Choices

**Choices** is the seventh episode of the third season of the Stories of Sodor and the forty-second episode overall.

Choices/Transcript

## Plot

One night, Whiff is undergoing maintenance. His owner, Ray, leaves to meet with Evon and Peter. They confide that Whiff's upkeep is costing them lots of money and they will likely go bankrupt by next year unless they reduce their overheads, which means they have to replace Whiff. The next morning, the three men explain the situation to Whiff. Whiff declines retirement and decides to be of service to his country.

Several months had passed since the reshuffle and things were running smoothly on Sodor. While the engines now had consistency in their duties, they would still have to adapt to changing situations like any good business. Even nowadays, it isn't rare for engines working on the Brendam Branch to deliver goods to Arlesburgh or Ffarquhar Branch engines to take passenger trains to Barrow. The story starts with Edward delivering some supplies to Fort Sudrian, having been given the job as he was the only engine available.

Once Edward arrived at the fort, he met up with Rosie. She sadly tells him about a rumour that the fort will be closing, apparently about its purpose being redundant and it being too expensive, though Edward isn't concerned as supplies are still being delivered. Just then, Toby arrives with a fuel train. He is getting worn out from the fuel deliveries as well as doing their normal jobs on the branch line. He has thought of talking to Sir Topham Hatt to either relieve them of the jobs or get another engine. Rosie tells Toby to leave the tankers where they are. She then gets excited because she had volunteered for taking the tankers back to the depot that night.

That night, after returning the tankers to depot, Rosie set off back to the fort, but she ended up derailing on the bridge outside Crosby from pieces of scrap metal. Scared of trying to move or go get help, Rosie and her crew had to wait. By morning, Whiff arrived. Rosie then begins feeling herself move. Luckily, Whiff has a tow cable in his cab that his crew can use to anchor Rosie, which stops her from moving. Whiff's driver immediately went to Crosby and inform the stationmaster and signalman about the situation. All main line traffic was halted as Mickey responded. After a couple hours of careful maneuvering, Rosie was taken to the works to be inspected for any damage. The bridge and the track were also examined, causing even more delays.

At Barrow-in-Furness, Gordon expresses his frustration to Spencer about Sodor's crazy incidents. Spencer jokingly suggests to Gordon they should swap places, though Gordon decides to stay on Sodor because he doesn't want to abandon them because of anger with the incidents. Spencer says he will return to London soon, once the LNER J94 organises his train. He then wonders why the J94 is there, as does Gordon. His driver then explains to him about the situation.

Meanwhile, on Sodor, Thomas and Henry congratulate Whiff on saving Rosie. Henry then points out how rarely they see Whiff on Sodor. Whiff had been on Sodor to say his goodbyes and is leaving Barrow. Before Thomas and Henry can find out, Benson unexpectedly arrives, who is looking for Whiff. After learning that Thomas and Henry served in the war, Benson tells the two that Whiff had volunteered for target practice at fourteen hundred hours tomorrow. Whiff confirms to them that he is a military engine who was leased to the scrapyard and had been replaced because of his maintenance costs. Benson says that, for the military, Whiff is old and out of date and orders Whiff to come with him so he can bid farewell to his friends. As Benson takes Whiff away, Thomas tries to get Whiff to find another way, but Whiff says it's his choice and solemnly says goodbye to Thomas and Henry.

At Ffarquhar the next day, Thomas asks Percy and Toby if they had seen Whiff yesterday. Percy had the chance, but Toby hadn't because then and today, he had packed schedules with a fuel delivery soon to go to Tidmouth. Toby convinces Thomas that there will be problems if this keeps up. He has decided to talk to Sir Topham Hatt about relieving them of the fuel deliveries, to Thomas' dismay. He admits he likes seeing Kate but it's not why they should be tiring themselves out for it. He also remembers that Sir Topham Hatt chose to give them the job because the main line engines were too busy. Toby is at a loss for what to do, unless they can get another engine on the branch. Suddenly, realisation dawns on the three engines. The time is 1:50 and Whiff is setting out from Knapford Harbour. Knowing the small time they have left, Thomas tells his driver to make a call.

Meanwhile, at Knapford Harbour, the exercise is about the start. Peter and Ten Cents are talking when Edward arrives, trying to find Whiff as Sir Topham Hatt wants to buy him to work on the Ffarquhar Branch, but Whiff's barge had been towed out twenty minutes earlier. They can't contact the navy to tell them to stop, but Ten Cents knows where the navy is conducting the exercise and decides risk going out to speak to the ship in person. Edward goes off to tell Sir Topham Hatt what's going on and wishes Ten Cents good luck as he sets off.

Ten Cents bravely makes his way towards the Navy's exercise location as they prepare for the target practice, as does Whiff, who suddenly sees Ten Cents in the distance. Ten Cents pulls up alongside the cruiser and tries to explain, but is too late in stopping the firing.

That night, ten hours after Whiff was set off, Thomas, Edward, Henry, Gordon, James and Toby are at the sheds, wondering if Whiff has survived. Edward regrets never telling Whiff how great of a shunter he was, having known him for almost all his working life. Suddenly, Whiff shows up, much to their surprise and joy. The navy had missed him three times, possibly from the Lucky Lamp being on his barge. Whiff also has news that Sir Topham has bought him off the government and assigned him to the Ffarquhar Branch, so he's in the Sodor Railway Fleet now. The engines begin a delighted chorus of cheers and whistles, and welcome Whiff as the new recruit.

Whiff settled into his new working life, with him helping the Ffarquhar Engines with their jobs so that they could keep the fuel deliveries. This experience also put an end to any thoughts of retirement or transfer, as the nationalisation of the railways was quickly approaching.

## Characters

* Thomas
* Edward
* Henry
* Gordon
* James
* Percy
* Toby
* Peter
* Whiff
* Rosie
* Spencer
* Benson
* Ten Cents
* Mickey *(does not speak)*
* Kate *(does not speak)*
* Eric *(cameo)*
* Donald *(cameo)*
* Reginald *(cameo)*
* Samantha *(cameo)*
* BoCo *(cameo)*
* Clive *(cameo)*
* Olivia *(cameo)*
* Frank *(cameo)*
* The Fat Controller *(mentioned)*

## Trivia

* This episode is adapted from the Lillie and Grampus plot-threads of the TUGS episode: Regatta and it's also the second episode to adapt the Lillie plot-thread, the first being Parade. This is remarked on by Henry in this episode, when he jokes that James' reaction to Rosie's accident must have been no different to Thomas' reaction to Kate's accident.
* This is the first episode to have a cold opening.
* This is the first appearance of Rosie's clenched face.
* The events of this episode take place in the latter half of 1947.