again why we had to get up at 4 in the morning, just so you can try out for a rally you wonāt even get in?ā James moaned.
āIām just going to have a brief run on the course,ā Thomas explained, āand if I donāt get in, weāll pack it up and go home.ā
āShouldnāt we tell Sir Topham Hatt about this?ā
āWhat he doesnāt know wonāt hurt him.ā
āExcept this is a massive rally across the continents!ā James groaned. āI think he should at least know one of us is trying out.ā
"We'll be okay, James," said Nia. "it's just a quick run-through."
Soon, the four engines arrived at the course. Thomas had a good look at the best engines the Mainland had to offer. Sleek, streamlined engines and lightning-fast electric engines filled the course. Thomas was now more excited than everā¦if a little nervous. An announcer approached the three.
āMorning, lads!ā he said. āYou here to watch the tryouts?ā
āActually, weāre here to sign up our friend!ā Percy announced, proudly as Thomas puffed forward. āThisā¦is Thomas.ā
āWait, the blue one? Butā¦heās a tank engine.ā
āI know, but I want to give it a shot regardless!ā Thomas said proudly.
The announcer eventually obliged and signed Thomas up for tryouts. āNow, the rules are simple, if you manage to be among the top three, youāre in the rally.ā
As the contenders made their way through the course, a familiar face spotted Thomasā eye.
āOh, youāve got to be joking me!ā Spencer chortled. āDonāt tell me youāre actually trying out!ā
āYes, I am, Spencer,ā Thomas chuckled. āand I canāt wait to see the look on your face when I win this rally!ā
āYou honestly think you can win this rally? You're just a slow, silly, weak, little toy tank engine. Wellā¦good luck getting in.ā
Spencer chuffed off, leaving Thomas feeling a little embarrassed.
āHey, donāt let that guy get to you,ā a small electric engine said to Thomas. āIām honestly just curious to see how thisāll go!ā
āThanksā¦uhā¦sorry, who are you?ā
āOh, right, Iām David.ā the engine introduced himself.
āDavid, right.ā
The racers competed on, and before long, the tally was down to Spencer, David and Connor. Last up, it was Thomasā time to race.
āAnd last on the course, is a little blue tank engine all the way from Tidmouth, Sodor, please welcome, Thomas!ā the announcer cried.
As Thomas entered the course, the bigger, faster engines laughed at him, but none louder than Spencer.
āNotice that Thomas is the only tank engine competing here today,ā the announcer continued. ābut will he be the last? Our judges say āprobablyā, but I, for one, am certainly intrigued.ā
Thomas was ready to begin. He was extremely nervous, his wheels were even shaking. But he had to do this.
āMorning, lads!ā he said. āYou here to watch the tryouts?ā
āActually, weāre here to sign up our friend!ā Percy announced, proudly as Thomas puffed forward. āThisā¦is Thomas.ā
āWait, the blue one? Butā¦heās a tank engine.ā
āI know, but I want to give it a shot regardless!ā Thomas said proudly.
The announcer eventually obliged and signed Thomas up for tryouts. āNow, the rules are simple, if you manage to be among the top three, youāre in the rally.ā
As the contenders made their way through the course, a familiar face spotted Thomasā eye.
āOh, youāve got to be joking me!ā Spencer chortled. āDonāt tell me youāre actually trying out!ā
āYes, I am, Spencer,ā Thomas chuckled. āand I canāt wait to see the look on your face when I win this rally!ā
āYou honestly think you can win this rally? You're just a slow, silly, weak, little toy tank engine. Wellā¦good luck getting in.ā
Spencer chuffed off, leaving Thomas feeling a little embarrassed.
āHey, donāt let that guy get to you,ā a small electric engine said to Thomas. āIām honestly just curious to see how thisāll go!ā
āThanksā¦uhā¦sorry, who are you?ā
āOh, right, Iām David.ā the engine introduced himself.
āDavid, right.ā
The racers competed on, and before long, the tally was down to Spencer, David and Connor. Last up, it was Thomasā time to race.
