Max Steel’s Adventures of Thomas and Friends: The Adventure Begins

**Max Steel’s Adventures of Thomas and Friends: The Adventure Begins**

## Plot

Many years ago on the North Western Railway, Gordon, the largest engine is unhappy about having to pull goods trains and tells Edward one morning that he won't have to pull them for much longer since Sir Topham Hatt has brought another engine. Later, Gordon becomes stuck at the foot of a steep hill on the main line. With no other engines available, Edward is sent and helps Gordon up the hill pushing the train from behind.

Later, Edward is shunting at Knapford Station when he hears James talking to another engine, which turns out to be Thomas, the new tank engine Sir Topham Hatt ordered. Gordon is rather sceptical of his size which upsets him until Sir Topham Hatt arrives and asks Edward to teach him how to work in the yard. Initially, Thomas manages to occasionally get in the way, and sometimes causes minor accidents, which Gordon and James seem to sometimes find funny. He also cheekily whistles at Gordon one day while he is resting and wakes him up, much to Gordon's displeasure.

One night at Tidmouth Sheds, Edward tells Thomas about Henry and how he once stayed in a tunnel because of his fear of rain. The following day, Thomas is sent to the Steamworks at Crovan's Gate where he is repainted blue and given the number 1. On returning to Knapford, Gordon tells Thomas that the previous engine to carry the number 1 was a vertical-boilered engine called a coffee pot, and orders Thomas to fetch his express coaches. Thomas accidentally tries to take two four-wheeled coaches called Annie and Clarabel, who belong to James. James later returns Annie and Clarabel to the yard, causing Thomas to notice a burning smell before later seeing Henry at the water tower and asking about his fear of rain.

The following day, Thomas takes longer to start than usual and arrives at Knapford with Gordon's coaches later than usual. Still cross with Thomas for waking him up, Gordon starts sooner than expected and before Thomas can be uncoupled. By the time Gordon reaches Wellsworth, Thomas is worn out and is uncoupled. Back at Knapford the following day, Thomas meets Jerome and Judy, the breakdown train while shunting in the yard. James arrives with a goods train and prepares to take Annie and Clarabel, while Thomas notices the strange burning smell is coming from James' brake blocks, which are wooden.

The next morning, Henry isn't able to leave Tidmouth Sheds and Thomas is instead asked to pull his train. Unfortunately Thomas starts too soon and leaves the coaches behind, much to the dismay of Sir Topham Hatt. Thomas returns and is coupled to the train, but Gordon, James, and Henry tease him about it at Tidmouth Sheds later that night. Edward kindly offers to let Thomas take a goods train for him the next day; Thomas is too excited to take Edward's advice about the Troublesome Trucks which leads him to almost have an accident. Sir Topham Hatt, disappointed with Thomas and Edward, orders the two engines to stay in the yard at Knapford until Thomas knows enough about trucks as Edward does. During this time, Thomas manages to help Henry overcome his fear of rain.

A few days later, Thomas and Edward are in the yard when James rushes through with a goods train. Thomas senses he is in trouble and puffs after James, now unable to stop since his wooden brake blocks have caught fire, and attempts to couple up behind James' train to slow him down. The trucks' speed and weight cause James to derail on a bend before Thomas can couple up; Thomas returns to Knapford and fetches Jerome and Judy to rescue James. Sir Topham Hatt, impressed with Thomas's bravery, awards him his own branch line, the Ffarquhar Branch Line, that night at Tidmouth.

James returns a few days later with new brakes and a fresh coat of red paint, while Thomas is given Annie and Clarabel to run his branch line. Arriving at Ffarquhar Station, he meets Glynn the coffee pot engine who asks him to look after the branch line and wear the number one with pride.

## Transcript

Max Steel’s Adventures of Thomas and Friends: The Adventure Begins/Transcript