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One day, an engine puffed into Tidmouth Station, where the Sodor Museum was right nearby. He eyed the doors to the building.
“It’s got to be in there.”
“What are you looking at?”
The engine jumped, he looked to his left to see Marion, the railway steam shovel.
“Oh, me? I was just looking at the dinosaur skeleton.”
“Oh, you mean the megalosaurus?” asked Marion.
“Yes, that’s it.”
“Here’s an interesting story, I actually dug that up. Bone by bone.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yes, really! Well, not entirely, first, there was an avalanche, which gave some of it away, then, I took the liberty of digging up the rest.”
“Anyways, I’d love to chat, but I’m needed elsewhere.” the engine whistled and rolled away.
“Wait!” called Marion, “What’s your name?”
But the engine didn’t answer. Marion was curious.
~~~
Later that day, Marion was going about her duties, when Sonny arrived with cars for her to fill.
“Hello, Marion,”
“Oh, Sonny, I’ve got something to share with you!”
“What? Is it another game of Guess What’s in My Shovel?”
“Surprisingly, no. This morning, I was at Tidmouth Station and an engine was looking at the megalosaurus skeleton that I had dug up.”
“He was, was he?” asked Sonny, suspecting something, “Did you get his name?”
“No, I didn’t. After I told him about how I dug up the skeleton, he left.”
Sonny thought for a few seconds. While he did, Marion loaded his cars. Sonny had a reputation of being a former thief, so he definitely had his suspicions.
Just then, his thoughts were interrupted by Marion blowing her whistle.
“Okay, Sonny, that’s your lot. Off you go, then.”
Sonny blew his whistle. He decided that after he delivered his load, he would find Diesel and tell him about what he’d heard.
Fortunately, Sonny didn’t have to go far, because Diesel was at the docks by the time he arrived.
“Diesel, there you are!”
“What’s up, Sonny?”
“Well, I was at the claypits when Marion told me about how she spotted an engine looking towards the museum. I don’t know about you, but I think he’s got some ideas, if you know what I mean.”
“Seeing how you and I both had chequered pasts, I know exactly what you mean.”
“Hey, you lot, quit the chatter and get back to work!” creaked Cranky.
Diesel and Sonny exchanged glances and puffed away.
~~~
Meanwhile, the unnamed engine’s travels had led him to Arlesburgh Harbor. Nobody suspected a thing, but the engine stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Skiff the Railboat.
“Hello, there,” greeted the chipper little boat, “Who are you?”
The engine’s mouth moved, but no words would come.
“What’s wrong? Cat got your tongue?”
Before anything could further commence, the engine raced away.
“That was odd,” said Skiff. As the railboat went further down the line, he met Thomas.
“Hello, Thomas!”
“Hi, Skiff!”
“This may be out of the blue, but do you remember that night when Sailor John stole the treasure?”
“How could I forget?” sighed Thomas, “Fortunately, that treasure is now locked up safe and sound up in the museum.”
The mysterious engine stopped again upon hearing this. He rolled backward inch by inch to hear more.
“Well, as I was saying, how do you think the pirate ship was at the top of the hill that night?”
“I thought you knew.”
“I didn’t. Although, sometime earlier that night, Sailor John left me moored at sea for a few hours before coming back.”
Thomas’s eyes widened. Unbeknownst to them, the same happened to the unnamed engine. Quickly, he raced away before he could be seen.
“I had a feeling the treasure was in the museum,” he said to himself, “I can’t steal it in broad daylight, though, I have to find somewhere to hide until night.”
~~~
Later that day, Thomas met Diesel and Sonny.
“Thomas, we’ve got some important news to share with you,” declared Diesel.
“You do?” asked Thomas.
“This morning, Marion met an engine who was suspiciously eying the museum. Because of Diesel and I being former crooks, we suspect this engine might be up to something,” explained Sonny.
“Don’t jump to conclusions just yet,” said Thomas, “I learned that long ago. However, now that you mention it, Skiff told me that he had no idea how Sailor John got the pirate ship to the top of Gordon’s Hill on a particular night.”
“Who’s Sailor John?” asked Sonny.
“He’s a pirate that I wrongly trusted. I simply thought we’d be going on a treasure hunt and we’d give the treasure to the museum once we found it. But once I found out that Marion had dug up the treasure before either me or Sailor John could, it was then that I realised that Sailor John was a crook all along.”