āAnd last on the course, is a little blue tank engine all the way from Tidmouth, Sodor, please welcome, Thomas!ā the announcer cried.
As Thomas entered the course, the bigger, faster engines laughed at him, but none louder than Spencer.
āNotice that Thomas is the only tank engine competing here today,ā the announcer continued. ābut will he be the last? Our judges say āprobablyā, but I, for one, am certainly intrigued.ā
Thomas was ready to begin. He was extremely nervous, his wheels were even shaking. But he had to do this.
"You've got this, Thomas!" cheered Percy.
āAnd heās off!ā the announcer cried as Thomas began.
If you can believe it, Thomas did really well! He was a little slippery on the corners, but his speed, stealth and agility were unlike anything a tank engine had ever done before! As he crossed the finish line, the engines that once laughed and jeered at him were now murmuring curiously and even cheering a littleā¦except Spencer, of course.
āSoā¦howād I do?ā Thomas asked the announcer.
The announcer looked over his scoreboard. āYour final time is one minute and forty two seconds. Fourth place.ā
āThatās good, right?ā asked Nia.
āIām afraid not.ā the announcer said. āSee, only the first three make it in. Sorry, Thomas. It was close, but ya didnāt make the cut.ā
Thomas frowned, disappointed in himself. But deep down, he knew it was a silly dream to begin with. "Come on, guys. Let's go."
The next day, Thomas was still disappointed about not making it into the rally as he pulled Annie and Clarabel along his branch line.
āGo on, Thomas!ā chirped Annie.
āTell us, how did the tryouts go?ā asked Clarabel.
āI didnāt make it in.ā Thomas responded. āI wasnāt fast enough.ā
āOh, dear,ā sighed Annie. āIām so sorry, Thomas.ā
āIf you ask me,ā Clarabel chimed in, āI donāt know what you were thinking. I mean, you arenāt nearly fast enough to take on the fastest engines in the world!ā
Suddenly, the announcer from the rally rolled up in a handcar. āExcuse me! Uh, Thomas, was it?ā
ā...yeah?ā
āI have a further development on the results.ā the announcer said. āIt turns out our second place champion, David, had been taking an illegal fuel. And intake of illegal fuel is cause for elimination.ā
āBut wait,ā Thomas thought. āif heās out, then that meansā¦ā
āWelcome to the rally!ā the announcer smiled.
Thomas gasped as Annie and Clarabel whooped in joy. āHooray! Huzzah! Itās a miracle!ā
That night, at Tidmouth Sheds, Thomas was telling everyone the good news.
āI donāt believe itā¦ā Gordon gasped in astonishment.
āThis is incredible!ā cried Rebecca. āJust imagine, showing everyone on the islandā¦wait, no, everyone in the world that youāre the fastest engine!ā
āThere mustāve been some sort of mistake!ā James cried. āI understand that Thomas is a fast engineā¦but fast enough for the Engines of the World rally? I just donāt buy it!ā
āYouāre right, James,ā Gordon said, snapping out of his shock. āheāll never be ready.ā
āNot without the proper training!ā Percy said as he left the shed. āCome on, Thomas. We only have two days to train, and weāre not wasting a second.ā
For the next two days, Thomas and Percy have been training non-stop. The plan was simple: Percy would shunt a truck down a long stretch of track as hard as he could while Thomas raced against it. Sounds easy, right? Well, not exactly.
If you can believe it, Thomas did really well! He was a little slippery on the corners, but his speed, stealth and agility were unlike anything a tank engine had ever done before! As he crossed the finish line, the engines that once laughed and jeered at him were now murmuring curiously and even cheering a littleā¦except Spencer, of course.
āSoā¦howād I do?ā Thomas asked the announcer.
The announcer looked over his scoreboard. āYour final time is one minute and forty two seconds. Fourth place.ā
āThatās good, right?ā asked Nia.
