One evening, Thomas brought his last train to the junction. Don't worry, kids, it's only his last train of the day. He met up with Percy and Toby.

"Are you on your way to the Big Station, Thomas?" queried Percy.

"Yes, I am, why?"

"Because I'm going there, too, for some reason," replied Percy.

"I think something's up," said Thomas.

Toby looked up at the sky. "Where?"

"And I thought I was the stupid one," said Percy.

"How can something be up when it's down?" asked Toby.

Thomas was to excited to explain or care.

"Bust my buffers, look over there!"

Mavis, Boco, Bill, Ben, Donald, Oliver and Douglas paraded past.

"Hullo, Jinty," called Percy, "hullo, Pug."

"Percy, this is the TV Series, not the Railway Series," his driver explained," so Jinty and Pug are not here."

"Good evening, ye three," said Donald, but it was actually Douglas talking, "aren't we all a fine sight?"

"Very splendid indeed," admired Toby.

"Not as splendid as me, though," yelled a passing James.

"Sorry we can't stop, the Fat Controller wants uz all togetherr at the station," said Douglas.

"What is this about," asked Thomas.

"The Fat Controller has a plan, but he didn't say anything else about it. Come on."

So they followed the other engines to the big station at the end of the line. However, they must've taken a wrong turn due to signalman stupidity, because they all ended up back at Tidmouth Sheds.

They began whistling eagerly.

"Shut up, you lot!" bellowed the Fat Controller, "I have an important letter to read from a little girl who is five years old."

"Shame," squeaked Percy.

"Percy, I've already told you once, this is not the Railway Series! This is the TV Series!" shouted his driver.

"Thank you," boomed the Fat Controller," anyway...

Dear Thomas and all the engines,
Please can I meet you? My friends say they would like to meet you, too. You could come to my house for tea, but my mummy says there aren't any railway tracks to my house. Can you come to the station instead? Thank you very much.

"That's strange," said the Fat Controller, "the little girl didn't give her name. Aside from that, it seems that many children want to meet you, so we're all going to the Big City far away."

"You mean in England?" asked Percy.

"What did I just tell you?" moaned Percy's driver.

"Other engines will be working here while you are away, so please show them what to do."

Next day, Thomas and Oliver were practicing with other coaches, as Annie and Clarabel were going to the Big City as well, even though they weren't mentioned in the letter.

Thomas became over-excited.

"I'm glad I'm a splendid engine. I had a race with Bertie once. I whooshed through the tunnel, stopping an inch from the buffers."

Thomas made his biggest mistake.

"Just like this," he boasted. Somehow, he overtook the buffers, broke through the fence, slithered down the slope and crashed into a brick wall. Oddly enough, his driver and fireman were nowhere to be seen.

Oliver looked mortified. "I heard about your race with Bertie, but the brick wall was new to me," he said simply.

No one was hurt, but Thomas' front was badly bent.

"You're lucky the damage was minimal, Thomas," said the Fat Controller, "This, however, is only practice for something that'll happen a few years from now. You'll be running down a mountainside and..."

"What?" gasped Thomas.

"Never mind," said the Fat Controller.

"I don't remember a brick wall being in the story," said Percy."

"Oh, Percy!" groaned his driver, putting his hands to his forehead.

Eight o'clock next morning, the engines waited at the station. Toby and Percy were each on a flatbed, and Duck pushed them into place behind Edward. Gordon, James and Henry were waiting to lead off.

The Fat Controller looked at his watch. "I'll wait one more minute for Thomas, then we'll have to go." Just then, Thomas steamed in

"Finally, it's about time!" snorted the Fat Controller.

"We hope we're not late, as it's just after eight."

But before Percy could interrupt with another comparison to "The Fat Controller's Engines", the guard blew his whistle and waved his green flag.

The engines cheered, "Look out, Big City, here we come!" and the cavalcade puffed off, with Thomas bringing up the rear as opposed to leading.

Later, in the Big City, all the engines were lined up in a splendid shed, which sort of looked like the Great Hall in York's National Railway Museum. The children were delighted to meet their friends.

"I'm glad the little girl wrote to us," whispered Thomas to Percy, "isn't it wonderful what happiness a letter can bring?"

"Uh, maybe," said Percy, "but that was never in the story..."

The others just laughed.