Day of the Diesels 2.0

By Miipack603[1]

**Day of the Diesels 2.0** is a remake of the third Thomas and Friends CGI special, taking place after *Misty Island Rescue*. This story is purely fanfic material and should not be mistaken for the original, but rather as an attempt to remediate the original. While I find the original to be a perfectly-acceptable special, I, too, agree with certain criticisms made about it and began to think about how I would rewrite the story to make it a bit more plausible.

*Note:* This is the abridged version of the story. If you wish to read the full version (complete with dialogue/specific character interactions), click here (*TBD*)

## Summary

On one hot summer day, Percy is busy pulling some empty trucks along the branchline, enjoying the sights, when he notices the first warning signs of a forest fire.  Sure enough, Thomas puffs by, confirming his suspicions, and they race off together to the source of the flames.  They find several farmers fighting a fierce fire inside an old farm shed and hooks up his own tanks to the pump.  Eventually, the Sodor Fire Brigade arrive, including their newest addition, a fire engine named Flynn, who quickly douse the flames and save the building.  Sir Topham Hat arrives and congratulates the engines for their heroic efforts before returning to Knapford Station via Thomas and Percy, while Flynn and the Sodor Fire Brigade return to the rescue center.

Upon arriving back at Knapford, they nonchalantly discuss Flynn’s arrival and his assistance to the Sodor Fire Brigade.  Gordon arrives and, upon overhearing the conversation, suggests that Flynn’s duality will make the other fire trucks redundant and expendable, similar to diesels replacing steam engines.  The other engines laugh at his suggestion and claim that he would never replace the Fire Brigade nor the steam engines.  At that moment, Sir Topham Hat steps out of his office and announces the incoming arrival of several new diesels to the railway and asks those who can make it to Brendam Docks to welcome them to the island.  Despite expressing their displeasure with the situation, Sir Topham Hat insists on their participation, prompting the engines to make haste for the docks.  Upon their arrival, they are soon ridiculed and insulted by the majority of the new diesels despite their initial hospitality.  The majority of the gathered steam engines categorize them among the other trouble-making diesels on the railway while Percy remains relatively indifferent for the time being.

The next day, Percy encounters the new diesels firsthand, all treating him as surly as the resident Sudrian diesels.  Upon meeting the last, a green diesel shunter named Paxton, Percy is genuinely surprised to learn that Paxton is relatively soft-spoken and friendly.  Enlightened by this stark contrast, he lightens his demeanor and agrees to be friends with him.  Excited to have finally made a friend, Paxton invites Percy to the Vicarstown Dieselworks to meet some of his other friends; the green tank engine reluctantly agrees.  Upon their arrival, Paxton tries to introduce them to Percy but most of the other diesels pay no mind to them.  Diesel 10 suddenly appears from within his shed to greet Percy, briefly commenting on their prior history before officially leading the other diesels in welcoming Percy impromptu to the Dieselworks.  After making some comments about the facility’s state of disrepair, Diesel 10 reveals that Sir Topham Hat has neglected to properly fix the issues with the Dieselworks, subtly asking for Percy’s help in the matter.  Percy abruptly leaves without answering, not wanting to get caught up in the diesels’ affairs; later that night, he silently contemplates his options as his friends discuss the diesels’ arrival and what it could mean for themselves.

A couple of days later, Percy meets back up with Paxton and apologizes for running off so suddenly, admitting his reluctance to help based on his previous history with diesels.  Paxton shrugs it off and agrees with Percy’s sentiment, but also admits that the other diesels are not so severe as they are made out to be when given the chance to be themselves.  The tank engine considers Paxton’s words as he goes about his duties for the day.  While unloading mail at Brendam Docks, Percy overhears a conversation between the dock manager and some workmen regarding a misplaced shipment of spare diesel parts that was supposed to go to the Mainland.  He takes this news to Paxton around sunset, suggesting that he ask Sir Topham Hat about repurposing the parts for the Dieselworks; Paxton agrees to ask him about it tomorrow as they go their separate ways for the night.  Little do they realize, however, that Iron ‘Arry, Bert, and Norman overheard their conversation and begin organizing their own plans; later that night, the trio of diesels sneak into the docks and take the flatbeds of spare parts for themselves.

The next day, Percy pulls into Knapford Station in the middle of Sir Topham Hat angrily discussing some matters with the other engines.  Upon inquiring about the situation, they reveal that a shipment of engine parts headed for the Mainland mysteriously disappeared in the night; Sir Topham Hat asks Percy what he knows about the missing parts, to which he denies with hesitation and heads off in search of Paxton.  He makes his way to the Dieselworks, where he finds the other diesels relishing in their “new” parts; upon arrival, he berates them for stealing and threatens to tell Sir Topham Hat about the situation.  Instead of fighting back, however, the other diesels plead with Percy to allow them to enjoy the parts, admitting they will be able to get certain tasks done with them.  Upon seeing an apparently new side to the diesels’ usually sour personalities, Percy agrees and heads off; when he comes to the junction, however, he meets up with Thomas, who asks him about his venturing to the Dieselworks.  Percy disguises his visit as orders from Sir Topham Hat and speeds away, wondering if there was any truth to Paxton’s claim that the diesels were not all bad.

