Three Steam Engines Gruff (magazine story)

"It's not funny! It was really scary." "Well it is a little a-moooo-sing."

- Percy and Thomas

Three Steam Engines Gruff is a magazine story illustrated using images from the CGI television series.

Plot
One Autumn day, Thomas is puffing along his branchline when he notices that one of Farmer McColl's fences is broken. He checks to see if any animals have strayed onto the line and tells the farmer. Then, he carries on his way.

That evening, Thomas tells his friends about the broken fence. Percy is worried about what sort of creature could've broken the fence to start with. The other engines are unconcerned, but they can stay in their sheds while Percy has to deliver the mail throughout the night.

Percy has scared himself, so when he hears a strange noise while passing over a small bridge on Thomas' Branch Line, he rushes straight back to Tidmouth Sheds.

The next day, Thomas, Toby and Percy all puff over the small bridge together and they all hear the strange noise. Percy is now convinced it's a troll because trolls live under bridges and he recalls the fairytale 'The Three Billy Goats Gruff'. In the story, it's the third goat who has to get rid of the beast under the bridge. Toby and Percy are both desperate not to be the third engine to cross the bridge, so they shoot straight across. Thomas is the third and is worried, but as he starts to cross, the hears the noise again, but it sounds more like a "moo".

One of Farmer McColl's cows had escaped and gotten stuck under the bridge and it was the cow's mooing that had scared Toby and Percy. The farmer arrives to rescue his animal and, that night, all the other engines have a good laugh when they hear the story.

Characters

 * Thomas
 * Percy
 * Toby
 * Farmer McColl
 * Emily
 * Annie
 * Henrietta
 * Trevor
 * Jem Cole

Trivia

 * This story is based on the twentieth series episode of the same name.