Emergency!

"Hurry along, hurry along!" "We're following you, we're following you!"

- Thomas and Annie and Clarabel

Emergency! is a magazine story.

Plot
One lovely summer's day, Thomas is working on his branch line with Annie and Clarabel. They are just on their way to the main station, when the guard calls to Thomas' driver with an emergency. The guard explains that there is a man in Annie who is very unwell and needs to get to a hospital. Thomas knows that the nearest hospital is near the main station and there are three more stops before then. Thomas' driver says that they will not be stopping as it is an emergency. Thomas understands and speeds up.

Thomas steams through the first station without stopping as Thomas' driver sends a message to the main station to have an ambulance standing by. Then, Thomas steams through the second station where the waiting passengers are merely a blur to the little tank engine. It is not long before the third station is behind them.

At last, they screech into the main station. There is an ambulance waiting to take the man to hospital. Thomas' passengers all cheer; they did not mind about missing their stops as they had been told about the sick man and wanted him to get to the hospital as soon as possible. The Fat Controller is very happy and praises Thomas.

Characters

 * Thomas
 * Annie and Clarabel
 * Sir Topham Hatt

Trivia

 * The primary illustration is a modified version of James and the Signalman's final illustration.