It was a hot, sunny day on the Island of Sodor.
Thomas was happily puffing along his branch line with Annie and Clarabel.
"Boy, what a nice day it is!" he puffed.
Thomas arrived at Knapford, to find Gordon looking grumpy.
"Why are you so upset on a nice day like this?" asked Thomas.
"Percy's late with my coaches! I can't pull an express without coaches!" replied Gordon.
"Well, maybe if you collected your own coaches, this wouldn't have happened."
Gordon was indiginant.
"Pah! Big engines like me don't fetch their own coaches. I'm too important for that."
(Thomas rolls eyes)
Suddenly, Percy panted into the yard.
"I'm sorry! There was a delay at Maithwaite!" panted Percy as he was coupled up to the coaches.
"Hurry up, I'm running late!" fumed Gordon.
Gordon continued to boast as Percy shunted his coaches.
"Anyhow, the express is the most important passenger train on Sodor!"
"Local trains are important too," protested Thomas.
"Local trains are too slow! They stop at every station! My express only stops at-"
Suddenly, Gordon heard a guard's whistle and Gordon started to puff away.
"One day you'll understand, little Thomas!"
(Thomas groans)
"He never stops, does he?"
"Nope," replied Percy flatly.
Thomas puffed to the water tower to fill up his tanks.
Later, Paxton was hurrying down from the Blue Mountain Quarry, after traveling on the Peel Godred Branch Line to get there.
He was just arriving at Killdane to get onto the Main Line.
Paxton suddenly realized that the signal had just turned red.
"Driver, stop!"
The driver applied the brakes hard.
Gordon and Paxton nearly had a collision.
"Ah!" cried Gordon and the driver braked. Suddenly, a big stone flew out of one of Paxton's trucks and bashed off Gordon's boiler.
"What the!" cried Gordon.
"Sorry Gordon, are you alright? That stone can you a nasty thump."
Gordon laughed.
"I'm fine, Paxton! You can't damage a big strong engine, so easily!"
"I think I can say otherwise," replied Gordon's driver, who had just inspected him.
"Wait, what?"
"The stone gave you a hole in your boiler. You can't pull the train now."
Gordon groaned.
"Oh, the indignity!"
Gordon's fireman put out the fire while the guard explained the situation to the passengers.
"Henry's coming to take your train. We are sorry for the delay."
The passenger were cross, but there was nothing they could do.
Henry was at Knapford when heard the news.
"No water in his boiler eh? What a joke!" he chortled.
When Henry arrived, Gordon was sulking.
"It's not fair... it's not fair."
Paxton couldn't get through; Gordon was in his way.
"Move, Gordon! I have to get to the Docks by 3:00!" cried Paxton.
"Oh, the indignity..."
Henry chuckled.
"Don't worry Gordon, I'm taking the Express. I pull it better than you anyway." Henry teased as he was coupled up and he puffed away.
Emily arrived to take Gordon to the Steamworks.
"Oh dear Gordon, what happened this time?" she sighed.
"A leak in my boiler..." huffed Gordon crossly.
Emily said no more as she pushed Gordon to the Steamworks.
Finally. Paxton could get on the Main Line.
Everybody was very surprised to see Gordon being shunted along the Main Line.
He wasn't a very fast engine now.
"Oh, the indignity..."
Gordon arrived at the Steamworks to have his boiler repaired.
"Hello Gordon my friend. What happened to you?" asked Victor.
"A stone caused a hole in his boiler," replied Emily.
The workmen nodded.
"Alright then, we'll fix you up Gordon."
A few days later, Gordon arrived to collect the Express.
But the other engines thought it was funny that Gordon let his boiler run dry.
"Don't forget to fil your tank up Gordon!" teased Thomas.
"Steam engines need to have water," laughed Percy.
"And, uh, watch out for flying stones!" snickered James.
(guard blows whistle)
Gordon was not amused.
"Pah!"
But he was much more careful while looking after his boiler.