Diesel gasped, “It all makes sense now!”
“What does?” asked Thomas and Sonny
“This engine helped Sailor John with the pirate ship, and now, he’s finishing what his former owner started.”
“Cinders and ashes!” exclaimed Thomas, “You’re right! We can’t take him in without proof, though. That’s why we need to go on a stakeout.”
“How so?” asked Sonny.
“We’ll wait until everyone’s fallen asleep. Then, we’ll slip away to the museum and hide behind some cars.”
“I like the sound of that!” exclaimed Diesel.
With that, the three engines parted ways to finish up their jobs for the day. Then, they waited until nightfall and set off.
Just as planned, they hid behind some cars at the museum. Before long, the engine pulled in.
“That’s gotta be him.” squeaked Sonny
“Shh!”
The unnamed engine jolted. He looked around and didn’t see anyone. Once all seemed nice and alone, two men climbed out of the engine’s cab and headed for the museum. The three engines watched intently as the men came closer and closer to the doors. Then, one man pulled out a stick of dynamite and lit a match. Before the flame could come into contact with the fuse, Thomas, Diesel, and Sonny burst from hiding, honking and whistling.
“Stop, thieves!”
“The jig is up, we gotta go!” exclaimed one of the men. The duo hurried back to their engine and quickly switched him to full power.
“Onward, you old bucket of bolts!”
“Oh, no you don’t!” exclaimed Thomas. The little blue engine puffed as hard as he could.
“They’re gaining on us!” exclaimed the shorter of the two men.
“Don’t just stand there, shovel!”
The short man poured shovelful after shovelful of coal into the engine’s firebox. His pistons were pounding as he began to get faster and faster. Thomas tried to keep up, but he knew he couldn’t do it on his own.
“Don’t worry, Thomas, I’m on it!” exclaimed Diesel, racing past. Switching across tracks, the diesel shunter chuffed harder and harder until he was neck-and-neck with the steam engine.
“Don’t stop, shovel, shovel, shovel!” ordered the tall man.
“I… can’t… shovel… any… longer.” the short one panted before fainting.
The steam engine became slower and slower. Diesel saw his chance. Once he was ahead of the engine, he switched onto his line and slammed on his breaks. The unnamed engine’s wheels grinded against the rails.
“Come on, Vernon, don’t stop, keep going!” ordered the tall man.
“Vernon?” questioned Diesel.
Just then, Diesel felt a bump. Sonny had made his way to the back of Vernon.
“So that’s your name, now, innit?”
Working together, Diesel and Sonny used all of their strength to bring Vernon to a stop. In no time at all, they succeeded. The tall man looked at his partner, shaking him to try and wake him up. Just then, a light shone over his eyes.
“Hello, hello, hello,” said a policeman, “Now what have we got here?”
Just then, Thomas arrived, “Those men and this engine are thieves, Sir!” he explained, “They were trying to steal the treasure of the Lost Pirate!”
“You can’t seriously arrest us,” pleaded the tall man, “We didn’t even steal anything.”
“You attempted to, regardless. Therefore, you two are going in.”
Now that no one was tending to Vernon, Diesel rolled out of the way. Sonny looked at the black tender engine.
“Vernon, you don’t have to be a thief. I used to be one, until I found out that I can be really useful. So can you.”
“Pah!” growled Vernon, “I want nothing to do with the likes of you.”
“Since you don’t have a driver or fireman at the moment, I don’t think you have much of a choice.”
~~~
It was early in the morning when the engines took Vernon to Knapford Station, so Sir Topham Hatt could decide what to do with him. Once he arrived, they explained everything.
“Well, Vernon is not one of my engines, so the best I can do is send him back to the mainland and see what they have to say about this.”
Sir Topham’s assistants climbed inside Vernon’s cab and drove him away.
“You haven’t seen the last of me!” announced the engine, “I will be back!”
Once Vernon was out of sight, Sir Topham Hatt turned to his engines.
“As for you three, you have once again proved yourselves really useful engines. Especially Diesel and Sonny, seeing how far you two have come from your… complicated pasts.”
With that, the three engines all set off for another day’s work, knowing that their acts of heroism would not be left ignored.