The New Station

"Humph! Very important people should really be picked up by a splendid red engine like me! Fancy choosing little Thomas!"

- James

The New Station is a magazine story.

Plot
Thomas is very pleased; he has been given the job of collecting some very important people to open a new station on his branch line. James is annoyed as he thinks a shiny red engine like himself should get the job of collecting the important people.

Later, Thomas puffs to the harbour with Annie and Clarabel where the very important people climb aboard. On his way to the new station, Thomas approaches a bend in the line. Rather oddly, the signal is red. The driver climbs down and runs ahead to see what the trouble is. He comes back and tells Thomas that James has broken down ahead and is sulking about not being chosen to collect the important people. Thomas is uncoupled from his train and he shunts James into a siding to wait for an engineer. Thomas then collects his train and sets off again.

At the station, the Fat Controller is annoyed at Thomas for being late. The very important people soon tell him about Thomas saving James, which makes the Fat Controller happy again and the opening party begins.

As for James, he has to spend a week at the Works and thinks he would never boast again.

Characters

 * Thomas
 * James
 * Annie and Clarabel
 * Sir Topham Hatt

Goofs

 * In the first illustration, the inside of James' portholes are yellow, his whistle is white, and both engines' coupling hooks are white.
 * In the sixth illustration, Thomas and James' buffers and brake pipes are white.