Confusion and Delay

"This is all my fault, I didn't get a good night's sleep and I ended up causing confusion and delay!"

- The Fat Controller

Confusion and Delay is a magazine story, it was illustrated by using images from the CGI television series.

Plot
It had been a stormy night on Sodor and the Fat Controller did not get a good night's sleep. He hurries off to work, hurrying through the engines' jobs for the day as he goes. He is going to have Gordon pull the express as usual, send Edward to help Mavis at the quarry and Thomas is to deliver bricks to the docks.

When he arrives at Knapford, the three blue engines are waiting for him. The Fat Controller makes his instructions quick, as they are behind time. He sends Gordon to the quarry, Edward to the docks and gives the express to Thomas. The engines are confused as they are not the jobs they are used to. Thomas protests, but the Fat Controller does not listen and tells the engines to hurry up otherwise there will be confusion and delay. Gordon is not pleased to be heading to the quarry and Edward does not know why he is being sent to the docks, but he does not want to make the Fat Controller cross so does as he is told.

Meanwhile, Thomas picks up the express carriages and begins his trip around Sodor. The carriages are soon full of passengers and they are very heavy. The train is too much for Thomas and soon the express is running behind schedule. At the quarry, Mavis is annoyed with Gordon as he does not know how to do the job. At the docks, the workmen are surprised to see Edward; they were expecting Thomas. They ask where the bricks are, but Edward had no idea he was supposed to bring bricks.

Later, the three engines are back at Knapford and the Fat Controller is not at all happy with them. He accuses the three engines of causing confusion and delay, but the engines explain all of the problems they have had. The Fat Controller soon realises that he had confused all of the jobs. The Fat Controller apologises to the engines and promises to listen more in the future. He had been so worried about making up for lost time, that he ended up wasting even more.

Characters

 * Thomas
 * Edward
 * Gordon
 * Mavis
 * Sir Topham Hatt

Locations

 * Ffarquhar Quarry
 * Brendam Docks
 * Knapford