The Auto-Plough - ThomasNATION Fanstory
December 24, 2025
"Good morning, all!" declared Flying Scotsman as he pulled into Vicarstown Station. "Isn't it just a grand morning?"
"Still no snowplough?" sighed Gordon. "You do realise the snow will be picking up later in the week."
"Ha! You're hilarious, little brother." scoffed Flying Scotsman. "I'm a high speed express engine. I don't need a snowplough."
"Yes, you do!" grumbled Gordon. "I'm a high speed express engine too, and yet here I am, wearing one."
"Please." Flying Scotsman rolled his eyes. "Snowploughs are so uncomfortable. And they're dreadfully heavy! All they ever do is just slow me down."
"Thank you!" added on Thomas.
"Don't encourage him, Thomas." said Gordon. "Why don't I just lend you my old snow machine? I think it's kicking about on a siding up in Crovan's Gate."
"Gordon, honestly." Flying Scotsman laughed. "Snow is just silly soft stuff! I can ram through it with ease."
"I thought that too, y’know." Thomas sighed. "Two minutes later, I was trapped in a snowbank."
"If snow is that dangerous, why have I never been given a snowplough?" smirked Flying Scotsman.
"Because you’re completely spoiled?" Gordon growled.
"I heard that!"
"I said it right to you!" Gordon called out as Flying Scotsman disembarked again. Clearly, he wasn't going to listen.
Later that day, Gordon had to pull a goods train down to Ffarquhar. Now, Gordon was already in a bad mood from his argument with Flying Scotsman, so he was in no mood to be pulling a goods train.
"Oh, the shame of it..." he grumbled to himself.
Gordon then came to a stop at a level crossing at Ruth's workshop, where she was testing out some rail wheels on Cleo, who was situated on some old narrow-gauge rails. She climbed out after her test and started jotting down notes on her clipboard.
"The wheel rotation's a little slow," she said to Cleo, "but nothing a few minor adjustments can't fix up."
"Ruth!" Gordon called out. "Open the crossing! I need to get moving!"
"What's the magic word?" smirked Ruth.
"Abracadabra? I'm going to run late!"
"Alright, cool your jets." Ruth sighed. "What's up with you?"
"Nothing, just...my brother."
"The Flying Scotsman?"
"Yep...you won't understand, you don't have any siblings."
"No, but I do have some obnoxious cousins. Tell me everything."
Ruth sat on Gordon's bufferbeam as he explained everything that happened about his refusal to wear a snowplough. "...and he insists on not wearing one! Can you believe that?!"
"Well, I don't understand it. An engine needs a snowplough in this weather. It's supposed to get heavier in the week."
"That's what I said!" Gordon sighed. "But he insists that a snowplough is "too heavy" and "will just slow him down". Honestly!"
This gave Ruth an idea. "...then what if there were a snowplough that did all the work for him?"
"What do you mean?"
"I'm saying I can put together an automated snowplough where instead of him pushing it everywhere, it can instead move on its own volition. An auto-plough!"
"You really think an engine like him will work with it?" chuckled Gordon.
"Trust me, once he sees it, he'll be head over wheels for it!" Ruth declared. "Let's get started!"
Ruth worked all day and all night on her new auto-plough. It was a lot of trial and error, and Ruth chugged a lot of coffee to get it done, but alas, by that morning, it was finally complete. Once she saw the end result, she wasted no time and hopped on board Cleo, the auto-plough in tow covered by a tarp, right over to Knapford, where Gordon was waiting to start his express run.
"Gordon!" called out Ruth. "It's ready!"
"It is?" pondered Gordon. Just then, Flying Scotsman pulled in on another platform.
"What's ready?" asked Flying Scotsman.
"Funny you should ask." smirked Ruth. "Gordon and I have put together a Christmas present just for you."
"Oh, you shouldn't have, little brother!" chuckled Flying Scotsman. "...wait, this isn't a trick, is it? It's not a snowplough, is it?"
"Not just any old snowplough. Behold!" Ruth pulled the tarp off to reveal a sleek, shiny and highly advanced snowplough. "Presenting, the auto-plough!"
"...seriously, Gordon?" scowled Flying Scotsman.
"Okay, I know that you're not a snowplough engine," explained Gordon, "but Ruth built this especially for you."
"How's this snowplough any different from yours?"
"Great question." started Ruth. "The snowplough is equipped with small wheels powered by a motor, which also powers the rotary blades. The blades suck up the snow and sprays it out through the chute."
"It's motorised? So, it would be pulling me?"
"No, you'd still be pushing the auto-plough, it's not that fast. But instead of you pushing the snow out of the way, the auto-plough would be doing most of the work."
"So it's just Dustin?"
