The Replacement

**The Replacement** is the second episode of Season 2 of Sudrian Stories and twelfth episode overall.

## Synopsis

After hearing Sir Topham Hatt tell the Dieselworks manager a replacement will be coming in soon, Norman fears he will be replaced. Trying to prove his worthy on Sodor, Norman does several jobs to show how useful he is but only ends up causing more trouble for himself.

## Plot

The Dieselworks is busier than ever when Norman gets stuck on the main line. Den is called in to help Norman out. James teases Norman about Sir Topham Hatt getting rid of him, but Den reminds him to cheer up. At the Dieselworks, the men are hard at work, repairing Norman's engine, and he falls asleep quickly. Later, Norman wakes up to the sound of Sir Topham Hatt telling Mr. Renchmore, the Dieselworks manager, that "the replacement" would be here soon. Norman, jumping to conclusions, assumes Sir Topham Hatt has ordered a replacement for him.

Norman's repairs were soon done and he headed back out to work. Arriving on the Mainland for an oil pickup, Norman finds an abandoned train on a siding and offers to take it with him to show how valuable he is. Having a much heavier train, Norman struggles with the weight but still carries on. Down the line, Scruff pushes wagons full of waste over Gordon's Hill. However, he was in such a hurry, he forgot to couple his trucks together. The trucks race down the other side of the hill and crash right into Norman, who was coming up on the opposite line! Not wanting to be late, Norman leaves the crash-site, covered in garbage. Norman's stench causes even Cranky to react negatively, but Norman carries on. By the time Norman arrives at Knapford, he has forgotten he was covered in waste. Sir Topham Hatt urges Norman to get a washdown, and Norman soon remembers his incident.

At the washdown, Norman is now cleaned up, but his engine begins to fail as smoke fumes fill the air. Den recieves another call to pick up Norman again, but Norman freaks out, thinking he's done for good. Passing through Knapford, Norman overhears Sir Topham Hatt speaking on the phone about "the replacement" again, and he believes he'll be considered useless. Meanwhile, James is ready for a rest at the sheds when Sir Topham Hatt asks him to take a load of ballast to Vicarstown. James suggests a dirty diesel like Norman should do the job, but Sir Topham Hatt insists he does the job without arguing. As James continues down the line with his ballast trucks, they decide to play a trick on him and push him faster.

Back at the Dieselworks, Norman becomes depressed about his situation while Den tries to cheer him up. Norman takes Den's words to heart and realizes he can still prove he's useful once and for all, as he heads out to seize the rest of the day. Meanwhile, James is barreling down the line as his trucks push him further. Finally, he stops, but at the cost of damaging his brakes. His driver refuses to carry on until help arrives. Norman is called to rescue James as he's available. Norman is happy to offer his services to prove his worth. When Norman arrives, James is unsure Norman can help, but Norman gets on his level, practically putting James back in his place. Norman pulls James and his trucks down the line. Norman mentions "the replacement" as they travel, and James suggests that he heard Sir Topham Hatt out of context. Norman is unsure of his fate as James thanks him, heading into the Dieselworks. When they arrive, Sir Topham Hatt is waiting with Den and Mr. Renchmore, congratulating him on the rescue, and reminding him that he wouldn't ever be replaced. Revealing the truth, "the replacement" is a replacement engine for Norman so he wouldn't break down as much.

Norman is proud of his new engine and is able to get heavier jobs done more efficiently. Norman feels more comfortable now, and James watches him speed along the line, completing his work. Norman still breaks down from time to time, like all engines, but his "replacement" ensures he's a valuable part of the railway!

## Characters

* Thomas
* Gordon
* James
* Scruff
* Den
* Norman
* Trevor
* Cranky
* Sir Topham Hatt
* James's Driver
* Norman's Driver
* Mr. Renchmore
* The Dieselworks Yard Manager
* The Barrow Yard Foreman
* Dart (*does not speak*)
* Winston (*does not speak*)
* Edward (*cameo*)
* Henry (*cameo*)
* Emily (*cameo*)
* Stanley (*cameo*)
* Caitlin (*cameo*)
* Nia (*cameo*)
* Jinty (*cameo*)
* Diesel (*cameo*)
* Daisy (*cameo*)
* Derek (*cameo*)
* 'Arry and Bert (*cameo*)
* Paxton (*cameo*)
* Sidney (*cameo*)
* Philip (*cameo*)
* Rex (*cameo*)
* Frank (*cameo*)
* Carly (*cameo*)
* Jem Cole (*cameo*)
* Donald and Douglas (*mentioned; cut from script*)
* The Vicar (*mentioned*)

## Cast

* LittleBlueTrain67 as Thomas
* Fantastic Mr. S as Gordon and Den
* MainlandStudios as James
* EpicLafiteau as Scruff
* Chase the Ferroequinologist as Norman
* Ilovetrains323 as Trevor and Mr. Renchmore
* TheEngineShed as Cranky
* Ffarquhar Engine as James's Driver
* SpeedySkip as Norman's Driver
* Papa Mainland as Sir Topham Hatt
* Shyloh White as The Dieselworks Yard Manager
* Supermariokyle100 as The Barrow Yard Foreman

## Trivia

* Special garbage-covered and oil splatter Norman models were made for this episode.
* This episode was originally planned to be released in Season 1, after Toby Takes the Road. It was put on hold so EpicLafiteau could work on The Good Old Days, and then he decided to just move it to Season 2.
* The ballast hoppers on James' train are numbered "004, 001, and 006", which is a reference to EpicLafiteau's birthday: April 16th (4/16).
* The intro is a parody of *The Good Place*.
* This is the first episode written by Chase the Ferroequinologist.
* Ffarquhar Engine and SpeedySkip join the voice cast.
* Norman is referred to as Norm.
	+ While this may not be an actual reference to the show, a book said Norman's nickname was Norm despite him never being referred to that at any time.

Title drop: Sir Topham Hatt refers to Norman's new engine as "the replacement" twice.

## Story Impact

* Norman's faulty engine has been successfully replaced.