āIām afraid not.ā the announcer said. āSee, only the first three make it in. Sorry, Thomas. It was close, but ya didnāt make the cut.ā
Thomas frowned, disappointed in himself. But deep down, he knew it was a silly dream to begin with. "Come on, guys. Let's go."
The next day, Thomas was still disappointed about not making it into the rally as he pulled Annie and Clarabel along his branch line.
āGo on, Thomas!ā chirped Annie.
āTell us, how did the tryouts go?ā asked Clarabel.
āI didnāt make it in.ā Thomas responded. āI wasnāt fast enough.ā
āOh, dear,ā sighed Annie. āIām so sorry, Thomas.ā
āIf you ask me,ā Clarabel chimed in, āI donāt know what you were thinking. I mean, you arenāt nearly fast enough to take on the fastest engines in the world!ā
Suddenly, the announcer from the rally rolled up in a handcar. āExcuse me! Uh, Thomas, was it?ā
ā...yeah?ā
āI have a further development on the results.ā the announcer said. āIt turns out our second place champion, David, had been taking an illegal fuel. And intake of illegal fuel is cause for elimination.ā
āBut wait,ā Thomas thought. āif heās out, then that meansā¦ā
āWelcome to the rally!ā the announcer smiled.
Thomas gasped as Annie and Clarabel whooped in joy. āHooray! Huzzah! Itās a miracle!ā
That night, at Tidmouth Sheds, Thomas was telling everyone the good news.
āI donāt believe itā¦ā Gordon gasped in astonishment.
āThis is incredible!ā cried Rebecca. āJust imagine, showing everyone on the islandā¦wait, no, everyone in the world that youāre the fastest engine!ā
āThere mustāve been some sort of mistake!ā James cried. āI understand that Thomas is a fast engineā¦but fast enough for the Engines of the World rally? I just donāt buy it!ā
āYouāre right, James,ā Gordon said, snapping out of his shock. āheāll never be ready.ā
āNot without the proper training!ā Percy said as he left the shed. āCome on, Thomas. We only have two days to train, and weāre not wasting a second.ā
For the next two days, Thomas and Percy have been training non-stop. The plan was simple: Percy would shunt a truck down a long stretch of track as hard as he could while Thomas raced against it. Sounds easy, right? Well, not exactly.
"The goal is to look for a window in between tracks," Percy suggested. "one that allows you to overtake the truck."
As hard as he tried, he kept just barely losing. As a result, the two turned to other methods of enhancing speed, one of which started at the Steamworks.
āWe have two suggestions to enhance your speed,ā Victor suggested, āwe either give you a complete streamlined overhaul, or we give you some of Henryās old special coal.ā
āWhatās the special coal gonna do?ā asked Thomas.
āThis coal is much lighter than your usual coal,ā explained Kevin, āmaking you a lot more aerodynamic, ergo allowing for more speed!ā
āOh, good point, Kevin!ā said Percy. āWhat do you think, Thomas?ā
āI think Iāll take the special coal for now,ā said Thomas, āIāll save the streamlining as a last resort.ā
Soon, Thomas was filled with the special coal, and Kevin was right! Thomas was much faster now, but still not enough to beat the truck. But Thomas never gave up. Coal clump after coal clump, adjustment after adjustment, Thomas kept pushing and pushing until at long last, he finally beat the truck. āYES!ā
As Thomas rushed around in joy, Percy looked on in pride. āHeās ready.ā
That night, Thomas had arrived at the starting point of the first race. The site was absolutely massive, with colorful tents and humongous bleachers. It was something that Thomas had never seen before.
āAh! Thomas! Over here!ā called Flying Scotsman, who was talking to two other engines.
āScott! Hi!ā Thomas said as he approached the three engines. āWho are these guys?ā
āThomas, this is Ernesto, the Mexican candidateā¦ā
āHola!ā said Ernesto.
ā...and thatās Andwele from Tanzania.ā
āNinafurahi kukutana nawe.ā said Andwele.
āHello. Iām Thomas!ā
āEh? This is the tank engine thatās racing alongside us?ā said another racer, Huang of China.
