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in: Season 1, The Stories Of Sodor, Episodes uploaded in March

Scrap

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Scrap is the eighth episode of the first season of the Stories of Sodor and the eighth episode overall.

Scrap/Transcript

Plot[]

The episode starts with Edward explaining who Wilbert Awdry is, and that his visits to Sodor over the several years following 1936 and 1937 were what inspired him to write The Railway Series which is why Sodor is such a popular and major tourist attraction in modern times. Many people have asked the engines questions about them, the most common one being why they have faces while most trains don't. No one has been able to answer that and probably never will, because no one may never know. It's apparently a chance occurrence during the construction of a vehicle. They are Non-Faceless Vehicles, and they all are able to move by themselves, but they still need crews because non-faceless vehicles are still machines, they're also prone to breakdowns, which is why their crews are so essential. Since they're sentient, several laws exist which give them certain rights, such as a non-faceless vehicle can be sold, but the vehicle must consent to the sale first, and the most important of which, they cannot be scrapped.

During the First World War, because of shortages of raw materials, scrap metal was a precious resource. Throughout the four-year conflict, trainloads of metal were delivered to melting plants where they were melted down and converted into weapons and other instruments of war. During the Great Depression, scavengers were usually scrounging for metals they could sell to make ends meet. There were organised scrapping operations, such as one that would commence at Knapford Harbour in October 1937.

One morning, Percy is getting Henry's next train ready, which is his usual fish deliveries and tells Edward what the workmen are calling it: "The Flying Kipper". Edward thinks it's very clever and likes it. Percy says Henry does too and adds, "He says it sounds that much better than 'fish train'". Percy then looks at a DANGER sign. He does not have intentions to go past it, but is curious about the sunken pier that's past it and what happened to it. Edward explains that it sank into the seabed during the harbour's construction in 1916. It apparently wasn't fixed because the construction project was on a tight budget and there weren't any funds available to affect repairs. Ten Cents also mentions the pier has been causing him problems because it's in a very awkward spot, as it missives the ships that can be birthed in that part of the harbour and whenever he has to bring one in or out, he has to make sure not to crash into it. He also mentions that the harbour would get much more business if they just tore it up. Percy tells Ten Cents about a rumour going around that the harbourmaster and Mr. Star are talking about getting rid of it, although Edward advises Ten Cents not to get his hopes up too much in case nothing happens.

Thankfully, the rumour had been true. The deal not only arranged to tear up the old pier, but also give the harbour itself a complete overhaul. Mr. Star had put Eric in charge of the operation, having finally taken him off probation after the Galendas incident. The old peer was torn up and extra births were added to accommodate for more ships, which saw a substantial increase in business for the harbour. The old and rusted infrastructure scattered about the harbour was removed and Edward and Eric delivered long trains of scrap to the scrapyard at Barrow-in-Furness on the mainland, since the one near Wellsworth didn't have the capacity and facilities for the job. Edward was very excited to make one of these deliveries because he would get to see one of his old friends whom he hadn't seen for a long time, Whiff, who had just returned from a lengthy overhaul. He served as both the scrapyard's engine and Barrow's station pilot.

Edward meets up with Whiff, who tells him to leave his train where it is, since all the sidings are full at the moment. As Edward approached the turntable, he was surprised to find another one of his old friends, Trevor the Traction Engine, looking sad. Trevor explains that his owner had passed away on Tuesday and had been put in Barrow until the auction because the bank is foreclosing on his farm and he will be sold to cover the loss, which means he and Edward may never see each other again. Edward kept on smiling until he was beyond Trevor's sight. Having known Trevor since his days on the Furness Railway, Edward couldn't bear the thought of never seeing the traction engine again. He also refused to accept it and began thinking hard to find a way to help him.

The next morning, Edward was still deep in thought, not having noticed that Henry had returned, having delivered the Flying Kipper. Gordon then lectures to Henry that them, as Nor'easters, have a reputation to maintain and that Henry is lacking. Mr. Star arrives and explains that Head Office wants to trial the viability of mixed trains to better service their clients, which Gordon thinks is a ridiculous idea. Mr. Star also informs his engines that Mr. Zorro wanted him to remind them that the Midis are relocating their scrapyard at Wellsworth to Killdane, which all the engines scoff. He tells his engines to allow extra time for possible delays. Mr. Star gives out the day's assignments for each engine: Gordon's express to Barrow will be their first mixed train and at Barrow, Whiff will have a goods train that Gordon needs to take to Alresburgh; James and Toby are to take stone from Anopha Quarry to Elsbridge Habour and Knapford Habour respectively and Percy will help Thomas at the Toryreck Mines on the Ffarquhar Branch, where they'll be strengthening the shafts that run beneath the tracks. Mr. Star then gets to Edward, who is still thinking about Trevor. He explains to Mr. Star about Trevor, but there's nothing they can do about it. Mr. Star informs Edward that he'll be making coal runs, the most important job, since every depot needs a refuel and will be hard-pressed to keep to his schedules.

