| Great Little Engines | |
 | |
| Author | Christopher Awdry |
| Illustrator | Clive Spong |
| Publication date | 1985-Present |
| Publication Order | |
| Preceded by James and the Diesel Engines |
Followed by More About Thomas the Tank Engine |
Great Little Engines is the twenty-ninth book of the Railway Series.
Foreword[]
Dear Friends,
Sir Handel has been helping on the Talyllyn Railway, at Towyn, in Wales.
"You could write a book about it," he said when I went to see him.
Sir Handel was conceited before he went: whatever would happen, I thought, if he had a book all to himself? But some of his adventures were too good to waste, so I mixed them with stories about the other engines. That ought to keep everyone happy.
Stories[]
Patience is a Virtue[]
The Thin Controller quietly arranges for Sir Handel to visit the Talyllyn Railway, but Duke needs mending, so no-one can be spared and he has to wait. The work on Duke takes some time, and Sir Handel takes it his old mentor is taking liberty with his condition to put him down, despite being told that his own recent repairs took a long time (since they both required new boilers). The engines' trains get longer as the summer holiday season starts, but there is not enough coaches, and passengers are forced to ride with the guard in Beatrice. Sir Handel is so bothered waiting for the tickets to be checked through and leaves without the guard, who doesn't react quickly enough and tries to run after the train.
A passenger who notices presses the emergency buzzer, and Sir Handel stops the train to discover his mistake. The train races towards Crovan's Gate with the guard on-board and arrives there on time for the connection. The guard tells an apologetic Sir Handel that "patience is a virtue" and he promises humbly to consider that.
Peter Sam and the Prickly Problem[]
Duke returns to work in fine health, and though it is not shown, he saw Sir Handel off on his excursion to Wales with a firm reminder. The others meanwhile are too busy with their workloads to miss their absentee. Men have been trimming bushes so that the passengers can see the scenery, and Rusty helps to collect them up. Unfortunately, he doesn't have enough time for workmen to pick all the trimmings up and leaves them by the side of the track. One day, Peter Sam with a passenger train sees tangled branches blown onto the line, and fearing that the passengers will miss James' train, he recklessly ploughs at it.
The more he ploughs through however, the more his wheels get entangled in the brambles and he regrets his claim he could get through rather quickly. His valve gear jams and his crew have to cut the branches free, meaning he feels rather sore for several days. Skarloey naturally brings order when the others' teasing starts becoming unbearable, as Duncan casually remarks that being very sore was nothing to get prickly about. In the final illustration for the scene, Sir Handel is at the sheds with the other engines, implying the teasing occurred after his return.
Pop Special[]
Near the Skarloey Railway, some boy scouts are camping beside the line. The doubtful Duncan is assured by his driver that the scoutmaster arranged for them to help out on the railway, in the same way that volunteers do at other railways. One sweltering day, Duncan, bothered during a run by the hot weather, is told by the scoutmaster that the scouts are protesting because they don't have much to drink. The Refreshment Lady has run out of stock, but Duncan remembers a shop near Lakeside station, and the lady there provides what she has on being told of the situation. The scouts are grateful for the soda relief, but Duncan, knowing his experience, smiles and modestly acknowledges they're getting their earned respect back.
Sir Handel Comes Home[]
Sir Handel is welcomed home by the other engines and recounts his adventures on the Talyllyn Railway. Members of the Royal Family came to visit and had another engine pull their train, while Sir Handel pulled a train of wedding guests. When Peter Sam explains his tangle with some branches, Sir Handel heartily explains a similar incident. He was coming around a bend when a fallen tree caught him off-guard and hit him in the face. Both his driver and fireman made a huge fuss about it and went so far to bandage his face, even giving him an eyepatch.
All the passengers said that he looked like a pirate to his embarrassment. Despite it, Sir Handel admits he appreciated his holiday and is glad to be back with his friends. (Afterward, Sir Handel explained quietly to Duke that during his visit to Wales, he had recommended ideas employed at their old workplace, the Mid Sodor Railway. Duke was proud and very pleasured to hear the ideas were thought of as worthy of consideration.)
Characters[]
- Sir Handel
- Peter Sam
- Duncan
- Duke
- Gordon
- Rheneas
- Skarloey
- The Thin Controller
- Football players
- Talyllyn (does not speak)
- Rusty (does not speak)
- Agnes, Ruth, Lucy, Jemima and Beatrice (do not speak)
- Gertrude and Millicent (one makes a cameo)
- Mr. Hugh (mentioned)
- The Refreshment Lady (mentioned)
- Wilbert Awdry (mentioned)
- Edwin Boston (mentioned)
- James (mentioned)
- Henry (mentioned)
Trivia[]
- The title of the book was inspired by a campaign on the Talyllyn Railway called "Great Little Trains".
Goofs[]
- Sir Handel appears in the last illustration of "Peter Sam and the Prickly Problem", which might have been an illustration error.
- The goalkeeper should have asked for the ball when he accidentally hit it away.