āYeah, Huang.ā Ernesto chuckled. āā¦hey, I just realized! Youāre that engine who travelled all the way around the world, arenāt you?ā
āYes! Yes, I am, Ernesto!ā Thomas laughed.
Just then, a smug shadow crept towards the racers. āPah! He wasnāt racing across the world, howeverā¦was he?ā scoffed Spencer.
āLeave him alone, Spencerā¦ā groaned Flying Scotsman. āat least give him a chance.ā
āSi, Spencer,ā Ernesto added in. āweāve yet to see him in action.ā
āWell, I have.ā Spencer chuckled as he left.
āATTENTION ALL RACERS,ā the announcer cried over the PA system. āPLEASE REPORT TO YOUR SHEDS IMMEDIATELY. OUR FIRST RACE FROM LONDON TO PARIS COMMENCES AT 10:00 SHARP.ā
As the other engines left for their shed, Ernesto noticed that Thomas was looking demotivated from what Spencer had said.
āNo le hagas caso, amigo.ā he said. āAĆŗn no conoce todo su potencial.ā
āEh? Sorry, my Spanish isnāt all that good.ā
āRight, I was saying Spencer has yet to see your full potential.ā
āOh, right. Thanks, Ernesto.ā
And with that, the two left for their sheds, anticipating the following race.
āWELCOME, FANS OF SPEED! WELCOME, ONE AND ALL, TO THE 7TH ANNUAL ENGINES OF THE WORLD RALLY!ā cried the announcer as the racers made their way to the starting line. āWhat say we take a look at some of these contenders?
First we have the lean, mean, racing machine, give it up for Leonid of Russia!
āWe have two suggestions to enhance your speed,ā Victor suggested, āwe either give you a complete streamlined overhaul, or we give you some of Henryās old special coal.ā
āWhatās the special coal gonna do?ā asked Thomas.
āThis coal is much lighter than your usual coal,ā explained Kevin, āmaking you a lot more aerodynamic, ergo allowing for more speed!ā
āOh, good point, Kevin!ā said Percy. āWhat do you think, Thomas?ā
āI think Iāll take the special coal for now,ā said Thomas, āIāll save the streamlining as a last resort.ā
Soon, Thomas was filled with the special coal, and Kevin was right! Thomas was much faster now, but still not enough to beat the truck. But Thomas never gave up. Coal clump after coal clump, adjustment after adjustment, Thomas kept pushing and pushing until at long last, he finally beat the truck. āYES!ā
As Thomas rushed around in joy, Percy looked on in pride. āHeās ready.ā
That night, Thomas had arrived at the starting point of the first race. The site was absolutely massive, with colorful tents and humongous bleachers. It was something that Thomas had never seen before.
āAh! Thomas! Over here!ā called Flying Scotsman, who was talking to two other engines.
āScott! Hi!ā Thomas said as he approached the three engines. āWho are these guys?ā
āThomas, this is Ernesto, the Mexican candidateā¦ā
āHola!ā said Ernesto.
ā...and thatās Andwele from Tanzania.ā
āNinafurahi kukutana nawe.ā said Andwele.
āHello. Iām Thomas!ā
āEh? This is the tank engine thatās racing alongside us?ā said another racer, Huang of China.
āYeah, Huang.ā Ernesto chuckled. āā¦hey, I just realized! Youāre that engine who travelled all the way around the world, arenāt you?ā
āYes! Yes, I am, Ernesto!ā Thomas laughed.
Just then, a smug shadow crept towards the racers. āPah! He wasnāt racing across the world, howeverā¦was he?ā scoffed Spencer.
āLeave him alone, Spencerā¦ā groaned Flying Scotsman. āat least give him a chance.ā
āSi, Spencer,ā Ernesto added in. āweāve yet to see him in action.ā
āWell, I have.ā Spencer chuckled as he left.