Mr. Star had been right about nothing to do to help Trevor. Thankfully, Edward was too busy with his coal runs to think about Trevor. It had been a tough day for the Nor'easters. A points failure at Knapford trapped Toby in a siding, so James had to do Toby's work as well as his own. Gordon's mixed train to Barrow made the journey slower and more uncomfortable for the passengers. Thomas and Percy would have the toughest of it. When Percy arrives at Toryreck Mines, he finds Thomas had fallen into a mine because someone moved the DANGER sign. Mickey had been called, but he's stuck a Tidmouth due to a fallen tree. Percy goes off to get a rope and a winch.

The aforementioned relocation of the Midi's scrapyard from Wellsworth to Killdane lasted several months and they were lots of delays and arguments since the Midis occupied most of the sidings at Wellsworth. On this day, Henry and Eric, who are delivering petrol to the mainland, are arguing with Adam and Lily about who should go first. The two Midis jokingly count Eric on their side because he only gets in the way and causes problems. The stationmaster intervenes, telling the two Midis that they're due to leave now and they do so. Eric is still furious, but Henry tells him about the noises Adam was making, as he heard he's overdue for maintenance and he could possibly break down. Despite the noises Adam had been making, he persevered, struggling up and over Gordon's Hill where he and Lily arrived at the scrapyard. Once there, Lily picked up a load for the mainland. As she approached Crovan's Gate, one of the cables tying down the load on one of her trucks began to weaken and eventually snapped when she passed beneath a bridge, close to the station.

Meanwhile, Gordon had arrived, complaining. He notices Lily and they get into an argument. While they were arguing, the pipes that had struck a weak point in the bridge and a broken down bus on it made cracks quickly appear brickwork. Gordon, Lily and their crews didn't notice this, but Skarloey, who had just arrived, had. He yells out to Lily that the bridge is going to collapse and Lily moves out of the way just as the bridge begins to bend. The bridge had an iron framework instead of solid brick, so it didn't collapse immediately. Suddenly, they hear a whistle from Reginald, travelling at top speed and having been signaled through, so there wouldn't be a way of stopping him. Skarloey has an idea: If Gordon and Lily can prop up both sides of the bridge by wedging their trucks underneath, it could hold long enough for Reginald to get under. Lily and Gordon decide to take the risk. Skarloey's idea works, and just after Reginald makes it under, the bridge collapses.

The alarm had been raised and all trains were stopped. Edward, who was at Wellsworth, meets up with The Vicar at Wellsworth who has received news that with the scrapyard moving, the owners have decided to donate their lands to the church, which has doubled his vicarage in size, but doesn't know what to do with so much land. Meanwhile, Percy has pulled Thomas out of the mine, mentioning that Thomas is heavier than he looks. Thomas mentions that Gordon wouldn't do this thing.

Mickey had launched an investigation into the bridge's collapse. Since it was a fault in the bridge's design, Lily was absolved of any wrongdoing. The Local Council wasn't happy about the damaged bridge, but they were reluctant to give the repair contract to the Midis, so the Nor'easters got the contract. Edward's solution to the Vicar's problem was Trevor. At the auction, the Vicar purchased Trevor for a bargain price. The traction engine found himself on Sodor and the Vicarage, where he worked tirelessly to maintain its grounds and provide entertainment during parties. Afterwards, Edward and Trevor saw each other everyday.

Characters[]

Trivia[]

  • This episode is based on the TUGS episode: High Tide.
  • This episode adapts The Railway Series/Thomas and Friends stories/episodes Saved from Scrap and Down the Mine as well as the Television Series episode Happy Ever After.
  • Eric had a new shape in this episode, which has appeared in every episode since then.
  • This episode uses stock footage from Legality, Mainline, the Season 1/2 Intro, and Prologue.
  • The opening of this episode foreshadows the Season 3 episode Books.
  • References to The Railway Series/Thomas and Friends stories/episodes The Flying Kipper and Percy Takes the Plunge are made.
  • This is the first episode to be filmed in Trainz: A New Era.
  • The events of this episode take place in October of 1937.
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