The Warning Signal!

"Signals are too important to leave to little tank engines like you!"

- James to Thomas

The Warning Signal! is a magazine story.

Plot
One day, James is taking a works train to check signals on the main line. James prefers pulling passengers, but for once, he isn't grumbling because he knows how important signals are to a railway. Soon, Thomas arrives with Annie and Clarabel. James wastes no time in boasting about his important job. He tells Thomas that signals are far too important to leave to a little tank engine to help maintain. Thomas is annoyed and hurries off to collect passengers on the seaside line.

As Thomas passes the coast, the wind blows up and causes waves to crash onto the shore. As Thomas looks out to the rough sea, he suddenly spots a bright flash. His driver tells him that it's a signal flare to say a yacht is in trouble. Luckily, Harold the Helicopter sees the flash too and whirls into action. Thomas arrives at a nearby station and watches the rescue operation. That night, it rains heavily as Thomas tells James about the yacht's special signal in the sheds.

The next day, there is a big yacht race at the seaside. Thomas collects the competitors from the Main Station. Gordon is at the works, so the express is given to James. Later, as Thomas approaches the coast again, he sees that the other line next to his is blocked by a landslide which was caused by the previous night's heavy rainfall. Thomas' driver realises that James is due any minute with his express and there's no way to warn him of the blocked line. Thomas has an idea; the passengers he is carrying may have some flares for their yachts in the race. The driver quickly asks them and one yachtsman aboard Clarabel is happy to help as James steams closer and closer to disaster.

Suddenly, James sees an orange light shoot into the sky. Thanks to Thomas, James knows what it is instantly and makes an emergency stop. James skids to a stop, just in front of the landslide and no-one is hurt. James is very thankful to have been sent such a special signal.

Characters

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

Trivia

 * On the magazine's contents page, this story is called The Special Signal!.

Goofs

 * In the first illustration, Annie's bufferbeam and running board are not coloured.
 * In the eighth illustration, Thomas' boiler band is yellow instead of red.
 * In the final illustration, the lining near James' cab is yellow instead of black.