For the next few days, everyone on Sodor is still discussing the stolen engine parts despite no ground being made in the investigation to recover them.  In the meantime, Percy tries hard not to get involved with their conversations in fear of revealing his slight affiliation with the diesels.  While picking up mail at Wellsworth Station late one day, however, he hears a commotion in the yard and comes across James, Emily, and Rosie discussing the new diesels.  When they start blaming the diesels for the theft due to their “true nature,” Percy abruptly interjects, claiming that they are not as bad as they are made out to be, much to the others’ disdain.  Understanding where the true problem lies, Percy rushes off without his mail cars, silently electing to aid in the diesels’ situation himself.  Later that night, he ventures to Whiff’s Waste Dump with some empty flatbeds and asks for any functioning spare parts under the guise of a special order from Sir Topham Hat.  Next, he uses the same excuse to acquire more parts from the Sodor Steamworks; upon collecting his load, he makes haste for the Dieselworks, nearly running Flynn off the rails on his return home to the rescue center.

When Percy arrives at the Dieselworks, all the diesels express their surprise at having a steam engine visit the premises so late at night.  The tank engine reveals his intentions and the flatbeds of functionable, albeit dirty and grimy, parts he collected for their usage.  After getting over their initial shock of a steam engine willingly helping them, Den and Dart accept them gratefully and set to work implementing them across the facility.  Diesel 10, although maintaining his air of confidence and toughness, begins to consider whether he was valid in mistrusting *all*of the steam engines.  As a sign of seemingly genuine gratitude, he offers Percy a spot within the Dieselworks to spend the night; despite some reluctance, Percy accepts his offer.  Shortly after, Percy settles in for the night next to Paxton, who commends him for his actions; Percy, in turn, thanks Paxton for helping to open his eyes to the diesels’ true natures.

The next morning, as the engines of Tidmouth Sheds wake, they discover that Percy had neither returned to the sheds nor had taken the mail that night.  Upon asking around, the uncover Percy’s actions of the previous night from Whiff and Victor and his apparent direction of travel from Flynn.  They reconvene later that day at Knapford Station and, using their deductive capabilities, decide that Percy had taken the parts to the Dieselworks.  As the others started arguing and making claims about Percy’s apparent betrayal and alliance with the diesels, Thomas elects to venture to the Dieselworks himself and uncover the truth.  Upon his arrival, Thomas is shocked to find out that what they had deduced turned out to be true and that Percy had stayed there the previous night.  He confronts Percy for his actions while the latter tries to make Thomas understand his motives and realization of the diesels.  When Diesel 10 appears and Percy looks to him for back-up, however, the menacing diesel welcomes Thomas ominously to the Dieselworks while Dart pushes Thomas onto the elevated turntable.  Confused and outraged, Thomas demands to be let go, but Diesel 10 signals to Dart, who pushes Thomas straight into Diesel 10’s shed and backs away, the doors shutting closed behind him and trapping Thomas inside.

Shocked by the occurrence, Percy confronts Diesel 10 about his actions, to which he cackles evilly and reveals his true plan and intentions.  Since Sir Topham Hat had not willingly fixed the state of the Dieselworks, the diesels realized that they would need to force him to understand its state of disrepair.  After stealing the parts did not succeed in redirecting his attention to the Dieselworks, they decided to look into holding an engine or two as hostages in exchange for the repairs.  Percy confronts Paxton about his involvement, to which he refuses and openly denounces Diesel 10’s plot.  Diesel 10, on the other hand, ignores his and Percy’s pleas and has the other diesels hide them away in the back sheds while they await Sir Topham Hat’s eventual arrival.  Meanwhile, the other engines at Knapford realize that something bad must have happened for Thomas to be away for so long and decide to charge the Dieselworks themselves, gathering more support as they make their way across the island.

At the Dieselworks, Percy and Paxton find themselves stuck in the back sheds, their paths blocked by some freight cars.  As they listen to the commotion occurring within the main sheds, both engines relent over their situation and apologize to one another for their misgivings towards each other.  Percy then realizes how to put an end to their quarrel and, with Paxton’s help, manages to knock the blockade over; they then make their way around the back of the Dieselworks.  At that time, however, the steam engines enter the complex, whistling angrily and calling for their friends’ release; upon hearing the commotion, Diesel 10 leads the other diesels outside to confront the intruders, buffer to buffer.

