Cruise Control!

"Trembling timetables! However did you get there?"

- The Fat Controller upon seeing Thomas on board the cruise ship

Cruise Control is a magazine story.

Plot
One day, Thomas watches a smart liner steam gracefully into the harbour at Brendam Bay. Then, Harold swoops down and lands on the liner. Thomas thinks Harold is lucky to be going on a cruise. The passengers disembark from the liner and board Thomas' train. The Fat Controller instructs Thomas to take the passengers and their luggage to the various hotels on Sodor. Thomas has to make several journeys and soon needs a rest. The driver tells Thomas that there is no time for a rest; they have another job to do.

Soon, Thomas is pushing big crates of food and drink to the liner along his branch line. Now, he feels like a rest even more. When Thomas pulls into the docks, Cranky tells him to hurry up as bad weather is coming.

Cranky is right and soon the harbour is covered with thick fog. Cranky finds it hard to see and is worried; the liner will be departing soon and the food and drink is still not on board. Cranky swings his hook round and soon hooks something. He thinks it is the crates, but he has actually hooked onto Thomas.

The Fat Controller arrives to see how everything is going. The fog disappears as suddenly as it had arrived. The Fat Controller looks around and cannot see Thomas anywhere. Thomas calls out and the Fat Controller looks around. He spots Thomas on board the cruise liner. Cranky insists that it was not his fault, but The Fat Controller is not cross. The liner has already started to depart so the Fat Controller allows Thomas to stay aboard and take a trip around the island. Everyone waves goodbye to Thomas as he sails away on his special holiday cruise.

Characters

 * Thomas
 * Cranky
 * Sir Topham Hatt
 * Annie and Clarabel
 * Harold

Locations

 * Brendam Docks

Trivia

 * On the contents page of the magazine, this story is called "Thomas Goes Cruising".

Goofs

 * Thomas is supposed to arrive at the docks pushing the food crates, but he is actually pulling Annie and Clarabel. The coaches then seem to disappear when Thomas is lifted by Cranky.