Nia’s First Christmas Transcript

**Narrator:** Nia’s old railway in Kenya was definitely different from her new home on the Island of Sodor, as she soon found out. Engines and controllers can be more respectful, the trucks can be really problematic for a newcomer and the weather is a lot colder. When December hit the Island, she could feel a more bitter, cold breeze she had never felt in Kenya’s Julys. Luckily for her, Edward was there to explain everything in the sheds.

**Edward:** “My driver had read all about it in old college books. Apparently, winter on Sodor takes place during summer in Africa. Quite fascinating.”

**Narrator:** But one particular evening, Nia could see some workmen on ladders, hanging up rolls of wire with colourful lights attached.

**Nia:** “Edward? Why are those workmen hanging up those lights?”

**Narrator:** Edward’s eyes lit up.

**Edward:** “OH yes, it’s a week before Christmas. Every station and house gets decorated with lots of lights and trees for such an important occasion. Surely, your controller wasn’t mean enough to make you miss out on every Christmas, was he?”

**Nia:** “Hmm… not entirely, he would usually send me a small sack full of coal. So… he wasn’t entirely heartless.”

**Narrator:** Edward and BoCo didn’t know what to make of such a fact. Soon enough, Edward had an idea as bright as the station.

**Edward:** “Tell you what, Nia, during the week leading up to Christmas, why don’t I let you take the passenger services in my place? Then you will see why it’s such a joyous time of year.”

**BoCo:** “And don’t worry about the trucks, Edward can take care of the shunting in the yard.”

**Nia:** “Wow, really? I’ve never really pulled coaches before. Are you sure about this?”

**Edward:** “After everything you’ve been through, I think you deserve a much kinder Christmas. We just need the Fat Controller’s approval first.”

**Narrator:** When Edward’s driver telephoned the Fat Controller about the situation, he warmly agreed to the change. The next morning, when Nia puffed up to the platform with her coaches, she could already understand what Edward meant. The station was filled with children beaming to see her train, parents with couples holding hands and all of them wrapped up in festive wear. Nia was worried about pulling passengers at first, but Edward did warn her to start off slow and puff very carefully. She had a few bumps in places, but soon enough, she was enjoying her time up and down the Main Line. When she stopped at Knapford, she would usually see Thomas with his coaches. Whenever they had the time the two tank engines would chat about the latest news on their branch lines, like old friends.

**Thomas:** “And Percy was so tired, that he accidentally filled up his water tank with the milk hose used for the tankers. It took a really long time to empty it all out.”

**Narrator:** Nia laughed and laughed.

**Nia:** “At least his crew got a warm drink that morning.”

**Narrator:** As the days went on, Nia had to sleep at Tidmouth Sheds, for the big stations would be full of more people off to shop in the towns or going to see their loved ones.

**Nia:** “Edward was right, Christmas is the most beautiful, most wonderful time of the year. Oh, I wish it could be Christmas every day.”

**James:** “Well it is beautiful, that is, until the snow starts falling.”

**Nia:** “Snow? What’s that?”

**Emily:** “You’ve never had snow in Africa?”

**Henry:** “Lucky you! Snow is thick, tough, freezing, hard to shift...”

**James:** “It’s cover’s the rails, blocks the line and we have to waste our time ploughing it all away, making us late!”

**Gordon:** “No matter which way you look at it, snow is nothing but a nuisance.”

**Narrator:** Nia felt her Christmas spirit starting to dwindle.

**Emily:** “Don’t worry. If it does snow tomorrow, Donald and Douglas will be there to clear the tracks.”

**Donald:** “Aye, wee lass. We always set out after the last snowflake in early morning."

**Douglas:** “The Main Line'll be cleared before yer first train. Yer won’t even guess it had snowed.”

**Narrator:** Nia’s hopes for a good holiday were raised a little more, as she and the others drifted off to sleep. The next morning was Christmas Eve, and it had snowed overnight. When Nia woke up, she was amazed at such an unusual sight.