"Who?"
After a brief awkward silence, Flying Scotsman made his decision. "Hmm...alright. I'll give it one go."
"Thank you!" sighed Gordon. "Was that really so hard?"
When Flying Scotsman used the auto-plough on his passenger runs, he found it to be an actually smooth ride. It worked like a dream - it cleared the track in record time, it wasn't as uncomfortable as he thought it would be, even the motor had no problem keeping up with him. Needless to say, it was a charm. Everyone was impressed when he came back to Knapford that afternoon.
"Fancy that!" admired Thomas. "Is that the auto-plough?"
"Indeed it is." smirked Flying Scotsman, smugly.
"Wow. What I would give for something like that."
"Hey, actually, I'm about to go on a break. How would you like a turn with the auto-plough?"
Thomas gasped. "Really? Thank you so much!"
"Oh, tish tosh. It's the season of giving. Besides, this one's guaranteed to not be as uncomfortable as your old snowplough."
Soon, everyone wanted a turn with the auto-plough. After Thomas was done with it, he passed it onto Nia, who passed it onto James, who passed it onto Norman, who passed it onto Percy, you get it. But little did they know that all that snow was starting to overload the auto-plough's system, as noticed when, as Duck started his turn, it started to bellow smoke from the chute.
"Duck!" gasped Gordon as he was passing. "What happened to the auto-plough?"
"I don't know." replied Duck. "Do you want me to take it to the Steamworks?"
"No, Victor's not gonna know what to do with it!" barked Gordon. "Take it to Ruth!"
"Alright, calm down." muttered Duck. "I'll take it to her right now."
But then something unusual happened. The auto-plough detached from Duck's buffers and started rolling away.
"What the..." gasped Gordon.
"What's it doing?" asked Duck.
Gordon didn't know what was going on, but he knew he had to get it back. "Duck, go get Ruth and get her to Vicarstown. She'll know how to fix this."
"Right-o, Gordon."
"Right. Uncouple my coaches!"
Gordon swiftly gave chase to the auto-plough. He still had no idea what caused this, all he knew was that he had to save his brother's gift.
"Stop that plough!" he cried to the signalmen. The signalmen tried to divert the auto-plough onto a siding, but the ice had frozen the points.
The auto-plough was out of control as its rotary blades began spinning faster and faster, shredding up the snow and spraying it out onto the rails. It was making an even bigger mess than it was capable of clearing. But the chase came to a head at Vicarstown. Duck had managed to escort Ruth to the station.
"Okay, what was so important that you had to bring me here on such short notice?" asked Ruth.
"I've no idea," said Duck, "Gordon just told me to-"
"LOOK!" Percy cried as he noticed the auto-plough speeding up to the station.
"My auto-plough!" wailed Flying Scotsman. "What's happened to it?!"
But the worst was yet to come. The auto-plough hit the points, derailed and crashed into the station, sending it flying through the air and right towards Flying Scotsman.
"No!" winced Flying Scotsman.
The auto-plough crashed into Flying Scotsman, one of his smoke deflectors getting caught in the blades. But the smoke deflector did manage to stop the madness. Gordon raced up to the station to see the damage. Luckily, nobody was hurt.
"Scott!" cried Gordon. "Are you okay?!"
"Well, my boiler has a hole in it and one of my smoke deflectors just got torn off by my Christmas present..." sighed Flying Scotsman, "...but I can't complain, I suppose."
"We gotta get you to the Steamworks." Gordon coupled up to his brother. "Ruth, what happened to it?"
"I see what the problem is. The system was overloaded, causing the motor to go completely haywire. I'm gonna need to take it back to the workshop."
A couple days later, it was Christmas! And while everyone was celebrating with their families, the engines were resting in their sheds...except for Gordon. He had to pay a visit to his brother, who was still in the Steamworks. He brought a small box with him on a flatbed.
"Hey, Scott." Gordon smiled. "I wanted to say I'm sorry about the auto-plough."
"Ah, don't worry about it, little brother." chuckled Flying Scotsman. "You couldn't have known it was going to do that."
"How true." laughed Gordon. "Actually, can I show you something? I brought you a new Christmas present."
"Oh?"
Gordon's driver opened the box to reveal...Gordon's snowplough.
"Is that...your snowplough?" asked Flying Scotsman.
"Yeah. I figured you may need it. Plus, less of a chance of it going ballistic."
"Wow, I don't know what to say." Flying Scotsman was so touched by Gordon's present that he forgot about his adversity to snowploughs. "Thank you."
"Anytime, brother." smiled Gordon. For the rest of the day, Gordon stayed right by his brother's side, and thus, was able to have a wonderful Christmas.
About the Author: JF the LOLZOR
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