The Fat Controller's Holiday

The Fat Controller's Holiday is a magazine story.

Plot
The Fat Controller announces in the yard one morning that he will be taking a short holiday, and a director from the Mainland will be watching over the railway. Most of the engines feel they might as well have their own holiday as no one else could run the railway as well as the Fat Controller, but Daisy informs them how she knew the director before coming to Sodor, and he can be quite strict.

As soon as the Fat Controller leaves, the Mainland director looks over the timetables and figures he can make the railway more efficient. Unfortunately, this leads to many problems. James overshoots the platform, and Gordon gives his passengers a rough ride when both engines are told to increase speed. Diesel causes an accident due to his bad temper after being told to shunt twice as many trucks, and Thomas being delayed by cows is not taken as a legitimate reason for lateness by the director.

Instead of making a more efficient railway, the director has made every engine late and he is very cross with them. When Henry is late with passengers from the harbour, the director is shocked to learn Henry was held up by an important passenger - The Fat Controller, who had decided to end his holiday early. The engines are very glad when things return to normal.

Characters

 * James
 * Daisy
 * Sir Topham Hatt
 * Thomas
 * Henry
 * Gordon
 * Diesel

Goofs

 * Daisy is said to be the engine who says the engines could have their own holiday, but also that she knows how strict the director can be. It is likely the former was meant to be said by James as he is the only other engine present in the illustration featuring that paragraph.