**Nia:** “WOW. Look at all this snow. It’s like someone covered the world in a white blanket.”

**Henry:** “You say that, but this isn’t the type of blanket you think it is. The complete contrary, in fact.”

**Narrator:** Nia then looked to her right, to find two empty berths.

**Nia:** “I take it the twins have been ploughing already?"

**Emily:** “Yep. The snowfall stopped about an hour ago. I heard them getting ready,”

**Narrator:** At that reply, Nia thought she had best get her coaches ready. But before she could build up steam, some workmen came to fit a snowplough on her bufferbeam, just in case Donald, Douglas, Henry or Murdoch missed any snow on the line. At first, Nia’s journey was rather fruitful. The three lines were already cleared when she reached Tidmouth station, and after just a few wheel slips on sanded rails, she was able to pull her passengers smoothly. She met Edward shunting when she first reached Wellsworth.

**Nia:** “I don’t know what the big engines are complaining about, I think the snow looks magnificent.”

**Edward:** “Well, in my experience, snow can be unpredictable. You’d best be more careful, you are wearing that snowplough for a reason.”

**Nia:** “But Donald and Douglas have already cleared the snow away. I can’t see what else will happen.”

**Narrator:** Just as Nia left for Knapford, she could see Henry fuming from another line. She whistled to him, but Henry didn’t whistle back. He was too cold and busy to do so.

**Henry:** “It’s too cold for long trains, too cold for long trains!”

**Narrator:** And he wheeshed so much steam coming out of Crosby Tunnel. But he had wheeshed so hard, he caused a slope of snow above the mouth to loosen, sliding off the tunnel and onto the tracks. Then there was trouble. Nia was a few minutes behind Henry, so she trundled into the tunnel, unaware of the landslide on the other side. She could see the light at the end was brighter than usual, but she couldn’t properly see why until it was too late. She crashed dome-deep into the snowdrift, grinding her joyous journey to a halt.

**Nia:** “Oh, no! Where did all this snow come from?”

**Nia’s Driver:** “I don’t know. This line was clear a few minutes ago.”

**Narrator:** Nia tried to back away from the snow, and then shoving it forwards with her plough, but no matter how hard she tried, it was too thick and strong for her to budge.

**Nia:** “Oh, Edward was right, snow is unpredictable.”

**Narrator:** Message of the snowdrift was quickly spread down the line, and by late afternoon, the engines felt sorry for Nia.

**Thomas:** “They managed to free Nia and clear the tracks again, but the Fat Controller had to send her to the Steamworks for any damage. That means she’s going to miss out on the Christmas party tomorrow.”

**James:** “She can’t say we didn’t warn her, but she kept seeing snow as a picture instead of a buffer-ache.”

**Emily:** “James! Have some respect! It was an accident.”

**Narrator:** This made James silent at once.

**Emily:** “She doesn’t deserve to have her first proper Christmas alone and damaged.”

**Narrator:** The whole of Knapford grew silent. When suddenly, Thomas had an idea, and he reversed into the station to tell the Fat Controller. Meanwhile, that evening, Nia felt very miserable, suspended on a gantry while the workmen examined her side rods.

**Victor:** “Don’t worry, my friend. You won't be entirely alone on Christmas. You’ve got me and Kevin.”

**Kevin:** “That’s right. There’s nothing like a good old Christmas story and a festive joke or two. They’re just the thing to brighten your spirits in troubled times.”

**Narrator:** But Nia wasn’t so sure as she fell unhappily to sleep. But little did she know, that the bright headlamps of some engines came with some trucks full of covered supplies. And then, early the next morning, Nia slowly woke up to the sound of whispers and excited snickers. She opened her eyes and...

**Everyone:** “SURPRISE!”

**Narrator:** There were Thomas, Edward, BoCo and Emily, cheering the season's greetings to her. She woke with such a shock, she swayed on her gantry. And then she could see she was decorated with lights, garland and a wreath in front of her funnel.

**Edward:** “It’s not much, but it comes from a place of heart.”

**Thomas:** “No one should be alone and miserable at Christmas, especially anyone new to the holiday.”

**Nia:** “Oh, you guys! I don't know what to say. Thank you so much.”

**Kevin:** “One thing’s for sure, as Edward told me, this is much better than a sack full of coal.”

**Narrator:** And everyone laughed. But Nia beamed and laughed the happiest of all.