āATTENTION ALL RACERS,ā the announcer cried over the PA system. āPLEASE REPORT TO YOUR SHEDS IMMEDIATELY. OUR FIRST RACE FROM LONDON TO PARIS COMMENCES AT 10:00 SHARP.ā
As the other engines left for their shed, Ernesto noticed that Thomas was looking demotivated from what Spencer had said.
āNo le hagas caso, amigo.ā he said. āAĆŗn no conoce todo su potencial.ā
āEh? Sorry, my Spanish isnāt all that good.ā
āRight, I was saying Spencer has yet to see your full potential.ā
āOh, right. Thanks, Ernesto.ā
And with that, the two left for their sheds, anticipating the following race.
āWELCOME, FANS OF SPEED! WELCOME, ONE AND ALL, TO THE 7TH ANNUAL ENGINES OF THE WORLD RALLY!ā cried the announcer as the racers made their way to the starting line. āWhat say we take a look at some of these contenders?
First we have the lean, mean, racing machine, give it up for Leonid of Russia!
Sheās the two-time champion whoās as sleek as she is speedy, letās hear it for Abigail of America!
A newcomer to our racing field, but still willing to break the records, itās Spencer of England!And coming in along side him comes the red-hot inferno himself, let's hear it for Andwele of Tanzania!
Another newcomer on our track today, give it up for Binita of India!
As the contenders reached the starting line, Thomas was pepping himself up.
āAlright, Thomas, head in the game, head in the gameā¦ā he whispered to himself. Before long, he was flared up and ready to race.
āHey, Thomas?ā said Spencer.
āYeah?ā
āNo pressure, eh? Itās only a couple million people watching you fail around the world.ā
Thomas felt all his confidence fly out of his funnel, leaving behind nothing but fear.
āLadies and gentlemen, our track leads through the English Channel tunnel, past beautiful Versailles and finishing just by the Eiffel Tower.ā called the announcer. āAnd it appears the race is about to beginā¦ā
The whistle blew and the race was on! Throughout the race, Thomas took several twists and turns to overtake a bunch of racers before heading through the tunnel. Once in France, Thomas encountered a massive issue: it was raining. As a result, Thomas kept slipping on the corners, allowing the other racers to overtake him. He tried to catch up, only managing to overtake Leonid and Huang. He tried to catch up to first place, but before he could even tryā¦
The fiery fiesta on wheels, here comes Ernesto of Mexico!
And finally, we have a first here at the Engines of the World rally, we have a tank engine racing among our all-stars. Letās give a warm welcome to Thomas of Sodor!āAs the contenders reached the starting line, Thomas was pepping himself up.
āAlright, Thomas, head in the game, head in the gameā¦ā he whispered to himself. Before long, he was flared up and ready to race.
āHey, Thomas?ā said Spencer.
āYeah?ā
āNo pressure, eh? Itās only a couple million people watching you fail around the world.ā
Thomas felt all his confidence fly out of his funnel, leaving behind nothing but fear.
āLadies and gentlemen, our track leads through the English Channel tunnel, past beautiful Versailles and finishing just by the Eiffel Tower.ā called the announcer. āAnd it appears the race is about to beginā¦ā
The whistle blew and the race was on! Throughout the race, Thomas took several twists and turns to overtake a bunch of racers before heading through the tunnel. Once in France, Thomas encountered a massive issue: it was raining. As a result, Thomas kept slipping on the corners, allowing the other racers to overtake him. He tried to catch up, only managing to overtake Leonid and Huang. He tried to catch up to first place, but before he could even tryā¦
āAnd the winner is Spencer of England!ā the announcer cried as Spencer slid past the finish line. āIn second and third place, we have Ren of Japan and Etienne of France!ā
As Thomas finally crossed the finish line, he noticed that he only reached 14th place. Thomas was out of breath and couldn't help but feel a bit let down. āWell...at least I've got the other races...right?ā
As Thomas finally crossed the finish line, he noticed that he only reached 14th place. Thomas was out of breath and couldn't help but feel a bit let down. āWell...at least I've got the other races...right?ā
To be continued...
About the Author: JF the LOLZOR
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