As the two groups come to a head, however, Percy and Paxton block the rails with dual lines of flatbeds, interrupting their advances.  Upon angered inquiry, Paxton chastises his compatriots for their lies and ill-mannered actions while Percy scolds his friends for jumping to conclusions over their prejudices.  Despite the seemingly mutual agreement, Diesel 10 lashes out and knocks over some oil drums, which spark and instantly cause a fire around and within the main sheds!  Horrified to learn that Thomas is still inside, Percy rushes into the burning building, not bothering to wait for the Fire Brigade to arrive.  The tank engine makes his way to Diesel 10’s shed and tries to pry open the doors; he eventually manages to tear them open, freeing Thomas, and together they begin to make their way towards the exit.

While the tank engines try to free themselves, Flynn and the Sodor Fire Brigade arrive on scene, with an angry Sir Topham Hat in tow, and set to work putting out the fire.  Upon learning of Thomas and Percy’s whereabouts, Flynn bravely charges through the flames to rescue the trapped tank engines.  Thomas and Percy, meanwhile, realize that the fire has blocked the turntable, leaving them stuck on the upper platform of the building.  Suddenly, Flynn enters and quickly assesses the situation, realizing that he needs to douse the flames from the inside to keep the engines safe.  He does his best to fight the fire with his water cannons and hose, both capable of reaching the furthest parts of the facility, and successfully managed to extinguish the rest of the fire, allowing the two engines to escape safely.

Once outside, Percy overhears Sir Topham Hat berating the diesels, who look more forlorn over the loss of their home, for their actions.  Despite Thomas’ advising against, Percy steps in and reveals the true nature of the diesels’ actions and his understanding of their situation.  In the meantime, Sir Topham hat finally looks around at the building and, finally realizing its state of extreme disrepair, decides to give the site a complete overhaul, forcing the diesels to help out as their “punishment.” Diesel 10 and the other diesels thank Percy for his generosity and speaking on their behalf while Thomas and the other engines apologize to Percy and the diesels for their neglect and quickness to jump to conclusions. Over the next few weeks, both steam and diesel engines work together to rebuild and improve the degrading site of the Dieselworks into a facility worthy of being a part of the North Western Railway.  When all is said and done, a grand reopening celebration is held on site, with steam and diesel engines congratulating each other and a new era of friendship blossoms on the Island of Sodor.

## Characters

* Thomas
* Edward
* Henry
* Gordon
* James
* Percy
* Toby
* Emily
* Stanley
* Rosie
* Whiff
* Scruff
* Victor
* Diesel
* Diesel 10
* Iron 'Arry
* Iron Bert
* Salty
* Paxton (*new*)
* Norman (*new*)
* Sidney (*new*)
* Den (*new*)
* Dart (*new*)
* Kevin
* Cranky
* Sir Topham Hatt
* The Fire Brigade
* Farmer Trotter
* Farmer McColl
* Jem Cole
* Spencer (*cameo*)
* Charlie (*cameo*)
* Hiro (*cameo*)
* Mavis (*cameo*)
* Henrietta (*cameo*)
* Annie and Clarabel (*cameo*)
* Rocky (*cameo*)
* Lady Hatt (*cameo*)
* Stephen Hatt (*cameo*)
* Bridget Hatt (*cameo*)
* Dowager Hatt (*cameo*)
* The Mayor of Sodor (*cameo*)
* The Duke and Dutches of Boxford (*cameo*)
* Sir Topham Hatt's Assistants (*cameo*)
* Bertie (*mentioned*)

## Locations

* Island of Sodor
* Tidmouth Sheds
* Knapford Station
* Vicarstown Dieselworks (*new*)
* Wellsworth Station
* Maithwaite Forest
* Maithwaite Station
* Gordon's Hill
* Brendam Docks
* Whiff's Waste Dump
* Sodor Steamworks
* Henry's Tunnel
* Maron Station (*mentioned*)
* The Mainland (*mentioned*)
* Henry's Forest (*mentioned*)
* Whistling Woods (*mentioned*)
* Boxford's Summer House (*mentioned*)

## Trivia

* This special marks the first of a few things, including:
	+ The first time Henry's Forest has been mentioned since the Season 12 episode, *Henry Gets It Wrong*.
	+ The first appearance of Maithwaite Forest in the TV series and its first appearance since the Jack and the Sodor Construction Company spin-off episode, *A Tale for Thomas*.
	+ The first appearance of Wellsworth Station in the CGI series
	+ Jem Cole's first appearance outside of the series' opening title sequence since the Season 11 episode, *Thomas and the Runaway Car*.
	+ The first appearance of the Fire Brigade since the Season 7 episode, *Toby's Windmill*.
* In this special, Wellsworth Station is established as the 'Post Depot' and the terminus of the Mail Train.